Tarot Cards

• Reversals can be seen in a multitude of ways
  • The upright card cannot be fully expressed because it is being repressed.
  • The upright definition is implied but turned on its head.
  • The reversal shows a potential not fully manifested yet.
  • The “shadow side” of the upright meaning.

0 - The Fool §

• Early: Someone who is mentally different and unable to act reasonably. In particular these are the simpletons who were treated as outcasts and madmen. ¹ The court jester comes to mind.

• Tarot de Marseille Interpretations shifted from The Fool being a madman to being a jester or chaotic trickster. This interpretation alludes to freedom and detachment from society — creative genius but also impulsiveness and folly.

• Levi: The sensitive principle; The flesh; Eternal life. The Fool represents someone wandering without aim, potentially full of folly and vice.

• Golden Dawn: innocence and new beginnings, someone on a journey to enlightenment, inexperience. That which endeavors to rise above the material.

  However, it can also be seen as stupidity, eccentricity and mania. Regardless, it can be characterized with an impulse from an eccentric source.

• Waite: Folly, mania, extravagance, intoxication, delirium, frenzy.

• Modern:

  • Upright: A New Beginning
  • Reversals:
    • Self-doubt and fear of the unknown. Becoming jaded or closed off.
    • A warning to not take a leap of faith
    • The idea of a new beginning yet to be manifested
    • Acting like a reckless, naive fool. Remaining stagnant or blissful

I - The Magician §

• Early: The traveling conjurer and swindler. Usually he is either depicted performing a sleight of hand trick or conjuring illusions. The Magician was seen as a street performer who was also a deceitful conman.

• Tarot de Marseille: The Magician is seen more in line with its archetypal role — someone who can pull an audience in and (seemingly) manipulate reality though the supernatural .

  Hence, The Magician is associated with skill, charisma, dexterity, and confidence. However, he can also be seen as a conman and charlatan who can deceive the audience through cunning.

• Levi: The Magician can be associated with The Creator whose material creations can be seen as illusions that hide spiritual reality.

• Golden Dawn: The First Magus — someone who can connect and bridge the divine, intellectual and physical. Someone who can control reality.

• Waite: Skill, Diplomacy, Subtlety, Snares of enemies, the inquirer - if male.

• Modern:

  • Upright: Power and Skill
  • Reversal:
    • Self-doubt. struggling to make progress due to lack of resources or clear intention
    • Overconfidence. A misdirection of energy. Wasting potential.
    • Unclear intentions or a lack of opportunity to realize one’s “magic”
    • Manipulation, Illusions, Deception

II - The High Priestess §

• Early: The High Priestess represented a Popess - a holy woman. Due to the perception of women at the time, it was also associated with secrecy, both in hiding the High Priestess’ femininity to keep their position, and also to keep sacred knowledge and history.

• Tarot de Marseille: Scholarity or scientific knowledge, mental clarity, A sacred woman acting as a wise advisor, A secretive figure who was in touch with the spiritual

  Negative feminine stereotypes were also projected on her — proud, hysteric, emotional, superficial, close minded.

• Levi: Associations to the moon, occultism, speech. The High Priestess sits at the entrance to an inner sanctum analogous to the House of God.

• Golden Dawn: Associations with the Moon, Isis, and the ultimate expression of water. She presides over things that fluctuate and are partly hidden.

• Waite: Secrets, mystery, the unrevealed future. The woman who interests the inquirer, if male; the inquirer herself, if female. Wisdom and science.

• Modern:

  • Upright: Intuition, Higher Wisdom
  • Reversal:
    • Lack of self-trust. Distractions in the outside world that prevent one from accessing their inner landscape.
    • A return to power. Taking action on one’s intuition, instincts, and emotions
    • A private understanding of the truth without sharing or the intention to share. Being too wrapped up in one’s own inner world.
    • Dishonesty or using knowledge to harm others

III - The Empress §

• Early : Depicted status, wealth and power. Seen as a pragmatic and powerful authority figure who is nonetheless compassionate. It is seen in both a positive light — with the Empress’ role as wife to the Emperor, and also a negative light — in the sense of being associated with the negative aspects of femininity. She is thus the Archetypal Mother Figure

• Tarot de Marseille: Associations as Isis. Association as the Queen of Heaven, someone who has risen above the world. Associations with the throat — i.e., where concepts are uttered. In this sense, she is representative of a Maternal role by actualizing creative energy into something tangible .

• Levi: The Holy Triad. Plentitude, Nature. Associated with the Woman of the Apocalypse

• Golden Dawn: Beauty, Pleasure, Success, Luxury. Sometimes Dissipation. Associated with Gaia. Has both the positive and negative connotations of femininity — pleasure, charm beauty; frivolity, changeability, superficiality.

