by Marcus Katz
IX: Hermit
Upright: Solitude
What you say: “The Hermit signifies simply solitude. Time to be by yourself.”
Reversed: Companionship
What you say: “The exact opposite of being a Hermit is to seek out companionship, which is the message of this card when flipped.”
X: Wheel
Upright: Movement
What you say: “The Wheel means that everything that happens is connected, and moves the situation forwards.”
Reversed: Pause
What you say: “When reversed, the Wheel shows we must take a pause and regain the centre.”
XI: Justice
Upright: Accuracy
What you say: “This card, Justice, shows that there is a fair response to the situation. You reap what you sow.”
Reversed: Mistake
What you say: “When upside-down, Justice can mean a mistake is being made.”
XII: Hanged Man
Upright: Surrender
What you say: “Time to let go and surrender to your highest principles.”
Reversed: Struggle
What you say: “Time to struggle to ensure your viewpoint is seen.”
XIII: Death
Upright: Life
What you say: “The Death card, strangely, shows transformation and new life in your situation.”
Reversed: Stagnation
What you say: “Here, reversed, is the Death card, showing that everything will stagnate and rot in this position. Not a happy card.”
XIV: Temperance
Upright: Assessment
What you say: “When the Temperance card appears, it suggests we assess the situation in a balanced manner.”
Reversed: Over-Compensation
What you say: “Reversed, Temperance can show that we are out of balance and over-reacting to the situation.”
XV: Devil
Upright: Withholding
What you say: “The Devil card in this reading means that not all has been released – something is being withheld.”
Reversed: Liberation
What you say: “The Devil, when flipped, is a card of release and liberation. Good times!”
XVI: Blasted Tower
Upright: Acceleration
What you say: “The Tower never asks – it just happens. An acceleration of events will bring things to a sudden change.”
Reversed: Fall
What you say: “When reversed, the Tower shows things crashing down in slow-motion. Not a great card.”
XVII: Star
Upright: Enlightenment
What you say: “The beautiful Star card symbolizes the light of vision leading you to a better future.”
Reversed: Darkness
What you say: “When the Star is reversed, you must trust your instincts as things otherwise are unclear and unlit.”
XVIII: Moon
Upright: Ignorance
What you say: “The Moon card in your reading shows us that some things are unknown and we must learn more to progress.”
Reversed: Knowledge
What you say: “When upside-down, the Moon indicates knowledge. It appears that we know everything we need to know about this question.”
XIX: Sun
Upright: Demonstration
What you say: “The Sun shines equally on everything, meaning that this part of your reading is bright and obvious. Good news!”
Reversed: Concealment
What you say: “Like the Sun behind clouds, when this card is reversed, it means that things are being hidden at this time.”
XX: Last Judgment
Upright: Awakening
What you say: “The Last Judgment card is a significant card in a reading in that it shows us which part of your life needs awakening.”
Reversed: Sleep
What you say: “When reversed, this card means that you must let sleeping dogs lie.”
XXI: World
Upright: Beginning
What you say: “The World brings new beginnings and the dance of Life itself. A powerful and comprehensive card to empower your life.”
Reversed: Ending
What you say: “When reversed, the World maintains much of the same meaning, only signifying somewhat more of the ending of the old life prior to the beginning of the new.”
0: Fool
Upright: Frivolity
What you say: “Take a light-hearted leap into the unknown, for you are free!”
Reversed: Seriousness
What you say: “The Fool doesn’t stay flipped for long! Before you know it, you’ll be laughing about this situation!”
Example Three-Card Reading
In this simple spread, suitable for beginner practice, we shuffle and take three cards out of the deck to create a story of three parts; past, present and future.
The question asked is:
“What can the Tarot tell me about the situation with my neighbors?”
The Three cards selected from the top of the shuffled deck are:
Past: Temperance (XIV) Reversed
Present: Knight of Wands
Future: The Magician (I)
We then consult the appropriate entries in this Kickstart Guide to produce the following reading:
“In the past” …“Reversed, Temperance can show that we are out of balance and over-reacting to the situation.”
