Practical Magic: A Beginner's Guide to Crystals, Horoscopes, Psychics, and Spells - Nikki Van De Car 2017
The Major Arcana
Tarot
Casual Clairvoyance
THE FOOL: Childlike Idealism, Innocence, Blind Stupidity. The Fool is just setting out on his journey, and he has unlimited potential. If the Fool appears in your reading, consider starting something new. Be spontaneous, and embrace the “foolishness” in yourself.
THE MAGICIAN: Mastery, Magic, Power. The Magician can do anything—and he will. This is a card of action and a card of ability. You can achieve what you want.
THE HIGH PRIESTESS: Unconscious, Dreaming, Mystical. The High Priestess stands opposed to/complements the Magician. Where he steps forward with reason, she steps back to allow her intuition to speak. Listen to the space between.
THE EMPRESS: Earth Mother, Creation, Fertility. The Empress is very sensual and very caring. She tells you to nourish others and to nourish yourself, particularly through nature.
THE EMPRESS: Earth Mother, Creation, Fertility. The Empress is very sensual and very caring. She tells you to nourish others and to nourish yourself, particularly through nature.
THE EMPEROR: Tradition, Authority, Rules. The Emperor is a father figure in a very rigid, traditional sense; this is the father that is the breadwinner and the one who delivers punishment when it is warranted. When the Emperor appears, rules and regulations are paramount, because they provide us with the structure we need.
THE HIEROPHANT: Belief, Learning, Conformity. The Hierophant believes in education, but only in established, widely accepted facts. The Hierophant frequently represents the Church, but it can also mean whatever group you are most often expected to conform to.
THE LOVERS: Duality, Love, Harmony. The Lovers are often literal and romantic, but they can also refer to a difficult decision, one in which the right choice isn’t always clear—because you want both, together.
THE CHARIOT: Balance, Self-Control, War Within. There are two horses (or sphinxes, or something else, depending on your deck) pulling the Chariot, and you must master both of them. If you do, you will win.
STRENGTH: Resilience, Fortitude, Self-Confidence. If the Chariot requires a heavy hand, true Strength requires a light touch. Being someone you and others can depend on requires patience and compassion, as well as confidence in yourself.
THE HERMIT: Spirituality, Solitude, Wisdom. The Hermit retreats into himself, looking for an understanding of something more. If he appears, it’s time to be introspective. Give yourself some alone time and search within yourself for answers.
WHEEL OF FORTUNE: Change, Destiny, Cycles. As the seasons change, so does the Wheel of Fortune. Change is the only constant in our lives, and the Wheel speaks to how, with every cycle, we are moving in a specific—even fated—direction.
JUSTICE: Morality, Black & White, Karma. Justice turns up when you are trying to do the right thing—or when you feel you have been cheated. Either way, examine within yourself, searching for true Justice—which is not an eye for an eye.
THE HANGED MAN: Sacrifice, Self-Awareness, Knowledge. The Hanged Man is another union of opposites, and it demands something that seems impossible—that we gain control through surrender. It is in the act of letting go of what we want that we allow it to come to us.
DEATH: Change, Transformation, Endings. Even though it doesn’t mean literal death, the Death card is always frightening—because change is frightening. Something is coming to an end, and something new is beginning. A door is closing—but a window is opening.
TEMPERANCE: Moderation, Compromise, Self-Control. So many cards in the tarot are about duality, and Temperance’s take on duality is the most comforting, if a little boring. She brings opposing forces together and teaches them to respect one another (including forces within yourself). It isn’t easy—this kind of balance requires hard work and self-restraint.
THE DEVIL: Self-Deception, The Monster Within, Ignorance. If there were a “bad” card in tarot, this would be it. But this isn’t about literal evil in your life, it is about a bad situation—usually one of your own creation. The Devil insists that you look closely at your life and see where you have gone wrong.
THE TOWER: Destruction, Betrayal, Starting Over. If Death is about change, at least it’s a change that we can see coming. The Tower burns suddenly, destroying everything you thought you held dear. It could simply mean a new perspective—or it could mean a drastic alteration in life circumstances. Either way, the Tower will slap you upside the head.
THE STAR: Hope, Inspiration, New Possibilities. After the Tower, the Star is a balm. As bad as things can get, there is always a way out—there is always hope. When the Star appears, take a breath and allow the peacefulness and vastness of the universe to calm and inspire you.
THE MOON: Illusion, Mystery, Possibility—Positive or Negative. The world looks different by moonlight—and different can be scary and disorienting. But it doesn’t have to be. When the Moon is out, anything is possible. Let yourself be open to fantasy. Allow the impossible.
THE SUN: Clarity, Confidence, Surety. And now we’ve returned to the light. There is no ambiguity under the Sun—and you should bask in that certainty. The Sun tells you that you are brilliant, energetic, and successful.
JUDGMENT: Looking Back, Conviction, Redemption. You could interpret Judgment in a harsh light—determining right or wrong—or you could instead use good judgment and meditate on the choices you have made without condemning yourself or others. Sometimes really looking at something you have done can absolve you of any guilt you feel.
THE WORLD: Completion, Fulfillment, Unity. The World completes the cycle of the tarot. You have finished what you set out to do, and you should savor the unity that you have found within yourself—you have brought together those opposing dualities in a way that is lasting, that has made you whole.