• Waite: Fruitfulness, Action, Initiative. Linked to the goddesses Ceres and Persephone. Still associated with femininity and motherhood.

• Modern

  • Upright: Fertility, Abundance, Creativity
  • Reversal
    • Lack of creativity. Too much concern with pragmatism than creativity, Forcing things, Being unfeeling, cold, or apathetic.
    • Creating structures and plans.
    • Healing the connection to the body and nature. Developing individuality, Reparenting oneself. Desire for Change.
    • People pleasing, Putting others first. Fear of one’s own depths. Trauma related to women. Imbalance of power.

IV - The Emperor §

• Early: The Archetypal Patriarchal figure (i.e., kings who ruled over civilizations). If the High Priestess represented the Pope, the Emperor represented the authority of the State.

• Tarot de Marseilles: Depicted a person of highest status or someone about to pass legal judgment. The Emperor is the ultimate authority with the potential to either be tyrannical or benevolent. Confident, Rational, Strong Willed.

• Levi: Associations with alchemic sulfur (i.e., spirit dominating matter). Associations with the symbol of Jupiter. Stability, Fixed Energy. The Emperor presides over the birth of all things and rules over the material world.

  Also interpreted as someone with mastery, strong will, power, and a influencing, dominating presence. Could also be seen as a tyrant.

• Golden Dawn: Son of the Morning. Chief of the mighty. War, Victory, Strife, Ambition. Associations with Mars and by proxy, conquest, courage and force.

• Waite: Stability, Power, Protection, Realization, A great person, Aid, Reason, Conviction, Authority, Will. The Emperor is not just a worldly ruler, he is the Lord of Thought sitting on a throne of intellect. He is the father to the Empress’ mother.

  The Emperor emphasizes political power, authority and leadership. He also signifies will, control over one’s emotions, and the rule of society.

• Modern

  • Upright: Authority, Leadership, Stability
  • Reversal:
    • Self-doubt. Being resistant to existing power structures . Lack of discipline or control.
    • Being receptive. Creativity. Benevolence. Compassion
    • Inner authority. Clarity around standards that come from within.
    • Fear of external power structures or people. Trauma relating to men. Abuse of Power.

V - The Hierophant §

• Modern
  • Upright: Institutions. Group Identity.
  • Reversal:
    • Being in the process of learning or gathering one’s ideas.
    • Rejecting tradition or authority in favor of personal or radical beliefs. Nonconformity. Freedom.
    • Personal rituals and practices, intimacy with the spirit and what gives life meaning.
    • Trauma relating to learning institutions or authority. Judgments around a perceived lack of education. Cultism.

VI - The Lovers §

• Modern
  • Upright: Love, Union, Bonds
  • Reversed
    • Honing one’s personal values. Identifying what really matters. Fear of commitment. Broken Promises and Weak bonds.
    • Misalignment of values due to differing beliefs or priorities. Feeling Disrespected or unvalued.
    • Self-love or struggling with self-love. A sense of disharmony with the self.
    • Dishonesty with the self around needs and wants. Communication breakdown. Harmful intentions in relationships.

VII - The Chariot §

• Modern
  • Upright: Victory, Assertion, Momentum
  • Reversed:
    • Coming up with a structure or channeling energy towards achieving a goal.
    • Lack of progress. Burn out. Changing oneself forward. Inner resistance. Distraction
    • Reaching milestones around inner or invisible goals. Inner discipline. Encountering setbacks and challenges. Need for Introspection and Growth.
    • Goal obsession. Productivity as distraction. Loss of control with one’s life.

VIII - Strength §

• Modern
  • Upright: Courage, Self-Control
  • Reversed:
    • Lack of self-trust or faith. Lack of confidence
    • Forcing things. Overthinking.
    • (Suppressed) Inner strength. A budding self-love journey.
    • Self-harm. Self-loathing. Passions becoming the enemy. Vulnerability.

IX - The Hermit §

• Modern
  • Upright: Soul searching, Solitude
  • Reversed:
    • Outside sources leaking in. Being persuaded.
    • Coming out of one’s shell. Sharing one’s truth and wisdom. Being seen.
    • The beginning towards starting a person’s spiritual journey. Need for engagement
    • Clinging to the superficial. Fear of looking inward. Feeling isolated. Excessive Isolation. Paranoia.

X - The Wheel of Fortune §

• Modern
  • Upright: Karma. Turning a cycle
  • Reversed:
    • Resistance to moving forward
    • New awareness around how one can take responsibility for one’s own life. Unwelcome Changes. External forces affecting one’s life.
    • Introspection. Looking at one’s own personal cycles. Learning through struggle. Acceptance and Adaptation.
    • Crisis of faith. Feeling powerless. Chaos.

