Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: Tarot as a Tool for Mediumship

This question comes from Christina, who would like to know if it is possible to use tarot as a tool for mediumship.

This is a great question.

I first discovered this important use of tarot quite by accident. Early in my career, a client asked me a question about a recently deceased loved one. I had no idea what would happen, but I thought about the person and pulled a couple of cards.

My interpretation of those cards made sense to my client, as a specific message from their loved one.

Encouraged by this, I worked out some protocols for doing this work with tarot. Over time, I found that, when asked to communicate with someone in spirit, I could get information from the cards, and at the same time, I might be given specific words or images to share with my client. These words and images just began popping into my mind as I was doing the reading. That, along with the messages from the cards, gave very authentic and helpful communication from the spirit world.

On other occasions, I would notice that certain spirits would want to be included in the reading, even if the client did not mention them. Sometimes a certain card would indicate a person in spirit. For instance, the Empress might indicate a message from a client’s mother or grandmother in spirit.

Sometimes, while reading, I would feel the insistent presence of a loved one, which would open the opportunity to facilitate communication with that entity, often using the tarot cards to do so.

I will share the technique I’ve developed for reading tarot for those in spirit. Perhaps it will also work for you.

The first thing, and this is true for all psychic work, is to not be afraid to say what you see, feel or hear. At the same time, you must phrase those things in ways that will be helpful, rather than hurtful.

Recognize that when we ask for Spirit to communicate with us, spirit usually complies. When we ask while using a tool that easily connects us with our psychic ability, our higher self and the spirit world, we are doubly empowered to receive communication.

The protocol I use can change from reading to reading, depending on the circumstances. However, if a client comes to me because they want information about a loved one in spirit, what follows is my basic technique.

First, I ask, “Who was this person in life?” I shuffle, and pull a few cards. I look at the cards I’ve pulled and let either a story emerge, or perhaps a list or adjectives, or some other way the cards describe the person in life, and how they related to the querent.

This serves to help me know what the person feels like energetically, and make a connection to them in spirit. It also helps the querent by revealing some significant aspects of their loved one’s life.

Then, I look at the energy around the actual death. Often, we aren’t told how someone has died, but the manner of death may be very significant to the querent, and therefore, to the reading.

So, I shuffle, ask about the death, and pull a few cards. These cards may reveal what actually happened, the feeling around what happened, or even the way the departed experienced their death.

Next, I want to know about the transition. What immediately happened upon arriving in the new world? Again, I shuffle and pull a few cards. Very often Court cards will appear to indicate the specific loved ones in spirit who greeted the departed first.

Then, I might ask a question like, “What is Dad doing now?” I pull a few cards to describe the loved one’s concerns and activities.

My final question is usually “Is there a message?” The cards that I pull will usually translate into a very specific and pertinent message for the client. Added to that, I might ask how my client can better communicate directly with their loved one. What signs should they look for, or where should they be?

This process is often augmented by thoughts, words, pictures and sounds that come to me while I am reading in this way. I believe that even people who have never explored their mediumistic tendencies can have profound experiences when they open themselves to the spirit world with this powerful tool.

Christina, thanks for a great question. Enjoy the video!

The Middle Path of Perception: Tarot Spread for an Attitudinal Sweet Spot

Photo by Dana Beveridge, Creative Commons via Flickr

In Buddhism, the “Middle Path” is the balance between complete indulgence, and complete denial. The concept of the Middle Path is helpful in many regards, regardless of your particular spiritual views. Recently, in a tarot reading, a new way of looking at the idea of a Middle Path popped up.

The cards that came up for my client forced me to suggest that she find the “attitudinal sweet spot” between having a positive mental attitude and being in denial about her circumstances.

Some people are optimists, and some are pessimists. I think most of us agree that an optimistic attitude is good for our health, our relationships, and even our bank accounts.  Hermetic wisdom suggests that “like attracts like.” If the energy we put out into the world is positive, we are more likely to attract positive situations and people to us.

On the other hand, being so Pollyanna-positive that we are in denial about real problems isn’t helpful. In fact, it could be very costly to deny the existence of actual problems.

