THE MAJOR ARCANA

 

 

 

o-The Fool

 

Mischievous and fickle, the Fool dances at the very edge of the water.His dance is lissom and impetuous;he has thrown his bag nearby and forgot about it; one

of his stockings is rolled down, but he is too busy with his dance to notice it.He tries on different masks and then dumps them, unable to choose one.Water in the lagoon is running high. A butterfly has sat on his bauble with a fool's cap on the end.

The Fool is the spirit of spontaneity and freedom, the spirit of chaos and every beginning. He can be as pure and innocent as a child, or wise as an old man; but he can also puIt on a mask of a trickster and a cunning dog.At

 

 

times, he himself does not know what side to turn on you. His optimism and vitality fill you with anticipation and happiness, but his frivolity and extrav-agance can be disastrous for you.

MEANING: Beginning of something new, unexpectedness, surprise, adven-ture,joy.

Reversed:Madness,imprudence,neg-ligence, illusions, shady undertaking.

I-The Magician

 

This Magician is an influential per-son. He is intelli-gent and dashing;he rules the world.He holds a staff (a symbol of fire)and a cup (a sym-bol of water). He

keeps a sword in its sheath (a symbol of air). His outfit is decorated with a brooch with an inscription of a penta-cle (a symbol of earth). He is the great mastermind; the fifth force that unites them all. He is alone on the boat;he does not need a backup or support to use his knowledge and magical pow-er.The sun and moon meet in the sky above his head and are reflected in the waters of the lagoon.

The Magician embodies the archetype of a creator who has full control of his

life; he is a master of his craft. The Ma-gician is the creativity, learning,the art of communication, experiment, and ingenuity. Insidiousness and cunning can also be inherent in him. If the de-sire for power outweighs the desire for knowledge, he can appear as a cheat and manipulator.

MEANING: Mastership, the begin-ning of action, training, leadership,self-confidence,new communication,prosperity,the release of talents.

Reversed: Lack of will, insecurity,problems, trickery, blackmail.

2-The High Priestess

Nightfall. A noble lady is climbing the stairs to St.Mark's Square.Her silhouette slides si-lently in the dark;for a moment, it can be seen be-tween two moor-

ing posts. Her robe blends with the color of the Venetian night, her veil is glistening like silver in the moon-light, and the crescent moon shines on her hat. She holds a mysterious scroll firmly in her hands.

The High Priestess is the archetype of mystery. She is responsible for clair-voyance, telepathy,healing abilities,cognition of the world by means of the 'sixth sense', through insight.Her manifestation is characterized by deep peace, contemplation and impartial-

 

 

ity.Her path is mysteries and silence.Those who infringe upon her secrets while not being ready for them and not being able to keep them will be punished through the separation from the highest harmony, the Temple of Truth.

MEANING:Mystery, secrets, covert-ness, unknown future, meditation,peace, intuition, solitude.

Reversed: Manifestation of the hid-den, erroneous judgments, ignorance,cunning, uneasiness, insensitivity.

3-The Empress

The Empress is gorgeous in her lavish gold appar-el. The sunlight shines in her gold-en hair, and the sash flames with the red of passion.She holds a scepter

in her hands - a symbol of royal dig-nity, and a golden apple - a symbol of abundance, fertility and health.The domes of the Santa Maria della Salute reflect on water and the Grand Canal building with their white radiance.

The Empress is the archetype of earth-ly love, nature's gifts, fertility, materni-ty, health, and blooming youth. She guarantees promotion and protection to those who fall in her favor. Everyone will receive their reward-for some,it is the career growth and material suc-

 

 

cess; others dream of big love and par-enting; there are also those, who need creative fulfilment, or other personal height-the Empress is generous. But since the womanly nature is change-able, she can also be domineering,cruel, mean, vindictive, intractable,and irritabl. Listen attentively to the movement of this energy inside you.

MEANING: Fertility, wealth, creativi-ty, patronage, abundance, love, luck in business, pregnancy, marriage.

Reversed: Power, vanity, infertility,lack of love, lust, sexual impotence,material losses, setbacks in business.

 

4-The Emperor

 

How majestic is the Emperor in his embroidered gold clothes! The shin-ing armor sym-bolizes the succes-sion of past and future victories,and the blue sash

conveys the peace of mind and pu-rity of thoughts. He is holding a staff of power, and there is a golden crown on his head. The whispering of people behind his back reminds of a murmur and a sigh of admiration.

The Emperor is the archetype of fa-ther, authority, and power. He ensures the protection of borders,protection,stability, and consolidation of results.He is strict, fair, demanding,reliable,and not sentimental. One needs to win and prove the right to his patronage.

 

 

Those who achieve it are provided with fruitful activity and realization of ambitions. In places, which lack this energy, despotism, tyranny, authori-tarianism, and fear prevail.

MEANING: Authority figure, men's power,will,defence, strengthening,implementation of plans, self-control.Reversed: Confrontation, obstacle,immaturity, stubbornness, collapse of plans,abuse of power.

5-The Hierophant

The Hierophant is the bulwark and support of divine power. His tiara is so high that it seems to reach the sky.He wears full ecclesiastic at-tire,and there is a

gold-embroidered cape on his shoul-ders.He leans on a pastoral staff with a loop at the top and holds tightly a book with the commandments in his hand. The hands of his followers are pressed together in a plea for forgive-ness.

The Hierophant is the archetype of mentoring and faith. He teaches and educates, knows the laws of society,raises questions of religiosity, con-science,justice, morality, and ethics,embodying the devotion to the idea

and traditional values. He leads us on a path of self-knowledge and learn-ing, comprehension of the wisdom of Providence, as well as understanding of the all-embracing nature of divine existence. But he can manifest himself through authoritarianism, pomposity,dogmatism, and despotism.

