tarot card meanings

Judgement – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

4 Comments / August 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 21 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into Judgement – a very misunderstood card which seems more serious and terrifying than it actually is. Trust me!

Grab a notebook, pen and a refreshing bevy and settle in…

Keywords: rebirth, new phase, reinventing self/life, rejuvenation, inner or higher calling, awakening

Symbols:
coffins = limitations, old life, old self
arms open wide = open and ready to embrace new experiences
angel with trumpet = higher calling, soul’s calling
red cross = victory flag (victory over death)

Light Side: time to reinvent yourself, listen to your inner calling and start a new chapter in your life. A time of discovery, growth and newfound freedom.

Dark Side: not being able to ignore your inner calling any longer! No turning back after you’ve “awakened”.

1) Rebirth

When Judgement appears, it’s time to reinvent yourself and take a new approach to life, perhaps starting a new phase or chapter. This might follow a big event like a divorce, a birth of a child, losing a loved one, a near death experience, a health crisis, new job or moving to a new place, but not always.

Journalling Questions:

♥ When was the last time to began a new chapter or reinvented yourself?

♥ If you could redesign your life (and self), what would you do differently?

♥ If you could reinvent ONE area of your life, what would it be?

2) Awakening

Judgement is all about the dawning of awareness as you wake up and rise from spiritual slumber, becoming more aware of who you really are and why you’re here.

As self awareness grows, you begin to awaken to your life’s true purpose and discover new parts of yourself that you didn’t know existed. Sometimes events like the end (or beginning) of a relationship, death or other life crises can instigate this waking up process, but not always.

Awakening can happen in many arenas such as the spiritual, sexual, creative, psychic, etc.

Journalling Questions:

♥ When did you last experience an awakening? It could be a sexual, spiritual or psychic awakening or a sudden awareness and clarity about your life’s purpose. Or something else entirely.

♥ How did that awakening change your life?

3) Inner / Higher Calling

At certain times we feel called or pulled in a certain direction – to take a particular path or to make certain changes and take specific actions. These can be big, like quitting your job, moving to a new location or having a child or they can be small, like signing up for a class, reaching out to a friend or picking up a particular book.

Hearing this calling involves getting still and quiet and listening to our intuition. It also involves trust, taking a leap of faith and taking action.

We are always guided throughout our lives, whether it’s your Higher Self, spirit guides, ancestors or God, it’s important to find a way to tune into this higher guidance so that you can live an inspired life!

Journalling Questions:

♥ When in your life have you felt a strong calling and followed it? What happened?

♥ What do you feel called to do right now? What direction is pulling you?

The Wisdom of Judgement

Judgement tells us to wake up and listen to our deep, inner calling. Shake the sleepiness and earthly distractions our of your head and pay attention to the soft, quiet voice of your soul which is always guiding you. Doing so will allow you to discover who you are and why you’re here and begin a new, inspired chapter of your life.

Let me know in the comments below… when was the last memorable “Judgement” phase of your life that allowed you to re-design and re-invent your life (or a part of your life)?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into the very last Major Arcana card…The World!

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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The Sun – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

8 Comments / June 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 20 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into The Sun – the most positive, radiant, joyful card in the Tarot deck. After all the drama of The Moon, it’s a welcome relief!

Grab a notebook, pen and a cup of something hot and settle in…

Keywords: Joy, positivity, happiness, optimism, outgoing, extroverted, energetic, playful, innocent, radiant, expansion, inner child.

Symbols:
The Sun = radiance, yang energy, daytime, warmth
Reg flag = victory
Naked child with open arms, riding a white horse = being open to life, innocence
Sunflowers = earthly representation of the Sun
Stone wall = old limitations that you’ve managed to break free from

Dark Side: feeling pressure to be always ON and UP, forcing yourself to be “positive” and optimistic all the time, getting burnt out as a result of too much extroversion.

Light Side: playful and optimistic, all will be well, everything is working out!

1) Joy & Optimism

The Sun is all about saying YES to life! Greet life with your arms open and look on the bright side. It’s about finally reaching a place in your life where you feel your burdens evaporate and feel a sense of joy and excitement about life. Despite all that’s happened in your past you know that everything is going to be okay.

