This is The Hanged Man from the Victoria Regina deck.

This is another card that, like the Hermit, speaks of turning inward, retreating from the world in order to reflect. It can also refer to a time of peace, of acceptance, surrender, letting go, or symbolize turning something "on its head," i.e., looking at things from a different angle.

Pollack says:

. . . the Hanged Man bears the message of independence. Like the Fool, which signified doing what you sensed was best, even if other people thought it foolish, the Hanged Man indicates being who you are, even if others think you have everything backwards. It symbolizes the feeling of being deeply connected to life and can mean a peace that comes after some difficult trial.

Trinity Doughnuts Tarot, a site I haven't been to in a long time, says the interpretation of the Hanged Man is, "a suspension of action that is required for a situation to move forward."

All in all, a very interesting card that bears further study.

I'm really enjoying writing about these cards. I've never been very interested in the Major Arcana -- I've found the Minor Arcana, which refers more to "day to day" life, to be much more interesting. So it's (also) interesting to be picking so many Major Arcana cards and be more or less forced to research them in order to write about them.

I thought this process would be as much about me learning about the cards as "teaching" others, and I'm glad that has turned out to be the case.

One other thing I'm being reminded of is that full size decks, and especially ones that are larger than full size (such as the Victoria Regina), are almost impossible for me to shuffle. I tend to drop them a lot. I'm much happier with the so-called "miniature" decks. My favorite deck is the Universal De Angelis Mini; the new Secret Tarot deck that I recently bought is the miniature version as well, and I also have the Fairy Tarot Mini. They seem to fit my hands better, and feel more natural to me.

This is The Hermit from the Haindl Tarot. On each of the Major Arcana cards in this deck, there is a Hebrew letter, a rune, and an astrological sign. On this card, the Hebrew letter is Yod (hand), the run is I (ice), and the astrological sign is Virgo. I haven't studied this deck enough to expound any more on the meanings of those symbols, but The Hermit generally represents withdrawal from outside interests and turning within, or a teacher or guide who can help us achieve our spiritual goals.

In this card, the Hermit holds a lantern illuminating the darkness, and is surrounded by birds symbolizing (as the little white book for this deck says) the spirit. I also note that at least two of the birds appear to be owls, which would indicate wisdom.

In 78 Degrees of Wisdom, Pollack says:

As an emblem of personal development, rather than a guide, the Hermit signifies the idea that only by withdrawing from the outer world can we awaken the inner self. Those who see the Tarot in two halves, with the Wheel of Fortune as the mid-point, view the Hermit as the period of contemplation before the Wheel of Life turns towards its second half.

The card description at Tarot.com says: "The challenge of what has traditionally been known as the Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals and Nature herself."

I like that line, "a teacher in a humble disguise." It reminds me of the Bible verse (Hebrews 13:2): "Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." The Hermit reminds us that we can learn from the most unlikely sources, that we need to be open to those who would teach us, whether or not they come in a form that we recognize or expect. The Hermit tells us that by turning inward and withdrawing from outside influences, we can come to a deeper understanding about ourselves and advance spiritually.

I bought this deck solely because of the beautiful artwork, and later discovered that the cards are layered with meaning. It's one of the more unique decks that I own, and one that I hope to spend a lot more time with over the next few months.

This is Card No. IV - Power - from the Goddess Tarot. IV is normally The Emperor in a standard deck, but since all of the images in this deck are of goddesses, the male cards take on different names. The Little White Book says:

Power: Freya

Freya, the Norse goddess of creativity, love, and beauty, shows that true power lies in the ability to discriminate between aggression and passivity--and the ability to choose between them at the right time.

Meanings: The ability to use power wisely. Awareness of one's power. The ability to lead and inspire others. Knowledge of how to "work the system."

In Seventy Eight Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack says that cards III and IV, the Empress and Emperor, symbolize the parental archetypes. She says, "he symbolizes the laws of society, both good and bad, and the power that enforces them."

Further, "he indicates the stability of a just society that allows its members to pursue their personal needs and development. The natural world is chaotic; without some kind of social structure we could each spend all our lives fighting to survive."