MEANING: Search for the meaning oflife, initiation, experience, tradition,platonic relations, spiritual union,marriage, moral values, religious or educational organizations.

Reversed: Violation of generally ac-cepted norms and rules, disregard for morals and ethics, stubbornness,con-frontation,divorce.

6-The Lovers

 

Two lovers are taking a romantic ride on a gondola.A mysterious gon-dolier with an el-egant red belt and wings behind him smoothly operates the gondola. His

presence is almost unnoticeable. A woman's reflection can be seen on the calm water surface.

The Lovers trump is the archetype of the development and building of any relationship. This can be the re-lationship of lovers, or that of peo-ple at work, or the relationships with friends. Every time you need to make a decision, overcome doubts, make a choice, and take responsibility for it, this Major Arcana card comes into play. It also manages the internal and

external balance, the reconciliation of opposites. But not only love and creative relationship can be mutual;destruction, misunderstanding and resentment may also be that. The loss of balance and bearings is also in the power of this Arcana.

MEANING: Alliance, union, love,joint action, free choice, sincere sup-port,search for the ideal.

Reversed: Conflict, contradictions,wrong choice, lust, seduction, parting.

7-The Chariot

The light of the sun engoldens the iron decora-tion on the beak of a rich gondola,lights flicker on its boards, highlight-ing the image of two lions. Its mo-

tion is stately; a gondolier confidently and reliably operates the boat, which carries a noble passenger. The arches of ancient palaces look majestic.

The Chariot is the archetype of tri-umph, victory, active development,enormous will, aspiration to the goal.Any flow of people, events, and cir-cumstances that carries us shows the energy of this Arcana. Victories are won with its help; under its patronage,one moves towards his purpose, over-coming obstacles. When you poorly

 

 

control your life, you can face its re-verse side - loss of control, self-de-struction, and defeat.

MEANING: Victory, gains, control,solution to the situation, moving to-wards new, career growth,military service, sports, traveling, moving.

Reversed: Loss, delays, accidents,lack of energy, ill-considered actions, bad news.

8-Strength

 

A lady is playfully walking her gentle-man on a leash. Al-though he wears a mask of a lion,and the red color of his clothes reminds us of the savage-ry and strength of

this predator, her power over him is so great that the leash hangs loosely between her fingers. It seems that he obeys the slightest movement of her fan.

Strength trump is responsible for the suppression of instincts and the mani-festation of wisdom and virtuousness.It helps cultivate courage, patience,endurance, common sense, and gen-erosity. To tame the wild unbridled energy and direct it for the benefit of yourself and people around. In those,

 

 

who could not handle this power,this archetype can be manifested by throes of passions,cruelty,brute force,and the desire for domination and repres-sion.

MEANING:Overcoming of circum-stances, success, luck, pleasure, vital energy,wise decision,harmonious re-lations,and self-confidence.

Reversed: Helplessness, weakness,fear, anxiety,incontinence,abuse of power, disruption of plans.

trol oneself. Those who slide in pride,may become influenced by such man-ifestation of this Arcana as isolation,alienation, and unclaimed knowledge.

MEANING: Wariness, organization,foresight, vigilance, wisdom, loneli-ness, advice, spiritual development,and initiation.

Reversed: Imprudence, unjustified ar-rogance, indecision, nit-picking, hid-den information, and misanthropy.

ro -Wheel of Fortune

 

Four picturesque characters are placed around the astrological calendar. The Devil tempts,the Woman seduces,the Actor changes the script as the

play progresses, and the Snake hisses threateningly. It is not easy to stay on the star Wheel of Fortune, when there are such risks lurk as it rotates.

Wheel of Fortune symbolizes the ar-chetype of destiny, doom, and fate.While it rotates, there is a constant movement, cycles of life pass, civili-zations and epochs born and die, oth-er times are coming. Failure follows success, and vice versa. Passivity is replaced by activity, and then comes time to rest. Everyone wants to get

 

 

carried away by this exciting life cycle and become a man of fate, to believe in their chosenness and good luck. The sadness and happiness of this Wheel is in its impermanence. And the more noticeable is the fall for those who have risen too high.

MEANING: Valuable lessons, devel-opment, prosperity, joy, happiness,luck, success, the inevitability of change,evolution,and progress.

Reversed: Stagnation, decline in busi-ness, delay, failure, risk, time to rest and to wait.

II-Justice

A lady wearing the costume of The-mis holds a sword and scales in her hands. Her eyes are closed,her feet are bare, but there is a crown on her head. Bridge of

Sighs is separated from the prison by Doge's Palace. The last ray of the set-ting sun has flashed and reflected in the sword of truth.

Justice is the archetype of retribution,karma, lawfulness, and true fairness.This is an estimate of our actions on the merits and the resulting conse-quences. The balance and the repay-ment of debts. This is the trump of understanding the right and wrong, a clear conscience, or burdening of the soul, impartiality and objectivity. In a

 

 

distorted form, it appears as abuses in the judicial system, bias, and injustice.

MEANING:Balance,legality,judicial troubles, defending one's interests,discipline, logic, law, observance of rules.

Reversed:Dishonesty,bias,infringe-ment of legality, unfair accusations,procrastination,debt collection.

E-The Hanged Man

Harlequin is sus-pended by the leg between two columns on a bal-ustrade.He takes courage and plays on his favorite mandolin for a crow. A golden

shower of coins from his pockets is poured onto the ground.A young and a dried ivy wrap around the columns.Circles-eyes on the arches of the bal-ustrade look at the river of time.

