The Rider - Waite Tarot Deck - Starbridge Centre

TAROT 

CONTEMP LA T IO NS 

© 2006StarbridgeCentreUla&ErikSandersen

TAROT CONTEMPLATIONS 

This booklet is reverently dedicated to Swami Sri Yukteswar 

We are pleased to present this booklet with "TAROT CONTEMPLATIONS." Using tarot 

cards contemplatively is an age-old and well proven method of selfknowledge and 

development. 

The booklet is based on theoretical teaching and practical training in tarot, that was part of 

our accredited courses in counselling and in hands-on spiritual healing, we have been 

conducting over the years 1996-2003. 

Both these courses were held at STARBRIDGE CENTRE, and are now available as E- 

learning courses on our website. 

The keywords and contemplations for the cards are the originals as they were included in 

the courses. The text with detailed description and interpretation of the individual cards 

(the major arcana of two Tarot decks) is also taken from the courses, but has been 

updated and extended. 

The booklet "TAROT CONTEMPLATIONS" is available as a E book from our website. It 

can also be purchased as a spiral-bound A4 book with colour illustrations from Starbridge 

Centre. 

Other booklets available as a E-book, or as a spiral-bound A4 booklet with colour 

illustrations are: 

"Our Cosmic Home - A Manual for the Dying" 2001 

"Liberation Through Resonance in the Bardo", 2005 

"The Path of Dharma", 2005. 

For further information about ourselves and our activities, check our website: 

http://www.starbridge.com.au E-mail: ulla&erik@starbridge.com.au 

© 2005 Starbridge Centre Ulla and Erik Sandersen 

All rights reserved 

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Index 

Page 

4 IMAGINATIVE MAGIC 

5 WHAT IS TAROT 

5 WHAT ARE ARCHETYPES 

6 BEFRIEND YOUR ARCHETYPES 

7 SELECTION OF TAROT DECKS 

8 PRACTICAL APPLICATION, SELECTION PROCEDURE 

9 ENERGY MOVEMENT AND TAROT 

9 PRACTICAL APPLICATION 

11 THE ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA 

The Rider Tarot Deck: 

13 0. The Fool 

14 1.The Magician 

15 2.The High Priestess 

16 3.The Empress 

17 4.The Emperor 

18 5.The Hierophant 

19 6.The Lovers 

20 7.The Chariot 

21 8.Strength 

22 9.The Hermit 

23 10. The Wheel of fortune 

24 11. Justice 

25 12. The Hanged Man 

26 13. Death 

27 14.Temperance 

28 15.The Devil 

29 16.The Tower 

30 17.The Star 

31 18.The Moon 

32 19.The Sun 

33 20.The Judgement 

34 21.The World 



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Page 

The Oswald Wirth deck: 

35 0.The Fool 

36 1.The Magician 

37 2.The High Priestess 

39 3.The Empress 

40 4.The Emperor 

41 5.The Hierophant 

42 6.The Lovers 

44 7.The Chariot 

45 8.Justice 

46 9.The Hermit 

47 10 The Wheel of fortune 

49 11. Strength 

50 12.The Hanged Man 

51 13 Death 

52 14.Temperance 

53 15.The Devil 

55 16.The Tower 

56 17.The Star 

58 18.The Moon 

59 19.The Sun 

60 20.The Judgement 

61 21.The World 



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IMAGINATIVE MAGIC 

"Do you know what happens when you look at something: a picture, a face, a 

bird, a mountain or the sun 

No act is vaster, more profound or more full of meaning than the act of 

seeing. It may seem to be very simple and totally without mystery, but 

examine it more attentively and try to decipher it, for in this simple act you 

will see the whole universe unfolding before you. It is magic of a very high 

degree. 

Nobody realises, when they look at an object, that it always represents a 

danger or a blessing that is lying in wait for them, depending on the nature of 

the object, its form and radiations, and also their inner state, for their whole 

being takes on the shape, dimensions and attributes of that object. You will 

object: "But human beings don`t change shape!" No, of course they don`t, not 

outwardly, anyway. But inwardly, on the psychic level, a human being identifies 

with what he looks at. This is a biological law of nature. (...) Imitation is a 

natural law from which man himself is not exempt. It is not his physical body 

that changes, but a kind of osmosis takes place in which his external 

surroundings permeate his soul and his psyche." 

Omraam Mikhail Aivanhow: "The Splendour Of Tipharet", p. 31-32. 



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WHAT IS TAROT 

Let us start with P. D. Ouspensky, who in his book "The Symbolism of the Tarot", puts the 

Tarot in a broader perspective. He says: 

"In order to become acquainted with the Tarot, it is nescessary to understand the basic 

ideas of the Quabbala and of Alchemy. For it represents, as indeed, many commentators 

of the Tarot think, a summary of the Hermetic sciences - the Kabala, Alchemy, Astrology, 

Magic with their different divisions. All these sciences, attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, 

really represent one system of a very broad and deep psychological investigation of the 

nature of man in relation to the world of noumena (God, the world of spirit), and to the 

world of phenomena (the visible, physical world). The letters of the Hebrew alphabet and 

the various allegories of the Kabala, the names of metals, acids and salts in alchemy, of 

planets and constellations in astrology [...] all these were only means to veil truth from the 

uninitiated." 

In her book, "The Wisdom of the Tarot", Elizabeth Haich also elaborates on the Tarot as 

follows: 

"The TAROT cards are generally regarded as the precursor of modern playing cards, but 

the primary association with the cards is Individuation. The 78 cards of the Tarot are 

divided into major arcana of 22 trumps, and minor arcana of 56 cards, divided into the four 

suits of wands, clubs, pentacles and cups. 

The major arcana consist of archetypical symbols. Each is equated with a particular "path" 

on the Qabalistic Tree of Life and can be used as a meditation doorway to a specifik area 

of the astral plane (our italics). 

The 22 Greater Arcana cards [...] have always been used to help people relate not only to 

the mind, but instinctively through the feelings evoked by their colours and designs." [...] 

"The initiates of prehistoric times who created the tarot cards were familiar with all these 

different levels and states of development of the human consciousness. They depicted 

these levels of consciousness from the first awakening to divine consciousness in twentytwo 

pictures. These are the "Greater Arkana" of the tarot pack." 

WHAT ARE ARCHETYPES 

The specific cards in the various Tarot decks are different artist`s approxomate illustrations 

of the common collective structures imbedded in our psyche, traditionally called the 

"archetypes". An archetype is a resonance figure, a "chord", formed in the long course of 

human evolution through resonance from repetetive, typical themes of existence, to a 

degree and intensity, so that it has become "standing waves" in the unconscious depths of 

the psyche and has almost generated a life of its own. 

A detailed theory of how archetypes interact is formulated by the scientist Rubert 

Sheldrake. Talking about how the different fields influence formation, he says: "similar 

things influence similar things over time an space. In this understanding, growing 

organisms are shaped by fields which are both within and around them, fields which 

contains, as it were, the form of the organism". 

As these "chords" in the psyche, the archetypes, are common ground shared by all, they 



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contain the total sum of the collective human expererience, all the way from the darkest 

instinctual drives and up to the most brilliant spiritual qualities. 

The wellknown psychiatrist, C.G.Jung, says that these archetypes represent "absolutes" in 

the human psyche. "The archetypes are both linked to the instincts and to spirituality; they 

are charged with intensity and works automatically from the unconscious", he says. 

"[...]They have existed from the earliest record of human history. [...] There are as many 

archetypes as there are typical situarions in life, the endless repetition has engraved these 

experiences into our psychic condition [...].Archetypes can be the father, the mother, the 

wise old woman, the magician, the hermit, the fool, the devil, the trickster, the lover, and so 

on." - And constantly new "archetypes" are being created from typical situations in our 

modern life and added to the list, such as ", "Santa Caus" "the mother in law", "the aliens", 

the terrorist", and so on. 

BEFRIEND YOUR ARCHETYPES 

The archetypes, in their totality and with their often conflicting characters, are the 

"bedrocks" in the psyche, they are lying beyond the conscious level and they are therefore 

not directly accessible - and particularly not accessible from an intellectual approach 

alone. 

Their existence can sometimes be recognized in dreams, where they make their powerful 

presence be felt, in in guided imagery or in meditation, but the archetypes themselves are 

practically speaking beyond our reach. 

It is important to remember that the archetypes can be modified by the use of different 

approaches, such as the following guided contemplations. But the archetypes can only be 

transformed through the fire of kundalini; such a radical process happens only rarely and is 

far beyond the reach of the ego. 

So when we are working with these archetypes by contemplating the major arcana cards, 

even if we may not immidiately feel the power of individual pictures, their adjusting impact 

can still be with us some time ahead. 

By contemplating the cards and by allowing the vibratory power between the illustrations 

and ourselves to work, at best without too much interference of the mind, we can gradually 

become more familiar with the pool of our own archetypical characteristics, and the 

wholeness, dynamic and tension between these inner forces. One can say, that all conflict, 

internal or external, is a result of opposing forces, of archetypes that are incompatible. 

Therefore, progress and healing is dependent on reconciliation with the archetypes. 

Working contemplatively with the cards, whether it is with single cards, or in the two 

different lay-out options of the cards we present in the following, or in other lay-outs not 

presented here - this work may facilitate more selfknowledge, more balance and more 

integrity, and thus help us to stay more objective in the case of conflict and difficult times. 

"The 22 Greater Arcana cards [..]. have always been used to help people relate not only to 

the mind, but instinctively through the feelings evoked by their colours and designs," says 

Elizabeth Haich. 

Apart from the inspirational insight the text to the tarot cards is offering - with all their 

richness in detail and symbolism, the comtemplations help us to "reconcile" the opposing 



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forces within ourselves, to become more balanced and well integrated, and to stay more 

objective when faced with conflict and difficult times. 

SELECTION OF TAROT DECKS 

As mentioned above, the two decks we are familiar with and which are presented in the 

following text, are the classical RIDER TAROT by ARTHUR WAITE, and that which often 

has been called "THE MAGICIAN`S TAROT," by OSWALD WIRTH. These are the two 

tarot decks we ourselves have extensively been working with and tested in our courses, 

and these are therefore the two tarot decks we can fully recommend for contemplation. 

We are sure there exist other genuine tarot decks out there we don`t know of, just as there 

exist some tarot decks which, although impressive and fascinating in their artistic 

presentation, only should be used for story telling and NOT for contemplation and self 

knowledge. 

Elizabeth Haich elaborates: "Unfortunately the tarot cards have been frequently 

redesigned by people who were totally unaware of their inner symbolic significance. 

Naturally, such ignorance has lead to complete falsification of their inner meaning. 

Although these corrupt cards may be adequate for the purpose of fortune-telling, they do 

not serve to represent the various spiritual states of man. The only tarot which undoubtedly 

descends from a genuine initiate, and which serves our purpose perfectly, is the one 

designed and coloured by Oswald Wirth at the dictation of the young initiate Stanislas de 

Guita". 

Elizabeth Haich: "The Wisdom of the Tarot" 

As previously said, we are using the above french Oswald Wirth deck, called "the 

Magician`s Tarot", and also the classical Rider Tarot deck. In many ways the two decks 

are very similar to each other. 

However, you may find that "the feel" of the two decks are different. It is as if the Rider 

Tarot deck is more "normal" and immediately appealing - whereas the Oswald Wirth deck 

takes off from the beginning with its radical profile of card O, THE FOOL. It appears that 

the Wirth deck is focusing directly on individuation and higher states of consciousness. We 

have therefore felt it nescessary to elaborate more in the text to some of the Wirth cards. - 

You will also find that the keywords for the cards in each of the two decks are different, 

because some of the illustrations are very different from each other, even if the title of the 

cards is identical. 

The contemplation to all the cards are the same for both decks. 

But let the cards speak for themselves! 

