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Talking Tarot with Kate May Modern day Mystic
Kate is an international tarot/psychic medium and has been reading & teaching for many years. Kate works in London as a Psychic Sister in Selfridges as well as in her own shop, Mystic River Lounge in Portsmouth UK. Kate travels to the US twice a year with her work. To book a reading, contact Kate on www.katemay.co.uk
The first 22 cards in a tarot deck are known as the major arcana.
For me, these cards represent the big life events that have huge impacts on us.
In most decks, each major arcana card has a title such as The Emperor or Temperance, whereas the minor arcana cards don’t.
The major arcana cards, like the minor arcana cards, have symbols of numerology, kabbalah and astrology linked to them. Unlike the minor arcana cards, the majors only have one sign or planet connected to each. The minor arcana cards each have a sign within a planet.
In this Talking Tarot chapter, Im going to walk you through the Fools Journey. For me, it gives an understanding of how the major cards work through our lives and appear at different stages throughout.
The Fool’s Journey
The Fool’s Journey is a metaphor for the journey through life. Each major arcana card stands for a stage on that journey – an experience that a person must incorporate to realise his wholeness. These 22 descriptions are based on the keywords for each major arcana card.
The Fool
Well start with The Fool, number 0 in the deck. This card of beginnings is the representation of innocence. He or she (for simplicity, lets stick to she) sets off and encounters her new world. She is carefree and has a childlike attitude.
The Fool stands for each of us as we begin our journey of life. She is known as The Fool simply because of her innocent beliefs and uncertainty of whats ahead. Spontaneous, new and fresh, this is the start of a new journey. With her face to the world but her footing unclear, she is ready to go ahead but she has no plan. She is unaware of what lies before her, yet she is eager to get going. Zero can be the start or end in numerology. For me, its the start.
The Magician and the High Priestess
As she sets out on this unknown journey, she encounters The Magician and The High Priestess, both balance the world at present.
The Magician is our conscious awareness, the masculine and positive side. He represents creativity and impulsive power. The Magician shows that through concentration and will power anything is possible.
The High Priestess is the unconscious and negative side. Shes the mysterious feminine influence and our intuition. She lends us the grounds where we can create the universe through our fertile minds. The High Priestess is our unrealised potential and The Magician is the active part that materialises our potential. Upon encountering these, the fool learns how to manifest what she desires using her intuition for best results.
The terms positive and negative do not imply good and bad. These are human distinctions that do not apply in the tarot. The Magician and The High Priestess are completely equal in value and importance, perfect for balance. Some say they are the shadow self and the light self. One could not exist without the other.
The Empress
The Fool grows and continues her journey, becoming more and more aware of her surroundings. She first recognises a familiar connection in her mother, the warm, loving woman who nourishes and cares for her. She also comes to know Mother Earth, who nurtures her in a larger sense.
The loving influences show the fool what it is to be loved unconditionally as well as how to love unconditionally. She learns to love Mother Earth and to respect all of nature. Like all babies, she is in awe of the new sensations, the smells, the touches and the tastes. She is happy to explore the abundant goddess in Mother Nature.
The Emperor
Naturally, The Fool encounters her father in The Emperor. As The Empress reflects the mother, The Emperor reflects the father.
He represents structure, authority, mastery and control. The Fools carefree nature is starting to see that sometimes structure and routine are needed. Being in an orderly fashion is comfortable.
She begins to understand that rules and certain behaviours are important and necessary. She learns people in-power and authority enforce rules and guidelines. This frustrates her free-thinking ways. However, with the guidance of her father in The Emperor, she has a better understanding and acceptance of this.
The Hierophant
As time goes on, The Fool leaves the nest for the bigger world. She has been sheltered from the outside ways. Its now time for her to become exposed to all that life has to offer.
Beliefs and traditions form important roles. Organised belief systems and new cultures will give her a sense of belonging outside of her mothers arms.
She learns to feel a part of groups and communities, learning how to conform and seeing life’s society of culture. She is eager to learn and seeks this knowledge from those that inspire her, those in the know.
Although the image of The Hierophant shows a religious figure blessing two acolytes, it more points to conforming to a belief system rather than a religion.
