The D Card – The Meaning of the Death Card in the Tarot

Tarot has gained a sinister reputation thanks to popular media conveniently manipulating certain cards to add flash and suspense to horror and mystery stories. You can already imagine the card referred to in this article, the skeleton on horseback bearing a black banner and armor, passing by the poor and powerful, all pleading for mercy but none receiving it, a sunset in the background. It is, of course, the “Death” card.  Easily mistaken for a literal death, this card has amassed the power to invoke fear in those who do not understand the purpose of Tarot and the archetypal and symbolic power of its images.

When consulting the Tarot it is not advisable to inquire about physical death. The answer serves no purpose and will be unclear anyway. Life contains a million endings none of which may be due to a physical death, and the lifespan brings a million changes before one is released from mortal binds. The Death card does not mean the end of one’s life is near. It bears a sinister energy because it represents that which most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, fear more than actual death - living through change that we have no control over.

Recall the lessons of the Hanged Man, release through acceptance and development of a new perspective. After experiencing some degree of sacrifice, loss, and stagnation, the Hanged Man becomes wiser. For all his time contemplating (after all there wasn’t much else he could do in his situation…) he emerges with a new vision and it is not likely what he would have wanted had the crisis never occurred in the first place. He is set back on his feet, but the road he must walk is no longer the carefree daredevil path of the Fool, it is a lonely and sorrowful path through transition, through Death’s domain. It is as if life has set him free to experience growth and transition, but it is far from paradise. A major change is at hand, and some endings are part of this. The Death card portends a large scale transition that redefines the self. Whether it is “good” or “bad” is irrelevant. It is happening whether you like it or not.

Growing pains accompany any transition. Adolescence brings excitement, new ways to test boundaries, and painful heartache that accompanies exploration into relationships, independence and limits. The Death card brings a similar rite of passage, an initiation into a new chapter in one’s life. One must be willing to surrender ideas, attitudes, and perhaps even important identity roles and relationships that have been outgrown and are not suitable for this transition. This tends to be a slow process of metamorphosis where we learn one stage at a time what will lie ahead and what more sacrifices and adjustments we need to make. Death brings awakening. We cannot hold on to old illusions as we walk this road and the bleak horseman is there to remind us that endings are beyond our control but give way to new motion, new growth and new connections.

Ever wonder if a butterfly misses being a caterpillar and dreads the instinctual pull toward cocoon building? Ever consider if they resist the process, mourning the loss of so many legs and the security of life without wings? Likely we simply see the final product as so graceful and beautiful that one would never think that a butterfly would grieve its new shape and abilities and miss its previous identity. Yet here we are, facing the Death card and without the security of knowing we will emerge with greater abilities, gifts, and growth than we started out with, we cling to what we have known, begging the horseman to pass us by with minimal “damage.”  Death is here to remind us that change brings new opportunities and that by letting go and accepting the transition we can embrace our new beginnings with the grace of the butterfly.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Rope with a View- The Hanged Man

A journey through the early Major Arcana cards brings us face to face with Magicians, Priestesses, wise guides and teachers. We experience limitations within large systems and the freedom of the open road. We find the support of powerful leaders and loving, nurturing guides sympathetic with our cause and concerned for our well being. We journey forward, maturing with each lesson encountered and gradually the challenges become more sophisticated. We must share, maintain boundaries, keep our cool in the face of danger, and have faith that justice in the universe will eventually prevail. Our sense of integrity is challenged, as is the concept of our capabilities and limits. With each lesson we find ourselves able to prevail, to initiate change, to make choices and to come out triumphant, learning and making gains each step of the way. Then it happens…

We thought we knew bad times, feeling invincible in the face of dilemmas overcome one by one. It was only a warm up. The greater tests still remain. The Hanged Man reminds us of this.  Having to choose between the lesser of several evils is hard enough, but when the Hanged Man appears, it may feel as though choice itself is no longer even a factor. The Hanged Man is suspended from a tree by a rope tied around one ankle. From his outstretched leg he dangles, bound and powerless, while his other leg bends at the knee, foot tucked into the knee of his straight leg like an upside down “4”.  He is without mobility. The carefree stride of the Fool is stripped from him. In the midst of this dilemma his face betrays no panic, but rather appears serene and contemplative. A halo crowns his head. It is as if the Fool has decided to take advantage of his situation by absorbing as much of the unusual view as he can - and being content with this for the time being. Indeed, he makes it look so easy!

