WTF Is Tarot

by Bakara Wintner

  In a Reading

  Being called. Living in your healership. Being of service to others. Humanitarianism and philanthropy. Bringing others into the light. Fulfilling your purpose and life’s work. Unburdening yourself from the past. Exercising mercy and forgiveness. Living a big, glorious, meaningful, full life. Personal reckoning. Facing yourself and liking what you see. Knowing your own goodness. Using your power for the highest possible service.

  21—THE WORLD

  Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.

  —John Lennon

  completion / home / bliss / closure / supreme / future / belonging / harmony / arrival / womb / cosmic / abundance / success / contentment / source / encompassing / fullness / rest / ending / restoration

  Card Meaning

  We made it, fam. Pack your swimsuit and get ready for some R&R, fruity drinks served in coconuts, trashy vacation reads and long naps on the beach (that’s how the saying goes, right?). In The World, we fall to our knees and kiss the hallowed ground we stand upon. We have completed something major and The World invites us to bask in our contentment at a job well done. There is nothing to do, no outstanding tasks or loose ends or ongoing projects. We’re really, really done. If Temperance and The Star are winter and spring breaks amid the grueling semesters, then The World is summer vacation. We’ve completed a cycle, the karmic pattern is over, and here we enjoy the freedom, consciousness, success and satisfaction that we worked our ass off for.

  More than likely, we don’t know how to accept The World’s invitation to chill and bliss out. Is this a trap? There must be something left to do. Checks phone. Reviews calendar. Is it really safe to let go? We long for a break and then we get one and don’t know what to do with ourselves. We book vacations and work through them, or aren’t present because we’re on our phone or behind a camera lens. Accept the break, you crazy person. This is a vital time for reflection and integration.

  The journey was long, challenging and sometimes treacherous, but now we’re home. We’ve arrived, and it feels right, even if it wasn’t the destination we initially had in mind or thought we wanted. The World’s vantage point offers a clear view of the perfection in each ostensible misstep, mistake, struggle and wrong turn. The product of this hindsight is both a sense of accomplishment and an awestruck humility at the immaculate workings of the universe.

  While The World is the last card in the Major Arcana, it is not the endgame. We yearn for the wholeness and peace that it offers us, wax sentimental about a blank calendar and an empty inbox. And here we get it. We can stay here for a little while. Sometimes a day, or a week, and very occasionally we are welcome into this oasis for a couple of months. Sometimes it’s as simple and brief as snuggling on your couch at the end of a long, productive day. It can come to us in the form of a specific event—leaving a job on great terms, or graduating from school or finishing a book.

  The World will lead back to The Fool. We can’t help ourselves. Energy festers if left to stagnate. We cannot be on vacation forever, nor do we truly want that. There will come a time where we again crave the wild journey, the mystery of the next step. We will go back into The Fool a little older, a little wiser, a little more equipped. We’ll long for The World when we’re tested by The Wheel of Fortune, in the throes of Death, shaken to our core by The Tower. But there will be a small, quiet part of us that will smile knowingly at the longing, all the while savoring every moment of this life’s dazzling messiness.

  Anecdote

  The month before I moved to North Carolina was extremely chaotic. As my time in Brooklyn wound down, it all hit me at once. I was a tarot reader. I was moving to the South. There were so many unexpected twists and turns that, while they were all beautiful and perfect, I was still reeling from. I had just published an article in a major media outlet that brought an influx of new clients, in addition to trying to fit in the old-timers who wanted readings before I moved. My identity was stolen and over $10,000 worth of shit was purchased in my name. The packing process was tedious and unending. And more than that, leaving the city that gave me so much—that I experienced magic in, where I found such an amazing community—was breaking my heart.

  I decided when we moved to Durham that I would not work for the first month. I had enough saved to justify it and hadn’t taken any kind of break or vacation since I quit my job to become a full-time reader a year and a half before. It felt important, settling into a new home, to take space and process that wild and miraculous ride.

