Tarot Class #2 Notes

     [Please be aware that this file follows TNOTE1.zip, which was the
     notes from the first Tarot class and covers the minor arcana.  This
     class began with the court cards, and progressed to the major arcana
     and to laying out cards for readings.]

     These notes are not meant to be all-inclusive, but are offered for you
     to annotate and use with additional notes and information you may
     already have.     -=Satinka


     The Court Cards:

     being the King, Queen, Knight and Page (or Prince and Princess) of a
     suit of the minor arcana.

     Court cards may represent personality types, but do not necessarily
     represent a person in the querent's life or situation.

     King=father/authority figure/mature actions,wills,desires=Fire
     Queen=mother/receptor/mature emotions=Water
     Knight=active principle/younger viewpoint=Air
     Page=transmuting power of others/adolescent view=Earth

     Key Phrases for Court Cards:

               Wands          Cups           Swords         Pentacles

     King      I think        I feel         I am           I have

     Queen     I analyze      I balance      I will         I desire

     Knight    I know         I believe      I use          I create

     Page      useful/        support/       self-defense/  prosperity/
               workable       fondness/      protection     business gain/
               ideas          sincerity                     benevolence

               (The pages are androgynous)

     Court cards can represent the emotional age of people you feel they
     represent.  Where you feel they represent real people rather than
     archetypal energies, they will most often be:

     Wands:     fair hair and blue eyes
     Cups:      lt. brown hair and blue or light colored eyes
     Swords:    dark hair and dark eyes
     Pentacles: darker races or older people


     ----------------
     The Major Arcana:

     The Major Arcana includes 22 cards, broken basically into three
     separate categories:

     Cards 1-7 include:  The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The
                         Emperor, The Heirophant, The Lovers, The Chariot.

     These cards represent powers and channels of the universe, and may be
     archetypal figures, but are not necessarily particular people.

     Cards 8-14 include: Justice, The Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Strength,
                         The Hanged Man, Death, Temperance.

     These cards represent cosmic and material laws and the variables
     affecting the existance of all human beings.

     Cards 15-21 include:The Devil, The Tower, The Star, The Moon, The Sun,
                         Judgement, The World.

     These cards correspond to conditions of existance which apply to all
     phases of life (spiritual, mental, emotional, physical, etc.).

     Card 0, The Fool

     ...is the inexperienced soul, naieve and innocent, blithely heading
     out into the world.  The card can also be considered Card 22, which is
     the innocent Fool transformed by wisdom and experienced, but still
     maintaining the humor and light-heartedness.


     Each card has a particular meaning:

     1. The Magician

     ...signifies a man or woman in control of self and environment
     because they can channel higher/cosmic power.  It indicates an
     awareness of inner divinity; inspiration and creativity. This is a
     person in touch with their higher self.

     2.  The High Priestess

     ...represents the highest female spiritual aspects. She is receptive
     and passive. The High Priestess takes the impulses and actions of the
     Magician and transforms them into realities.  The High Priestess
     recognizes the connections between past and present, and present and
     future; opens inner doorways to knowledge.

     3.  The Empress

     ...represents the nurturing mother; warm, friendly, loving, sensual,
     concerned, understanding.  Represents fertility, sustanance; the
     ability to mold and form concepts and guide groth and maturity
     patterns.

     4.  The Emperor

     ...signifies the harsh realities of life (or someone who deals with
     them); universal codes and laws and how to work within them.  Rely on
     critical facilities in drawing conclusions, rather than jumping to
     conclusions.  Curtail impulsiveness.

     5.  The Heirophant

     ...rules spiritual aspects as the Emperor does the physical aspects.
     A teacher representing the union of spiritual and physical.  Through
     him you learn karma and necessary actions, and utilize mental and
     spiritual disciplines to strengthen character.  He represents fate and
     experience.

     6.  The Lovers

     ...besides the obvious connotation, can represent any polarity or
     other attractive forces.  Also, crossroads where a choice must be
     made.  Love and desire in search of truth.  Duty and obligations vs.
     desire.  Balance point of emotion and intellect.

     7.  The Chariot

     ...represents physical strength, choice, decision, form; a successful
     handling of overwhelming everyday life situations.  Shows where you
     need to think and apply pressure to find correct decision. Can also
     indicate the need to gain and maintain balance.

