Tarot of the Ages — Таро Веков

МБК значения: Tarot of the Ages — Таро Веков

TAROT OF THE AGES
INTRODUCTION
Mario Garizio created the Tarot of the Ages in orderto pay homage to Atlantis, the mother continent from which spread the civilization of the world. The talisman of the deck is an ankh, the cross that represents the key of the life and energy in the universe’s endless space. The tarot describes the play of energy in our star system. It illustrates the combining of energies and the shapes formed, and it explains the principles that rule and determine the conscious processes of the creatures of our world.
The one who seeks to know these principles can unveil theirsecrets by following the route mapped out by the Major Arcana of the tarot. In gaining knowledge and power, this seeker will be revealed as the Magus, who operates in manifested reality by manipulating symbols.
This exalted inner state, however magnificent, is not the last step of reintegration with our inner being. The quest is achieved in the state of the Fool. It isthroughthe Foolthatthe universal law of love and freedom fulfills itself. The comprehension of this law is reserved for those who, challenging general misunderstand ing, armed by the sharp sword of discernment, and rich with the bright diamond of a pure heart, rely on divine grace. They will express the joy of the world, for they have banned from themselves, for today and forever, all suffering, which is due to ignorance and the illusion of material and emotional possessions.
The Book is now open, the golden light illuminates the corridors of the great pyramid. The initiates, rising up after the darkness of death, contemplate the brightness of ROTA, which, like the zodiac in the night sky, is the testament of the destiny of humanity. In the temple, everything is as it was. The Tree of Life is fruitful and yet offers the apple that our first father and mother could not grasp. We are the same pilgrims as those who came first from Atlantis, then from ancient Egypt, and now from Africa, Europe, Asia and America.

THE STRUCTURE OF THE CARDS
The Egyptians were chosen to preserve and to transmit to humanity the holiest and most occult tradition of Atlantis. Thus, the Major Arcana are illustrated with pictures of ancient Egypt, known as Kemi, the Black Land. At the top of each card is its number, in Roman numerals. At the bottom left is a letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and at the bottom right is an elemental or astrological sigil. The Major Arcana of the Tarot of the Ages do not have traditional astrological attributions. Rather, the artist has followed the inspiration given to him by his Muse.
The Sepher Yetzirah. a fundamental kab-balistic work, offers a pyramid structure to which the Major Arcana can be assigned, as shown in the diagram, «Pyramid of Major Arcana.» The top row of the pyramid comprises three cards considered the Mothers. The second row comprises seven cards, the Daughters The bottom row comprises twelve cards known as Simple. The pyramid ex presses the way in which the principles that the Major Arcana represent interact, their hierarchy of action, and the expression of energy that simultaneously creates, destroys and maintains our universe. To the Mothers are assigned the elements of air, water and fire. To the Daughters go the planets, and to the Simple, the signs of the zodiac.
I XIII XXI
II III IV XI XVII XX XXII
V VI VII IX X XII XIV XV XVI XVIII XIX
PYRAMID OF MAJOR ARCANA

The Minor Arcana are divided into four suits. In the Tarot of the Ages, each suit is attributed to an important civilization of past ages. Regretfully, not all civilizations could be represented. The societies of southern Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, of Native North America, of aboriginal Australia, and many others also carried the seed of ancient knowledge, expressed in the form dictated by the particular character of each race.
The four elements are assigned to the four suits: air for swords, fire for batons, water for cupsand earth forcoins. The elemental sigils are on the top and at the bottom corners of the court cards (king, queen, knight and page) and the aces. Also given to the suits are the four letters of Tetragrammaton, the name of God. The Hebrew letters and their correlation with the elements signify that the manifestation of our universe is based on combinations of the four elements. (See the diagram, «The Cross.»)

THE CROSS
The Hebrew letters of Tetragrammaton also correspond to the four directions of north, south, east and west. If Egypt is placed in the center of a cross, as in the diagram, «The Cross,» the four arms of the cross lead us to the geographical areas defined by the four suits of the Minor Arcana.
North is northern Europe, whose Vikings imprisoned the past in the ice of the island of Avalon. South is central Africa, where the occult power of the black shamans pursues visions of the future. In the west lies Central America, the home of the Aztecs, the Incas and the Mayans, of the colorful plumes, the place of the setting sun and of dying man. In the east is India, whose civilization brought forth the most profound philosophy, and where the sun and man rise together.

THE MAJOR ARCANA
Interpretations, in literature, of the Major Arcana are numberless. The comments given for the Tarot of the Ages are rendered in prophetic form. Rather than giving rational explanations for the deep and manifold aspects of the Major Arcana, we hope to stir up the magic that lies buried within each person. Also given in each description, after the title of the card, is the elemental or zodiacal attribution of the card, an alternate title, and a Hebrew letter.

THE MINOR ARCANA
The Minor Arcana are divided into four suits, each of which comprise four court cards and ten numbered cards. The court cards of king, queen, knight and page represent people, whilethe numbered cards represent situations. Each suit has correlations that aid in interpreting the individual cards. The correlations are elements, human attributes, civilizations, elemental creatures, and totems.
SWORDS: Pathway of air; the mind; Viking civilization the power of sylphs; eagle
BATONS: Pathway of fire; the spirit; African civilization; the power of salamanders; lion
CUPS: Pathway of water; the heart; Mayan and Aztec civilizations; the power of undines;
man
COINS: Pathway of earth; the body; civilization of India; the power of gnomes: bull

THE BACK DESIGN
On the back of each card is a design that synthesizes, in geometric form, the symbolism of the tarot.
The triangle represents the number three, for the three Hebrew Mother letters, and is placed in the center, as creation is the work of a unique and three-aspected god who is subject, action and object at the same time. Man also consists of three components: body, mind and soul, and, symbolically, salt, sulphur and mercury.
The seven-pointed star is for the number seven, four plus three, for the seven Daughter letters. The wings of the star turn about the center as the seven planets of the ancients- the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiterand Saturn turn in theirorbits. Thetip pointing downward represents lead, then, counterclockwise, silver, mercury, copper, gold, iron and tin. The synthesis of the seven is V.l.T.R.I.O.L: Visita Interiora Terrae Rectifi-cando Invenies Occultum Lapidem (visit the interior of the earth and rectify the stone h»dden there).
The circle has twelve points, that is, four multiplied by three, for the twelve Simple letters. Man’s time is regulated by a year of twelve months. Thezodiac, comprising twelve houses, is the mobile sphere that wraps holy and profane operations. The traditional correspondences of the horoscope are Aries:
Vita, «life,» Taurus: Lucrum, «gain,» Gemini:
Fratres, «brothers,» Cancer: Genitor, «genitor,» Leo: Filii, «sons,» Virgo: Valetudo, «health,» Libra: Uxor, «wife,» Scorpio: Mors, «death,» Sagittarius: Peregrinatio, «wander,» Capricorn: Regnum, «rule,» Aquarius: Amid, «friends,» Pisces: Inimici, «enemies.»
The square is the geometric representation of four. It is in the number four that matter becomes perceptible to the senses through the equilibrium of the elements. The synthesis of four is the Philosopher’s Stone. In kab-balism, there are four cosmic worlds: Atziluth, the archetypal world, Briah, the creative world, Yetzirah, the formative world, and Assiah, the material world.
Six, expressed in Solomon’s Seal, is the only number perfect in itself. The Seal is shown twice. The Seal in the upper part is the star of the macrocosm, Arikh Anpin, the letter aleph in the Great Face. In the lower part, the star is of the microcosm, Zauir Anpin, the letter tau in the Minor Face. Quod Superius Sicut Quod Inferius: «That which is above is as that which is below.»

