Wheel of Fortune

The design on the Wheel at the center of this card is probably the only symbol I've ever seriously considered getting as a tattoo. When I was sixteen it was because it's mysterious and beautiful. Now it's because this card sums up my general worldview: that life is a constant circle of ups and downs, and we are called to both enjoy the good times and to remain steady in the face of adversity. To remember that even if the wheel has turned down and things look bleak, it's going to turn again.

This is one of the hardest lessons life teaches us, and it seems one I'm always learning.

Tons of symbolism in this card. Those on the inner wheel are from alchemy and represent the four elements in the form of mercury, sulphur, water and salt. The outer ring contains the Hebrew letters IHVH, the sacred name of God; TARO is also TORA when read counter-clockwise, which refers to the sacred Jewish text of the torah. The eight spokes of the wheel correspond to the eight points of the year. The snake of ill fortune descends; Hermes, messenger of good news, ascends. Atop the wheel sits the sphinx, poser of riddles. The corners of the card are guarded by the four fixed signs of the zodiac, Aquarius, Scorpio, Leo, and Taurus, those keepers of tradition and stability even in the midst of change.

As a Major Arcana card this also represents the external forces of the universe, rather than actions driven by our own agency. It can be difficult for a control freak such as myself to accept that forces outside my control are constantly affecting my path and that of the people around me.

It's good to be reminded of this, and that the challenge of life is less what happens to you than how you respond to it.

The Empress

Continuing tarot study.

3: The Empress

Where the High Priestess is the Maiden, the Empress is the Mother. She is Demeter, Freyja, Venus. She is the child of Heaven and Earth. Upon her head is a crown of twelve six-pointed stars; in her hand, the scepter of the ruler, topped by the feminine symbol of the orb, Her white robes are decorated with ripe fruits. She sits on a throne of plush cushions before a field of recently-harvested wheat. Behind her flows a steady waterfall. Her shield, bearing the symbol of Venus, rests at her side.

The Empress is the Mother. She is fertility and abundance, and even now may be pregnant under her robes. Under her guidance, all things are fruitful and multiply.

She signifies the feminine principles - beauty, sensuality, nurturing, fertility. She represents creative expression of the senses. She urges the birth of new life, new ideas, new ways of thinking She encourages our connection with the Earth.

I find the Empress in creative endeavors. In cooking, baking and canning - trying new combinations, exploring different flavors. In gardening, preparing the soil and tending the growing plants. But I think her spirit comes through best after I have done those things, and shared the fruits of my labors with my friends and family.

The High Priestess

2: The High Priestess


She sits placidly between the pillars of the Temple of Solomon, Boaz and Jerochim. She wears simple blue robes, the book of wisdom (TORA) resting in her lap, half concealed, half revealed. Upon her head she wears the crown of Isis, queen mother of the Egyptian goddesses and mistress of magic, while the crescent moon of the subconscious lies at her feet. The equal-armed solar cross is displayed prominently on her chest. Behind her, the temple veil conceals the mysteries of the temple within. Its pattern bears a pattern of pomegranates, symbol of Persephone, who ate four pomegranate seeds and was bound to spend four months in Hades every year as a result.

The High Priestess rules over the mysteries of the subconscious. She expresses the need to trust your intuition, to look for meaning in your dreams, to understand and respect your instincts. She represents the notion that some things aren't taught or learned, but can only be found by looking within.

The Magician

One of my favorite cards, in part just because it's beautiful artwork, but also, of course, for what it represents.

1: The Magician

The Magician, dressed in red and white, and surrounded by red roses and white lilies (passion and purity), holds his wand aloft, while directing energy down into the earth with his other hand. His belt is Ouroboros, the snake that eats its tail, signifying eternity; he is crowned by the cosmic lemniscate, symbol of infinity. Before him lie the symbols of the suits, i.e., the elements - the tools with which he manifests his will from thought into being.

