Kings of the Rider Waite Tarot Deck

by Peggy Firth, Certified Tarot Master

We all recognize the image of power and authority represented by the crowned king sitting on his throne. Long after living kings reigned absolute, the awe of the throne is as recognizable today as it was hundreds of years ago. The British have preserved every aspect of this image as they frequently reenact their ancient traditions with their monarch (now a woman) fully outfitted with all of the elaborate accoutrements of the office.

The kings in the Rider Waite deck represent the principles of maturity, fatherhood, and a figure of authority. Some decks may use other symbols of authority such as the warrior, prince, chief or sage. The masculine principle of action, responsibility, and leadership presides throughout all of the enthroned characters of the deck. Look carefully at other authority figures either on thrones such as the Major Arcana figures, the Hierophant, Justice and the Chariot, a king driving a chariot of stone. Perhaps the six of Pentacles could be included. All of these awesome male images sport crowns encrusted with symbols of their station.

The throne, bedecked with symbols relating to the suit, expresses those qualities possessed by the man in charge. For example, the King of Pentacles sits upon a black throne decorated with four zodiac symbols of the bull representing strength and the triumph of human spirit over human primal nature. Grapevines grow out of his throne and cover the king's robes, symbolizing truth. (The truth often emerges after enough wine is drunk).

The Emperor's throne appears to be carved out of stone with the heads of four rams shown at the top and arms, symbolizing assertive powers and virility. The jagged rock formations in the background amplify the hard surfaces of this image.

The King of Cups also appears to be sitting on a throne of carved stone that floats upon rolling waves indicating the emotional ups and downs of his office. His expression implies conflict despite his high office.

The King of Swords sits upon a narrow, armless throne of marble with carved butterflies, which traditionally signify transformation. Butterflies are delicate creatures that endure great journeys to reach their place of mating and dying. Their emergence from chrysalis, as ascending majestically from caterpillar to a thing of incredible beauty, has fascinated humankind for millennia.

The salamanders eating their tails called ouroboros; lizards or serpents bent in a circle biting their tails, are found in the suit of Wands and appear on the thrones of both the king and queen of Wands. Ouroboros were symbols used by the ancient alchemists to represent a process of distillation and condensation of metals to produce gold. This meeting of opposite chemicals represents the flux and flow of life. We might also regard the ouroboros as the regeneration of life. Lots of many smaller salamanders are depicted on the king's cape.

The King of Pentacles is holding the scepter of imperial power in his right hand. Swords and scepters were often highly ornamental, encrusted with crowns and jewels and were used to invest others into high offices.

The pentacle, resting on the king's left knee, represents material resources. Combined with all of the other elements of the card, we see a shrewd and successful, mature king who has nourished the fruits of his labor as he gazes upon the pentacle pondering opportunities for greater growth.

You can be creative in reading these powerful images by imagining your ideas of strength, maturity, and success that make sense to you in today's world.

Reading the Feminine Images in the Universal Rider-Waite Deck

by Peggy Firth, Certified Tarot Master

The images of people we come across in most of the earlier decks reflected a person's birthright, wealth and prestige and were interpreted by the reader in those terms. Today, we are able to superimpose a greater understanding of those images based on the ancient spiritual principles that have come to light. The rich symbolism within each card may have also come from an attempt to communicate spiritual information not approved by the Catholic Church. Meanings and interpretations can also be linked to practices such as astrology, numerology, the Qabalah, and the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet represented in the Major Arcana.

As ancient spiritual practices and teachings are rediscovered and integrated into the behavioral sciences, philosophical and religious teachings, the tarot has become a richer source of divining.

Tarot cards are being used as tools for meditation, prayer, story telling and reflection.

The feminine images we find in the 78 cards are not only for exploring personalities, but tap into the deeper hidden knowledge of the person. The spiritual tarot reader avoids foretelling the future, but rather seeks to provoke insight that can lead to action. Today's reader exercises good judgment and avoids the three Ds; divorce, death and disease.

