The Cosmic Tarot

by Jean Huets

  A man in the prime of life stands confidently between two wands. Light arches between the tops of the wands, and the sky itself frames the man's head. The mountains, the flock of birds, the straight lines of the trees, and the wands themselves emphasize the sky as the backdrop.

  Superb pride is in every line of this man's stance. His head is high, his clothes immaculate, his feet well-poised. He has riches and status. Yet he is not complacent; his eyes are raised to lofty distances.

  The two wands, rooted in the earth, shining in the air, indicate opposites: male and female, light and dark, joy and sorrow, exaltation and degradation. The man stands between them, aware but unbiased. As the composer Johannes Brahms said, "The ideal and the genuine man is calm both in his joy and in his sorrow."

  Meanings - Dominion. Superiority. Authority. Success by understanding opposites. Maturity. An even temperament. Contradictory events. Sadness.

  Three of Wands

  A young woman dances, and the earth near her bursts into flower. Miraculously, three lotuses spring from the dusty ground. Above is a star; around the woman are three wands. Her beautiful, seductive clothes reveal and conceal her body as she dances, and bands of gold are on her arms and head.

  The woman dances alone in an empty landscape. Her expression flows unhindered by the lack of audience. She dances for her own joy, in response to the earth below and the sky above. She is drawn to the star, even as she draws it toward herself and the earth. The three wands symbolize the act of creation, a solitary inspiration taking tangible form. The woman is an artist inspired by her vision, untouched by concerns of money or fame.

  Meanings - Virtue. Growth. Success through self-confidence. Art. Dreams come true. Manifested will. Creativity. Activity. Joy of discovery. Preventing confrontations.

  Four of Wands

  A dancer echoes the flight of a bird. Around her are four wands; in the distance are pyramids. Four white flowers grow among the wands. The earth itself spirals in harmony with the dance. Whereas the dancer on the three of wands held herself close to the earth, this dancer seems about to take off in flight.

  Dancers and spectators of dance often use the metaphor of flight to describe particularly beautiful moves or even to title dance pieces. The dance piece "The Lark Ascending" by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre shows human flight without wings or machines.

  The four wands and the four flowers, symbolic of earthly foundation, would seem to ground our dancer. However, it is with her earthly body that she offers us wings.

  Meanings - Completion. Rise. Clarification. Peace. Joy in life. Fiery love. Exhilaration in physical activity. Guilelessness. New prosperity. Insecurity. Need to ground oneself.

  Five of Wands

  Two men fight, using wands as weapons. Around them is a circle of rocks, and behind them is a ragged fence.

  Few activities can match fighting, in terms of energy raised and expended. From religious epics to tribal wars to gang riots to adventure movies to boxing matches: we are fascinated with violence. Battles, mock or real, are considered by many to be an initiation into manhood.

  The circle of stones around the two men gives a ritualistic air to the fight. The stones and the fence may contain the violence, or the violence may spill out, spreading the destruction, causing more pain and strife.

  Meanings - Strife. Violence. War. Confrontation. Argument. Support. Concentrated energy push. Struggle. Labor. Escalating conflicts. Complexity. Blockade. Dilution of efforts. Images of violence and influences dangerous especially to children.

  Six of Wands

  A young man kneels on the ground, holding a wand. He wears the laurel wreath of victory. A lion reclines nearby, also crowned.

  The battle has been fought and now the triumph can be savored. The heat of aggression still permeates the landscape, but flowers bloom from the dry ground.

  The lion is the totem of the victorious warrior, from Hercules who fought barehanded the Nemean lion, to Richard the Lionheart of Aquitaine and England. Kings of many nations have claimed the animal for their coats of arms.

  The reclining lion of the six of wands has banked its ferocity for the moment. It must be guarded carefully by its youthful master, however. The strength of the beast can be useful, but power has a way of devouring those who try to exploit it without having the strength of character to control it. The sigil of Jupiter, on the youth's tunic, indicates that wisdom tames aggression.

