January: The Fool
Innocence. Beginnings. Simplicity. Fresh start. Blind faith. Joker. Spontaneity. A free spirit.
The Fool is a spirit in search of experience. He is the tarot deck's Joker. Represented by the number zero, he is empty and in need of that experience. This is a card of beginnings, and he represents childlike innocence. His innocence is regarded as a divine wisdom. The fool can be interpreted as the protagonist of a journey of experience, known as "The Fool's Journey" in tarot. When the Fool appears in a spread, it is a signal to strip everything down to its irreducible core.
King of Swords
February: King of Swords
Swords were typically depicted with curved blades in ancient tarot decks to distinguish them from staves. They correspond to the playing card suit of Spades, (in Italian, spada means sword). This suit represents the element Air, and the social classes of Nobility and Military. Swords are considered a Masculine suit. Swords typically represent intellect, reason, mental clarity, and the sciences. They may also represent conflicts surrounding the questioner.
The Kings typically concern men: fathers, brothers, or male friends. They may represent maturity, social, political and economic power, strength and intellect, and kind-hearted fatherly benevolence.
Clear thinking. Intellectual power. Authority. Truth.
The King of Swords is often used to depict a mature man with sound intellectual understanding and reasoning. This card depicts a man who is strong-hearted, decisive, and intellectually oriented. This card can also depict a man who is ruthless or excessively judgmental; the questioner is therefore advised to balance intellectual orientation with a bit of emotional understanding.
Seven of Coins
March: Seven of Coins
Coins are also referred to as pentacles and may be represented by a five pointed star in a circle, or a coin decorated with a five pointed star. They correspond to the playing card suit of Diamonds. This suit represents the element Earth, and the social class of Merchants. Coins are considered a Feminine suit. Coins typically represent material wealth and possessions, the body and health, and the environment of the questioner.
The Sevens typically concern commitment, dreams, striving, courage, will, intelligence, perseverance, strength, long-term success, coping, resistance, and transcendence. Sevens may also represent self-delusion, temptation, and wishful thinking.
Vision. Perseverance. Profit. Reward. Investment.
The Seven of Coins is a card that means to show your commitment towards your work life or dreams, your investment now will bring you rewards in the future, both emotionally and financially. Success is a journey, not a destination. This card often means movement. This could be moving house or moving up in your career.
The Hanged Man
April: The Hanged Man
Sacrifice. Letting go. Surrendering. Passivity. Suspension. Acceptance. Renunciation. Patience. New point of view. Contemplation. Inner harmony. Conformism. Non-action. Waiting. Giving up. Restriction.
The Hanged Man, known in historical decks as The Traitor, is usually depicted as hanging from a tree branch by one foot. He is sometimes interpreted as Odin, the Norse god who hung from the World Tree for nine days to earn the knowledge of the Runes. In the oldest tarot decks, he was considered a criminal or an outlaw. The Hanged Man is therefore an ambiguous card with an ambiguous history. Modern interpretation usually considers The Hanged man to be a symbol of sacrifice. He may advise the questioner to surrender, be passive, patient, and wait. He may also suggest letting go, surrendering, or giving up.
Three of Coins
May: Three of Coins
Coins are also referred to as pentacles and may be represented by a five pointed star in a circle, or a coin decorated with a five pointed star. They correspond to the playing card suit of Diamonds. This suit represents the element Earth, and the social class of Merchants. Coins are considered a Feminine suit. Coins typically represent material wealth and possessions, the body and health, and the environment of the questioner.
The Threes typically concern action, production, creativity, early results, mastery, achievement, birth, or loss. They can represent groups, or "three's a crowd" situations. Three can also represent the synthesis of a thesis and antithesis.
Teamwork. Initial fulfilment. Collaboration. Learning.
Positive attributes of the Three of Coins in a spread include the mastery of a skill in trade or work, achieving perfection, artistic ability, and dignity through renown, rank, or power.
Five of Wands
June: Five of Wands
Wands are also referred to as Staves, Staffs, or Batons. They correspond to the playing card suit of Clubs, and many early tarot decks depict this suit as wooden clubs. This suit represents the element Fire, and the social class of Peasantry. Wands are considered a Masculine suit. Wands typically represent creative or entrepreneurial projects, information, travel, and will - whether it be free will, or strength of willpower.
The Fives typically concern negatives such as loss, conflict, strife, struggle, disagreement, disappointment, defeat, sorrow, regrets, and unwilling or unnecessary contributions. Fives may also represent change, renewal, positive struggle, amassing or consolidating forces, and progress.
Disagreement. Competition. Strife. Tension. Conflict. Anxiety. Struggle.
Fighting one's environment. A strenuous competition and struggle in the search for riches and fortune or creative endeavours. Remain alert, engaged, and ready to struggle and fight for what is important, defending what you perceive as yours.
Temperance
July: Temperance
Temperance. Harmony. Balance. Health. Moderation. Joining forces. Wellbeing. Recovery. Equilibrium. Transcendence. Unification. Healing. Synthesis. Bringing together opposites. Feeling secure. Patience. Purpose. Meaning.
