Western mystics associate Aquarius with the Star card, and connect it to Ganymede, the handsome young cupbearer of the gods. Ganymede lived alongside the gods on Mount Olympus, where he kept their cups filled with ambrosia-the water of life, the nectar of the gods, and the drink of immortality.
The Star itself could be a depiction of Phospheros and Hesperos-two names for the rising and setting morning and evening star. The Star could be Venus, the brightest star-like light in the sky. The Star might also be Sirius, the Dog Star, the Star of Bethlehem, the Star of the Magi, or the North Star that guides sailors through the night.
Astrological Associations
What could be more astrological than the stars? The stars and the signs of the zodiac have helped shape our very understanding of the human psyche. In tarot, the Star card is also associated with Aquarius, the sign of social consciousness and futuristic thinking.
Aquarius rules the eleventh house of the zodiac, where astrologers look for information about social groups, social causes, and technology. Aquarius is ruled, in turn, by Uranus, the planet of freedom and rebellion.
On a related note, Uranus is assigned to the Fool.
Aquarius is an air sign.
Literary Archetypes
The Star can embody any number of literary archetypes, including the Amazon, the anima, the enchantress, the goddess, the innocent child, the magical helper, the maiden, the mystic, the poet, the writer, or the scribe, the priestess, the virgin, and the visionary.
The Star and Your Writing Practice
Since the dawn of time, storytellers have used the stars as launching pads to describe their most secret hopes and dreams. Every constellation in the night sky is associated with a corresponding myth or legend.
The ancient Greeks transformed the musings of a few sky-gazing shepherds into legends that would last for centuries. Their stories, like the light of the stars, traveled through time and space to reach us. Each one is a twinkling reminder of our shared history.
Now it's your turn to carry on the tradition.
Writing Prompts
Write about:
. a shooting star
. a fleeting wish
. time travel
. a naked woman
. a tree on a hill
. a sacred bird
. an ancient myth, recast in modern terms
. a servant girl-or boy
. holy water
. wine
THE MOON IS THE EARTH'S companion, a partner in time and space. Symbolically female, she reveals herself in bits and pieces-and she hides the dark side of her nature.
The image of the card itself is hauntingly familiar. The moon, large and low on the horizon, casts its rays over an ancient stone gateway. Two dogs-one wild, one domestic-stand guard nearby. In the foreground, a crayfish crawls out of a primordial sea; it's taking the first step on an evolutionary path that leads as far as the eye can see.
Generally speaking, the Moon symbolizes the dreamlike world of intuition, and the shadows of mystery and illusion. In a story reading, the Moon may represent a psychic, dreamer, spy, femme fatale, hidden enemy, or traitor.
Key Symbols
Dance Partners. For eons, the golden sun has pursued the silver moon endlessly around the globe. Some cultures consider the two luminaries brother and sister, while others refer to them as husband and wife. In either case, the sun and the moon are a primordial couple, and their heavenly partnership symbolizes the constant give and take between light and dark, action and reaction, masculine and feminine, radiance and reflection, and the conscious and subconscious mind.
Reflective Properties. Just as the moon reflects the sun's light, it also reflects our unconscious needs and desires.
Dark Mysteries. Because the Moon is shrouded in shadows and darkness, it represents secrets and mysteries that may not be understood-or even recognized.
Night Vision. The moon also symbolizes the intuition and the unconscious, because most people sleep when the moon is out.
Phases of the Moon. The moon symbolizes fertility and creativity, because its twentyeight-day cycles so clearly match the monthly menstrual cycle, as well as the pregnant female form: slim, then round and full, then slim again. The moon's phases also resemble the three phases of a woman's life: maiden, mother, and the crone.
Gravitational Pull. Tides rise and fall in answer to the beckoning call of the moon; the pull of gravity is almost impossible to resist.
Evolution in Action. The Moon is a card of evolution, because it depicts a crab crawling out of the primordial sea onto the dry land of civilization. The evolutionary motif is reinforced by the tamed, domesticated dog, accompanied by his wild cousin, the wolf. The pairing of the two creatures hints at terrors both wild and domestic.
Howl at the Moon. The dogs in the card also remind us of the monsters that haunt our nightmares-the werewolves and other wild beasts who symbolize our tenuous hold on civilization. Both suggest that we're all just one bite away from madness.
Shadowy Behavior. The full moon has always been linked to lunacy-wild and erratic behavior. Historically, the Moon card was linked to deception and subterfuge, as truth could be hidden in the shadows. It's a telling reminder of Jung's shadow archetype, too.
Keywords
Upright: Reflection, dreams, romance, femininity, intuition, the unconscious, the subconscious, cycles
Reversed: Deception, darkness, danger, shadows, secrets, hidden enemies
Myth and Legend
Throughout myth and history, the moon has usually been a feminine symbol; the luminary is traditionally perceived as a mate or companion to the sun.
In tarot, the Moon card is associated with the Greek goddess Artemis, the goddess of the hunt. (The Romans knew her as Diana.) Her hounds accompanied her as she chased playfully through the skies with her twin brother Apollo, god of the sun.