The Hanged Man is the archetype of a voluntary victim for the sake of a high-er goal, a stop, a temporary pause.The need to impose order on one's soul,to abandon the worldly aspirations for a while,and to make a revolution in consciousness -is what this trump helps to do.Deep reflections,spiritual

 

 

practices,rethinking one's place in the flow of being are also the gifts of this Arcana. Its reverse side is impatience,selfishness, loss of bearings, senseless fuss.

MEANING: Limitations, meditation,asceticism, renunciation, pause, pa-tience,expectation.

Reversed:An escape from reality,ego-centrism, posturing, unnecessary sac-rifice,betrayal.

13-Death

 

A mysterious stran-ger in a gold mask and a cape of black and red cloak is standing with his bony arms crossed;he is inexorable and unhurried.

Behind him there

is the edge of the quay and the moon track, along which one cannot go fur-ther.The thirteen trump is the arche-type of the end,completion,and trans-formation,when everything that wvas in the past is gone, and it is time to give way for the new. Disintegration before rebirth, destruction before creation,break with the past in order to open the way for the future.Most often,in hands it does not indicate the end of the earthly path, but the termination of relationships and the relentless re-

 

 

vision of everyday life, situations, cir-cumstances. It is the Arcana of fatality and radical change.

MEANING: Termination of proj-ects, breakup, financial losses,death,changes, separation, destruction of the habitual, disillusionment, fear, disap-pointment,rejection,grief, pain.

Reversed: Resistance to change, in-ertia, stagnation, standstill, decrease in well-being, sometimes relief from danger,clinical death.

14-Temperance

 

A shining Angel pours water from one jug into the other. Her clothes are modest, and movements are unhurried. She stands between the prison and the

Doge's Palace and the time is frozen on the Bridge of Sighs.

The Temperance trump tells about such virtue as abstinence. It teaches you to be discreet, stay in tune with yourself, and stick to the golden mean.It is the Arcana of harmony, joy, and silence. It is also the alchemical cre-ativity of joining the unjoinable. It conveys the search, experiment, com-plete immersion into the process,the creation in a state of complete inner balance and harmony, when the pro-

 

 

cess is more important than the result itself.The loss of contact with the gifts of Temperance lead to the loss of the ability to connect and unite, to strike a balance.

MEANING: Favorable outcome of events,leisureliness,harmony in ev-erything, tranquility,pacification,ac-curacy,thrift,balance.

Reversed: Discord, disconnection,unstable affairs, increased emotional-ity,unexpected development of events,difficulties in learning.

15-The Devil

 

Two persons are making love while being held captive by the Devil.He welcomes the car-nivalesque fornica-tion and his flame fuels the passion of this couple. He

plays with their instincts and watches mockingly. He has the power to inflate their mutual attraction to the univer-sal dimensions or make it burst like a bubble,destroying all their love plans.The Devil trump determines the dark power that exist in every person.It is the power of brutal desire,low in-stincts,self-deception,and destructive feelings.It does not welcome sponta-neity and blocks the creative impulses.In addition, it is the trump of a calcu-lating mind and the most mundane

material world - the world of mecha-nisms, machines, luxury, and money.In this world, sincere feelings, joy, and kindly laughter do not exist -the Dev-il is in charge. He is the progenitor of vices; however, no one buit he is able to violently expose the vice, throwing a wobbly on the one who is vicious.

MEANING: Violence, destruction, ill fate, passion, hostility, malice, revenge,grip of circumstances, dependence,self-destruction, obsession, vanity.

Reversed: Weakness, delusion, lust,release from bonds, exposure of vice,virtue prevalence.

16 -The Tower

 

The horror of destruction has gripped the city,bringing a fire and a flood along with it. A lightning bolt has destroyed the tower; escaping the fire, people

fall into the water stream. In the sky,a brave ray of the sun is piercing the clouds.

The Tower trump is the archetype of the sudden, unexpected change, dev-astating and destructive circumstanc-es. It describes the condition of heaven being split, everything is falling apart,and the ground falls out from under-neath one's feet. All that was loose or had a defect, all that needed clear-ing and did not give way to the new,is swept away by someone's ruthless

hand. It can be a relationship, career,business, values, beliefs, buildings,natural phenomena, or the state sys-tem. The process cannot be stopped,and it does not do any good to fight back; it remains only to leave it to the fates and take care of yourself, trying to get out of this situation with mini-mal losses. Sometimes chaos may be not so destructive and swift, but a pro-longed agony will only serve to post-pone the collapse.

MEANING: Disasters, cataclysms,rapid changes, the destruction of the old, overthrow, failure, shame, bank-ruptcy,surprise.

Reversed: Escape from danger,slow destruction, suppression, imprison-ment, anxiety,loss.

I7-The Star

 

A wondrous vision flickers in the Ve-netian twilight,wo-ven from myriad sparkles, tiny stars.This beautiful lady in a blue starry dress is the spir-it of hope, which

descended from heaven to illuminate the sleeping city with its radiance; she generously pours out the light from two pitchers in her hands. St. Mark's lion that crowns the column is guard-ing the world and earthly glory.

The Star trump is the archetype of hope, a symbol of the guiding force that leads us, as well as the affirmation of the divine principle. It charges you with optimism, makes you turn your eyes to the stars, recall the beauty of the universe, and give yourself over to

dreams. It is a rest after the stormy tri-als of the previous trumps, emotional cleansing, spiritual renewal, and reviv-al.A benchmark that helps to define the purpose, and then leads you to the goal. It gives inspiration to creativity and makes the intellect sparkle with new facets. It is the heavenly patron,who promises a favorable outcome to the plans. But its influence can be-come shaky and illusory for those who do not believe in themselves.