The Temperance card is often depicted as an individual pouring water or wine from one vessel to another. Temperance is usually female or androgynous, and frequently has wings. Temperance means moderation, and suggests to the questioner that moderation is required in some aspect of life. It can be interpreted as a need to bring balance to the questioner's life, or as a reminder that a compromise between two seemingly incompatible options is often the best option. In addition to this literal meaning, Temperance can also be interpreted as symbolising the blending or synthesis of opposites.
The Tower
August: The Tower
Chaos. Sudden change. Impact. Hard times. Crisis. Revelation. Disruption. Realizing the truth. Disillusion. Crash. Burst. Uncomfortable experience. Downfall. Ruin. Ego blow. Explosive transformation. Disaster. Upheaval. Sudden change. Revelation.
The Tower, which is depicted in some older decks as Fire, or Lightning, is a symbol of catastrophe. It harks back to the story of the Tower of Babel, in which God destroyed a tower built by humankind to reach the heavens. The catastrophe depicted by The Tower can be physical, or it can be a metaphorical or spiritual crisis. The Tower represents chaos in the questioner's life, and this may be as great as a crash or a downfall, or as small as an uncomfortable experience or a blow to the ego. The Tower card is not wholly negative, as it can also depict a revelation or a sudden realisation of the truth, along with explosive transformation.
The Empress
September: The Empress
Mothering. Fertility. Sexuality. Abundance. Material prosperity. Pleasure. Comfort. Power. Nature. Delight. Desire. Physical attraction. Health. Sensuality. Beauty. Satisfaction. Femininity.
The Empress represents fertile nature, a fruitful motherly figure who nurtures, sustains, and feeds others. She is often shown as pregnant. She represents the creation of life, romance, art, or business. She may represent the germination of an idea. She is the mother-goddess, and represents Venus, Ishtar, Isis, and many other mother-goddess figures, including Demeter, mother of Persephone, who when Persephone was kidnapped, kept the Earth cold and barren until the Spring, when her child was returned. In this, she represents the cyclical nature of the natural world, Summer and Winter, life and death. She may represent the chaotic nature of the life force itself, the uncontrollable aspect of nature, or refer to an object of desire.
Five of Swords
October: Five of Swords
Swords were typically depicted with curved blades in ancient tarot decks to distinguish them from staves. They correspond to the playing card suit of Spades, (in Italian, spada means sword). This suit represents the element Air, and the social classes of Nobility and Military. Swords are considered a Masculine suit. Swords typically represent intellect, reason, mental clarity, and the sciences. They may also represent conflicts surrounding the questioner.
The Fives typically concern negatives such as loss, conflict, strife, struggle, disagreement, disappointment, defeat, sorrow, regrets, and unwilling or unnecessary contributions. Fives may also represent change, renewal, positive struggle, amassing or consolidating forces, and progress.
Conflict. Tension. Loss. Defeat. Win at all costs. Betrayal.
This card suggests overconfidence in victory, potency, or ample preparation. Hubris can be an invitation for enemies to prove you wrong. It may suggest achieving victory by immoral or underhand means. The questioner may have lost sight of what is right or regard any means as a valid route to an end. It also suggests unwilling or unnecessary contributions from losing parties. This is the defeat card in the deck.
Page of Swords
November: Page of Swords
Swords were typically depicted with curved blades in ancient tarot decks to distinguish them from staves. They correspond to the playing card suit of Spades, (in Italian, spada means sword). This suit represents the element Air, and the social classes of Nobility and Military. Swords are considered a Masculine suit. Swords typically represent intellect, reason, mental clarity, and the sciences. They may also represent conflicts surrounding the questioner.
The Pages typically concern children. They may represent innocence and playfulness, novices, amateurs, and young students, learning, naivety, and youth.
Talkative. Curious. Mentally restless. Energetic.
This card may represent a young person in the life of the questioner, or an aspect of the questioner themselves. This card indicates a surefooted person who succeeds without flash, or one who does not second guess decisions. It indicates decisive action and control of oneself, and the use of reason or eloquent speech to penetrate the veil of confusion and cut to the heart of the matter. This individual may also have a great interest in spying and learning the secrets of others.
Ace of Wands
December: Ace of Wands
Wands are also referred to as Staves, Staffs, or Batons. They correspond to the playing card suit of Clubs, and many early tarot decks depict this suit as wooden clubs. This suit represents the element Fire, and the social class of Peasantry. Wands are considered a Masculine suit. Wands typically represent creative or entrepreneurial projects, information, travel, and will - whether it be free will, or strength of willpower.
The Aces typically concern beginnings. They may represent something new that is coming or being offered, conception, inspiration and new ideas, or the start of something bigger.
Inspiration. Power. Creation. Potential. Birth. Commencement. Creativity. Inventiveness. New beginnings.
Fiery and creative, the Ace of Wands speaks of new energy and ambition. This tarot card means that actions are more important than words. Ideas are not enough. It takes hard work and perseverance to take something from a thought to a reality. The heady optimism and ambition of this card can make any dream come true. A new creative project may be on the way, an upturn in health, or new knowledge, information, or a message.