The main theme of the feminine is that of ancient and unrevealed knowledge, understanding and feminine intuition.

Whenever well-dressed women appear in the deck, whether in the major arcana or minor arcana, these personages all may represent the productive and creative forces: maternal compassion, dignity, feminine mystery and the ability to solve problems.

In the Major Arcana we find the strong archetypal figures of the female in the form of the High Priestess, the Empress, the androgynous Hierophant, the Lovers, Strength, Justice, Temperance, the Tower, the Star, Judgement and the World.

In the Minor Arcana these strong figures appear as the four queens; Queen of Wands, Queen of Cups, Queen of Swords and Queen of Pentacles or Disks. They all represent maturity based on acquiring wisdom, discipline and spirituality. Each suit implies a particular strength of the feminine.

Other female figures found within the Minor Arcana:

II of Swords - unable to identify the real issue(s).

VI of Swords - potential for progress

VIII of Swords - examine past to determine how it affects our present

IX of Swords - set aside the rational, the rules and be receptive to your dreams

Queen of Swords - the ability to apply strength of will

IIII of Wands - satisfaction and accomplishment

Queen of Wands - a high level of control and access

II of Cups - true communication and shared devotion

III of Cups - Fulfillment, celebration and joy

VI of Cups - progress through struggle, achievement

X of Cups - perfection and achievement of a higher level

Queen of Cups - position reached by experience of all types of emotion, discipline & effort

III of Pentacles - promises of lasting success

V of Pentacles - loss of material power

IX of Pentacles - fulfillment

X of Pentacles - completion

Queen of Pentacles - success and ability to handle our own needs and those of others

More males figures grace the old Minor Arcana tarot decks because men were allowed out in the community, performing more outside work.

Theological and philosophical great mother figures appear as the Madonna, Mother Earth, the Witch, the Wise Old Woman and the Queen who represent healing, wisdom, rebirth, the heroine, understanding, creation and self control.

Your own experiences with strong women in your life may be used to clarify meanings, suggest challenges and appropriate measures for your querent.

In Tarot Readings, Let Color Work for You

by Peggy Firth, Certified Tarot Master

New tarot decks are published every month and most of us have experimented with decks other than those we learned to read. Approaching a new deck with unfamiliar imagery may be confusing and even overwhelming unless you have established some key meanings for the colors on each card.

I would like to offer my insights into how I use colors as indicators of important information revealed by the cards. Our first impressions of a card are often visual and visceral as well. The tarot contains multilevel symbolism which, compounded with its meaning in a spread and the querent's question, can be a mind-bending experience. By allowing colors to work for you, your immediate impressions may be more revealing.

Colors of the human energy fields (auric fields) and the chakras have been increasingly studied as indicators of the nature, health, personality and spirituality of a person. As this has taken hold in holistic healing and spiritual practices, these colors and their meanings have also found their way into the tarot.

I would like to offer my interpretation of the major colors based on the ancient teachings and my own intuition regarding their meanings.

RED - Red governs active sexual life and denser, earthly activities. Red is active, energetic and determined.

GREEN - The color of growth, expansion, joy, clarity and mental stimulation.

BLUE - Implies a cooling, calming and harmonious situation. Blue is found in the higher frequencies.

ORANGE - The gentle warming effects of orange encourage calmness, wellbeing, and social graces. A dominance of orange indicates a social person or situation.

YELLOW - The sunny, joyful color of strength, enthusiasm, confidence, creativity, discipline, wisdom, logic, and the ability to overcome ignorance and evil.

VIOLET - A spiritual color which indicates understanding, stability, harmony and royalty.

BROWN - Earthy, practical solutions to life's problems.

BLACK - The absence of light or color indicates mystery, death, rapid change and negativity.

WHITE - Includes all of the colors of the light spectrum. It represents perfection, purity, spirituality, cleanliness, and all things sacred.

GREY - Unclear intentions, neutrality, lack of movement, and dark thoughts.

White added to any of the primary colors raises the situation or increases the intensity of spirituality.