The literature on Tarot is extensive. The following books have been of particular inspiration 

for us, and some quotes are used in the text, marked with quotationmarks where 

appropiate.: 

1) P. D. Ouspensky: "The Symbolism of the Tarot. Philosophy of Occultism in Pictures 

and Numbers". 

Dover Publications Inc. N.Y. 1913 (1976) 



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2) Elisabeth Haigh: "The Wisdom of the Tarot" 

Unwin Paperbacks 1975 (1985) 

Also mentioned in the text, but not otherwise related to Tarot: 

Omraam Mikhael Aivanhov: "The Splendour of Tipharet. Complete Works, Volume 10." 

Editions Prosveta (1987). 

BKS Iyengar:"Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali". 

Aquarian/Thorsons, (1993). 

Swami Sri Yukteswar: "The Holy Science". 

Self Realization Fellowship (l984). 

(this book contains information on the yugas 

and The Grand Cosmic Year). 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION, SELECTION PROCEDURE: 

Spreading the cards 

The remarkable intuitive precision of selection of Tarot cards with their back turned up so 

that the picture is hidden from sight, is based on the phenemena of syncronicity and 

resonance. It is not an accidential or random selection process at all. 

With Elizabeth Haich`s ord: "Nothing is by change, everything is the direct manifestation 

of the conscious or the unconscious Self. Hence, it is not by mere chance HOW a person 

picks up the tarot cards, HOW he shuffles them, HOW MANY cards he lifts when cutting 

and IN WHAT SEQUENCE he consequently spreads the cards. Men discovered these 

facts already in ancient times or they learned about them from initiates! That is why the art 

of spreading cards for the purpose of exploring mans inner image and his future prospects 

is as old as mankind." 

E. Haigh: 'The Wisdom of The Tarot" 

A modern word for this is Syncronicity. Syncronicity is a multidimensional concept for 

events that happen simultaneously and in no obvious connection with each other, and 

where the connection is NOT cause and effect. 

Behind syncronicity are the same laws that lead to the legend of the godess` Indiras 

necklace in Hindu scriptures. The legend tells that when you look at one single, beautiful 

pearl in this necklace, you will simultaneously see all the other pearls. Syncronicity is today 

being connected with the hologram theory by modern science. 

The law of resonance describes how some vibrating object will cause similar vibrations to 

start in another object that has these vibrations as potential (A typical example is 2 similar 

tuning forks). The law of resonance thus describes how the subtle vibrations from the 

cards and the contemplation on the cards, affect the person contemplating the cards. 

Rubert Sheldrakes concept of morphic resonance which has been described earlier in 

connection with the archetypes also utilises this law. 



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ENERGY MOVEMENT AND TAROT 

The many levels of energy movement from God to matter, and from matter to God, are 

exellently illustrated in the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. The steps, or "stations", of these 

energy movements will on the astral plane be percieved as visual images. The images 

have a universal, achetypical content, because they, as mentioned earlier, reflect the 

universalities of what it means to be human. 

These collective images, displayed on the astral plane, are what the original 22 major 

arkana in a crude way illustrate. 

The illustrations on each of the cards are of course always filtered trough individual artist`s 

perception and style; the pictures are generalisations of specific astral images, of which 

each of us will have our own, inner, unique designs and combinations forming our 

character. 

The subjective nature of the cards is important to keep in mind because the tarot cards are 

often mistakingly understood as predictions of outer events, or as real persons in ones life, 

or significant persons about to enter into one`s life. 

PRACTICAL APPLICATION: 

The Tarot Symbol as a Mandala 

The classical geometrical Tarot symbol illustrated above, the symbol of body, mind and 

spirit, is - apart from, of course, simply working with one single card at a time - one of the 

two ways of working with major arcana presented in this booklet. 

You are organising the major arkana cards spread in the mandala, which in its totality is a 

worthwhile object for contemplation. We have been using this mandala exercise in our 

classes at Starbridge Centre for years, but with a variation: we included also cards with 



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cosmic archetypes, such as the planets and the twelve star constellations of the zodiac. 

The version with the cosmic archetypes is not presented here, but is described in detail in 

our online courses on our website. 

Before we introduce the detailed procedure of arranging the cards in the Tarot mandala, 

we would like to present the wisdom in the symbolism of this geometrical patten in itself, 

which Ouspensky offers in "The Symbolism Of The Tarot": 

"If we imagine twenty-one cards disposed in the shape of a triangle, seven cards on each 

side, a point in the centre of the triangle represented by the zero card, and a square round 

the triangle ( the square consisting of fifty sex cards, fourteen on each side), we shal have 

a representation of the relationship between God, Man and the Universe, or the relation 

between the world of ideas (spirit), the consciousness of man (mind) and the physical 

world (body). 

The triangle is God (the trinity) or the world of ideas, or the noumenal world. The point is 

man`s soul. The square is the visible, physical or phenomenal world. Potentially the point 

is equal to the square, which means that the entire visible world is contained in man`s 

consciousness, is created in man`s soul. And the soul itself is a point having no dimension 

in the world of the spirit, symbolised by the triangle. 

It is clear that such an idea could not have originated with ignorant people and clear also 

that the Tarot is something more than a pack of playing or fortune telling cards." 

Ouspensky: "The Symbolism Of The Tarot" 

However, the practical application of theTarot mandala is simpler than Ouspensky`s 

version above: you are using only 4, 3 and 1 cards for the lay-out. 

- Always remember: when you are working with the cards in the mandala, try not to let 

your mind interfere with the images, do not understand, "just" be present, attentive, 

absorbing. 

The following guidelines are meant for your own use, but it is easily adjustable if you want 

to use the Tarot mandala for others. A good approach for you in such a situation - apart 

from the initial stage where you are giving the practical instructions - will be not to be 

"clever" or intrusive, but to practice the fine arts of attentiveness and ability to LISTEN. 

Before you begin, check that all the 22 major arcana cards are present 

Always perform the procedure with the cards turned with their backs up. 

When all cards are selected and arranged in the mandala, turn them face-up. 

● 

● 

● 

Choose 1 card, which is placed in the middle 

Choose 3 cards, which are arranged in a triangle around the center card in the 

following way: the first card in the top above the center card. The next card in the 

lower right corner of the triangle, and the last card is placed in the lower left corner. 

Choose 4 cards, which are placed in a clockwise direction as follows: The first card 

to the right below the triangle, in the lower right corner of a square, the second card 

in the lower left corner, the third card in the upper left corner, and the fourth card in 

the upper right corner 



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In the integration process, use the guided contemplations for the cards. 

Do not interprete the cards. 

The laws of resonance and syncronicity at work in the situation, are giving you an 

indication of 

● The most important issue at the moment (the first card, the centre-card, in the 1-3-4 

mandala). 

● Your emotional-astral balance (the three Tarot cards, the triangle in the mandala). 

● Your relationship with your physical reality, your grounding. (The four cards, the 

square in the mandala). 

As a further work on the spread of cards, you may use an advanced meditation technique, 

which is called double-poled awareness. It is as follows: 

Focus your gaze in a relaxed way at the mandala at the same time as you in your 

mind`s eye connect with yourself as a whole being, or your spine, or your heart, or 

your 3' eye in the forehead, and ponder the guided contemplation that belongs to the 

chosen cards. 

This is a classical technique to enhance meditation by resonance (used in the western 

spiritual traditions on Christian Icon's, in the east on mandalas of deities, the Thangka's) 

The idea is that when the two directions of thought - towards the image and towards a 

reference point in your body - when these two directions are of equal strength, a qualitative 

leap will happen. The mind will be suspended and a meditative state is experienced. This 

will most likely happen only in fractions of a second at a time, with the normal mind taking 

over in between. 

It is a good idea to continue the contemplation on the mandala also at later times. 

THE ASTROLOGICAL MANDALA 

The mandala depicted above relates to the astrological map of the 24-hour cycle and uses 

the basic form of the cross. It also corresponds in part to the "Celtic method", described in 



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Waites booklet. 

After shuffling the cards while concentrating on your question or your issue - which should 

be something you actually are using enery to grapple with anyway - five major arcana 

cards are laid out in the order shown above. 

NB: be careful with the correct order in which the cards should be arranged! 

The cards laid out in this order will tell about our inner challenges this way: 

1. WHAT IS COMING - what is becoming stronger in influence, the developing trend 

of the immediate future. It corresponds to the ASCENDANT in astrology: the planet 

or sign rising over the horizon in East, the morning time. 

2. WHAT IS PASSING, what is declining in influence, a waning factor of the recent 

past, or something that still ties us to the past. It corresponds to the DESCENDANT 

in astrology: the sign or planet sinking below the horizon, the evening time. 

3. WHAT IS MANIFEST, what is now being openly manifested or expressed in relation 

to others and the world. It corresponds to the Zenith (or MID-HEAVEN, M.C.) in 

astrology: what is culminating in the sky, the highest point. 

4. WHAT IS HIDDEN, an unexpressed factor in the situation, latent yet active below 

awareness, an unmanifest tendency. In astrology it corresponds to the Imum Coeli 

(or I.C.), the point opposite the zenith, the midnight hour. 

5. The KEY CARD, the integrating factor, that which is needed or suggested to bring 

these four forces or influences into balance: the primary focus for understanding the 

whole situation. 

Edited from Ralph Metzner: "MAPS OF CONSCIOUSNESS." 

The mandala is only one sample out of a constantly evolving pattern of change. The cross 

rotates in a clockwise direction; so what is now the ascendant will eventually culminate or 

be fully manifest; and what is hidden below awareness (the horizon) will emerge in the 

light of day. 

A given mandala lay out should always and only be taken to indicate the probability 

patterns AS OF THE MOMENT, it is subject to change. 



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The Rider - Waite Tarot Deck 

CARD 0: THE FOOL 

Keyword: 

Contemplation: 

Innocence. 

WHERE IS YOUR WISDOM 

The number 0, which is a circle without a beginning and an ending, shows that THE FOOL 

can be both at the beginning and at the end of the journey, either very foolish - or very 

wise. 

A young man in colourful clothes.- it can be the hero who is starting on his journey - is 

walking at the edge of an abyss. He is looking towards heaven and does not watch his 

steps, he is not realising the apparent danger he is in. The sun is shining because his 

nourishment is his higher Self, he holds a white rose in his hand illustrating his innocence, 

and has a long red feather in his hat, reflecting his joy of life. 

A dog is barking at him, it represents the human instincts, but purified as it is a white, 

domesticated animal, not a wild. On his right shoulder he carries a staff with a bag 

containing his earthly possessions: the four magic symbols, the cup (the water element), 

the sceptre (the fire element), the sword (the air element), and the pentacle (the earth 

element). 



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CARD 1:THE MAGICIAN 

Keyword: 


Power temptations, moving from innocence to power. 

WHAT IS YOUR MAGIC 

The magician is standing at a table decorated with the signs of the zodiac at the edges, 

because magic is use of cosmic forces. His right arm is pointing towards heaven, and the 

left towards earth, towards physical manifestation. The white staff with the two poles he 

holds in his erected right hand is "the staff of life"; a symbol we will meet repeatedly during 

the succession of major arcana cards, as the staff symbolises the transformative power of 

the human spine and thus man`s capacity to use and transform different frequencies of 

energy. The magic tools, the four elements, the sword (air), the cup (water), the pentacle 

(earth) and the wand or sceptre (fire) which physical manifestation consists of, are lying 

ready on the table in front of him. Above him and in the foreground there is an abundance 

of flowers, red roses, symbolising compassion, and white lilies symbolising purity. 

A closer look at the belt the magician has around his waist reveals that it is an ouroboros 

snake biting its own tail, meaning that a full cycle is completed. All magic is based on the 

principle of cyclic events. This insight is the magicians "belt," is what keeps him up and 

going. 

The symbol of eternity, the horizontal number eight, above the magicians head, is a further 

development of the ouroboros snake. In stead of the snake biting its own tail, thus "eating" 

itself up, the snake shifts dimension. The symbol of eternity is a higher understanding of 

the ouroboros snake. 