Here’s a tarot spread I developed after that conversation. Use it to make sure that you are on the Middle Path of Perception,

You can arrange the cards in a line. Here are the position meanings.

Card One: What is a problem that I haven’t given enough attention to?

Card Two: What should I do about this problem?

Card Three: What must I do to maintain the Middle Path in my perceptions of my life?

Card Four: What is a blessing in my life that I haven’t given enough attention to?

Card Five: How can I take full advantage of this blessing?

The trick with a reading like this is to be able to interpret the cards in context, even when a positive card comes up to describe a problem, or a less desirable card appears to describe a blessing. Performing this reading may give you some new ideas about how to keep emotional balance in your life, and how to hear the messages of the cards.

Tarot Really Works: A Letter from a Satisfied Tarotist

Recently I received a note from a tarot friend of mine. His story was filled with so much juicy tarot goodness, I asked him for permission to shared it here. If you want to learn more about Jake, you can check out his tarot website.

Dear Christiana,

I applied for a job with the state of Hawaii 19 months ago. They move glacially, but this process was particularly fraught. There was a hiring freeze, and I was even told at one point that the job would not be offered to me. Throughout the long months, the cards remained positive. They assured me I would get the job.

 During the time I thought I was not going to be offered the job, I got notice from my landlady that she wanted to move back into her house, forcing me to move. I also applied for a part-time job in my field and was immediately hired. I hunted for a place to live and found something right away. The ball was rolling smoothly.

 At the time of the Jupiter-Uranus Trine in late June, they suddenly informed me I was still being considered for the position, and then suddenly, they offered it to me and started the background check.

 As of this writing, I am still waiting to hear the results of the background check to make it completely official, but I still have to move. I have asked the cards for the results of the background check, and they are favorable: Fortune, Ace of Swords, etc. They are not telling me when, though.

 Today, without having the completely official word, I ordered a miniature container to ship my belongings from the Big Island to Oahu where the new job is. I asked the cards if I should take a leap of faith and do this, and I got the Ace of Wands, a truly helpful card.

 Well, after ordering the container, I went back to my cards and asked, "Highest Light, what do you want to say to me now?" I pulled the Six of Swords! It could not have been more perfect! The cards were actually telling me they heard me, they know all I'm going through, and everything they've been telling me up to now is true.

 The Universe hears! And it speaks through the cards.

 Aloha,

Jake 

Major Arcana Haiku

Fool, please take a chance.
Spread your wings and make that jump
Into a new world.

Magician card says
I have all the tools I need
To aid my journey.

Sitting on her throne,
High Priestess holds all knowledge.
Share your wise secrets.

Empress nurtures all,
Animals, birds, all that live
Hold your children close.

Emperor, so strong,
A father to all mankind.
Teach us right from wrong.

Hierophant so wise,
Allow us our own choices
We will not lose faith.

Lovers love to love.
Togetherness is the key.
Compromise binds all.

Chariot power,
Move forward with greatest speed.
Always keep control.

Strength tempts her lion.
The lion shows great restraint.
Stay composed and calm.

Hermit, shine your light.
Illuminate those below,
With wisdom and peace.

Wheel of Fortune turns
Ever changing by each day.
What will be will be.

Justice will prevail.
All are held accountable.
We all must answer.

Hanged Man, upside down,
Hanging from that tree all day.
Make your decision.

Death used to scare me.
What dies will be born again.
A new beginning.

Temperance will mix,
A life formula for you
To help ease your stress.

I must break the chains
That Devil holds so tightly.
I will soon be free.

Tower, you will fall
Crashing quickly to the ground
Now we can rebuild.

Wish upon a Star
Wish your dreams will all come true.
Always trust your dreams.

Moonlight from above,
Do you hide secrets from me?
You are my life force.

Sun shines brightly down,
Warming our hearts and our souls.
Take care to not burn.

Judgment will call us.
All our deeds are recorded.
We must defend them.

My World is open
To experience the joy
I have found my way.

Three Tips for Tarot Pros: What to do When You're Just Not Feeling It

At the most recent meeting of the Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup, someone asked an important question.

