Category: Card of the Day

Yesterday’s card was the Queen of Pentacles. I’m using the RWS deck’s Queen of Pentacles for this write-up. I was going to say I like the suit of Pentacles, but I think it’s more accurate to say it holds some sort of fascination for me because it’s different from who I feel I am.

In the RWS version of this card, there is a woman seated on a throne, holding a pentacle, in a grassy meadow with mountains in the background. I notice on the throne there is what appears to be a goat’s head carved into the armrest, and the sea-goat is the symbol of Capricorn which is the Cardinal Earth sign of the Zodiac. According to the system of decans (the division into thirds of each Zodiac sign), the Queen of Pentacles is associated with the last decan of Sagittarius and the first two decans of Capricorn.

The Queen of Pentacles is Water of Earth because all Queens in the Tarot are associated with the element of Water and Pentacles is the suit associated with the element of Earth. Being Water of Earth, the Queen brings more emotion to the suit of regulation and stability. With this card it is important to allow your feelings and responsibilities to merge into your raison d’être—you don’t have to hate what you do.

Peace and balance,

Erin

The card I drew yesterday was the Page of Wands, but because I was using the Morgan-Greer Tarot, it’s called the Page of Rods. This card is Earth of Fire. All Pages are affiliated with Earth and Wands is the suit affiliated with Fire. Unlike other cards, Pages have no association with a Zodiac sign or planet.

In this card, there is a young person, rather androgynous in appearance, standing in a desert with mountains in the background, holding a rod, and the sky is blue and cloudless. Because Fire is the opposite of Water, it’s hardly surprising there is a distinct lack of water in the picture. Wands is the suit of action and vigour, however, it can also mean acting without thinking, which can explain the lack of clouds in the sky.

Pages are the youngest members of the Tarot court and can indicate beginnings of projects and being studious in order to prepare for later life. They are also seen as messengers bringing news related to their suit. To me, this means the Page of Wands brings news of innovation and action.

In terms of people who could be represented by this card, I would say these are energetic people who study what they love and love what they study. They could, however, be overzealous and fond of taking risks. I also think there’s the danger of becoming hyperactive.

Peace and balance,

Erin

Yesterday’s card was the 5 of Pentacles. I’m always worried when this card comes up in readings I do for myself. This is probably because I crave security, money is a way many of us feel secure, and in many decks, the people shown look like they’re down on their luck.

The Morgan-Greer Tarot 5 of Swords is the card I drew and in this card, there are two people who look like they’ve fallen on hard times in front of a stained glass window I believe is in a church. Something interesting about this Five is that the astrological affiliation this card has is with Taurus, the Fixed Earth sign, The Hierophant is numbered V in the Major Arcana, and The Hierophant is also affiliated with Taurus. I think this card would be a Taurean person’s worst nightmare—they are known for their love of comfort and finery—but I can see how this loss is associated with the sign.

In Numerology, the number five is associated with unpredictability and inconstancy. While the four brought stability, the five brings strife and disruption. This card can be indicative of losing your possessions, your livelihood, even your home. I think, however, in this card, the people are ignoring the church (another link to the Hierophant) behind them. They could reach out for help, but they are disregarding that.

Peace and balance,

Erin

Yesterday’s card was the 4 of Swords. This is another card I have difficulty with, but for this one, I’m not sure why. Maybe hashing it out in this post will help. I’m using the Morgan-Greer Tarot for those who look up the cards I’m writing about.

This card in the Morgan-Greer Tarot depicts a knight sleeping under four swords and there are clouds outside. The 4 of Swords is affiliated with the Cardinal Air sign of the Zodiac, Libra, so the clouds (often a pictorial representation of Air) make sense to me. It looks like the clouds are soft and almost misty which I interpret as the thoughts being dealt with are formless, but because the swords are pointing straight down at the knight, I feel like it’s just general anxieties plaguing the person. I know this card is often seen as a period of rest, but in this depiction, with the swords pointing directly at the knight, I just don’t get the vibe this is a peaceful card.

Four is seen as a stable, organized number, but it can also represent stagnation. In this iteration of the 4 of Swords, I see the inertia of anxiety. You can feel anxious and be paralyzed by it, be afraid to do anything outside of the confines you place on yourself.