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CARD 2: THE HIGH PRIESTESS 

Keyword: 


The lure of the feminine, the veil deepens. 

THE ETERNAL FEMININE VALUES, WHAT ARE THEY 

The mysterious High Priestess is sitting between the black pillar of Boaz (the pole of the 

feminine-negative power) and the white pillar of Jachin (the pole of the masculine-positive 

power). 

These two pillars are, like the staff mentioned in card 1, THE MAGICIAN, an ongoing 

theme in many major arcana cards. 

The pillars are illustrating the fundamental polarity, the dual nature of the manifested, 

physical world. Everything that is happening in the created world can be defined as 

"dissonant energy currents", or "energy turbulence", between a negative and a positive 

energy pole. These two "poles" of the created world are traditionally depicted as twin 

pillars in tarot cards, often a white (the male, positive or dynamic pole), and a black (the 

female, negative and receptive pole). The tension, or the accumulation of dissonance that 

occurs in the space between these two poles, will on the astral level display itself as a 

particular visual image, a symbolisation more or less familiar to the human eye, like THE 

HIGH PRIESTESS in this card. 

THE HIGH PRIESTESS is in front of a veil, decorated with what looks like alternating 

pomeogranate fruits and palm trees, which may be understod as feminine and masculine 

forces respectively. The veil is "maya`s veil", the curtain of illusion which covers the 

mysteries of life. 

The crown on her head, which is the moon with its three faces, the waxing moon, the full 

moon and the waning moon, shows the kingly nature of the power she represents. On the 

high priestess` dress at the heart there is a white cross with four equally long arms, a 



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symbol of balance. In her left hand, the feminine, she holds a scroll of wisdom that is half 

hidden within her veil. Visible on the scroll is the four letters for God, TORA. 

Her receptive left foot is resting on a crescent, waxing moon turned upwards, which is 

simultaneously a control and an embrace of the lunar forces. It also illustrates that the 

female energy she represents is affected increasingly by illusory "moonlight": The "fall" or 

projection of consciousness into the outer world is deepening. 


CARD 3: THE EMPRESS 

Keyword: 


Arrogance, the arrogance that results from wisdom being removed 

from knowledge. The fall of consciousness is deepening. 

WHAT ARE YOUR FEMININE VALUES, WHERE ARE THEY 

RULING 

A woman is sitting richly dressed on luxurious cushions and a heart shaped shield with the 

astrological sign of Venus displayed on her side, surrounded by a blooming nature. In front 

a crop of golden wheat is ready to be harvested, illustrating the abundance. In the 

background the river of life is running through a forest of tall cypress trees, suggesting the 

presence of pride, and ending in a waterfall. 

THE EMPRESS wears a wreath of green laurels on her head, and on top of the laurels a 

tiara with the twelve stars signs of the zodiac. The stars of the zodiac upon her crown 

reflect arrogance, that wisdom is exhibited rather than integrated. 

She holds a golden sceptre with a golden sphere raised in her right hand. The sceptre with 

the sphere is the spine with the kundalini fire activated. 



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The overall appearance of THE EMPRESS and her attributes suggests a lack of 

humbleness. When spiritual knowledge is used to gain a position of power, there is a fall of 

consciousness, and one understanding is that this fall of consciousness is symbolised by 

the waterfall in the background. 


CARD 4: THE EMPEROR 

Keyword: 


Mind, or manas 

MALE POWER, WHERE DO YOU HAVE THAT 

THE EMPEROR appears on his throne of stone, surrounded by mountains. His throne is 

ornamented with the heads of four goats, together representing the four corners of a 

square, which is the geometrical symbol of the physical reality. 

THE EMPEROR has a helmet on his head, and a sphere in his left hand, both symbolising 

that HE is the ruler of his empire, the mind. 

The ancient Egyptian cross, the golden crux ansata, which he holds in his right hand, 

reflects his mastery of the creative powers of physical life. He wears an armour, which is 

his intellect, covered by a red mantle. 

More exactly, the empire he rules is the sense-mind, or "manas", which - with the words of 

Paramahansa Yogananda - "repels the consciousness from truth and engages in the 

external sensory activities of the body and thus with the world of delusive realities, Maya. 

[...] The mind is said to be blind because it cannot see without the help of the senses and 

the intelligence." 

In the card of THE EMPEROR, the "blindness" is shown on his own left shoulder where 

there is a goat`s head depicted. The goat head on the left shoulder symbolises the devil or 

delusion; it shows that the emperor (manas) is listening to the wrong guidance. 



17


CARD 5: THE HIEROPHANT OR HIGH PRIEST 

Keyword: 


Higher guidance penetrates the darkness. 

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY. 

In the temple the grand spiritual master is sitting on a throne between the two stone pillars, 

representing the poles of the negative-feminine, and the positive-masculine powers. He 

holds his right hand lifted in the mudra of peace, which is reflecting his benignness. In the 

left hand he holds the golden staff of life with three horizontal bars, symbolising the 

transformative powers of the human spine, which, just as his three-levelled golden tiara, 

reflects his mastery over body, mind and spirit. 

His feet are white with blue crosses, reflecting his purity. 

The throne is standing on a red carpet, and in front of him are two keys positioned as a 

cross. The keys show that THE HIGH PRIEST has access to both the animal and the 

spiritual kingdoms. 

Two monks are kneeling in front of him, the left with the red roses of faith and compassion, 

and the right with white lilies of purity. 



18


CARD 6: THE LOVERS 

Keyword: 


The choice: will they direct their life energy down and out 

to the outer world, or in and upwards towards God 

HOW MUCH ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH A DREAM 

In the Garden of Eden, beneath an overwhelmingly intense sun, a naked man, Adam, and 

a naked woman, Eve, stands beside each other in awe. They represent the male and the 

female psychology in each of us regardless of gender, the inner amimus and the inner 

anima. 

The man is looking at the woman, and the woman is looking up at the archangel Gabriel. 

This reflects that "Adam", the male energy, needs to relate. In other words - it is the 

feminine, intuitive energy, "Eve", which can relate directly to the divine, the angel. "Adam", 

the male energy alone, would become intellectual. 

Beside the woman is the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil with its "fruits", the 

sense organs, and the snake of temptation. 

The crawling snake is a mesmerising and dangerous animal. In classical dream 

interpretation, the crawling snake is symbolising emotions, instincts and passions, 

whereas the erect standing snake is a symbol of the kundalini fire. The transformative 

energy the snake represents can manifest as a sudden shift of dimension, often shown by 

a snake standing erect and luminious - the symbol of awakened kundalini energy. 

Our mind is such, that we only know what we want to know; and if we don`t want to know, 

or in the language of this card, if "Eve" our intuitive faculty, is not ready to acknowledge the 

light, it "falls" and becomes deception and delusion - the traditional characteristics for the 

devil, or snake. The snake of delusion therefore belongs to the Three of the Knowledge of 

Good and Evil. 



19

In the Garden of Eden the two trees are standing side by side, the Tree of Life, and the 

Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil; the latter is essentially the ego; which is always 

dividing, separating in polarities, in what is good and bad. 

Beside the man stands the alternative: the Tree of Life with the twelve signs of the zodiac, 

symbolising unity and the interconnectedness of everything, the higher Self. 

The archangel Gabriel is more or less hidden in "clouds," dependent on our clarity of mind. 

He is spreading out his arms in a blessing, waiting for a choice to be made. 


CARD 7: THE CHARIOT 

Keyword: 


To apply the energy of life after the choice 

WHERE IS YOUR BATTLE 

The conqueror is standing in his chariot, clad in an armour. There is a white square on his 

breastplate, and upon his head he wears a helmet with green laurels and a golden eightpointed 

star, showing that he masters the laws of life. He has a crescent moon on both 

shoulders indicating that his inner guidance is filtered through his understanding of the 

feminine; being either outer, a woman in his life, or inner, the feminine nature within 

himself, his anima. 

A closer look reveals, that the two moons on his shoulders are expressing opposite 

emotions. It is the warrior`s task to navigate between a guidance from the higher and the 

lower. This is also the reason why the square figure at his heart is still missing the inner 

triangle with the dot in the centre, the symbol of tarot. God`s laws are not fully manifested 

in his heart. The conqueror is fighting a hard fight: he has the knowledge of the laws - but 

what does he actually choose when it comes down to it 

On the front of the chariot we see a golden sphere with blue wings which is the classical 



20

symbol for the pineal chakra. It suggests the choice of an inwards-upwards movement of 

life energy towards higher consciousness. Below that is the symbol of sexual union, 

suggesting the choice of an out -and downwards movement into the sense world. 

The chariot has a heavenly blue canopy with white stars, supported by pillars. The four 

pillars form a square, symbol for the material world. The square canopy with the stars 

shows that KARMA FOLLOWS HIM WHERE EVER HE GOES. 

His chariot is drawn by two sphinxes, the left is black and the right one is white. A sphinx is 

both animal and man and represents a riddle - who rules, the mystical, untrustworthy 

instinctual nature in us, or our higher aspects The two sphinxes in front of the chariot are 

reflecting that the conqueror`s driving force, what drives him into battle, is obscure and 

dual in nature. 


CARD 8: STRENGTH 

Keyword: 


Strength requires balance 

WHAT FORCES ARE YOU COMMANDING 

A young woman is standing in the midst of a green plain with distant blue hills. She is 

wearing a pure white dress, she has flowers in her hair and the symbol of eternity above 

her head, which is a higher understanding of the ouroboros-snake (see THE MAGICIAN, 

card I). 

She is together with a huge lion. The lion, which is her instinctual nature, is obediently 

licking her hand, while she is opening or closing his jaws. A girdle of roses between the 

woman and the lion indicates a mutual bonding of compassion. 



21


CARD 9: THE HERMIT 

Keyword: 


The road ahead. One step at a time. What is it that is shining 

LET GO OF THE BIG PICTURE, WHAT IS YOUR NEXT STEP 

The white-haired hermit appears in a barren landscape without any landmarks. He is 

wearing an anonymous grey frock with a hood over his head. In his left hand he holds a 

long staff, symbolising the transformative powers of the spine. In his right hand he holds a 

lantern with a brilliant golden six-pointed star. A six-pointed geometrical figure such as the 

star in the lantern is created by two triangles, one pointing upwards and the other triangle 

pointing downwards, superimposed on each other. Thus the shining lantern is symbolising 

the guidance of an open heart, perfect in balance between the masculine and feminine 

energies. 

The balanced heart of THE HERMIT is more an inner guidance, compared with THE 

CHARIOT (card VII). The conqueror in his chariot has the eight pointed star of dharma on 

his helmet, indicating that his quest is guided primarily by outer rules of noble conduct 

more than by the inner guidance in his own heart 



22


CARD 10: THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE. 

Keyword: 


The laws of karma are ever-present 

ASCENDING OR DESCENDING - WHO TURNS THE WHEEL 

A huge revolving wheel consisting of three concentric circles, representing body, mind 

and spirit, is appearing in the blue sky. 

The outer ring which is relating to the body, the physical, is covered with the letters T A R 

O (T), alternating with Hebraic which letters also read as tarot. Together the two alphabets 

are representing variations of the same essence of wisdom. The middle ring in the wheel 

is covered with cabbalistic symbols referring to the mysteries of life. 

This is the wheel of life, or THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE. 

On the right side of the wheel is a dog-like creature ascending. He is Anubis, the god of life 

and death in ancient Egyptian mythology. Anubis is a part of the mind, his influence leads 

to either death, or to rebirth and new life. His essence is transformation, ultimately leading 

to higher consciousness, to the breathless state while still physically alive, obtainable in 

true meditation which St. Paul referred to, when he said: "I die daily." 

A snake is descending on the left side of the wheel. He is a lower part of the mind, the 

temptator, and to follow him is leading towards deepening sense-attachment and 

materialism, to spiritual "death". 