  That first month, I made our house beautiful. I spent days in vintage and antique stores finding the perfect pieces for corners and hallways. I took long meandering walks around the city with Zadie and talked to strangers. I read books. I looked up recipes in the morning, went to the farmers’ market to get ingredients and spent the entire day cooking a meal from scratch. I contacted friends I had fallen out of touch with. I went to the woods. I lounged in bed all day. I remembered things I enjoyed doing that got lost in the hustle. I felt proud of myself, grateful, humbled and awestruck by the journey that led me here, to this house in a city that, up until a couple years ago, I’d never heard of. I knew the month would end. I knew I was going to open Everyday Magic. I knew there was a whole new chapter of magical madness ahead. But for that month, it was time to rest.

  In a Reading

  The experience of wholeness. A happy ending, or satisfying outcome. Completion. Giving to yourself. Reflecting on what you’ve done. Earned retreat. Being rewarded. Realization. Success. Feeling content. There is nothing more to do at this moment but rest. Arriving home after a long journey. Connection to source.

  THE MINOR ARCANA

  The four suits of the Minor Arcana comprise the majority of the cards in a tarot deck, but do not carry the same heavy-hitting lessons or staying power as the Majors. They are the details of life, the specific circumstances, the passing moments and fleeting situations. While these cards do not possess the same profundity as their Major counterpart, they are not trivial. They are the realities of living, the daily endeavor of being human. If the Major Arcana are the vital organs, then the Minor Arcana are the circulatory system that carries blood and oxygen throughout the body.

  Starting at the Ace—the commencement, or invitation to begin the journey of that particular suit—and ending at the Ten—the saturation point, or apex of that suit’s potential—the Minor Arcana are simpler energies to understand. In a reading, do not overthink their messages. It could be as simple as “he’s an asshole” or “this conflict isn’t worth spending too much time on because it will be over in three days.” If the tarot is a mirror of our reality, then miring everything with dense meaning is not useful, necessary or accurate. Again, intuition is key here.

  Numerologists have drawn parallels between each number, but it has never rung true to me, and trying to connect each number across suits has resulted in more confusion than clarity. The most intuitive through lines in each suit can be seen in the Aces, Fives and Tens.

  Aces are tiny, beautifully wrapped gifts. Depending on where we’re standing, we may not even see them, let alone consider picking them up. They are the babies of The Fool and The Magician, offering new beginnings and embodying the pure potential of the suits they correspond to. They do not possess the soul-level longing we feel to jump into the unknown when we meet The Fool, or the urgent action The Magician catalyzes. They are invitations into the journey of the Minor Arcana, and we do not always accept them. For every road we travel, there are a million paths we leave unexplored. Each Ace is a possibility. They let you know there is an opening. Trust yourself—it is not always possible to say yes to all of them. Make the decision you can live with.

  Fives are the middle point of each suit, and the teen angst is so real here. Soon we will blossom into beautiful butterflies, but the transition is just fucking awkward. You’re uncomfortable. You’re angry and aggressive and sad and self-destructive. Your body is doing weird things and no one gets you.
The easiest way to connect the Fives is to remember they all suck. Take the worst part of a suit’s characteristics, add in puberty, growing pains and Emo music and you arrive at the Fives.

  Tens are the saturation point of a card’s potential, which can be either a pinnacle or an overdose depending on the suit. The two difficult Tens are the Wands and Swords—the product of too much action and too much thinking, respectively. The two happy Tens are the Cups and Pentacles—too much love and too much money. Where do I sign up? But hey, no light card is without its shadow and no difficult card without its silver lining—and regardless of the palatability of any of the Tens, they bring the suit to a close. This too shall pass, whether we like it or not.

  THE SUIT OF WANDS

  fire / spring / dawn / days

  Wands represent action, passion, creativity, sexuality and movement in the world. They are the youngest suit of the tarot, and this youthful energy permeates the trajectory of the Wands. From new creative endeavors to exciting partnerships to fiery conflicts to overwhelming ourselves with taking too much on, the Wands carry us though the path of fire.

