Tarot Meditation 18: The Star, Key 17

Much of Tarot symbolism is connected to balance, and The Star carries through this theme. A beautiful woman is poised on the edge of a pool of water, one foot on land (the conscious) and one in water (the unconscious). She is Mother Nature pouring waters of life onto the Earth. The five rivulets from the pitcher in her left (feminine) hand represent our five physical senses before they flow into the pool of Universal Consciousness. From her right (masculine) hand, the pitcher pours water directly into the pool, which is stirred to vibration by meditation.

The sacred Ibis of divine thought rests in a tree over her head, and she is crowned by eight stars, seven of which represent the seven major chakra centers of the body. The eighth, largest, star represents cosmic energy.

This Key is all about meditation, of finding balance in our everyday life - through our five physical senses and our seven major chakra centers - to be still in the pool of the unconscious long enough to truly listen to the divine.

The Star ultimately represents the sacred gifts that are always available to us, if we would but be still and wait for them.

Be blessed,

Deb

Tarot Meditation 16: The Devil, Key 15

This key is one of the most misunderstood images in Tarot. Other than the Death key, this is the key that most frightens querents when it appears in a reading. The Devil Key actually has a strong and positive message for us. While there are no "evil" keys in Tarot, The Devil is a reminder to us that negative forces DO exist, and that we need to live our lives in the Light. His hand is raised in the sign of black magic and in his palm is the sign of Saturn, the planet of inertia. These are a reminder to us to always move forward into the Light and positive thought.

Probably most often misinterpreted is the inverted pentagram above The Devil's head. Pointed upward, the pentagram is the sign of Paganism, just as a cross is the symbol of Christianity. In Paganism, the five-pointed star has many meanings, but most often is associated with the elements of Fire, Air, Earth, Water and Spirit. In the case of this Key, its position represents the misuse of our connection to nature.

The Devil's goat head and horns come to us from the Christian traditions that tried very hard to eliminate Pagan beliefs throughout history. The goat-headed devil (with horns) was the Christian way of overshadowing the Greek god Pan, the god of the woods, music, dance and revelry. Ironically, the Devil's horns and their representation of plenty live on today on many American Thanksgiving tables in the form of the cornucopia!

The man and woman chained to the cube of half-knowledge (only that which is visible) represent our bondage to the material, to the turning away from Spirit. For me, the most important aspect of the message of this Key is this:

We choose our own chains in our lives, and we ALWAYS have the choice to release ourselves from that bondage, just as the figures in this Key could easily lift off their chains.
Be blessed,
Deb

Tarot Meditation 6: The Hierophant, Key 5

Once again, we see the symbol of balance, of choices facing us. The Hierophant's throne is flanked by two pillars, this time representing Mercy and Severity. He wears the triple crown of the pope (in some Tarot decks, this Key is called The Pope). The crown's lower trefoil represents the material world, the middle trefoil the formative world, and the top trefoil the creative world. This symbol of three also appears on the staff in his left hand, representing body, mind and spirit. His right hand is raised in benediction. At The Hierophant's feet are crossed silver and gold keys, signifying a balance of lunar and solar energy. One of the priests wears the red rose of desire, the other the white lillies of thought.

Numerologically, Key 5 is fraught with meaning. Five can represent chaos and unsettled issues, but it also can represent the union of elements - fire, air, earth, water and spirit. We can see both sides of 5 in The Hierophant. He represents a demand for obedience to authority and religious tradition, which can be difficult for those seeking their own path to Spirit.

The Hierophant tells us we should maintain the status quo, we should never question authority, particularly in matters of Spirit. The Hierophant calls for conformity to rules and outward appearances. And yet.... the appearance of The Hierophant in a reading is a call to do exactly the opposite: to question everything, to form our own beliefs, and to trust the guidance of our own inner wisdom and that of our own guides, angels and teachers.

Be blessed,

deb

Tarot Meditation 4: The Empress, Key 3

The Empress is Mother Earth. She is fertility, pregnant with new life, new creativity, new pathways to intuition. She is the High Priestess coming into her own. She represents Venus, the Goddess of Love. She is Isis unveiled.

Wearing the white of purity and the red of passion, she is Mother of balance and harmony. Seated on a throne in a blooming garden, she is surrounded by Goddess symbols, including Venus' zodiac symbol on her heart-shaped shield, Venus' sacred cypress trees, Venus' sacred myrtle in the wreath binding her hair, and a necklace of pearls around her neck, also sacred to Venus. The field of wheat at her feet is saced to Isis. Those studying The Empress should also study Greek, Roman and Egyptian mythology to learn more about these, and other, Gods and Goddesses.

The Empress wears a crown of 12 stars, each with six points, denoting dominion and her relationship to sacred geometry and its symbolism with Hebraic thought - the Star of David and the 12 tribes of Israel. Her scepter is topped with a globe, another symbol of her mothering of all that is.

The stream that pours from the bottom of The High Priestess key reappears in the background of The Empress key, signifying that the stream of consciousness continues to flow through our lives and guide us, if we pay attention.

The Empress denotes our ability to bring to fruition our desires. What we believe we can manifest, we can, indeed, bring forth. However, we must use caution, being certain of our desires before we create them, for they will come to pass! The Key also reminds us of our responsibility to nurture, honor and love. Just as The Empress as Mother Earth cares for all her children, we too must care for all our brothers and sisters on the planet.