We are attached, like the two creatures, to the wheel of life by our breathing pattern - 

which also in a complex way is connected to the two vertical energy currents moving in 

opposite directions inside the spine. Gradually, we learn something in this process of the 

ceaselessly revolving wheel, over time causing our attachments to loose influence. 

A strange creature with a sword is sitting on top of the wheel. He is a sphinx, and he marks 

the point where we make the choice. The blue-coloured sphinx symbolises a quicker 



23

vibrational part of the mind, the discriminative power to cut through with the sword. If our 

choice is one of wisdom it will start new life. If it is a wrong choice it leads to "death", to 

another turn of the descending cycle on the wheel. The sphinx, illustrating the "riddle" of 

man, confronts us directly: WHAT in us is in charge, who turns the wheel - the inner animal 

or the inner human 

The four creatures in the four corners of the world are the "beasts" described in the Bible: 

the Waterbearer-angel, the Scorpio-eagle, Leo the lion, and Taurus the bull. They 

symbolise the four "ideas" on the causal level, which constitute maya, the illusory world. 

The four beasts have wings and read in open books, because they are directly and 

actively interfering in what is happening and constantly measuring up the karmic balance 

of the deeds. 


CARD 11: JUSTICE 

Keyword: 


Whatever happens has a just reason 

WHY DO THINGS HAPPEN, WHY 

A woman, the goddess of law and justice, is presiding in the space between two stone 

pillars. She has a blue sword, her mental clarity, in the right hand, and a pair of scales in 

equilibrium in her left. Suspended between the two pillars is the purple veil of illusion and 

ignorance - the veil of maya. The veil is purple, the colour of spiritual penetration, 

indicating that only one who is spiritually highly advanced can see through the veil. 

On her chest is placed an emblem of peace, a white square with a spiritual-red circle in the 



24

center, which is holding together her great coat. Her golden crown with the blue square 

indicates that the source of her judgement is the higher Self, and that spiritual laws are 

being applied to the physical world. 

The scales rest in perfect equilibrium, which is denoting a karmic neutral situation. When 

there is karmic balance, the veil of maya becomes visible and we understand deeper why 

things happen. 


CARD 12: THE HANGED MAN 

Keyword: 


When you have seen truth there is no way back 

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING DIFFERENT 

Ouspensky says about this card: "This is the man who saw truth!". 

A man with a golden aura around his head is hanging from a tree upside down. His hands 

are behind his back indicating that he is powerless. 

The tree he is hanging from is "The Tree of Life" from the Garden of Eden, or in other 

words: the higher Self. The "rope" he is hanging from, and which from an ordinary 

perspective is leaving him in a very uncomfortable position, is integrity - an integrity which 

means that he is coming from his own mind, from his commitment to higher values, and 

not from patches of others mind. He is hanging from his right leg with the other leg bend 

behind it, thus forming a cross - his own Golgatha - his own trial. 

We suggest that the underlying message in the Rider-Waite Tarot cards generally is to live 

a good, normal life in accordance with dharma, higher values, and not nescessarily, as is 

the case with the Wirth Tarot deck, with focus on development towards higher states of 

consciousness. This is mentioned here, because in this card the Tree of Life is formed like 



25

a "T": there is a horizontal branch on top, not a vertical one. The horizontal branch is 

indicating that the man from this point is dispersing his life energy horizontally out in the 

world, and not towards further ascension. Accordingly, there are green leaves on the tree 

because the man has energy projected out and invested in ordinary consciousness. 


CARD 13: DEATH 

Keyword: 


We are only visiting 

WHAT IS DEAD CAN YOU LET GO 

DEATH, a skeleton man in black armour, is riding on a tall white horse with a black girdle 

decorated with skulls and bones. The white horse itself is pure; its eyes are red only 

because of people's fear of death. 

In Death's bony hand he carries a banner with a five-petalled rose in black and white, the 

traditional colours for death in various cultures. The message on the banner is that the 

only thing that dies is the physical body with its five extremities, the head, the arms and the 

legs. 

DEATH is a friend, but mostly an unwanted friend. Wherever he rides forward, everybody 

must die: the king, now without his glory, the crown, the innocent child, the young maiden 

with flowers in her hair, and the bishop praying for mercy. In the background the river Styx 

can be seen; the river which - in accordance to Greek mythology- everybody who dies has 

to cross. A boat with wind in its sail is sailing on the river. 

In the distance the sun is setting between two tall towers, leading into the beyond. The 

towers reflect the right hand path and the left hand path. Which path did you take in your 

life You will reap the results of the path you took. 



26


CARD 14: TEMPERANCE 

Keyword: 


Progressive karma: The essence of life stems from God. 

Integrity will attract us back to God. 

YOUR LIFE`S ENERGIES, HOW DO THEY FLOW 

An angel dressed in white, with a brilliant radiance around his head and the symbol of 

Christ consciousness on his forehead reflecting a fully opened third eye, is standing at a 

water pond. The symbol of tarot is on his chest: a dot in the center of a triangle 

encompassed by an outer square, reflecting that spiritual laws are embedded in the tarot 

as well as in the kabbala. 

The angel has one foot in the water, the unconscious, and the other foot on firm ground, 

the conscious, because the spiritual forces the angel represents are working equally well 

in the conscious and in the unconscious. Yellow irises, flowers which are a symbol of 

pride, are flowering at the waterside. 

To the left, a path is emerging from the pond and is winding its way onwards through 

distant hills to the sun, the higher Self. The path is the soul`s journey, reflecting the 

continuity and unfoldment of purpose and qualities through endless lives, both the lives 

that have passed and the lives to come. Or in other words: the path is the progressive 

karma ultimately leading towards Self realisation. 

The angel is continuously pouring life energy, the water of life, from one golden vessel into 

another, and back again. One understanding is that the two vessels represent the root 

chakra and the crown chakra, the poles between which our life energies constantly 

fluctuate. 

The constant pouring to and from of the water of life translates to EXPERIENCE gradually 

being destilled into WISDOM. In this way the veil of maya, here represented by the purple 



27

wings of the angel, is thinning. 

The card of TEMPERANCE reflects the same process as in "The Middle Path" in 

Buddhism, teaching us how to avoid extremes. 


CARD 15: THE DEVIL 

Keyword: 


Desire. 

DISCRIMINATION - WHAT MAKES HIM A DEVIL 

A DEVIL is appearing on a black, cube-like altar. He has a red face with a goat-like pointed 

beard, grey bat wings spread out, donkey ears, and claws instead of feet. Between his 

horns is the geometrical figure of the pentagram, the five-pointed star, displayed, but 

pointing downwards which is a symbol of black magic, 

In his left hand he holds a burning torch also pointing downwards, which means that the 

life force is being used in the world of the senses and not to ascension. Accordingly, the 

sign of inertia is engraved in his right hand, traditional representing the right hand path, 

and he holds the same hand raised in the gesture of "stop!". But the eyes of THE DEVIL 

are telling that even he is longing back to God. 

Beneath this monster are two beastlike humans with horns and tails standing, both 

chained to the altar of the devil, worshipping the physical and materialism. They are both 

attached to the black altar by the neck, showing that they are using their creativity for 

instinctual purposes, like animals. 

The male and the female are THE LOVERS from before (card VI). It is important to 

remember that the man is the inner masculine force and the woman is the inner feminine 

force in the psyche, regardless of gender. The end of the woman's tail have grapes, 



28

ecause the essence of the feminine principle is the life-giving wine, fruitfulness. The tail of 

the man ends in a symbol of the zodiac, suggesting that his essence is Logos, the idea or 

principle of knowledge.. 


CARD 16: THE TOWER 

Keyword: 


Inner wisdom prevails 

WHAT SURVIVES 

A tall square tower on top of a steep rocky summit surrounded by darkness is struck by a 

lightning bolt from above. The crown, the roof of the tower, comes tumbling down together 

with two horrified people, and flames and smoke are engulfing the scenario. 

The tower symbolises that which is man-made and glorified with the crown on top. 

But when disaster strikes, the crown falls down and is destroyed. The glory you perceived 

as yours, didn`t last. 

The man has a red mantle symbolising outer knowledge, and the woman has a golden 

crown on her head symbolising inner wisdom. Everything which is physically based, 

however beautiful and clever it is, must unevitably crumble. 

Drops of golden dew descending from heaven suggest that there is quite a lot of grace in 

what is happening. 



29


CARD 17: THE STAR 

Keyword: 


Life-energy and dharma. 

CONTEMPLATE YOUR ETERNAL VALUES 

Under a star filled sky a naked woman, symbolising the soul, is kneeling beside a water 

pond. She is resting her right foot upon the surface of the pond without sinking, which she 

can do because of her inner purity. She holds a vessel of water, life's energy, in each 

hand. From the vessel in her right hand she is pouring water, the life energy, into the water 

pond, into the unconscious, and from the vessel in her left hand she pours water upon the 

ground, which symbolises the conscious. On the conscious ground the water is divided 

into five smaller streams, representing the five sense organs which are tying us to the 

outer world. 

However, the amount of "water," life energy, that is being poured into the subconscious, 

the water pond, is significantly larger than the amount of life energy that is being invested 

consciously through the five senses. This means that the majority of the thoughts and 

actions we usually are spending our life energy on are not coming from integrity, but are 

originating from impulses and instincts below the conscious level. The lack of integrity and 

presence is using a large amount of the life energy we have to our disposal. It is also 

preventing us from learning from our mistakes, causing compensative karma upon us, 

often expressed as that we harvest what we saw. 

The isis-bird with raised wings in a nearby tree is a reminder of the Egyptian Isis-headed 

god, Toth, and its presence may be a wake-up call: that death may arrive at any moment. 

Guidance on how to spend our lifes energy in harmony with higher, eternal values, is 

found in the stars above, reflecting the causal level. 

The huge, golden, eight-pointed star above the woman`s head is the idendity point, which 



30

is placed in the upper periphery of the mental aura we have around our head, and it 

reflects the essence of the purpose of being physical alive. The seven smaller white eight 

pointed stars are the major chakras, each acting as a doorway between us and cosmos. 

Spending our life's energy in harmony with dharma, mirrored in the stars above, and 

guided by the discriminative power of the mind applied to what the senses are telling, 

means that we can learn from our mistakes. Therefore the path of dharma is a way to 

freedom from the compensative karma of the ego, and to the progressive karma of the 

Self. 


CARD 18: THE MOON 

Keyword: 


Travel without clarity. 

DO YOU SEE YOUR CHALLENGES IN THE RIGHT LIGHT 

A large moon, at the same time full and crescent, is shining upon the landscape below. It 

appears from the face of the moon, that its guidance may not nescessarily be trustworthy. 

Two animals, a domesticated dog and a wild wolf, representing different aspects of our 

instinctual nature, are howling at the moon because it is shining without giving clarity - 

which is creating a longing. 

A path is leading from a water pond in the foreground, passing between two tall towers, to 

distant hills. A purple coloured crayfish is emerging from the water pond and starts to crawl 

on to the path. The time is ripe for the crayfish that here symbolises the higher Self, to 

come out of the previous hiding, to emerge from the unconscious in order to begin its 

journey towards being the ruler or co-ruler together with the ego. In the beginning, this 

journey will feel very unprotected. 



31

The crayfish`s journey is a difficult one; it risks to become prey for the two animals, the 

instincts, and it has to navigate through the moonlit landscape. The two towers look similar 

to each other, it is not possible from their appearance to distinguish between the right hand 

path and the left hand path. If the crayfish manages to stay on the path that leads in 

between the two towers, it has passed the test. 

God's grace in the form of droplets is descending upon the scenery. 


CARD 19: THE SUN 

Keyword: 


Purified mind. 

FIND YOUR INNOCENCE. 

Below an overwhelmingly big Sun is a small naked child with flowers and a big red feather 

in his hair illustrating his joy of life, happily riding a white horse without reins and saddle. 

