The B5 Tarot, Major Arcana (Part Three)
Let's dive right in, shall we?
Justice represents settlement of dispute by impartial authority.
The blindfold arbiter weighs the evidence and passes judgement without fear or favour. There can be no appeal.
Whilst the arbiter is blindfolded, the courtroom is open to all. It is not enough for justice to be done, justice must be seen to be done. A secret trial cannot be a fair trial. The accused must be told the charges and the evidence must be assessed by a jury.
Justice is not necessarily the same as Law. True justice seeks out the spirit of the law, not just its letter. If a law is bad then true Justice will set that law aside. This is the sacred responsibility of those given the power to judge.
If well aspected in a Tarot reading, this card can indicate settlement of disputes, the achievement of a just outcome.
If badly aspected this card can indicate corruption and failure of justice.
The Vorlons represent Justice, especially as manifested at the showdown at Corianus Six. Justice is blind, and the Vorlons show themselves as a blinded figure encased in ice or glass. The Vorlons stand for order and stability, the kind that justice is meant to serve. But they fall into corruption in their endless struggle.
The Hanged Man is not a victim - he has gone to his fate happily and smiles out at us. This is his card, not that of the hangman. He is serene and content - it is his tormentors who will ultimately suffer.
The Hanged Man has that precious gift - a cause in which he believes totally and for which he is willing to risk all, give all. This is a card of self-sacrifice for the good of others.
Many people of religious persuasion draw parallels between the Hanged Man and religious figures such as Christ.
Oppressors know the power of a martyr such as The Hanged Man. Often the State seeks to cripple dissidents financially rather than impose custodial sentences.
If well aspected in a Tarot reading, this card can indicate sacrifice for a cause, giving up one thing to obtain something greater.
If badly aspected this card can indicate loss of faith and lack of true commitment, and "fair weather friends". It indicates an over-emphasis on the short term at the expense of the long.
I like Kosh as the Hanged Man. Although all the ambassadors offer themselves up as a sacrifice for their people during the series, Kosh is the first to die, and the most reluctant, which is not a normal aspect of the Hanged Man, although it is of the reversed card. Sheridan probably thought of Kosh as a bit of a 'fair weather friend.' But Kosh does believe in the cause, and willingly makes the decision to act, accepting his own death as the result.
Death is probably the most well known Tarot card - and also the most misunderstood.
The reasons for the card's prominence are obvious. The name and the usual illustration of a skeleton provide very striking imagery. The Death card has thus been used - or abused - in many films.
Most Tarot novices would consider Death to be a bad card, especially given its connection with the number thirteen. In fact this card rarely indicates literal death.
A better name for this card might be "Change". Card number 13 of the Major Arcana represents the death of the old - and the birth of the new. Far from being a card of despair it is a card of hope, of moving on. To use a cliche, "as one door closes, another opens".
Without "death" there can be no change, only eventual stagnation. The "death" of the child allows for the "birth" of the adult.
G'Kar epitomizes the meaning of Death, of Change, and of Rebirth. He is childish in his rage and enthusiasms at the beginning of the series, and we see his growth from warrior through epiphany to priest by the end.
artwork by Robert Place
Lyta Alexander is who I have chosen as representing Temperance. It doesn't fit exactly, but the essence of trying to be everything to everyone, to move between worlds and loyalties, of fighting to achieve balance, speaks to me of Lyta. She is a conciliator, pulled in many directions, always seeking a place and a people to call home. Perhaps it is the negative of temperance, the inability to find balance, that is more indicative of Lyta.
The Devil--Despite its fearsome appearance, The Devil is a card of weakness. It is one of the few cards in the Tarot deck that almost always has negative connotations when it occurs in a reading.
The card shows two slaves chained to the Devil. Yet they are there from choice, the chains are of their own making. Negative emotions, hate, jealousy, authoritarianism - all these character flaws bring one to the feet of the Devil.
Is the Devil himself merely a creation of willing slaves?
The true sadness is that some people come to accept and even revel in their position as slaves to their negative tendancies. They take on a "victim mentality" or, worse, seek in turn to control the lives of others.
Yet they could escape any time - if they only had the Will.
When the Devil appears in a Tarot spread it can represent lack of achievement through negative thoughts. It suggests character flaws such as greed, bitterness and authoritarianism. All these things can ultimately destroy a person. The rest of the Tarot spread will determine whether or not the querent will overcome their problems or continue blindly on.
Londo Mollari is the Devil. It's not a card of evil, but of weakness. Londo has so many good points, but those are exactly the ones that he doesn't value. What he wants is power and respect. What he gets is neither.
