Aces from the

Rider-Waite

Tarot

v b

first and most important thing is usually your Sun

sign (that is, the Sign your Sun is in). The rising sign

(the Sign in the ascendant position) is next in impor-

tance. Then your Moon, and the rest of the planets in

the above order. So I would say, for instance, that my

Sun is in Sagittarius, my rising sign is Aquarius, my

Moon is in Virgo, my Mercury and Venus are in Sagit-

tarius, etc. And the interpretation of my horoscope

would be based on the attributions of those planets,

in those signs, in those houses—plus their aspects.

There are a number of other factors that increase

the complexity of horoscopes, but I won’t try and go

into them here. For more information, check out a book

on astrology.

Lesson 5. The Tarot

The Tarot is a set of 78 special playing cards with

particular symbolic images, used in divination. Al-

though many believe the Tarot to be of ancient origin,

there is no record of these cards before the 14th cen-

tury, when they first appeared in Italy. Ever since, a

knowledge of the Tarot has been considered essential

for any Wizard. There are many, many different Tarot

decks available. You should visit a store that sells

them, and spend some time looking through various

decks until you find one you especially like. The basic

meanings are fairly universal, but some will have their

own variations. Each deck comes with its own little

booklet, explaining the symbolic meanings of all the

cards in the deck. Study these until you can recognize

them readily, and practice doing readings for yourself

before you begin doing them for others.

The “Great Pack” of the Tarot consists of two

sets of cards: the Major Arcana (22 cards) and the

Minor Arcana (56 cards). The Minor Arcana is almost

identical to a regular poker deck of playing cards which

is derived from it, consisting of four Elemental suits

(swords, wands/rods, cups, pentacles/disks—corre-

sponding with spades, clubs, hearts, and diamonds).

Each suit has ten numbered cards, plus four court

cards (Page, Knight, Queen, and King. A poker deck

has only three court cards: Jack, Queen, and King.)

The suits are associated with those aspects of hu-

man life that fall into the Elemental categories. They are:

Swords (Fire): Political concerns, will,

power, dominance, struggle.

Wands (Air): Spiritual concerns, intellect,

learning, career, honor.

Cups (Water): Emotional concerns, love,

relationships, friends, family, home.

Pentacles (Earth): Material concerns,

wealth, health, property, security.

The numbered and Court cards of each Suit also have

their own significance, which are paralleled but unique

according to the suit. Within each suit, these are:

Ace – Beginnings.

2 – Balance required.

3 – Growth.

4 – Stability.

5 – Uncertainty.

6 – Harmony.

7 – Endings.

8 – Balance achieved.

9 – Success.

10 – Completion.

Page – A youth affecting you, or a bringer of news.

Knight – Ambitious person, or bringer of change.

Queen – An important woman supporting your

ambitions.

King – A dominant man affecting your pursuits.

The Major Arcana are also called the Trumps.

These contain the symbolic pictures most commonly

identified with tarot cards. These are numbered in a

specific order, with established names and meanings,

and are by far the most powerful cards in a reading.

They also have astrological correspondences with

signs and planets, letters of the Hebrew alphabet,

sephiroth, and many other symbols. Here are the Major

Arcana, with a very brief indication of their meanings:

0. The Fool
   Starting out on
   a new venture.


1. The
   Magician
   
   Gaining posi-
   tive guidance
   & mentorship.


2. The High
   Priestess
   
   Gaining esoteric
   knowledge.

a

3. Empress 
   Experiencing
   growth,
   fertility,
   increased
   creativity.


4. Emperor 
   Needing to
   take responsi-
   bility & exer-
   cise discipline.


5. The High
   Priest 
   Gaining
   spiritual
   wisdom.

c

d e

232 Grimoire for the Apprentice Wizard

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