A hierophant is someone who interprets arcane knowledge and mysteries. The Fool must become aware of her own values and beliefs. While learning from the works of others, she becomes more and more aware of her needs.
The Lovers
Feeling settled and at peace from The Hierophants hands, The Fool eventually faces a new challenge.
She experiences the powerful urge for sexual union with another being. So far, it has all been about herself.
Now she seeks connecting with another on a much deeper level than she has experienced so far. She wants to share her life with someone other than herself.
She feels she needs to be more balanced and wants to be part of a loving relationship, one that will give her butterflies and excitement but also good conversations, deep communication, choices and a taste for her sexual desires.
The Chariot
As The Fool is now becoming an adult, she knows herself well and has more control over herself. Through hard work, discipline and will power, she has developed an inner control that allows her to win over obstacles, victory over adversity.
With a strong ego leading The Fool to success now, she rides through all obstacles and masters her actions. Those around her can see she is in control of herself and the situations she is facing.
Knowing not too give up when the going gets tough, her assertive young attitude gives her the confidence to keep going.
Strength
Despite the victory of The Chariot, life presents The Fool with new challenges, some that cause suffering and disillusionment. The Fool now must draw strength and courage from deep within as well as maintain a balance of masculine and feminine energy.
Discovering the attributes of patience and tolerance, she learns that handling situations in a cool, controlled manner is the best way. She knows the assertive attitude of The Chariot must now be softened and a love wins over hate approach is much needed.
Hermit
With life’s ups and downs, The Fool starts to question what life is about, the ways of the world. Becoming absorbed with herself and needing to have a period of reflection to search deep within the questions poised, she searches in the deep need of truth
The Fool begins to look inward, trying to understand her feelings and motivations. The exciting world she once desired has a different look and feel about it. She needs solitude now to hide away from the hectic activities of society. During this still period, she is asking the universe to send a guide or teacher, someone who can give her advice as to what direction to go next.
Wheel of Fortune
After much soul-searching and time for reflection, the Fool begins to see how everything connects. She can see how life flows up and down and in and out. She begins to understand life’s cycles, how patterns are formed and how she is accountable for her actions.
The Wheel of Fortune symbolises the mysterious universe whose parts work together in harmony. At last, she can see how things work.
She notices that sometimes her experiences seem to be the works of fate: a change works out for the better, a chance encounter allows her to recognise her destiny and the movements of events lead to new doors opening.
She realises, after some time out, action is required to get life moving once again. This realisation comes with her knowledge of previous events. Her wisdom has grown, and her sense of purpose is clearer.
Justice
The Fool must now search for what has brought her to this point. She knows she must take personal responsibility and be accountable for all her actions so as she can make amends and move on in an honest fashion. She knows that its justice to start afresh where needs be.
She knows in order to be true to herself, she has choices. She can grow, own up to her mistakes, learn and move on through them despite the difficulties they may bring. Alternatively, she can hide them away and carry on a stunted existence for an easier life.
Hanged Man
Determined to see her true vision, The Fool continues her growth, even though she finds it is not as easy as she hoped.
Sooner or later, she encounters her personal cross. Her life swings in the balance and she is asked to see things from a different angle and a higher perspective.
Although it is extremely challenging, she is forced to choose what to let go of.
Feeling tired, lost and defeated, it will be awhile before she sees that her sacrifice was worthwhile in the long run.
When her control finally releases, she realises that everything works out to how it should be. At first glance, it seemed her life was upside down. However, on deeper understanding, she finds peace within.
Death
The Fool now begins to get rid of bad habits and old ways that have left her tiresome. She cuts out nonessentials because she appreciates the basics of life.
As she goes through the endings of what she has outgrown, she feels as if shes dying herself. She leaves behind what no longer excites, like a butterfly having to go through the chrysalis stage to be re born into something new.
The process feels uneasy and challenging. However, when she realises that death is not a permanent state but a transition, she becomes more excited about the next part of her journey.
Temperance
Since embracing The Hermit, The Fool has swung wildly back and forth on an emotional pendulum. Now, she realises the balancing stability of temperance.
She knows after going through such radical and emotional changes that she can be happy with moderation. Now becoming more centred and whole, her health and wellbeing glows.
She knows now that living a harmonious life is far better than the extremes of power or loss. She becomes aware of patience and being flexible in order to reach her desired goals and live a more balanced life.