The control over the white horse, the purified instincts, has become effortless. In his left 

hand he is displaying a big red banner, which is maya`s veil. 

There is still a brick wall between the child and the Sun; the wall is symbolising the mind, 

which is protecting him from the full impact of the Sun, the higher Self. The rays of the Sun 

are both straight and curvy, in a crude way illustrating the androgynous nature of the 

higher Self. 

One understanding of the four sunflowers with their tall and healthy growth is that they 

depict the four elements, earth, water, fire and air, which the physical body consists of, 

they are now, at this level of consciousness, transformed into a higher vibratory frequency. 



32


CARD 20: JUDGEMENT 

Keyword: 


Becoming alive. 

WHAT MAKES YOU TRULY ALIVE 

Snowy mountain peaks in the distance suggest that this scenario represents a very high 

state of consciousness. Coffins are seen drifting around in the waters, which is the 

collective unconscious. The "coffins" are the ego that up till now have been immersed in 

the collective. 

The archangel Michael is emerging from the cloud. His wings appear now more 

transparent and rose pink in colour, because the veil of maya has almost disappeared. He 

is blowing seven different sounds in his horn, which is decorated with the banner of victory: 

a red cross on a white background. 

The archangel`s horn is a symbol of the human spine wherein God, the creative OM 

sound, can be heard in all the chakras. 

All the ego-coffins are opening as a result of the horn being blown, and naked men, 

women and children appear, stretching their arms towards the angel in celebration and joy. 

The card illustrates the awakening from the ego to the higher Self. 



33


CARD 21: THE WORLD 

Keyword: 


All is contained, what joy! 

WHAT IS NOT CONTAINED 

A beautiful naked woman is dancing in a state of bliss, loosely wrapped in a scarf, which is 

the last remnant of maya's veil of illusion and darkness. She is in charge, she is not 

subdued by the veil, she is playing with it and using it in order to help others still caught in 

the veil. She is dancing with the two energy poles of feminine and masculine powers lightly 

held in her hands, because the grip of the duality of this world has ceased. 

The woman is dancing inside the cosmic egg, made from green laurels. The two crossed 

red ribbons at the top and bottom of the laurels indicate that the celebrations of the Self 

reach even the physical. 

The four "beasts" from the Bible, representing the four "ideas" on the causal level which 

holds physical manifestation together, are present in the corners of the world. They do not 

have wings any longer, nor do they read in open books as in card X, The Wheel of 

Fortune, because at the level of consciousness THE WORLD reflects there is no karma to 

implement, there is only freedom. 

The last card in the series of major arcana cards, THE WORLD, is the inner state of 

enlightenment, whereas the first card, THE FOOL, traditionally is understood as illustrating 

how other people from outside perceive an enlightened person. 



34

Oswald Wirth' deck 

CARD 0: THE FOOL. 

Keyword: 


Higher purpose 

WHERE IS YOUR WISDOM 

THE FOOL is walking along with his staff in his right hand and with his eyes fixed on God 

alone. The walking stick, which has the spiritual-red colour, indicates that he gets spiritual 

support. In his left hand he carries a short blue club with a small orange coloured bag with 

a red vertical center-line upon it. 

The bag is containing his earthly belongings: the four elements: earth, water, fire and air. 

He carries the blue club with his belongings on his right shoulder, meaning that he has 

nothing left in his unconscious - he has brought everything over to his right, conscious 

side; he carries his physicality, his body, as a purpose. 

THE FOOL wears a multicoloured dress. His neck and ears are covered by a green 

patterned cloth, illustrating that he obeys the Quabalistic request of keeping "dath" (the 

"hidden" sephyroth on the Three of Life) related to the throat chakra, out of bounds for the 

uninitiated. The green cloth is a protection, as ignorant people must not recognise his 

higher creative powers because they may misuse them. He wears a huge, turban-like 

headdress with many "whirling" colours, representing his fully opened crown chakra. His 

mask-like face partly hidden behind a brown beard, is expressing the suffering of being in 

a physical body. 

His real face, his spiritual nature, is beyond comprehension for ordinary man; it is so 

radically different that the animal nature in ordinary people around him feels intimidated, 

thus a cat-like creature attacks from behind, having torn down his yellow stockings in order 

to derogatively expose his naked posterior. Moreover, a crocodile is waiting for him behind 

a fallen obelisk. The fallen obelisk is symbolising his nonattachment to previous victories in 



35

his life. The presence of the cat is telling that the law of contrast is at work; the light of THE 

FOOL attracts negativity. 

If he should happen again to identify himself with anything at all, as an example to his 

previous achievements (the obelisk), or if he becomes attached to what is happening to 

him otherwise, the "crocodile" will attack him, which means that he will have to live out the 

karma he is creating by again being attached. 

A red flower has partly opened, but is bend downwards so that its inner cup is hidden, 

reflecting that nobody can see the inner life of THE FOOL. 

Elisabeth Haigh says (page 160 - 161): "Even though this card is unnumbered [...] it 

carries the Hebrew letter SHIN [...]. According to the Quabalah, God set the letter SHIN as 

king over the element of fire. It is therefore fire, the fire of spirit, of the creative principle, of 

Logos. 


CARD 1: LE BATELEUR, THE MAGICIAN 

Keyword: 


Playing with fire 

WHAT IS YOUR MAGIC 

A young man is standing at a table with a posture resembling the Hebrew letter ALEPH, 

the letter that is ascribed to the card, and which can be seen in the bottom-left corner. He 

holds a magic wand with the red, positive, masculine energy pointing upwards, and the 

blue, negative, feminine, energy pointing downwards. The wand reflects the transformative 

power of the human spine, and his posture is expressing the law, "as above, so below". 

His tools for physical manifestation are lying ready on the table: the golden coin (the 

element of earth), the sword (the air element) and the cup (the water element). He holds 

the magic wand (the fire element) in his left hand, while he with his right hand points 



36

towards the golden coin on the table. This means that he still has ego involved in what he 

is doing, the golden coin symbolising "mammon", material wealth. 

The table has only three of its four legs visible. This is a graphical attempt to highlight the 

law of number three , representing transformation, and not the number four law which 

relates to the physical. 

The magician wears a hat with the brim shaped as the horizontal figure 8 - the symbol of 

eternity. 

TThis symbol is a further development of the ouroboros snake, the snake who is biting its 

own tail thus forming a circle. In stead of eating itself up starting from its tail, the image of 

the snake has now transformed itself. The figure eight is a higher understanding of the 

ouroboros-snake. 

The top of the magicians hat is red and symbolises an as yet unmanifested spirituality, the 

green brim on the hat relates to the physical. 

Elisabeth Haich (p 32 - 33) says: "The number I is the divine number, which exist even 

before other numbers are born out of it [...] and corresponds to the "I AM THAT I AM". 

Aleph is the first birth, the birth of the divine child, of self-awareness." 


CARD 2: LA PAPESE, THE HIGH PRIESTESS 

Keyword: 


Highest in the world of division 

THE ETERNAL FEMININE VALUES, WHAT ARE THEY 

A woman with her face partly hidden by a light blue veil is sitting between the dual pillars of 

the manifested physical world, the positive-masculine and negative-feminine poles. There 

are square black and white tiles on the floor, also displaying the dual nature of the 

physical. A light-blue veil is suspended between two pillars behind her, and loosely 



37

fastened with a hook to each pillar. The veil is the curtain of darkness and ignorance, 

maya`s veil, which is hiding the higher reality beyond physical manifestation. 

THE HIGH PRIESTESS has a white tiara on her head, with two light green circlets, and a 

yellow crescent moon at the top. The moon on the top shows that she masters the 

feminine energy with its two levels, both the "moonlight" and the higher, secret power. In 

her left hand she holds two keys in a crossed position: a silver key with a cross on top, 

representing the physical, and a golden key with a triangle on the top, representing the 

astral, invisible world, because she has access to both worlds; but it is two separate keys, 

either-or, there is a division. She has an orange-red book on her knee, and supports it with 

her right hand that also keeps it half-open. The book has a ying-yang symbol on its front 

cover, revealing that she knows-about the state above duality and gender, but she does 

not own it; she still sees herself as a woman, identifying with her physical sex. 

At this stage of development many things are partly open, partly hidden or invisible. Only 

the left, the feminine, armrest of the chair is visible, revealing a strange creature - a sphinx. 

A sphinx is the riddle of man; and the colour of the sphinx - is it brown, or is it copper 

Copper is an alchemic colour, and brown is the colour of lethargy and rigidity. The 

feminine psyche has the risk of stagnation, but the feminine psyche also has the potential 

of transformation and conductivity, which are the qualities of copper. We also have to ask 

about the light blue veil which is partly hiding her face: does that mean that she is going 

into meditation - or is it because she is about to fall asleep 

The right armrest, supposedly a white (masculine) sphinx, is hidden under her mantle. This 

again indicates her identification with her physical sex. 

Elisabeth Haich says (p 38-39): "This picture bears the Hebrew letter BETH, denoting the 

two worlds, here and beyond, which the seeking man bears with him, and which brings 

about an inner conflict, as the number II embodies the idea of division." 



38


CARD 3: LÌMPERATRICE, THE EMPRESS 

Keyword: 


Cosmic illusion; the physical world is an illusion about separateness 

and spatial distance. 

WHAT ARE YOUR FEMININE QUALITIES 

- WHERE ARE THEY RULING 

The card shows a crowned, angelic woman with a golden sceptre and wings of 

omnipresence. She is sitting on a garden bench and with a white lily at her left side, 

symbolising etheric growth. A brilliant mental aura is apparent around her head with the 

stars of the the zodiac. 

THE EMPRESS holds a golden sceptre, with a variation of the Egyptian ank-cross on the 

top. The sceptre is divided in two parts, a lower and an upper division, with a "knot" in the 

middle. The sceptre symbolises the transformative power of the spine, and the "knot" is 

the heart center. Without this "knot", the spark of individualised spirit in the heart, we would 

not be physical. All the attributes of THE EMPRESS tell us that planet earth is her domain. 

In the right hand of THE EMPRESS she holds a red shield with a non-distinctly depicted 

white, purified scorpio-eagle, which is the symbol of alchemy and of transformation of 

sexuality. A heavenly blue robe is spread over her lap, covering her right arm and right 

foot, because the masculine principle is unmanifest. 

Her visible left foot is resting on a crescent moon. The moon, which is divided in a white 

part and a more shadowy part, is receptive to earth, because THE EMPRESS rules 

fertility. She wants to utilise the earth to create new living beings and thus uniting the 

spiritual and the physical world. 

The card carries the number III, and the letter GIMEL. 



39


CARD 5: LÈMPEREUR, THE EMPEROR 

Keyword: 


Balanced intellect in the world of matter. 

MALE POWER, WHERE DO YOU HAVE THAT 

A bearded man is sitting on his throne, which is shaped as a yellow cube with a black 

eagle depicted on its front side. The card, THE EMPEROR, symbolises intellect, 

traditionally related to the yellow colour, applied to matter, which is the cube. The position 

of THE EMPEROR`S legs form the astrological sign for Jupiter, the god who rules over the 

other gods in Greek mythology, and at the same time they form the cross of matter. 

The black eagle on the cube appears detailed and clear cut, as a contrast to the more 

rudimentarily depicted eagle on the EMPRESS` shield (card III). This reflects that it is 

easier for the male energy to manifest itself physically than it is for the female. 

THE EMPEROR has a golden helmet on his head, which is ending in a structure with four 

spikes on top, denoting the world of matter. The brim of his helmet is red and almost 

feather-like, stretching back and covering the upper area between his shoulder blades on 

the back. This area, traditionally known as the waste energy area in the aura, is where 

stress accumulates and creates blockages in the overall energy circulation when there is 

too much mental activity going on. 

