Major Arcana

In the recent post, Helter-Skelter, Topsy-Turvy, Pell-Mell, I discussed many of the current Western Astrological watery influences on our emotional, psychological, and spiritual healing and growth. When I was preparing for that post, I had also taken a look at the Major Arcana cards of the Tarot that correspond to all the planets in the water signs in order to shed some extra light for more insight and guidance for the times. As stated in the Monthly Tarotscope, the cards can enlighten us to the secrets and universal lessons of life, aiding our deeper emotional and spiritual struggles, as well as divining and guiding us in our day-to-day lives.

The Phoenix

Before looking at the planets in the water signs, let’s first take a look at the card for Scorpio, where we have four planets along with the North Node. The Tarot card for Scorpio is XIII Death. The Death card is about change, completion, transformation, and rebirth. It is the ultimate journey into the Unknown for a new start. The Death card is a major new beginnings card for a new way of being. It is about change that is internal and emotional, and the need to view life in a whole new light. This is the Scorpio soaring eagle, who flies towards the light. The eagle is sometimes replaced by the Phoenix, who allows itself to be devoured by fire so that it can emerge from its own ashes reborn. In addition, the ruling planet for Scorpio is Pluto, god of the Underworld, and the card for Pluto is XX Judgement. The Judgement card is also about transformation and rebirth, and usually indicates major turning points and wake-up calls. The Judgement card calls us forth to assess our lives and bare our souls. Have we come into our Truth? Have we been responsible for ourselves and for our lives? Do we stay the same (die), or do we make changes (be reborn)?

The two non-luminary planets in Scorpio are Mercury and Saturn. Mercury’s card is I The Magician and Saturn’s is XXI The World. The Magician, being the first card after the zero card, The Fool, is another new beginnings card. The Magician has all four tools of the Tarot to use: the wand, the sword, the cup, and the pentacle. He has the “beginner’s mind” and all the tools he needs to accomplish whatever his goals may be. He brings divine knowledge down to the earthly plane to help manifest ideas into form. The World card, being the last card of the Major Arcana, is a card of completion, but not necessarily the end. It is about integration, bringing things full circle, and taking responsibility for creating our own reality, our own world. When we take responsibility we heal old, deep emotional and karmic wounds. The World card also tells us it is time to expand out into the world.

The other two planets in Scorpio are the luminaries, the Sun and the Moon. This morning we had a solar eclipse. Solar eclipses usually indicate new beginnings, new perspectives, and possibly sudden changes, all of which require an ending or death of something old to make way for the new. The Tarot card for the Sun is XIX The Sun. The Sun is the light of our world. Each day the Sun heralds in a new day, a new beginning. The Sun tells us to shine our own light onto the world from the inside out, and be our true light, our authentic selves. The Sun is only Joy, and this indicates that all the emotional healing and changes will bring more light, more joy into our lives. The Moon’s card is II The High Priestess. The High Priestess is all about reflection, intuition, contemplation, psychic energy, and the emotional and energetic realms. She is the Spiritual Mother and the Sacred Feminine, and hence is about receptivity. The Moon eclipsing the Sun tells us to pause for a moment to fully receive eternal knowledge and to understand the mysteries of the Universe. The Moon also reflects the light of the Sun, reminding us to use our intuition and inner knowing to guide us through dark and difficult times.

The other two planets in the water signs are Jupiter in Cancer and Neptune in Pisces. Jupiter’s Tarot card is X The Wheel of Fortune. It is card number ten (X), a number of completion but also of new beginnings (1+0=1). It is a fluid card, however, indicting movement and flexibility, and leading to change, expansion, and new opportunities. Neptune’s Tarot card is XII The Hanged Man. The Hanged Man tells us to surrender to this process of emotional healing, growth, and change. Surrender to release, not to be a victim or martyr. Surrendering is accepting the challenges that arise, embracing and trusting in our higher selves and our intuition, and allowing our creativity to bring in the new. In addition, Neptune is in his own sign of Pisces, whose card is XVIII The Moon, further accentuating the need for us to reflect our souls’ light to help guide us through the dark and the turbulent seas.

Happy Diwali!

Today is the Indian New Year celebration of Diwali, also called the Festival of Lights. The light symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. It guides us through difficult inner challenges and unpleasant emotions and emotional experiences. May we all see the light we have within and have faith that it will always be there to guide us through any darkness just as the Sun lights our days, and the Moon and the stars above guide us through the darkness of night.