MEANING: Hopefulness, hope for the best, joyful events, fulfilled expec-tations, inspiration, talent exposure,successful projects, help, healing,bright life.

Reversed: Vain hopes, unjustified expectations, rash promises, health problems, obstacles, lack of goals, low self-esteem,impotence,pessimism.

18-The Moon

 

Night. A beautiful stranger stands against the back drop of the arse-nal towers. Like Hecate, she holds a snake and a sil-ver goblet in her hands, and at her

feet there are two gloomy dogs. Dogs howl, singing the anthem for the full moon.A cancer crawls out of the wa-ter up the moonlight, continuing the mystery. Different phases of the moon crown this mystical ritual.

The Moon Arcana card is the arche-type of ephemerality and unsteadi-ness of the manifested being. In the moonlight, everything seems different from what we used to see.There are no colors; one can only observe the play of shadows in the silvery light.

This trump sends us back to the sub-conscious, everything that is hidden and unmanifested; it makes us sink into the worlds of idle and fruitless dreams. The Moon is the luminary of natural mysteries, dark sorcery, and ancient magic. A lot of deception is committed under its cover; people are tormented by the most terrible fears.But there is nothing more romantic than a moonlit night, and the songs of nightingales are so beautiful!

MEANING: Anxieties, fears, hidden danger, false friends, secret enemies,deception, delusions, madness, de-pression, mistakes,gossip.

Reversed: Instability, inconstancy,intuitivity, self-absorption, fantasy,exposure of deception, overcoming of temptation.

19-The Sun

 

A shining cavalier wearing a costume and mask of the Sun is holding a solar banner and a pyramid with the all-seeing eye in his hands. The beaming sun high

up in the sky is illuminating the bell tower in St Mark Square that has been restored from ruins.

The Sun Arcanum embodies the vi-sions of what the greatest triumph and glory, joy and happiness, wealth and prosperity, health and rave of stamina look like. It incorporates all the most life-affirming things. When this Arca-num comes, everything begins glitter-ing and rejoicing, all doings are suc-cessful, dreams come true! It brings clarity, conciliation, self-assurance,

 

 

 

and confidence in tomorrow's poten-tial. It only remains for us to remem ber that the sun can cause burns when it is too close, and its absence brings dismal mood and apathy.

MEANING: achievements, insights,flourishing, honor,health, material well-being,friendship,beneficial part-nership,love, youth, success, enthusi-asm.

Reversed: deceleration in growth,health problems, delays in activities,self-admiration,individualism,vaniry,pretense,complicated relations.

20-Judgement

 

Venice has frozen,the Great Channel has frozen. Con-fused, the people are hunkering down in their homes. An angel with golden wings has descended

from heaven and is playing a golden trumpet, urging the people to have hope and not to be afraid. And some of them have come out into the unusu-ally white streets,as if they had heard his voice.They are not dressed for the weather, but they are playing snow-balls, skating on the ice, and having fun.

The Judgement Arcanum is the arche-type of resurrection, of life's continu-ation beyond the constricting circum-stances. It brings radical changes,but

 

 

 

they are always changes for the better,resulting in gaining new experience,a new life,wishes coming true. It is the beginning of a new cycle,a new un-derstanding of oneself,getting rid of pain and sufferings, return of joy, of the lust for life,spiritual resurrection,and the sensation of fullness of exis-tence.Many benefits await those who respond to his call. Stagnation and de-spondence await those who get scared or decide to wait.

MEANING: beneficial changes, reviv-al, transformations, liberation from the burden of the past,renewal,cor-rection of errors, reward.

Reversed: restrictions, irresolution,loss of prospects, obstacles, parting,illness, breakup.

21 -The World

 

A girl in a gold-col-ored dress is danc-ing in the air.She descends from the Campanilla Tow-er in a semicircle of golden ribbons and rose petals.The one who was

chosen to be an angel does not need a mask. The celebration begins.There are white clouds floating serenely in the azure sky. The World Arcanum contains a complicated and beautiful ambivalent meaning. It is about full completion of some stage and the up-coming inevitable start of a new one.The circle has been closed,but a circle does not have either a beginning or an end. While the Fool is the ultimate "emptiness", the World is the glob-al fullness,connection of everything

 

 

with everything, the blissful stage of universal unity. Here there is no mo-tion. This is a pause, this is peace, nir-vana, the state when one feels totally,shamelessly, unpunishedly free and happy... There is only one danger that the pause may linger too long.

MEANING: harmony, beauty, perfec-tion, wholeness, uniting, achieving goals,glory, honor, inheritance, suc-cess,recovery,victory.

Reversed: deceleration, restrictions,separation,criticizing, loss of contact,idealization,recovery taking too long.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUIT OF WANDS

Ace of Wands

A young man dressed as a Cap-tain, a brave adven-turer, is jumping in an effort to reach a crown at the top of a pillar.Fortune favors the bold,but can a person who has not noticed the

loss of his stylish golden shoe get and keep the crown?

MEANING: emerging opportunities,enterprise, bravery, readiness to take risks, motivation, enthusiasm, audac-ity, vehemence, self-confidence, inspi-ration and optimism. Realizing one's mission, implementing plans.

Reversed: perplexity, excessive op-timism, not all plans can be imple-mented.