Journalling Questions:

♥ Think of a time when you felt this optimistic and positive…

♥ What stops you from being this way?

♥ What helps you get into Sun mode?

2) Radiant, Expansive Energy!

The Sun is about directing your energy outward and shining your light on the world! It’s an extroverted card that runs counter to more introverted cards like The Moon, The High Priestess and The Hermit. The Sun is a powerful symbol of the radiant, expansive, yang-like energy in the world and it encourages us to open up, take action and share a part of ourselves with the world.

After we pass through the shadowy mystery of The Moon and into the full light of The Sun, epiphanies and aha! moments begin to happen, allowing us to break free of the things that kept us small and limited (represented by the stone wall). We did it! We’re free! Now it’s time to wave our victory flag!

Journalling Questions:

♥ What makes you feel expansive? Outgoing? Energized?

♥ What does “shining your light onto the world” mean to you? How do you do this?

3) Playful & Innocent

The Sun invites us to be playful and to not take life so seriously. Get in touch with your inner child – be willing to look at life with fresh eyes, laugh, play and celebrate! This playfulness, joy and innocence is available to everyone, regardless of what they’ve been through.

It’s interesting that The Sun comes after all the really tough cards like The Devil, The Tower and Death. While The Fool’s optimism may come from youth and inexperience, The Sun’s optimism is fully earned and may even be a result of having weathered the storms of life.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What does it mean to be playful? How can you cultivate more playfulness in your life?

♥ What is your relationship with your “inner child” like?

♥ Exercise – go outside for a walk and look at everything as if you’re seeing it for the first time. Resist the urge to name things or categorize things – keep an open mind and engage with the world as though it is all new to you. See what happens!

The Wisdom of The Sun

The Sun tells us that NOW is the time to let our inner light shine outwards. Now is the time to tap into our extroverted side share ourselves with the world. Regardless of the darkness we may have experienced in the past, the bright, joyful innocence of The Sun is always within us, waiting for the right time to be freed and burst forward.

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The Moon – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

4 Comments / June 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 19 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into The Moon – a card of mystery, dreams, unconscious influences and that which is hidden!

Grab your journal, pen and a cup of tea and settle in…

Keywords: unconscious, subconscious, mystery, unknown, what is hidden, cycles and patterns

Symbols:
Crayfish (emerging from the water) = our primordial state, what we evolved from

3 layers of earth (light green, dark green, blue mountains) & a path (similar to Temperance) = 3 layers of consciousness (unconscious, subconscious and conscious)

2 towers (which also appear in Death) = a gateway into the unknown (similar to the 2 pillars we see in The High Priestess and the 2 towers in Death)

Dog & wolf = domesticated vs wild self

Moon = dim light, cycles which tie in with tides and menstruation

Dark Side: Being controlled by inner forces you don’t understand, things hidden, confusion, not really understanding yourself or why things are happening, feeling fear.

Light Side: An invitation to dive deep below the surface and explore your unconscious self and the world of dreams, intuitions and psychic abilities. Pay attention the the cycles and patterns in your life as a way to know thyself.

1) Unconscious & Subconscious Realms

The Moon reminds us that there’s a huge unconscious component to everything – think of an iceberg – what you see is just the tip, but the portion that is under water is so much bigger. It’s this unconscious part and it’s fears and desires that is often the driving force behind our motivations, feelings and actions.

The Moon invites us to go inward and explore this part of ourselves, through dreams, intuition, connecting with our “wild side” and honouring our instincts. Things like hypnosis, lucid dreaming, dream interpretation, meditative journeying, free writing and even some psychedelic substances can help one meander through this mysterious realm and make all kinds of fascinating discoveries.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What themes, symbols and emotions often appear in your dreams?

♥ Think of a time when your wild, instinctual, animal side came through strongly….How can you honour this part of your self?

2) The Hidden, Mysterious & Unknown

The Moon tells us that there is so much we don’t know – what we are aware of is just our limited perspective. There are layers, complexities and events of which we aren’t privy to and to walk through life thinking we know it all is foolish.

