Divinations Class
((OOC: This lesson is a continuation of the prior, though it is not required that your pup have participated in the prior. Everything needed will be explained and there is an optional activity that can be done if your pup went to the prior class and if you want to/remember what you did there))
Kusuriyuri knelt before the classroom, waiting for all to be gathered. On each desk was a stack of 22 cards, face down. When turned over, they would reveal the Major Arcana in an art style that suited their user. Kusuriyuri rose when the class was well assembled.
Shikigami, what Westerners refer to as tarot cards, are arranged into two major division. The first consists of twenty-two cards, each of a different type, that is called the Major Arcana, or the large secrets. The second consists of fifty-six cards divided into four groups called the Minor Arcana, or small secrets. What ‘small’ and ‘large’ refer to are trends. The large secrets are the over arcing trends while the small secrets refine the knowledge of these large secrets.
Today, we will discuss the Major Arcana and practice with those to become familiar with them.
Every card of the tarot has two divinitive meanings, depending on whether it presents upright or reversed. These meanings are not always the reverse of each other nor does the name of the card always indicate its meaning.
The first card, numbered zero, is the Fool. The Fool, when upright, represents being in the present, at a crossroads and advises following intuition as opposed to reason. Reversed, it is a warning to observe one’s surroundings and the present.
The second card, numbered one, is the Magician. The Magician is one who is goal oriented. Upright, it represents that the needed resources for success and continuance are at hand. Reversed, it can indicate deception, either within or without, or that something needed still has not been obtained.
The third card is the High Priestess. The High Priestess represents information. Upright, it indicates that it is time to share information, to refrain from action. Reversed, it indicates that some knowledge needs to remain hidden or that the seeker is on the wrong path.
The fourth card is the Empress. The Empress represents nurturing. Upright, growth, maturation and nurturing are all apace with needs. Reversed, one may be being smothered or smothering another.
The next card is the Emperor. The Emperor represents control. Upright, it refers to a self-controlled, assertive leader. Reversed, one may be over controlled or over controlling or seeking power for the sake of power alone.
Following is the Hierophant. The Hierophant represents the bringing of the divine to the mundane. Upright, it represents living one’s beliefs, the sharing of wisdom in practical terms and to find ways to act upon such wisdom. Reversed, it indicates stubbornness or being caught in routine.
Next is the Lovers. The Lovers represents choices and the separation of the heart and mind in them. Upright, it advises to seek balance between the mind and heart. Reversed, it indicates an unwise decision.
Next is the Chariot. The Chariot represents mastery. Upright, it indicates mastery over conflicting desires or powers, either external or internal, to reach a common goal. Reversed, it warns against one power overcoming the other to the detriment of both.
Following is Strength. Strength represents passions. Upright, it represents the quiet self-possessed strength that comes from control of one’s passions. Reversed, it warns against the extremes of letting passions rule or of ruling them too firmly to the point of suppression.
The Hermit follows. The Hermit represents truth. Upright, it suggests retreating for a time to find the inner truth. Reversed, it indicates that retreating is being done for the wrong reasons or that it has been prolonged too much.
The Wheel of Fortune represents change. Upright, it advises that change out of one’s control is coming, that there will be a time of chaos, but it is moving forward. Reversed, it indicates a setback or perhaps a reversal that is again, outside of one’s control.
Justice follows and reminds that decisions have repercussions on the future and the surroundings. It may also speak to legal situations. Upright, it advises to make decisions based on rational thought as opposed to emotion or intuition. Reversed, it indicates that current situations are the result of prior decisions.
The Hanged Man speaks of sacrifice. Upright, it speaks to the need to sacrifice, either for material or spiritual gain, or to a time of waiting. Reversed, it speaks of too large a sacrifice or of confusion, the world seeming to be the wrong way.
Death speaks of sudden and complete change that may be painful. Upright, it may speak of physical death, though rarely. It is typically a breaking away from the old in such a complete manner it may be likened to death. Reversed, it indicates that something is being held onto long past its usefulness.
The next card, Temperance, speaks of balance. Upright, it warns to keep balance in mind as decisions are made. It advises quiet calm. Reversed, it speaks of a lack of control and perhaps a need for a dramatic stance.
The Devil follows. It speaks of vice and addiction. Upright, it warns against vice and addiction, that the pleasures they bring in the short term will bring painful consequences. Reversed, it speaks of a narrow miss with vice or perhaps with a dangerous situation.