DIVINATION WITH THE TAROT
Tarot is not a means to foresee the future, as many people believe itto be. Its purpose is to reveal the inner meaning of the present. A skilled reader is thus able to discern in the cards the fruits of the past and the seeds of what may occur. The tarot should be read with firmness, precision and a love of knowledge. While divinatory art relies mostly on theoperator’sskill, however, it is importantto use a method that enables the neophyte and the initiate to read the cards correctly.
When reading or studying the cards, it is best to find a place in which you can carry out your meditation in tranquility. Disconnect the telephone, settle down quietly. Attention should be given to your comfort, even to the clothes you wear and the intensity of the lighting.
A piece of silk or velvet should be used to wrap your tarot deck. Red or green cloth favors concentration and prophecy. Use the cloth to lay out the cards in front of you. When preparing to use your tarot deck for the first time, look at the cards, one by one, and read the commentary in the booklet.
When you have assimilated the meanings of the cards, lay out the deck in the following pattern. The Major Arcana cards go in a circle from east to west, beginning with I The Magician, at the eastward side, and moving through the cards so that VI The Lovers is northward, XI Strength is westward, XVII The Star is southward, ending with XXII The Universe next to The Magician. The court cards are in four rows of four cards. The remaining Minor Arcana are in four rows of ten cards. The diagram, «Tarot of the Ages Spread,» illustrates the order of the cards. In studying this pattern, you will absorb the relations that the cards have to one another. Each card is conditioned by the cards before and following it.
To do an actual reading, the reader and the querent should sit comfortably, with the tarot cloth between them and the deck in the center of the cloth. The question that the querent has should be expressed precisely and unequivocally. The reader then shuffles the cards for as long as he or she wishes, and thequerent also shuffles and cuts them. After placing the cards face down to his or her right, the reader spreads them out with the left hand, as shown in the diagram, «Spreading the Cards.» The querent chooses ten cards, which the reader lays out one at a time, face up. The cards should be turned over like the pages of a book.
Generally speaking, the Major Arcana cards reveal the inner aspects or reasons of events and their development. The court cards show the people involved. The numbered suit cards concern objects, quantities, time, and so on. None of the cards has an absolute positive or negative value, since the meaning of each depends on the cards surrounding. When a card is upright, it bears the full strength of its meaning. When a card is reversed, or upside down, the reverse meanings apply. The reverse meanings can be contrary to the upright meanings, ortheycan be weak reflections of the upright mean ings. If the reading is still unclear after study of the ten cards, the querent can choose additional cards to clarify or confirm the reading.
The tarot possesses the strength to activate the inner circuits of your being. We have turned over some pages of the Bookof Thoth, but the golden doors of its universal secrets will open only for the pure in heart.

I THE MAGICIAN
Air, The Creating Word, aleph 
The storm of endless chaos coagulates in the Great Work. The alchemical art rises in the interior laboratory: salt and sulphur are married by mercury. The fixed turns volatile, the volatile is fixed.
The Magician is in prayer. Every rite is an offering of his devotion, every instrument is an extension of his interiortemple. The cubic altar is the material support, for the magic work is consummated on it. The wand of spirit is inflexible, the sword of the warrior seeking knowledge is sharp. Joy, the balm of divine mercy, lies in the cup. The pact between God and man is eternally testified by the pentacle, for man is the Lord and nature his kingdom.
The eye of the vision brightens, the holy baboon discloses the doors of the temple of knowledge and leads toward the key of immortality. Blessed is the Lord’s Anointed! Adam Kadmon’s feet again tread the desert. Nothing exists but the Great Work.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Originality. Creativity. Ability to utilize one’s capabilities in order to accomplish atask. Imagination. Self-reliance. Spontaneity. Self-confidence. Ingenuity. Flexibility. Masterfulness. Self-control. Deception. Sleight of hand. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Weakness of wilt. Indecision. Ineptitude. Insecurity. Disquiet. Delay. The use of one’s skills for destructive ends.

II THE HIGH PRIESTESS
The Moon, The Knowing of Secrets, beth 
The occult history of the world begins when every being differentiates into male and female. Every god faces a goddess partner. Every personality hides in the faded appearance of a primeval kind of man. Every primeval man is the manifestation of an archetype.
The Word is written in hieroglyphs on the Priestess’s right, the measure of things is taken on her left. On her white vest is Diana’s lunar insignia. Under the veil of her priesthood is the black and penetrating gaze of the Pythoness.
The initiate is aflame with desire for knowledge. Noscite ipse, «know yourself» is the only true knowledge.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Wisdom. Sound judgment. Serene knowledge. Common sense. Serenity. Objectivity. Penetration, Foresight. Intuition. Comprehension. Perception. Self-reliance. Emotionlessness. Platonic relationships. Practicality.

Reverse Meanings: 
Ignorance. Shortsightedness. Selfishness. Passion. Physical ardor. Acceptance of superficial knowledge. Improper judgment.

III THE EMPRESS
Mars, The Womb of Intellect, gimel
Life is the run of the winged soul on earth. The holy chapel of union shows the throne of the genetrix, the mother of the living. The slender papyrus, agitated by a breeze from the Nile, murmurs her name. The human form dwells in her intellect. Her body sparkles with seven jewels, and her milk spreads and nourishes our universe. She is the mistress who rules appearances. Her companions, Ta-urt and Nekhebet, watch over birth and death. The law displays itself in the rotation of spheres and in the power of numbers. Harmony is the precept, the symphony of the universe.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Feminine progress. Fruitfulness. Fertility. Attainment. Accomplishment. Mother. Sister. Wife. Marriage. Children. Feminine influence. Ability to motivate others. Practicality. Intuition. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Vacillation. Inaction. Lack of interest. Lack of concentration. Indecision. Delay in accomplishment or progress. Anxiety. Infertility. Infidelity.

IV THE EMPEROR
The Sun, The Keeper of the Command, daleth
In the heart of an oasis, the perfumed torches catch fire, like the miracle of light brightening dark. The rams’ thundering impetus crashes the gates of the fiends. The scourge breaks the rebellion. Poison burns the betrayers’ blood. The vulture devours the unmarked firstborn.
The sun dissolves shadows in the kingdom of two lands. The red ocher fades into burnt brown. The segmented palms bend underthe vehemence of a typhoon.
The heart belly dilates. The sons of the four races multiply and populate north, south, east and west. The millenarian power of pharaohs embraces the fire and air of the white Nile as well as the water and earth of the blue Nile.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Worldly power. Accomplishment. Confidence. Wealth. Stability. Authority. Indomitable spirit. Leadership. War-making tendencies. Father. Brother. Husband. Male influence. Domination of intel-ligenceand reason overemotionand passion. Strength. Patriarchal figure. Attainment of goals.

Reverse Meanings: 
Immaturity. Ineffectiveness. Lack of strength. Indecision. Inability. Weakness of character. Feebleness. Failure to control petty emotions.

V THE HIEROPHANT
Aries, The Hidden Splendor, he
The stony colossi rise up in the fiery desert. The five-pointed star of primeval man leads humanity in the cosmic spaces. It is Heru’s eye that faces the attempt of the fallen angels to scale the skies.
In the Hierophant’s heart is the seat of his strength. Swift and fierce as the claw of the leopard, he fulfills his true will. Beyond the sarcophagus of his past lives, he bears on his forehead the holy sign. Bare-headed disciples bow affectionately before the father to receive the ointment of initiation and of the fourth dimension.
Magister of the law, high priest of the unique temple, he comes forever among humanity to propagate the doctrine and celebrate the ceremony. Once again, we renew the oath of the Buddhas, the promise to renounce Nirvana and return to our dimension—samsara, the cycle of birth, suffering, death and rebirth—until the last being is enlightened.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Ritualism. Mercy. Kindness. Forgiveness. Inspiration. Compassion. Servitude. Inactivity. Timidity. Overt reserve. Captivity to one’s own ideas. Tendency to cling to ideas and principles even after they areoutdated. Conformity. A religious orspiri-tual leader.

Reverse Meanings: 
Over-kindness. Foolish exercise of generosity. Susceptibility. Impotence. Vulnerability. Frailty. Unorthodoxy. Renunciation. Unconventionality.