Imagine walking through a garden at night, with just the moonlight to guide you. Things are partially illuminated with many shadows around. You might imagine you see monsters or other creepy things. You see some details but not all. As the sun comes up, everything is fully illuminated and you may see that what you though was a giant spider is just a flower and what you thought was a crouching monster is just a shrub. Now you have the full picture and things look very different in the light of day.

The Moon encourages us to honour the mystery and accept that sometimes we cannot know everything. Some mysteries will remain unsolved and sometimes we’ll remain in the dark until the time is right. There is wisdom in realizing you do not know.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What big mysteries would you like to solve? What big unknowns would you like to make known?

♥ What is your relationship with mystery and the unknown like? Do you struggle with not knowing? Do you try to forcefully uncover things? Or are you able to relax and enjoy the mysterious and wait for things to be revealed in due time?

3) Cycles & Patterns

The Moon symbolizes the lunar cycle, which is tied to the tides and fertility cycles and is itself a symbol of the cycle of waxing and waning. It encourages us to notice the cycles that occur in our lives and to honour them, whether it’s the lunar cycle, the menstrual cycle or cycles of energy, creativity and flow.

The Moon also reminds us that we have cycles and patterns within our personal lives that are often sub or unconscious (for example, anger, addictions, self sabotage and relationship patterns). Many of our habits and patterns are tied to a sub or unconscious need or desire. For example, spending money as soon as you get it might be tied to an unconscious fear of having money taken from you or getting in trouble for hoarding.

Simply recognizing the repetitive and cyclical nature of things and seeing a pattern is the first step in bringing the unconscious up into the light of the conscious. This is how we begin to know ourselves and unravel the mystery of ourselves! It’s interesting to note that the lunar cycles (and other cycles) often serve to churn up unconscious energies, fears and issues so that they can be seen and worked through.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What cycles do you feel most prominently in your life right now?

♥ What habits or patterns do you notice in yourself? What unconscious fears or needs might they be tied to? Is this fear or desire just yours? Or is it part of the collective unconscious?

Wisdom of The Moon

The Moon tells us that life is mysterious and WE are mysterious! While we cannot know everything, we can dive deep and begin to explore. Our personal unconscious is a gateway to the collective unconscious and by coming to better know ourselves we can better understand others and the world around us, allowing some of the old fears to melt away.

Do not be afraid to journey inward for that which you do not understand will continue to cast terrifying shadows and play tricks on your mind if you never cast the light of your consciousness upon it!

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The Star – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

2 Comments / June 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 18 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into The Star – my absolute FAVOURITE Tarot card in the whole deck! It’s a card of peace, hope and trust in the divine cosmic plan.

Grab your journal, pen and a cup of tea and settle in…

Keywords: hope, peace, ease, relax, let go, trust, surrender, divine cosmic order, feeling part of the universe

Symbols: stars, naked woman, pouring out 2 jugs, one foot in, one foot out of water (similar to Temperance)

Stars = the divine cosmos, our place in the universe
Naked woman = feeling at ease being vulnerable, comfort in your own skin
Pouring out 2 jugs = letting go, surrender, trust
One foot in water, one on land = integrating the spiritual with the day to day

Light Side: Relax! Let go and trust in a higher plan – everything is working out in the way it needs to.

Dark Side: Things will unfold in the way you need but not always in the way you want.

1. Divine Cosmic Order (and our sense of belonging and connection to it)

The Star reminds us that we’re connected to the divine cosmos and are part of a much bigger picture. We are all stars in the tapestry of the cosmos! There is an order and purpose to everything and all is divine, all is unfolding in the way it is meant to, but maybe not always in the way we want it to.

The Star also reminds us that we belong here and that we are okay, just as we are. Everything is okay as it is. Stress often happens when we believe the opposite – that things shouldn’t be this way and that we don’t belong, that much change needs to happen in order for the world to be okay and in order for us to be happy with ourselves. The Star says nah! That’s bullshit! Chill out and take a breath.

The Star comes when you’re ready to stop pushing. It’s not a card of inaction, but of acceptance. Once you embrace reality (and yourself) as they are, you free yourself up to do wonderful things without all the pressure and stress.

