The Mysteries of Tarot

You Have the Power!

tonip59 — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 22:04:52 +0000

As The Fool journeys onward, he finds The Magician, the next card in the Major Arcana, the number one card. I know I discussed The Magician card a few blogs back and related it to Michael Jackson, but I wanted to continue on in our journey and give you some further insight on the card.

As we look at the card we see an enchanting, youthful man, dressed in a fine robe. He emulates an air of confidence and energy. Above his head glows the symbol of infinity. Around his waist is a serpent consuming its own tail, the ourobouros, which is a symbol of eternity and transformation. The Magician’s right hand holds a wand up to the heavens and his left hand points to the earth. This is symbolizing the Magician’s ability to bridge the gap between heaven and earth. On the table before the Magician are the four Tarot suits, Cup, Wand, Pentacle and Sword, representing the elements earth, air, fire and water, the ability to use all his resources. He is standing in a garden of lilies and roses.

It depends on the reading, but the Magician most likely will represent the Querent, the person asking the question. Usually this person will be in a state of creativity, feeling very energized and self-confident. The Magician represents the power of creation by will or desire, the power to make things so just by speaking them out loud; he could be a salesman. He also represents a person who is interested in the sciences, a scientist or a doctor. On the other hand he could represent a smooth-talker, or manipulator. The Magician reflects the intoxication of power both good and evil. He can be as intelligent as he is the con artist. He will have a magnetic personality that can convince people of anything.

When interpreting the Magician card for a reader, I would tell them that a solution to a problem is going to be revealed. There will be an idea or a vision that will seem magical. The idea was there all along, but the Magician is the one to reveal it to you. It is a suggestion to use all the resources that are at hand and to not hold back. You must use your own intuition and inspiration, your own magic. A transformation is definitely immanent. So stretch out your arms to heaven and earth and behold what lies in front of you…the answer is there.

The Fool’s Journey

tonip59 — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:42:15 +0000

The Tarot is broken into two parts, The Major Arcana and the Minor Arcana. I would like to explore the Major Arcana of the Tarot first, and I thought going down the line, card by card, and giving some insight might be a good way to start. First, here is just a little information to get you familiar with the Tarot deck. Most Tarot decks consist of seventy-eight cards. Twenty-two of those cards make up the Major Arcana and they are numbered zero through twenty-one. These cards are usually very colorful and exciting, depicting a landscape with symbols, events and people. Most Major Arcana cards are numbered and named. The symbols and pictures on the cards pertain to higher goals and have a much deeper message then the Minor Arcana. When the Major Arcana cards fall in a reading, they usually require immediate attention.

Let’s start with the very first card, the zero card, The Fool. It is a charming little card, showing a young man carrying everything he owns in the world in a small little bundle. He is traveling along to wherever the road leads him. He is happy and carefree, unaware of any danger that may lie ahead. You will notice that he is walking very near a cliff, in some decks it looks as if he is about to step off. At his feet is a small barking dog, in his hand a walking stick and a rose. Usually when this card shows up in a reading it is representing the querent, or person asking the question.

You might think that this card means foolishness, but let’s take a good look at The Fool and de-code its symbolism. Since it is the first card of the Tarot, I would take it to mean the beginning of a journey…The Fool’s journey. Young and naive, the impetuous Fool starts his journey full of hope and passion. The dog barking at his feet is symbolizes “grounding”…a faithful partner on his journey, who is barking a warning that it is time for a reality check…do not proceed blindly, stop a moment and take a breath before you take one more step. The cliff or precipice signifies a leap of faith into the unknown. The rose is a sign of purity, a worthy goal indicating that the journey will be worth pursuing.

So, upon reading this card for a querent, I would tell them that significant change is coming that involves some risk taking, it could be a new job, new romance, new business venture, and that there will be a sense of being overly optimistic and excited. Beware of heading blindly into a situation, take time to really think it through, make sure you are paying attention to the road ahead, however, leap of faith may be required to make this venture a success.

