Wheel of Fortune
Explanation
A Wheel of Fortune can indicate minor or major wins, or minor or major losses. Things can go both ways.
Place in the cycle
With the Wheel of Fortune, the second major cycle of Tarot commences. The first cycle in the first cards of the deck was about development as a child, accumulating wisdoms and integrating them into your personality. This second cycle is about your development as an adult. It is a more demanding cycle. You'll have to see if you can face what the world throws at you.
Meaning
Positive
Make your choice, dare to take the steps. The opportunities did not come to your doorstep randomly, and if you don't embrace them now you may regret it later.
Neutral
When the card of the Wheel of Fortune falls in a reading, you will usually be well aware of it. The card brings a new challenge which, if you accept it, will guide you out of your comfort zone to new lessons.
Negative
Now is not the time to start a new adventure, leave everything as it is.
The Priestess
Explanation
The Christian Church has outlawed priestesses, but in other religions like for instance the Celts, women could be priests.
This card signifies a spiritual insight like intuition.
Place in the cycle
This card has the number 2 assigned to it, which is more complex than 1, because it signifies there's a choice to be made.
It is also the first "assignment card" in the deck. The assignment here won't be as difficult as with the next assignment cards, numbers 5 and 8.
Meaning
Positive
Be open to unexplainable events happening around you. Let the universe tell you through your subconscious how to proceed. Take your time to decipher it, and don't be afraid of unexplainable events.
Neutral
When this card is drawn in a reading, it tells you that you're ready to grow and become more aware of yourself, or get a better insight into yourself.
Information will come to you from the subconscious, via sudden insights or dreams or meaningful coincidences.
Negative
Don't turn inward too much, be practical about things.
The Moon
Explanation
The Moon has been looked in all ways during our history. It has been both revered and dispised.
Where the sun ruled the day, the moon ruled the night. Those who knew the lunar cycles knew when they needed to seed and when they needed to harvest.
Place in the cycle
The Moon carries the number 18, composed that is 9. This composed number is the number of completion, of achievement.
The Hermit, also a 9, closed off the upperworld. The Moon closes the underworld.
You've faced a lot in the underworld, your own fears not least of them. Now it is time to crawl back up to securities and comfort, but there's work to be done before you're there.
Meaning
Positive
If you want to achieve a high goal, you'll need to walk the middle ground between the swamps. You'll need to articulate to others where you want to go, and in telling them about your desires expose yourself somewhat.
Neutral
You're busy with your feelings at the moment, re-finding your ideals and vocalizing your feelings despite that making your vulnerable. This is not the time to get stuck in the sea of your feelings, it is time to go onto shore and find the golden middle path toward hapiness.
Negative
Don't look at your ideals and desires too much. Stick to practical goals.
The Tower
Explanation
The card of The Tower goes by different names in different Tarot games. Some call it The Tower of Destruction, or The House of God, or Tower of the Light.
Some think that The Tower gives reference to the tower of Bable, but there are no direct indications for this.
Place in the cycle
The Tower has the number 16 attached to it, composed that is 7. This is a ladder number, a number of ambition and climbing to new heights.
The composed number of this card is the same as The Chariot's, but where The Chariot represents balance, The Tower represents chaos.
You've come a long way in the cycle already. You've let go of the old to welcome the new, you've faced and overcome your fears, yet The Tower tears down whatever remains.
This card lets chaos loose into your life, so that creativity and growth can flourish. The Tower ends what The Hanged Man started. From here the journey back to the upperworld begins.
Meaning
Positive
Don't resist what happens to you, try to see it as exciting.
Neutral
Go through your fears so you will end up in kind of a freefall. You've put down your shackles and now you let go, anything becomes possible.
When the card of The Tower falls, something will happen to you that robs you of your (remaining) securities. Some things will happen to you that may scare you, but you can choose to see them as exciting.
Negative
Don't conjure up extra fears related to what happens to you. Remain able to react.
The Devil
Explanation
The Devil has since ancient history been the adversary of God, the opposite of God.
The Devil has many faces and is always waiting to make new victims.
In a psychological sense, every human has his/her positive sides, and his/her negative sides. Only by being aware of your negative sides can you overcome them.
Place in the cycle
The number this card carries is 15, composed that is 6. The resemblances to the first '6' card (The Lovers) are remarkable; in both cards security is a central theme.
With The Lovers, you made the choice against old securities yourself, with The Devil you will lose them due to outside influences.
The Devil is a very important card in the cycle. An enormous amount of work has to be performed at The Devil. Facing your fears will be a large part of that work.
The Devil kind of forces you to face your future.
Meaning
Positive
Don't avoid change. Seek some security outside yourself, away from your inner troubles.
Neutral
The Devil announces a bad time in your life, which also allows you to experience new heights later. After this bottom at The Devil you can only go up. You're busy changing, and in that process you now encounter your own fears. And you might not even recognize this!
Negative
This is not the time to face your own fears. Other issues in your life had better take priority.
The Lovers
Explanation
Some attribute love and romance to the card of The Lovers. Others see it as finding and living with both female and male aspects of yourself.
