Start Today with Guidance and a Glimpse of Possibilities

The Queen of Wands sits comfortably and firmly on her throne; in the traditional Rider Waite image she holds her Wand in one hand and a sunflower in the other, and a black cat sits before her, symbolizing protection. The Queen looks calmly out at us and the landscape around her, deeply receptive and appreciative of the good things that life offers her.

Just as The High Priestess is one archetype of femininity, so The Empress is another: from mystery and the profoundly spiritual, we now move to the Mother Goddess figure. The Empress reclines comfortably on her throne, surrounded by the abundance of the natural world, her body language open and at ease. The water that was hidden in the previous card here flows freely, pooling at The Empress’ feet. Yet her connection to the fertile earth does not denote a lesser power than that of her sister; it is her great strength.

One of the most beautiful and beloved cards in a tarot deck, The Star epitomizes hope and healing. Unlike Temperance, here there is no pathway back through the mountains to the outer world beyond: for now, it is enough to simply allow ourselves to rest and to experience the peace that can come after a difficult trial. The Star reminds us that we are whole and that we have an infinite capacity within us to transform the darkness into beautiful light.

The Four of Cups depicts, in the Rider Waite version of the card, a man sitting with arms crossed, looking fed up and disinterested in life. A hand holding a Cup appears from a cloud - an echo of the suit’s Ace, while three other Cups are lined up in front of the man. Here we see what can happen if Water’s receptivity is not tempered by another element: passivity has turned to apathy.

The Page of Cups stands before gently rolling waves and holds a Cup from which a fish fancifully emerges - a fish that is echoed in the Page’s hat. This is a card of a type of potential that is lightly held and playfully engaged with.

The Lovers is the card that seems, on the surface, to epitomize romantic love. Bet when examined more closely: the essence of The Lovers is the concept of choice. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the choosing of a romantic partner, and, ultimately, the decision to follow a path of love. Taking an even closer look: the idea of choice permeates this card. In traditional decks, the figures are depicted as Adam and Eve, with the snake in the tree symbolizing choosing knowledge, perhaps even wisdom, over idealization. Some decks feature a male figure choosing between two female lovers, making the connection even more explicit.