The Devil
The Fool has her health, peace of mind and a graceful composure. What more could she need? On everyday terms, not much.
However, The Fool is courageous and continues to pursue the deepest levels of her being. She soon comes face to face with The Devil
Offering temptations, The Devil shows itself to The Fool and she becomes over obsessed with life. Soon she is bound by material attractions. However, once she realises that she holds the key to the release of all trappings, she frees herself.
The ignorance and hopelessness she felt at a paying The Devils price does not leave her completely but provides a lesson about not becoming a slave for such desires.
Tower
How could the Fool free herself from The Devil? She couldnt root out his influence. She could only find release through the sudden change represented by The Tower.
The Tower is the safe surroundings she built up around herself to feel secure, only to end in serving as a prison. To free herself she had to shake things up. Once ruler of her castle, she had to be humble during upheavals.
This is exactly whats needed to be free of The Devils binds, to be free from what is holding you down and to get you back on your journey to your souls fulfillment. The darkness and despair of the uncertain change brings with it a bolt of lightning to clear the way, showing revelations that make the experience worthwhile.
Star
The Fool is now calm. Once again, the light has shown its way through the dark.
Feeling serene and at peace with herself once again, her soul is no longer hidden behind the cloth that disguised her true purpose.
The sky is bright, The Star illuminated, and there is hope and inspiration once more. Feeling free of The Devils negative energies, The Fool is blessed with much universal trust and faith.
Her heart is open once more and she has replaced her fears with a joy and love that she wishes to share freely. This really is the calm after the storm.
Hopes and dreams fulfill her thoughts. With a sense of true freedom, she radiates health while balance and calm are at her call.
Moon
Could there be more challenges in store after such bliss? What effect could spoil this perfect calm?
In fact, it is her bliss that makes her vulnerable to the illusions of The Moon. The Fool’s joy and peaceful state is that of just feeling.
Being so positive and dreamy, her mental state is not so clarified. She is open to fantasies, illusions, false pictures, delusions and dreamy conditions that may be hidden from a logical mind.
Her mind is stimulated by imagination from her unconscious, giving her unrealistic thoughts, deep seated fears and anxieties that leave her feeling bewildered and lost. All is not what it seems, and she will have to wait for the clarity.
Sun
It is the bright illumination of The Suns clarity that helps her imagination settle. Shining out and helping her see the wonders and the great goodness of the world, it dispels negative confusion and clouds of misjudgment, bringing enlightenment and positive hope once again.
The Suns beaming energy gives her a much-needed boost of self-confidence, fun and enthusiasm once more. The new dawn has a welcome opening with no challenges or disruptions.
She can light her inside fire. The warmth of The Sun with its brilliant shine radiates through her skin and bones, revitalizing her and assuring her of the great goodness of the world and happier times ahead.
Judgement
The Fool has been reborn. Her false ego-self has been shed, allowing her radiant, true self to manifest. She has discovered that joy, not fear, is what is at the centre of life.
The Fool feels awakened. She knows the benefit of forgiveness, not only on herself but on others too. She knows that love is pure and that she is made of it.
She is fully aware of her past and the journey she has undertaken. However, the burden no longer rests upon her. She knows her ignorance of the past no longer needs to form her future. She is ready to be fully awake to her calling now.
Since this day has arrived, she can make life adjustments for herself. Knowing herself truly, she can make the correct choices about the future, choosing wisely what will serve her purpose the best.
Her higher self is now calling to rise, doubts have faded, and she is awakened to her vocation.
World
At last The Fool reenters The World, but this time with a more complete understanding. She has come full circle. After the ups and downs, a new chapter awaits. Fulfillment and a completed state arise.
The Fool experiences life as full and meaningful. In line with her calling, the next chapter is filled with hope and promise.
Actively seeking the larger picture now, her accomplishments are many. Nothing will be the same again, the knowledge and the experience she has gained will serve her well.
So, The Fool’s journey was not so foolish after all. Through perseverance, honesty, and digging deep within, The Fool found her way through life to feel fully aware of her place in the world.
Now ready to begin a new journey, the cycle begins over again. She steps back into her original position of The Fool at the start of her new journey that will lead her to even greater understanding.
