The Mirror of the Moment

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The Mirror of the Moment Page 5

by Richard Palmer


  matter being inquired about. This work is authored from the point

  of view that it will be used mostly by individuals to support their

  own welfare in life and who will employ mostly One Card

  readings to perform their divinations. It does however take into

  account that an individual may desire to advance their skills either

  in the form of expanded readings for themselves or branching out

  into reading for other individuals, and

  thus

  includes

  the

  necessary

  instruction to enable them to succeed so if they so

  desire. The One Card Reading is the most logical point to begin an

  exploration of Tarot divination in the same manner as a learning to

  fly a small single engine plane is the logical point to begin a course

  of pilot training that will eventually lead you acquire the

  knowledge, skill and expertise to fly a jet airplane. You cannot

  learn to run before you have learned to walk.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  A WORD ON THE COURT CARDS

  The Suites of the Tarot (Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles) each

  contain their own Royal Court consisting of a Page, a Knight, a

  Queen and a King. Because these cards may indicate a direct

  association with a specific human individual within the context of

  a reading each of these cards has a dual Oracle – one which

  represents the personality of the royal individual that would most

  likely apply if a card in a reading makes reference to a specific

  person and another cloud Oracle that would apply within the

  context of a specific situation that does not directly apply to a

  person.

  CONCLUSION

  This book was authored from two perspectives. One was to

  provide a solid and clearly understandable approach to utilizing the

  Tarot in the life of an individual either as an Oracle of divination to

  provide valuable insights as needed in daily life and/or as a method

  of evolutionary self development through which an individual can

  grow in the understanding of their own psyche and its connection

  to the spiritual dimension of Nature. The second perspective was to

  provide a method through which any sincere individual acquire

  the

  insight,

  knowledge

  and

  intuitive

  ability

  necessary to

  successfully read the Tarot and obtain insight into the often

  perplexing or urgent concerns you may face on your journey

  through time. Either or both paths are open to you as a reader of

  this work.

  In its passage through the centuries, the Tarot has evolved to its

  present state of being and as a living tradition will no doubt

  continue to evolve in its continuing journey through time. We will

  now embark upon our journey into the imagery of the cards and

  their associated correspondences so as to lay a solid foundation for

  self and performing successful Tarot readings for yourself when

  you seeking insight, advice and guidance in your life.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  If you are eager to perform your first divination and cannot wait

  until you have invested the time necessary to familiarize yourself

  with the meaning of each individual card then feel free to skip to

  the section entitled “Intuitive Contextual Divination” where the

  correct preparation of the deck for performing a reading is

  discussed and then perform your first divination. Once your need

  has been satisfied you can go back and start your study beginning

  with the Major Cards and become familiar with the entire deck at

  your own pace and as your personal time allows.

  Please remember this most important point! The message of the

  Tarot is in the revealed images and the resonance they invoke

  within you. It is what these images communicate that gives your

  reading its fundamental meaning. The words are necessary but are

  essentially only guides to attaining this resonance.

  Safe Journey

  33

  34

  The Major Cards

  35

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  THE FOOL

  The Spirit of the Air

  Air

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  Against a yellow sky a well dressed young man walks in a high

  place towards the edge of a precipice. He seems unaware of the

  danger in front of him and strides forward as though oblivious and

  lost in his own daydreams. Beside him walks a barking white dog

  that rears up on his hind legs as though trying to gain his attention

  or alert him to what lies ahead.

  A white Sun shines in the

  background of a yellow sky illuminating a tall and foreboding

  mountain range in the distance whose white peaks appear cold and

  desolate and whose summits are covered with ice and snow. The

  Fool carries a long wooden staff that rests on his right shoulder. At

  the top end of the staff is tied a leather wallet embossed with the

  image of an eagle and decorated with a red feather that floats freely

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  in the breeze. He is dressed in a colorful one piece garment

  decorated with a design of numerous whirling pinwheels all of

  which have seven spokes. His undergarment is white and he sports

  a pair of brownish leg warmers as well as a pair of soft yellow

  leather walking boots. In his outstretched left hand he holds a

  white rose whose petals stand open and partake of the solar energy

  flowing from the sky above.