 

 

Two of Wands

A noble citizen is standing on a ve-randa of a beauti-ful palace watch-ing the movement and the rhythm of the port city.He is leaning on a stick and holding a crystal ball in his

hands as if he wants to look into the future. He is wearing maskof stupid Zanni. What does the mask mean for the respectable citizen: a premonition,a reminder or a trick?

MEANING:expectation,reflections,planning, speculations, choice of a route, compromise,neutrality.

Reversed: anxiety, vexation,misbal-ance,disrupted plans.

 

 

Three of Wands

A winged lion -the victorious sym-bol of Venice - is looking at the la-goon full of beau-tiful ships from a granite column in St. Mark's square.There is a person standing on a pier

under the column. Is he conceiving a new enterprise or assessing how suc-cessful his competitors are?

MEANING:authority, enterprise, ef-forts, trade, commerce, business de-velopment, success, travelling,imple-mentation of plans.

Reversed: disappointment, scheming,no prospects.

 

 

Four of Wands

Some brave girls are balancing on gondolas partici-pating in an enter-tainment - a play fight with bunch-es of flowers. Can they keep the bal-ance and maintain their festive spirit?

MEANING: success, joy, fun, welfare,prosperity, stability, completion of work, relaxation, acquisition, gifts.

Reversed: defeat, lack of stability, loss of abundance, breach of relations,stagnation, laziness.

 

 

Five of Wands

A playful compe-tition of acrobats elicits a strong response of spec-tators dressed as Pulcinellas.Will their participation be limited to just encouraging the performers or is

it going to get out of control and turn into a scuffle?

MEANING: imitation, competition, a contest, a challenge, a dispute, clash of interests, defending boundaries, ac-quired experience.

Reversed: bustling, injustice, harsh struggle.

 

 

Six of Wands

Some participants of the carnival are so famous that they are recog-nized even when wearing masks.The crowd is de-lightedly greeting a lady wearing luxu-rious clothes. Can

the lady keep her victory staying ami-ably calm and serene or is she going to let vanity take over?

MEANING:triumph, victory, honor-ing, praise, sociability, serenity, inspi-ration, high spirits, the right choice,nobility, a reward for labor,positive changes.

Reversed: failures, incorrect choice,fatigue, discouragement, pessimism,cunning,long wait.

 

 

Seven of Wands

A gondolier has to make every ef-fort to maneuver among mooring posts so that his gondola could continue its fast movement along the canal. Is he skillful enough to

overcome the obstructions?

MEANING: obstinacy, strain, skill ac-quisition, purposefulness, determina-tion, dexterity,test of skills, luck and success,win, progression.

Reversed: indecision, waste of efforts,anxiety, timidity, hesitation, lack of confidence in workmanship.

 

 

Eight of Wands

A morning mist in the lagoon is dis-solving boundaries between air and water.The outlines of posts,piers, pal-aces and gondolas are becoming vis-ible leaving a sen-sation of mysteri-

ous silence and time that has stopped.What is a breath of fresh wind going to bring next moment?

MEANING:a sudden push, unexpect-ed progress, favorable changes, over-coming misunderstanding.

Reversed: passivity, troubles, stag-nation, lack of information, derailed plans.

Nine of Wands

At sunset a tired gon-dolier is thoughtful-ly steering his gon-dola to the berthing place. Even beautiful waters of the lagoon delicately colored in pink cannot distract him from steering.Does the gondolier

have enough experience and patience to finish his working day peacefully and start his work again the next day?

MEANING: resisting the situation,opposition, overcoming counterforce,concentration, self-control, defending boundaries.

Reversed: obstructions, delays, lack of experience to resolve an issue, ill-con-sidered plans, vacancy of thought,closed-mindedness, fatigue, loss of touch with reality.

 

 

Ten of Wands

A young man is carrying a heavy basket full of var-ious masks. The basket is not big enough for all of the masks,so some of them fall our cf int, however, even though the young

man is exhausted by his burden,he is nonetheless thinking about how to pick them up and put them back.Will the common sense win or are we going to witness an inevitable disaster?

MEANING: Stress, overload,excessive responsibility, limitations, unneces-sary efforts, unsatisfied expectations.

Reversed: Challenge, resistance, ob-structions, inconveniences.

 

 

Knave of Wands

A young man who obviously has a propensity for sciences is look-ing in surprise at sprouts on his stick which he used to only lean on when walking.Doesn't it sometimes happen

that a passion for something prevents us from seeing the reality?

MEANING:a reliable young man,a student, a messenger, good news, a new idea, inspiration, artistic enthu-siasm, discoveries, beginning of a way.Reversed: loss of enthusiasm and in-terest in an activity, a fear of changes,instability, dismay, immaturity,misun-derstanding, a curious incident,bad news,an unreliable young man.

 

 

Knight of Wands

The commander of the night watch is making a round of the patrols.He is ready for any surprises, deter-mined and full of energy just like the burning torch in his hand. Can his

bellicosity and temper be dangerous for himself?

MEANING: a man of action, an adven-turer, an innovator, an athlete, a jour-ney, a business trip, departure, travel-ling, move, an adventure, a venture.

Reversed: a selfish person, a trouble-maker, a fraud, dismay, a fuss, a mess,dismissal, break up, discord, rivalry,a fight.

 

 

Queen of Wands

A fair lady has gone out for a walk.She is not afraid of the falling twilight and the wet fog.She has a torch in her hand to light her way and a strong animal is guarding her. Is he

tamed well? Is she strong enough to bridle the beast's natural instincts?

MEANING:a self-confident woman,a patroness, career development,suc-cess in business, processes becoming more powerful.

Reversed: an arrogant woman, a rival,lack of success in business, discord.