VI THE LOVERS
Taurus, The Heart Choice, vav
The eternal path winds along the boulevards of time. There is in life one moment for choice. Sighs whistle in the ear the illusions of the cosmic night whose kisses caress us. Circe, the enchantress, plays the song that turns men into wild beasts.
Every woman has her color, every sanctuary its offers. Thousands the constellations, but only one is the destination. The lion shoots the arrow of seduction, but the heart wants only the initiation of love. Beautiful is the virgin and fateful the prostitute.
There is really no choice for men. What is beautiful turns ugly and the fatal reverts to the banal. Look at oppositions and join them. Level the peaks of your mind and emotions. Now you see the perfumed cup of the lover, but behind is already prepared the virulent pool of hate. Extremely insidious and mortal are the she-demons. Absorb them into your heart and they will disappear as do nightmares after the crowing of the cock.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Love. Beauty. Perfection. Harmony. Confidence. Trust. Honor. Beginning of a possible romance. Deep feeling. Optimism. Obliviousness to possible consequences. Freedom of emotion. The necessity of testing or of subjecting to trial. Struggle between sacred and profane love. A meaningful affair.

Reverse Meanings: 
Failure to meet the test. Unreliability. Separation. Frustration in love and marriage. Interference by others. Fickleness. Untrustworthiness. Unwise plans.

VII THE CHARIOT
Gemini, The Victory Coach, zayin
The charioteer leads his vehicle of progress in his glorious triumph, free from the ignorance of slavery. The aeons are traversed by the Chariot’s golden wheels, under the starry baldachin, while the two sphinxes, under the will of conscience, advance along the thorny track. The first sphinx is light, power of light, the second dark, power of darkness, as power always has two faces.
The leader has tamed power and has put it under his yoke. The run of the Chariot is his mystical practice, which leaves behind the dust of indecision and fear. Alone, the charioteer wrapped in the silences of the abyss faces the cosmic divinities of his soul.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Trouble. Adversity, possibly already overcome. Conflicting influences. Turmoil. Vengeance. Success. Possible voyageorjourney. Escape. Rushingtoa decision. Need to pay attention to details. Urgency to gain control of one’s emotions. 

Reverse Meanings: 
To be unsuccessful. Defeat. Failure. To lose at the last minute something otherwise in your grasp. Sudden collapse of plans. Conquered. Overwhelmed. Failure to face reality.

VIII JUSTICE
Cancer, The Mirror of the Law, heth
Seven-doored Thebes reflects its basalt name in the holy waters. In the wind, a thousand plumes wave on the blessed Ma’at’s head, but one plume rises erect and infallible.
Archangels’ arms embrace her queen’s body and lead her benevolent fingers. Her left hand weighs the lightness of the heart. Blessed, she who gives. Her right hand grips the blade, the stylet of sacrifice. Blessed, she who takes away. At her feet are the claws of a lioness, her eyes see the inward part of beings.
Actions and reactions produce the sweetness of equilibrium, and yet she awaits the just; for him, the earth will be saved. He who fears to tear his robes will become salt. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Fairness. Reasonableness. Justice. Proper balance. Harmony. Equity. Righteousness. Virtue. Honor. Virginity. Just reward. The eventual outcome, whether favorable or unfavorable, will be truly fair for the person concerned. Equilibrium. Poise. Impartiality.

Reverse Meanings: 
Bias. False accusations. Bigotry. Severity in judgment. Intolerance. Unfairness. Abuse.

IX THE HERMIT
Leo, The Wandering Face of the Divine, teth
The elect will move through the darkness. He is your guide if you will only see. The shadows withdraw, prey to despair, when he walks among them, and the fog clears away, dispersed by the fresh night breeze. If you have eyes, faithfully follow his magic lamp. Like wicks soaked with oil, athousand sparks spring forth, cleaving obscurity, but the wakeful patriarch, wrapped in his mantle of secrecy, hides his deeds and conceals the cobra’s poison with Aaron’s rod.
This is the path the pilgrims follow to the promised land, their step silent but indomitable.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Counsel. Knowledge. Solicitude. Prudence. Discretion. Caution. Vigilance. Circumspection. Self-denial. Withdrawal. Regression. Annulment. Tendency to withhold emotion. Fear of discovery. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Imprudence. Hastiness. Rashness. Prematurity. Foolish acts. Incorrect advice. Failure caused by dullness. Over-prudence resulting in unnecessary delay. Immaturity.

X WHEEL OF FORTUNE
Virgo, The Eternal Return, yod
Sator arepo tenet opera rotas: «Every point is the center of the universe.»
The deep space takes the stars by the hand, trifles hung on invisible threads. They run after each other, attracting and rejecting, sometimes locked in a deadly embrace. The starry smile explodes through the firing orbits, and tears descend, multicolored crystals of the comet’s wake.
Man’s destiny is engraved in the zodiac. It is the starry mantle of the goddess Nuit, the white robe of our baptism, black shroud of our grave. The wheel eternally turns, men receive and lose, gods play with their human puppets. The mocking calls of the ape resound while crocodile jaws ruthlessly seek prey. The wheel turns and turns. Will the sphinx, with its powerful winged body, its enchanting glance and lips, put in place the enigma? Shall man endure truth that skims over madness?

Divinatory Meanings: 
Destiny. Fortune. Fate. Outcome. Culmination. Approaching the end of a problem. Good or bad luck, depending on influences of nearby cards. Inevitability. The Wheel suggests the course of events from, beginning to end. Advancement for better or worse.

Reverse Meanings: 
Failure. Bad luck. Broken sequence. Unexpected bad fate. Interruption or inconsistency due to unexpected events. Outside influence not contemplated.

XI STRENGTH
Venus, The Power of the Beast, kaph
Hail, celestial black virgin, thy superb body longs for earth’s ardent love in the transparent undulating air of the sandy desert. Ride on the golden mane of fierce human pride, open the lion’s cruel jaws, kindly, with grace, for true strength is inward. Cosmic are the energies that stir up within you. They are your friends or enemies. They will lift you to the pinnacles of power or stamp you down into the abyss to be crushed under demons feet. Warrior, put down at your feet your material determination and tame your pride. Only then will you run through the belly of the world, beyond the dominion of the zodiac, and you will fear only the sky.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Strength. Courage. Fortitude. Conviction. Energy. Determination. Resolution. Defiance. Action. Confidence. Innate ability. Zeal. Fervor. Matter over mind and, alternatively, mind over matter. Accomplishment. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Weakness. Pettiness. Impotence. Sickness. Tyranny. Lack of faith. Abuse of power. Succumbing to temptation. Indifference.

XII THE HANGED MAN
Libra, The Capsized Matrix, lamed 
The gallows creak, the hanging rope swings in the wind. Debts must be paid before transmutation. The Hanged Man’s limbs stay in rigid equilibrium. He stares at the unbearable vision of the abyss. His arms are bound to break the fall, his foot is tied to the beam of reincarnation. The magnet of suffering attracts his hair outward in the dimension of matter. The rod of pleasure is tied to his breast. Cool and dumb. the Hanged Man’s nostalgic eyes see the tree upside down, and its fruits—ideals, hopes and presumption— disappear in the mists of time. The bare wood holds the weight of the past, the twelve boughs of the horoscope are severed right and left. The Hanged Man watches at his own show. The green Nile, hidden in the distance, carries the flower of acceptance.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Life in suspension. Transition. Change. Reversal of the mind and in one’s way of life. In a passive sense, apathy and dullness. Boredom. Abandonment. Renunciation. The changing of life’s forces. The period of respite between significant events. Sacrifice. Repentance. Readjustment. Regeneration. Improvement. Rebirth. The approach of new life forces.

Reverse Meanings: 
Lack of sacrifice. Unwill-ingness to make the necessary effort. Failure to give of oneself. Preoccupation with the ego. False prophecy. Useless sacrifice.

