Just some Tarot notes that I thought I would include here in case someone could use them. I use Rider-Waite, just so you know, and if you use a different deck, then the meanings could be different. Plus, experience may have given us different meanings, as well. At any rate, I will keep my notes here for anyone that can use them.
0 The Fool – The beginning of a new adventure in one’s life, New beginnings, optimism, trust in life, naivety, innocent ignorance
1 The Magician – Action, a literal builder, someone with the ability to make their environment how they want it by manifesting their will, the power to manifest
2 The High Priestess – Inaction, going within, the subconscious, a woman that cannot be trusted, hidden knowledge and deceit, valuable information is being kept from the inquirer
3 The Empress – Abundance, Mistress of own home, Motherhood, Birth, Pregnancy, Mother Earth, growing things and production, nurturing, fertility, life in bloom!
4 The Emperor – Structure, can represent a man who is used to being in control and relies on law and order to maintain power (not necessarily abusive, just strict), stability, rules, regulations, fairness, and procedures, and power
5 The Hierophant – Institutions, Conformity, fear of branching out on one’s own due to social/familial pressures, tradition and obedience
6 The Lovers – love affairs, relationships (friendship and familial too) passion, choice, uniting, a test
7 The Chariot – Movement, Conquering a challenging obstacle/opportunity, progress, integration
8 Strength – Victory through non-physical power, Spiritual strength, Courage, subtle power, integration of animal self
9 The Hermit – Seeking ancestral wisdom or the wisdom of someone older, reflection, old teachings and Old Ways, Meditation, solitude, consciousness
10 Wheel of Fortune – Cycles, Challenges and progression in those challenges, change, ups and downs
11 Justice – Fairness, equality, balance, literal “Justice” being served
12 The Hanged Man – Surrender, sacrifice for a higher good or for advancement, new perspective, enlightenment, Odin on the Tree, and when dealing with spirits, a literal “hanged” person
13 Death – The end of something, but a NEW Beginning, major change, can mean death, but rarely.
14 Temperance – Overcoming damaging tendencies and behaviors through discipline, Balance, moderation, being sensible, not an addict of something in question
15 The Devil – Destructive patterns, enslavement, oppression, addiction, giving away your power
16 The Tower – Collapse of stable structures, destruction, foundation has been shaken to its core or will be, loos of income and/or bankruptcy, literal earthquakes or geological events that cause damage
17 The Star – Hope, good mental health, physical health, a good and healthy path, “good” energies surround, and a good omen!
18 The Moon – Mystery, the subconscious, dreams, hidden knowledge, things that are hidden from inquirer, poor mental health, lies and deceit
19 The Sun – Family, family life is good, birth of children, marriages and other family celebrations, Success, happiness, good health, recovery
20 Judgment – Rebirth (symbolic, as well as literal), a literal judgment from the courts or legal system, a cycle has been completed and lessons were learned so that one can move forward, a new phase, inner calling
21 The World – Success, Victory, completion, the entirety of the situation will be in the seeker’s favor, wholeness, attainment, celebration of life
Minor Arcana
Suit of Swords
King – Serious, Usually represents a man that has served in the Armed Forces or Police/Fire, etc., a strategist, controlling, rational and intellectually focused, swift learner and good judge of character, a judgmental (and a good one) type of person, weighs all pros and cons,
Queen – Intelligent, cold and uncompromising, possibly represents a woman who has lost a child, a fiery temper, a sharp tongue that can be quick to cut through a person’s lies and facades, all-business mentality, fast learning, passionate only to a certain chosen people, can be found in law, management, and many times, owners of businesses, very strategic
Knight – Fierce, Quick, athletic, a warrior, swoops in out of nowhere, determined, aggressively pursues goals, strategic and disciplined
Page – Pages can represent messages from a person, so look to the suit for what the message is and/or who it is from, but pages also can represent children or immature actions of older people, a quick and studious child, a gifted person (intellectually), can represent someone that is manipulating a situation for their own gains
Ace of Swords – A beginning of a conquest, the first steps of a new path that will be successful, epiphanies, a sudden opportunity or idea, clarity
2 of Swords – Indecision, war, fighting, marital separation, conflict
3 of Swords– heartbreak, another party is involved in a situation that two were only known about, infidelity, lies, cover-ups, lovers separated by war or obstacles, betrayal
4 of Swords – rest, recover, save your energies, things must occur for the rest of the story to play out and you cannot/have not interfered, a time of reflection and repose
5 of Swords – trickery, theft, manipulation, mind games, drama to throw a person off the original target or goal, hostility, emerging enemies
6 of Swords – the acceptance of help from another, passage away from sorrow or misfortune, look over the paths that would have been taken by boats in the past, escape
