The Cards of The Major Arcana
 

The Major Arcana is also the story of the journey of life of every individual.  It outlines each journey beginning with physical awareness, the strive for mental acuity, and the need for spirituality.  And in the end, all three aspects must come into balance for the journey to be complete.  And then the journey begins again.

We begin with the Fool (0), a card of beginning, spontaneity, child-like faith, and apparent folly.  The Fool represents all beginnings, because each beginning starts with faith in the success of the journey without full knowledge of the sufferings, hardships, and hazards that will be encountered.  At the beginning, the Fool, much like a baby, is aware only of his own self.  He is empty but reaches out with a desire to learn

On setting out, the Fool immediately encounters the Magician (1) and the High Priestess (2) - the great balancing forces that make up the perceived world.   The Magician and the High Priestess are absolutely equal in value and importance.  Each is necessary for balance.

The Magician is the conscious side, representative of all four elements / suits - earth, air, fire and water. [Action, Conscious Awareness, Concentration, Power].  He symbolizes the physical realms, and is a capable being.  He represents the active, masculine power of creative impulse.  The Magician is the force that allows us to impact the world through a concentration of individual will and power.

The High Priestess is the subconscious side, representative of the intuitive wisdom of the body.  She is non-action, unconscious awareness, potential, and mystery. She provides the fertile ground for creative and imaginative activities to occur.  The High Priestess is our unrealized potential waiting for an active principle to bring it to creative expression.

As the journey continues, the Fool begins to see others in the world as well, looking beyond his own needs.  He recognizes the feminine nurturer, the maternal mother of the earth, and the male authority, the structure needed to interact with others.

The Empress (3) is the awareness of the sensations of the body - touch, taste, sound, smell, sight.  She is the Earth, and the Fool takes delight in the bounty of nature all around him.  She is motherhood, abundance, senses, and nature.

But just as the mother provides for physical desires, the father provides the rules needed to respond appropriately to the world at large.  The Emperor (4) teaches that there are patterns to the world, and that responses can be predicted.

Through the Emperor, the Fool learns of restrictions and restraint, but also of the purpose for rules and guidelines.  He learns that his will is not the main determinant, and that there are consequences for his actions.  The Emperor is fatherhood, structure,  authority, and regulation.

But the journey continues, and soon the Fool ventures out into the wider world. He is exposed to the beliefs and traditions of his culture and begins his formal education.  It is here that he encounters the Hierophant (5).  The Hierophant is education, belief systems, conformity, and group identification.

The Hierophant teaches about the organized belief systems that the Fool is becoming aware of.  Through him, the Fool learns of arcane knowledge and mysteries, and becomes part of a culture. The Fool learns to identify with a group and discovers a sense of belonging.  He enjoys learning the customs of his society and showing how well he can conform to them.

But the journey continues, and the Fool learns to look beyond himself to develop deeper relationships with others.  He becomes aware of his own emerging sexuality.  It is at this point that he encounters the Lovers (6).  The Lovers are representative of relationships, sexuality, personal beliefs, and values.

The Lovers represent the urge for balance, the need to reach out and become half of a loving partnership.  Through them, the Fool learns to move beyond self-centered needs, and to experience the joy of sexual union with another.  But the Lovers also teach the Fool the determine his own belief system, and to question what he is being taught.  The Fool learns to be true to himself.

The Fool has learned mastery of the physical world.  He has developed inner control and mastery over himself.  He triumphs over his environment.  Using the Chariot (7), the Fool rides through the world feeling a sense of self-satisfaction that comes with the confidence of youth.  The Chariot represents victory, will, self-assertion, self-control.  With the Chariot, the Fool moves effortlessly through his world.  The Fool has become an adult; he knows who he is.

And now begins the quest for mental mastery.  In his journey up through this point, the Fool has faced many challenges, some that have caused suffering and disillusionment.  But through these trials, the Fool has met with inner Strength (8).  Strength teaches patience, compassion, and gentle control.  Though the Fool now commands his physical world, he begins to realize that his passions must be tempered by patience and tolerance.  And through Strength, the Fool learns to bring himself under control, and to develop resolve needed by the heart so that he continues on despite setbacks.

Eventually, the Fool begins to question the world.  He seeks answers to the mysteries of life, and of death.  His seeking brings him to the Hermit (9) so that he may find the answers within himself.   The Hermit teaches the need for introspection and solitude through guidance and the search for inner truth.  As the Fool begins to look inward, trying to understand his feelings and motivations, the sensual physical world loses its importance.  Moments of solitude are taken so that he can move away from the frantic activity of society. In time, the Fool may seek a guide who can give him advice and direction.