Pollack also says that the Emperor can represent a time of stability in a person's life, but can also represent a person who holds great power over the querent, such as a father, husband, lover--someone who dominates the querent's life.

From Encyclopedia Mythica (re Freya):

In Norse mythology, Freya is a goddess of love and fertility, and the most beautiful and propitious of the goddesses. She is the patron goddess of crops and birth, the symbol of sensuality and was called upon in matters of love. She loves music, spring and flowers, and is particularly fond of the elves (fairies). Freya is one of the foremost goddesses of the Vanir.

She is the daughter of the god Njord, and the sister of Freyr. Later she married the mysterious god Od (probably another form of Odin), who disappeared. When she mourned for her lost husband, her tears changed into gold.

Her attributes are the precious necklace of the Brisings, which she obtained by sleeping with four dwarfs, a cloak (or skin) of bird feathers, which allows its wearer to change into a falcon, and a chariot pulled by two cats [shown in the card]. She owns Hildesvini ("battle boar") which is actually her human lover Ottar in disguise. Her chambermaid is Fulla. Freya lives in the beautiful palace Folkvang ("field of folk"), a place where love songs are always played, and her hall is Sessrumnir. She divides the slain warriors with Odin: one half goes to her palace, while the other half goes to Valhalla. Women also go to her hall.

From LearnTarot.com:

The Emperor represents structure, order and regulation - forces to balance the free-flowing, lavish abundance of the Empress. He advocates a four-square world where trains are on time, games are played by rules, and commanding officers are respected. In chaotic situations, the Emperor can indicate the need for organization. Loose ends should be tied up, and wayward elements, harnessed. In situations that are already over-controlled, he suggests the confining effect of those constraints.

The Emperor can represent an encounter with authority or the assumption of power and control. As the regulator, he is often associated with legal matters, disciplinary actions, and officialdom in all its forms. He can also stand for an individual father or archetypal Father in his role as guide, protector and provider.

You are the Hanged Man

Self-sacrifice, Sacrifice, Devotion, Bound.

With the Hanged man there is often a sense of fatalism, waiting for something to happen. Or a fear of loss from a situation, rather than gain.

The Hanged Man is perhaps the most fascinating card in the deck. It reflects the story of Odin who offered himself as a sacrifice in order to gain knowledge. Hanging from the world tree, wounded by a spear, given no bread or mead, he hung for nine days. On the last day, he saw on the ground runes that had fallen from the tree, understood their meaning, and, coming down, scooped them up for his own. All knowledge is to be found in these runes.

The Hanged Man, in similar fashion, is a card about suspension, not life or death. It signifies selflessness, sacrifice and prophecy. You make yourself vulnerable and in doing so, gain illumination. You see the world differently, with almost mystical insights.

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Roswila's Tarot Gallery & Journal: THE TEN OF SWORDS

I have a lot of meanings for the Ten of Swords as years back it used to come up in my personal readings a great deal. But before I go on to share them I want to stress that the Ten of Swords carries not only the traditional possible meaning of "Ruin," but of impending rebirth.

I did a three-card reading (Body/Mind/Spirit) earlier this week that was so bad it was laughable--8 of Swords, 10 of Swords, The Moon. I was depressed, I admit, but, wow.

My favorite interpretation of the Ten of Swords is this one, from Learntarot.com:

The Ten of Swords appears to be a card of terrible misfortune, but surprisingly, it often represents troubles that are more melodramatic than real. The man on this card has quite a few swords in his back. Wouldn't one be enough? Isn't ten a little excessive? Perhaps this gentleman's suffering - though sincere - is exaggerated as well.

more

I, too, had my misgivings when I saw the link to the Barbie Tarot, but it's very cool. Barbie in her pj's as "The Hermit" and Wonder Woman Barbie as "Strength" were my favorites. Also, "The Lovers" represented by Barbie and Ken posing as a romance novel cover is particularly good.

Link from Roswila's Tarot Gallery & Journal