Journalling Questions:

♥ When you say to yourself “everything is as it should be. I am okay as I am. All is well. I belong here,” what happens in your body? If you believed this, how would you live your life differently?

♥ Do you see yourself as part of the universe? Or just existing in the universe? Recall an experience you had where you felt a divine connection to the ALL – to life – to the cosmos.

2. Relax, Let Go and Surrender

The Star gently encourages you to trust in the universal, divine order of things and to get acquainted with your spiritual nature. While your body can be destroyed, your spirit is eternal and once you understand this you can relax, let go and trust that whatever unfolds over your life, you can handle it and you will be okay (in the spiritual sense).

When we approach life from this perspective, new vistas open up! New horizons appear! Magic happens!

Journalling Questions:

♥ Where in your life do you need to let go and relax more? Where could you use more trust and less worry?

♥ What would it look like if you lived your life from this vantage point?

3. Hope, Peace and Ease

After the big shake up of The Tower, comes The Star with it’s message of hope, as if to say “you know what? Everything is going to be okay after all.”

The Star is about embodying peacefulness, hope and ease. Instead of wishing for it, instead of trying to make others more peaceful, begin by embodying that peacefulness in small ways, in your day to day life.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What does embodying peace and calm look like for you? Try embodying peace and calm for 5 minutes or even 1 hour.

♥ How can you embody the peace and ease of The Star in this very moment?

The Wisdom of The Star

The Star advises us to stop pushing and trying to make things happen. Stop trying so hard to be different than you are. Stop worrying about your “plan”. Just let go. Surrender to the divine order of the cosmos and trust that all will unfold how in needs to.

Let me know – how do you plan on channelling your inner Star today?

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The Tower – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

11 Comments / May 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 17 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into The Tower – a card of upheaval, destruction and collapse (and rampant phallic symbolism!)… so fun stuff 😉

Grab your notebook, pen and a cup of cocoa and settle in…

Keywords: Destruction, sudden collapse, unexpected upheaval, flash of enlightenment, loss of status, fall from grace, energetic release, being set free.

Symbols: Ivory tower, crown, people falling, lightning bolt, fire

Dark Side: Unexpected collapse and destruction of something you thought was solid. A fall from grace, loss of status and loss of comfort and predictability.

Light Side: Being set free of the ivory tower which kept you limited and small – a chance to start fresh and rebuild.

1. Destruction & Sudden Collapse

The Tower depicts a sudden and unexpected collapse of what was thought to be a solid and stable structure, casting it’s inhabitants out of their “ivory tower”. It depicts a sudden shift, a violent churning and reorganizing of energy.

The familiar walls that held you safe are crumbling around you and casting you out of your “comfort zone”, which may feel like a fall from grace or a loss of status. Something you had relied upon or took for granted is being destroyed and it’s throwing you through a loop!

For example, you lose your job, your home is destroyed by fire, earthquake or flood, a powerful institution collapses, your belief system begins to crumble, your relationship implodes, etc.

The Tower doesn’t have to be scary or bad though, it’s really just a shaking up of energy to create a new pattern, like a kaleidoscope. However, us humans love the familiar and predictable and so we usually experience this process as stressful.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What are the “tower moments” in your life?

♥ What have these tower moments eventually lead to?

2. Flash of Enlightenment (that leads to collapse)

A bombshell is dropped and something previously unknown comes to light, bringing the house down! The lightning bolt symbolizes a flash of sudden insight and knowledge, which holds destructive power.

If something was upheld by lies and illusion, then enlightenment will often lead to collapse. Once certain information is revealed or you have a sudden realization, the narrative can no longer be upheld and things come crashing down.

For example, a powerful government crumbles when widespread corruption is revealed, a financial institution collapses when insidious illegal activity comes to light, a religious institution falls from grace when a sex scandal reveals it’s seedy side or a powerful figure loses their charm and wholesome image when disturbing information and allegations are brought forward.

The crown (on the top of the tower and on the head of the falling woman) symbolizes the fact that no individual or institution, however powerful, is immune to destruction. It represents a removal of status and power and the idea that power that is conferred up you from the outside world can always be taken away at any moment.