  Meanings - Victory. Forces in balance. Success. Hope. Conquest. A solid team with a strong leader. Triumph. Good news. Advance. Desires realized as a result of efforts. Anxiety. Inconclusive gain. Treachery from a subordinate. Mutiny.

  Seven of Wands

  A man in front of a fence heroically defends himself against six rods. His survival will depend on skill and courage.

  Everyone at some point must deal with a bully. Confronted with overwhelming strength, we fall back on inner resources: wit, brazenness, courage, sheer panache. Sometimes diplomacy works; sometimes we resort to elaborate but empty threats.

  The martial arts favor not brute strength, but mental and physical flexibility. Concentration, bravery, tranquility, focus, and mental acuity, as well as physical dexterity and strength are heroic traits. The seven of wands indicates the ability to harness all of one's skills to overcome adversity.

  Meanings - Overwhelming odds surmounted. Valor. Action without planning. Negotiation. Contest. Fight for survival. Skill in martial arts. Courage. Worry. Agitation. Hesitation may cause losses. Perplexity.

  Eight of Wands

  A man flies through the air, his legs extended to their utmost. He exults in the swiftness of his flight. The four wands above him act as lightning rods, drawing down the powers of the sky.

  The man does not appear to be fleeing from something or rushing toward something. He represents energy for the sake of energy, the burst of enthusiasm that comes even before a purpose or an action is clearly formulated.

  Eventually, the man will have to slow down and pace himself if he is not to exhaust himself before he completes his travels. The exhilaration he is now experiencing, however, will carry him far.

  Meanings - Swift activity. Sudden progress or movement. Enthusiasm. New solutions. Speed. Hastily made decisions. Too rapid advancement. Thorns of dispute. Jealousy. Doubt. Remorse. Burn out.

  Nine of Wands

  A muscular and masculine youth gazes steadfastly into the distance. His hair stands up, as if it is too energized to lie flat. A lion behind him is screened by five transparent wands. Four wands are in front of the youth. One is twined by a thin serpent.

  The serpent and the lion are both symbols of power. Snakes can represent the energy of the body as acted on by the mind. Lions indicate physical strength and prowess. As the youth stands between the lion and the serpent, it is up to him to gain access to their potency. He must not be blinded by fantasies of his own strength.

  Meanings - Anticipation. Self-determination. Discipline. Order. Revealed passions. Knowledge, or lack of knowledge, of one's own strength. A pause in a current struggle. Obstacles. Adversity. Delay. Tension.

  Ten of Wands

  The ten of wands presents an image of disaster: a world burning, a person caught in the flames. Wrecked buildings give an unmistakable picture of war. Saturn, considered by many to be a baleful influence, is visible through the clouds of smoke.

  All of us are responsible for our country's government—and for all human governments. Silent acquiescence can be the signature on a contract with tyranny. As Dr. Martin Luther King said, "To ignore evil is to become an accomplice to it."

  The figure trapped by the wands might be a victim of his or her own passiveness, or this person might be one who sacrificed his or her life to the cause of liberty, which is never lost, even if it is at times obscured.

  Meanings - Oppression. Last effort. Excessive pressures. Link between strongly opposing elements. Stubbornness. Burden. Difficulties. War. Losses. Displacement. Fulfillment of great wishe
s. New expectations from life.

  Princess of Wands

  A young woman gazes at us from a tropical landscape. Behind her, as if in reflection of her sultry eyes, the sun burns over a volcano. The princess symbolizes the element of fire. The ornament on her headdress resembles the trident of the Hindu deity Shiva (see XI Strength).

  The princess of wands is well aware of her power to attract, though she may not be mature enough to maintain a relationship. She represents an energetic person who takes chances, who might jump into a situation without examining it.

  This person angers quickly and forgives quickly. She may say or do things that are later regretted, but she will go to extravagant measures to make up.

  In a relationship, the princess of wands is passionately attached to the good opinion of her partner. Though she seems to dominate, behind the scenes she may be at the mercy of the other.