  Ace of Wands—It’s Lit

  If the Ace cards offer beginnings, then the Ace of Wands presents us with a spark. A new passion, or budding inspiration. The presentation of a new creative outlet—fragile in its newness but warming in its light. It is potential energy that, if nurtured properly, becomes kinetic through the journey of Wands. The opportunity could be anything that embodies fire—creativity, passion, sexuality or leadership—and the prospect of it excites us. The enthusiasm this card brings with it cannot be faked or manufactured. Oftentimes there is not yet enough information available to assess the pros and cons of this new path, but, fuck, we still want to do it. We’re buzzing to do it. It can be hard to imagine saying no to the Ace of Wands, even if it’s not a fully informed decision. This card brings with it an overall feeling of revitalization and health and speaks to the powerful medicine of passion. I’ve seen this card show up alongside something ending, or when considering letting something go. Amid the loss, insecurity and uncertainty there is something else—lightness—something being born that is new and possible and yours. The Ace of Wands is the discovery of possibility.

  Reinforced by: The Fool, The Magician, Ace of Pentacles, Eight of Pentacles

  Opposed by: The Wheel of Fortune, Death, Two of Swords, Eight of Swords

  Two of Wands—Let’s Do the Damn Thing

  In the Two of Wands, we harness the spark of the Ace and put it into action. We’ve shown it to someone and were met with an “oh my god, yes!” Excitement grows when it’s shared, and in being seen we feel fortified and validated. Any insecurity about this new venture is soothed by the plans we make to act on it. In this card, we may feel energized by another person, and it can speak to a meaningful but short-lived connection. Maybe it is a twin flame, but not a soul mate. Or maybe you are strongly connected to another by a shared goal. The two wands in this card serve to mirror each other, and the reflection allows for both parties to point all their efforts in one direction. A strong and equal creative partnership can be indicated in the Two of Wands, which is both a lot of fun and increases manifestation potential. Like any of the Twos, this card can also present us with choice; in the spirit of fire, it encourages fearlessness in our decision.

  Reinforced by: The Lovers, The Chariot, Two of Cups, Three of Pentacles

  Opposed by: The High Priestess, The Hermit, Eight of Swords, Seven of Pentacles

  Three of Wands—Looking Ahead

  You are standing in the middle of something that you’ve made, and it’s good. You did a thing. There’s beauty inside of it. And yet, you kind of want to take a sledgehammer to the edges of it to make room for more. The Three of Wands allows us to see what something can become. The desire for expansion this card brings with it is not connected to selfishness or greed or ego—it is born of a transformative desire that is distinctly divine. In readings, I see this card connected to flashes of clarity or clairvoyance; where, for a moment, space and time fold in on themselves and allow us to glimpse something more. It is also the time to re-examine plans we’ve made that we cannot visualize coming to pass. “I just can’t see it” has merit here. In the Three of Wands there is a strong possibility we’ve outgrown something. Do not postpone renovating your house for fear of the temporary disarray of construction. This is not a time for complacency. Follow your desire to lean into the unknown. Inversely, take time to appreciate what you’ve manifested so far. While having a corporate job wasn’t my ultimate path, I needed to first get that job in order to realize I didn’t want it. Do not diminish the thing you’ve outgrown, because it was that very thing that allowed you to grow and then outgrow in the first place.

  Reinforced by: The Hanged Man, The Tower, Seven of Wands, Nine of Pentacles

  Opposed by: The Devil, Two of Swords, Eight of Swords, Four of Pentacles

  Four of Wands—Work Hard Play Hard

  Time to turn up. Four is a number that typically represents structure (The Emperor is Arcanum IV), but when you blend the stability of this number with the fiery nature of the Wands, you just get a really well-planned party. Representing celebrations of all sorts, you can breathe a sigh of relief when this card shows up in a reading. We’ve made something beautiful, and it’s time to gather with the people we love and feel really fucking good about that. It could be celebrating a strong and meaningful relationship in the form of a wedding, or the birthday party of a friend you love. Since Everyday Magic opened, it has expanded in beautiful, unexpected ways. We have two employees, an in-house herbalist and a plant shop renting out the back space—a squad made up of the most intelligent, intuitive, hardworking and straight-up cool women I have ever met. We just had a holiday dinner together after nine months of tending to and growing this space, and the feelings of love, gratitude and respect we all have for each other lit up the whole evening. The champagne didn’t hurt, either.