The only other card that shows an upside down person is The Hanged Man – which mirrors this theme of enlightenment and the feeling of powerlessness and having your world turned upside down.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What powerful institutions, companies or individuals have you seen fall after something is revealed?

♥ What powerful beliefs or narratives have you felt crumble after a sudden flash of realization?

3. Energetic Release & Freedom

The Tower can be seen as a phallic symbol and the lightning and fire the orgasmic release of pent up energy! Energy (whether in the form of frustration, anger, sex, creativity, etc) can build up over weeks, months and years until BOOM! it’s released in a sudden blast of freedom.

When things are destroyed, energy is released. We may experience loss, like the loss of a career or the loss of our faith, but often that’s followed by a certain kind of freedom – the freedom to take a new path and shed your old identity. It may not be a freedom you want in that moment, but if embraced, it can be exhilarating!

When the ivory tower that kept us imprisoned is reduced to rubble, we are set free. The pattern changes, the landscape transforms and new horizons appear. Often when The Tower shows up in a reading, we are secretly longing for freedom, so much so that we are willing to unconsciously create “tower moments” in our life as a way to change our story and set ourselves free.

Journalling Questions:

♥ Where are you longing for more freedom? What areas of your life feel rigid and uninspired?

♥ How can you create more freedom for yourself?

The Wisdom of The Tower

Nothing is eternally powerful and indestructible, no matter how invincible it might appear. And while we will inevitably experience our own “tower moments” every now and then, these experiences hold two sides – one side contains the trauma of upheaval and sudden collapse while the other side holds the exhilarating freedom and new opportunities that can eventually arise in the wake of destruction.

Let me know in the comments below… what was a “tower moment” in your life that ultimately led to something good?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into The Star (my fave!)

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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The Devil – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

4 Comments / March 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 16 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into The Devil – one of the most intense (and horny!) cards in the Major Arcana!

Grab a notebook, pen and a hot bevy and settle in…

Keywords: addiction, unhelpful habits, stuck in a pattern, oppression,  being tempted, tricked or manipulated into giving your power away without realizing it (examples: drug addiction, credit card debt, pyramid schemes, cults).

The Devil represents the opposite of enlightenment – remaining unconscious and in the dark, believing that only the material realm matters and that spirit doesn’t exist.

Symbols: 

Horns = horny, animal/primal desires
Torch pointed downwards (opposite of enlightenment)
Darkness = being unenlightened, only that which is seen exists
Chains = oppression
Tails made of fire and grapes
The Devil is #15 (5 + 1 = 6 =The Lovers) – this card features the same couple

Light Side: You’re ready for more freedom! You’re ready to see the unhelpful patterns and habits because you’re ready to change and be more free.

1) Addictions

The Devil is all about addictions and unhelpful habits and patterns which bring us comfort and fulfill a need, yet keep us stuck and rob us of freedom.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What are you addicted to? What unhelpful habits do you cling to?

♥ What primal need or desire does your addiction fulfill?

♥ Which habits/addictions are you ready to break free from?

2) Surrendering your power (selling your soul)

The Devil tempts and seduces us into handing over our power/soul in exchange for success in the material world like money, security, sex, fame and accolades. Often these things just turn out to be illusions and not worth the trade.

If The Devil can convince us that only the physical world is real, then we’ll undervalue our own soul. When he asks for it in exchange for something material like monetary success, we’ll be tricked into thinking it’s a good deal.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What are you giving your power away to?

♥ What are you trading your freedom for?

♥ How are you sacrificing the spiritual in return for the material?

3) Longing for freedom

The Devil only shows up when we’re ready for more freedom – we’re ready to look our addictions and unhelpful patterns in the eye and ask “am I really as stuck as I think I am? Is this really all there is?”

There is safety and predictability in our habits and addictions, even if they make us miserable, they are at least familiar. Yet….we long to be free!

Journalling Questions:

♥ How are you ready to be more free? What does more freedom look like to you?

♥ When you think about breaking free of a habit, do any fears come up?

