Start Today with Guidance and a Glimpse of Possibilities

In the Two of Wands, we see a man standing, alone, atop a walled fortress, holding the world in one of his hands. In the other, he holds one of the Wands of the card, while the second Wand has been fastened to the ramparts on his right. Like this bound Wand the figure here has been hemmed in by his success, and we can imagine him pondering on what, exactly, it has brought him.

The Moon has long been associated with intuition, feminine mystery, and the unknown, the half-seen. And so it is in the tarot card of the same name: here we see, in the Rider-Waite image, a dog and a wolf howling at the full moon. Before them, a crayfish emerges from the waters of a pool while behind them a path leads back over the mountains, to the world beyond. This symbolizes that however fearful are the manifestations of our inner consciousness, we can be safe in the knowledge that there is a return route open for us. On such a return route we may tread with the new knowledge we have gained beneath the light of The Moon.

In the Eight of Cups image, there is a sense of deep sadness but also resolve; we see a figure walking away from a collection of Cups that remain upright and unspilled. The stick that the figure uses and his cloak suggests a long journey ahead: we intuit that he is not planning to return.

In the Six of Cups, we see the image of a figure giving a gift of a Cup, overflowing with life, to a child. The two people pictured are in the garden of a cottage, and the scene resonates with a sense of domestic comfort and security.

The Knight of Wands is in full charge, in contrast to the Page, who stands still, contemplating the adventures before him. The Knight's horse rears up, as keen to begin the quest as his rider, and we have the clear sense of the wind that is created in their wake: the feathers on the figure’s helmet stream out in the rushing air. This is a card of movement, action, and eagerness.

The Devil card depicts a male and a female demon, with chains about their necks, held captive by a central devil figure. Although if examined more closely: the chains are loose. These human-like figures could easily slip out of them and be free. Their captivity, therefore, is optional; or perhaps a price that they are willing to pay for something else. The Devil, thus, represents what can happen when primal forces, kept in harmony by Temperance and used with direction by The Hanged Man, are allowed to rage unchecked.