XIII DEATH
Water, The Devouring Threshold, mem 
The trial for the chosen: Death! Furtive whispers of terror and destruction are heard. Heads roll from the peaks of ignorance and avidity. The sharpened scythe mows the inexhaustible crop while the scorpion creeping on the sand injects its venom into ephemeral pleasures. Let the dead bury the dead. They who do not want to join the ark must disappear in the waves of the deluge. The sun will rise again, the black crow will fly away, and the white dove will bring peace to the artist of the Great Work. Anubis, Anubis, let us awake from death.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Transformation. Clearing away the old to make way for the new. Unexpected change. Loss. Failure. Alteration. Abrupt change of the old self though not necessarily physical death. The ending of a familiar situation or friendship. Loss of income or financial security. Beginning of a new era. Illness, possibly death. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Stagnation. Immobility. Slow changes. Partial change. Inertia. Narrowly avoiding a serious accident.

XIV TEMPERANCE
Scorpio, The Light Fusion, nun
Solomon’s temple pillars rise over the new horizon. The high palms long for the Nile’s humid kisses. The golden urn of the goddess pours the flu ids of life. The Work will never be accomplished without the help of the sky. The purpose purified is ready to receive the blessing and the prayer is permitted. Water is changed into wine, wine into water. Only by temperance can man tarne the roar of power. Temperance is the initiatory trial of water, when he who is about to be initiated receives the water baptism which purifies and revivifies his four elements.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Moderation. Temperance. Patience. Accomplishment through self-control and frugality. Accommodation. Harmony. The mixing or bringing together into perfect union. Management. Compassion. Fusion. Adjustment. Good influence. Fortunate omen. Consolidation. Successful combination.

Reverse Meanings: 
Discord. Disunion. Conflict of interest. Hostility. Inability to work with others. Difficulty in understanding others. Impatience. Sterility. Frustrations.

XV THE DEVIL
Sagittarius, Shaitan: The Regent, samek 
Fog and mud wrap the infernal marshes. Fire and steam exhale from the furnace. Male and female, chained together, faces blackened by smoke, wait with the doom of the hunted animal. The iron ring bites their ankles. The slaves of desire are hairy and bare. The body, burned by vice, begs the snake for satisfaction. The primordial energy plays its game: its fruit is the push to reproduction. Men generate men, gods and things from the imagination, but the separation of the sexes deprived humanity of its creative power. The Regent laughs at these half-beings and swallows them.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Subordination. Ravage. Bondage. Malevolence. Subservience. Downfall. Lack of success. Weird experience. Bad outside influence or advice. Black magic. Unexpected failure. Inability to realize one’s goals. Violence. Shock. Fatality. Self-punishment. Temptation to evil. Self-destruction.

Reverse Meanings: 
Release from bondage. Throwing off shackles. Respite. Divorce. Recognition of one’s needs by another person. Overcoming severe handicaps. The beginning of spiritual understanding. The first steps toward enlightenment.

XVI THE TOWER
Capricorn, The Loss of Eden, ayin
The storm threatens Babel. The thousand-terraced ziggurat caresses the clouds. Titanic cries of war are powerful, but are hushed by thunder. Then, the vindictive lightning crashes onto the arrogant dream. The abyss swallows pride, and golden crowns are broken in the dust. Ruin and desolation come, and there are thousands of different tongues to say the same thing.
Thought creeps toward the Edenic trees. Only one fruit was picked, then men became bandits. Not by guns and pride will men ever again ascend the sky. You shall act, man, but renounce the fruit of your actions; they do not belong to you. They are in the future, and you can’t extend your life a fraction, nor can you turn black the white hair.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Complete and sudden change. Breaking down of old beliefs. Abandonment of past relationships. Severing of a friendship. Changing of one’s opinion. Unexpected events. Disruption. Adversity. Misery. Deception. Bankruptcy. Downfall. Loss of stability. Loss of security.

Reverse Meanings: 
Continued oppression. Following old ways. Living in a rut. Inability to affect any worthwhile change. Entrapment in an unhappy situation.

XVII THE STAR
Mercury, The Lady of Time, pe
The fresh night means sweetness for the pilgrim of the desert. Now his direction is enlightened. His spirit can rest and enjoy the peace of the cosmic breath.
The magician looks at the mathematics of the universe and calculates the spirals of destiny: equinox, solstice, conjunction, trine. The invoked planetary god will kiss the talisman and give it his strength, while Nuit, the blue starry goddess, sings her harmonious love song. «Whoever drinks the water that I shall give him will never thirst again. The water I shall give him will become in him a spring that will provide him with life-giving waterand give him eternal life.» Man, abandon yourself-importance. Invoke yourstarand let it be the master who leads you to the sky. 

Divinatory Meanings: Hope. Faith. Inspiration. Bright prospects. Mixing of the past and present. Promising opportunity. Optimism. Insight. Good omen. Spiritual love. Astrological influence. Accumulation of past knowledge for use in the present. Fulfillment. Satisfaction. Pleasure. The proper balancing of desire and work, hope and effort, love and expression.

Reverse Meanings: 
Unfulfilled hopes. Disappointment. Pessimism. Bad luck. Lack of opportunity. Stubbornness. Bull-headed-ness. imbalance. Conclusion of an unsatisfactory business experience or social friendship.

XVIII THE MOON
Aquarius, The Silver Doorway, tzaddi 
Two towers flank the dream pathway ruled by the moon-skinned queen. The moon influences actions everywhere, lifting oceans and wine, motherly blood, milk and perfumes. Howl, jackals of the desert, faithful sisters of misery and lunatics in houses of suffering. Anubis, opener of the ways, helpthyadorers, those brave who try to break through, in life, the narrow jail of the body. Infuse them with your regenerating breath and let their souls see the Elysian Fields in the great oasis, for they wear the holy scarab that self-reproduces. Protect the new child of light from the devouring Apepis and his companions the crocodile gods Sebek and Ammut.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Deception. Twilight. Obscurity. Intuition. Disillusionment. Danger. Bad influence. Ulterior motives. Insincerity. False friends. Selfishness. Deceit. Double dealing. Craftiness. False pretenses. Disgrace. Slander. Libel. An insincere relationship. Superficiality. Unknown enemies. 

Reverse Meanings: 
A minordeception recognized before damage is done. Trifling mistakes. Overcoming bad temptation. Gain without paying the price. Taking advantage of someone.

XIX THE SUN
Pisces, The Golden Seal, qoph
Adam’s feet tread firmly in the unseen spring grass born from the Nile’s flood. Eve joyously presses against the man, her body perfumed by flower dew. The stone wall around them suggests the solidity of our dimension; in spite of aspirations for freedom, the sun kingdom has not yet been founded. Yet the sun enlightens everything without prejudice. So the adept is bright for everyone, as he is the artist who unites what the wall of ignorance would separate and limit. His mind established in wisdom accepts and transcends good and evil alike, without exultation or loathing, free from desire and aversion. The magician has performed another step of the Great Work: gold has been produced.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Satisfaction. Accomplishment. Contentment. Success. Favorable relationships. Love. Joy. Devotion. Unselfish sentiment. Engagement. A happy marriage. Pleasure in daily existence. A good friend. High spirits. Warmth. Sincerity. Pleasures derived from simple things. Achievement in the arts. Liberation.

Reverse Meanings: 
Unhappiness. Loneliness. Possibly a broken engagement or marriage. Cancelled plans. Triumph delayed although not necessarily completely lost. Clouded future. Lack of friendship.

XX JUDGMENT 
Saturn, Messenger of the Apocalypse, resh
Dawn exalts the great pyramid, its rosy fingers exude perfume and color. The desert winds sweep away the millenarian sand that covers the ancient sarcophagi. Bring to the surface, custodians of immortality, the black basaltand red granite. As the bands of remembrance loosen, the holy trumpet call rebounds among the palms. It announces: Listen, you children of immensity. The illusory individual being will come to an end at death. He will not attain realization, for he is apparent and nonexistent. Now and ever only the true self is eternal. The unreal has no being, the real no non-being. Therefore, remember that existence is beatitude. Bind nothing, for it is from attachment that all griefs spring, and it is by attachment that man perishes.
Every face looks for the radiant, holy ark. Regeneration is the fruit. Exultation is Heru’s birth, the sun of joy: by him, Isis and Osiris greet the descent; by him, resurrection is manifested; by him, the gift of the aeon.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Atonement. Judgment. The need to repent and forgive. The moment to account for the manner in which we have used our opportunities. Rejuvenation. Rebirth. Improvement. Development. Promotion. The desire for immortality. Legal judgment in one’s favor. One should carefully consider how present actions affect other persons.