♥ Is your desire for safety, comfort and routine greater than your desire to be free? Can you imagine yourself being safe AND free? Affirmation: I am Safe, I am Free

The wisdom of The Devil

The Devil asks “how are you deluding yourself? How have you been tricked? What unhelpful beliefs are you buying into?” And most importantly….. “how can you be more free?”

Inside of us exists a tendency to want to hand over our true power in exchange for a poor substitute for what we truly crave. Yet the intense desire for freedom also exists within us…which one will win out at the end of the day?

Let me know in the comments below…Did you learn anything new about The Devil? What surprised you most?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into The Tower

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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Temperance – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

4 Comments / tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 15 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into Temperance – a generally unsexy and unexciting card…or is it?!

Grab a notebook, pen and a cup of tea and settle in…

Keywords: Balance, moderation, healing, walking the middle path, avoid extremes & addictions, divine guidance

Symbols:
Angel = divine guidance
One foot in/out = balance & moderation
Two cups = balance (give/receive), renewing energy
Triangle inside square (on chest) = earth containing fire, grounding & balance
Circle on third eye = divine connection
Path = walking the middle path
Iris = Greek goddess who acted as a messenger between gods and humans
Water = emotions, mystical realms

Dark side: Temperance can feel like a bit of a wet blanket sometimes, always wanting to dampen the flames of intense passion and obsession. Practice self restraint! Don’t fall prey to the siren song of addictions! Blah, blah, blah…

1) Moderation (& Healing)

Temperance is all about walking the middle path, avoiding extremes and practising self restraint. This is the key to keeping things sustainable. Once you verge into intense and extreme territory, you run the risk of burning yourself out.

Whether it’s a romantic relationship, a work project or your diet and exercise plan, avoiding extremes and practising moderation is the secret to making things work for the long haul.

The path of moderation and self restraint is actually the most pleasurable path there is, believe it or not! Too much of a good thing becomes a bad thing and overindulging in something tends to suck the pleasure out of it in the long run.

Moderation and balance will lead to healing. The body cannot heal itself if it’s out of balance. Bringing your body and life into balance will allow some things to heal almost effortlessly.

Journalling Questions:

♥ Where in your life are you NOT practising moderation?

♥ How can you cultivate more moderation in your life?

2) Balance

Temperance tells us that balance is the key to longevity, sustainability and pleasure! When things get out of balance, problems like illness, addictions and burn out can arise.

The balance between giving and receiving is particularly important here, as is the balance between being “grounded” and being able to dip your toe into the waters of emotion and feeling.

Our fiery passion (symbolized by the triangle) needs to be contained by earthy, groundedness (symbolized by the square that holds the triangle), so that it doesn’t get out of hand and cause destruction.

Journalling Questions:

♥ Where is your life unbalanced? Are you more often in offering mode (or receptive mode)? Are you too practical and grounded or too emotional and ungrounded?

♥ How can you create more balance in your life? How can you keep one foot on dry land and dip your other foot into the mystical waters?

3) Divine Guidance

Temperance tells us that divine guidance is always available to us and that practising moderation, cultivating balance and self restraint will bring us closer to the divine.

The yellow Iris flowers in this card symbolize the Greek goddess Iris who carried messages from gods to humans via rainbows. But Temperance isn’t just about getting divine guidance, it’s about using it in a practical, down to Earth way.

The foot that is submerged in water symbolizes the ability to dip one’s toe into the divine waters and the foot on dry land symbolizes the necessity to ground any spiritual wisdom you receive so that you can apply it to your day to day life.

Journalling Questions:

♥ How does divine guidance come to YOU? (ex: dreams, meditation, journalling, prayer, nature, through others, synchronicity, symbols)

♥ How can you open yourself even more to this divine connection?

Wisdom of Temperance

Temperance reminds us that if we keep one foot in the water (willing to dip our toe in and explore the mystical), but one foot on dry land, we’ll be able to get that divine guidance and actually use it in the real world as we move forward on our path.

Moderation and balance are the keys to a life of success, pleasure and divine connection.

Let me know in the comments below…How do YOU feel about the Temperance card?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into The Devil

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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Death – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

4 Comments / February 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 14 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into Death – the most iconic Tarot card in the whole Tarot deck!

