Tarot Basics The Major Arcana Part 5

I this fifth part of an ongoing series that gives a basic introduction to the Major Arcana, we look at the early trials we encounter in life. These few posts are an open invitation to learn more about Tarot reading and to give my readers a very basic introduction to the Tarot Cards themselves.

In case you missed earlier pasts are:
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 6
Part 7

Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti

THE HANGED MAN

A man is suspended upside down from his ankle, his free leg is folded behind the leg that is caught.

Headline: Stop, Reflect and see your Path.
Card Number: 12 (XII)
Element: Water
Colour: Blue
Symbols - Rope

Natural Meaning

A time of trial, a crisis.
Experiencing a metamorphosis, a radical change.
Letting go, surrender, detachment from the material world.
Sacrifice for a higher purpose, giving something up, selflessness.
Seeing from another angle, a fresh perspective.
Suspension of activity, delays.
The need to meditate, prophecy.

Reverse Meaning

Being in limbo.
Being blinkered, being narrow minded.
Re-emergence into life.
Not letting go, failure to give of one's self, being egotistical.
False motives.
Holding onto the material, inability to release, holding yourself back.

DEATH

A black armoured skeletal figure rides a white horse by the side of a river. The mounted figure carries a black banner bearing the symbol of a rose. There is a richly dressed corpse and a mitred Bishop on the path along with two kneeling children. Behind this scene the sun sets between two towers.

Headline: All Things Come to an End.
Card Number: 13 (XIII)
Element: Water
Colour: Blue-Green
Symbols - Armour, a horse, a river, a rose, a ship & the sun.
Natural Meaning

Endings, mortality, failure, loss.
Profound change.
Letting go of an emotional attachment, severing ties.
The end of an era.
Transformation, renewal, rebirth, clearing the ground for new growth.

Reverse Meaning

Delayed endings, inertia.
Depression, going through the motions, not believing that change can happen.
Holding onto to what is decayed, resistance to letting go.
Immobility.
Stagnation, lethargy.

TEMPERANCE

An angel stands in a bed of lilies at the side of a river. The angel wears a triangular symbol on the front of his robes and a path runs into the distance, going through a pass between two mountains.
Headline: All Things in Moderation.
Card Number: 14 (XIV)
Element: Fire
Colour: Blue
Symbols - Lilies, a path, mountains, the sun & a triangle.

Natural Meaning

A good omen.
A combination of elements bringing success.
Finding balance and control in the self.
Harmony, balance, blending, merging.
Moderation, being temperate.
Spiritual guides, looking for divine intervention.
Victory through self-control.

Reverse Meaning

Always giving & not receiving.
Feeling that God/the angels/your spirit guides have forsaken you.
Imbalance.
Lack of patience, tempers flaring, angry outbursts.
Discord, disunion, conflict of interest.

IF you are interested in Tarot reading, you may find this post interesting: Your First Tarot Deck

This is a link to my beginners guide to Tarot reading: The Aincient Oracle. Available in both paperback and ebook versions, it is a book written so as to be understandable and keep the jargon and language to a minimum. It is a complete guide to starting tarot reading and intends to turn the newcomer into a competent reader at that person's own pace.