Be blessed,

Deb

Tarot Meditation 3: The High Priestess, Key 2

The High Priestess is the first of the Major Arcana cards to clearly be male or female. She is the virgin daughter of the moon, representing the potentiality of the Divine Feminine. She is the manifestation of Isis in her maiden, or untried, form. She is spiritual enlightenment, inner illumination. Where The Fool and The Magician have the potential to create, The High Priestess carries within her the latent ability to manifest - she is the link between the unseen and the seen. This card is all about walking our journey in balance.

The symbols on this Key are some of the most important in Tarot. The High Priestess is seated on a throne flanked by two pillars of the Temple of Solomon. The black pillar of Boaz represents the unknown (negative) life force, and the white pillar of Jachin the known (positive) life force. These pillars represent balance that is required if we are to move forward on our journey. They also remind us that wisdom is open to us when we walk in balance. The veil behind her, between the pillars, is decorated in pomegranates (feminine energy) and palms (masculine energy). Her crown, the three phases of the moon, represents the phases of a woman's life - maiden, mother, crone. On the breast of her gown is an equal-armed cross, with the horizonal arms representing the Divine Feminine, the vertical arms the Divine Masculine - again, more symbols of balance. The High Priestess holds a scroll marked "Tora" in her lap, but the last letter, "h," is hidden - a reminder that we will never learn all the esoteric information in the universe.

At the edge of her gown, the crescent moon of potential balances as her gown flows out of the card. Remember the snow and ice-covered mountains in The Fool Key? As the snow and ice begin to melt, they create a stream of consciousness, here represented by the flow of The High Priestess' gown. The stream runs out of the bottom of this Key, then throughout most of the remainder of the Major Arcana Keys.

Additional study of this Key should include a study of Greek and Egyptian mythology, paying particular attention to the stories of Persephone and Isis. A study of Hebraic symbols also would be helpful.

The High Priestess reminds us to walk in balance - in our everyday life, in our spiritual journey, in our emotional life. She tells us that we ALL have potential to be mystics, psychics, and healers. However, we must remember The High Priestess carries forth the lessons The Fool is learning. Just as the Magician reminds The Fool to seek guidance from above, the High Priestess reminds us to use the gifts of discernment and balance as we move along our path.
Be blessed,
Deb

Tarot Meditation 2: The Magician - Key 1

As our new year's resolutions become reality with the first full week of the year, The Magician guides us along our path. The Magician represents strength of will, creative talents and organizational skills. How many of us pledged to undertake creative endeavors, get organized, and be determined and steadfast in our resolutions this year? I know those are some of my resolutions!

The Magician's gift is the ability to connect power, strength and energy from above with the earth-bound mundane - the uniting of Spirit with Mind and Body. As we saw in Key 0, The Fool, The Magician also wears red and white, and is surrounded by red and white flowers, representing the merging of desire, action and passion with abstract thought and purity.

On the altar are representations of the four suits of the Minor Arcana (Wands, Swords, Cups, Pentacles) which represent Fire, Air, Water and Earth, respectively. It is in balancing the energies of these elements that we find balance in our lives. (Check my website www.debbowen.com for an upcoming workshop on the four elements!)

Two symbols in The Magician key represent eternal life - the lemniscate above The Magician's head, and the Ouroboros (the Snake devouring its tail) around the waist. These symbols remind us that there is never an end to the Eternal connection with the Divine.

The Magician's right hand holds a wand, reaching toward heaven, while the left hand points to Earth, reminding us that we need to stay connected to both Spirit and Earth as we move through our life's journey. The Magician Key is the first lesson in The Fool's path to enlightenment: self-awareness comes only when we are connected to Spirit and live in balance.
Be blessed,
Deb

Tarot Meditation 1: The Fool, Key 0

Welcome to the first of my weekly Tarot Meditations for 2010!

In traditional Tarot, the 22 cards of the Major Arcana tell the story of The Fool's journey to enlightenment, thus The Fool is considered the first key in the deck and is unnumbered. Along the path The Fool must overcome physical, emotional and spiritual trials before successfully completing the journey. The image on the card is one of a youth blithely embarking on a journey, seeming to take a step off a cliff into the unknown. The cold mountains of logic and reason and the warm sun of inspiration rising behind The Fool indicate that, as the journey begins, The Fool must make decisions from within, rather than from without.

The Fool is dressed in red and yellow, the colors of carnal desires, but The Fool's left hand bears the white rose of spirit. The wand carried on the shoulder indicates the will to begin, and the wallet tied to the wand symbolizes universal memory and instinct. Another interpretation of the wallet is that it contains the four symbols of magic The Fool must learn to use (wand, pentacle, sword and cup). The Eagle embossed on the wallet symbolizes strength The Fool will need along the path. A white dog nips at The Fool's heels, signifying The Fool's connection with nature.

The Fool key is about a new beginning, about a willingness to step into the unknown and venture forth toward whatever awaits us. While The Fool appears to be ignorant of fate that is awaiting, the Key indicates that we ALWAYS have internal resources and guidance from the wisdom of the ages, if we would but choose to call upon them. The Fool key is about making choices.

As we venture forth into 2010, we must be willing to step with courage and conviction into the unknown. We must remember to assess our choices, use our internal strength, and call for help from our guides. Help is ALWAYS given, if we but ask.

Be blessed,

Deb