In a professional reading, what do you do when you just aren’t feeling it? How can you make the connection when you don’t feel well, aren’t mentally focused, or just aren’t into it?

We are lucky to have a number of smart, generous professional readers in our group. Here are three great pieces of advice folks shared in answer to that significant question.

1.       If it’s a professional reading, you really have to show up and be great, whether you are feeling it or not. There are times it’s ok to decline a reading, and each reader has to decide when that’s an option. Overall, though, the tarot professional must be reliable, and present.

2.       If you feel stuck at the beginning of the reading, just read the cards. Go back to your basic key words, positions and card meanings. Say the name of the card, talk about the card, and you’ll get back in to your flow.

3.       Take the time to do proper energy work before and after each reading, even if it is only a few seconds. Ground, center, bring energy though your chakras and up the spine. Connect with angels, guides and guardians. Bring the energy down around you to create protected, sacred space. Take all your personal issues and concerns and consciously put them to the side. Finally, make a heart-to-heart connection with the client. At the end of the reading, release the client and clear your energy to get ready for the next one!

Among the members contributing to this conversation were Mitchell, the Intuitive Messenger, and Michael Newton-Brown.

If you are in the greater Tampa area and would like to join us, please check us out on meetup!

A Review of the Inner Wizard Message Cards

The Inner Wizard is a unique oracle deck, written by Jacob Roth, and created, designed, produced and published by Livi Ram and Orna Ben-Shoshan. The publisher is Kabbalah Insights.

It’s interesting to say that a deck of cards was “written” by someone, usually oracle cards feature scenic or symbolic images. While the Inner Wizard cards are colorful, they use words rather than pictures to convey their messages.

Because the cards contain easily-understood written messages, there is no need to study or read a book in order to use them. The cards come with a single page of written instructions, which clearly explain many ways to use this unusual oracle.

The deck contains eighty-four cards. The cards are small and square, and come in an attractive box with a lift-off lid. The cards are printed on a quality stock, and feel good in my hands.

The cards are of assorted coloring, but there is no explanation or obvious reason for the color differences. I tried sorting the cards by color, and was frustrated that I couldn’t find a correlation. I have to say, this sort of unexplained choice in an oracle deck bothers me. If you are going to use color as part of an oracle, please tell us your intentions so we can enjoy the magick, too. Simple aesthetic choices only go so far where tools of divination are concerned.

The cards are not numbered, and have no particular order. However, the deck does have a structure that is fascinating.

Each card is two-sided. One side is a lovely reddish pink, with a faded border of suns, moons and astrology glyphs. This side of the cards is the back, and these messages are “renewed choice proclamations.”

The front of each card has color, as I described. Astrology symbols are in the background. Each card is a “notelet” from “someone that represents your higher self”, according to the instruction sheet.
The notelets are lengthy. This divination will require few cards, and much active process of the part of the seeker.

Although the publisher is “Kabbalah Insights”, the wisdom in each notelet doesn’t seem to come from any particular source or school of thought outside of basic feel-good-conscious-living neo-spirituality.  They resonate well enough for me, and I think they will resonate for those willing to do some deep inner seeking.

The notelets each bear attribution to an “inner wizard”.  The notelet you receive might be from “your future self”, “your fear”, “your big dream”, “God”, “Mother earth ”, “your future self” “your sex organ”, “your soul”, and so forth. I do not believe there are two from exactly the same attributed source.

I think some folks will have a tendency to find some of the notelets, and their attributions, a bit smarmy, or corny. I am not sure, for instance, that I want to receive a note, in divination, from my vagina. I am also not sure that I am comfortable with someone else imagining what my vagina might want to say to me.  Other folks may be uncomfortable with notelets attributed to “God” or “The Divine Mother.” 

My answer to that is this. There are eighty-four cards, unnumbered. If you find a card that offends you, remove it from the deck!  Before you do, though, it might be a good exercise to figure out why you are offended, and to find some insight and healing in that process.

Also on the front of each card are astrology glyphs. These glyphs correspond to a table that takes up half of the one-page printed instruction sheet. This table lists the corresponding zodiac signs divided into “Reinforcing features” and “Weakening features” for each astrological archetype.