 

 

King of Wands

An imperious doge is sitting on the throne in the hall of the Grand Council.His mantle is a sign of gentility.He is holding a wand-a symbol of govern-ment. The fist of authority is strong.

Who is that man: a leader of the free republic or a disguised tyrant?

MEANING: an imperious man, a pa-tron,efforts leading to success,author-ity, social realization, respect, fame,glory.

Reversed: a vain person, a tyrant,an envier, troubles in business,problems in personal communication, unde-served criticism.

 

SUIT OF CUPS

Ace of Cups

The last gust of the abating gale has blown the veil off a young Vene-tian girl's head and is now taking it away over flooded St.Mark's square.The bright rainbow symbolizes the end

of the storm and the beginning of a new happy day. Perhaps, the salutary wind has dispelled someone's doubts togeth-er with clouds uncovering not only the body but also the soul.

MEANING: love, joy, harmony, happi-ness, marriage, delivery of a child, cre-ativeness, abundance, a wish coming true,good news.

Reversed:frustration,vain hopes, feelings fading away, falsehood, depression, deceit.

 

 

Two of Cups

Those Pulcinella and Colombina have obviously brought a play-script into life and have completely surrendered them-selves to feelings which have taken over.Can they tell

reality from the game and retain the love?

MEANING:relationship, love, affec-tion, friendship, engagement,alliance,wedding, reconciliation, harmony in business.

Reversed: jealousy, desire, quarrel, in-fidelity, insincerity, ruined hopes.

 

 

Three of Cups

Three friends are having fun at the height of the car-nival. There is mu-tual understanding and harmony in this circle of wom-en. Whom are they wearing their masks for?

MEANING: genial company, emo-tional support, celebration, comfort,success of a contemplated enterprise,recognition,fame.

Reversed: end of friendship,feelings fading away,loss of trust, surfeit,loss of vitality.

 

 

Four of Cups

Two passers-by on the bridge are try-ing to help a man in the water. But he is steadfastly refusing to accept their help. Do the kind people under-stand that the man is there of his own

volition? Or does he allow his obstina-cy to make his life harder?

MEANING:Doubtful joys, obstinacy,disgust, limitations, boredom, vexa-tion, discontent, renunciation of nov-elties.

Reversed: Novelty, unexpected turn of events,a sign.

 

 

Five of Cups

A Commedia dell'Arte play is being performed in a square. Arlequin is in despair because of his beloved Co-lombina's betray-al as she is taken away by a success-ful rival. Perhaps,

it is Arlequin who is lucky in this sit-uation?

MEANING: sorrows of love, sadness,delusions, disappointment, anguish,breach of relations, ruined hopes, in-heritance.

Reversed: overcoming obstacles, a fresh look at circumstances, renewal of relations,good news.

 

 

Six of Cups

Children are play-ing near a drinking fountain. The girl is petting a dove while the boy is holding out flowers to her. Rosy cheeks,fluttering butter-flies,serene skies-everything empha-

sizes the beauty and fragility of the first feeling which even masks cannot dis-guise. Is those children's feeling going to last or is it going to be over soon?

MEANING:childishness, innocence,sincerity, sweet memories, nostalgia,harmony,entertainments,prosperity,a present, happy love.

Reversed: new opportunities, forward looking optimism, parting with the past,upset plans.

 

 

Seven of Cups

A wayward citizen is standing in hes-itation surrounded by the darkness of the night fog and its mysterious lights. Can their inviting light help him get out of the eerie labyrinth?

MEANING: illusiveness, fancy, rev-erie, daydream, unrealistic plans,temptation, a difficult choice, medita-tion.

Reversed: clear thinking, sudden clar-ification, a reasonable choice, a realis-tic aim.

 

 

Eight of Cups

A man in a boat is looking into the distance. He has made for the open sea, beyond the lagoon, to take a new untraveled road. What is call-ing him to the un-known? What is he

leaving behind?

MEANING: voluntary leaving, self-de-nial, renunciation of habitual things,vagrancy, travelling, parting, acquisi-tion of something new.

Reversed: an involuntary stop, aim-lessness, decline, an untimely deci-sion.

 

 

Nine of Cups

A young woman is standing at an open window. She has everything one could want: she is wearing an exqui-site headdress,her clothes are luxu-rious, the setting is sumptuous and

her life is well-established and abun-dant. Is she just a little envious of the butterfly resting on the window frame?

MEANING: wishes coming true, pros-perity, profit, welfare, success, all diffi-culties overcome.

Reversed: erroneous attachments,mistakes, loneliness, disappointment,selfishness.

 

 

Ten of Cups

A Venetian fami-ly is welcoming a sunrise. It seems to them that angels have come in the glowing rays of the sun showering rose petals on them that presignify hap-piness, luck and

success. Is this ephemeral apparition going to disappear at daybreak?

MEANING: ultimate harmony, safety,marriage, a happy family, success,rec-ognition,fame.

Reversed:idealism, groundless hopes,discord, a family quarrel, divorce.

 

 

Knave of Cups

A young minstrel carrying love let-ters is on his way delivering a mes-sage. Did his eye play a trick on him or did he really see a small fish with its golden scales spar-kling jump out of

the cup?

MEANING: a child or a romantic young man, naivety, good news, an interesting offer, a worriless period,help, a service, friends' support,preg-nancy,declaration of love.

Reversed: a vulnerable child, a feath-er-headed young man, inconstancy,infidelity in love, breach of relations,problems.

 

 

 

 

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Knight of Cups

A lucky heart-throb, a charming pleasure-seeker is accompanying some beautiful la-dies during a walk.He is cheerful and easy-going and has a glass of wine in his hand. Does he

really look as if something is distract-ing him from enjoyments and making him look around?