7 of Swords – secret plans and goals, a set-up, hidden enemies and manipulators, thieves and liars, sabotage by others, frenemies
8 of Swords– feeling stuck in a situation with no options, a prisoner, imprisonment, hostage to beliefs or lifestyle or under the control of someone else
9 of Swords – Overactive mind/over-thinking, anxiety, self-sabotage, hopelessness and despair, buried anger and fear
10 of Swords– everything is wrong and nothing will ever be right again (LOL!) Truthfully, this card is not a fun one, and it does show that so many things have piled up on a person/situation that the one who is seeking answers probably is in complete hopelessness and ready to give up. Sometimes, this card can predict suicidal tendencies and murder, but it also can show that someone is idealizing such things and is looking for a way out of the madness. Lost and afraid
Suit of Cups
King of Cups – A man who is very emotional and relies on his feelings to guide him. A healer, and possibly in medicine. Someone that uses their position to help others to grow and be better than when they started. Usually has fair features, and will likely have a large family, or take his fatherly role very seriously. Repression of deep feelings, possible alcoholism
Queen of Cups– A healer and counselor, a woman guided by her intuition, and is probably very empathic, probably loves children, and has many, and can be found in the fields of social services, medicine, and teaching. Emotionally nurturing, intuitive, sensitive. Depression, debilitating mental and emotional anguish, haunted by feelings from the past. Insecure and dishonest
Knight of Cups– “Prince Charming,” romantic, will swoop in and seem to good to be true. Tends to fall in love easily and is a lover not a fighter, opportunity of fulfilling one’s desires, adventurous, following one’s heart
Page of Cups – Pages can represent children, or messages from the suit indicated on the card. They can also represent adults who are immature or stunted in some way. Emotional messages, dealings with children and home life, Creativity, inspiration, learning artistic skill, beginning to understand complex emotions
Ace of Cups – the beginning of a new relationship or endeavor that involves a lot of emotional energy, excitement and joy at the new adventure, a birth or emotional event
2 of Cups – partnership, mutual attraction, new relationships/partnerships/friendships, mutually beneficial to both parties, compatibility
3 of Cups – a celebration, fun with friends, laughter and joy at a celebration, the opposite of these things
4 of Cups– boredom, trying to decide which path is most satisfying-if any of them are, dissatisfaction with what is being offered, wanting more, feeling unfulfilled and needing more to feel emotionally secure, being offered a choice
5 of Cups– dwelling on the negative, pessimism, loss and grief, a time of mourning, depression, self-pity, remorse, depression, mental illness, sickness that leads to darkness
6 of Cups– help will be offered from someone who shows kindness, must be willing to accept help
7 of Cups– There are too many things weighing on the self and they cannot see their way out or which choice is best. Constantly weighing the pros and cons of each thing that is presented to them and hesitating in making a choice. Daydreams and fantasy are occupying the person too much, a choice is needing to be made
8 of Cups– leaving something or someone behind in search of something or someone better, abandonment, banishing, walking away from an emotional situation, fear of loss and change is holding the person back
9 of Cups– indulgence, gluttony, over-indulgence, alcoholism, but also greed and self-satisfaction, the card of the “wish,” something that someone has longed for is in question at the moment
10 of Cups – emotional bliss, happiness, attainment, marriage and family life that is happy and healthy, births of children, familial celebrations and acceptance of growing family
Suit of Wands
King of Wands- a sandy haired or light brown haired man with light eyes, a great communicator, and someone who could work as an inspirational speaker, teacher, or in ministry, and if they don’t have this occupation, they will still have the traits of that profession, a person that is very quick intellectually, a good writer, probably has a large home and many children, career focused, and mature, but in reverse, can easily represent a verbally abusive man
Queen of Wands – Confidant, light hair/light brown hair and light eyes, goal oriented, but can get sidetracked easily, loves information and communicating this information to others. Writers, ministers, inspirational figures are often represented with this card, as are working mothers, focused, has zest for life, moves through life quickly and adapts to situations easier than most people. Can definitely represent a conniving and abusive woman
Knight of Wands – An adventurous risk taker who follows his passions, but is easily inspired and then distracted, a mentally abusive man, who loves to turn the situation around on the actual victim, this knight can also represent a quick move to a new home or an impromptu journey, usually by air
Page of Wands – newly inspired, excited about life and work, messages in general, a message about a child that reflects the qualities shown with Wands, epiphany, a first step to an adventure, an idea that needs to be thought over