The astrological signs in this context are not a reference to the natal chart of the seeker or their friends. Rather, this association adds helpful information about the way to carry out the instruction of the card.

A side benefit is that, if you are struggling to learn basic astrology, this deck will teach you the glyphs and the archetypes quite painlessly.

A simple one-card reading, then, will have three pieces to it. First, the notelet will give you your focus. Second, the astrological archetype will give you advice about how to process that focus. Finally, the back of the card will give you an affirmation to help you embrace the communication you have received from your higher self.

This is definitely not a fortune-telling deck, nor is a deck to use if you are not looking for actual insight. I can imagine many ways to use this deck in introspection, journaling, group process, and in conjunction with other tools.

You can get your copy of the Inner Wizard cards directly from Kabbalah Insights.

In a world where many oracle decks seem simply like a shallow collection of pretty pictures, The Inner Wizard offers us the opportunity to use divination as a gateway to deep personal introspection and manifestation.

To see the deck in action, watch the video!

Answers to Your Questions about Tarot: Tarot Cards of Significance for LGBT Communities

By David Shankbone (Own work) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0]via Wikimedia Commons

Today’s question comes from Ste. He writes:

 I work as a counselor for LGBT communities, and I am currently starting my own business as a tarot reader specializing in reading for LGBT communities. I'm really interested to know which cards you feel resonate with people experiencing discrimination, and which cards are particularly relevant to people exploring their sexuality or gender identity?

This is a great question, Ste. It’s one that every reader needs to consider. Whether or not a reader makes a point of serving the LGBT community, it’s safe to say that every reader will read for LGBT people from time to time in their career.

As with all tarot reading, the way we interpret cards can change according to context and intuition. Which cards might be of particular significance to the LGBT community? Let’s start with the Court Cards, since these cards have assigned gender.

In my experience, tarot cares little about gender. Pages can show up as boys, women can show up as Kings.  I consider all the Court Cards to be gender fluid in terms of the people they will portray. Nonetheless, Court Cards can be important indicators about relationships, and about identity.

I remember a reading I did for a young gay man who was a drag queen, and dated drag queens. In his Celtic Cross, every King was present, but no Queens. We talked about the lack of Queens from the perspective of his dating life. It turns out he had decided not to date a particular guy who performed in drag with him. He took the “no Queens” as an affirmation that he was right to end the relationship.

Later in the reading, I discovered that my client was unhappy that there were not many opportunities for him to perform. This gave another meaning to the absence of Queens. He wanted more opportunity to be a Queen.

Finally, we looked at the predominance of male cards. When all the Kings show up, it’s important to pay attention. We interpreted the Kings in two ways. First, as a young gay man with a talent for drag, he was figuring out his identity. The four Kings represented different facets of himself, and the different parts of his personality he was working to integrate.

Secondly, the four Kings told him that many men would be available to him, and assured his ability to date and find the right partner.

Court Cards figured prominently in another reading of interest to this topic. This was a phone reading who came to me by referral. When I started the reading, I was impressed to see the High Priestess in the significator position, and all four Queens surrounding the High Priestess. Why was so much femininity surrounding my female client?

There were other cards in the spread, but my attention was drawn only to the five female cards. Was my client a feminist? Was she studying the Feminine Divine?  I had no idea, but only one sentence would come out of my mouth.

“I am not sure if this will make sense to you, but the most important message here is for you to honor and embrace your feminine nature. You need to explore what it means to you to be a woman, and to find the power in your womanhood.”

I was nervous. Not everyone can resonate with such a feminine-empowered statement. My client drew in a sharp breath. Her next sentence came out like one word.

“I am transgender. I was born a man, and I am now transitioning my gender. Next week I will transition at work. And, I’m a lesbian and my body in not gender-conforming, so I worry about finding a woman who will want me.”

Clearly, this client needed to be empowered as a woman, and as a woman who loves women. The cards did that for her. The cards told her that her feminine nature was real, and was enough.