Londo is destroyed by his negative characteristics, including his own passivity in the face of evil.
He never quite believes in his own responsibility for events, and it takes a near-death illness for him to admit his complicity to himself.
Like Death, The Tower symbolises the end of the current state. Unlike Death it does not necessarily promise the birth of something new. If badly aspected this can be the worst card of the Tarot deck.
The Tower always indicates upheavel, possibly chaos, loss and destruction. Its effects are never pleasant and can be painful.
The card illustrates lightning striking the Tower. The lightning cannot be avoided, the destruction it brings is inevitable. All we can do is attempt to survive and rebuild.
The Tower brings sudden, severe change. It is up to us whether or not we harness that opportunity to build a bigger, better Tower for the future.
When the Tower appears in a Tarot spread it represents sudden and possibly violent change, disruption or loss. This loss must be interpreted with regard to the other cards in the spread to determine who will be struck be the lightning and how they will cope with the experience.
The Shadows represent the Tower. Chaos, upheaval, destruction followed by rebuilding; these are the raison d'etre of the Shadows. The Shadows are left a mystery, even more than the Vorlons, and seem to epitomize pure evil. I wish they had better spokespeople, or maybe they just needed a better message.
picture from Hunter's Moon Tarot
The Star represents peace, harmony and tranquility. Possibly it is the calm following the storm that destroyed the Tower.
In this card, the storm has passed and the air smells fresh. It is time for renewal, feelings of hope abound. It is time to stretch ourselves, to look forward to new horizons.
Times change, as do we. A new day brings new hope.
When the Star appears in a Tarot spread it represents new possibilities, new hope, new opportunities. If well aspected then those opportunities will be recognised and grasped.
If badly aspected it can indicate a failure to recognise those opportunities, or lack of courage to take advantage of them.
My original choice for the Star was Vir Cotto. He truly finds his own way during his series and beyond, fully realizing his potential. His is a story of renewal.
Particularly in her later incarnation as Anla'Shok Na, Susan Ivanova could be the Star. In her own words, there can always be new beginnings. And the negative aspects of the card are reflected in Susan's failure to recognize other possibilities open to her until much later in her life.
Both of these characters are shown finding safe harbor and (presumably) happiness after the storm passes.
The Moon is one of the most complex Tarot cards. It represents the inner depths of the psyche, the powers of intuition and illusion.
The word "lunatic" is appropriate here. This is the card of the madman, the drug addict and the creative genius. Of the tortured soul.
The card shows a dark landscape illuminated only by the clear, white light of the Moon - light which is itself a reflection and hence illusion. Scorpions and wolves await the unwary traveller attempting to pass between the forbidding towers.
Yet this is also a landscape of great power, there is much to be learned here; if one can survive the perils and cope with the contradictions inherent therein.
Truth is falsehood. Reality is illusion. Nothing is real.
When the Moon appears in a Tarot spread it often represents emotional challenges, inner turmoil and psychic disturbance. There can be a lack of clarity in dealing with the mundane world, an excess of dreaming. Whether or not these experiences can be worked through and harnessed depends on the querent.
Lennier is the constant and inconstant Moon. He surrounds himself with illusion; of what he is, what he wants, and what he can be. The light is all around him, but he cannot seem to open his eyes and see. 'An excess of dreaming' defines Lennier.
The Sun is the antithesis of its predecessor, The Moon. In this Tarot card night has passed, it is noon on a glorious summer day.
This is the happiest card in the deck. It is full of joy and optimism, everything is right with the world. We are as innocent children playing in the fields without care.
The Sun brings success, well-being and happiness in all spheres - material, emotional, spiritual - wherever our desires lay. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring but for today let us rejoice in the Now.
When this card appears in a Tarot spread it indicates success, joy and happiness. Obstacles will be overcome, goals achieved. Happiness abounds.
When badly aspected, it can indicate a stagnation through over-indulgence, too much of a good thing. Yes, let's celebrate and enjoy what we have - but we must then move on to grow still further.
My second choice for this card was Vir Cotto. It's one of the wonderful moments in Sleeping in Light; Vir romping in bed with the court.
But Cailyn James was suggested by my husband as a template for the Sun, and I really like this choice. Cailyn is truly happy, even given her situation, and stands as a unique example of someone on the series who is where they want to be and doing just what they want to do. She brings light into the darkness for the denizens of Downbelow.
In Biblical terms Judgement clearly relates to the final day of judgement where the dead will rise and their souls be judged.
It is not necessary to take a religious view of this card. The fundamental interpretation is of a true and fair assessment of oneself. Look deep into yourself and see your faults. Just as importantly, see everything that is good about you - something many people in the West have trouble doing.