  Inspiration drives the princess. She will drop everything (and everyone) in order to pursue her artistic vision. She tends, also, to dump her friends when a new romance sparks her. Her passions are intense and run a quick course, often with high damages.

  Understanding and patience go a long way in a friendship with the princess. She does not mean to test those who love her, and hurting others saddens her more than injuries to herself. The influence of a strong, quiet type can moderate her fiery impulsiveness, as she is amenable to good counsel.

  Meanings - Spontaneity. Energy. A person willing to accept risks. Impulsiveness. Passion in both love and anger. An artist. An envoy. A stranger with good intentions. A bearer of important news. Superficiality. Instability. A heartbreaker.

  Prince of Wands

  A youth bears a club and a shield. Though his shield reflects a lion, the youth shows no fear. Like the princess of wands, the prince wears a headdress on which is the trident of Shiva. Under the collar of his jacket is the sigil of the astrological sign Leo. The sun and the lion are symbols of Leo.

  If Aries is the head of the zodiac, Leo is the heart. To have the heart of a lion is to be bold, generous, loyal to friends, and implacable to enemies. The prince of wands advances fearlessly into situations, trusting his own resources and his supporters.

  Whatever the prince does will be done with flair and panache, as Leo likes "putting on the Ritz." A love of showmanship can fall into conceit, and the prince becomes a poseur. Gold is his metal: he may be a gold-tone phony, or he may be genuine and untarnished, bright and warm. When secure in his self-esteem, the prince shares all with all.

  Like other felines, the Leonine prince has a strong sense of pride. When compromised, he will snarl and even snap.

  The term "pride" also applies to the lion's offspring. The prince is an affectionate and generous parent, and his children are likely to be as shining as he is. The prince may indicate the birth of a grandchild, or an occasion concerning a grandchild.

  Meanings - Strength. Nobility. Trust. Righteousness. Bravery. Style. Humor. Friendliness. Warmth. Intense love. Parental love. Pride. Grandchildren. Advance into the unknown. Flight. Pretentiousness. Intolerance. Prejudice.

  Queen of Wands

  The queen of wands is an authoritative woman. Her tiara and jeweled gown and her beauty give her an air of glamor. She holds a bouquet of white flowers, symbolizing purity of heart. In the background is a tower on which an archer guards the approaches from the sea.

  The archer symbolizes Sagittarius. Jupiter, ruler of Sagittarius, is king of the gods, and the queen symbolizes a woman who, in spite of society's prejudices, can rule men and women. Her strength comes not from being "an honorary man" (to quote writer Ursula K. LeGuin), but from her character and quality. She evokes great loyalty in her subjects, who consider her valuable and irreplaceable.

  The queen of wands can represent a person who seems larger than life. Physically, in fact, she probably is Rubenesque. If she is an artist, she will work on a large scale. Monuments and operas are more to her taste than miniatures and kitchen-sink dramas. She goes for all the gusto she can get, and though she is never out of control, she can embarrass more timid or reserved companions. She enjoys activities whose challenges and arenas are large, for example, exploring, sky-diving, mountain climbing, ocean sports.

  The queen's inclination is to stride over what she considers petty. She can be callous, but if she uses her powerful mental facilities with sensitivity, she can show us a world that transcends selfish, spirit-deadening trivialities.

  Meanings - A sympathetic and understanding person. Glamor. Honor. Friendliness. Loving and kind person. Executive abilities. Strong will. Enthusiasm. Sports. Travel. Vengefulness.

  King of Wands

  The king of wands bears a wand and a red tulip. In the background is a standard on which is the symbol of Aries.

  Aries, the top of the zodiac, rules with the head. The king's intellect rules over his emotions and physical appetites—or he may be merely headstrong.

  He finds it difficult to accept loss, and his main weakness is in his denial of personal weakness. A situation that offers no resolution may find the king butting his head against the wall, or the king may be the one who leads others through a period of despair and into the light.