In her role as hunter, Artemis could take life, cleanly and without reservation. She wasn't a goddess of death, however. In fact, she was the goddess of childbirth, and she was dedicated to shepherding new life into the world. Immediately after she was born, she helped deliver her own twin brother. In ancient Greece, women in labor would cry out to Artemis for relief; they believed that she could either kill their pain, or kill them to end their suffering.
Astrological Associations
Oddly enough, the Moon card is not traditionally associated with the moon in our sky. Instead, the Moon card is associated with Pisces, the sign of intuition and psychic ability.
Pisces rules the twelfth house of the zodiac, where astrologers look for information about our deepest, darkest secrets and desires. Pisces, in turn, is ruled by Neptune, the planet of mystery and illusion.
On a related note, Neptune is assigned to the Hanged Man.
Pisces is a water sign.
Literary Archetypes
The Moon can embody any number of literary archetypes, including the anima, the goddess, the guardian, the guide, the magical helper, the maiden, the mother, or the crone, the mystic, the priestess, the psychic, the psychopomp, the queen, the shadow, the shaman, the virgin, the visionary, and the wanderer.
The Moon and Your Writing Practice
Some people plan their work around the phases of the moon, beginning new projects when the moon is new, rounding them out as the moon waxes toward full, and concluding them as the moon wanes into the night. Before the next cycle, when the moon is still dark, they plan their next projects.
When you see the Moon card in your work, you might want to cast an eye toward the night sky, and begin or wrap up a writing project accordingly.
Writing Prompts
Write about:
. a span of twenty-eight days
. something that happens after midnight, in moonlight, or in shadow
. the phases of the moon
. a rising tide
. the cycles of nature
. an eclipse
. a crab
. a pack of dogs
. a hunter
THE SUN IS A JOYFUL, optimistic card. It depicts the very center of our solar system-as well as a fair-haired child who personifies its radiance in human form.
The sun is the source of heat and light and life on earth, which makes it a symbol of energy and health. It also represents consciousness, enlightenment, and illumination.
The Sun is also the ultimate card of self-awareness. In astrology, the Sun symbolizes the ego and the self, because it represents the central focus of every individual's lifehimself. No matter how perceptive or empathetic we are, it's impossible to see the world from someone else's point of view. We can only see the world from our own perspective, at the center of our own existence.
In a story reading, the Sun may refer to a child, a farmer, a horseman, a musician, or a poet.
Key Symbols
Action! The sun isn't reflective, like the moon, but active. The sun radiates the energy and heat that the moon later reflects. Symbolically, it embodies masculine principles of energy and action, as opposed to feminine qualities of receptivity and reaction.
Visible Light. While almost nothing can hide from the bright light of day, the sun does conceal its own secrets; some of the rays the sun emits are visible, while others fall into the ultraviolet end of the spectrum.
Special Events. The sun is the marker of annual events like birthdays and anniversaries, as well as solar holidays like solstices and cross-quarter days.
Golden Child. The child in the card is naked, because his enthusiasm is unbridled and pure. His nudity also symbolizes his innocence, and hints at cosmic safeguards and protection that can help shield him from corrupting influences. He's the original fairhaired child, chubby and cherubic, with a mass of golden curls.
Free Ride. The child's white horse is a hero's mount. It elevates him, empowers him, and propels him along a path to victory. Horses also represent mobility, partnership, and social status.
Standard Bearer. As he rides, the child waves a red banner, signaling the joy and exuberance of youth. The banner-technically, a standard, or a symbolic flag mounted on a pole-also represents a rallying point and an inspiration to victory.
Flower Garden. The child is riding past a garden wall, a symbol of safety and protection. Beyond the wall, there's a field of sunflowers-each one a symbol of hope and aspiration, as they reach for the sky. During the course of the day, sunflowers keep their faces turned toward the sun as it moves across the sky.
Sunrise, Sunset. Historically, the rising and setting sun has always been a symbol of life and death.
Keywords
Upright: Consciousness, optimism, happiness, contentment, enthusiasm, joy, light, enlightenment, clarity, glory, heat, passion, radiance, action, celebration, the ego, eclipses
Reversed: Sunburn, overexposure, blindness, drought, global warming
Myth and Legend
For thousands of years, humankind believed that the sun traveled around the world. Because the sun was reborn with every dawn, it became the god of rebirth. Even today, we worship the sun-at least from our favorite spot on the beach.
The sun symbolizes the light of the world-and in myth and religion alike, the sun represents the gods who die and are reborn.
The Sun card is closely related to Apollo, the god of the sun, whose sister Diana was goddess of the moon. Apollo pulled the sun through the sky in his golden chariot. His travels were emulated by Roman charioteers, who pursued a course based on the cosmic cycle of the sun.
Astrological Associations
Astrologically, the Sun card corresponds to its namesake, the sun.
The sun rules Leo, the sign of fatherhood and play, procreation and recreation. The sun also rules the fifth house of the zodiac, where astrologers look for information about creativity.
On a related note, Leo is associated with the Strength card.