THE EMPEROR holds an imperial orbit in his left hand, illustrating his rulership over 

material creation, the earth. He has a golden sun and a golden moon depicted on his 

breast armour, upon the right and left secondary chakras to the heart respectively. This 

shows that the connection to THE EMPEROR`S heart has to go through his armour - 

which is his intellect. He knows-about things, but his knowledge is not integrated as 

wisdom. He wears a heavy golden chain around his neck along the lower edge of his 

mental aura, emphasising his mind power. In his right hand he holds a sturdy, richly 



40

ornamented sceptre, ending in a lily, the "Fleur de Lie", once again representing the 

creativity of his mind. 

The red flower at his right foot, now opened, indicates that THE EMPEROR`S energy is 

moving out into physical reality. 

The emperor carries the number four, and the letter DALETH. 


CARD 5: LE PAUPE, THE HIEROPHANT 

Keyword: 


Spiritual teaching comes in whenever there is balance. 

SPIRITUAL AUTHORITY. 

THE POPE or hierophant is sitting on a throne with the two pillars, the negative-feminine 

and the positive-masculine poles, closer to each other and with no veil or curtain between 

them, because on the level THE POPE represents there is hardly any tension between the 

male and the female powers. 

THE POPE has a white beard, he wears white gloves decorated with blue crosses 

symbolising his purity, and he holds his right hand raised in the mudra of peace, denoting 

his benignness. 

In his left hand he holds a golden staff with three horizontal bars on top, representing the 

levels of the root chakra, the heart chakra and the pineal chakra. Below these three bars 

there is a green sphere on his staff, symbolising the world of mind. THE POPE is pointing 

to the green ball with his index finger indicating that his teaching is fertile. 

His crown also has three levels or circlets, each ornamented differently, with the highest 

level, the causal, carved in only geometrical forms, and ending with a cross on top. His 

crown illustrates that he masters the physical-etheric (the lowest circlet), the astral (the 



41

circlet in the middle), and the causal kingdoms. His blue rope is held together by a button 

or broche on the front of the chest, at the upper point of depression in the aura, illustrating 

the pain there is in not being able to reveal his full truth. 

THE POPE embodies and expresses a high state of wisdom. The two monks, one in doubt 

but being encouraged by the other, are complimentary to each other, symbolising the mind 

and its fluctuations in duality. 

This fifth tarot card carries the number V, and the letter HE. 


CARD 6: LÀMOUREUX, THE LOVERS 

Keyword: 


Male energy needs to relate. 

HOW MUCH ARE YOU IN LOVE WITH A DREAM 

A young man is standing before a cross road in a state of indicisiveness with his arms 

crossed in front of him. A woman are standing on each side of him, symbolising the two 

paths he has to decide between. Both women are trying, in each their own way, to make 

him follow her. 

The young man is dressed in clothes with alternating green and red colours. His right leg, 

standing at the right-hand path, is masculine-positive red. The woman on his right is 

dressed in negative-blue and positive-red colours, and has a golden crown on her head. 

She represents his own femininity - and the invitation to an inner tantric development 

process, bringing about in him an increasing balance between the feminine and masculine 

energies, and culminating in the "Alchemic marriage" - a state of blissful beingness, 

identical with the Primary Clear Light. 

The young man`s other leg, standing at the left path, is green. The woman on his left side 



42

has no crown on her head, but flowers in her hair, and she is barefooted; she is a child of 

mother earth. She is clad in a yellow dress, and her hair is green as the young man`s left 

leg and the veil she wears. The veil and her hair look as if they are one and the same 

thing, because her strength, represented by her hair, is her "moonlight", her 

seductiveness. Her green colours are reflecting the growth outwards to the world of the 

senses, she promises. 

In zenith, directly above the young man`s head, is a huge brilliant sphere, reflecting the 

Primary Clear Light, the divine state of oneness, which, as mentioned before, is the 

culmination of the path of inner tantra. 

From this source radiates 12 alternating green and red rays. These "rays" represent the 

twelve star signs of the zodiac AND the tree gunas, (principles of nature that in 

accordance with Hindu scriptures uphold physical manifestation). This is much more 

complex, the "guna-rays" of various lengths are reaching down into the physical world, 

creating karma. Essentially, the gunas are the tools, the twelve zodiac star signs are the 

filters, and finally, the star is the impulse. 

In the brilliant light appears an angelic being with an arrow on his bow, ready to shoot as 

soon as the young man has made his choice. The angel is naked because truth is always 

naked, and the blue wings illustrate his mental clarity. The angel is "the Lord of Karma". A 

measurer of what is right living in accordance with higher values will therefore come from 

the same source. 

The Lord of Karma measures the difference between what is the right way to live and that 

which is actually being lived; but "the judgement" as such is often not being summarised 

until after death. The angel`s bow is green because it brings the consequences of the 

choice into motion, the yellow quiver represents the law of consequence. 

In the language of modern physichs, this card, THE LOVERS, depicts the moment of the 

collapse of the wave-function. 

The card carries the number VI and the letter VAU. 



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CARD 7: LE CHARIOT, THE CHARIOT 

Keyword: 


The choice is made. 

WHERE IS YOUR BATTLE 

A young man, a conqueror, stands in his chariot with a sceptre in his hand, and a crown 

with three five pointed stars on his head. He wears a red and blue armour. A crescent 

moon with a face is present on each of his shoulders, suggesting that his guidance is 

filtered through his understanding of the feminine - whether this understanding is coming 

from an outer woman, or through the feminine part of himself. 

His left, feminine hand is resting on the chariot with a powerless posture, because now, 

when the choice has been made, it is the masculine-positive battle it is all about, there is 

no more space for the intuitive-feminine energy field The nobleness of the impulse, which 

is now becoming his battle, is already determined by his ability to listen to the right 

guidance as it was prior to the impulse, 

Above the canopy there is a golden circle with a dot in the center which is Christ 

consciousness, because the conqueror`s quest is spiritual in its essence. The blue canopy 

itself is fastened to the chariot with four poles. It is divided in four parts, each with three 

stars, thus, once again, totalling the 12 star signs of the zodiac. The star-filled canopy 

reflects that karma follows him wherever he goes. 

The alchemic colour of copper on the inside of the canopy shows that there is conductivity, 

or "good luck," on his quest. 

The charioteer stands exactly in the centre of the chariot, where the diagonals from the 

four corners meet, because HE is the uniting force whether he likes it or not, he is in 

charge. 

There is not just one, but two symbols on the front of the chariot: The upper symbol is the 



44

winged spiritual eye, or Logos; and the lower symbol is the lingam, the symbol of sexual 

union. The symbol of sexual union is partly encircled, because the conqueror is beginning 

to realise the oneness of the two energies. 

Two sphinxes, each representing" the riddle of man", drive the chariot. One of the 

sphinxes is fair skinned with a hair dress with blue and white stripes, the other is dark 

skinned and with a hair dress with red and white stripes. A closer look reveals that the two 

sphinxes only have one body: As the conqueror choose the spiritual path, even the driving 

forces of the animal instincts begin to transform, to merge. 

The card carries the number VII and the Hebrew letter ZAIN, meaning "Victory in all 

worlds". 


CARD 8: LA JUSTICE, JUSTICE 

Keyword: 


Truth wins. 

WHY DOES THINGS HAPPEN, WHY 

A woman is sitting on her throne with a double-edged sword of truth in her right hand and 

a pair of scales in perfect equilibrium depicting a karmic neutral situation, in her left. 

Her throne consists of the positive and negative energy poles, connected with an arc, 

outlining the lower brim of the mental aura, which also appears to continue as the back of 

the throne. 

On top of both pillars is a "fruit-like" formation, which is a stilisation of the pineal gland 

because that is the way it looks, and because real justice is spiritual in nature. The pineal 

itself, deeply anchored in the brain, enables clarity. The pineal gland on the right pillar is 

resting on a spiritual-red "shelf", because the spiritualisation of matter is the purpose of the 



45

pineal. The pineal gland on the brown shelf is representing the left hand path which 

should not be touched. In reality there of course exists only one pineal gland. 

The woman`s clarity reaches all the way up. Truth, the double-edged sword, has pierced a 

part of the right pillar, the sword of truth has partly even pierced the pineal gland, because 

even in a part the pineal gland itself is there illusion, experienced as a state of bliss. From 

the perspective of ultimate truth bliss is an illusion as well. A real search after truth goes 

beyond even the level of the pineal, so truth has to penetrate even the pineal. 

This is happening because the choice has been made in the favour of spiritual 

development (THE LOVERS, card VI). 

The woman wears a crown with five spikes upon a red cap with the symbol of Christ 

consciousness in front, telling that she is judging over human life in accordance with 

spiritual truths. 

The card carries the number VIII and the letter CHETH. 


CARD 9: LÈRMITE, THE HERMIT 

Keyword: 


Clarity, will and courage, one step at a time. 

LET GO OF THE BIG PICTURE, WHAT IS YOUR NEXT STEP 

A white-bearded man with bright eyes is walking forward with carefulness, one step at a 

time. His long, hooded cloak is brown on the outside and blue on the inside, indicating that 

he looks insignificant on the outside, but has a strong faith in God on the inside. 

As he is walking, he is orientating himself by help of his staff and the clarity of his lantern. 

The light in the lantern is the will of God, but THE HERMIT is hiding the lantern within his 

cloak so only he can see because it is not the will of God to force others. 



46

His walking stick, or staff, is a symbol of the transformative powers of the human spine, 

and is divided in 8 sections, which mark the 7 major chakras plus the idendity-point above 

the head. It means that the hermit is guided by his whole being. 

Together with the hermit, on his right side, walks a strange spiritual-red creature. It is a 

miniature, but nevertheless erect dragon, because THE HERMIT is going through a radical 

transformation process, more and more becoming like THE FOOL. 

The card carries the number IX and the letter TETH. 


CARD 10: LA ROU DE FORTUNE, THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE 

Keyword: 


Awakening. 

ASCENDING OR DESCENDING, WHO TURNS THE WHEEL 

A strange boat is floating upon small light-green waves of "moonlight" which is Samsara, 

the illusion of individuality and seperateness in this world. The boat consists of two 

interconnected crescent moons, the one in front is red and the one behind is green. 

Two snakes are rooted in each of their respective crescent moons in the boat, because 

each of them holds its own set of illusions of being separate individuals. The snakes, 

constantly relating to and balancing each other, are raising themselves up from the "moonboat", 

and curling around the straight center pole. The center pole is symbolising the 

central channel, sushumna, inside the spine. The "snakes", the green cool feminine ida, 

and the red hot masculine pingala, are the energy currents in the channels (nadis) on the 

left and the right side respectively of the sushumna. The revolving wheel of fortune also 

reflects the movements in breathing, the inhalation (ascending), and exhalation 

(descending). 



47

The center pole has the center point of the wheel of fortune - or the wheel of life as it 

sometimes is called - at its top end. It consists of two concentric circles, a thicker outer red 

wheel, symbolising the physical, and a thinner inner blue wheel, symbolising the mental. 

The wheel is divided by eight yellow spokes representing paths of dharma, as in Buddha`s 

Eightfold Path. Right in the centre of the wheel is a handle to turn the wheel, representing 

our free will. 

Two strange creatures are holding on to the wheel. To the right side of the wheel itself a 

devil is descending, leading into deepening illusion. The devils' brown and green colours 

reflect his lethargy; his scaly legs with fishlike fins instead of feet shows his connection 

with the water element. We humans consist of 70% water, and resonance fields act in 

water, vividly creating ripples. Ripples look like something in themselves, but they are not; 

their independent existence is an illusion. 

The devils attribute, the trident, represent the three gunas, principles of nature described in 

Hindu scriptures as forces embedded in physical manifestation. The blue trident is the 

devil`s attribute, because in accordance to esotheric thinking, the physical world would 

simply not be able to exist if there wasn`t some unbalance between the gunas. The blue 

colour of the trident illustrates with Goethe's words from "Faust", that the devil is "the spirit 

that always wants the evil but causes good". 

To the left side of the wheel itself is a blue and yellow coloured creature ascending. He is 

the Anubis-god, related to transformation, death and rebirth in ancient Egyptian mythology. 