Judgement is not just criticism, it is also praise. We need both in order to truly assess ourselves and plot our future.
Judgement isn't the end, just a temporary pause to assess and regroup before we continue on our lives.
When this card appears in a Tarot spread it indicates decisions, changes, endings and beginnings. It indicates a need for honest self-assessment. Are we really travelling the best route? If well aspected, we can be honest with ourselves and go on to live our lives the way we truly want. If badly aspected, our self-deceit can lead us to a personal armageddon.
Stephen Franklin epitomizes Judgement, good and bad. He is a judgemental sort, is Stephen, but this card is really about his journey to self-awareness. His walkabout is the prequel to John's journey at Z'ha'dum.
Stephen shows his good and bad judgement in his position as doctor (Believers, Secrets of the Soul), and also in the clinics he runs in Downbelow. He also takes an active role in the telepath's Underground Railroad. Doctors, in a true sense, have the power of life and death. He use that judgement when he supports, if reluctantly, Sheridan's decision to use the damaged telepaths in Earth's Civil War. Stephen has principles, and isn't afraid to make decisions and take action to support them.
The World is the last Tarot card in the Major Arcana. As such it represents completion. It is one of the most positive cards in the Tarot deck.
This is a card of wholeness, the perfection of life and the cosmos. All that needs to be seen has been seen, all that needs to be done has been done. Obstacles have been overcome. The circle has been closed.
One does not conquer the world, one discovers it.
The Fool began his journey at the beginning of the Major Arcana and has now reached the end. Yet the end is also the beginning.
When this card appears in a Tarot spread it indicates success, attainment of goals and completion. Yet success is only one step on the path. If badly aspected this card - like the Wheel - can indicate a refusal to move on, a reluctance to change and the eventual stagnation that comes with such an attitude
The station, Babylon Five, represents the world in our story. The closed circle is a motif that runs through the series, with Sinclair's fate, Sheridan's return to the beginning in Sleeping in Light, Delenn's transformation closing Valen's circle; even Ivanova, loyal second to the one who was, the one who is, and the one who is yet to be. The turning of the station generates gravity, but also symbolizes the turning of the world, and the passage of night to day and back again. It is the circle of life.
This entry was originally posted at http://vjs2259.dreamwidth.org/226960.html. Please comment there using OpenID.
Justice represents settlement of dispute by impartial authority.
The blindfold arbiter weighs the evidence and passes judgement without fear or favour. There can be no appeal.
Whilst the arbiter is blindfolded, the courtroom is open to all. It is not enough for justice to be done, justice must be seen to be done. A secret trial cannot be a fair trial. The accused must be told the charges and the evidence must be assessed by a jury.
Justice is not necessarily the same as Law. True justice seeks out the spirit of the law, not just its letter. If a law is bad then true Justice will set that law aside. This is the sacred responsibility of those given the power to judge.
If well aspected in a Tarot reading, this card can indicate settlement of disputes, the achievement of a just outcome.
If badly aspected this card can indicate corruption and failure of justice.
The Vorlons represent Justice, especially as manifested at the showdown at Corianus Six. Justice is blind, and the Vorlons show themselves as a blinded figure encased in ice or glass. The Vorlons stand for order and stability, the kind that justice is meant to serve. But they fall into corruption in their endless struggle.
The Hanged Man is not a victim - he has gone to his fate happily and smiles out at us. This is his card, not that of the hangman. He is serene and content - it is his tormentors who will ultimately suffer.
The Hanged Man has that precious gift - a cause in which he believes totally and for which he is willing to risk all, give all. This is a card of self-sacrifice for the good of others.
Many people of religious persuasion draw parallels between the Hanged Man and religious figures such as Christ.
Oppressors know the power of a martyr such as The Hanged Man. Often the State seeks to cripple dissidents financially rather than impose custodial sentences.
If well aspected in a Tarot reading, this card can indicate sacrifice for a cause, giving up one thing to obtain something greater.
If badly aspected this card can indicate loss of faith and lack of true commitment, and "fair weather friends". It indicates an over-emphasis on the short term at the expense of the long.
I like Kosh as the Hanged Man. Although all the ambassadors offer themselves up as a sacrifice for their people during the series, Kosh is the first to die, and the most reluctant, which is not a normal aspect of the Hanged Man, although it is of the reversed card. Sheridan probably thought of Kosh as a bit of a 'fair weather friend.' But Kosh does believe in the cause, and willingly makes the decision to act, accepting his own death as the result.
Death is probably the most well known Tarot card - and also the most misunderstood.