MJ The Magician

tonip59 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:41:41 +0000

Wednesday night I sat with my daughter in the movie theater for the premiere of Michael Jackson’s ‘This Is It’. I felt so privileged to be able to view the private rehearsals and get an insight into the mind of a true musical genius. As I watched, I could see his mind ticking away as he focused on the music. It was incredible to see how he took that vision in his head and expressed it to the musicians behind him so that they would play the music just how he felt it. How he would create these sounds from a vision deep inside of himself. There was such an energetic conviction to his creativity. Then there was the way he manipulated his body to move to the sounds, and how he transferred those movements to the back-up dancers, and made them move like a puppet master. Although forceful with his imagination he was a reserved perfectionist. He got his ideas across to others with a reverential spirit…a subtle manipulation. I was given a glimpse of a humbled, gentle, loving man with a huge, intoxicating power…the power to hypnotize you with movement and music, falsetto and crescendos.

Mesmerized as I watched the film, I began to compare Michael to the first Major Arcana card in the tarot deck, The Magician. If you look deeper into the significance of the Magician, you will notice the comparisons. Key words in the interpretation of the Magician card are;

Talents
Capabilities
Action
Energy
Creativity
Movement
Focus
Determination
Manipulation
Precision
Conviction
Transformation

How could these words not describe Michael Jackson?

There is something very mystical and magical to the creation of music and that can only be brought into fruition by a true Magi. Looking closely at the Magician Card you see a young man, usually dressed in a robe, sometimes sparkling, above his head floats a sign on infinity, about his waist is the ouroboros, the serpent devouring itself, which is an ancient sign of eternity, his right hand holds a wand pointed to heaven and his left hand points to the earth, before him is a table holding a symbol for the four Tarot suits signifying the elements for earth, air, fire and water. At his feet is a garden of flowers. This is a being who bridges heaven and earth by using all his resources.

Michael Jackson, The King of Pop, he should be called The Wizard of Pop. He was a Transformer, a Performer and a Musical Dream Weaver. He will live infinitely through his music and through those who he mesmerized with his talents.

Leaving the film, I could not help but feel sad for the world. We are all missing out on one of the most spectacular events of our lifetime…the final concert tour of the Superstar Enchanter. He has leaves behind a legacy of star dust, sparkle and haunting melodies for generations to come.

Think Divinely!

tonip59 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 21:13:50 +0000

DIVINATION…what a great word! I love saying it, I love hearing it, and I love reading it. I love the way it rolls off my tongue and flows. Certain words are just like that for me. It’s part of the beauty of language.

div.i.na.tion (div-uh-ney-shun) – perception by intuition; instinctive foresight.

DIVINATION…from the Latin word divinare (meaning to foresee), to be inspired by a god, associated with the word divinus…the word divine.

DIVINATION…I like to think of it as Devine Intuition, Devine Perception, Devine Instinct, and Devine Inspiration.

I think we all have a form of divination inside of us. Some of us choose to acknowledge it while others tend to ignore it and hide it away. We’ve all had those times when we are thinking of a person and the next thing we know, the phone rings and that person is on the other line. It is as if you knew they would call. The more familiar you become with your intuition and use it, the more capable you will become with employing it into your daily life.

There are many forms and methods of divination; the most common being;

ASTROLOGY: the interpretation of celestial bodies and their influence on daily life.
I CHING: an ancient form of Chinese Divination or Book of Changes.
FENG SHUI: the Chinese art of creating harmony in your surroundings in order to enhance balance of yin and yang.
NUMEROLOGY: the interpretation of numbers pertaining to the year of a person’s birth.
PALMISTRY: the art of foretelling the future through the study of the lines and mounds of the palm.
SPIRIT BOARD: Commonly known as the Quija board or talking board is used to communicate with the spirit world.
SCRYING: better known as crystal ball gazing is the magic of seeing things psychically through crystals, translucent and luminescent objects (i.e. crystals, mirrors, water, and glass).
TAROMANCY: the art of Tarot card reading with the belief that the cards can be used to foretell future events and situations.

These are the most common; there are several more obscure methods, such as Pyromancy (the divination by fire) and Venomancy (divination by poison) but for me these seem a little dangerous and wicked. I will stick with the Tarot cards…thank you very much!

Divination is also associated with the word Occult, which has a broad definition. To me the word Occult is more of a “dark” word…it brings up images of devil worship and witchcraft used for evil purposes. The word Occult often frightens people away from an otherwise enriching experience. I would suggest looking past this word if you have an interest in the Esoteric Arts.

Think “Divinely” and enjoy your journey.

