DIV-201 Lessons

Professor Fayge is perusing a parchment when the students arrive. “Please, take your seats. I will be just a moment.” Her voice sounds different today, preoccupied perhaps. Dipping a quill in ink, she hastily scribbles on the parchment and pauses to look off into the distance while biting her lip, as if she were scanning her memory, before jotting one last bit down. Rolling up the parchment, she ties it to the offered leg of her scops owl, Kismet. Finally, Professor Fayge turns to the class as little Kismet flies out the tower’s open window.

Welcome
Ah, here we are at Lesson Five. Things are progressing very quickly! I hope you’re ready to study, as today’s topics require a good deal of memorization. Depending on your deck, you may be able to find clues to help you spark your memory -- another good reason for beginners to get to know their cards when they first get a deck. However, some meanings are simply going to have to be learned by heart. That’s right, today we start focusing on the cards themselves! We will be spending today discussing the first 22 cards in the tarot deck: the Major Arcana.

What is the Major Arcana?
Let’s begin with what the Major Arcana as a whole represents. The Major Arcana cards are split up into five categories: people, ideas, change, personal qualities, and journeys or cycles. The cards of the people category are representative of influential people in your life or your current situation. For example, the Empress may represent a maternal figure in your life. The cards of the ideas category show us ideas that are things we may need to work on in our lives. Justice may show that you need to work on being more fair in your life, for instance. Change cards are representative of just that: change, where things break down so something new can emerge. Personal quality cards typically point out characteristics that are strong within ourselves. One such example is the Sun, a card that represents optimism and positivity. Lastly, journey cards represent either the beginning or completion of a journey or cycle, as with the Fool, which often denotes the start of a new journey. Interestingly enough, it can also symbolise a person in one’s life. You will find that the Fool is not the only card that does not always have a clear-cut category to fall into, as this can be the case with many of the Major Arcana cards. For this reason, you must learn to trust the guidance of your Inner Eye when the lines seem to blur.

Now let us begin by discussing each card in turn. Before we get into the definitions, it’s useful to note that not all decks will have the exact same meanings since they often have different themes. For instance, the card Strength may have different nuances based around the core concept of strength. One deck may be all about patience and the ability to pick yourself back up when you’ve been knocked down, while another deck with a focus on nature may have a naturalistic spin on the meaning. This is absolutely fine! It may be a bit confusing for you at first, but just make sure that you know the meaning for your specific deck, even if it seems to contradict slightly with what you’ve learned here. Thankfully, the meanings for that deck will usually be included in a guidebook. Because the practice of the tarot is based on allowing your Inner Eye to flow through you and select specific cards in order to send you a message, your Inner Eye will be able to choose cards based on the meanings of your specific deck since those are the cards you’ve bonded with via your magical signature. If you have multiple tarot decks, rest assured that your Inner Eye is able to discern between the decks resting and the one currently in use. In fact, you may be drawn to select a particular deck depending on your client’s aura!

0. The Fool
The Fool is the card of beginnings. When this card is drawn, it often signifies a fresh start or new journey. It shows inexperience, but also potential. Do not take the Fool as stupid. He may not understand what is happening right now, but that does not mean he does not wish to learn or find knowledge. The Fool is often found ready to take creative choices and leaps of faith. He is sincere and wants to follow in his dreams, knowing no better. He does not like to think critically, instead trusting his first instinct.

 
 I. The Magician
The Magician is a card of mystery and wonder; it represents magic and divine will. This card can show illusion and enchantment. The Magician uses his magic to trick those around him into seeing the illusions he places before them instead of the reality of the situation. He knows what he wants and he has the power and confidence to go after it. He is unafraid of toil, fearless in chasing after his dreams. The Magician normally benefits from using the creativity around him. When pulled in reference to a goal, the Magician is a positive omen. The Magician likes to be focused on a single goal, rather than being pulled in multiple directions. He is also associated with transformations.

II. The High Priestess
The High Priestess is a noble card, but a secret one. She does not allow herself to be open and vulnerable, but rather chooses to live in secrecy. She is a wise woman who holds the knowledge of awareness. The High Priestess is said to guard the unconscious mind and protect it. She is the symbol of young women and of purity. She has a sight more powerful than most, and appreciates intuition over facts. She prefers to listen to her heart and her natural instinct over hard evidence. She is often representative of those with a deeper sight than just what we see with our eyes; of those who have the ability to glimpse into the future. The High Priestess is the whisperer of the unknown.

III. The Empress
The Empress is a mother, a card of comfort and attention. She is the figure of authority and maturity amongst women. Showing a deep connection with femininity, she is the protector and comforter, as well as a symbol of nature and fertility. She often will show up in a reading to point to pregnancy or birth. She shows a readiness for growth. The Empress feels the need to reach out and connect with others, to ensure their safety and happiness. She wants to spread love and peace of mind to those around her, to any she can touch. She is not afraid to do whatever it takes to keep those she cares about safe.