The Tower speaks of changes in belief. Upright, it tells of sudden revelation, upheavals and the removing of unneeded things from one’s life. Reversed speaks of a more subtle revelation and transformation.
The Star offers hope and guidance. Upright, it advises to turn toward the future, to leave the past as transformation is at hand. Reversed, it indicates that the subtle signs are being ignored.
The Moon speaks of intuition, dreams and fear. Upright, it advises separating intuition from fears, that both will be presented, though to follow intuition. Reversed, it warns of deception and giving into fear.
The Sun speaks of joy and vision. Upright, it speaks of clarity of mind, success as the result of efforts, and logic. Reversed, it may mean too logic, of over thinking or a block to the joy that is coming.
Judgment, the penultimate card, speaks of calling. Upright, one is being called to move forward, that change is at hand, a change that is under one’s control. Reversed, it speaks of using that which gone before as a reason not to move forward though one is able.
The final card, the World, speaks to achievements. Upright, it tells of long term projects and plans reaching fruition. Reversed, it may indicate a delay or refusal to accept completion.
Shuffle the cards before you and lay three out in a simple spread to indicate the past, present and future. Keep your question simple to allow yourself to become familiar with the cards and their meanings. With a partner, if you desire, discuss your results. If you are comfortable enough with the cards, use the layout you created in the last class with the cards.
Kusuriyuri returns to kneeling before the class, waiting to see if any would require his assistance.
((OOC: As always, do as much as you feel like doing. If you want, Kusu’s attention, please put it in the subject of the reply. The information came from The Dreamer’s Journal by Barbara Moore. The mun has an antipathy to the Rider-Waite deck [the reason seems spurious to her…it’s too yellow…and the art is appalling] so she tends not to use it. Each tarot deck does allow for slightly different interpretations of the cards based on the art work, however, each card does have a basic meaning. This basic meaning is given above.
The mun feels she is babbling now. She also feels this lesson is perhaps as dry as stale Melba toast...it is a lot of information.
More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot
And, amusement:
The hogwarts_hocus major aracana: http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/1749924.html
And, if you’re wanting a way to randomize your card pulling without having to write numbers 0-21 on a piece of paper, tear them up and pull them out of a hat, you can try this: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htm ))
Kusuriyuri knelt before the classroom, waiting for all to be gathered. On each desk was a stack of 22 cards, face down. When turned over, they would reveal the Major Arcana in an art style that suited their user. Kusuriyuri rose when the class was well assembled.
Shikigami, what Westerners refer to as tarot cards, are arranged into two major division. The first consists of twenty-two cards, each of a different type, that is called the Major Arcana, or the large secrets. The second consists of fifty-six cards divided into four groups called the Minor Arcana, or small secrets. What ‘small’ and ‘large’ refer to are trends. The large secrets are the over arcing trends while the small secrets refine the knowledge of these large secrets.
Today, we will discuss the Major Arcana and practice with those to become familiar with them.
Every card of the tarot has two divinitive meanings, depending on whether it presents upright or reversed. These meanings are not always the reverse of each other nor does the name of the card always indicate its meaning.
The first card, numbered zero, is the Fool. The Fool, when upright, represents being in the present, at a crossroads and advises following intuition as opposed to reason. Reversed, it is a warning to observe one’s surroundings and the present.
The second card, numbered one, is the Magician. The Magician is one who is goal oriented. Upright, it represents that the needed resources for success and continuance are at hand. Reversed, it can indicate deception, either within or without, or that something needed still has not been obtained.
The third card is the High Priestess. The High Priestess represents information. Upright, it indicates that it is time to share information, to refrain from action. Reversed, it indicates that some knowledge needs to remain hidden or that the seeker is on the wrong path.
The fourth card is the Empress. The Empress represents nurturing. Upright, growth, maturation and nurturing are all apace with needs. Reversed, one may be being smothered or smothering another.
The next card is the Emperor. The Emperor represents control. Upright, it refers to a self-controlled, assertive leader. Reversed, one may be over controlled or over controlling or seeking power for the sake of power alone.
Following is the Hierophant. The Hierophant represents the bringing of the divine to the mundane. Upright, it represents living one’s beliefs, the sharing of wisdom in practical terms and to find ways to act upon such wisdom. Reversed, it indicates stubbornness or being caught in routine.