Reverse Meanings: 
Delay. Disappointment. Failure to face facts. Indecision. Divorce. Procrastination. Theft. Alienation of affections.

XXI THE FOOL
Power of fire, Divine Possession, shin
The path is at the end, at the threshold of the world. The veil of ignorance is torn away. The objects of the senses withdraw from the divine possessed. He is free, invulnerable, wind dries him not, water drenches him not, he cannot be devoured by lynx jaws or by Sebek. Ecstasy attracts him, happy stream that pervades the universe, but the avatar’s merciful heart will not abandon men. Reflected in the mirror of time are the thousand images of existences known during past lives: what he was keen about, the pleasures and pains, when his foot was on the abyss. when he was about to fall, when he was hunted down and overwhelmed by the bitter madness of daily social rites. Jump not in the other direction! Rememberyouroath! Hidden to the profane, mixed in thecrowd, chameleon of the ordinary, let the tradition stream from your veins to humanity.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Thoughtlessness. Folly. Extravagance. Lack of discipline. Immaturity. Foolishness. Irrationality. Insecurity. Frivolity. Inconsiderateness. Delirium. Frenzy. Enthusiasm. Naively.

Reverse Meanings: 
Faulty choice or bad decision. Indecision. Apathy. Hesitation. Negligence.

XXII THE UNIVERSE
Jupiter, The Absolute, tav
Empyrean lies at your feet, then stops you. The immovable cosmos turns around the azure planet that is mantled by the divine breath. Maya’s circle closes, then disappears. Your aura, permeated by freedom, spreads and rapidly interrupts the stream of illusion. The ground quakes to the lion’s roar. The angel’s hair rushes in the cosmic wind. The stubborn bull paws toward the scarlet flame, its target. Black, straining, the muscular loins overwhelm its horns. Queen eagle, open your wings to the majesty of flight, ascend the eternal snows where the rarified air favors your sight. The four are one.
Look at the naked maiden forming her tireless pirouette. Look at God’s play and abandon the visible: in yourself is the consciousness of true self. The work is at an end, nothing remains but to leave for the true reality.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Attachment. Completion. Perfection. Ultimate change. The end result of all efforts. Success. Assurance. Synthesis. Fulfillment. Capability. Triumph in undertakings. The rewards that come from hard work. Eternal life. The final goal to which all othercards have led. Admiration of others. The outcome of events in spite of other signs. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Imperfection. Failure to complete the task one starts. Lack of vision. Failure. Disappointment.

KING OF BATONS
Broad isyourlearning. Yourostrich plumes hide the rising sun. You are longing for the vision. Your dream stirs up lightning. Your drug leads to prophecy. Your philtre is soaked with honey and poison. You are tired of listening to stones and evoking ghosts. From the ashes of your funeral pyre arises the initiate.

Divinatory Meanings: 
This card denotes an honest and conscientious person. Mature. Wise. Devoted. Friendly. Sympathetic. Educated. A gentleman. Generally married. Fatherly.

Reverse Meanings: 
Severity. Austerity. Somewhat excessive and exaggerated ideas. Dogmatic. Deliberate.

QUEEN OF BATONS
Set our hearts on fire, Enchantress of the South! You feed cubs with tiger milk. Feline movements of leopards accompany your roars. Your caress kindles the dry twigs and every tattoo leads toward your enchantment. Which mortal will be able to resist you?

Divinatory Meanings: 
A sympathetic and understanding person. Friendly. Loving. Chaste. Practical. A person possessed of charm and grace. Capable of meaningful expression and love. Gracious hostess. Sincere interest in others.

Reverse Meanings: 
Jealousy. Deceit. Possible infidelity. Unstable emotions. Fickleness. Resistance. Obstacles. Opposition.

KNIGHT OF BATONS
Ride on, Leader of the Fire. The tawny mane of your stall ion churns in the scorch ing wind. The rust-colored evening dyes your breast crimson while you spur your stallion’s powerful flanks. Make way for the gods’ messenger! Attend to the vow, he brings the spark of Prometheus. Full of perfumes, the brazier of the holy enclosure awaits him. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Departure. A journey. Advancement into the unknown. Alteration. Flight. Absence. Change of residence. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Discord. Interruption. Unexpected change. Quarreling. Breakup of personal relationships. Rupture. Discontinuance.

PAGE OF BATONS
Run through the desert, Carrier of the Fire! Your pathway is the one of the shaman, blacksmith and hunter, the father and husband, the cook and racer, the seducer and sorcerer. Your brown face turns east. The cheetah, waiting, cocks its ears to the soft noise of the golden grass.

Divinatory Meanings: 
A faithful and loyal person. An envoy. Emissary. Trusted friend. A stranger with good intentions. A consistent person. A bearer of important news.

Reverse Meanings: 
Indecision in proceedings. Reluctance. Instability. Inabilitytomake decisions. A gossip. Bearer of bad tidings. A person who may break your heart. Displeasure.

TEN OF BATONS
You suffer oppression. The baobab’s blackened skeleton is stark against the parched plains. The bars of a cage overwhelm you with grievous anguish. Tightening around your neck is the heavy, burning iron chain. The ground is breaking up and your eyes veiled with tears can see only the crack in front of them. One thousand are the oppressed, ten thousand the weights that oppress them.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Excessive pressures. Problems soon to be resolved. Striving to meet a goal or to maintain a certain level or position. Possibly using power for selfish ends.

Reverse Meanings: 
Difficulties. Intrigues. Duplicity. Treachery. A traitor. Deceiver. Subterfuge. Some losses will occur.

NINE OF BATONS
You possess strength. You meet the black antelope, you cast the spear and, without hesitating, you seizethe long horns. Titanic is the struggle. Your sweat runs over your shoulders, which tense with effort. Slowly, under the pressure of your strength, the animal inside of you submits to your spirit. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Expectation of difficulties and changes. Awaiting tribulation. Anticipation. Hidden enemies. Deception. Discipline. Order. A pause in a current struggle. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Obstacles. Adversity. Problems. Delays. Displeasure. Calamity. Disaster. Barriers to overcome. Ill health.

EIGHT OF BATONS
You gain speed. It is the moment to jump ahead. The signal spurs you. Your muscles spring fast. Your breath comes with difficulty, rods hinder you, but nothing can hold you back. The horizon passes by, evanescent images of the moment fly away. Your time shrinks, your karma hastens. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Swift activity. Sudden progress or movement. Speed. Hastily made decisions. Too rapid advancement. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Thorns of dispute. Jealousy. Harassment. Discord. Delay. Stagnation. Domestic quarrels.

SEVEN OF BATONS
You possess bravery. Running always without rest, your heart in tumult, you tracked your prey. The beast wounded to death now lies beneath your feet. Safe on the robust bough, you watch its painful end. And yet, as you rest, lance in your hand, your body relaxed in the quiet of sunset, you know that it will not be your last ordeal. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Success. Gain. Obstacles and challenges met. Overwhelming odds surmounted. Advantage. Victory. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Consternation. Anxiety. Embarrassment. Indecision. Hesitancy causing losses. Uncertainty. Perplexity. Doubt.

SIX OF BATONS
You have victory within your grasp. Exult! You have surpassed yourself. Spears in formation pay homage to your enterprise. Do you remember what you were before? You gripped the amulet timorously, your legs trembling. Bold is your glance now, steady your aim, sharp your triumphal cry.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Conquest. Triumph. Good news. Gain. Advancement. Expectation. Desires realized as a result of efforts. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Indefinite delay. Fear. Apprehension. Disloyalty. Superficial benefit. Inconclusive gain.