MEANING: a faithful friend or love-mate, a messenger, an ally, a visit, an invitation, an alliance, good mood,ro-mantic interest, an amorous proposi-tion.

Reversed: a seducer,a deceiver,insin-cere feelings, dangerous illusions, fad-ed feelings, an unfortunate affair.

 

 

Queen of Cups

A lady absorbed in her thoughts does not notice the beauty of the se-rene morning land-scape and a silvery fish playing in wa-ter. Her sophisticat-ed gown gives away her passionate and

at yet reticent nature. She is cuddling her golden cup in doubt. Will she bring herself to take a drink from it?

MEANING: a noble woman, a love-mate, an adviser, a confidante in love affairs, a mother, a favorable forecast,creative work, luck in business.

Reversed: a femme fatale, an unreli-able friend, a shady enterprise, fears,doubts, a scandal.

 

 

King of Cups

A noble counselor has stopped on his way to the Grand Counsel to take a sip of wine from a cup. He is obvious-ly able to distribute his time between serving Venice and his own en-

joyments. Can wine weaken his hand holding the code of laws?

MEANING: a wise man, a friend,a benefactor, a father, timely help, imple-mentation of plans, a fair deal.

Reversed: a smooth operator, a dou-ble-hearted partner, a fraud, losses, dis-grace, corruption,deceit.

 

SUIT OF SWORDS

 

Ace of Swords

Campanile, the bell tower of St. Mark's Cathedral, is re-flected in water of the lagoon like a bright blade cut-ting the chaos of the ripples.A white dove, a symbol of good news,is soar-

ing upwards. It is easy to imagine a lau-rel wreath of valor and glory at the top of the noble sword. Is it wise to struggle against fate and everyday routine or is it worth putting up with them?

MEANING: bravery,resoluteness,will power, a victory, initiative, rational be-havior, intellectual abilities.

Reversed: loss of authority, tyranny,injustice, obstacles, a problem which cannot be solved.

 

 

Two of Swords

Some  people dressed as Come-dia dell'Arte char-acters are having an argument in the street. The two men's expressive postuires make it clear that they are rivals. The lady's

raised up hands seem to appeal to rea-son pleading them to calm down and let her collect her thoughts. Is she able to remain impartial?

MEANING: friendship, passion, con-cord, an alliance, submission,agree-ment,rigorous reflections.

Reversed: treachery, double face,a duel, aggression, false friends.

 

 

Three of Swords

A young woman is obviously in a hurry but now she is a captive in the house she is ea-ger to leave. Who knows, perhaps,in this situation it is better for her to stay trapped?

MEANING: a love triangle, parting,discord, breakup,tears, offence,deceit,disappointment, unrequited love.

Reversed: rivalry, estrangement, isola-tion, unreliable relations, a dead end,dismay, a disease.

 

 

Four of Swords

A young guard has sat down to fetch his breath after a clash of arms. He is wounded but the wound is not lethal. Which side of the door is he going to choose when his strength

is restored?

MEANING:loneliness, shelter, refuge,solitude, exile, retreat,healing,recre-ation.

Reversed: adventurous actions, anx-iety and stress, lack of confidence,a conflict.

 

 

Five of Swords

A card game in an alley has grown into a bloody fight.One of the gam-blers has already been wounded by a person in red and a knife is raised over another one.What-ever the quarrel has

been caused by, either a disappointing loss or an unfair game, no one will get away with it. Guards are coming to ar-rest everybody. Was the game worth the consequences?

MEANING: Loss, destruction, dam-age,discord, atrocity,defeat,malice,dishonor, violence.

Reversed: Evil events, vengeance,grief, dismay, unfavorable forecast,lack of harmony, breach in relations.

 

 

Six of Swords

A gondolier is carrying his first passenger in the morning. He has successfully passed all the shoals and the other shore is very close. Are those two people's expectations of

their trip and the early beginning of the day going to be satisfied?

MEANING: a journey, a promenade,a trip, a vacation, new aims,the right choice, improvement in business.

Reversed: change of plans,problems,no help, lack of self-confidence.

Seven of Swords

A soldier of for-tune is carrying an armful of swords taking them to a hidden place, ei-ther tying up loose ends or hiding his spoils. Are his se-cret actions going to produce the de-

sired results?

MEANING: cunning, hidden plans,treachery,stealing,betrayal,troubles,blackmail, diplomacy, searching for roundabout ways, partial success.

Reversed: advice, premonition, warn-ing, prudence, failed attempts, a dead end.

 

 

Eight of Swords

A convict is sitting enchained.He is in despair and does not notice that the brackets are loose and nothing can stop him from get-ting free. Is he able to overcome his fear and despair to

start looking for ways to escape?

MEANING: a critical situation, litiga-tions, exaggerated problems,a sense of helplessness, timidity,vulnerability,a fear of public speaking.

Reversed: an accident,danger,an un-pleasant surprise, difficulties,stagna-tion in business.

 

 

Nine of Swords

For this person a nightmare has turned into some-thing real. Even window grates look like crushing swords to him. Can reality be distorted by the mask he is trying to take off?

MEANING:fear, shame, lack of con-fidence, concerns, sufferings, hope-lessness, powerlessness, escape from reality.

Reversed: pessimism, over-fatigue,doubts, gossips, groundless fear.

 

 

Ten of Swords

A tragedy is being performed on the scene of life.Arle-quin is vanquished and his murderer is hastily leaving the site while his hirers are disap-pearing in the night. And only the

moon is looking down silently and in-differently from the sky. Who is going to welcome a new sunrise tomorrow?Is there anyone going to replace Arle-quin and other players?