IV. The Emperor
The Emperor is a figure of authority and precision. He knows what he wants and that is what he expects to receive. He sees direction as orders and gives instructions in the same manner. He is a figure of rigidity and maturity; the provider and protector of his household. He will not allow those he cares for to be harmed in any way. The Emperor offers guidance and wisdom. He understands how to take a chaotic situation and bring peace and order to it; he refuses to let things break down into anarchy. He knows the law and helps to enforce it. He knows when it is a good idea to put emotions aside and simply get the job done.

V. The Hierophant
The Hierophant is a religious man, often seen as a pastor or priest. He is a man of teaching from faith and tradition. He is a partaker and leader of rituals and faith-based practices. He will give you direction and advice based on faith and spirituality. He does not like innovation or change, preferring to keep things the way that they have always been. The Hierophant is often drawn to groups rather than standing on his own, needing to be around like-minded people. He is drawn toward education and learning institutions. He finds sacred things and desires to protect them.

VI. The Lovers
The Lovers is a card of relationships, both romantic and platonic. They crave like-minded people, teamwork, and coming together toward a common goal. They are a card of empathy and passion. They represent strength in numbers. The Lovers is a card of desiring a strong connection with another human being. They also represent the decisions you make and how those decisions can affect the people around you. No longer are you thinking for just yourself, but other people who have now become entangled in the effects of your decisions. The Lovers often lead to self-discovery through an encounter with someone else.

VII. The Chariot
The Chariot is a card of progress and potential. It is a journey; a commitment to make it from Point A to Point B despite any difficulties that may arise. She is confident in her strengths, knowing she has the ability to reach her destination. She applies her confidence, strength, and willpower to any obstacle that may be in her way. The Chariot is determined and steadfast, not stepping down from anything. She knows the benefit of being dedicated and self-disciplined, and understands that a struggle will only make her stronger. She accepts that focus is an integral part to completing her journey. She is not afraid to be herself and express her own needs and wants. 

VIII. Strength   
Strength is a card of determination, perseverance, and refusal to meet defeat. It is a card of mental strength - of knowing that even though a situation may get tough, you have the ability to continue on. It has the courage to continue to stand even after being knocked down. Strength is patient and dedicated to the task at hand, focusing on the road ahead and pushing through the difficulties to come out victorious. It is compassionate toward others, understanding and taking into account their own pain and hardships, helping others to learn how to take their suffering and turn it into strength to carry on. It is not afraid of the past, but rather feeds from the past as a drive to continue onwards. 

IX. The Hermit
The Hermit is a card of solitude - not a forced solitude, but a moment of peace in one’s self without the need to be surrounded by other people. The Hermit understands the importance of turning to and trusting oneself. She knows that listening to your inner guidance is important in being successful in things. She looks inside herself for the answers - for the reasons why life is the way it is, as she is no longer content with the surface answers. She wants to dig deep to the root. The Hermit wants to know the truth, and she is willing to spend time to find it. She finds herself noticing that her goals in life are shifting and morphing; she is stepping into a new path.

X. The Wheel
The Wheel often brings good luck into your life. It is the bringer of karma and worldly justice. It can signal that things in your life are changing. Also known as The Wheel of Fortune, it can also show a cycle that might be repeating in your life. It knows things change and can be a sign of a pivotal moment that many future events may depend upon. It may symbolise a sense of circularity or repetitive moments that seem to continue. It is also representative of a change of seasons when used in reference to time.

XI. Justice
Justice is a card of rules and logic. It wants things to follow the regulations set out in the beginning and maintain balance and objectivity. It is a card of trials, facing the challenges that are coming to you - a card of being tested. It is a card of doing what is right. It is equality for all, restoring power to the right and just leaders. Justice is the master of making difficult decisions with precision and clarity. It doles out punishment with fairness. Justice understands the long-term results and consequences of serious decisions.

XII. The Hanged Man
The Hanged Man is a card of reversals. He has come to realise that things are not always what they seem. When the Hanged Man discovers new insight in a situation, he often finds that it is information he may not have actually wanted. He is being changed through things that he may not want to be going through: trial, labour, and punishment. He knows that the path to knowledge is not easy and that to be truly enlightened, you must undergo difficulties. When in a group of people, the Hanged Man often finds himself betrayed by those he thought he could trust the most.

XIII. Death
Death is a card of finality. He knows that things are coming to an end. This could be the end of someone’s life, the end of a friendship, job, or schooling period. He is a card of transition, typically moving from one thing to another. Death is often felt as something negative, yet he can in fact be a good omen! He comes to clear things out in order to make way for new things. Death knows the mortality of man and seeks to live each day to his fullest.

