#thelabyrinthoftarot

[sinningforasrian]

The Lovers, card numbered 6 in the Major Arcana, is a card that represents Love and Harmony. It is a card that often refers to relationships/partnerships other than familial, but also about values allignemnt and (good) choices. In usual depictions of the card, we see a naked couple - presumably Adam and Eve - sitting in an orchard. An angel is watching over them. On the man's side we see a yellowed tree. On the woman's side there is an apple tree with a snake in it. The scene quite clearly depicts the Garden of Eden. This deck, once again, chooses to depict the traditional card in a different way. We still see the angel, but rather than being a watcher, an observer, the angel seems to play a role, that of Cupid. Instead of seeing a man and a woman, as usual, we see a man and 2 women, who are holing hands. It is hard to tell whether the man has the role of an officiator or if he is trying to chose between the two. What is interesting to see, however, is that the man and the angel are both looking (aiming) at the same person, the one in the right side of the card. In the background, we see the Sun. (Note: I have not once mistaken the Sun card for the Lovers card, which I will touch upon when I will be talking about the Sun). Its Reverse aspects are usually the opposites of the Upright meaning - imbalance, misaligned values, disharmony. It can, however, also signify self love, which can make it rather tricky to interpret. #tarot #thelovers #witch #TarotTuesday #witchy #divination #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWon9IlNkuV/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

A few months ago, I moved my tarot deck close to my bedside. At the time, I wasn't in the best head space, and my deck probably absorbed a lot of that. The cards got all sticky and my readings became muddy, unclear, hard to interpret. It has gotten a bit better since, both for me and my deck, but I still need to regularly cleanse it more intensely than before. If running it through incense used to be enough, I now have to regularly sort the deck, wipe the cards off individually, and then let it rest together for a while before shuffling it. After I shuffle it, it still needs some time to fully rebalance, and it's only somewhat less sticky. I went through all that process today, and in the following days, I will be giving specific attention to 2 or 3 cards every day. That should allow me to go through all the cards in the next 5 weeks and update my findings here. Hopefully, that will act as a good meditation focus #tarot #witch #mentalhealth #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #divination #spades #cups #pentacles #wands #minorarcana #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWOw99LN30F/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

The Empress is the card numbered 3 in the Major Arcana. It symbolizes femininity, beauty, nurturing and abundance. It can often signify motherhood, pregnancy or birth as well. She is usually depicted in a wide robe, sitting on red cushions, wearing a crown with 12 stars. The background of the card is often depicted as a forest, and next to her throne there is a shield marked with the symbol for woman. The Empress in this deck is, once again, a new interpretation of the traditional character. Rather than taking the fully kind and nurturing appearance of most decks, this Empress seems more powerful, less passive. Her shield is engraved with an emblema of a hawk, which makes me often interpret it as a sort of determination and even ferocity when expressing its nurturing nature. Another thing to note is that while usually, the empress keeps her scepter cradled in her right/front arm, now it is in the left/back arm, cradled. The background, rather than having the openness and earthly nature of the forest, presents us with two pillars that frame the character. Her crow, rather than being light with stars, seems to be made out of heavy, thick metal. This empress is not a figure of beauty and sensuality in the traditional way - she exudes force from her ever aspect. The Reversed symbolism of this card can go two ways - either the upright aspects are taken to an excessive extreme, or there is some sort of blockage in the way of accessing the archetype's power. It can often also talk about a sense of losing oneself, especially through the perspective of body image and everything physical. These traits seem to be exacerbated when using this deck for readings - already a stronger character than traditionally, the reversed Empress rings a strong alarm bell every time it appears. #tarot #theempress #witch #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWVWjSiN3xz/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

The Hierophant, the card numbered 5 in the Major Arcana, symbolizes Faith and Knowledge. To some extent, it is the masculine aspect of the High Priestess - while the High Priestess symbolizes wilderness and creativity in combination with the occult, the Hierophant tends to stay more on the beaten path. He represents knowledge mixed with ritualism, but also kindness, patience and guidance, making him a rather traditional and palatable spiritual guide. This deck keeps close to the traditional depiction of the Hierophant - we have the throne, the scepter, the columns and the two followers. We notice a few minor differences - firstly, while normally the keys are drawn at the Hierophant's feet, here they are depicted in his hand. Secondly, while the original is wearing a crown, this deck depicts him with a cone hat with a pentagram. Lastly, the original Hierophant has no beard and a rather youthful face, while this one is old and has a long, white beard. Personally, I feel like while the Hierophant usually tells you to have faith in yourself and use the tools you already have/can already reach (the keys on the ground) this Hierophant offers to guide you and signals that the other cards in the spread should be taken as advice. Its Reversed aspect can mean insincerity, irresponsibility and fanaticism. #tarot #thehierophant #witch #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWlkBkit0cD/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

The Emperor, the 4th card in the Major Arcana, is the first strong masculine archetype of the deck. A fatherly figure, he governs the material world and its balance. He is a symbol of pride, leadership, and the right time to take action. Its central meaning is Fulfillment, and sometimes he can mean Hierarchy. The card itself presents similarities to the Empress. If the empress was looking right, the Emperor is looking left, leading to them looking at each other if laid down in order. Both of them have the eagle shield and the pillars in the background (here, instead of rocky mountains). The man depicted in the card is old and wise, with a determined expression. His legs are crossed in the shape of a 4, a rather common way to depict the Emperor in decks. The Reversed aspect of the Emperor can signify immaturity, indecision, excessive dominance, egocetrism and obsession with fame and fortune - just as the Empress, its reversed aspects are either the lack of its upright qualities or their excess. I find this card to appear in readings where the call to action needs to be more clear. Unlike other cards that mention that it is a good time to start, the Emperor has a sense of urgency about it, not in the "start now before it's too late" sense, but rather in a "this is a perfect moment to start, what are you waiting for?" way. It inspires confidence in an undeniable way. Should it appear reversed, it signals to me that the individual whose reading I am doing feels out of control, and does everything in their power to run away from or overwrite that feeling. #tarot #theemperor #witch #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #divination #minorarcana #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWbn352tBd3/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