After much meditation, the Fool slowly perceives the intricate patterns and cycles that connect everything together.  The Wheel of Fortune crosses his path, bringing with it destiny, a turning point, and personal vision.  Through the Wheel of Fortune (10), the Fool glimpses the beauty and harmony of the universe.  In doing so, he finds some of his answers as he realizes that he too is connected to the universe, and part of the universal plan.  He begins to feel a sense of purpose, a higher fate calling to him.

Now he must now decide what this knowledge means. He reflects upon his life, tracing the cause and effect relationships that have brought him thus far.  In this, he meets Justice (11) which demands that he take responsibility for his actions so he can make amends to the past, and thereby ensure a more honest course for the future.   The Fool must make a choice now.  Will he continue to follow his new path based upon the insight he has gained, or will he slide back into the easier physical existence,  closing off further growth?

The Fool continues on, determined to realize his potential.  But to move beyond this point, he must meet with a crisis that seems to difficult to overcome.  Despite all efforts, the Fool realizes that he cannot win, and must humbly admit defeat.  At this moment, the Fool encounters the Hanged Man (12). From the Hanged Man, he learns to let go and sacrifice of himself.  The Fool learns that sometimes you must reverse yourself and hold off on an action.

At first, the Fool believes he has lost everything.  But from the ashes of what was, he learns an amazing truth.  By surrendering and humbling himself, he learns that there is no need for control, that everything will work as it should.   He feels a surprising joy and begins to flow with life.   Despite the fact that his world has been turned upside-down, the Fool is serene and at peace.

Now the Fool starts to break away from old habits. He eliminates those things that are no longer essential as he appreciates the basics of life.   He encounters Death (13), and realizes that though death is an ending, it is also a time of transition and elimination.  The Fool puts the outgrown aspects of his life behind him in preparation for a new life.  While at times, he may struggle with the loss, he realizes that this experience is not a permanent situation but merely a transition to a new, more fulfilling way of life.

All this has taught the Fool balance and equilibrium.  He has learned to be moderate in his actions and desires, and has brought himself into a centered state of health and well-being.  Temperance (14) has helped to bring his physical and mental worlds into harmony.

The Fool now believes himself complete, but he soon must come face to face the Devil (15).   The temptations of the Devil show him how he is still held in bondage to a material world, operating from a perspective of ignorance and hopelessness.   The seductions of the material wants and desires are so much a part of the Fool’s nature that he was not even aware of his bondage.

Until he can cast off the needs of the physical world and move beyond, the Fool is trapped by his own ignorance.  The ignorance holds the Fool trapped in a Tower (16), away from his full potential.  Though his world seems complete, and a paradise, it is in fact a prison.  Only by letting go of ego and becoming humble (usually due to a sudden, critical and painful crisis) can the Fool break free.  Though the sudden release seems to be a downfall, the Fool experiences a revelation.

That revelation brings him to the Star (17).  The Star brings hope, inspiration, and serenity.  Surviving the crisis, his faith in himself is restored.  His heart awakens with trust and generosity which he lovingly shares with the world.  A new day has come, and the Fool begins to become spiritually aware.

But by awakening his spiritual aspect, he becomes prey to the illusions of the Moon (18).  His imagination runs wild, bringing with it fear and bewilderment.  In his joy of awakening to spiritual awareness, the Fool becomes susceptible to fantasy and dreams, often distorting the reality.  The Moon allows a release of the unconscious self, but does not focus the creative thoughts that come forth.

But just as the Fool is feeling lost, the Sun (19) brings illumination to clarify the unconscious thoughts.   The Sun brings enlightenment, greatness, vitality, and assurance.   The Fool now understands the goodness of the world, and is able to realize his full potential.  He strides forth in full readiness knowing that all that is needed is within himself.

In shattering his self-ego, he has allowed Judgment (20) to show him his true self.  The Fool forgives himself for past mistakes, and forgives others in the process.  Through Judgment, he reassesses his values, keeping those whose meanings have worth and discarding those which have no place.  He sets about making necessary decisions for his future.  All doubts and hesitations vanish as the Fool begins to follow his heart.  He has been reborn.

And so the Fool goes out to meet the World (21) once again.  He has integrated his physical, mental and spiritual selves into one wholeness.  Using his talents and gifts, he gives of himself for others knowing that with the act of giving is its own reward.  And though he has conquered and persevered, the Fool knows that the journey will begin again.  And through continued journeys, the Fool will achieve greater levels of understanding and growth.
 

The Cards of the Major Arcana

0 - Fool
1 - Magician
2 - High Priestess
3 - Empress
4 - Emperor
5 - Hierophant
6 - Lovers
7 - Chariot
8 - Strength
9 - Hermit
10 - Wheel of Fortune
11 - Justice
12 - Hanged Man
13 - Death
14 - Temperance
15 - Devil
16 - Tower
17 - Star
18 - Moon
19 - Sun
20 - Judgment
21 - World
 

© 2001 Mother