  Reinforced by: The Emperor, The Sun, The World, Three of Cups

  Opposed by: The Hermit, The Tower, Five of Wands, Eight of Cups

  Five of Wands—Wait, Why Are We Even Fighting?

  Maybe you turned up too hard in the Four of Wands, and maybe now it’s the end of the night and you’re belligerent and trying to start some shit. You’re kinda pissed, kinda looking for a fight, kinda trying to break something just to produce loud sounds and kick up dust. We’ve all been here, when our partner comes home a little late from an innocent outing and we are faced with the choice of letting it go or turning the conversation into a “you always do this” blowout for the gods. The Five of Wands is unfocused, superficial conflict. The arguing, chaos and anger are to no end. Maybe you’re right, but being right doesn’t really matter. I’ve had fights like these with friends, cracking up laughing mid-argument in spite of ourselves. Try not to hold on to or get sucked into this drama. It’s not yours, or at least it doesn’t have to be. Maybe anger is being used to hide a secondary emotion—hurt or vulnerability. Re-assess the conflict in your life and the value of furthering it. There are battles worth fighting; is this one of them? Even if you end up being right, will it feel like you won?

  Reinforced by: The Tower, Eight of Wands, Seven of Wands, Five of Swords

  Opposed by: Strength, The Hanged Man, Four of Swords, Nine of Cups

  Six of Wands—When They Go Low, We Go High

  You’ve made it out of a scuffle safely and better. Fresh from battle, maybe the victory hasn’t set in yet. But soon you will see that the drama is over, your integrity is intact and your sense of self is fortified as a result of your experience. This card shows up in a reading to let clients reflect on their own goodness and strength. Against the odds, they did right by themselves. Explore the possibility that you are not broken. Maybe, in spite of everything and because of everything, you are miraculously, perfectly whole. The circumstances have only strengthened your heart and cleared your voice. The power of the Six of Wands resides in acknowledgi
ng all the different ways a situation could have been handled—cracking under pressure, succumbing to negativity, losing yourself in drama—and appreciating yourself for choosing a higher road.

  Reinforced by: Strength, Temperance, Four of Swords, Six of Swords

  Opposed by: Five of Wands, Seven of Swords, Five of Cups, Five of Pentacles

  Seven of Wands—Come At Me Bro

  With strengthened convictions and a feeling of having something to protect, we are ready to fight for what we believe in—but do we need to? It can be lonely at the top, and the Seven of Wands cautions us to resist aggression and paranoia. Being secure in who we are and what we stand for is paramount to responsibly using the Seven of Wands. A strong sense of self allows us to correctly perceive toxic energies, ill-wishers, jealousy or unhealthy competition. If this is the case, the Seven of Wands allows us to walk away or fight if we have to. Most commonly, I see this card show up as external influences that no longer support the client’s highest intention. Here, courage is called for. Whether or not there is still a connection to it, it is time to keep going, and sometimes that means leaving things behind.

  Reinforced by: Justice, Ace of Swords, Eight of Cups, Four of Pentacles

  Opposed by: The Hanged Man, Nine of Pentacles, Ten of Pentacles, Ten of Cups

  Eight of Wands—Married to the Hustle

  The rapid-fire movement of the Eight of Wands is both an exciting and all-consuming time. True to the wand’s swiftness, this card enters quickly and demands quickness on the part of its recipient. One after another, we are presented with opportunities that demand our full attention and creativity, and we want to give it our all. With these opportunities, the prospects of success, travel and adventure are introduced. A good omen for people looking for jobs or searching for a new path, this is not a time for indecision or settling. It can also threaten long-standing commitments that, while necessary, are not as exciting as the Eight of Wands. People consumed with this energy can be horrible company because they are entirely focused on a goal and neglecting other aspects of life. Unless this is a chronic behavioral pattern, encourage patience—oftentimes the Eight of Wands leaves as quickly as it came.