Because this is what the Magician represents: the power of the will, the ability to manifest one's thoughts into reality. This is a primary rule of metaphysics, the notion that what one conceives, one can will into being. By focusing upon what is wanted, channeling that desire into physical action, one can bring into reality whatever is needed.

It's power, and it's not particularly mysterious. It does require discipline and knowledge - to ascertain exactly what is wanted and bring it about means knowing yourself and having a clear idea of what is required to manifest it into reality. Oftentimes people get tripped up on the first step - knowing what they want. Vague notions are not helpful here. The goal must be clear.

Once you know what you want, it isn't especially difficult to lay out the steps required to make it happen. But, ah, that's the onion - doing what is necessary to bring it about, that's a challenge.

The Magician tells us that we can take what we want from the universe and make it our own, if we have the will - and the tools - to make it so.

Tarot Study: The Fool

I'd like to work through the Rider-Waite deck, starting in the Major Arcana. These are my interpretations, based on what I have read and my own experiences in reading over the years.

0: The Fool



The fool is the prankster, the traveler, the seeker, one who moves restlessly bringing excitement and/or havoc in his wake. He dances precariously close to the edge of the precipice, but he hasn't a care in the world. The sun shines on him, his faithful dog jumps eagerly alongside. Everything he owns is contained in the pack on his shoulder and he carries a white rose of purity and innocence.

In a reading the Fool often represents the querent, for the Fool is the Seeker. He can signify a journey or a quest of some kind. He may indicate blind optimism, plunging ahead without thought of consequence.

Reversed, the Fool may suggest impulsive or foolhardy decisions, a leap-before-you-look mentality. It may indicate a journey delayed, or unexpected obstacles.

It's always important to remember that the cards are read together - always take note of the surrounding cards in a reading and use their totality to determine what they might be telling you. And above all, remember that the cards do not tell us what will happen. They are an illustration of the current state of things, and what may unfold if the present course is continued.

Tools of the pagan

Candles and oils, symbols and sigils, herbs and stones - these are some of the tools of the pagan. They all have their uses, and it's one of my favorite aspects of paganism - the connection of the natural world's objects into my practice.

My favorite tool, though, is probably tarot cards. I've been fascinated with them since I was, oh, fifteen or so and sneaking interpretation books home from the library, hiding them away from my mother's distrustful eyes. It was a revelation to learn that our modern playing cards are derived from tarot decks.

Divination is a relatively misunderstood art. The future is not set in stone, so there's no divination practice that is going to state definitively that such-and-such will happen. The cards merely indicate the way things are going. They offer insight into your present situation and potential future; they work, through symbols, to help you realize what path you are on: whether you should stay the course, or look to new ways of approaching a particular problem or concern.

The primary difference between tarot decks and regular playing decks are the inclusion in tarot decks of the Major Arcana, also known as trump cards. These 22 cards represent archetypes, where the Minor Arcana that comprise the suit cards correspond to the elements and deal with day-to-day matters. There are a million websites and books that offer an explanation of the meaning of the individual cards, and I have no intention of laying that out here. Generally speaking, major arcana cards, when they come into your reading, tend to indicate outside influences, where the suit cards indicate your own behavior and beliefs.

The one thing I'll say is this, only because it seems to come up every single time someone who doesn't know tarot asks about it: Death doesn't mean death. It means change. Which, I suppose, is as terrifying to some as death itself. Personally, I am pleased when Death makes an appearance in my readings.

My go-to deck is still what many would call the 'beginner' deck, that is, the Rider-Waite deck. I love them because they are beautiful, evocative, and very easy-to-read cards, with rich symbolism that serves as an excellent assistant to reading interpretations. It's sad to me that the artist of these lovely cards, Pamela Colman Smith, isn't given credit in the deck's name. She was a pretty remarkable woman, definitely someone ahead of and outside of her time.

I've had a variety of decks but I always come back to this one. These cards just speak to me.

Also, the Five of Wands lends itself to a really great joke.