So, I think I’ve figured out why this card doesn’t sit well with me. To many people, this card represents peace and tranquility between periods of action, but that interpretation simply doesn’t resonate with me. I’m a little surprised this write-up actually did help me work through my uneasiness with it.

Peace and balance,

Erin

The card I picked yesterday was the Ace of Cups. Aces have no affiliation with a Zodiac sign or planet, they are simply the primal energy of the element. In the case of the Ace of Cups, that is Water.

Water is the element of emotions and One is the number of beginnings, so in this card, there is optimism that new emotions will be uplifting and bring joy. It doesn’t promise everything will be fine forever, but it shows the start is smooth. I love this card because it gives me hope for love and relationships, and also because it just looks like a happy card to me. I looked at the Morgan-Greer Tarot’s Ace of Cups and it is very lighthearted. There’s a flower, and a dove behind the chalice and the cup is overflowing with light blue water.

To me, the dove symbolizes peace and the colour of the water reinforces that thought. The emotions being dealt with may be big and almost overwhelming, but they’re positive and life-changing. I am not a botanist and cannot tell lilac from hyacinth, but my gut feeling that this is a lotus is backed up by some research. The lotus is a symbol of purity of body, mind, and speech, and I feel this speaks to the emotions involved in the situation to which this card is relating.

Peace and balance,

Erin

Yesterday’s card was the 6 of Pentacles. Another card affiliated with a Fixed sign; I think I need to take it to heart, but it’s difficult for me. I’m going to use the Morgan-Greer Tarot for this write-up.

The 6 of Pentacles is a card of sharing the wealth. In this deck, there is only one person’s face shown, but there are hands reaching out for the coin in his hand. There is a set of scales in this card, like the Justice card, and I think it is to symbolize impartiality in the distribution of the wealth. Six is the number of balance and harmony within flux. How better to display balance than scales?

Pentacles is the suit of Earth, the element of stability. Taurus is the Fixed sign of Earth (Virgo being the Mutable and Capricorn the Cardinal), and I have to admit I like the sign of Taurus. I know I said that about Leo, too, and did not say it about Aquarius. My affinity for these signs is interesting to me because Taurus and Leo are the Earth and Fire signs of the Fixed quality while I identify as Mutable Air (Gemini) and Cardinal Water (Cancer), and I see the former two signs as opposites to the signs into which I categorize myself. Maybe I admire those qualities I do not see in myself.

I can see how the 6 of Pentacles is affiliated with Taurus because Taureans are practical and understanding of how lasting success takes time. I’m sure it’s easier to amass wealth you can confer on others when you are prepared to make a prolonged effort in accruing it. It is a warning to not be too discriminating in who you believe is deserving of your assistance, though.

Peace and balance,

Erin

The High Priestess was yesterday’s card. I’ve spoken already about how I aspire to be more like this card, but this post will be all about The High Priestess card chosen from the Robin Wood Tarot. I love this deck—it was my go-to deck for the longest time—however, I have found myself gravitating away from it which isn’t a bad thing, people grow and evolve.

In the card from the Robin Wood Tarot, the High Priestess is a young woman with flowing black hair skyclad (naked), but covered with a robe, at night, and holding a crystal ball in her right hand and a book in her left. I notice the crescent Moon headband because the High Priestess is seen as the Crone (remember the Triple Goddess mentioned in The Empress?) which is associated with the waning Moon. It’s interesting to note the Moon in the night sky in this card is a full Moon (associated with the Mother). Also in this picture are two trees, one black and one white, instead of the pillars that are in many other iterations of this card.

The High Priestess is numbered two in the Major Arcana, the number of duality, but there are combination and understanding of differences rather than competition in this card. She knows the light and the dark (darkness is not evil), masculine and feminine, activity and passivity, and she can reconcile them. I like that the full Moon in the sky is partially covered by a cloud because it shows the mystique she has within her is not always on display.

This card is astrologically associated with the Moon. The Moon is regarded as a planet in Astrology even though it is a luminary, and it is considered a luminary even though it does not give off light. Astrology makes sense like that… It makes even more sense when you realize that The Moon card in the Major Arcana is associated with the sign of Pisces, but I digress. I, personally, really relate to the Moon (probably because I’m on the cusp of Cancer which is ruled by the Moon). This luminary is closely associated with emotions and behavior (see the etymology of lunatic). There are people who will swear there are more “weirdos” out and about during the full Moon, and the menstrual cycle is, on average, 28 days just like the lunar cycle.

