“It’s been said that the world is as you see it. It has also been observed that what you see, you were taught to see.” ~~Ruth Ann & Wald Amberstone —Tarot Psychology Course—Birth Cards
If you’re not familiar with Tarot at all I’ll begin with a few basics. Tarot is a card deck with a specific structure. In a true Tarot deck there are 78 cards. 22 of those cards are called the Major Arcana or Trumps. The other 56 cards are similar to a regular deck of playing cards, consisting of 4 suits: Swords (Spades), Cups (Hearts), Wands (Clubs) and Pentacles (Diamonds). These 4 suits also correspond with the 4 elements—Swords (Air), Cups (Water), Wands (Fire), Pentacles (Earth).
Each suit consists of 10 pip (numbered) cards, Ace—10 and 4 court cards. The court cards can vary from deck to deck but are some variation of Page, Knight, Queen and King.
In this first part of our journey, we’ll be concentrating mainly on the Major Arcana and the leader of the pack is Card #0, The Fool. The Fool is considered to be the most powerful card in the Tarot deck. He—I’m going to use “he” here but The Fool is androgynous—is both the beginning and the end of the journey.
This time of the year is all about new beginnings—the Spring Equinox and the New Moon in Aries which just happened on Friday (4/1), April Fool’s Day.
When The Fool pops up in a reading, look for new beginnings, creative opportunities, fresh starts. There’s going to be an adventure. That doesn’t mean the path will always be easy and joyous. There are lessons to be learned and those lessons may not always be pleasant. They may be exhilarating, terrifying or mundane to the point of boredom.
So, the first step on the Yellow-Brick Road is to contemplate what we are beginning right now or, perhaps, what is coming to an end so that we can begin again because that is the message of The Fool. We can always begin again. It’s never too late to find something new or to look at something with new eyes, a new perspective.
If you have a Tarot deck, I invite you to pull The Fool out and meditate on the image. Enter the card in your mind and look around. Is there really a deadly drop off that cliff? Or, perhaps, we can’t see that it’s a small step into a beautiful meadow. Journal about what The Fool shared with you in this meditation or use these questions to pull some cards for yourself.
What are the opportunities for new beginnings in my life right now that I may be overlooking?
Aries New Moon Spread
I pulled the following three cards for the Aries New Moon.
Mind – Judgement
Judgement is about a spiritual awakening, rebirth and renewal and reaching toward the idea that there’s more to life than this physical experience. We are here for a reason and we can trust that life has a purpose.
And, the Four of Wands is another card about celebration. The number 4 represents stability and slows down the fiery energy of Wands. Get together with family and/or friends and celebrate the beginning of spring (or fall, if you’re in the southern hemisphere).