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.
8 of Pentacles
Explanation
The 8 of Pentacles is about keeping up the hard work you're doing, and trying to be happy about doing that work at the same time. While the 3 of Pentacles is about completing a masterpiece, the 8 of Pentacles is about doing the apprentice work that makes you a master of your trade.
Meaning
Positive
Even though everyone gets tempted to just abandon their sometimes boring hard work in search of adventure, now is not the time for you to seek adventure. You'll reap rewards you might not even realize from this hard work, when it's done.
Neutral
The work you're doing at the moment has become boring to you, as a lot of work often becomes to anyone. You may feel an urge to let your project slide and focus on something new. Consider what you'll gain if you'd complete the boring work, though, before abandoning it or letting what you've accomplished so far degrade by a period of stagnation.
Negative
Don't turn your work or project into a prison. A brief period of laziness might serve to bring your attention to new opportunities, related to your project or not.
The Hierophant
Explanation
The Hierophant is another name for The Highpriest.
Where The Emperor is the chief of worldly power, The Hierophant is the head of spiritual matters.
Place in the cycle
The Hierophant carries the number 5. This is the number connected to humans. 5 senses, 5 limbs (including the head), 5 fingers on a hand, 5 toes on a foot.
Research (via known and unknown senses) is part of the number 5, with enthousiasm and in freedom.
Meaning
Positive
Use your mind, analyze the situation. Look at what you'll need to solve the situation and what your weaknesses in this task are.
Then seek help from a specialist and follow their advice. In the end, it's you who has to make the steps.
Neutral
When the card of The Hierophant is drawn, then there is something you want to achieve or solve. You'll be able to do this, because it's not the first problem in your path.
Negative
Go it alone, don't seek help. You can make it on your own. Don't bother others with your problems.
The Judgement
Explanation
The Judgement is a card that is near the very end of the last cycle of the major Tarot. It represents an outside source making judgement over you.
Place in the cycle
The Judgement has the number 20 assigned to it, and therefore has a composed number 2 attached to it as well.
2's are assignemnt numbers. And assignments can even happen while in a reward cycle.
You would be wise to judge yourself on the points that the external authority might judge you. Then it's verdict will be less of a suprise to you.
Meaning
Positive
Re-live your past, small piece by small piece, to see what you've accomplished and what still hurts. Take it easy though, don't ask too much of yourself during this process. Try to keep focus primarily on the positive sides of your past.
Neutral
By re-living your past, you get rid of old blockages and throw away the last burdens that are left over from your journey. Re-living the past may be painful at times, but it helps you close off the past as well.
Negative
You run the risk of getting stuck in the past, because if you move beyond it, you'll have to face the unknown.
So don't dive into the past when the card is drawn upside down, apparently right now is not the time for it.
10 of Pentacles
Explanation
The 10 of Pentacles represents material posessions. The number 10 of Pentacles forms the links to the Ace (first card) of Wands (the first suit in the minor Arcana), and thus prepares to bring you back to the beginning of the minor Arcana, ready for a next cycle through the tarot.
Meaning
Positive
Let your recent work or success increase your self-esteem and self-confidence, but not so much that you become arrogant or lazy.
Neutral
Success has smiled upon you recently, and you radiate it at least somewhat to the world around you, where some other people might notice on your self-confidence and get interested by it and what you're doing to get in such a state. These people might in turn be willing and able to help you further along your path to your ideal.
Negative
What you're doing and what you've achieved can sometimes actually sneekingly become a hinderance to you, because you cling to those achievements and think you've completed your ideal, while in reality you're not completely there yet. So don't become lazy, take the relexation that your previous achievements bring and combine it with alertness to make the next steps to fulfillment of your ideal.
2 of Swords
Explanation
The 2 is an assignment number in tarot, and in this case of the 2 of Swords, it's about being forced to wait for something, often even while blindfolded in some sense.
Swords don't like to be in uncertainty, yet they will have to face it here.
Meaning
Positive
Try to have some fun with other activities while you have to wait. No sense getting depressed over having to wait a bit.
Neutral
You've started something, and now you have to wait for the results to show themselves. Until they arrive you will face some pressure.
Negative
Either it's not the time to wait around right now (if there's an action card elsewhere in your reading), or it's not a time to get nervous about having to wait for results that will prove to be advantagious for you (when a positive and relaxed card opposites this one)
4 of Pentacles
Explanation
The 4 of Pentacles is about holding on to what you got. The number 4 represents structure and order, and fits well with the suit's element, Earth.
Meaning
Positive
Try to make a list of what you have, and what you would like to have. It'll help bring some clarity, probably.
Neutral
Holding on to what you have can often result in a tense attitude. But you can hold on in a relaxed fashion as well, if you remind yourself regularly at first.
Negative
Beware that you don't become too cramped while you're trying to hold on to what you have. Try to relax and allow others their fun as well.
Justice
Explanation
Justice is an important concept in nearly every culture and religion. It is part of the four midieval values, the other three are: strength, temperance and carefulness. Only carefulness is missing from the major arcana, nobody really knows why.
Place in the cycle
This card carries the number 11. In the Rider-Waite deck, Strength and Justice have swapped places because Waite saw links with the astrological signs Leo and Libra.
Consisting of two 1's, it has both the characteristics of 1 and 2. A number full of opposites therefore. The number 11 is the first assignment number in the new cycle.
Meaning
Positive
Waiting for another can be very frustrating. See what you can do on your own. Make your own analysis, subject yourself to your own objective judgement. Then the judgement of the other(s) won't a surprise to you anymore.
Neutral
When the Justice card is drawn, you will feel a major change heading your way, which brings some apprehension or excitement on your part along with it. An outside entity could have to pass judgement on you, which will leave you feeling somewhat powerless.
Negative
Don't wait for the judgement of others. You'll be able to continue on your own.
5 of Wands
Explanation
The 5 of Wands represents competition. The 5 is the second assignment number, and therefore a difficult card. 5 combined with the Wand's element fire challenges you. You'll have to fight hard for your idea, but you stand a good chance of succeeding.
Meaning
Positive
Overcome your fears of rejection and failure. Fight for the realisation of your dreams. Don't be afraid to confront yourself either, so you can discover what you're worth. This card is more about the fighting than the winning.
Neutral
An important wish of yours is getting closer to being realized. This may scare you somewhat, because in your dreams you were able to make it as beautiful as you want, while reality doesn't always give you exactly what you want.
Negative
Now is not the time to fight, now is the time to evade. Choose a safe way to come closer to realisation of your dreams and ideas.