Peace and balance,

Erin

The 9 of Swords was yesterday’s card. For a change, I used the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck because I love the astrological imagery on it. It’s not the happiest card in the deck, and, in fact, it may be one of the most depressing. I find this card even more disturbing than the 10 of Swords because at least in the 10 you see the new dawn breaking.

This is a card I associate with nightmares—I feel it looks more like the person in the bed has been awakened by a bad dream rather than unable to fall asleep. Numerologically, nine is the last single-digit number, and often signifies the final results of development or bringing matters to a close. Nine is also a number of mysticism, and how could you not classify Astrology as mystical?

Speaking of Astrology, I did say I like the astrological symbolism of the card. The blanket on the bed is a pattern of roses and sigils of both planets and signs. The 9 of Swords is affiliated with Mutable Air sign Gemini which isn’t surprising because Air is the thinking element and dreams are transient. The person in the bed is clearly disturbed by something (I interpret it as a bad dream), but what they should remember is dreams are fleeting. Yes, times are tough at the moment, you just need to remember life moves on.

The swords on the wall are clearly for decoration and I wonder if they help the person on the card feel safer or less safe. On the one hand, they’re close in case of need; on the other hand, you can’t fight a dream with a sword. I feel like this person is despairing and doesn’t know what is coming next. In the “Future” position in a spread, I would probably draw a clarifying card to see how long it will last.

Peace and balance,

Erin

I went back to the Morgan-Greer deck for yesterday’s card. The card was the 5 of Swords. Something out there must be trying to tell me I need more Fixed energy in my life because this card is affiliated with Aquarius, the Fixed Air sign. In the past few days, I’ve received four cards affiliated with Fixed signs of the Zodiac.

Fixed energy is hard to come by in my personality (remember, my birthday is on the cusp of Gemini, Mutable Air, and Cancer, Cardinal Water), and I’m always needing grounding. Truthfully, Aquarius is a sign I don’t always understand. Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s a terrific sign, I just have trouble reconciling the radical ideas the sign has with the way I interpret Fixed signs. I suppose it helps to have the Fixed energy to implement all the good things they want for the world.

Fives denote strife and upsetting the balance and stability gained in the Four. The 5 of Swords shows a figure in a dark cloak collecting swords from distressed looking people in the background. There is a smirk on the face of the person acquiring the swords. There’s been a competition and now the victor is gathering the spoils.

This is an Air card, and I’m really focusing on the clouds in the sky because they are symbolic of Air. I’m also noting the presence of water. Water is the element related to emotions, however, in this card, the water is in the background. The water in the background rather than the foreground makes me think there is emotion in the situation, but the intellect is winning out.

Peace and balance,

Erin

Strength was yesterday’s card, and I used the card from The Shadowscapes Tarot again. This is another card I have difficulty with sometimes (see The Hanged Man) because I don’t see myself as particularly strong. I mean, I’ve battled with mental health issues and gone through labour and childbirth, but I don’t really think of myself as a strong person.

The Strength card in The Shadowscapes Tarot is beautiful to me with all the imagery and elements in the picture. I find in most depictions of the Strength card it’s just the woman and the lion, maybe some trees and grass, but this one is gorgeous. Yes, the woman and the lion are shown, however, there are birds, and clouds, and an orange orb that I’m not too sure about the meaning of.

My eyes are immediately drawn to the little cats hiding behind the lion and its tamer. What can I say—I’m a cat person. The Strength card is showing how strength of spirit can overcome the wildness of the world by gentleness, and I like that the lion has been restrained, but its relatives have retained their sense of playfulness and mischief.

I like the smoke rising from the incense dish because, to me, it shows that there must be thought put into the taming of the problem because if you go in acting first and thinking later, you could wind up making the problem worse than it was to start off. We’re dealing with another Leo card here, so what can I say that I haven’t already written about? It just demonstrates how even the biggest personalities can be tamed through love and dedication.

Peace and balance,

Erin