Course Five: Spectrum, Part 1 233
f
r
p
ghi
- The Moon
Relying on
intuition rather
than reason. - The Lovers
Experiencing
choice & love. - Hanged
Man
Needing self-
sacrifice before
change can occur. - The Chariot
Finding your
direction in life. - Justice
Needing to
consider a
decision
carefully. - The Hermit
Needing to
withdraw to
solve a problem. - Wheel
of Fortune
Allowing
things to take
their course. - Strength
Needing
determination
& persistence.
jk
lmn o
- Death
Experiencing
transition &
change.
14. Temperance
Needing har-
mony & time
for healing. - The Devil
Experiencing
the effects of
pride &
arrogance. - The Tower
Experiencing a
major upheaval
in your life. - The Star
Experiencing
hope &
optimism.
q
s t u
- The Sun
Finding
fulfillment. - Judgement
Experiencing a
rebirth in ideas
or development. - The World
Finding
ultimate
success.
Going through the Major Arcana in order can be
seen as the Journey towards Enlightenment, as in the
classical “Hero’s Journey.” The hero, of course, is The
Fool (identical to the Joker in a poker deck) and, like
the Joker, his number is outside of the rest of the se-
quence, and he can appear at either end, as either the
first Trump, or the 22nd. Major Arcana are considered
far more significant than Minor Arcana, and the num-
ber of Major Arcana in a reading is an indication of
how powerful the reading is.A Tarot Reading
A tarot reading starts with the
reader choosing an appropriate
court card to represent the querant
(the person for whom the reading
is being done) and laying it face up
on the table. This is called the
significator. The querant then
shuffles the remaining cards while
concentrating on their question.
Then they cut the deck (take off a
top portion and place the lower
batch on top). The reader deals out
one card at a time, laying them face
up on the table in a particular ar-
rangement, or spread. Like the houses of a horoscope,
each position imparts its own significance to the card
placed in it. Each card is then interpreted not only by
its own meaning, but also by its position in the read-
ing. When you do a reading for someone, you lay down
a card, saying, “This is the card of the Future; this is
what lies before you..., etc.” There are a number of
spreads used, depending on the preference of the
reader, but the most common is called the Celtic Cross.
Here is the layout for the Celtic Cross, with each
position listed in the order in which a card is placed in it.(Cards shown are from the French Tarot of Marseilles)- Spectrum 1.p65 233 1/15/2004, 9:15 AM