Place in the cycle
This card carries the number 6. It is the number of protection, of stability and security. It comes after the assignment number 5, it is the reward after hard work.
The Magician announced four wisdoms. In the cards that followed, they came into view one by one. The traveler of Tarot has accumulated the baggage with which to travel. This card signifies a choice between staying with the old and familiar, or (the way of Tarot:) going to new experiences and lessons.
Meaning
Positive
Open yourself to growth towards independence.
Neutral
When the card of The Lovers is drawn, then you're ready to realize that you've gained security in yourself. You've developed a basic self confidence that enables you to look objectively to your surroundings. But you're ready to grow beyond your current realm of comfort. Your need for self reliance is increasing. This card is a process card, which means that it's effect might last for months.
Negative
Don't linger, don't get stuck in your own habits. Spring into action.
The World
Explanation
The world is large, but not as large as the galaxy or the universe.
The person in the center of the card has completed many journeys already, and is completely at ease. Yet she continues to move, for having reached your goals is no reason to stop moving.
Place in the cycle
The World carries the number 21. As a composed number that is 3. The World is the third 3 in the Major Arcana. 3 is a reward number, so the third 3 must be even more powerful.
This card falls when you've completed all assignments, overcome all obstacles and are completely at peace with yourself due to your accomplishments. Yet Tarot wouldn't be Tarot if it didn't challenge you to enter entirely new worlds and start the process all over again.
Meaning
Positive
Use your abilities to see into yourself, others and situations. Reconnect with your inner child and go back to The Fool, the first card in the deck, to learn yet new aspects of life.
Neutral
This card doesn't get drawn often in readings. When it does, it means you're entering a very important period in your life. You've reached a point where you're able to rise above yourself, to reach new heights. You're at peace with all that has happened, and your negative emotions find a (hopefully gentle) way out by themselves.
This card is not so much negative or positive, as it is special. It's the threshold between past and future.
Negative
This might not be the moment to embark on a new journey, something in your (recent) past is as yet unsolved.
Temperance
Explanation
Temperance is the third of four mideaval values, and the last mideaval value in the Tarot.
According to mideaval understanding this value is about reaching the golden middle ground in a field of opposites. Not too happy, not too angry, not too sad. In everything balance has to be achieved, extremes were not appreciated.
Place in the cycle
Temperance carries the number 14, composed that is 5.
5 is an assignment number, which indicates there's work to be done.
With Death, an important decision made with The Hanged Man was given shape by letting go of the old. Now you're in a transitionary period and this Temperance card is a place of rest during the journey through the underworld.
Meaning
Positive
Experiment, search for what you think will be good for you. Try everything and don't get discouraged when you don't immediately feel some gains. Know that chances don't come around every day and it's up to you to find and shape chances. You have got to work for it.
Neutral
This transitionary period has it's downsides. You may feel you're making progress one moment, then falling back the next. But in the end, you are making progress even though at times you feel you're not. You are more careful and more of an adult when making your choices. You're more flexible, because you know there may be something unexpected just around the corner. You don't fully realize yet how far you've already come.
But be careful you don't end up in an endless quest for compromise. Draw conclusions for your experiments, because otherwise the effort might have been in vain.
Negative
You're looking for compromises a bit too hard.
The Fool
Explanation
Only a fool would stand so close to the cliff's edge.
But the fool is on a high, thinks he can handle anything the world will throw at him. Here in lies both his strength and his weakness. One false step and the tumble down the rock face could be short or long. The fool doesn't even know how long, because he looks to the sky.
Place in the cycle
The fool is the first card in the deck, the new born heading out into the world, facing the different stages of development ahead. One can undergo many cycles during his or her life, the last card in the major arcana ('The World') always followed by The Fool for some new aspect of life to be discovered and experienced.
Meaning
Positive
Don't look at practicability or feasibility for a while. Open up to your desires and dreams, without immediately trying to figure out how to realize them.
Dream all you want and figure out which dreams to realize later.
Neutral
You're probably saturated by the life you now have around you.
It's time for something new, to let the child inside you boss the adult in you around a bit as it discovers these new things to explore.
Negative
Perhaps you're discouraged by your dreams, because your subconscious is telling you you're not happy with current circumstances, while your higher intellect is still OK with this situation.
The Star
Explanation
The Star is a guidepost by which you can find your way, it represents hope but also unreachability.
Place in the cycle
The Star carries the number 17, composed that is 8. This composed number is an assignment number, like 5 is. It is a nice card, but one where work is to be done as well.
After The Tower, you're in the mess chaos left behind. The Star is your compass to find your way out of these problems. You haven't lost everything, you've still got yourself.
Meaning
Positive
Dare to show some vulnerability. Follow the stars and dare to hope. Try to see positive developments and pick up on them. You will re-find your ideals, try to open to them (again).
Neutral
You've lived in chaos for a while and you've accepted that chaos and might even have gotten used to chaos. Now you're challenged to step out of chaos and develop trust and confidence again. But: someone who hopes might be disappointed, so you will have to show some vulnerability, which won't be easy after the period you've just gone through. You might get hurt again.
Negative
Use your brains, don't get too naive and protect yourself.
