sun and moon tarot by vanessa decort Published by U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC. Copyright © 2010 by U.S. Games Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. The illustrations, cover design and contents are protected by copyright. No part of this booklet may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine or newspaper. 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed in China U.S. GAMES SYSTEMS, INC. 179 Ludlow Street, Stamford, CT 06902 USA 203-353-8400 • Order Desk 800-544-2637 FAX 203-353-8431 www.usgamesinc.com sun and moon tarot by vanessa decort Introduction to Tarot and the Sephirot Tarot, a centuries old card system, summarizes universal wisdom with symbolic visual rep- resentations. The 78 cards of the tarot are tra- ditionally subdivided into: the Major Arcana, comprised of the trumps 0 through XXI; and the Minor Arcana, consisting of four suits, 10 numbered cards and four court cards. The four suits of the Minor Arcana represent the four elements and the four realms of human experience. Wands = fire = spiritual Cups = water = emotional Swords = air = rational Pentacles = earth = material The Major Arcana cards symbolize the jour- ney of the soul in 22 steps, and its evolution from the material world to the spiritual realm. In the beginning, the traveler is a fool (0), who is unaware of life’s dangers. He does not yet have a sense of his own ego or limitations, and approaches all things with innocence and carelessness. The early stages of the fool’s journey lead to the splitting of the self into dualities, rep- resented in the tarot by two pair of male and 5 female cards (I to IV) and through the worldly cards of awakening (cards I to VII). The dis- covery of the self via the subconscious occurs with cards VIII through XIV, and leads toward the spiritual series of higher consciousness (cards XV to XX). At the end of journey the fool has become wiser. He has overcome dual- ity by reconciling and uniting the opposites within himself. At this point, he is sufficiently equipped to step into the world (card XXI). After this journey, a new cycle can start at a higher level. The 22 tarot cards of the Major Arcana have also been associated with the 22 paths of the Sephirot, the tree of life in Judaic mysticism. These kabalistic paths are given considerable attention in tarot, because they present powers of transformation. For this reason, each card of the Major Arcana is linked to a symbol from the 22-character Hebrew alphabet. Tarot images have numerous other asso- ciations including the symbolic expression of Jungian archetypes, which describe behavioral patterns stored in our collective unconscious. These archetypes have been symbolically expressed in religion, fiction, mythology, folk- lore and fairy tales, as well as in the tarot. In this way, the Major Arcana are associated with the elementary energy of the ancients. 6 Tarot symbols are also associated with astrol- ogy, alchemy, freemasonry and the teachings of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, the I Ching, runes, yoga and Hindu wisdom, Egyp- tian and Greek mythology, and numerology. Because astrology, numerology and tarot are interrelated systems, you can use numerology to find your personal archetype within the tarot cards. To do so, count up the numbers of your birth date, including the date, month and year. For example, February 19, 1976 would be: 2 + 1 + 9 + 1 + 9 + 7 + 6 = 35 If the number is higher than 21, add the num- bers together again. For 35, 3 + 5 = 8. In the tarot, card number 8 is Justice. Tarot is a powerful tool for gaining access to deeper layers of the subconscious, and to learn from the immense knowledge of the collective conscience. The Sun and the Moon Tarot considers universal archetypes and cul- tural symbols, and also incorporates the art- ist’s own personal symbols. —Vanessa Decort 7 The Major Arcana 0. the fool Linked with Uranus. Associated with principles of courage, ecstasy without fear. Acting impulsively. Encourages us to take risks and to develop our female and male sides to reach wholeness. The tiger is the oriental sym- bol for fear. This card depicts Caduceus, the staff of Mercury or Hermes, and the Egyptian wand of vision. It represents intuition, health, well-being, and healing. The butterfly and the spiral symbolize the transformational process. From caterpillar to butterfly, the self grows and evolves. The crocodile denotes creative vision and strength. The sun and sea unite fire (energy/vision) and water (feelings). The Hebrew character Aleph is the symbol of the ox, and represents wholeness. I. the magician Linked with Mercury. Associated with com- munication and timing. Aware that the ego does not create itself alone, magicians open themselves to the magic of life. They have intui- tive feelings for all aspects of communication. The coin indicates material and financial fields. The wand with the head of Anubis represents philosophical, religious or spiritual arenas. The cup symbolizes communication of feelings. The 9 sword with Horus’ eye indicates the capacity to formulate ideas clearly and concisely. The monkey symbolizes Thoth, the Egyptian god of wisdom. The encircling snake embodies infin- ity. The Star of David incorporates the yin yang symbol of male/female balance, and the infinity symbol denotes harmony between the mate- rial and immaterial. The Hebrew character Beit is the symbol of a container, and represents a blessing, or a house. II. the high priestess Linked with the Moon. Associated with intu- ition and independence, with emphasis on silent introspection. The female side of God, the High Priestess is Isis, Maria, Sofia, a clairvoy- ant. She wears the crown of Isis, the Egyptian goddess of intuition. Its sun and moon symbols bring together male and female elements. The lunar eclipse symbolizes blended opposites in alchemy. The dark and light pillars are the Boaz and Jakin columns at the entrance to the Temple of Solomon in Jerusalem. They stand for dual- ity. The High Priestess wears a veil but it does not conceal her mysteries. The water at her feet brings forth the subconscious. The open book reveals life’s inner mysteries. The Hebrew character Gimmel is the symbol of a camel, and represents providence. 10