     8.  Strength

     ...indicates a strength of knowledge and conviction.  It means having
     knowledge of yourself and your limitations and abilities.  It can also
     be a call to choose the right path/channel; to follow your inner voice
     that you know to be true.

     9.  The Hermit

     ...represents withdrawal from the physical to contemplate inner/
     spiritual ways.  He is the way-shower, the beacon for other to follow
     who also seek.  His light indicates knowledge and truth.  He
     represents inner growth and knowledge translated into being and
     action, and signifies that you must risk in order to gain, not in a
     rash way, but backed by knowledge.

     10. Wheel of Fortune

     ...represents all cycles (nature, sexual, spiritual, life, etc.).
     Brings Karma into picture.  Actions beget reactions. Counsels
     adaptability, patience, new avenues of development.  Can mean
     unconventional concepts and ideas.  Equilibrium.

     11. Justice

     ...represents justice on all planes.  In the highest aspect it is that
     equilibrium from which all creation manifests.  Karma. Applying
     inner/spiritual truths; counseling to look within and observe the
     action/reaction.  Indicates a need to develop a sense of fair play,
     and to see all points of view in a situation.

     12. The Hanged Man

     ...represents sacrifice; a giving of energies, of giving (materially
     or spiritually) withough thought of compensation. Sacrifice of
     personal gain for spiritual gain.  Can also indicate problems in
     accepting a situation.

     13. Death

     ...can (rarely) mean a physical death, but more often means a change
     or new situation.  It can indicate a point of transformation in a
     situation or person, and may signal a need to stop resisting change,
     letting go of the old to make way for the new.

     14. Temperance

     ...represents the cohesive force that ties all manifestation together.
     Acknowledgement of the imortal soul's oneness with all creation.  New
     ideas combine in ethical/moral codes of life. Participation in ideals
     and causes.  Action causing awareness and growth.

     15. The Devil

     ...indicates a tie to the material/physical world; a physical
     attraction; temptation, self-destructive action or a self-centered
     attitude.  Disregard of natural laws/karma.  Bad habits, attmepted
     domination of others; spiritual barrenness.  Could also represent
     problems in dealing with the material aspects of life.

     16. The Tower

     ...indicates the destruction necessary to begin anew.  Need to build
     stronger/longer lasting character. Development of self and inner
     knowledge.  Curb impulsive action; don't dissipate energies.  Release
     undesirable traits, modes of being and thinking.

     17. The Star

     ...indicates the spiritual drive in all of humanity.  Belief in
     immortality of the soul and understanding of the divininty within.
     Wisdom, knowledge; listening to one's own inner voice.  Cultivation of
     aspects of inner conviction and determination.  Belief in oneself and
     others.

     18. The Moon

     ...signifies psychic, occult, subconscious forces; the collective
     unconscious. Reflection of active/conscious portion of self striving
     for inner illumination and initiation.  Improvement of inner
     environment.

     19. The Sun

     ...represents the conscious/active principle and the ego. Attainment
     of heaven on earth.  Avoid excessive pride and egotism. Inner
     happiness.  Can also mean a child is on the way.

     20. Judgement

     ...signifies an acknowledgement of inner goals and esires; inner
     awakening. Establishing a firm foundation in and of one's Self. Making
     realistic evaluations. Realistic awareness showing a new perspective.
     Caution to rely on realistic expectations, but not on hearsay or
     appearances.

     21. The World

     ...indicates successful rulership and regulation of forces of the
     universe.  Control of lower (animal) impulses.  Attainment due to
     application of willpower.  Knowing self in order to obtain success.
     Perfection and completion attained by perseverance and hard work.

     -----------
     The Spreads:

     Yes/No spreads are the simplest, and require an odd number of cards.
     Consider the center card as the querent, and move out to both sides,
     for environment, people, etc.  Generally consider that the cards on
     the left represent the past, and the cards on the right represent the
     present.

     Circular or Astrological spreads can be done with a circle of 12
     cards.  Generally there will be cards indicating past, present,
     future, and some that may be far past, or far future.  Generally read
     in groups of 3 for a general circular reading.  The astrological
     reading associates each card with a house of the zodiac, therefore,
     the card falling in House 1 (Self) will represent information about
     the querent, and that falling in House 2 (partnerships) will talk
     about relations...etc.

     Cards can be added as needed for clarification.

     If laying cards clockwise reads from past into future, try laying them
     "backwards" (counterclockwise) to go from present to far past.