The Major Trumps
Note: There is a lot to say for every card, but the actual meaning depends on the question that was asked. I am including a sentence or two to give an idea of the flavor of each card, though there is a lot of detail and information expanded upon in the video.
Please note too:The Rider deck, that I use and recommend, assigns the number 8 to the Strength card and the number 11 to the Justice card in order to fit in with the attributes of the Paths of the Tree of Life diagram.
In older decks, however, these cards were reversed and Justice was 8, while Strength was 11.
This makes more sense in part since 8 is the number of Saturn who has more connection with Justice. At the same time, 11 can be seen as 1 + 1 = 2, ruled by the Moon, the feminine principle that reflects the light of the Sun, and this relates more to Strength.
I therefore switched back to the older or more traditional correlations.
The Major Trumps.
There are 22 major trumps in the Tarot deck.
The number may or may not be significant, but you don’t need to know anything about this to use cards since each one has a name or title, and you can make sense of the picture itself.
So card number 9 is The Hermit, and it shows an old-ish man in a grey cloak standing on snow, maybe on a hilltop, holding a lantern for his own self or as a beacon for others to follow. We don’t know and ought not to assume one way or the other since it will sometimes be one and sometimes the other, so remember the question and start with it, instead of starting with the supposed meaning and reading significance into it.
You can sometimes do a lot with the title – so with The Hermit, the situation is maybe one of being alone, or isolated, or unconnected. In a question about love and romance, this can be awkward or point to a difficulty, though the person may accept the need for and benefits of isolation at this time, so it’s not automatically a bad card for this type of question.
Or, the inquiry may be about a different situation – maybe a designer wants to know how some new software will sell. We can think that The Hermit is on his or her own, so people won’t respond well to the software, and that may be true, but it’s not too helpful. We can, however, think of unconectedness and relate this to the user interface – if people won’t feel connected to the software, perhaps a change in the appearance will make them more comfortable with it.
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is inexperienced because he’s at a beginning point, but he has daring and a sense of adventure going for him, and this can mean having the courage to do something unpopular. Reversed, you can live a normal life and it’s fine, though maybe a bit boring and you can find yourself wishing you had done things differently. It might be better to have remorse for certain things you did, rather than regret that you never tried them.
Video length: 17 minutes 32 seconds
1 – The Magician
is versatile, clever, performs well, and so on. When reversed or in difficulty, he is not as clever as he thinks he is, is overconfident, doesn’t prepare well, and can’t do magic or his tricks fail.
Video length: 11 minutes 46 seconds
2 – The High Priestess
is a knowledgeable, retiring older woman who is worth consulting and listening to. When reversed, her preferred peace and quiet can have been broken, or her wisdom is misunderstood. There may be people working behind the scenes to undermine her, or she can be the one organizing the dirty tricks.
Video length: 12 minutes 29 seconds
3 – The Empress,
sitting outside on her comfortable pedestal, looks like she enjoys living and will make the most of whatever happens. Reversed, she maybe ought to be doing some work.
Video length: 16 minutes 44 seconds
4 – The Emperor
in his armor on top of the mountain looks like he means business so you don’t cross him, unless you are looking for trouble. Reversed, he can be out of his depth, or over-estimate his strength, power and ability.
Video length: 15 minutes 19 seconds
5 – The Hierophant
has his followers and students to whom he can dispense wisdom that ideally elevates them; he, or she, helps people find and move comfortably along their way. Reversed, however, he can make people accept what he says without thinking about it; he wants blind obedience rather than critical support.
Video length: 13 minutes 43 seconds
6 – The Lovers
is someone at crossroads and has to choose wisely. Reversed, you can’t make up your mind, or you make bad choices.
Video length: 16 minutes 25 seconds
7 – The Chariot
is powerful for a time in the same way that the Moon, when she is full, reflects the whole of the Sun, but has to move on. When reversed, the person can want to stay in the same place, or hold on to what they had, fighting against progress and development.
Video length: 17 minutes 35 seconds
8 – Justice
follows laws, so gets a lot done since it has momentum behind it. Reversed, you think your own personal power is what makes things happen, and it might for a while, but you can’t concentrate hard enough for long enough.
Video length: 15 minutes 02 seconds
9 – The Hermit
is comfortable with solitude and being apart or separate from others so he can assess and clear out what is no longer of use. Reversed, your solitude may be broken, or you don’t want to do any work.
Video length: 10 minutes 25 seconds
10 – The Wheel of Fortune.
Good and bad come and go, so make the most of the good and don’t be too despondent with the bad because it won’t stay for ever. Reversed, if fortune isn’t with you, that happens sometimes.
Video length: 11 minutes 12 seconds
11 – Strength.
Muscles can give in and tear. Strength endures. Reversed, thinking you have to prove your individual power gets you off track.
Video length: 13 minutes 55 seconds
12 – The Hanged Man
has been suspended upside down, but he doesn’t seem too upset – and sees the world from a different angle and this can make his view more rounded and complete, so pay attention instead of wanting everything to be what passes for normal. Reversed, you need patience and insight, so relax first and you will begin to see clearly.
Video length: 17 minutes 15 seconds
13 – Death
is an end is a beginning is an end, and so on and so on. Pay attention to what your senses are telling you; then plan suitable and sensible future actions. If reversed, on the other hand, it’s a struggle and the new cannot easily take hold.
Video length: 14 minutes 37 seconds
14 – Temperance.
There are 14 cards in each Suit – the Ace through to the 10, and the four court cards- so this major trump represents completeness and strength and knowledge based on first-hand experience of all stages. Reversed, something is missing, or you want to pick and choose what you prefer and see what you want to see, but this builds in defects.
Video length: 14 minutes 25 seconds
15 – The Devil
is in the details, as they say. Pay attention, work hard and do what has to be done, even if it’s not immediately pleasant. Reversed, doing only what is pleasurable will undermine you and you’ll wonder where the time went.
Video length: 22 minutes 36 seconds
16 – The Tower
looks like some reconstruction is going to be necessary, so you can put things back the way they were, or take some time to think about the better or the best way to restructure. In this way, you get a decent result from an undesired event or situation. Reversed, maybe you need to think more and what is going on, and not just react.
Video length: 12 minutes 46 seconds
17 – The Star
is hope and inspiration – and when you have those ideas in the front of your mind, all is possible. Reversed, it’s still going to be good, but maybe set your sights higher because the sky is the limit.
Video length: 13 minutes 49 seconds
18 – The Moon
rules the night and shines by reflected light, so make sure you reflect the best and not the worst; that you make allowances for impressions and misunderstandings that happen in the dark. Reversed, don’t forget that the night will be followed by dawn and things will be better.
Video length: 19 minutes 17 seconds
There is a second video The Moon: Extra and it is here:
Video length: 10 minutes 31 seconds
19 – The Sun
rules the day – from sunrise to sunset, what we do and what is going on is visible, but we can arrange our affairs to work with the amount of energy at different times of the day. Sunrise and noon are one thing; nearing sunset is something else. Reversed, the sun is still shining even when it is hidden by clouds; make sure you shine too.
Video length: 14 minutes 57 seconds
20 – Judgment
shows rebirth and renewal, so move hopefully and with confidence into the future; it is going to be a lot different from the past. Reversed, it may be necessary to be patient and wait for the times to catch up with your ideas, but it will happen.
Video length: 11 minutes 11 seconds
21 – The World
is the last of the major trumps and shows successful outcomes, conclusions and endings. Enjoy the moment, and prepare for the new beginnings. Reversed, things are still good, but don’t let mistrust take the shine off a good time.
Video length: 12 minutes 31 seconds
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