  MEDITATION

  The correspondence with “Air” symbolizes The Fool’

  s connection

  with the element of consciousness, thought and mind which, like

  Air is not directly seen but is experienced as being everywhere and

  in everything. “Air” symbolizes Spirit, idea, consciousness,

  thought – that which is above the material; not visible but

  absolutely real. The Fool often represents a situation where you

  have the choice either to take the plunge and move forward or to

  hold back and take time to think about the road ahead. To this

  decision you must bring the full scope of your mental faculties

  leaving no stone unturned and no detail overlooked so as to assure

  a successful outcome. The image of The Fool and the power of

  “Air” invoke an atmosphere of elevated consciousness – the power

  of reason and intuition uniting to weigh all the aspects of a

  situation in order to gain an authentic insight as to the right path

  for the will to follow or to make the correct decision.

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

  When The Fool is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s)

  may

  correspond

  to:

  a

  favorable

  atmosphere

  surrounding the matter of your inquiry; an advisory that you are

  following the right path or making the right choice or decision with

  regards to the matter of your inquiry; a need for you to closely

  evaluate risk verses reward before taking any action; the need to />
  use caution and good judgment in your

  present

  affairs; an

  exciting opportunity lying just ahead of you; the need to trust your

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  own intuition in the matter you have inquired about; having the

  courage to follow your heart wherever it may lead you; believing

  in yourself and summoning the self

  confidence to

  take

  a

  necessary risk; an opportunity before you to explore new creative

  possibilities; a willingness to embrace the new beginning being

  offered to you.

  When The Fool is revealed Reversed in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to:

  an unfavorable atmosphere

  surrounding the matter of your inquiry; an advisory that you are

  not following the right path or are making a incorrect choice or

  decision; not exercising caution and good judgment in your affairs;

  making the mistake of not trusting your intuition; yielding to

  reckless or impulsive actions that could lead to your downfall;

  making a rash decision and acting without sufficient forethought;

  not taking the time to fully evaluate your present position; not

  looking before you leap; rejecting an opportunity for personal

  growth that is before you; blindly following a path that could lead

  to your demise; placing yourself in peril by ignoring the voice of

  your own reason.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  THE MAGICIAN

  The Man of Knowledge

  Mercury

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  In The Magician we experience a young man with long dark hair

  standing against a golden yellow background in a garden setting.

  He is dressed in a white one piece garment covered by a red robe

  that is open in the front and tied around his waist is a snake that is

  in the act of consuming its own tail. Before him stands a wooden

  table upon which rests four magical tools symbolizing the four

  ancient elements of Fire, Air Water and Earth. A garden blooms

  beneath his work table in which grows both red roses and white

  lilies in full bloom. His right hand is raised above his head and he

  holds a short white and double pointed magical staff; one end of

  which points up towards the heavens and the other end of which

  points downwards towards the table upon which rests his magical

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  tools. Above his head floats a figure eight turned on its side - the

  symbol of eternity. Across his brow stretches a white headband

  and there is a trellis built above his work area on which hangs a

  fruitful bounty of growing flowers and greenery.

  MEDITATION

  Mercury signifies the energies of the mind as they relate to thought

  and its expression, most specifically the logical mind, intellect and

  rational intelligence. This planet represents the constant activity of

  thought in our minds as well as the expression of our thought

  processes

  through

  communication. Through

  pursuing

  the

  development of our mental abilities we acquire the knowledge

  through which we attain the only true power - the power to order

  our self and our environment while forging a purposeful life that is

  directed towards meaningful and constructive ends. The image of

  The Magician and the power of Mercury invoke an atmosphere of

  achieving success through the pursuit and attainment of a higher

  level of knowledge and personal development through which we

  achieve the manifestation of our goals and dreams.