Leo is a fire sign.
Literary Archetypes
The Sun can embody any number of literary archetypes, including the animus, the creator, the divine child, the father, the god, the messiah, the ruler, the self, the son, the ubermensch, and the visionary.
The Sun and Your Writing Practice
When the Sun card shows up in your writing practice, it may be time to send your work out into the bright light of day-so you can shine like the sun, be the center of attention, and enlighten others with the power of your words.
Writing Prompts
Write about:
. a birthday
. a banner
. a field of sunflowers
. a walled garden
. a white horse
. a red flag
. a golden child
. heat
. sunburn
. something hidden in plain sight
THE JUDGEMENT CARD IS THE card of forgiveness and release. It's also a card of celebration, as the Archangel Gabriel heralds the start of a new life and a new world.
All of the figures in the card seem to be expressing wonder and amazement. They've heard a higher calling, and they've responded. Now, as they rise from their graves, they're literally undergoing the transformation of their lives.
Generally speaking, the judgement card symbolizes a willingness to be judged on one's own merits. In a story reading, judgement may refer to a herald, a messenger, or a family.
Key Symbols
Wake Up Call. The Archangel Gabriel blows his horn and, awakened by the sound, a cemetery full of the dead and buried rise and face the music.
Pop Tops. The open caskets indicate that the people in the card are starting to think outside the box.
Nuclear Family. The key figures in the foreground are a man, a woman, and a child-a small, nuclear family-but they're not the only ones who thrill at the sound of the trumpet. Other figures are rising in the background, too. This is a worldwide phenomenon.
Full Exposure. All the people in the card are naked: they have no secrets.
Second Chance. They reach out to embrace a second chance at life, restored to youthful health and vigor.
Banner of Life. The equilateral solar cross on the banner is a symbol of the union of male and female, and positive and negative. A red cross is a universally understood symbol of rescue, health, and healing.
Blue Sky. The clouds are a symbol of higher thought, as well as a veil between heaven and earth.
Guardian Angel. The angel is larger than life. His outstretched wings fill the sky, symbolizing earthly protection from the elements of sun, wind, and rain-or fire, air, and water.
Spread the Word. Angels are heralds and messengers.
Natural World. The cypress trees in the background symbolize eternal life, and the bare brown earth suggests the promise of a newly cultivated field.
Keywords
Upright: Change, renewal, rebirth, resurrection, reawakening, consciousness, compassion, forgiveness, karma, destiny, responsibility
Reversed: Stasis, weakness, indecision, delay, an unwillingness to forgive and move on
Myth and Legend
Arthur Edward Waite, the man who designed the images in this deck, was a Christian mystic. His training and beliefs permeate most of the cards.
Anyone who's familiar with Christianity will recognize the story behind the judgement card: it depicts the moment promised in Revelations, when the dead will rise, the gates of heaven will open, and there will be no further separation of heaven and earth.
The judgement card, however, embodies much more than the simple story of judgment and resurrection on the last day-although that, in itself, would be enough. The card is also a symbol of a new lease on life, and a calling loud enough to wake the dead.
The angel of judgement is the Archangel Gabriel, who first revealed that Elizabeth and her cousin, the Virgin Mary, would bear children. Elizabeth would give birth to John the Baptist, who in turn would herald the arrival of Jesus Christ. According to the Bible, Gabriel will also be the angel who blows the horn announcing ju
dgment Day.
Astrological Associations
The judgement card is assigned to Pluto, the planet of transformation, death, regeneration, and unavoidable change.
Pluto rules the eighth house, where astrologers look for information about sex, death, and inheritance. Pluto also rules Scorpio, the sign of mystery.
On a related note, Scorpio corresponds to the Death card.
Literary Archetypes
The judgement card can embody any number of literary archetypes, including the gatekeeper, the guardian angel, the herald, the judge, the king, the magical helper, the medium, the messenger, the messiah, the mystic, the psychopomp, the rescuer, and the visionary.
Judgement and Your Writing Practice
As every horror writer knows, the dead don't always stay that way. Even in everyday life, old ideas that we thought were dead and buried have a way of rising up to haunt us; some stories and characters simply refuse to lie quietly in their vaults.
When the judgement card makes an appearance in your writing practice, it may be time to breathe new life into an old idea-one you thought was dead and gone. Visit your story graveyard, and resurrect the people and the plots you buried there. Forgive your own mistakes, and give them a second chance.
Writing Prompts
Write about:
. someone presumed to be dead
. a resurrection
. a call
. family togetherness
. forgiveness
. the end times
. a new life
. a trumpet
. a casket maker
. a prophet
THE WORLD DEPICTS A cosmic dancer in the center of an expanding universe. As she completes each round of her spiral dance, a new revolution begins; she's a key player in a never-ending story.
The World is the last card in the Major Arcana-but it's not the final word. Every ending, after all, leads to a new beginning. This stage of the Fool's journey might draw to a close, but in a moment, the cards will be reshuffled and a whole new series of events will play out on the universe's table.
Tarot for Writers Page 17