FIVE OF BATONS
You engage in battle. Flames devour the tree trunks between the contenders. In the mirror, you flex your muscles, ready to spring. The enemy enters your mind, destroys your harmony, annihilates your will. Don’t endure evil. Let it cross through you without breaking you.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Unsatisfied desires. Struggle. Labor. Endeavors. Violent strife. Conflict. Obstacles.

Reverse Meanings: 
Trickery. Contradictions. Complexity. Involvement. Caution against indecision.

FOUR OF BATONS
You come to perfection. The hot desert sand burns your feet and you have built a scaffold for your body. The fleet cheetah will escape your attacks, but soon you will sit on its spotted fur.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Romance. Society. Harmony. Newly acquired prosperity. Peace. Tranquility. The fruits of labor. Rest after strife.

Reverse Meanings: 
Loss of full tranquility. Unfulfilled romance. Insecurity. Tarnished beauty. Incomplete happiness.

THREE OF BATONS
You learn virtue. Slowly, the seasoned spears wear out in the night. Your cave is the red sky. Day after day, you build your power. Practice hardens you. You love your training as you love the rounded and sinuous curves of a woman.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Practical knowledge. Business acumen. Strength. Enterprise. Negotiations. Trade. Commerce. Undertaking.

Reverse Meanings: 
Assistance with an ulterior motive. Treachery. Diminishing adversity. Beware of help offered.

TWO OF BATONS
You conquer sovereignty. Solid ocher rocks are the platform of your vision. Nature’s forces reveal to you their secrets. The lifted palms of the tribes demand help of the tribal spirits. Smile to every face. Shake every outstretched hand.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Mature individual. Ruler. Attainment of goals and needs. Boldness. Courage in undertakings. A dominant personality.

Reverse Meanings: 
Sadness. Trouble. Restraint caused by others. Loss of faith. Surprise.

ACE OF BATONS
The firebrand burns in the red-hot plain. Man is listening in the still afternoon. The words of the blazing bramble bush will make him a shaman. This is the preparation place:
black boughs stand out on the horizon, huge millenarian roots are devastated by heat. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Creation. Beginning. Invention. Start of an undertaking. Fortune. Enterprise. Gain. Inheritance. Birth of achild. Beginning of a meaningful experience. An adventure. Escapade.

Reverse Meanings: 
False start. Cloudy outlook. Unrealized goal. Decadence. Empty existence. Vexation. Cancellation of plans.

KING OF CUPS
Lovely is your rule, Father! Your multicolored diadem governs union and separation, delight and need, flood and drought. Your glance wanders about the tropical forests to revive the servant of the wind. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Responsibility and creativity. Learned person. Professional. Businessman. Lawyer. Religious person. Scientist. A considerate person, kind and reliable. Liberal manner. Artist. Interest in the arts and sciences. Generosity. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Artistic temperament. Double dealing. Dishonesty. Scandal. Loss. Ruin. Injustice. A crafty person without virtue. Shiftiness in dealings.

QUEEN OF CUPS
Bless, Mother, your creatures! From you comes every fruit. In you is accomplished the glad ness of birth, the pains of labor. The little ones’ mouths look foryour black nipples. For every one of them there is a drop of sweet milk.

Divinatory Meanings: 
A warm-hearted and fair person. Beloved and adored. Good friend and mother. Devoted wife. Practical. Honest. Loving and intelligent. Gift of vision. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Inconsistency of honor. Possible immorality. Dishonesty. Unreliability. Vice.

KNIGHT OF CUPS
Ride on, Son of Water! The lake banks are the place of your rest. Emerald feathers are the hopes of your heart. Follow them. They lead you to where waterfalls vibrate in melody. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
An invitation oropportunity may soon arise. Arrival. Approach. Advancement. Attraction. Inducement. Appeal. Request. Challenge. Proposal. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Subtlety. Artifice. Trickery. Deception. Fraud. Aslyand cunning person. A person capable of swindling.

PAGE OF CUPS
Cross the great river, Son of Water! Your pathway is the one of the lover and friend and brother, theadvisorand loyal servant, painter and musician, priest and panderer, hero and coward. The quetzal will lead your raft, if emotion doesn’t darken your art. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
A studious and intent person. Reflective. Meditative. Loyal. Willingness to offer services and efforts toward a specific goal. A helpful person. Atrustworthy worker.

Reverse Meanings: 
Inclination. Deviation. Susceptibility. Temporary distraction. Seduction. A flatterer.

TEN OF CUPS
You give yourself up to satiety. The rainbow brightens for a while, making the wind a humid, rainy breeze. Stretch out your arms for completeness. Soothe your every yearning when you approach the laden table. But indulge for a short time only, for satisfaction brings nausea.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Home. Abode. Happiness. Joy. Pleasure. Peace. Love. Contentment. Good family. Honor. Esteem. Virtue. Reputation.

Reverse Meanings: 
Loss of friendship. Unhap-piness. Family quarrel. Pettiness. Rage. Combat. Strife. Opposition. Difference of opinion. 

NINE OF CUPS
You conquer happiness. Rosy magnolia buds begin to open in the immobile air around you. Open sweet and juicy papaya fruits; you can taste them with your brother and sister. Simplicity fills you with happiness. Your soul is fertile with purpose.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Success. Material attainment. Advantage. Well-being. Abundance. Good health. Victory. Difficulties surmounted.

Reverse Meanings: 
Mistakes. Material loss. Imperfections. Misplaced trust. False freedom. Opposition. Differences. Dispute.

EIGHT OF CUPS
You yield to indolence. Torpor, like a sultry heat, slowly overwhelms your limbs. You avoid risk; sloth is preferable to action. Sleep, abandon your projects, rest, poor victim of sleep.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Discontinuance of effort. Disappointment. Abandonment of previous plans. Shyness. Modesty. Abandoned success.

Reverse Meanings: 
Happiness. Effort continued until full success is attained. Festivity. Gaiety. Feasting.

SEVEN OF CUPS
You succumbed to perversion. The marsh of emptiness expands inside of you like a stain. Perfect orchids draw your steps to quicksand. A slave is the man who turns to evil.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Fantasy. Unrealistic attitudes. Imagination. Daydreams. Foolish whims. Wishful thinking. Illusionary success. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Desire. Determination. Strong willpower. A goal nearly attained. Intelligent choice. Will. Resolution.

SIX OF CUPS
You enjoy pleasure. Your strained senses loosen in a warm shiver. Satisfy your eyes, your nose, your mouth, your ears, your skin. Don’t repress any wish. Let the gods bring you into their secret abodes. The quetzal’s cry will accompany your joy. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Memories. Past influences. Things that have vanished. Childhood passed. Nostalgia. Faded images. Longing. 

Reverse Meanings: 
The future. Opportunities ahead. Corn ing events. New vistas. Plans that may fail. That which will shortly arrive.

FIVE OF CUPS
You are snared in delusion. Don’t you respect the will of life, ordoes life not respect your will? Your heart is closed, broken down in the wicked wind of illusion. Pandora’s box overturns in the pool of anguish. At the bottom, only hope remains. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Partial loss Regret. Friendship without real meaning. Marriage without real love. Imperfection. Flaw. Inheritance. Incomplete union or partnership. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Hopeful outlook. Favorable expectations. New alliances. Affinity. Return of an old friend. Reunion.

FOUR OF CUPS
You are the prey of excess. He is a fool who exceeds the right measure. Tiger lilies bend over your head, thoughts torment you, obsession is your only companion. Stand up! The prodigal son must return home.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Weariness Aversion Disgust. Disappointment. Unhappiness. Bitter experience. Stationary period in life. 

Reverse Meanings: 
New possibilities. New relationships. New approaches to old problems. New acquaintance. New knowledge.

THREE OF CUPS
You receive abundance. The cornucopia is overflowing, the spring graces fulfill you. Do not spare yourself. Great strength pervades you like a river in flood. Look at your Genius’s face and express three desires. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Resolution of a problem. Conclusion. Solace. Healing. Satisfactory result. Fulfillment. Compromise. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Excessive pleasures. Overabundance. Superfluity. Loss of prestige. Delays. Lack of appreciation.