XI - Justice §

• Modern
  • Upright: Fairness. Cause and Efect.
  • Reversed:
    • Important information missing. Being inhibited from acting on the truth.
    • Injustice. Concealment of the truth. Dishonesty. Corruption.
    • Dishonesty with oneself.
    • Denying one’s own responsibility for their life. Victim mindset. Karmic retribution. Unfairness

XII - The Hanged Man §

• Modern:
  • Upright: Letting go. Suspension.
  • Reversed:
    • Resistance to stillness or silence. Unwillingness to slow down.
    • Coming off the fence. Making a decision. Letting go. Apathy. Disinterest. Detachment
    • Contemplating the self. Meditation.
    • Stagnancy. Impatience. Clinging to something. Addiction. Impulsiveness.

XIII - Death §

• Modern:
  • Upright: Endings. Beginnings. Transformation.
  • Reversed:
    • Resisting releasing what is lifeless. Fear of the unknown. Resistance to change. Fear of endings.
    • Returning to life in some way.
    • Transformation on a personal level, or the potential to transform.
    • Depression. Concealing inner fears. Feeling dead inside. Stagnation.

XIV - Temperance §

• Modern
  • Upright: Balance. Healing.
  • Reversed:
    • Avoiding peace. Fear of knowing one’s truth.
    • Willpower and forward momentum. Asserting one’s self.
    • Realizing purpose through connecting forward.
    • Lack of self-awareness. Staying stuck in an extreme. Staying stuck flipping back and forth between two options. Overindulgence. Imbalance. Hastiness. Recklessness.

XV - The Devil §

• Modern
  • Upright: Bondage. Restriction.
  • Reversed:
    • Attempting to break free of psychological bonds but struggling to free one’s mind. Preventing harmful situations.
    • Breaking free of pre-existing limitations. The past coming back to haunt someone. Experimentation. Freedom and Independence. Reclaiming power.
    • Shame. A spiritual awakening.
    • Addiction. Feeling trapped in a negative cycle.

XVI - The Tower §

• Modern
  • Upright: Sudden Change.
  • Reversed:
    • Resisting rock bottom. Keeping a tight control of the status quo. Delaying the inevitable.
    • Liberation. Encountering a near miss with a disaster. Embracing new beginnings.
    • Crisis of faith. Identity crisis.
    • Turning inward on the self. Self-destruction.

XVII - The Star §

• Modern
  • Upright: Hope. Spiritual Guidance
  • Reversed:
    • Closing oneself off from hope. Resisting calm. Aversion to self-love.
    • Inner demons dominating the psyche. Hopelessness. Despair.
    • Prayer. Setting intentions. Personal rituals. Rediscovering creativity and inspiration. Need for nourishment and self-care.
    • Disillusionment. Crisis of faith. Disconnection.

XVIII - The Moon §

• Modern
  • Upright: Illusion. Mystery. Dreams
  • Reversed:
    • Lacking information to move forward. Lack of ability to trust intuition.
    • Breakthroughs. Clarity. Having a newfound perspective. Unveiling secrets and lies.
    • Deviating from the path most commonly taken and finding one’s own way. Release of repressed emotions. Overcoming fears and anxieties.
    • Fear. Disillusionment. Addiction.

XIX - The Sun §

• Modern
  • Upright: Success. Vitality. Youth.
  • Reversed:
    • Lack of trust in the universe. Lack of self-worth. Struggling with joy and happiness.
    • Being in the dark. Feeling isolated and alone. Uncertain and hopeless. Reduced enthusiasm and optimism.
    • Self-love. Making amends with the inner child. Call to play and enjoy life. Call to balance realism and optimism.
    • False optimism. Putting up a facade. Overconfidence. Egotism.

XX - Judgment §

• Modern
  • Upright: Inner Calling
  • Reversed
    • The person wants to answer the call but doesn’t know how to. Self-doubt. Connected to worthiness. Indecisiveness.
    • Remaining unaware of the reality of one’s current situation. Refusal to learn karmic lessons.
    • Inner calling. Judging oneself.
    • Trying to hide from the truth. Shirking responsibility. Regret. Trauma around the concept of god or heaven. False accusations and blame.

XXI - The World §

• Modern
  • Upright: Completion. Accomplishment.
  • Reversed
    • Trouble moving forward to the next part of one’s growth or journey. Delayed success and failed plants.
    • Incompleteness. Trying to move forward with a shaky foundation. Burdens and disappointment.
    • Reaching a personal milestone.
    • Staying stuck in the past. Stagnation.

Links §

• Tarot Heritage

• Modernmetaphysicae

• Labyrinthos

• The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Waite

• Kabbalah - Tarot has Kabbalah Associations, most apparent in the Levi interpretation of the cards.

Footnotes §

1. The traditional deck, the Fool had no rank and no power but can mimic any card. ↩