Anubis has an appearance as a human with a dog face. He is holding on to the outer 

"physical" wheel but also touching the inner "mental" wheel because death and rebirth is 

primarily a physical, but also mental matter: What is it that dies It is said that if we were 

totally non-attached to our current physical bodies we would be able to remember previous 

lives (Patanjali`s Sutras), thus realising that we are "immortal", that we have eternal life 

The attribute of Anubis is the Hermes staff, symbolising the healing the full cycle of life, 

death and rebirth embodies. 

On top of the wheel, and on a platform supported by both the devil and the god of healing, 

is a sphinx enthroned. He (or she) is embodying "the riddle" of man. The sphinx 

encompasses three out of the four elements: the red human face represents the fire 

element, the light blue wings and the light green upper part of the body with the breasts 

belongs to the element of air and is emphasising his inscrutable nature. His lower body is 

brown and belongs to the element of earth. The sphinx represents the original human 

being, who the devil has sneaked up on through the water element. The devil is an 

necessary ingredient of being physical, but he is not a genuine part of the human nature. 

The emblem the sphinx wears on his headdress is a cross with a triangle on top, indicating 

that also a sphinx ultimately leads to self-development. He holds a sword ready in his right 

hand, but it denotes only empty threats, because the sphinx does not embody a higher 

principle. The sphinx is not as wise as he would like us to believe, but he is in charge as 

long as we are listening to our human nature rather than to our spiritual discrimination. 

The card carries number X and the Hebrew letter YOD. 



48


CARD 11: LA FORCE, STRENGTH 

Keyword: 


No illusions. 

WHAT FORCES ARE YOU COMMANDING 

A woman is standing with a huge lion, with her hands demonstrating that she is in control 

of its jaws. The lion, which is her own animal nature, is affectionately licking her hand, 

which shows that her instincts and drives are under control, they have no longer any 

influence on her. The woman has a blue dress with a red middle and an enveloping red 

cloak that is held loosely together by a yellow string between two buttons on her upper 

chest. The two buttons holding her red robe reflects the secondary chakras to the left and 

right of the heart, and they have to do with the rhythm of the heart, the essence of life. 

The woman wears a hat with a five-pointed- golden crown at the top, representing the 

kingdom of man. The brim of the hat is shaped as the symbol of eternity, the horizontal 

number 8 (see also card I). 

The right side of the brim relative to her is filled with golden laurels, symbolising the victory 

of love and affection; which is essentially of a personal nature. The left side of the brim has 

a thicker green border, and the inner golden part relating to compassion is squeezed 

together, indicating that compassion does not have the proper space to unfold. 

The love of the heart is victorious, but compassion, relating more to the pineal chakra in 

the forehead and its clarity, needs more practise. The woman will have to develop more 

detachment. The quality of oneness, eternity, as symbolised in the horizontal number 

eight, can only unfold when there is balance and harmony between the personal aspect, 

love, and the higher, non-attached aspect, compassion. 

The card carries the number XI and the Hebrew letter KAPH. 



49


CARD 12: LE PENDU, THE HANGED MAN. 

Keyword: 


Spiritual generosity. 

ARE YOU COMFORTABLE BEING DIFFERENT 

A young man is hanging upside-down, suspended by a rope around his left ankle. The 

rope is fastened to the Tree of Life, representing his higher Self. His hands are behind his 

back, indicating he is powerless; his eyes are turned towards his inner Christ 

consciousness-centre. 

The green tree trunk to the left is the negative-feminine pole and the tree trunk to the right 

is the positive-masculine pole. The man is still living in the world of duality, but he sees 

things upside down, from a spiritual perspective. Even the fundamental "pillars" of the 

physical world are undergoing a transformation. Each of the tree trunks has had six 

branches cut off, leaving the scars red. The cut-off branches indicate that on this path 

there have been no "detours", and the red scars indicate that there have been sacrifices 

involved. 

There are a few green foliage left at the bottom of the tree, indicating that there is still 

some attachment to normal consciousness. Actually, the green hills where the trees are 

standing, is all what there is left of the luring "moon-boat" in card X (The Wheel of 

Fortune). But there is no way back, the man is hanging in an very uncomfortable position 

from the Tree of Life, his higher Self, by the rope of his integrity. 

The hanged man's dress has the colours of red and white: passion and purity. The white 

crescent moon on the red patch and the red crescent moon on the white patch means that 

there is still a risk of interference of the ego, therefore each of the crescent moons is both 

distinct from and in polarity to its background colour. 

Silver coins and golden coins are falling out from two bags he holds under his arms, next 



50

to his body. This means that he freely is passing on to others the wisdom and knowledge 

he has distilled from his hard-earned experiences. It is only when we are comfortable 

being different that we are at ease with what we have to give. 

The card carries number XII and the Hebrew letter LAMED 


CARD l3: (DEATH) 

Keyword: 


Only attachment dies. 

WHAT IS DEAD CAN YOU LET GO 

This card is the only untitled one in the whole series, it is simply defined as number XIII. 

We understand that the reason is that the tarot deck originated in a culture that called 

DEATH "no-name". 

An orange skeleton-man, DEATH, with the eyes in the eye-sockets turned up towards the 

Christ consciousness centre, is harvesting with a scythe. The shaft of the scythe is of a 

spiritual-red colour, with a white blade, denoting purity; because there are no ulterior 

motives involved in death. The orange colour of the skeleton is a projection of the suffering 

death causes - and the need for flexibility, for co-existence. 

Humans exist simultaneously on the physical and the astral plane, but ordinary 

consciousness can only stay at one plane at a time. DEATH, the skeleton, is a reminder of 

the level where we are not present. The bones are without flesh because they denote the 

inflexible unconscious attachment to where we are. 

A closer look at what death is harvesting reveals that only the physical torsos of the two 

humans are buried. The two heads are above the earth, the unconscious, illustrating that 

man`s consciousness survives. The visible hands above the earth are expressing various 



51

mudras, such as peace and victory. The hands and feet are our means to ground and 

engage ourselves in the physical world; they are also surviving. And there are green 

plants, indicating that physical-etheric growth continues. 

There are two heads, two pair of hands - but only one pair of feet. The missing pair of feet, 

and the head with the golden crown, belong to THE HANGED MAN (card XII), who from 

an ordinary perspective is turned upside down; but alive. Grounded as he is with his feet in 

the spiritual, he is untouched by death. 

Obviously, this card is not about physical death. The skeleton man is mowing, but he does 

it in the reverse way, he cuts from left to right instead of the normal way which is from right 

to left.: Death is reversed, death brings rebirth. 

The card carries number XIII and the Hebrew letter MEM. 


CARD 14: LA TEMPERANCE, TEMPERANCE 

Keyword: 


Learn from your experiences. 

YOUR LIFE`S ENERGIES, HOW DO THEY FLOW 

An angelic being is pouring water from a golden vessel in his right hand, into a silver 

vessel in his left, and back again, and so forth, continuously. The angel has the golden 

symbol of Christ consciousness on his forehead and a white collar of purity around his 

neck, because all his creative powers are dedicated to God alone. The angel`s 

androgynous existence denotes a higher level of consciousness than is possible within the 

ego with its identification with one of the sexes only. 

The angelic being is measuring and balancing life's energies with great care, making sure 

that not a single drop of the water is spilt. 

One understanding of this card, TEMPERANCE, suggests that the golden vessel is the 



52

crown chakra and the silver vessel is the root chakra. The "water of life" which are being 

poured from one vessel to the other and back again are the two energy currents in the 

spine, the ascending ida and the descending pingala (see card X, the Wheel of Fortune). 

An alchemical process of dissolving and solidifying of opposing forces is going on; the life 

energies are constantly being transformed and purified. 

A red flower has emerged from the ground. It touches lightly the golden vessel, with the 

flower bend down in humility. 

This card carries the number XIIII and the Hebrew letter NUN. 


CARD 15: LE DIABLE, THE DEVIL 

Keyword: Experience without being attached 

Contemplation: DISCRIMINATION - WHAT MAKES HIM A DEVIL 

A huge devil, half human and half goat, half masculine and half feminine, appears on a 

blue pedestal that has the form of a cube. 

THE DEVIL has a white, five-pointed star pointing upwards on his forehead, because he is 

LUCIFER, "The Light Bringer". 

- And God said: "Let there be Light". The first emanation from God allowed an "anchor 

point" to be established in polarity to the Light, thus enabling the physical world of duality 

to be projected out. This anchor-point is THE DEVIL, the master of illusion. 

Accordingly, THE DEVIL contains and rules the four elements physical manifestation 

consists of. The head, hair and donkey-ears are all red, the element of fire. The bat-wings 

and the fair colour of the skin of his upper body denotes the element of air, the fish-scales 

on the lower part of his body denotes the water element, and the goat legs and hooves 



53

denotes the earth element. The devil takes power and gains a life of his own, only when 

we identify with him and the material laws he governs. He is a spirit, carrying the reverse 

image of Spirit. 

Looking into his eyes, how much do you think he understands 

On his right arm the devil carries the Latin word "solve" (dissolve), and on the left he 

carries the Latin word "coagula" (solidify). This refers to alchemy, the transformation 

process where various elements that are connected and hardened in wrong ways are 

dissolved and reconnected in right ways, helped by a constant bonfire (consciousness) 

under a hermetic vessel (our being). 

THE DEVIL holds in his left hand a lingam, the symbol of sexual union. Elisabeth Haich 

elaborates: 

"Man has to recognise a paradox, an impossibility and discrepancy: that he wants to 

experience inner unity with his partner in the body, and that it is this very body that resists 

and prevents this oneness." 

The yellow sign of Mercury is shown on the sexual organ, meaning that when sex is not 

innocent but mental, when sex becomes an end in itself, it becomes "devilish", and leads 

to deepening attachment to the physical. 

The burning torch in the devil's right hand shows that even if the devil "always wants the 

evil, he causes the good" (from Goethe's "Faust." The many times we fall are teaching us 

something, however slowly: the alchemic process is working. 

Below this monster are two small beast-like humans. They are THE LOVERS from before 

(card VI), now an orange male and a green female. They are both tied to a ring on the 

devil`s piedestal by heavy ropes around their necks. This means that they are chained by 

their own worship of the physical, trapped by their use of creative energies for instinctual 

purposes like animals. 

The orange colour of the man tells that he is suffering; his yellow donkey ears and two 

yellow hooves, four points in total, tell us that his 'grounding' is his stubborn intellect. His 

left hand and his tail is pointing upwards because his mind is soaring, he is lost in the 

intellect. 

The woman is green, the green colour from the woman to the left in the card of THE 

LOVERS; but now she has lost her mental strength, all her hair, as there is no 

nourishment in the sex drive. Her two horns and two nipples are red, the four red points in 

total are again telling us, that she finds her 'grounding' in passion. Her right hand is 

touching the devils pedestal and her tail is down, complimentary to the man`s. The position 

of her right hand and tail is suggesting that she is committed to a use of her will and 

energy in a downward, outgoing movement - away from inner-and-upwards spiritual 

development and out into the world of the senses. 

It may be relevant at this place to introduce a broader perspective of what happens to this 

unfortunate couple, the man and the woman. 

The overall way the male and female energy are supporting and uplifting each other, or 

are trapping each other in a deadlock, is strongly influenced by the particular age, or time 

period, they are living in. This brings us to the concept of the Grand Cosmic Year, a 

cosmic cycle of approximately 25.000 years, described in ancient Hindu scriptures and 

elsewhere. In each of these cosmic cycles we go through various ascending and 

descending ages, or "Yugas," where the hearts and minds of people in general are 

becoming brighter or darker, respectively. In an ascending age, like the one we are living 

in now though it is still early days (the dwapara age), it is initially the female that benefits 

from the increasing influx of light in the collective consciousness. The feminine energy is a 

receptive beingness. She rests in the collective energy field and simply follows the 



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collective consciousness effortlessly as it grows in brightness; while the male energy by 

her side, the dynamic impulse, is purifying her. He will through intuition, which is in the 

feminine side absorb a higher dharma This will again cause him to a higher protection of 

the dignity of the feminine which in the way before mentioned is following the collective 

energy field. 