TWO OF CUPS
You are giving love. The plumed serpent leads the married couple by their hands. Twist, then, thecoilsofthedragon. Don’t fear the lotus’s heavy perfume. Every woman has long hair to be caressed. Every man is strong and vigorously loined.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Love. Friendship beginning or renewed. Passion. Union. Engagement. Understanding, Cooperation. Partnership. Marriage.

Reverse Meanings: 
Unsatisfactory love. False friendship. Troubled relationship. Divorce. Separation. Crossed desires. Opposition. Disunion. Misunderstanding.

ACE OF CUPS
Celestial water spurts from the triple source of pleasure. Joy and pain flow from a thousand orifices. Woman receives Pan and regards with pride her swollen belly. The deep green jungle surrounds the cup of youth. The lake is turquoise, limpid. Little waves depart sluggishly.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Great abundance. Fulfillment. Perfection. Joy. Fertility. Opulence. Fullness. Happiness. Productiveness. Beauty and pleasure. Goodness overflowing. Favorable outlook.

Reverse Meanings: 
Change. Alteration. Erosion. Instability. Sterility. Unrequited love. Clouded joy. False heart. Inconsistency.

KING OF SWORDS
Severe is your rule, Lord of the inaccessible. Your winged helmet commands war and peace, destruction and restoration, storm and fair weather. Your glance wanders beyond the hooded summits to revive the fire servant. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
An active and determined person. Experienced. Authoritative. Controlled. Commanding. A professional man. Someone proficient in his field. Highly analytical person. Justness. Force. Superiority. A person having many ideas, thoughts and designs.

Reverse Meanings: 
A person who may pursue a matterto ruin. Cruelty. Conflict. Selfishness. Sadism. A dangerous or wicked person. One who causes unnecessary disturbance and sadness. Perversity.

QUEEN OF SWORDS
Consecrated Virgin, teach us the ambush art! Blond, silky-skinned huntress, cometous in your silent silver cassock. Quiver the feathers of the white owls, fall in drops from an ice stalactite. Light is the stroke of your stiletto, and fatal.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Sharp. Quick-witted A keen person. Intensely perceptive. A subtle person. May signify a widow or woman of sadness. Mourning. Privation. Absence. Loneliness. Separation. One who has savored great happiness but who presently knows the anxiety of misfortune and reversal.

Reverse Meanings: 
Narrow-mindedness. Maliciousness. Bigotry. Deceitfulness. Venge-fulness. Prudishness. A treacherous enemy. An ill-tempered person.

KNIGHT OF SWORDS
Ride on, Conqueror of the Air! The wind lashes the milky coat of your horse, the air smells of snow, but your true will never surrenders. Alwaysahead your purpose leads you, your oath is your leather saddle. Yours is the battle, yours is honor and glory that can never die.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Bravery. Skill. Capacity. The strength and dash of a young man. Heroic action. Opposition and war. Impetuous rush into the unknown without fear. A master in the art of action and warfare.

Reverse Meanings: 
Incapacity. Imprudence. Dispute or ruin over a woman. Impulsive mistakes. Conceited fool. Simplicity. Disunion.

PAGE OF SWORDS
Climb to the top, you Conqueror of Air! Your pathway is the one of the warrior, judge and orator, genius and inventor, executioner and dictator, spy and murderer. The falcon stares in your eyes, sharp are its claws, the wings candid as field lilies.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Vigilance. Agility. Spying. A discreet person. An active youth. A lithe figure. This card symbolizes a person adept at perceiving, discerning and uncovering the unknown or that which is less than obvious. Insight.

Reverse Meanings: 
An imposter revealed. Illness is also possible. Powerlessness in the face of stronger forces. Lack of preparation.

TEN OF SWORDS
You are dragged to ruin. The edge of the precipice was frozen and now you are nought else than an agonized soul at the gorge bottom. Your mind disintegrates while the avid darkness fades yourazure irises. Beyond the cloud’s gash, elsewhere, you will look for a new life.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Ruin. Pain. Affliction. Sadness. Mental anguish. Desolation. Tears. Misfortune. Trouble. Disappointment. Grief. Sorrow.

Reverse Meanings: 
Benefit. Profit. Temporary gain. Improvement. Passing success. Temporary favor. Momentary advantage.

NINE OF SWORDS
You operate with cruelty. The coolness of your mind exalts you. Dissect every being with the torment of your knife. The sharp ridges exude blood at your passage, your grin wounds the hardest granite. Your cruelty is reasonless. Your reward is fierce madness. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Misery. Concern. Unhappiness. Miscarriage. Anxiety over a loved one. Worry. Despair. Suffering. 

Reverse Meaning: 
Doubt. Suspicion. Slanderous gossip. Shame. Scruple. Timidity. Shady character. Reasonable fear.

EIGHT OF SWORDS
You meet interference. Desperate is the run of the blindfolded man. Suddenly, the risk is real. The solid and friendly pathway breaks in two. Go. Cut your feet running over blades, but only your true will can bring you beyond the abyss.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Crisis. Calamity. Conflict. Domination. Imprisonment. Turmoil. Bad news. Censure. Criticism. Sickness. Calumny. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Treachery in the past. Difficulty. Hard work. Depressed state of mind. Disquiet. Accident. Fatality.

SEVEN OF SWORDS
You waste yourself in futility. Blind, unstable over frozen protrusions, you miss every stroke and squander time and energy in vanity and meanness. Clumsyareyourcutting blows, far away the targets, unreal the prey. Your feet only get numbed.

Divinatory Meanings: 
New plans. Wishes. Fortitude. Perseverance. Endeavor. Hope. Confidence. Fantasy. Partial success. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Arguments. Quarrels. Uncertain counsel or advice. Circumspection. Slander. Babbling.

SIX OF SWORDS
You gain science. The druids’ rocks watch over your efforts. Years of intense study create geometry of your notions: a flash of lighting and the water drop turns into a snow crystal. Abolish dialogue within you. On the cross, in its center, is the rose of knowledge. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
A trip or journey. Travel. Voyage. Route. Headstrong attempts to over comedifficulties. Expedient manner. Success after anxiety.

Reverse Meanings: 
Stalemate. Unwanted proposal. No immediate solution to present difficulties. Confession. Declaration.

FIVE OF SWORDS
You are defeated. Shrill is your lamentation, gloomy the sky that awaits your carcass. With clenched fists, shout your anger to the wind. Tears of humiliation line your face. Now you know: you count for nothing. Stand up! You have nothing to lose.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Conquest Defeat. Destruction of others. Degradation. Adversary may arise. Revocation. Infamy. Dishonor. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Uncertain outlook. Chance of loss or defeat. Weakness. Possible misfortune befalling a friend. Seduction. Burial.

FOUR OF SWORDS
You accept the truce. It is the moment of the I warrior’s rest. Leave the armor on the ground and wrap yourself naked in the warm bearskin. The hermitage of the inviolate peaks is your refuge. In your sleep, you will see the stork, the dove and the crow. Beware! Danger haunts you everywhere and hunts you for your skull.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Respite. Rest after illness. Repose. Replenishment. Solitude. Exile. Retreat. Temporary seclusion. Abandonment.

Reverse Meanings: 
Activity. Circumspection. Precaution. Economy. Guarded advancement. Desire to recover what is lost.

THREE OF SWORDS
You are torn by grief. Gloomy signs of an imminent storm approach you. The shadows are black on the mountainside. Fear and anguish are your maidens. The blood of sorrow drips on the immaculate cloak. Why do you grieve? Why do you destroy yourself? You could be dead tomorrow! 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Absence. Sorrow. Disappointment. Strife. Removal. Dispersion. Diversion. Opposition. Separation. Delay. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Distraction. Confusion. Disorder. Error. Mistake. Incompatibility. Mental anxieties. Loss. Alienation.

TWO OF SWORDS
You find peace. Great is the might of two contrasting thoughts: join the two blades, you will get one blade only, harder than diamond. The white dove sheds its white light. Conciliation finds its way through a narrow cleft and, as a small waterfall, spreads in thousands of showers. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Balanced force. Harmony. Firmness. Concord. Offsetting factors. Stalemate. Affection.

