Fools Journey Through the Major Arcana Part 2

The ‘Fools Journey Through the Major Arcana Part 2 ’ is the second of three parts and was written by members of the Lifewave Meditation Group of the 1980s. This information formed part of the esoteric teachings on the tarot at that time, and the original document will be presented in its entirety and the end of part three. I have added only images to the original text.

 

Strength

 

 

The Fool has gained experience in thought & feeling & he must now develop the capacity to control & use these qualities correctly. The lion symbolises instinctive desires which should be controlled (although not denied).

The women holds careful control over the lion indicating the overcoming of material powers.

 

 

 

 

 

The Hermit

 

The Hermit symbolises the withdrawal of the Fool from the outside world & into the quiet inner one. He teaches the Fool solitude (one of mans greatest) fears. The hood restricts his vision thus shutting out mundane distractions.

His staff symbolises the support he can gain from spiritual books & teachings to stop him straying from the path. The lantern does not light up the whole of his path because if the pilgrim was to see all of the road before him on his journey to Enlightenment then his courage may fail when he saw all the difficulties which were to fall on him.

The snow capped peaks indicate to the seeker that unity lies behind all duality.

 

 

The Wheel of Fortune

 

The Fool now reaches a turning point in his journey. He realises that there is more to life & to himself than the external world as was glimpsed with the Hermit. The corners of the card show the mystical animals of the Bible found in Ezekiel 1:10 & Revelation 4:7, corresponding to the fixed signs of the zodiac.

The Bull=Taurus, Lion=Leo, Eagle=Scorpio, Man=Aquarius. They typify the unchanging reality in relation to the ever turning wheel ie the

eternal remains the same whatever goes on inside it. Hermes, the Egyptian God holds the wheel & represents the evolution of consciousness from lower to higher. The serpent shows the cosmic energy flowing into form.

In summary, the card represents both stability & change, the external, changing world at the edge of the wheel, & the unchanging true consciousness of man at the hub. Fate moves the circumference of the wheel, the hub enables the rim to change. Taro at the 4 compass points indicates the natural & predestined law of life. Each man is responsible for his destiny & although circumstances are determined, man has ultimate control over how he deals with them.

 

Justice

 

 

 

This is analogous to the zodiac sign of Libra which symbolises balance. Justice teaches the Fool to discriminate, to make dispassionate evaluations & the impersonal decisions that the intellect is concentrated upon at this stage of his journey. It stands for clear thinking & a balanced mind.

 

 

 

 

 

The Hanged Man

 

 

His face suggests enchantment rather than suffering. The card indicates a reversal of the mind than of the body, a reversal of one’s thinking but a sacrifice is needed.

The inverted triangle formed by his legs represents thedescent of spirit into matter.

 

 

 

 

 

Death

 

And now the Fool must die. Death rides over all regardless of rank or position. A young woman turns her head & feels too young to die whilst the small the child holds the possy in welcome. This symbolises that the child does not fear change as does the adult. The river of life flows towards death & is analogous to the river Jordan that the Christian soul must cross in order to reach the promised land.

The dawn breaking between the 2 pillars symbolises the seed of life is contained within death ie there can be no new life without death.

The Hanged Man demonstrates the Fools willingness to surrender his ideals whilst the Death card strips him bare of all his pretentions & lies him naked for his next lesson.

 

 

Temperance

 

The Fool has learned the value of a balanced mind & he must now complement this with a balanced heart. The road leading to the mountains represents the road for the Fool to follow, & the rising sun offers hope in the task of resolving opposites, represented by the twin peaks.

The angel pours the waters of the emotions from the golden cup (symbolising consciousness) into the silver cup (symbolising the unconscious), thus showing the need for a constant flow between the two; water which does not flow stagnates, as do feelings. In summary, Temperance offers to teach the Fool compassion & forgiveness, taking into account the feelings in situations rather than just factual circumstances. The feelings strive for a sense of calm & serenity, the equivalent of what the mind knows as Justice.

 

 

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