The reasons for the card's prominence are obvious. The name and the usual illustration of a skeleton provide very striking imagery. The Death card has thus been used - or abused - in many films.
Most Tarot novices would consider Death to be a bad card, especially given its connection with the number thirteen. In fact this card rarely indicates literal death.
A better name for this card might be "Change". Card number 13 of the Major Arcana represents the death of the old - and the birth of the new. Far from being a card of despair it is a card of hope, of moving on. To use a cliche, "as one door closes, another opens".
Without "death" there can be no change, only eventual stagnation. The "death" of the child allows for the "birth" of the adult.
G'Kar epitomizes the meaning of Death, of Change, and of Rebirth. He is childish in his rage and enthusiasms at the beginning of the series, and we see his growth from warrior through epiphany to priest by the end.
artwork by Robert Place
Lyta Alexander is who I have chosen as representing Temperance. It doesn't fit exactly, but the essence of trying to be everything to everyone, to move between worlds and loyalties, of fighting to achieve balance, speaks to me of Lyta. She is a conciliator, pulled in many directions, always seeking a place and a people to call home. Perhaps it is the negative of temperance, the inability to find balance, that is more indicative of Lyta.
The Devil--Despite its fearsome appearance, The Devil is a card of weakness. It is one of the few cards in the Tarot deck that almost always has negative connotations when it occurs in a reading.
The card shows two slaves chained to the Devil. Yet they are there from choice, the chains are of their own making. Negative emotions, hate, jealousy, authoritarianism - all these character flaws bring one to the feet of the Devil.
Is the Devil himself merely a creation of willing slaves?
The true sadness is that some people come to accept and even revel in their position as slaves to their negative tendancies. They take on a "victim mentality" or, worse, seek in turn to control the lives of others.
Yet they could escape any time - if they only had the Will.
When the Devil appears in a Tarot spread it can represent lack of achievement through negative thoughts. It suggests character flaws such as greed, bitterness and authoritarianism. All these things can ultimately destroy a person. The rest of the Tarot spread will determine whether or not the querent will overcome their problems or continue blindly on.
Londo Mollari is the Devil. It's not a card of evil, but of weakness. Londo has so many good points, but those are exactly the ones that he doesn't value. What he wants is power and respect. What he gets is neither.
Londo is destroyed by his negative characteristics, including his own passivity in the face of evil.
He never quite believes in his own responsibility for events, and it takes a near-death illness for him to admit his complicity to himself.
Like Death, The Tower symbolises the end of the current state. Unlike Death it does not necessarily promise the birth of something new. If badly aspected this can be the worst card of the Tarot deck.
The Tower always indicates upheavel, possibly chaos, loss and destruction. Its effects are never pleasant and can be painful.
The card illustrates lightning striking the Tower. The lightning cannot be avoided, the destruction it brings is inevitable. All we can do is attempt to survive and rebuild.
The Tower brings sudden, severe change. It is up to us whether or not we harness that opportunity to build a bigger, better Tower for the future.
When the Tower appears in a Tarot spread it represents sudden and possibly violent change, disruption or loss. This loss must be interpreted with regard to the other cards in the spread to determine who will be struck be the lightning and how they will cope with the experience.
The Shadows represent the Tower. Chaos, upheaval, destruction followed by rebuilding; these are the raison d'etre of the Shadows. The Shadows are left a mystery, even more than the Vorlons, and seem to epitomize pure evil. I wish they had better spokespeople, or maybe they just needed a better message.
picture from Hunter's Moon Tarot
The Star represents peace, harmony and tranquility. Possibly it is the calm following the storm that destroyed the Tower.
In this card, the storm has passed and the air smells fresh. It is time for renewal, feelings of hope abound. It is time to stretch ourselves, to look forward to new horizons.
Times change, as do we. A new day brings new hope.
When the Star appears in a Tarot spread it represents new possibilities, new hope, new opportunities. If well aspected then those opportunities will be recognised and grasped.
If badly aspected it can indicate a failure to recognise those opportunities, or lack of courage to take advantage of them.
My original choice for the Star was Vir Cotto. He truly finds his own way during his series and beyond, fully realizing his potential. His is a story of renewal.
Particularly in her later incarnation as Anla'Shok Na, Susan Ivanova could be the Star. In her own words, there can always be new beginnings. And the negative aspects of the card are reflected in Susan's failure to recognize other possibilities open to her until much later in her life.
Both of these characters are shown finding safe harbor and (presumably) happiness after the storm passes.
The Moon is one of the most complex Tarot cards. It represents the inner depths of the psyche, the powers of intuition and illusion.