Reverse Meanings: 
Duplicity. Falsehood. Misrepresentation. Disloyalty. Dishonor. Treachery. False friends. Lies.

ACE OF SWORDS
The eternal glacier spreads over crevasses of bare rock, over the highlands. The fresh and transparent air unveils the jagged horizon. The sword rises from gray quartz and shines pure steel in the morning dazzle. The infant, the royal-blooded heir, claims his kingdom.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Great determination. Initiative. Strength. Force. Activity. Excessiveness. Triumph. Power. Success. Fertility. Prosperity. Deep emotional feeling. Love. Championship. Conquest. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Debacle. Tyranny. Disaster. Self-destruction. Violent temper. Embarrassment. Obstacle. Infertility. Hindrance.

KING OF COINS
Right is your rule, King of Earth! Behind your crown revolves eternally the wheel of wealth and poverty, fecundity and sterility, abundance and famine. Your glance wanders over the plowed fields and the arid deserts to revive the servant of water.

Divinatory Meanings: 
An experienced and successful leader. A person of character and intelligence. Business acumen. Mathematical ability. Loyal friend. Reliable marriage partner. Successful business man. Wise investment. Ability to acquire money and valuable possessions.

Reverse Meanings: 
Corruption. Using any means to achieve the desired end. Vice. Avarice. Unfaithfulness. An old and vicious man. Peril. Danger. Thriftlessness.

QUEEN OF COINS
Dance, Queen of Earth! Offer your beauty, your promiscuity. Shake your hips among the holy bulls. Lift up the seal of sensuality. Bare is your power, as bare the rock was born.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Prosperity and well-being. Wealth. Abundance. Luxury. Opulence. Extreme comfort. Generosity. Security. Liberty. Magnificence. Grace. Dignity. A rich person but generous and charitable. A noble soul.

Reverse Meanings: 
False prosperity. Suspense. Suspicion. Responsibilities neglected. Vicious person. Distrustful person. Fear of failure.

KNIGHT OF COINS
Ride on, you who are generated by earth! The powerful buffalo escorts you. Money absorbs your time, but your time is not only money, for you saw the dust on the hooves of your horse.

Divinatory Meanings: 
A mature and responsible person. Reliable. Methodical. Patient. Persistent. Ability to conclude a task. Laborious. Organized. Capable. A dependable person.

Reverse Meanings: 
Stagnation. Carelessness. Inertia. Lack of determination or direction. Narrow-mindedness. Limits set by dogmatic views. Idleness.

PAGE OF COINS
Walk along, you who are generated by Earth! Your road is the one of the countryman and merchant, reaper and potter, mason and carpenter, mercenary and usurer. You look for the world, but you do not grow attached to it.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Deep concentration and application. Study. Scholarship. Reflection. Respect for knowledge. Desire for learning and new ideas. A do-gooder. Bearer of news.

Reverse Meanings: 
A realistic person. Failure to recognize obvious facts. Dissipation of ideas. Illogical thinking. Rebelliousness. Wastefulness. Loss. Unfavorable news.

TEN OF COINS
You have gained riches. Earth’s fullness descends on you with all its blessings. Sit in your exalted chair, your head hoary and gorgeously turbaned. Your woman protects your repose, the youth gives you the freshness of his cheeks, your child playing at your feet fills your room with laughter, your many servants launch the greyhounds to the hunt. Let generosity be always at your side. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Prosperity. Riches. Security. Safety. Family. Family matters. Ancestry. Inheritance. Home. Dwelling. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Poor risk. Bad odds. Possible loss. Hazard. Robbery. Loss of inheritance. Dissipation. Gambling.

NINE OF COINS
You have the advantage. The wise does not bury his talents, nor does he waste them, throwing them to the dogs. He stretches the bow with his powerful muscles and flings the arrow to the target. Focusing his every capacity, he never shoots too high, or too low, or to the left or the right. In this way, he doubles his treasure.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Accomplishment. Discernment. Discretion. Foresight. Safety. Prudence. Material well-being. Love of nature. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Threat to safety. Roguery. Danger. Storms. Bad faith. Possible loss of a valued friendship or a treasured possession.

EIGHT OF COINS
You exercise prudence. The great tree on earth has its foliage in the clouds. The daring one climbs it to pick the fruits of his experiences. But he must try the strength of the bough before seizing it for support, or ruin comes.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Apprenticeship. Craftsmanship. Quickness to learn. Candor. Frankness. Modesty. Handiwork. Personal effort. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Lack of ambition. Vanity. Conceit. Disillusionment. Usury. Hypocrisy. Flattery. Intrigue.

SEVEN OF COINS
Despair overwhelms you. Life gives, life takes away. Your work was hard, but it is foolish to strike stones with a pickax. Direct your efforts to more fruitful enterprises, and the negative effects of your actions will fall away.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Ingenuity. Growth. Handiwork. Progress. Successful dealings. Money. Wealth. Treasure. Gain. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Anxiety. Impatience. Uneasiness. Imprudent actions. Loss of money. Unwise investments.

SIX OF COINS
You enjoy success. The skilled man knows life and takes what it has to offer. Harnessed with gold and rich purple, the elephant of prosperity carries you on its back. You played, and your game was successful. Enjoy your fortune without attaching yourself to its gifts. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Generosity. Philanthropy. Charity. Kindness. Gratification. Gifts. Material gain.

Reverse Meanings: 
Avarice. Selfishness. Envy. Jealousy. Bad debt. Unpaid loans.

FIVE OF COINS
You are snared in worry. Anxiety dwells on the poverty of your heart. Unfleshed thoughts gnaw at you and generate starving, thirsty children. Live in the present. Today’s worries won’t solve tomorrow’s problems.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Material trouble. Destitution. Loss. Failure. Error. Impoverishment. Mistress. Lover.

Reverse Meanings: 
Reversal of bad trend. New interest in matters. Overcoming ruin. Disharmony in marriage or love interests.

FOUR OF COINS
Power belongs to you. The opulent mother sits in the center of the desert, her breasts swollen, her belly pregnant. The strength of her hair is spread to the four winds and rules north, south, east and west. Take energy from deep breathing.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Love of material wealth. Hoarder. Usurer. Skinflint. Miser. Ungenerous person. Inability to share. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Setbacks in material holdings. Obstacles. Opposition to further gain. Suspense and delay. Spendthrift.

THREE OF COINS
Work will reward you. The actions, the warrior’s battle: with the humility of a peasant, sieve gold from the river sand, look at the particles glisten in the sun, and give them back to the earth.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Great skill in trade or work. Mastery. Perfection. Artistic ability. Dignity. Renown. Rank. Power. 

Reverse Meanings: Sloppiness. Mediocrity. Lower quality. Money problems. Commonplace ideas. Lack of skill. Preoccupation.

TWO OF COINS
You are changing. Young, elastic-limbed boy, laugh at changing fate. Move your talisman and amulet from one shoulder to the other. The harmony will be as perfect as the equilibrium of the juggler.

Divinatory Meanings: 
Difficulty in launching new projects. Difficult situations. New troubles. Embarrassment. Worry. Concern. 

Reverse Meanings: 
Literary ability. Agility in handling matters. Simulated enjoyment. Enforced gaiety. Letter. Message. Missive.

ACE OF COINS
The golden disk brightens earthly existence. Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, the creator, the preserver, and the destroyer. Before the immovable surface of the lake, two zebus look at themselves. The fertile ground is black, the rain-filled clouds, yellow. 

Divinatory Meanings: 
Perfection. Attainment. Prosperity. Felicity. Great wealth. Riches. Bliss. Ecstasy. Gold. Valuable coins or artifacts. Treasures. The combination of material and spiritual riches.

Reverse Meanings: 
Prosperity without happiness. Misused wealth. Wasted money. Corruption by money. Miserliness. Greed. Fool’s gold.

материалы из энциклопедии таро Странникова