Start Today with Guidance and a Glimpse of Possibilities

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 Six of Wands is the ultimate expression of the Fire optimism: we do not know if the triumphant figure depicted on the card, lauded by the followers processing with him, is returning home after a great triumph or riding into battle. What matters is that his very belief in life and his own abilities have assured both his past and future successes.

In this card we see a figure who wields all the suits of the Major Arcana with confidence: in his raised hand he holds a Wand, while on the table (or altar) before him lies a Pentacle, a Cup, and a Sword. They await his will. And herein lies the key to understanding this powerful card: The Magician is intention. He is the focused assertion of the will and the paths that open before us as a result.

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 Ten of Wands is a card that represents burden and choice. In the Rider Waite image, the figure trudges homeward, weighed down by the many Wands that he bears. He is close, though: a house is visible in the near distance and he has but a short distance of his journey left to complete.

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.