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.

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.

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.

The Fool is the first card in the Major Arcana; and yet he does not have a number. He is ‘0’, standing for both everything and nothing. The Fool is infinite possibilities; he is the decision to make a journey, to have an adventure, and to discover - even if that decision isn’t made consciously. The Fool is a special card, and careful attention should be paid to him whenever he pops up in a reading.

The Three of Wands is a card of consolidation; unlike in the Two, here the figure looks out on his boats and is unfettered, and at ease. We have the clear sense of someone at peace with their life, and confident of their place within it.

As a suit, Swords are linked to Air, which is the element of the intellect and the mind. In the Ace of Swords, we see a hand emerging from a cloud holding the emblem of the suit; a crown surmounts the Sword - a symbol of triumph and victory in the material world.