What we learn from these examples is that there are specific cards that can denote gender within a reading. The High Priestess will always speak of femininity. The Queens can speak of yin energy, while the Kings are yang. When we see these cards, we may dealing with a situation where gender is important, such as with gender fluidity, same-gender preference, or gender transition.

Ste asked which cards might show discrimination, and which might show the process of exploring and questioning sexuality. In answering this, let’s remember that, in the course of a professional tarot practice, there will be many sexual and lifestyles issues that need to be discussed. These issues could include polyamory, swinging or fetish lifestyles, for example. There are also issues of sexual dysfunction, and differences in tastes within relationships.

While we must always refer to doctors and counselors when appropriate, sometimes the tarot reader is the first person to address a sensitive issue, because the reader is sometimes in the unique position to see it first, and say it first.

Sometimes clients haven’t yet figured out their orientation. We cannot tell a person who identifies as straight that they would be happier in a same-sex relationship if they aren’t ready to hear that, even if the cards are clear. Here all we can do is plant a seed.  I have sometimes said very innocent-sounding things, with the intention that, at the right time, their meaning would be clear.

Issues that involve that kind of questioning and exploration can include the cards we always associate with questioning and internal conflict, such as the Two of Swords, the Five of Wands, the Seven of Swords, the Seven of Cups and the Two of Wands. These cards may appear in conjunction with multiple Court cards, or with Major Arcana cards that depict gender or sexuality, such as the High Priestess, the Empress, the Emperor, the Devil and the Star.

Let’s look further at those cards that can be interpreted around issues of sexuality in general.

We’ve already talked about the High Priestess as a card that honors femininity. The High Priestess reversed could indicate a host of sexual issues in both men and women.  A related card, the Moon, can talk about sexual confusion.

The Ace of Wands is a phallic card. It can indicate sexual function and sexual attraction in all genders. Reversed, it may discuss what doesn’t attract someone. Sometimes, this is the first card that tells me someone isn’t attracted to members of the opposite sex, for instance.

The reversed Ace of Wands can also discuss impotence.

The Star can be a card of sexual attraction or sexual satisfaction. When reversed, there is a distinct lack of sexual satisfaction or attraction.

The Devil can deal with sexual addiction. Both the Devil and the Eight of Swords could reference a BDSM lifestyle.

There are particular idioms in the LGBT community that could easily show up in the cards. I’ve seen “lesbian bed death” in the Four of Swords, for instance. The Five of Wands reversed came up when the boy of his dreams turned out to be a bottom, when he’s a bottom, too.

When people are finally ready to come out to themselves and to others, it is sometimes the tarot reader who encourages them, and guides them. The Sun and the Fool remind us to own and honor who we are.

Discrimination against members of the LGBT community, whether from family, neighbors, or in the workplace, very often is revealed by the Hierophant. The Five of Pentacles is often present to describe the feeling of rejection and lost opportunity that comes from such discrimination. Likewise, the High Priestess reversed can indicate a sense of sexual shame, or the act of shaming. The Seven of Swords can indicate the distrust a homophobic person may exhibit.

In my experience, when the cards speak of dating, love, family, marriage, heartbreak, home and children, there is virtually no difference between the ways these energies are described for a heterosexual person versus a gay or transgendered person. Whom we love may differ, but what love looks like in the cards, and what love feels like, remains the same. The Four of Wands will indicate a marriage, or a life partnership, whether that is between a man and a woman, two men, two women, or even a poly pod.

Therefore, the cards that can predict or describe a relationship, cards such as the Ten of Cups, the Two of Cups and the Ace of Cups, represent shared love for all.

Tarot teaches us in many ways. That tarot can recognize and honor love the same way, regardless of the configuration, is a lesson for all of us.

For more insights, watch the video!

Some Thoughts about Tarot Spreads

At the last meeting of the Tampa Bay Area Tarot Meetup, we talked about tarot spreads. Here are the discussion topics we covered.
You can use these topics and discussion questions, as we did, to discover new tarot techniques and new ways of working with the cards.

Tarot reading techniques include positional spreads, non-positional spreads, custom spreads and dialogues. Spreads can be used for prediction or contemplation. Spreads that include positions for “future” and “outcome” are predictive. However, if you interpret a future position as advice to prepare you for the future, you can use a predictive spread in a contemplative way. Some spreads are designed to be contemplative rather than predictive. Even in a contemplative spread, cards can sometimes be interpreted to include predictive information.