An age descending into increasing darkness and ignorance will generally cause 

depression in the female side and warrior behaviour in the male side, 

making it more difficult for them to come in "sync" with each other, internally as well as 

externally.. 

The card carries the number XV and the letter SAMEKH. 


CARD 16: LA MAISON DIEU, THE TOWER 

Keyword: 


Grace or disaster, how grounded do you want to be 

WHAT SURVIVES 

A strong tower, man's mental construction, which is standing on the green ground of 

maya, worldly illusion, is struck by a sudden bolt of lightening. Even if the lightening bolt is 

perceived as coming out of the blue, the cloud, it is in reality coming from the sun, the 

higher Self, and as such the nature of the lightening bolt is grace. 

The sun has a double-circle around it, and the lightening bolt itself is also divided. This 

reflects that man is percieving what is happening as a conflict between his personal 

investments - and the higher Self. 

The top of THE TOWER, with the four crenels, representing the physical, is breaking up 

and falling down as loose bricks. 



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Red, green and yellow balls are raining down as well. For most people, karma - in 

accordance to their thoughts and actions - will be measured as either good, bad, or 

neutral. These balls are karma`s "bricks", indicating that what causes the tower to crumble 

and the two people to fall in reality is the accumulated sum of all their individual actions, 

the balls. 

Everything is falling down, thus potentially clearing the way for a better grounding and 

eventually balance. 

One of the two people thrown down from the tower is already lying dead on the ground, 

killed by a brick that hit him in the neck. The other person who survives has a golden 

crown on his head, indicating that he harbours a deeper connection with truth and balance, 

even if his conscious mind is thrown down from some attachment to mental constructions. 

The card carries the number XVI and the Hebrew letter AYIN. 


CARD 17: LES ETOILES, THE STAR 

Keyword: Innocent giving. 

Contemplation: CONTEMPLATE YOUR ETERNAL VALUES. 

A beautiful naked woman, THE SOUL, is kneeling on a narrow stripe of land between a 

water pond on her right side and an abyss on her left. The stripe of land in the middle 

where she is, represents "the narrow path" of righteous living, or dharma. 

Even if this card represents a high level of consciousness, there is still a risk that she may 

fall. There are two ways in which she can fall: through misuse of power, causing her to fall 

into the abyss to her left side; this means that she will be loosing her high state of 

consciousness and have to start afresh. The other way she can fall, is into the water pond 



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which is the collective consciousness; she can drown in samsara, sliding back into 

conformity and sleepiness. 

The woman is pouring "aqua vitae", the water of life, from a golden vessel in her right hand 

into the pond, symbolising the unconscious. The water in the golden vessel is piping hot 

because it represents male energy, flowing in pingala, the nadi on the right side in the 

spine, The cool water from the silver vessel, representing the female, is flowing in the ida 

channel to the left of the spine. 

The woman is pouring of her own life energy to her fellow men: the hot energy from the 

golden vessel for those who are ready for fiery action; and cooling and soothing feminine 

energy from the silver vessel upon the ground, in order to "soften" it up, for those who 

needs to gain more confidence before they dare involve themselves in the stream of life. 

The red flower has now opened its four petals in full bloom, it has grown into a small bush, 

and a butterfly with light blue wings has landed on it, meaning that she is open for the 

higher worlds. 

In the sky above eternal truths are visible as stars. The biggest center star symbolises the 

causal level with the "matrix" for cosmic order, dharma, that also rules man`s destiny. The 

star is yellow with eight divisions, each one with yellow and eight green rays. The green 

rays indicate that the emanating impulses are reaching all the way from the causal level 

down into physical manifestation. 

There are four yellow stars arranged in a square pattern, once again reflecting that 

guidance from the stars can reach the physical world, even though it in our time will have 

to go via the unconscious mind. 

The three blue stars which together form a triangle, are representing balance on the astral 

level. The smaller blue star directly above the woman`s head is the idendity point. The 

inner division of the two larger blue stars reflects the chakra system, including the idendity 

point. 

Elisabeth Haich (p 134 - 135) says: "The number 17 (which is the number of this card) is 

divisible only by the number one and by itself. It is therefore a prime number, invariable 

denoting isolation. It is a reference to the fact that at this level man isolates himself 

increasingly from the world [...]. And maintains silence about his personal affairs [...]. At the 

same time, the Hebrew letter PE connected to this card means "language" or "mouth", 

telling that the teaching and knowledge is flowing to others". 



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CARD 18: LA LUNE, THE MOON 

Keyword: The only security is truth. 

Contemplation: DO YOU SEE YOUR CHALLENGES IN THE RIGHT LIGHT 

A large moon is both full and crescent, it is shown in three different phases: a dark, a 

white, and a yellow. THE MOON has 18 large yellow spokes or rays, and 18 darker red 

and smaller rays. It is looking at the scenery below with a soothing feminine face, and 

droplets of nourishment and illusion are descending over the landscape. 

A blue water pond with several small tufts of water-grass is seen in the foreground. In the 

midst of this pond a huge spiritual-red crayfish is emerging. This is the higher Self, coming 

out from hiding in the personal unconscious. It is preparing itself for the ultimate journey 

and carries with it all the memories of its personal life. 

Ouspensky calls THE MOON the card of INITIATION. On the right side a path is winding 

its way towards the distant horizon. In order to enter the right path, the crayfish has to 

cross a small pathless land between its wellknown pond and the path, but once on the 

path, it leads safely past the two animals and the two towers in the background. 

The two animals howling towards the moon are the two creatures from card number X, 

The Wheel of Fortune. The devil is now transformed into a black wolf, and the Anubis-god 

is transformed into a white dog. They are symbolising polarity thinking, attachments to 

black and white, likes and dislikes, and so on. The crayfish has to stick to the path that, 

although whobbly, leads directly in between the two animals without emotions; otherwise it 

will be attacked and eaten. 

The two towers have now three and not four crenels on each side of the roofs compared 

with card number XVI, THE TOWER, which had four crenels on top. It tells that a 

transformation from matter to spirit has happened. The tower to the right side has both a 



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door and windows, the tower to the left has only a window, telling that the left-hand path 

has been looked into, but not entered. 

The card carries number XVIII and the Hebrew letter TZADDI 


CARD 19: LE SOLEI, THE SUN 

Keyword: Grace and peace: the last lure of the mind. 

Contemplation: FIND YOUR INNOCENCE 

Beneath a golden sun, which has its eyes turned upwards towards the inner Christ centre, 

a young man and a young woman are standing together within a circle, holding hands and 

looking at each other. 

The couple stands in a state of oneness, resting in each other. Both have one foot placed 

in the inner circle, while the other foot is touching the outer green grass-ring with flowers. 

This means that they only partially are identifying with being physical. They are naked but 

for their loincloths. The man`s loincloth is red as it represents the positive energy pole. The 

woman wears a blue loincloth, reflecting the negative energy pole. Her blue loincloth, or 

"veil," is partly merging with the blue bricks in the multicoloured brick wall behind them. 

The blue loincloth is of the mind; the brick wall also represents the mind - with the variuos 

colours nicely arranged in lines and patterns. From the point of spiritual development, the 

level of consciousness THE SUN card represents is the last risk of falling back into sex 

again. 

The mind, the "brick wall", is the last barrier before the couple is fully exposed to the 

direct, penetrating rays of the sun, the higher Self. 

The sun has 12 curvy rays and 12 straight rays, which is a crude way to express the 



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androgynous nature of the higher Self. Also, the twelve rays represent "the twelve gates to 

the city"; the esoteric meaning is that the whole zodiac is reflected in the sun rays. The 

zodiac works in man through the heart ("the city"). Each of the zodiacal signs has an 

impulse and a field aspect, and each of the zodiac star signs represents two equal 

potentials in the psyche; they may be used positively or negatively. 

The 12 double-rays of the sun are indicating that the right hand path is fully visible, but not 

nescessarily the only tempting one. 

The card carries the number XIX and the Hebrew letter KOPH. 


CARD 19: LE JUGEMENT, JUDGEMENT 

Keyword: Death is over. 

Contemplation: WHAT MAKES YOU TRULY ALIVE 

The card illustrates the awakening from the ego to the higher Self. 

The archangel Michael is appearing in the cloud. He is coming from the causal level but 

appears in the astral. He is blowing in his long golden trumpet the creative sound of OM, 

the word of God, in order to awaken people to life. The angel`s spiritual-red cap and the 

golden emblem on his forehead reflects Christ consciousness, and the green colour of his 

wings shows that he is reaching down to the physical level. 

At the level of consciousness this card represents, man is open all the way up to the 

causal level via his spine - which is the golden trumpet the arcangel is blowing in. The 

trumpet has a mouth-piece, "the mouth of God", anchored at the medulla point in the neck. 

The banner on the trumpet is decorated with the symbol of victory. It has a red background 

with a yellow cross, and inside this a golden cross, which again shows that matter has 



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ecome spiritualised through the alchemic process depicted in all the other cards. 

From the archangel Michael is radiating 6 yellow and 6 red rays, in total twelve, 

representing the star signs of the zodiac. But compared with the rays of the sun in the 

previous card, THE SUN, the rays of archangel Michael blowing his horn are all straight 

and similar, because the polarity is transcended. It is the physical which is transformed to 

a degree that there is no more gender issues and sexuality. 

The heart is "absorbing" the star signs of the zodiac, as said in the Bible: "there are twelve 

gates to the city". This means that the laws of dharma that are embedded in the zodiac 

translate themselves into noble actions and right living through the inner guidance of the 

heart. 

Droplets of grace are descending over the individuals below. 

In the foreground a naked child with his back towards us is standing in a coffin. He is the 

Christ consciousness emerging from the mind. There is a small golden wall in the 

foreground, which are the last left-overs from the brick wall in the Sun card. A woman and 

a man are standing with their lower bodies emerged in the green ground of worldly illusion. 

They have still not fully transformed sexuality, but also they are emerging from the 

unconscious. All three are expressing awe and thankfulness. 

The car carries the number XX and the Hebrew letter RESH. 


CARD 21: LE MONDE, THE WORLD 

Keyword: 


At home. Ready for God's calling. 

WHAT IS NOT CONTAINED 



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A woman wrapped only in a spiritual-red veil, is dancing in a state of bliss within a wreath 

of green laurels. The laurels is a symbol of victory, formed as the cosmic egg, or it can be 

the ouroboros snake biting its own tail. Both symbols are illustrating an enlightened state 

of consciousness 

She holds the two magic wands - one with the masculine-positive energy, the other with 

the feminine-negative energy - lightly in her left hand, forming the letter V, once again the 

symbol of victory. There is karmic balance and freedom. 

The woman is looking back at those behind her with compassion. Now her driving force, 

her only reason for being physically alive, is to help others. Her hair and her veil, once the 

veil of darkness and illusion, is blowing in the wind, reflecting that all her life energy is 

dedicated to help those behind her. 

The four fixed signs of the zodiac, (clockwise from the upper left): the Waterbearer, the 

Scorpio-eagle, the Leo, and Taurus the bull, also described as the four "beasts" from 

Ezekiel`s vision in the Bible, are shown in the four corners of the world. They are waiting, 

protecting - and with a perceived distance. In THE FOOL (card O) they are absorbed. 

As she is still waiting for God`s calling, she has not reached the level of THE FOOL. The 

woman in THE WORLD is dancing in bliss, there is an ever so subtle investment in 

enjoyment of herself, in ego. 

God`s calling is for ultimate selfless service. 

The card carries number XXI and the Hebrew letter TAV. 



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The Rider - Waite Tarot Deck - Starbridge Centre

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