“In the present” … “The Knight of Wands shows here that your advancement is reasonably assured.”
“In the future” … “The Magician brings success and resource to your endeavors.”
This would seem to indicate that the Querent (asking the question) has had a bad experience in the past with regard to neighbors, which is being brought into the present moment. However, this experience has actually given them all the knowledge and resources they need to deal with the present situation to a successful conclusion. A positive reading!
Example Five Card Reading
In this practical spread, we look to get the best out of a situation based upon the four elements + spirit, arranged on a Pentagram:
1. Earth – the Practical
2. Air – the Mental
3. Water – the Emotional
4. Fire – the Magical/Transformative
5. Spirit – the Spiritual
So the question asked might be, “What do I need to know to get the best out of my new relationship?”
The Five Cards pulled might be:
1. Practical – 8 of Swords (reversed)
2. Mental – Knight of Swords (reversed)
3. Emotional – 7 of Swords
4. Magical – Empress (III)
5. Spiritual – King of Swords
Taking the relevant sections of this KickStart Guide, we can weave an interpretation as follows:
“On the practical level of this new relationship, don’t believe how things are going – doubt may uncover problems not yet apparent. Your ideas may be getting the best of you - it is time to make an orderly retreat from the situation; it is suggested by this card.
With regard to the spiritual aspects of the new relationship, The King of Swords is at the top of his game and counsels that you take time to deliberate your options before acting. Again, this is a card of caution.
On the other side of the Pentagram, we see in the Seven of Swords, we see in the situation for which we are reading some indication of deceit – someone is breaking the agreement.
From a magical perspective, in terms of how this will transform you, the Empress brings gradual growth to your life.”
Obviously, this reading – being mainly of Swords and cards of caution and concern, counsels the Querent to think before acting in the new relationship. You can then look back over the Keywords, Themes and even the Oracular Titles to clarify further aspects of this reading.
Conclusion
We trust you will find many weeks and months of discovery with your deck and this first Tarosophy® KickStart Guide. It has
been a pleasure to produce it and play with the ideas to provide a fresh new look at Tarot.
It is not intended to be a definitive guide to Tarot keywords or concepts - far from it! We have provided two books in the Reading List for you to discover how many different ways there are of conceptualizing and describing all 78 cards in a Tarot deck!
This Guide is merely an introduction to fast-track you into reading so you can begin to develop more quickly than you might have thought possible. You can then move onto developing spreads through the next book, Tarot Twist, and beyond!
We have also provided in the final section a list of reading materials and website resources to discover more in the very best of Tarot and Tarosophy®.
Look out for more titles in this innovative series of Tarosophy® KickStart Guides, to be released over 2011:
Volume I.
Book I: Tarot Flip - Reading Tarot Straight from the Box
Book II: Tarot Twist - Finding a Spread for Every Question
Book III: Tarot Switch – Methods of Engaging Tarot in Life
Volume II.
Book I: Tarot Uplift – Tarot and Kabbalah for a Spiritual Life
Further Reading
The following titles have been chosen specifically to provide a comprehensive guide to keywords and reversals to further your exploration and enjoyment of your Tarot reading.
Tarot Reversals, Mary K. Greer (St. Paul: Llewellyn, 2004)
The Definitive Tarot (also pub. as Tarot Bible), Bill Butler (London: Rider & Co, 1975 )
Tarot Dictionary & Compendium, Jana Riley (York Beach: Samuel Weiser, Inc., 1995)
Tarosophy, Marcus Katz (Australia: Salamander & Sons, pub. 2010)
Tarot 101, Kim Huggens (Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2010)
Tarot For Beginners, Barbara Moore (Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2010)
Websites & Resources
Tarot Town Social Network: http://www.tarot-town.com
Tarot Organization: http://www.tarotprofessionals.com
Tarot Courses: http://www.tarosophyuniversity.com
Tarot Resources by Marcus Katz: http://www.tarosophy.com
Beyond Worlds Tarot Radio Show Online: http://www.tarottribe.com
Tarot Garden (Decks & Database): http://www.tarotgarden.com
Baba Studio (Decks & Bags): http://www.baba-store.com