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

  When The Magician is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: success in the matter you inquired

  about; exhibiting a strong sense of self confidence in your own

  abilities; a need to develop greater strength of will; concentrating

  on manifesting your own unique and personal vision; making a

  strong commitment to achieve your fullest intellectual and creative

  potential; a need for honest communication in a personal or

  business relationship; applying your knowledge to creative and

  constructive ends; a stronger mental focus required for the serious

  task confronting you; a need to pursue a higher level of mental

  development; putting in the hard work necessary to manifest your

  dreams; a need for greater conscious personality development on

  your part; acknowledging and communicating with a higher

  dimension of your own human consciousness.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  When The Magician is revealed Reversed in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: a lack of success in the matter you

  inquired about; dishonest communication in a relationship; a lack

  of correct knowledge impeding your forward progress; not

  achieving your fullest potential as an individual; falling victim to

  weakness of will and mental laziness; not putting forth sufficient

  effort

  to manifest your dreams; the pursuit of wasteful and

  ineffectual schemes; squandering your precious human potential;

  neglecting your own mental development; carelessly wasting your

  talents and innate abilities; being too lazy to follow your own

  unique vision; using your knowledge for evil or destructive ends.

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  THE HIGH PRIESTESS

  The Priestess of the Silver Star

  The Moon

  DESCRIPTION AND SYMBOLISM

  In the High Priestess we behold a serene and beautiful woman

  seated on a white cubic stone. A partially open scroll rests on her

  lap upon which is written “TORAH”in large capital letters. She is

  dressed in blue and white robes and wears an equal armed cross

  centered between her breasts as well as a crown of two crescent

  moons which support a large pearly white globe that rests balanced

  between them. The bottom of her robe connects with a large body

  of water flowing from behind a curtain suspended between two

  pillars situated to her rear. A yellow crescent moon sits at her feet.

  She sits serenely between two cylindrical pillars; one is colored

  black and is inscribed with the capital letter “B”in reverse white

  while the other pillar is white in color with the capital letter

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  “J” inscribed in reverse black. Both columns extend upwards

  through the top of the image and are decorated with ornate leafy

  designs. The curtain to her rear is decorated with the images of

  pomegranate fruits and palm leaves. Through both sides of the

  curtain and between the outer edges of the columns we gain a

  glimpse of a large expanse of water that leads to a distant shore.

  MEDITATION

  The High Priestess is the Holy Feminine – The Keeper of the

  Sacred Wisdom - and her correspondence with the Moon reflects

  an association with life at the intuitive and unconscious level; the

  deep mysterious creative and generative matrix that dwells beneath

  the surface consciousness and info
rms the conscious personality

  with the wisdom it needs on its passage through the successive

  states of awareness that we experience as “time.”The image of

  “The High Priestess” and the power of the Moon invoke an

  atmosphere of the secret or hidden that must be sought out in the

  mysterious inner depths of the psyche or in the secret dimensions

  of the world and brought forth into the light so what is hidden can

  be revealed and a higher conscious understanding of reality can be

  achieved.

  INTUITIVE CLOUDS

  When The High Priestess is revealed Upright in your reading, its

  meaning(s) may correspond to: a positive atmosphere surrounding

  the matter you have inquired about; hidden forces at work in your

  life that must be recognized and brought out

  into the open; a

  revelation that something

  is being kept secret from you or is

  going on behind your back; a concealed truth that must be revealed

  if your relationship is going to survive; unrecognized influences in

  your work environment influencing your life for the better; a need

  to look more deeply at the influences acting on you in

  your

  present situation; a need to recognize that hidden influences may

  be controlling your life at the moment; trusting your own intuition

  in the matter you have inquired about; being on the lookout for

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  The Mirror of the Moment

  hidden motivations in your employment environment; bringing

  hidden emotions to the surface and expressing them in your

  relationship; a need for you to become more spiritually aware and

  listen to your own inner voice; paying close attention to the

  messages in your dreams during this period of your life as they

  may reveal the solution to your problem; an advice that you should

  ignore the superficial opinions of the uninformed individuals

  surrounding you.

  When The High Priestess is revealed Reversed in your reading,

  its meaning(s) may correspond to: a negative atmosphere

  surrounding the matter you inquired about; something deliberately

  kept secret or hidden that needs to remain so; unrecognized

 

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