Start Today with Guidance and a Glimpse of Possibilities

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.

In this card the Hierophant sits, Pope-like on a raised throne, while two acolytes pay homage to him or await his bidding, In full regalia, with crown and scepter, The Hierophant is the point at which The Emperor and The Magician combine - he is the master of the stage, but, unlike the former, there is no element of service here and, contrary to the latter, The Hierophant does not wield his power lightly or playfully. Depending on the context, this is not necessarily a bad thing.

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.

Wands relate to the element of fire, and the suit’s Ace represents its essence: drive, action, energy, movement, and opportunity. And yet fire can burn, too; it has the potential to cause destruction, and these things are also represented in the cards of Wands.

The key to understanding The Hanged Man is realizing that he is maintaining this hanging by choice. This card depicts a man suspended, upside down, from the branch of a tree, a bright glow around his head. He has assumed this symbolic hanging position to reflect, meditate, and become at one with the universe - the light encompassing his head represents his success in achieving this. 

Here, we discern a long-held symbol of earthly power: a white-haired man, stern, wearing armor beneath his regal garments, and seated on a stone throne. Note the scepter The Emperor holds, bearing the universal sigil of the male sex, and compare this to The Empress’ totem of femininity, which is carved onto a heart-shaped stone and rests against her dais. His throne bears the images of four rams’ heads, linking The Emperor to the sign Aries, which is ruled by Mars, the God of War. The Emporer is power and strength. The extent to which these can be used for good or ill depends entirely on the personality that directs them.