XIV. Temperance
Temperance is a card of healing. She tends to turn to more holistic practices, knowing the strength and power of meditation. She seeks rejuvenation from stressful and long days, needing a healing of mind. This is a card that searches to restore lost balance, wanting to put things back to where they belong. She does not believe in extremes; she finds comfort in familiarity and security instead. Temperance wants to make amends for things done wrong in the past and accepts the consequences of past actions with grace and repentance. She is not afraid to admit that she was wrong.

XV. The Devil
The Devil is a card of secrecy. He hides in the shadows, waiting to strike. He is King of the Forbidden, crafting great skill to make us desire those things we cannot have. He pushes forward illusions. He makes people blind both emotionally and spiritually, accomplishing this by feeding obsessions with material pleasures. He is the keeper of addictions - the voice whispering for our indulgences. He wants to manipulate us with lies and delusions. The Devil is often an inner force that wants to trick you into believing that it is external things keeping you from your desires. Those found under the hand of the Devil often have unintentionally given him the power he has over them.

XVI. The Tower
The Tower shows that things must sometimes crumble for new things to be built. The Tower is a card of destruction for the sake of rebuilding. Things need to be broken down to make way for new things to grow. The Tower often gives a hint about the way one thinks of the things around them and of themselves. It is a cleansing of the space so that it can be purified for new beginnings. Things cannot always remain the way they were. Growth is an important part of life and for that to happen, things must first be cut out of the way so that you can see what is moving in front of you.



XVII. The Star
The Star is hopeful in the future. It clings to the idea that there is something above, guiding its path, so that it is not alone. The Star has faith in the things around it, optimistic and hopeful for the future. It trusts in the things beyond us for guidance, often turning to divination as a guide. The Star believes in the idea that there is always a good outcome, and continuously searches for it. It lets go of fear and doubt because it understands that all worries will eventually come to an end. What will be will be.




XVIII. The Moon
The Moon is a dreamer. She spends endless hours staring ahead of her at the light, wondering what will come of the decisions she makes now. Also a hopeless romantic, she will spend months and years waiting for her love if they have to go away. She has a routine that she follows. She follows her instincts. The Moon is drawn to magical and wondrous things. She welcomes a change and is unafraid of it, ready to embrace the wonders of the world to come.

XIX. The Sun
The Sun can look around and understand with brilliant clarity the things happening around him. He maintains a very happy disposition, full of life and energy. He takes glory in the small things, looking for the small victories in life. He is fueled by success, though he knows that he must work for it. He is filled with openness and joy, finding warmth in spending time with those he cares about. He looks for the small things to take delight in, refusing to be brought down by other people. The Sun will persevere in order to remain happy and open to the things happening around him.

XX Judgement
Judgement is very analytical. He examines the things around him, making sure to take into account every single detail. He tends to live in sudden realisations or thoughts, often due to past acts. He takes hold of the consequences of past deeds, embracing them with an open heart and mind. He is ready to pronounce someone guilty or not guilty, worthy or unworthy, good or bad. Judgement sees the things that go on around him, using them to piece together the puzzle that is mankind.

XXI. The World
The World holds a sense of completion. It knows that things are at a natural end. It has a sense of fullness or wholeness, satisfied with the completion of a long journey. It was not easy getting here, but all journeys must conclude. It has undergone a long cycle or perhaps a long phase in life. It has finally gathered the things it needs to thrive and be satisfied, having reached a point of enlightenment and hope. Things have come full circle and are now at their end.


I understand this has been quite a lot to process, so I’ve created a sort of memory aid for you. In the chart below, I’ve associated each card with a single word to help you remember each card’s larger meaning. Should you be interested in reversed meanings, you may want to further consult this source.

Cheat Sheet

Storytelling
It is important that you are able to see a story in each card. This is going to help you remember the meanings of the card. For instance, with the Devil card (depicting two individuals chained to the Devil’s stool, as shown in the aforementioned Biddy Tarot source), I see the following basic storyline: a partnership  being controlled by the Devil’s wishes. This story, obviously, should go along with the meaning of the card. It is a good idea to elaborate on basic ideas and form a full story in your head as a memory technique. If you are looking for inspiration, looking at the artwork of each card is a fine starting point! This will also help when you start combining multiple cards for one meaning, as you’ll be able to combine and integrate the stories together to create a seamless reading. 

Thank you for your attention during today’s lesson! I know we covered a lot of material today. Starting next week, we will be discussing the Minor Arcana. Please collect your short quiz on the way out.

Original lesson written by Professor Jessica Marrow
Additional portions written by Professor Inarid Fayge
Image credits here