Grab your Tarot journal, pen and a cup of tea and get comfy…

 

Keywords: change, endings, closing the door, letting go, release, clearing/cleansing, impermanence, transition, transformation

Symbols:
Flag – white rose = desires purified
Sun Rising – a new dawn is on the horizon
River/boat – flux, flow, the River Styx from Greek mythology
King (fallen crown) – no one is immune to Death
Girl (turning away) – refusal to look at Death
Man in yellow (Pope) – bargaining with Death
Child holding flowers – greeting Death

Dark Side: the pain of letting go and things coming to an end

Light Side: change, transformation, clearing and making room for something new

1) Endings / Letting Go

Death represents an ending, letting go of something and closing the door. Endings can be painful, but how well you’re able to let go will determine how well you can later receive something new.

Death can represent the end of something like a relationship, job, way of life or pattern and it can also represent the need to clear something from your life.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What are you ready to clear? To let go of? What’s cluttering up your physical, mental, emotional and spiritual space?

♥ What is your relationship to letting go like? Think of the last ending you experienced. What was it like? What made it difficult (or easy)?

2) Impermanence

Death reminds us that nothing lasts forever – everything is always in constant flux & flow, like the river that runs through the background of this card.

Imagine a world in which nothing died…ever. Things would stagnate and eventually feel very lifeless, ironically! Death is needed to keep things alive. The impermanent nature of life keeps things fresh and helps us be more present and appreciative.

Death isn’t really an ending in the final sense, it’s just impermanence in action, a point on the wheel of life, death and rebirth.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What does is mean to embrace impermanence (death)?

♥ If you truly embraced impermanence, how would you live your life differently?

3) Transition (Transformation)

Death represents the void between an ending and a new beginning. The old story has ended, but the new story has yet to begin. We must walk through this void before coming out on the other side. This is the transition toward transformation!

Death doesn’t represent the fun, butterfly part of transformation, but the gross part where the worm turns to liquid goo in the cocoon.

Journalling Questions:

♥ Think of all the void (or cocoon) times you’ve had. For example, the time between one relationship ending and another beginning. What helped? What did you learn?

♥ What helps you most as you journey through the void?

The Wisdom of Death

Death is needed so that life can continue. Change is constant. Don’t be afraid of the void, for it is where a new dawn will emerge.

Let me know in the comments below…How do YOU feel about the Death card?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into Temperance

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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The Hanged Man – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

February 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 13 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into The Hanged Man– a card of frustration, surrender and ultimate enlightenment!

Grab your Tarot journal, pen and a mug of coffee and settle in…

Keywords: Feeling powerless & stuck, going nowhere, surrender, acceptance, enlightenment, new perspective

Symbols:
T-shaped structure = horizontal vs vertical path
Tied hands and ankle = helplessness
Upside down man = different perspective
Serene facial expression, glow around head = enlightenment

Dark Side: Feeling stuck and powerless

Light Side: Finding a new understanding and perspective

Vertical vs horizontal path
Horizontal path = birth to death trajectory, linear timeline, outer life
Vertical path = The Now, presence, being, depth, spirit, awareness, inner life

Difficulty on the horizontal path forces us to go inward and ask the deeper questions in life.

1) Feeling Stuck & Powerless

The Hanged Man symbolizes a dead end where no amount of effort, action or willpower will get you anywhere. These moments in life are invitations to go inward.

The Hanged Man reminds you that when you can’t change your “outer landscape”, you must go in and change your “inner landscape” (beliefs, thoughts, feelings, responses, patterns).

Journalling Questions:

♥ Where are you stuck? How can you change your “inner landscape”?

♥ Where are we stuck as a collective? What questions should we be asking ourselves?

2) Surrender & Acceptance

The second step, after recognizing that you’re stuck and powerless, is to let go and surrender! The Hanged Man advises us to let go of the need to control things and have everything go according to plan – there’s more to life than that!

Accept things and people as they are, without judgment and without trying to fix things and see what happens. This will put you on the path to a new way of seeing things…

Journalling Questions:

♥ Think of a time in your life where you just gave up and let go…how did things eventually work out?

