Throwback Thursday: Everyday and Life Lessons Tarot

I’ve never liked the phrases ‘Minor Arcana’ and ‘Major Arcana’, which are used to refer to the two parts of Tarot. They literally mean ‘little secret’ and ‘big secret’. And their existence is no longer a secret, so what the???

In a way I get it. The stories told in both books is not obvious. Meanings remain hidden until you study the images and use your intuition to decode each card. However, the titles ‘minor arcana’ and ‘major arcana’ don’t explain the difference between them, and as a writer, I believe strongly that it is important for words to conjure up the things of which they speak.

So I’ve come up with more contemporary titles.

The Minor Arcana consists of cards that deal with day-to-day situations so I’ve dubbed this part, Everyday Tarot.

The Major Arcana refers to the most profound cards in Tarot. The heavy ones that encapsulate major life experiences. So I’ve called this part, Life Lessons Tarot.

Do these titles feel right to you?

The Tarot of a Bali Holiday

Visiting Bali has its ups and downs.

Let’s explore some of those.

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Sunday Spotlight: The Moon

I love this card but a lot of peeps don’t.

It’s seen as a harbinger of doom like Death and The Devil.

Fair enough too, I mean look at that image. Hard-shelled creatures crawl up from the watery depths, whilst a dog and wolf howl at the moon as it sheds tears between stone towers. It’s a strange, fearful scene.

And yes, The Moon experience can involve raising inner demons, phobias and fears. You could find yourself overcome with anxiety. Or just plain bewildered.

However, we need to flip the script.

Focus on following that golden path over the mountains.

Because at its heart, The Moon has an incredibly empowering story to tell.

Let’s start by exploring those towers…

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The Tarot of Joy

There are lots of different kinds of joy Tarot says we can experience in life.

Let’s have a sneak peak at them, starting with the image above. The card that fits the joy of a family letting themself be silly on a glorious sunshiny day is this one…

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Sunday Spotlight: The Lovers

Ah, The Lovers card.

Who wouldn’t be excited to see this turn up in a spread?

We all love love.

Here we have an image of a naked man and woman. The epitome of sexy times. Romance. Intimacy.

This card’s energy is activated in adolescence. The first stabs of puppy love are its calling card. The trial and error of this period in our lives, as we explore different experiences, legal or otherwise, are its canvas.

But there’s a mismatch in the picture above. Whilst the man gazes adoringly at the woman, she’s not looking at him in return but fixated on an angel in the heavens above. Puts me in mind of that old saying: Men love women, women love children, and children love dogs.

There’s a subtle message beneath this image.

We each get to choose what we focus on.

Who we spend time with.

Who we choose to be in relationship with.

What to do with our lives.

Which temptations to succumb to and which to resist.

Just as Adam got to choose whether or not to eat that wicked apple in the Garden of Eden. Eve didn’t force it down his throat. Nor did the snake winding around the limbs of the tree.

The lesson in this card says that love is a choice, not a pre-determined fate.

Would you agree or disagree with that?