Colors such as Turquoise denote the best of green and blue combined. Such a combination may indicate a dynamic person or situation, strength of mind and a capacity to manifest.

You may want to color your own deck to gain a greater intuitive feeling for color. Builders of The Adytum (B.O.T.A.) have a large set of the major arcana in black and white along with the Paul Foster Case book, The Tarot, which offers suggestions on how to color each card. The full deck of 78 cards in a smaller size is also available.

Colors are also associated with astrological signs which may not correspond with auric and chakra energy fields.

Have a colorful experience!

Peggy Firth

(PS. What about PINK? I think Pink is LOVE! - Penny, aka The Pink Gypsy.)

Using Astrology, Graphology, Psychic Intuition, and Tarot, you can be your own I-doctor. Find out how you score on the I-Chart. Tarot can give you a 20/20 look at your life today. Are you where you want to be?

Aces are Powerful!

by Peggy Firth, Certified Tarot Master

Based on the images in the Rider Waite Tarot Deck

The word ACE refers to a skilled person, an adept or expert. Ace is first rate, a hole in one, to defeat or gain advantage over. Have you ever aced a test or scored an ace in tennis?

If you examine the ACE card in the traditional Rider-Waite deck, the powerful out-stretched arm with a wand, sword, pentacle or cup in hand emerges from a cloud. This image symbolizes a powerful potential behind each suit.

I enjoy asking little children to interpret the cards as their open minds often reveal surprising insights. To them the Ace card represents the answer to a prayer with God reaching out with a present.

Ancient spiritual teachings describe the force that sets things in action. Our intent or focus combined with expectation spurs this force into reality.

When paired with other cards the aces represent new beginnings, sudden change or an invitation to engage in the accompanying card or cards. In Spiritual tarot the cards reveal the deeper divine nature of the situation. Take your time, take a deep breath, go within, and channel the thoughts, images and ideas you receive.

Ace of Wands

The suit of Wands represents creative energy, new enterprises and new inspiration.

The Ace of Wands in the Rider-Waite deck features a wooden club with little sprouting sprigs symbolizing power and brute force. Those little sprigs represent growth and expansion. In time the wooden clubs became bejeweled royal scepters.

Magicians use wands in their magic acts, fairies spread fairy dust with their wands and generals carry swagger sticks on the battlefield as they strut around with an insolent air. All of these wands symbolize power, direction and the promise of fulfillment.

Ace of Cups

The suit of Cups represents love, passion and intense feelings. More abstract symbolism offers choices, artistic expression and sensuality.

The Ace of Cups with a streaming fountain of water spilling over into a pond signifies the outpouring and circulation of divine love and energy. Those little droplets form the letter "yod" in the Hebrew alphabet and symbolize showered blessings. Pools of water found throughout tarot imagery represent the flow of spiritual substance. Water is life giving and sooths the body and soul. Since we cannot see into deep waters we cannot know the mysteries that lie beneath.

Ace of Pentacles

Pentacles represent enterprise, money and the actual manifestation of the all the other suits. Spiritually, the suit of Pentacles reveals how the mind sets things into action and ultimately manifests into reality.

The Ace of Pentacles offers the opportunity for growth and accomplishment. The garden gate beyond the lush garden lures us into the land of clarity, accomplishment and potential for abundance. Spiritually the card reveals a new path.

Ace of Swords

Swords depict a double-edged meaning. The negative side has, in the past, been presented as warlike. However, more positive revelations are gained from this suit. Swords now represent decisive action, strength, resolve, logic and rationality. Swords may also cut through the illusions and stuff we accumulate. Spiritually we may consider how one might resolve challenging situations.

The Ace of Swords presents the opportunity to find clarity, the truth or any of the above decisive actions. The metal sword in ancient times was thought to ward off evil. The sword is still used by English royalty to bestow knighthood by tapping a sword on each shoulder as part of a ceremony that rewards accomplished people.

Reversal of Aces

There at least a dozen ways to interpret a reversal. Some readers reverse the meaning of a card, while others find alternative meanings that relate to the query.