Ace of Wands – A great new idea that has recently surfaced and is being pondered, new beginnings, creative spark, fertile ideas, an educational beginning or breakthrough, a first step to a new growth cycle, a recent milestone of growth such as a birthday, the first steps of a new journey, especially those by plane, or the reverse, of course
2 of Wands– Contemplation, waiting, a partnership in an intellectual pursuit or traveling. A time to wait patiently, disappointment over a recent project or doubt over a chosen path
3 of Wands – Reaping the rewards of your efforts, ships have come in, success in business/partnerships, things finally paying off
4 of Wands– Celebration, a place of stability, preserving something for future family members, a wedding, or family responsibility, recently inherited or acquired wealth, safety, the home,
5 of Wands – Quarrels, gossip, people stirring the pot to cause trouble, Competition, minor struggles or disagreements
6 of Wands–Victory, conquering a great foe, sports championships, returning soldiers, Success, accolades and achievement
7 of Wands– Feeling defensive and on guard, watching for what is coming, paranoia, being prepared and making preparations, taking a stand, making a point and standing by it-even if alone
8 of Wands– Speed, things manifesting quickly, messages flying through the air (like correspondence/texts/emails/letters), journeys by air, arrows hitting their mark
9 of Wands– Pessimism, prepping for the worst, needing to be ready against a forceful attack, holding onto an idea or stance that no longer serves good or growth, cease fires but hidden enemies
10 – Feeling oppressed, bearing a heavy burden, the insistence to take on responsibilities and do it all by one’s self, exhaustion, too many responsibilities
Suit of Pentacles
King of Pentacles –A dark-featured man, a mathematically inclined man who probably owns his own business, and is proud of his material possessions like his home and cars. Patient and kind, but with the ability to be downright evil, materialistic, a waster of money and over-indulgent with material things, especially food and drink- Enjoys the good life (food, drink and leisure), financially secure, or in reverse, it can represent a man that foolishly wasted his enterprise and fortune
Queen of Pentacles– Dark featured woman who is financially and materialistically secure, good with animals and family and probably is the mistress of her own means, Healthy in body and finances, grounded and calm,
Knight of Pentacles – Cautious, strategic, good with land and environment, as well as the ability to see good economic opportunities that others don’t always see, slow to act on matters and always reflects first, sensible and slow to progress
Page of Pentacles – A young person with dark features that is very studious, and good with math, likes strategy games and game theory like chess, a message from or about this person, also can mean a message about a financial situation, commitment to learning, as well as earning money, reversed can be symbolic of wasting study time and focus going towards the wrong goals
Ace of Pentacles – Financial reward, a new job, new financial situation, life path revealed, business partnership or new pursuit will lead to financial success, land purchase, goals
2 of Pentacles – Balance, multitasking competently, the ability to juggle many things at once, conflicts between work and play, “losing” it over trying to juggle too much at once
3 of Pentacles– Meaningful work, adding one’s own creative spin to projects, skilled labor, mastercraftsman, needing to gain more skills in profession to advance, wasting away of good skills, suitable career
4 of Pentacles –greed, selfishness, paranoia, inability to trust other people, a stalemate in business, desperation Hoarding, stingy, miser, pinch-penny, scrooge, feeling poor, holding back out of fear
5 of Pentacles– fears of losing everything, fears of illness and worry over health, health problems, feeling like an outsider, lovers that cannot find a way to see each other/affairs being blocked, being excluded, and for reverse, help is on the way and suffering will be relieved
6 of Pentacles– Charity being offered, especially by a powerful person or group, help is coming, financial gift or loan is coming to provide stability for the time being, but reversed means that a debt is due, or business dealings are crooked…like cooking the books, fraud, and theft, or it could be a cash flow problem with the business
7 of Pentacles– Patience, waiting for the rewards of hard work to pay off down the road instead of right now, can represent a desire to abandon a job or plans or goals due to apathy and disillusionment, waiting for your plans to bear fruit
8 of Pentacles– Hard work, focused efforts, apprenticeship, learning the necessary skills to advance further, laying the groundwork, and then the opposite is cutting corners, laziness, tax evasion, people that take credit for someone else’s hard work,
9 of Pentacles– Luxury, finally being comfortable with the ability to rest, financial and material comforts, a woman of her own means, though reversed, this can indicate a woman who has lost a child and her home
10 of Pentacles– Financial success, victory, success and material rewards, conquest, family money and inheritance, especially through the father’s side, strong business relationships that have proven to be excellent for financial matters
Bad Skeleton 