Llewellyn's Complete Book of the Rider-Waite-Smith Tarot

by Sasha Graham

  3. Sunflower—How can I best harness my energy?

  4. Black Cat—How do I focus energy and attention toward elements that satisfy me?

  5. Pyramids—How can I store my energy and access it at any time?

  6. Leg-Parted Posture—How do I maintain ownership over my physical body?

  King of Wands “Visionary” Spread

  How can you make a difference in the world? Can you focus on your gifts, do what you love, and make the world a better place? I know you can. Visionaries see the big picture. They use failure as an engine. They remain focused. They obtain their goals.

  Access the King of Wands’ energy inside you, let nothing deter you, and cast your cards in the shape of his wands to make your vision a reality.

  1. Wand—What is my vision?

  2. Salamander—How does passion inspire direct action?

  3. Throne—What natural gifts do I already possess?

  4. Lion—What challenges me in obtaining my goal?

  5. Desert—What simple, singular action helps me to achieve it?

  Ace of Swords “Choose Your Thoughts” Spread

  Are you distracted? Do you need to focus? Do you let self-doubt and random emotions cloud how you act in the world? Control your thoughts and control your experience of the world. Become the active observer of yourself. Allow negative or painful thoughts and feelings to slip away. Take action on the good ideas fostering pleasure, satisfaction, and growth. Allow darkness and negativity to perish by removing their power over you. Your mind is a powerhouse. Use it wisely.

  Cast your cards in the shape of the all-powerful sword to cultivate and hone the power of the mind.

  1. Clouds—What is manifesting right now?

  2. Angelic Hand—What are my gifts?

  3. Grip—What ideas do I cling to that must slip away?

  4. Sword—What thought/idea/decision should I live by?

  5. Olive Branch—What mental symbol brings me peace?

  6. Palm Branch—What helps me rise above dark thoughts and feelings?

  7. Mountaintops—What can I attain with the power of the mind?

  Two of Swords “Reset the Mind” Spread

  Do you seek inner peace? Do you yearn for the power of contemplation? Do you need to make an important decision? Restore inner peace, calm, and zen when you need it most.

  Cast your cards in the X shape the figure makes with her arms.

  1. Blindfold—What is the best way to block out chaos and confusion?

  2. Swords—How am I my own worst enemy?

  3. Stage Card—How do I drop concern for what other people think?

  4. Water—How do I find inner peace?

  5. Distant Shore—What possibilities await?

  Three of Swords “Embrace Heartbreak” Spread

  Is your heart torn apart? Are you experiencing a breakup, betrayal, or the deep emotional pain of loss? There’s no way around heartache during the course of our life. It is a pain we all must bear. Ease pain by embracing it. Reject and repress nothing. Be kind to yourself in the process. Feel every feeling. Be kind and loving toward yourself until it passes.

  Cast your cards in the shape of your tender heart to remind you these feelings won’t last forever.

  1. Heart—How can I stay present and experience the discomfort so it moves through me?

  2. Rain—What eases my suffering?

  3. Sword 1—Past pain.

  4. Sword 2—Present pain.

  5. Sword 3—Future pain.

  6. Clouds—What changes?

  7. Wind—What is the lesson?

  Four of Swords “Restful Night’s Sleep” Spread

  Are you struggling with sleep? Does night find you awake, tossing and turning? Daytime is excruciating without enough sleep. Peace and quiet pervades the Four of Swords. Activate the restful, restorative qualities of this card to help you back into an excellent sleep schedule.

  Cast your cards like the swords in this card for helpful solutions to get you sleeping soundly. Keep the Four of Swords visible during the reading. Meditate on the card before going to sleep.

  1. Sword 1—What energy is keeping me awake?

  2. Sword 2—What can I replace this energy with?

  3. Sword 3—How can I become present in the moment and allow myself to drift to sleep?

  4. Sword 4—How do I set up the most comfortable sleeping situation ever?

  Five of Swords “Banish Passive-Aggressive Behavior

  Once and for All” Spread

  Is a passive-aggressive person or situation making you crazy right now? Passive-aggressive situations are stressful, harmful, and soul sucking. The Five of Swords reflects unkind actions, fights, and mental abuse. Cast your cards to release yourself from unkind behavior. Create boundaries. Passive-aggressive behavior only works if you play into it. Learn from the experience, change your energy, and banish passive-aggressiveness from your life forever.

  Cast your cards in the shape of the swords on the card.