The High Priestess, the card numbered 2 in a tarot deck, is a card that signifies wisdom and knowledge in the occult way. Rather than based in science, this card makes me look at tradition, omens, and instincts, but in a rather nuanced way - cerebral over automatic responses. It often speaks of knowing what to do without knowing WHY just yet. Another aspect of it is that The High Priestess, with darkness and duality as one of the main meanings, recognizes the existence of a Shadow and doesn't try to suppress it, allowing the Self to exist with both positive and negative aspects. With the High Priestess often represented with a crown that reminds us of Hekate's moon, sitting on a throne between two pillars, one black and one white, with a moon at its feet on the right side, this card is little to nowhere accurate to the traditional depictions. Firstly, there are no pillars in the picture, which creates a more open image, focused on the character, leaving most of the background unknown. Secondly, the moon, rather than being on the bottom right corner as a decoration, is a representation of the moon on the sky, in the top right corner. In the bottom right there is a fire cup, near identical in shape with those of the Cups suite of this deck. Lastly, the Priestess's crown is replaced by a (rather comical) cone hat. The image, to me, has never been anything short of funny - while the background creates a depth for the reading that I had not seen in other decks, making the depth of the occult represented by the card feel deeper than the versions with pillars, the hat seems to not fit in that image - and nor does the adjacent cape. And yet, in its ridiculousness, I found another meaning - to appear ridiculous does not make you any less wise or fit, and you should not adhere your inherent worth on what others say. The reverse of this card symbolizes ignorance, egoism, and superficiality. The sharp hat, in my opinion, makes these aspects be amplified when the High Priestess comes up in any reading with this deck, as it resembles a donkey hat. #tarot #thehighpriestess #witch #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #divination #majorarcana #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWTDue1tpIJ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

The Magician, numbered one, is a card that symbolizes fulfillment through one's actions. He is the alchemist and a spell-maker, the person who manages to find ways to achieve success through creativity, confidence, knowledge and initiative. He represents the results achieved through intellectual means, but also learning from your successes. The Magician in this deck is a young man. Unlike the traditional tarot decks, which depict the magician with a square table on the left side, this deck depicts a round table in the center of the frame. Rather than looking ahead in a ritualistic way, the character seems to look slightly downwards, at his work. He is focused, in the middle of his work, rather than showing off his results. A small infinity symbol can be seen above his head, similar to a halo. Its reversed aspects are indecision and charlatanism, but also dark aims. I find this card to talk about processes a lot. Even when speaking of past achievements, it usually focuses on how the achievement was made, rather than the result itself. It talks about focus and effort put towards a task - having the skill is never enough without purpose. I often encounter this card in positions that talk about a person's core self or about what needs to be done. It is a card that always shows me what needs to be fixed, and how. Its reversed aspect makes me take a look at the current outside circumstances that might be clouding the vision of the object of the reading, but also at their current stance on the situation illustrated by the cards. #tarot #witch #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #divination #spades #cups #pentacles #wands #minorarcana #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWRe9jEt_4h/?utm_medium=tumblr

[sinningforasrian]

Commonly numbered Zero, The Fool is a card of freedom from external expectations. Known as the clown or the eternal traveler, the fool tells us about the journey for the sake of journey, of spontaneity, of taking risks, of doing things because we want to not because we are told to. The Fool in this deck is an unusual depiction, just as most cards here. First of all, it is not numbered at all. Then, rather than the traditional clueless child followed by a dog companion, the man in this picture is older, more experienced. He walks in a more purposeful way rather than the drunken ecstay of most decks, and is followed by a feline. Next to the usual jester attire, with bells hanging on his coat, this fool is wearing horns as well. To me, those have always reminded me of Loki, god of Mischief and Trickstery, which is quite fitting for the fool card. Its Reversed aspect can be interpreted as either lack of freedom, a somewhat common interpretation, or as an incapacity to understand, recklessness for the sake of recklessness, lack of discipline. I fond that often, while reading Tarot, I tend to branch out the meanings, looking for "what else could it mean?". The opposite is true for The Fool - with its central meaning being Freedom, no matter what position in a spread or inclination the card shows, I always find myself applying freedom (or lack of thereoff) to the situation. Perhaps because of this as well, the card of the Fool has become, a few years ago, a card of self for me and my readings. While other cards show archetypes and can be present in readings as an image of the self, whenever The Fool has appeared into a reading it has near always completely indicated the self of the object of the reading, with the surrounding cards giving some more background to it. I often find it in a position that talks about either the background of a person or their future possibilities, but rather in a position talking about their present, and I usually interpret it as a reminder of one's ability to choose. #tarot #thefool #witch #witchy #thelabyrinthoftarot #witchcraft #divination #majorarcana #tarotdeck #tarotdecks #witchlings.journal https://www.instagram.com/p/CWQTIn6N8Jn/?utm_medium=tumblr