Tarot Minor Arcana and the Elements
Tarot and the four elements are closely associated in the Minor Arcana.
Understanding the elements and their functions in this world add dimension to the meaning of the Minor Arcana cards.
In complex spreads, the interaction of the elements with one another offerinsights that could otherwise be misunderstood or worst, missed.
The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Cups, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands These four suits correspond to the four elements: Cups for Water Swords for Air Pentacles for Earth Wands for Fire Rider Waite deck is one of the most populardecks in Tarot and ideal for most beginners.
When a Sword card turns up, other cards will help to identify the cause of the unfriendly Sword.
Knowledge of the elements will give an indication of the source of the problem.
The elements as interpreted in Tarot readings could be harmonious, encouraging and supportive; or in opposition, thus has and inhibiting effect.
In one-card readings, knowledge of the elements can prove really helpful.
It adds to the perception of the situation, deepens the insight of the reader.
The Suits and the Elements Wands -Fire Fire stands for the "fire" within, the energy, force and vitality, and the will.
We need fire to keep us warm, to cook, to brighten our world when the Sun goes down.
This is the friendly aspect.
Fire could also be dangerous- forest fire, house fires- these are disastrous.
When it roars, better watch out.
Fire could nurture, it could also destroy.
Fire is considered to be an expanding element, it changes whatever it touches.
Looking at the suit of Wands- how does this relate to an interpretation? Think of the energy, the will, the focus and passion.
In the Rider-Waite deck, the Ten of Wandsshows a man trying to forge ahead under the heavy load of 10 wands.
It shows strength of the will, focus and determination to get wherever he has to go.
Is the fire element in this card supportive or disruptive? Will he fall under the pressure of his burden? Does he have the will to arrive at his destination and unload the heavy load? Cups -Water Water is love, emotion, pleasure, celebration, devotion and ecstasy.
It is about relationships.
The suit of Cups represent all these, the forces of emotion, sensual perceptions.
Water is refreshing in its coolness, invigorating in its warmth, mysterious in its depth.
It does have its destructive aspect.
when emotions run deep, when emotions are highly wired, the water aspect rises like flood waters that engulf and destroy everything in its path.
When water is still, is that good, or is that bad? Look at the 5 of Cups.
In the Rider-Waite deck, a man looks despondently at three empty cups, oblivious to the two full cups behind him.
His emotion is deep, his loss must be great.
In front of him is a stream, beyond is a bridge that leads to a distant castle.
His sub-conscious is trying to get his attention.
What dimension would the knowledge of the water element add to the interpretation of this card? The two cups behind him may offer him the solace that he needs.
Is he willing to drink out of those two cups? Swords -Air The suit of Swords evokes that "ugh, oh, no! " feeling.
Should it? In most tarot decks, the figures in this suit show dejection, defeat, despondency, and their heads are bowed.
We need air to breathe.
How we welcome air when the atmosphere gets suffused with tension! Air represents intellectual capabilities, mental, spiritualand cultural aspects of Life.
How can the element Air help to alleviate the pain and sorrow, the suffering, the betrayal, the deceit, all the negative energies that come with this card? When the Nine of Swords is drawn, what is the first impression? The ultimate in suffering, a dead-end? The weight of the pain is too much to bear, hiding in the darkness of night, in solitude, and buried deep in sorrow.
Is the figure at the literal "end of the rope?" Whatcould be done about the situation? To every problem, there is a solution, for better or for worse, there has to be en ending, a closure.
Overwhelmed by the situation, it is difficult to analyze and shed some light.
This suit offers the Insights that yes, the problem is bigger than life, wallowing in despair does not solve it.
Get up, open your eyes, face the issue, analyze the priorities and take it from there.
You've got the intellectual and analytical tools, use it! Pentacles -Earth We live in a material and success- oriented world.
Technology is wonderful, but to get wired and keep up-to-date with technology means added expense our elders did not even dream of.
They took great pride in owning a television, today, most households have more than one.
Earth is our material world, it stands for something tangible, real, and something we can hold on to.
Earth nurtures us, surrounds us with its bounty and beauty.
If we could only stop for a minute and appreciate all she has to offer.
In its negative aspect, Earth is stubborn and rigid.
In sync or in opposition: Fire and Water do not mix, neither does Air and Earth.
These combinations are in "opposition", in a reading, opposing forces diminishes the effect of each other.
Fire puts out water, air blows away earth.
This shows a negative influence on the significance of the individual cards.
Just as the elements work in opposition, they do work to strengthen each other.
Fire is supported by Air, but Fire also consumes Air.
Air is strengthened by Water, but Air consumes Water in its evaporation There is a fifth element- the Spirit.
This is the element that pulls it all together; it is the Spirit that inspires the insight, the intuition that makes Tarot a most fascinating tool for divination.