  1. Sword 1—What is the root of the issue?

  2. Sword 2—How do I stay calm and focused in the situation?

  3. Sword 3—How do I change my energy and reaction to this situation?

  4. Sword 4—What limits do I need to set?

  5. Sword 5—How do I stay mindful and never repeat this situation ever again?

  Six of Swords “Better Times Lie Ahead-top-of-pageXXpbb” Spread

  Are you ready for a new outcome? Looking to move toward greener pastures and happier experiences? The Six of Swords is often called the “better times lie Ahead-top-of-pageXXpbb card.” It is a transitional card reflecting figures escaping a situation or moving Ahead-top-of-pageXXpbb to distant shores. Bouncing off that interpretation, cast your cards when you want to look toward a positive future.

  Cast your cards in the shape of a boat to begin your journey.

  1. Swords—What is the root of the issue? (choose this card intentionally or randomly)

  2. Boat—What will help me get over it?

  3. Boatman—Who helps me to move Ahead-top-of-pageXXpbb?

  4. Water—How can I remain emotionally open and deep?

  5. Child—How can I protect myself?

  6. Cloaked Figure—What hidden element do I not yet see?

  7. Distant Shore—What can I look forward to?

  Seven of Swords “Clean Getaway” Spread

  Are you looking for a clean break and a quick getaway? The Seven of Swords reflects a creeping figure who slips away unnoticed by others. There are times when we need to leave a situation and only take the good with us. Doing so, we leave past habits and negative behaviors behind.

  Cast your cards in the shape of a tent top to make your break.

  1. Swords in Hand—What valuable lesson will I take from this situation?

  2. Swords Left Behind—What do I no longer need?

  3. People in Background—What permanent boundaries must I erect?

  4. Posture—How can I be integrated in my approach?

  5. Stage Card—How can I be more authentic to myself in the future?

  Eight of Swords “Release Ties of Bondage” Spread

  Do you feel tied down? Are you being stifled and suppressed by a person, situation, or even yourself? Free yourself from the ties that bind by understanding why you are here to begin with. The Eight of Swords can reflect an imprisonment leading to great freedom. When the blindfold comes off, you will see the world with a new set of eyes and never return to this place again.

  Cast your cards in a straight line to evolve into who you were always meant to be.

  1. Swords—What thoughts imprison me?

  2. Castle—How do I release old behavior?

  3. Binds—How can I save myself?

  4. Shore—How do I safely lan
d on two feet?

  5. Distant Cliffs—What direction shall I head in?

  Nine of Swords “Change Thought Patterns” Spread

  Do you feel like you are driving yourself crazy? Are you being held hostage by thoughts continuously running through your mind? Thought habits can lodge in the mind just like physical habits in the body.

  Cast your cards like the wall of swords to break free of old thoughts when they have outlived their purpose and need to be set free.

  1. Swords—How do I let negative thoughts go and replace them with new, empowering ones?

  2. Quilt—What protection can I count on?

  3. Bed—What fills me when I release angst and pain?

  4. White Nightgown—How do I wipe the slate clean?

  5. Hands on Face—How can I rejuvenate myself?

  6. Etching Carved in Bed Frame—What single action can I take to stop wounding myself and start healing?

  Ten of Swords “Break the Cycle” Spread

  Are you ready to break a cycle? Are you noticing how situations and events return to you again and again? It’s not always easy to break cycles. If it was, we wouldn’t struggle with it and history wouldn’t repeat itself. Perhaps the Ten of Swords looks like the scene of a bloody murder because deep, true, irrevocable change is frightening. It sets us off into unknown territories. It reflects a cycle reaching its complete and utter conclusion.

  Cast your cards in the line of a spine and end the situation forever.

  1. Body—What is finished?

  2. Hand Gesture—What secret will I uncover?

  3. Swords in Spine—How can I integrate a new reality?

  4. Water—What will wash away past pain?

  5. Red Fabric—What do I need to sacrifice?

  6. Dark Night—What is the darkness part of this situation?

  7. Rising Dawn—What new reality unfolds?

  Page of Swords “Get to the Bottom of the Situation” Spread

  Is there a mystery you need to solve? The Page is Swords is the plucky detective, the Nancy Drew, of the tarot deck. Use her enterprising, clever energy to get to the bottom of any mystery, unravel secrets, and cultivate truth.

  Cast your cards in the shape of the birds rising high in the sky.

  1. Posture—Where do I stand?

  2. Rugged Terrain—What is my challenge?

  3. Sword—How can I keep the highest thoughts and clearest thinking?

  4. Birds—How can I better interpret messages?

  5. Wind—How can I adapt to shifting winds and changing situations?

  6. Clouds—What helps me see the truth?

  7. Trees—What is revealed?

  Knight of Swords “Do the Right Thing” Spread

  Are you ready to take a stand? Knight energy is decisive and swift. Once an idea takes hold or a decision is made, it should be executed promptly and swiftly. Often, the universe or the world unfolds in a manner in which swift response is required and extraordinary results are garnered. Open yourself to these opportunities so doubt, fear, and timidness do not hold you back from doing the right thing.