One-Card Spreads: A “One-Card Spread” is simply one card pulled to answer a specific question.

What sorts of questions are appropriate for one-card pulls?

Two-Card Spreads: Two-card spreads are terrific for short readings and certain specific questions. You can also perform a two-card spread within the context of a larger reader. Some great two-card spreads include “Help/Hinder”, “Why You’re In Each Other’s’ Lives”, “Best Case, Worst Case”, “Either/Or”.

What two-card spreads do you use?

Three-Card Spreads: Three-card spreads are traditionally well loved. Some great three-card spreads include “Body Mind Spirit”, “Past, Present, Future”, Relationship, “Morning, Afternoon, Evening”.

What three-card spreads do you use?

General Spreads: A general spread is large enough to give you a basic overall impression of your client. A general spread may include a timeline (past, present, future), or may involve the astrological houses. A general spread is often best performed without an opening question.

What is your go-to general spread?

Specific and Custom Spreads: Some spreads are designed to answer specific types of questions, such as a “self-esteem spread” or a “career path” spread. , Some spreads are designed to be performed as part of a special event, holiday, ceremony or celebration. A spread can be designed for one-time use to handle a particular set of circumstances.

What sort of custom spreads have you designed? What might you try next?

Non-Positional Spreads: Some readers always use a specific number of cards, and may have certain values assigned to each position in terms of the way the cards are read. For instance, a reader may always lay out four cards and read them as a sentence, or lay out a pyramid of nine cards with the top card being the outcome, or lay out five cards with the middle card being the most important.

What are the differences between reading with a positional spread and a non-positional spread?

Tarot Dialogue: You can simply have a conversation with the cards by asking questions and pulling cards in answer. This is a very free-form technique, unique to each reader.

How does tarot dialogue work for you?

Consider Meditation to turn Old Habits into New Beginnings

“Everything begins in the mind. If you want to see clearly, you need clear vision.”

— Sri Swami Satchidananda

 Images from Legacy of the Divine Tarot ©Ciro Marchetti, 2009. Used with permission of Llewellyn Worldwide, New Worlds of Body, Mind & Spirit, http://www.llewellyn.com/

I recently went to my tarot cards to answer a question that began, “What do I need to know about…?” The subject of my query wasn’t as important as the answer I received from of the most challenging cards in tarot for me to interpret. Seven of Swords.

I chose to spend 15 minutes meditating with the card. As a taroist you may think it is an unlikely card to meditate on; but if this was the message I received from the universe, then it needed attention.

I settled in to breath, relax, feel, watch and allow. Below are the random thoughts which came to me, as well as added introspection from the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali – aphorisms and texts of Raja Yoga. (The Yoga Sutras are also commonly known as Raja Yoga, the Royal Yoga. They earned this noble status because they present spirituality as a holistic science, universally applicable to people of all faith traditions.)

When you see the Seven of Swords consider delving deeply into the thoughts that are stirring and trying to take hold in your mind. Are they stealing you away from your truth?

Sutras 2.15 – 2.17 of the Yoga Sutras of Sri Patanjali teach about causes of suffering that are the result of samskara, a Sanskrit work meaning habit. You suffer when you knowingly or unknowingly repeat patterns or behaviors that don’t serve you or that cause you harm. Prevent the suffering that is to come by beginning to change your perspective and envision the future you want to live in. Use the challenges you face on your journey to your goals as opportunities to begin a process of inquiry and self-connection to guide you to right action, compassion and avoid suffering.

Where can you release old habits in order to create new beginnings?

“Meditation allows us to remain intimate with the flow of our moment-to-moment inner experience. Ride the Wave and use the compassionate witness to resist the tendency to censor uncomfortable thoughts and feelings.”

— Richard Faulds, Kripalu Yoga

• Take care when listening to your mind, it can trick you into a false sense of beliefs.

• What are you reaching for or focusing on that is taking you away from the realities of your daily life? If you can’t see, touch, feel, smell, or taste it, does it really exist?