  Because he acts in the fiery realm of quick energy, the king, like his Libran counterpart the king of swords, can be long on inspiration and ideas and short on follow-through. The proud tenacity of the king can overrule his lack of perseverance, enabling him to find the breach in the wall and lead the way through it.

  If the wish to dominate takes hold of him, the king of wands will be ruthless. If he devotes his natural warmth and fiery enthusiasm and energy to the service of others, he will realize greatness.

  Aries is the least materialistic sign of the zodiac, and his ability to tolerate hardship can put him on the front lines of humanitarian work.

  Like his mate, the Sagittarian queen of wands, the king loves adventures and challenge. Since, for him, the end supports the means, and because he is generally fearless, he is the quintessential guerrilla warrior, smuggler, or pirate; he will volunteer for the dust off operation of rescuing wounded personnel behind enemy lines.

  He will stop at nothing to accomplish his mission; emergency services and investigative or combat journalism are good uses of his energy. He may also be attracted to explosives and firearms.

  Everyone pays attention when the king of wands walks into a room, such is the force of his personality. Acquaintances admire more than love him, but from the people who are close to him he receives deep devotion, which he returns in full. The soft pink and lavender colors of the king's clothes indicate sensitivity.

  The king may be a man who is past the prime of life but has retained his potency; he may be a man who has married late in life. The king is naturally strong; his fiery metabolism means that he is probably lean as well.

  Meanings - Vivid personality. Strong will. Adventurer. Conscientiousness. Creativity. Charisma. Generosity. Tenacity. Ascetic type. Devotion. Friendliness. An educated person. A gentleman. Austerity. Carpe diem. Excessive and exaggerated ideas. Impetuousness.

  Suit of Cups

  Ace of Cups

  A golden chalice underwater overflows with liquid and light. The moon and stars throw brilliant rays into the starry sky. The emotions of life touch the realm of the earth, as signified by the soil on which the cup stands. Overflowing joy and an ocean of tears are contained in the cup.

  Twelve stars above the cup symbolize completion in the base twelve number system. The fellowship of Christ's apostles numbered twelve, Hercules performed twelve labors, the zodiac has twelve houses, day and night have twelve hours each. Gareth Knight, in Qabalistic Symbolism, calls the signs of the zodiac "markers on a great clock which serve to indicate the type of force emanating from the Solar Logos at any particular time." (By Solar Logos, Knight means "the Conditioner and Sustainer of our Solar System.")

  Twelve is a number of time, a reminder of how impermanent the most deeply felt emotions can be. As religious r
itual uses water to wash away impurity or sinfulness, mundane and fleeting emotions can be transformed into divine compassion.

  Meanings - Abundance. Fulfillment. Perfection. Joy. Female fertility. Beauty and pleasure. Goodness overflowing. Favorable outlook. Change. Erosion. Instability. Inconstancy.

  Two of Cups

  A man and a woman kiss in a cinematic fantasy scene. Flowers float all around them, and two chalices exchange light. The chalices contain cold liquid—maybe the drink of lovers, champagne. The cosmos evokes the floating feeling that a lover's embrace can bring.

  Romantic love inspires more expression in the arts than anything else. It is an ancient celebration and a most delightful event.

  If the lovers stay together, the end of the honeymoon period will change their relationship. They will learn to live with each other's faults and idiosyncrasies, and the affair will deepen into an enduring love; or they will separate to chase new butterflies.

  The scene on the two of cups depicts the moment when two people discover passion between themselves. They may have been friends for a while; they may have just met. The future is unclear—and in this blissful moment, the lovers have no thought for it.

  The two of cups can also signify the joyful beginning of a new friendship or the decision to commit to a relationship, whether business, romantic, or platonic.

  Meanings - Love and its uniting power. Strong links. Friendship beginning or renewed. Passion. Union. Harmony. Engagement. Cooperation. Partnership. Unsatisfactory love. Conflicting emotions. False friendship. Troubled relationship. Star-crossed love.