  Cast your cards in the shape of the knight’s sword.

  1. Gait—What needs my attention?

  2. Sword—How do I stand up for truth?

  3. Speed—How do I trust the energy surrounding me?

  4. Butterflies—How do I stay connected to the highest ideal?

  5. Knight—What action is required?

  Queen of Swords “Articulate Thoughts with Ease” Spread

  Invoke the power of language through the clear and concise articulation of thoughts. Articulation and the way we put words together affects how we think about ourselves on the inside and how we organize our life on the outside. It carries a transformative power whose butterfly effects work outwardly and inwardly.

  Cast your cards to articulate creatively, precisely, and with the utmost ease.

  1. Crown—How can I open to high-level wisdom?

  2. Bird—What message is the animal world sending me?

  3. Butterfly—How can I invoke beauty through words?

  4. Tree—How can I remain grounded in all three worlds?

  5. Blooming Clouds—How do I gather support in all places?

  6. Cloud Cape—How do I keep my highest self with me during regular life?

  7. Hand Gesture—How do I stay open and available to new inspiration?

  King of Swords “Make it Happen” Spread

  King energy is mature and masculine. Access this energy to become effective and produce results. The King of Swords sees clearly into the heart of the situation and takes direct action.

  Cast your cards in a stable and powerful square.

  1. Gaze—What helps me focus on the end goal?

  2. Sword—How can I best express my truth?

  3. Clouds—What helps me rise to the challenge?

  4. Blue Sky—How can I move past previous limitations?

  [contents]

  60. Waite, Pictorial Key.

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  81. Waite, Pictorial Key.

  appendix

  Symbol Dictionary

  We have to recognize, in a word, that there is no public cannon of authority in the interpretation of Tarot Symbolism. The field is open therefore; it is indeed so open that anyone of my readers is free to produce an entirely new explanation, making no appeal to past experiments; but the adventure will be at his or her own risk and peril as to whether they can make it work and thus produce a harmony of interpretation throughout.

  Arthur Waite, Shadows of Life and Thought

  This section provides meanings and interpretations for myriad visual language and symbolic images found across the Rider-Waite-Smith cards. Tarot, magic, and ritual are highly symbolic in nature because a symbol speaks directly to the subconscious. A symbol is like shorthand to the human psyche, and like a shot of whiskey, its effect is immediately felt. Words and sentences must be deciphered and understood, even if the process takes only a millisecond. The symbol, in contrast, offers immediate understanding.

  It is supremely important to understand that symbol dictionaries (any symbolic dictionary) are a mere starting point. No symbol can be entirely defined by another person or group of people. It is personal, cultural, and experiential associations that give a symbol its power. Your own unique eyes, sensitivities, and personal breadth of experience are the power generator behind any symbolic system. Claim the world of symbols as your own. Anything you look at suddenly becomes like a tarot card, easily decipherable and read. When the world around you becomes a landscape for contemplation, richness, and meaning, your world will transform before you and inside of you. Your experience of life will be deepened. You will never be bored because everything before you offers a message and meaning to be unraveled. Why is symbolic reading so transformative? Because the closer you look at somethin
g, the more you will discover, the deeper you will be drawn into the experience of that thing, and mystery upon unraveling mystery will unfold before your eyes.

  You could create an individual symbol dictionary in your tarot journal or grimoire. Assign at least one page (if not more) for each symbol. List all the associations, feelings, intuitions, and meanings you have experienced for that symbol. Don’t limit yourself to traditional symbols like suns, moons, and stars. If curling muscular biceps are an image that fills you with excitement, list it. If rosy red summer tomatoes fill you with the heat of summer, list it. If items like books, vinyl records, and watercolor paint sets fill you with cozy feelings, list them. List terrifying, creepy, and uneasy symbols too. Find inspiration in tarot decks, items in your house, and your waking and sleeping dreams.

  Symbolic reading is an excellent tool for unlocking the tarot. Symbolic reading is helpful if you are a professional reader and must perform quick party readings for large groups of people. Additionally, you can take the symbolic reading technique out of the tarot and use it to find richness in your life and find signs and meanings in the landscape all around you at any moment.

  How to Do a Symbolic Reading

  You can create an entire reading, construct a narrative, and derive meaning from a single symbol. The process is simple:

  Symbolic Reading Technique

  1. Clear your mind.

  2. Shuffle the cards.

  3. Flip a card.

  4. First image that catches your eye? That’s your symbol.

  5. Interpret.