♥ What helps you let go and surrender?

♥ What happens when you fully accept everything and everyone (including yourself) as they are in this moment?

3) Enlightenment

The final and third stage of The Hanged Man is…Enlightenment! But enlightenment only happens AFTER we let go of plans, timelines, expectations and ideology and go inward.

Enlightenment represents a new vision and understanding of life – a cosmic AHA! moment, followed by blissful peace and serenity.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What does “enlightenment” mean to you?

♥ What do you think enlightenment will feel like?

The Wisdom of The Hanged Man

When we get stuck and feel we have no control or power over our outer lives, it’s time to move inward and become adept at shaping our inner world of thoughts, beliefs, emotions, energy and subconscious patterns.

Letting go of our need to control and change things can ultimately lead us to a new understanding of things – a divine acceptance of all that is – which leads to enlightenment!

The Hanged Man says “don’t forget to honour your vertical path as well as your horizontal path!”

Let me know in the comments below…When was YOUR last Hanged Man moment? And did it lead to a new understanding of things?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into Death (the card I’ve been looking forward to exploring since I first started this series!)

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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Justice – Tarot Meaning Deep Dive

8 Comments / February 2022, tarot card meanings / /

Welcome to part 12 of my 22 part Tarot Meanings Deep Dive series – each week we explore ONE major arcana card and uncover it’s secrets, symbols and messages.

Today we’re diving into Justice – a card of balance, fairness, truth and cool rationality.

Grab your Tarot journal, pen and a cup of something good and get ready….

Keywords: balance, fairness, non-biased, truth seeking, clarity, discernment, cool rationality, cutting through illusion, rising above polarity and distractions.

Symbols: sword (cutting through illusion) scales (balance), blindfold (in some decks) = non-bias, High Priestess imagery (two pillars, curtain).

Justice = 11 and High Priestess = 2 (these two cards are similar – both women are guarding something)

Dark Side: cold, impersonal, more logic than feeling

1) Balance

Justice always considers both sides and takes a non-biased, balanced view of things. She knows how to rise above polarity and move beyond personal stories, juicy narratives and attachment to a particular view.

Justice knows that the less bias she has, the more understanding she has and the more empowered she becomes. Getting sucked into polarity and bias makes us small and helpless, but Justice is bigger than that!

Journalling Questions:

♥ Are you aware of what your own personal biases are? (It’s easiest to ask this question in relation to a specific issue, rather than a general question) Where can you benefit from a more unbiased view?

♥ What helps you rise above polarity and get a more balanced view of things?

2) Truth Seeker 

Truth & Justice go hand in hand! There can be no justice if the truth remains hidden. Justice can see through illusion, stories, depictions and trickery to get to the heart of what is true. Justice always asks: what are the facts?

When we look at the world through our personal lens, we never really see the pure truth – just tainted versions of it or complete illusions! Justice represents the ability to transcend the human limitation of only being able to see things from one limited perspective, so that a more complete picture emerges.

Journalling Questions:

♥ What are the FACTS of this situation? What do you know to be true? (Notice when your imagination, storytelling or judgment starts creeping in)

♥ What happens when you pretend to have Justice’s ability to see things from all sides?

3) Cool Rationality

Justice is all about putting your emotions aside, using your head, being discerning and making fair and balanced decisions.

Justice can rise above the hot, sticky passion of polarity and see things with a cool gaze. She doesn’t buy into any spin or seductive narratives.

Journalling Questions

♥ What helps you get into that cool, rational mindset?

♥ OR, what keeps you from doing this?

The Wisdom of Justice

Justice knows how to step out of her own drama and her own story so she can make some fair, balanced and level headed decisions. She doesn’t get all caught up in the steamy battles of mere mortals – there is a coolness to her, a crisp, clear rationality that despite making her a bit chilly, allows her to be fair and compassionate in her own special way.

Let me know in the comments below…How do YOU feel about lady Justice? Is this a card you can easily connect with or do you struggle with it?

♥ Join me next week as we dive into The Hanged Man!

You can find all my previous Tarot Meanings Deep Dives right here!

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