Assuming most people no longer are under threat of hanging we may wonder what type of situation in modern life could parallel that of this unfortunate man. Is he being punished for a crime or as a traitor? In that case, we may assume, he is deserving of his fate! Have enemies conspired against the Fool so that he can be hung out to dry as a scapegoat? Perhaps then, he is an undeserving victim. The key to the Hanged Man’s situation is powerlessness, the lack of mobility and lack of ability to effect change to one’s surroundings. This is not for lack of trying.

The Hanged Man represents a significant event that leaves one in a state of inertia and inability. In modern day this can be likened to being physically limited suddenly by an illness or injury, or a prolonged experience of life being “on hold” in spite of any effort you may take to initiate change again. Make no mistake, this is not a matter of the bus being late or not having the money to buy the mansion of your dreams and being stuck with a mere four bedroom house. This is a condition in which one is experiencing sacrifice, an intense experience of futility, an obstacle or burden that one will carry for a period of time.

The situation surrounding the Hanged Man is not one that bends to our previous logic and lessons. Working harder will not loosen the ropes, in fact it may intensify the pain. Begging, pleading, bargaining, and putting forth more effort will also not prove advantageous now. It may seem like all is lost, but rest assured that is not the case. After all, we still have 9 more cards to go! So what does the universe want from us? Why are we being tortured, punished, or even abandoned?

Liberation for the Hanged Man will come, but it will be an inside job first. Our feelings of betrayal, anger at the Powers that Be, or loss of hope in the world is part of the internal prison that would exist even if a passerby kindly cut the ropes and released the Hanged Man from his tree. The events precipitating this difficult time stand to strengthen us, from the inside out. We are forced to accept external situations beyond our control and not to our liking. We are forced to find new meaning, new definitions. In a sense, “being hung upside down” forces us to consider a new view of the world not accessible to us before. We are forced to take a new perspective. Just like Odin, we are forced to learn a new vocabulary, develop new insight into the world through the loss of many of our previous senses. As Odin was suspended from the World Tree, sacrificing an eye but given the wisdom of the Runes, we are compelled to stretch our strength, limit our control, accept our situation and gain a greater, deeper understanding through sacrifice. When contentment and acceptance have been found through this new understanding, we will be released.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Divine Justice

The Tarot card often numbered 11 is the Justice card. It typically portrays a female figure, blindfolded and holding a scale in one hand, a sword in the other.  This card holds great significance in the spiritual and mundane world. While most Major Arcana cards reverberate powerfully through the individual’s life sending significant messages pertaining to growth and development, the Justice card does this and more. It holds a microscope over the life of the querent and cautions that not only are spiritual matters unraveling to produce powerful Karmic feedback, but these lessons are also playing out in mundane life at this time. It is likely the querent will deal with matters of justice, legal issues and consequences of various sorts in their daily life as a means to echo the larger spiritual message carried by this card.

So what are the ramifications of Justice on the grand scale? Justice portends returns. These can be good or bad depending on what the querent has been cultivating karmically and spiritually. This card should serve as a warning to remember basic spiritual principles surrounding consequential thinking and if all else fails, should summon the great lessons inherent in Murphy’s Law - if something can go wrong, it will. This is not a card of doom and gloom per se, but it reminds one to not cut corners, even if “everyone else” seems to be getting away with it. Justice bears a reminder that we are never truly in a situation where “no one is looking” that we have a higher authority of one form or another to answer to, even if that authority is none other than the chain of events our actions set into motion. The Justice card appears to remind the querent of their integrity and not to compromise this at any cost. To do so now would ensure retribution on a large scale. This is not the time to park where you are not authorized, speed, or “borrow” office supplies for personal use, no matter how clever your ego can be in justifying why you are entitled to bend the rules. The Justice card is a reminder that there is a grand balance in the universe even when this may not appear to be the case.

When involved in a conflict with another, the Justice card warns one to play fair, and if need be, fight fair. Even if it appears that others are gaining an advantage by cheating. It will all be brought into balance, Justice reaffirms, but may require patience. This card can be difficult for people to grasp because it entails forms of justice beyond what human beings are used to expecting to see enforced in the mundane. When we feel slighted or wronged we expect instant results, many times in the form of monetary compensation or punishment of the offender. When we do not see these results, or worse, when we see punishment doled out that does not seem to “fit the crime,” it can be easy to lose faith and question the purpose in doing the right thing in the first place. This card is beckoning one to expand the understanding of justice to more than the “tit for tat” bargaining that occurs in court rooms.