• How, when and where do you spend time focusing on things that don’t serve your goals?

• Why have you turned your back on your True Nature? Why have you chosen to deceive yourself by not accepting yourself as a perfect being just as you are?

• Why have you chosen to turn away from what you need most to be aware of or take care of in your life?

• In what ways have your fears (produced in your mind as random thoughts connected to must have’s and wants) conned you into believing more is better? What if more is “bitter”; because you have not taken the time to envision and plan for what needs to happen next (today, tomorrow, next week, next month) to be “pain” free and avoid needless suffering.

• Karmic actions will unfold out of today’s inaction and lack of focus.

• In what ways have you been dis-honest with yourself?

• How can you reset, relax and calm your wandering busy mind to find the clarity you need?

“In quietness and confidence shall be your strength.”

— Isaiah 30:15

Paraphrasing from Inside the Yoga Sutras, Reverend Jaganath Carrera

The Major Arcana and Spring Planting ©

It's Spring, and the Major Arcana have decided to plant a garden.  The Fool is ready to jump right in without any idea of where to start or how to proceed.  He is anxious to begin his new venture. The Magician has brought all the gardening tools. He always has every possible tool that might be needed to get the job done.  The High Priestess has a book of ancient gardening knowledge and secrets of how to grow the biggest and best plants, and she is ready to share.

The Empress wants to be sure the children are involved in the planting process. She knows how this will nurture their love and respect for the earth. Emperor is overseeing all the legal paperwork to secure the land. He is the number one authority in command of the entire project. Hierophant is praying for perfect weather and planting conditions. He wants to follow standard procedures by the book, but there are others who want to go the new organic route. There may be a conflict, but it will be resolved quickly.

Of course, the Lovers are working together on their section of the garden.  Everything they do is teamwork--always compromising and helping each other.

Chariot is busy driving to and from the garden center, bringing plants, seedlings, and garden soil. Chariot needs to be in better control to prevent tipping over with too heavy a load. Strength has been asked to please control her kitty and not let little Leo dig up the new plants. She must calm him, but not lose control and get too frustrated if he doesn't listen.

Hermit stands on a mound of dirt, holding his lantern, illuminating the garden to allow the ability to work later into the night.  As he shines his light, he is contemplating the ultimate success of this wonderful project. The Wheel of Fortune has offered services as a plow. As the Wheel churns up the soil, it occasionally hits a rocky section, but keeps plowing through the difficulties, knowing the path will once again smooth out.

Justice is keeping everything in order, settling disputes and reminding the others that they are responsible for their own actions. Any problems one may cause will be addressed at the end of the planting.

Suspended upside down from a nearby tree branch is the Hanged Man. He is supposed to be supervising where certain plants are to go, but he keeps changing his mind. Most of the others are content to let him hang there until he can make a decision.

Death is in charge of the compost bin--recycling all that is past its prime, but that which can be a renewable source for strong, healthy growth. Temperance is keeping everyone calm while mixing up organic fertilizers for the tender young plants. Just the right mix of organic soil and nutrients are needed for each type of plant. The Devil, of course, wants to stir up trouble. But he also knows that the determination of the others to ignore his temptations will allow them to produce a successful garden.  That is, if Tower can refrain from accidently crushing and stepping on some of the young fragile seedlings.

Star is wishing for a bounty of beautiful flowers and vegetables to come forth from these sincere, hard working efforts. The Moon is offering its services to provide the right amount of rain storms to feed the plants.  Moon also wants to be sure that plenty of white flowers are included, as the white flowers represent the Moon garden---white blossoms are the only flowers that show their true color in the light of the moon.  Sun is providing the warmth of sunshine and light to encourage the plants to reach high and upward, thereby growing stronger each day.

Judgment knows that the fruits of their labor will be known when the garden grows. Only then will the Major Arcana realize their success or failure. They will praise each other for the successes, and discuss the failures and how to prevent them in the future.

The World anxiously awaits the final product---healthy, beautiful fruits, vegetables, and flowers to feed and brighten our world.  

 By Joanne Matthew (2015)