A Time to Reflect

tonip59 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:49:18 +0000

There are so many directions I can go with this blog as it pertains to the Tarot. I’d like to share the history, look at the meanings of each card, look at the different layouts and how each card interacts with each other. Depending on what deck you are using and what your question for the Tarot is, each deck could have a different meaning relating to the card. For instance, drawing the Four of Sword with the Rider White deck may have a different meaning using the Crowley deck. I find this fascinating . Usually when you purchase a deck of Tarot cards, it will come with a booklet explaining the meaning to each card, but regardless of the deck, if you know the basic meaning of the card you will be able to read them no matter what deck you are using.

I decided today that I would just shuffle the deck and pull one card and look at it to see how if affects me personally. Remember that the Tarot isn’t predicting, it is giving you insight on what you can do to implement change, feed the needs and obtain wellness into your life. Depending on the layout, it can give you insight to your past and your present as well. Having just drawn a single card, I am basically looking at that card and how it affects me today.

I like to shuffle the cards well, cut the deck a few time and shuffle them again, then I like to spread them out on the table, face down and choose my cards. If I were reading for another person, I would have them shuffle the cards and cut them with their own hands. It is important to get the person’s energy on the cards, it helps for a more accurate reading. If I am doing a reading long distance, via the phone or internet, I will ask the person to focus on a question, then I will also focus on that question and focus on that person in order to do a reading.

Today, I chose a card for myself. My card today is Four of Swords. In future blogs I will familiarize you with the different suits, but for some reason today, it seemed important that I chose this one card and focus on it.

For those of you who know me personally, or follow me on Facebook, you know that the past couple of days have been a little stressful on me. I see having chosen the Four of Swords, that it relates to my scenario perfectly. If you look at the card you will see a knight lying in a crypt with three swords suspended above him and one attached to the tomb. The deck I am using is the Morgan-Greer deck and it shows all four swords suspended over the knight. As I said, each deck is different. Swords normally depict turmoil of some sort. You have to look at the card in full and obtain your meaning…this card has a stillness to it, a calming effect, while most people would be terrified to see a tomb or crypt show up in their layout, they must realize the true meaning…and each reader will interpret it differently. For me this is telling me that I need to chill out! I have had a tumultuous couple of days and now that it is behind me I can relax and recoup my energy for what is to come next. No death, no illness…just a time to relax and reflect…a much needed time to be alone with ones thoughts. I find this apropos to what is needed for me today.

I wanted to give you an example of how this works…there is no Hocus Pocus…it is based on the energy you exude. I look forward to sharing more with you in the days to come.

Into The Mystic

tonip59 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 16:34:41 +0000

Hello World Indeed!!!

This is my very first blog, a newbie…yes, I am!

I am creating this blog as a personal exploration into the fascination I have for the Tarot and other Divination. I am hoping that by posting this blog I will be better able to understand the mysteries and the insights of my every day use and curiosity of all things spiritual and mystical.

I am not a Psychic, nor am I a Pagan or Wiccan. I am just your average everyday, sane-psycho Supergoddess, thank you Liz Phair!

I have had a fascination with the Tarot for many years, having purchased my first deck of tarot cards at a garage sale for fifty cents, being drawn to the pictures on the card, the curiosity of what the pictures meant, and how they can be applied to my everyday life. The deck was a Hanson Roberts deck, which is still to this day, one of my favorite decks to use. I took those cards home, and just looked at them, not really knowing how to use them, or even why I wanted to, all I knew was that I was drawn to them by some hidden force. They sat on my dressing table for a week, each day I’d look at them and shuffle them and just hold them in my hands…feeling a growing connection.

Finally, I started to do a little exploration via the library, the internet, and talking to tarot card readers in person. I discovered so many fascinating things about how the tarot works, who uses them, and why…not to mention the history involved. The Tarot has been around for centuries, so this is not merely a passing craze. The decks that at one time were simple, have become very elaborate, with thousands of incredible designs to choose from. There is a tarot deck for each mood or personality. It is my hope to one day design my own original deck, but for now, I am taking a journey into insight, and would like to take you along. As I travel down this road, I may take a detour onto another path of the divination world, exploring Dreams, Astrology, Feng shui, and Numerology…but I know that I will always end up back on the main highway of the Tarot.