Understanding the elements and their functions in this world add dimension to the meaning of the Minor Arcana cards.
In complex spreads, the interaction of the elements with one another offerinsights that could otherwise be misunderstood or worst, missed.
The Minor Arcana is divided into four suits: Cups, Swords, Pentacles, and Wands These four suits correspond to the four elements: Cups for Water Swords for Air Pentacles for Earth Wands for Fire Rider Waite deck is one of the most populardecks in Tarot and ideal for most beginners.
When a Sword card turns up, other cards will help to identify the cause of the unfriendly Sword.
Knowledge of the elements will give an indication of the source of the problem.
The elements as interpreted in Tarot readings could be harmonious, encouraging and supportive; or in opposition, thus has and inhibiting effect.
In one-card readings, knowledge of the elements can prove really helpful.
It adds to the perception of the situation, deepens the insight of the reader.
The Suits and the Elements Wands -Fire Fire stands for the "fire" within, the energy, force and vitality, and the will.
We need fire to keep us warm, to cook, to brighten our world when the Sun goes down.
This is the friendly aspect.
Fire could also be dangerous- forest fire, house fires- these are disastrous.
When it roars, better watch out.
Fire could nurture, it could also destroy.
Fire is considered to be an expanding element, it changes whatever it touches.
Looking at the suit of Wands- how does this relate to an interpretation? Think of the energy, the will, the focus and passion.
In the Rider-Waite deck, the Ten of Wandsshows a man trying to forge ahead under the heavy load of 10 wands.
It shows strength of the will, focus and determination to get wherever he has to go.
Is the fire element in this card supportive or disruptive? Will he fall under the pressure of his burden? Does he have the will to arrive at his destination and unload the heavy load? Cups -Water Water is love, emotion, pleasure, celebration, devotion and ecstasy.
It is about relationships.
The suit of Cups represent all these, the forces of emotion, sensual perceptions.
Water is refreshing in its coolness, invigorating in its warmth, mysterious in its depth.
It does have its destructive aspect.
when emotions run deep, when emotions are highly wired, the water aspect rises like flood waters that engulf and destroy everything in its path.
When water is still, is that good, or is that bad? Look at the 5 of Cups.
In the Rider-Waite deck, a man looks despondently at three empty cups, oblivious to the two full cups behind him.
His emotion is deep, his loss must be great.
In front of him is a stream, beyond is a bridge that leads to a distant castle.
His sub-conscious is trying to get his attention.
What dimension would the knowledge of the water element add to the interpretation of this card? The two cups behind him may offer him the solace that he needs.
Is he willing to drink out of those two cups? Swords -Air The suit of Swords evokes that "ugh, oh, no! " feeling.
Should it? In most tarot decks, the figures in this suit show dejection, defeat, despondency, and their heads are bowed.
We need air to breathe.
How we welcome air when the atmosphere gets suffused with tension! Air represents intellectual capabilities, mental, spiritualand cultural aspects of Life.
How can the element Air help to alleviate the pain and sorrow, the suffering, the betrayal, the deceit, all the negative energies that come with this card? When the Nine of Swords is drawn, what is the first impression? The ultimate in suffering, a dead-end? The weight of the pain is too much to bear, hiding in the darkness of night, in solitude, and buried deep in sorrow.
Is the figure at the literal "end of the rope?" Whatcould be done about the situation? To every problem, there is a solution, for better or for worse, there has to be en ending, a closure.
Overwhelmed by the situation, it is difficult to analyze and shed some light.
This suit offers the Insights that yes, the problem is bigger than life, wallowing in despair does not solve it.
Get up, open your eyes, face the issue, analyze the priorities and take it from there.
You've got the intellectual and analytical tools, use it! Pentacles -Earth We live in a material and success- oriented world.
Technology is wonderful, but to get wired and keep up-to-date with technology means added expense our elders did not even dream of.
They took great pride in owning a television, today, most households have more than one.
Earth is our material world, it stands for something tangible, real, and something we can hold on to.
Earth nurtures us, surrounds us with its bounty and beauty.
If we could only stop for a minute and appreciate all she has to offer.
In its negative aspect, Earth is stubborn and rigid.
In sync or in opposition: Fire and Water do not mix, neither does Air and Earth.
These combinations are in "opposition", in a reading, opposing forces diminishes the effect of each other.
Fire puts out water, air blows away earth.
This shows a negative influence on the significance of the individual cards.
Just as the elements work in opposition, they do work to strengthen each other.
Fire is supported by Air, but Fire also consumes Air.
Air is strengthened by Water, but Air consumes Water in its evaporation There is a fifth element- the Spirit.
This is the element that pulls it all together; it is the Spirit that inspires the insight, the intuition that makes Tarot a most fascinating tool for divination.
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