The word "lunatic" is appropriate here. This is the card of the madman, the drug addict and the creative genius. Of the tortured soul.
The card shows a dark landscape illuminated only by the clear, white light of the Moon - light which is itself a reflection and hence illusion. Scorpions and wolves await the unwary traveller attempting to pass between the forbidding towers.
Yet this is also a landscape of great power, there is much to be learned here; if one can survive the perils and cope with the contradictions inherent therein.
Truth is falsehood. Reality is illusion. Nothing is real.
When the Moon appears in a Tarot spread it often represents emotional challenges, inner turmoil and psychic disturbance. There can be a lack of clarity in dealing with the mundane world, an excess of dreaming. Whether or not these experiences can be worked through and harnessed depends on the querent.
Lennier is the constant and inconstant Moon. He surrounds himself with illusion; of what he is, what he wants, and what he can be. The light is all around him, but he cannot seem to open his eyes and see. 'An excess of dreaming' defines Lennier.
The Sun is the antithesis of its predecessor, The Moon. In this Tarot card night has passed, it is noon on a glorious summer day.
This is the happiest card in the deck. It is full of joy and optimism, everything is right with the world. We are as innocent children playing in the fields without care.
The Sun brings success, well-being and happiness in all spheres - material, emotional, spiritual - wherever our desires lay. We cannot know what tomorrow will bring but for today let us rejoice in the Now.
When this card appears in a Tarot spread it indicates success, joy and happiness. Obstacles will be overcome, goals achieved. Happiness abounds.
When badly aspected, it can indicate a stagnation through over-indulgence, too much of a good thing. Yes, let's celebrate and enjoy what we have - but we must then move on to grow still further.
My second choice for this card was Vir Cotto. It's one of the wonderful moments in Sleeping in Light; Vir romping in bed with the court.
But Cailyn James was suggested by my husband as a template for the Sun, and I really like this choice. Cailyn is truly happy, even given her situation, and stands as a unique example of someone on the series who is where they want to be and doing just what they want to do. She brings light into the darkness for the denizens of Downbelow.
In Biblical terms Judgement clearly relates to the final day of judgement where the dead will rise and their souls be judged.
It is not necessary to take a religious view of this card. The fundamental interpretation is of a true and fair assessment of oneself. Look deep into yourself and see your faults. Just as importantly, see everything that is good about you - something many people in the West have trouble doing.
Judgement is not just criticism, it is also praise. We need both in order to truly assess ourselves and plot our future.
Judgement isn't the end, just a temporary pause to assess and regroup before we continue on our lives.
When this card appears in a Tarot spread it indicates decisions, changes, endings and beginnings. It indicates a need for honest self-assessment. Are we really travelling the best route? If well aspected, we can be honest with ourselves and go on to live our lives the way we truly want. If badly aspected, our self-deceit can lead us to a personal armageddon.
Stephen Franklin epitomizes Judgement, good and bad. He is a judgemental sort, is Stephen, but this card is really about his journey to self-awareness. His walkabout is the prequel to John's journey at Z'ha'dum.
Stephen shows his good and bad judgement in his position as doctor (Believers, Secrets of the Soul), and also in the clinics he runs in Downbelow. He also takes an active role in the telepath's Underground Railroad. Doctors, in a true sense, have the power of life and death. He use that judgement when he supports, if reluctantly, Sheridan's decision to use the damaged telepaths in Earth's Civil War. Stephen has principles, and isn't afraid to make decisions and take action to support them.
The World is the last Tarot card in the Major Arcana. As such it represents completion. It is one of the most positive cards in the Tarot deck.
This is a card of wholeness, the perfection of life and the cosmos. All that needs to be seen has been seen, all that needs to be done has been done. Obstacles have been overcome. The circle has been closed.
One does not conquer the world, one discovers it.
The Fool began his journey at the beginning of the Major Arcana and has now reached the end. Yet the end is also the beginning.
When this card appears in a Tarot spread it indicates success, attainment of goals and completion. Yet success is only one step on the path. If badly aspected this card - like the Wheel - can indicate a refusal to move on, a reluctance to change and the eventual stagnation that comes with such an attitude
The station, Babylon Five, represents the world in our story. The closed circle is a motif that runs through the series, with Sinclair's fate, Sheridan's return to the beginning in Sleeping in Light, Delenn's transformation closing Valen's circle; even Ivanova, loyal second to the one who was, the one who is, and the one who is yet to be. The turning of the station generates gravity, but also symbolizes the turning of the world, and the passage of night to day and back again. It is the circle of life.
This entry was originally posted at http://vjs2259.dreamwidth.org/226960.html. Please comment there using OpenID.