The Justice card asks you to expand your faith and understanding beyond the mundane and remember that Justice is not executed solely by mankind, but exists in the balancing act performed in nature and the universe that brings harmony on a much larger level. This can be frustrating, as we all would love to be the fly on the wall when our adversary gets their just deserts. We may not get the pleasure however, and must have faith that our actions bring the returns we deserve, as do the actions of others. When this card appears it is a reminder to uphold one’s own truth and integrity even if it means waiting for the slowly cultivated spiritual balance brought about by Karma rather than instant gratification one may desire through vigilante measures. It is possible you will be called to account for your actions whether in a court, police station, or through some type of authority in the workplace, family or community. It is also a portend of being involved in conflicts or legal issues whose resolution will be much more advantageous as long as you ensure you are not bending or breaking the rules yourself. If you have acted outside of your highest ethics, use this time to amend the situation in a way that is appropriate. Come clean with others, act to balance the scales and amend broken trust. If it is not possible to directly “fix” the situation, learn from it and take efforts to promote positive and help to others where you are able.

Likewise if it seems that you have lost out in a conflict or situation that was not resolved to your immediate liking, take heart, you will likely find positive returns you could not have planned or anticipated coming your way from a higher authority than the mundane court and government systems. Strive to be open to the return of your positive actions in whatever form they may take. Avoid feeling like the victim at this time as to do so may limit otherwise benevolent gains that are blessings in disguise.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.

Playing the Fool

The noise of modern day life permeates the psyche bringing a barrage of stress and burdening the spirit. How wonderful it would be to let down the baggage of responsibility and restriction, to be relieved of the oppressive strain of the rat race and to follow your own drummer no matter how risky the path may seem. When you feel crushed beneath the weight of worry, when creativity eludes you, it is the energy of the Fool that is needed to restore balance.

In Tarot, the Fool is the first card, numbered zero. The figure of a youth prancing lightly staring at a vast sky, undisturbed by the proximity between his feet and the edge of a cliff, followed close behind by his loyal and cheerful dog.  A rose held high in one hand, knapsack in the other. The Fool is the energy of youth, freedom, spontaneity and unbounded joy. This card does not speak to intelligence or lack thereof. Indeed the Fool is quite wise. He knows the value of the moment, of dreams and of taking risks. The Fool is naturally inclined to let go, to be creative and to think outside the box. Breaking tradition and bringing anxiety to onlookers who fret over his careless ways, the Fool brings lessons that the modern era has forgotten in our rush to the finish line.

Lesson one - Have faith. There is no guarantee of the security of the ground beneath one’s feet. The institutions and structures to which one loyally clings are a false illusion of hope. There is only one moment at a time to be in one place at a time. Certainty is not real. All we truly have is the choice to have faith that our intuition and choices will serve us well.

Lesson two - Keep it simple. The Fool carries a small bag. It is enough to support his needs on his journey. The fool is not racing down a highway in an SUV. He is traveling on foot carrying a small pack of essentials. The Fool knows that with “stuff” comes burden, and he has chosen to carry less stuff in hopes of experience, opportunity and freedom to move swiftly without the weight of obligation of being bound to the material.

Lesson three - Trust your best friend- The Fool is not lonely, he is accompanied by the timeless symbol of loyalty and companionship, a dog.  Establish trust in those close to you and lean on friends when in need.

Lesson four - Look up: it is the sky that guides the Fool, not the ground. He does not aim for the lowest point, but the highest and is master of his own path.

Lesson Five - Be open to new beginnings regardless of age. The Fool is not afraid to risk a path that is close to the edge of where most find their footing and security, but he remains on solid ground. The card leaves one guessing just how close the edge the Fool will venture.

This alone is up to you.

Article by: Angela Kaufman.  Angela is a Priestess for the Dragon Warriors of Isis Coven in Upstate, New York, and the co-author of Wicca: What's the Real Deal?  She is a professional tarot reader.  For more information about Wicca: What's the Real Deal? visit http://www.wwtrd.webs.com.