In Tarot Readings, Let Color Work for You
by Peggy Firth, Certified Tarot Reader
New tarot decks are published every month and most of us have experimented with decks other than those we learned to read. Approaching a new deck with unfamiliar imagery may be confusing and even overwhelming unless you have established some key meanings for the colors on each card.
I would like to offer my insights into how I use colors as indicators of important information revealed by the cards. Our first impressions of a card are often visual and visceral as well. The tarot contains multilevel symbolism which, compounded with its meaning in a spread and the querent's question, can be a mind-bending experience. By allowing colors to work for you, your immediate impressions may be more revealing.
Colors of the human energy fields (auric fields) and the chakras have been increasingly studied as indicators of the nature, health, personality and spirituality of a person. As this has taken hold in holistic healing and spiritual practices, these colors and their meanings have also found their way into the tarot.
I would like to offer my interpretation of the major colors based on the ancient teachings and my own intuition regarding their meanings.
RED - Red governs active sexual life and denser, earthly activities. Red is active, energetic and determined.
GREEN - The color of growth, expansion, joy, clarity and mental stimulation.
BLUE - Implies a cooling, calming and harmonious situation. Blue is found in the higher frequencies.
ORANGE - The gentle warming effects of orange encourage calmness, wellbeing, and social graces. A dominance of orange indicates a social person or situation.
YELLOW - The sunny, joyful color of strength, enthusiasm, confidence, creativity, discipline, wisdom, logic, and the ability to overcome ignorance and evil.
VIOLET - A spiritual color which indicates understanding, stability, harmony and royalty.
BROWN - Earthy, practical solutions to life's problems.
BLACK - The absence of light or color indicates mystery, death, rapid change and negativity.
WHITE - Includes all of the colors of the light spectrum. It represents perfection, purity, spirituality, cleanliness, and all things sacred.
GREY - Unclear intentions, neutrality, lack of movement, and dark thoughts.
White added to any of the primary colors raises the situation or increases the intensity of spirituality.
Colors such as Turquoise denote the best of green and blue combined. Such a combination may indicate a dynamic person or situation, strength of mind and a capacity to manifest.
You may want to color your own deck to gain a greater intuitive feeling for color. Builders of The Adytum (B.O.T.A.) have a large set of the major arcana in black and white along with the Paul Foster Case book, The Tarot, which offers suggestions on how to color each card. The full deck of 78 cards in a smaller size is also available.
Colors are also associated with astrological signs which may not correspond with auric and chakra energy fields.
Have a colorful experience!
(PS. What about PINK? I think Pink is LOVE! - Penny, aka The Pink Gypsy.)
Using Astrology, Graphology, Psychic Intuition, and Tarot, you can be your own I-doctor. Find out how you score on the I-Chart. Tarot can give you a 20/20 look at your life today. Are you where you want to be?
Aces are Powerful!
by Peggy Firth, Certified Tarot Reader
Based on the images in the Rider Waite Tarot Deck
The word ACE refers to a skilled person, an adept or expert. Ace is first rate, a hole in one, to defeat or gain advantage over. Have you ever aced a test or scored an ace in tennis?
If you examine the ACE card in the traditional Rider-Waite deck, the powerful out-stretched arm with a wand, sword, pentacle or cup in hand emerges from a cloud. This image symbolizes a powerful potential behind each suit.
I enjoy asking little children to interpret the cards as their open minds often reveal surprising insights. To them the Ace card represents the answer to a prayer with God reaching out with a present.
Ancient spiritual teachings describe the force that sets things in action. Our intent or focus combined with expectation spurs this force into reality.
When paired with other cards the aces represent new beginnings, sudden change or an invitation to engage in the accompanying card or cards. In Spiritual tarot the cards reveal the deeper divine nature of the situation. Take your time, take a deep breath, go within, and channel the thoughts, images and ideas you receive.
Ace of Wands
The suit of Wands represents creative energy, new enterprises and new inspiration.
The Ace of Wands in the Rider-Waite deck features a wooden club with little sprouting sprigs symbolizing power and brute force. Those little sprigs represent growth and expansion. In time the wooden clubs became bejeweled royal scepters.
Magicians use wands in their magic acts, fairies spread fairy dust with their wands and generals carry swagger sticks on the battlefield as they strut around with an insolent air. All of these wands symbolize power, direction and the promise of fulfillment.
Ace of Cups
The suit of Cups represents love, passion and intense feelings. More abstract symbolism offers choices, artistic expression and sensuality.
The Ace of Cups with a streaming fountain of water spilling over into a pond signifies the outpouring and circulation of divine love and energy. Those little droplets form the letter "yod" in the Hebrew alphabet and symbolize showered blessings. Pools of water found throughout tarot imagery represent the flow of spiritual substance. Water is life giving and sooths the body and soul. Since we cannot see into deep waters we cannot know the mysteries that lie beneath.
Ace of Pentacles
Pentacles represent enterprise, money and the actual manifestation of the all the other suits. Spiritually, the suit of Pentacles reveals how the mind sets things into action and ultimately manifests into reality.
The Ace of Pentacles offers the opportunity for growth and accomplishment. The garden gate beyond the lush garden lures us into the land of clarity, accomplishment and potential for abundance. Spiritually the card reveals a new path.
Ace of Swords
Swords depict a double-edged meaning. The negative side has, in the past, been presented as warlike. However, more positive revelations are gained from this suit. Swords now represent decisive action, strength, resolve, logic and rationality. Swords may also cut through the illusions and stuff we accumulate. Spiritually we may consider how one might resolve challenging situations.
The Ace of Swords presents the opportunity to find clarity, the truth or any of the above decisive actions. The metal sword in ancient times was thought to ward off evil. The sword is still used by English royalty to bestow knighthood by tapping a sword on each shoulder as part of a ceremony that rewards accomplished people.
Reversal of Aces
There at least a dozen ways to interpret a reversal. Some readers reverse the meaning of a card, while others find alternative meanings that relate to the query.
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