Next is the Lovers. The Lovers represents choices and the separation of the heart and mind in them. Upright, it advises to seek balance between the mind and heart. Reversed, it indicates an unwise decision.
Next is the Chariot. The Chariot represents mastery. Upright, it indicates mastery over conflicting desires or powers, either external or internal, to reach a common goal. Reversed, it warns against one power overcoming the other to the detriment of both.
Following is Strength. Strength represents passions. Upright, it represents the quiet self-possessed strength that comes from control of one’s passions. Reversed, it warns against the extremes of letting passions rule or of ruling them too firmly to the point of suppression.
The Hermit follows. The Hermit represents truth. Upright, it suggests retreating for a time to find the inner truth. Reversed, it indicates that retreating is being done for the wrong reasons or that it has been prolonged too much.
The Wheel of Fortune represents change. Upright, it advises that change out of one’s control is coming, that there will be a time of chaos, but it is moving forward. Reversed, it indicates a setback or perhaps a reversal that is again, outside of one’s control.
Justice follows and reminds that decisions have repercussions on the future and the surroundings. It may also speak to legal situations. Upright, it advises to make decisions based on rational thought as opposed to emotion or intuition. Reversed, it indicates that current situations are the result of prior decisions.
The Hanged Man speaks of sacrifice. Upright, it speaks to the need to sacrifice, either for material or spiritual gain, or to a time of waiting. Reversed, it speaks of too large a sacrifice or of confusion, the world seeming to be the wrong way.
Death speaks of sudden and complete change that may be painful. Upright, it may speak of physical death, though rarely. It is typically a breaking away from the old in such a complete manner it may be likened to death. Reversed, it indicates that something is being held onto long past its usefulness.
The next card, Temperance, speaks of balance. Upright, it warns to keep balance in mind as decisions are made. It advises quiet calm. Reversed, it speaks of a lack of control and perhaps a need for a dramatic stance.
The Devil follows. It speaks of vice and addiction. Upright, it warns against vice and addiction, that the pleasures they bring in the short term will bring painful consequences. Reversed, it speaks of a narrow miss with vice or perhaps with a dangerous situation.
The Tower speaks of changes in belief. Upright, it tells of sudden revelation, upheavals and the removing of unneeded things from one’s life. Reversed speaks of a more subtle revelation and transformation.
The Star offers hope and guidance. Upright, it advises to turn toward the future, to leave the past as transformation is at hand. Reversed, it indicates that the subtle signs are being ignored.
The Moon speaks of intuition, dreams and fear. Upright, it advises separating intuition from fears, that both will be presented, though to follow intuition. Reversed, it warns of deception and giving into fear.
The Sun speaks of joy and vision. Upright, it speaks of clarity of mind, success as the result of efforts, and logic. Reversed, it may mean too logic, of over thinking or a block to the joy that is coming.
Judgment, the penultimate card, speaks of calling. Upright, one is being called to move forward, that change is at hand, a change that is under one’s control. Reversed, it speaks of using that which gone before as a reason not to move forward though one is able.
The final card, the World, speaks to achievements. Upright, it tells of long term projects and plans reaching fruition. Reversed, it may indicate a delay or refusal to accept completion.
Shuffle the cards before you and lay three out in a simple spread to indicate the past, present and future. Keep your question simple to allow yourself to become familiar with the cards and their meanings. With a partner, if you desire, discuss your results. If you are comfortable enough with the cards, use the layout you created in the last class with the cards.
Kusuriyuri returns to kneeling before the class, waiting to see if any would require his assistance.
((OOC: As always, do as much as you feel like doing. If you want, Kusu’s attention, please put it in the subject of the reply. The information came from The Dreamer’s Journal by Barbara Moore. The mun has an antipathy to the Rider-Waite deck [the reason seems spurious to her…it’s too yellow…and the art is appalling] so she tends not to use it. Each tarot deck does allow for slightly different interpretations of the cards based on the art work, however, each card does have a basic meaning. This basic meaning is given above.
The mun feels she is babbling now. She also feels this lesson is perhaps as dry as stale Melba toast...it is a lot of information.
More information:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot
And, amusement:
The hogwarts_hocus major aracana: http://community.livejournal.com/hogwarts_hocus/1749924.html
And, if you’re wanting a way to randomize your card pulling without having to write numbers 0-21 on a piece of paper, tear them up and pull them out of a hat, you can try this: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/dice/dice.htm ))