MEANING:pain, grief,tears,failure,loss, desolation, end of hard times,a disaster,fiasco.

Reversed:recovery after a disease,be-ginning of a happy period, revival.

 

 

Knave of Swords

Battles of puppets have reminded a young recruit about some sword techniques he has not mastered yet.He is still awkward while the puppe-teer is sarcastic and cunning. Can the

young soldier abstain from taking the bait and doing mischief?

MEANING: a smart young man,un-foreseen complications, unexpected news,adventures,new ideas and tech-nologies, curiosity, espionage.

Reversed: a vulnerable young man,defenselessness, conspiracy, intrigue,slyness,surprise.

 

 

Knight of Swords

A gambler, bully and gallant - this man tries to man-age all of it. Be-tween a duel and a game of cards he is eager to spend some time with the lady he is carrying a letter to. But is his

violent resoluteness enough to defeat the whole world?

MEANING: an intelligent and restive man, a loner, bravery,heroic adven-ture, attack, defense,malevolence,a dispute, a battle, intellectual victory,exciting news.

Reversed: an insane man, a fraud,a thief, a reckless action, incompetence,bad news.

 

 

Queen of Swords

This fine lady with a sword in her hand is obviously able to stand up for herself. What is she doing while looking in the mirror: admiring herself or watching what is going on

behind her back?

MEANING: a mature and indepen-dent woman, an opinionated and cold-hearted intellectual, failures, dif-ficulties, legal problems, malicious in-tents,sadness, sorrow, abandonment,widowhood.

Reversed: a vengeful woman, a swin-dler, a villainess, disputes, discord,anxiety.

 

 

King of Swords

A noble Venetian wearing an armor suit is standing against the back-ground of tapes-tries depicting battle scenes. He is full of grandeur and resoluteness.

Whatthoughts

emerge in his head while his face is hidden behind an iron mask?

MEANING: a mature man, a leader, a military man, a judge, power, superi-ority, authority, analytic abilities,pros-pects for career development.

Reversed: an enemy, an authoritative foe,disappointment, a conflict,abuse of power, a lost litigation.

SUIT OF COINS

 

Ace of Coins

After a long period of nasty weather the eagerly antic-ipated sun is out.It has brought light and warmth to people and it is welcomed by seamen and gon-doliers. Can these

people take advantage of its gifts and grab the opportunity?

MEANING: beginning of something new, new resources made available,material welfare, prosperity,income,good health, a lucky opportunity,de-sires coming true, good luck in every-thing.

Reversed: decline, waste, unforeseen expenses, lack of necessary resources,deterioration of health, need.

Two of Coins

 

A tightrope walker is giving a perfor-mance in St.Mark's square in front of the Doge's Palace.He is balancing on a slack rope and dex-terously juggling some fancy objects.One of them is a skull- a symbol of

eternity; another one is a wooden ball with a six-pointed star formed by golden nail heads, a symbol of the cosmic bal-ance.Will this play of meanings help the braveheart keep his balance?

MEANING: dexterity, flexibility, ad-justability, adaptation, a worry-free pe-riod, a problem of choice, little money,carelessness.

Reversed: contradictions,delays,finan-cial problems.

 

 

Three of Coins

It is night. A crafts-man is tirelessly working at a gon-dola making work-shop.He is fulfilling a commission and referring to some drawings. Three stars are lighting his workshop sym-

bolizing the three components of his success: discipline, planning and in-dustriousness. Is the overwork going to prevent the hard worker from complet-ing his project in time?

MEANING:hard work, expertise, start-ing a business, construction, profit.

Reversed: laziness, low professional-ism, money problems, maldistribution of forces.

 

 

Four of Coins

A hunting falcon is sitting on a perch covered with a car-pet. It is chained up with a gold chain. It is hold-ing a gold pendant which has an im-age of a Venetian lion on it. Its eyes

are closed with an elegant hood with a gold crown. What is the good of luxury if you are its prisoner and what is the good of beauty you cannot enjoy?

MEANING: financial stability, tran-quility, safety,conservatism,chariness,control, an expensive present, inheri-tance.

Reversed: financial losses, quarrels about an inheritance, obstructions,risk.

 

 

Five of Coins

Some blind beg-gars are dragging themselves along the square and past a palace.They are holding firmly onto each other.A bell in the leader's hand announces their coming. Will

it help them get help and find the way to a shelter?

MEANING: limitations, losses, fail-ures, financial disaster, concerns, wor-ries, diseases, hard times.

Reversed: patience, solace, help is near.

 

 

Six of Coins

A nobleman is giving alms to a street musician.Is the generous benefactor gov-erned by love of art or vanity?

 

MEANING:finan-

cial luck, gener-

osity,welfare, happiness, prosperity,reward, profit, debt repayment, good health.

Reversed: greed, financial troubles,loss of face, unemployment, squander,debts, deterioration of health.

 

 

Seven of Coins

A merchant is dis-charging his goods at a port, stowing barrels in a man-ner that no one but he can understand.This job requires self-restraint, pa-tience and great ef-forts. Is the reward

going to be worth the efforts?

MEANING: patience and self-re-straint, expectation, reward for efforts,enjoyment of a process.

Reversed: impatience, imprudence,unfruitful efforts, work which brings no enjoyment or success.

 

 

Eight of Coins

A famous artist has been given a big commission:to create a portrait of a crowned doge.Such commissions are given to recog-nized masters only.Can it happen that money will replace

creative work and inspiration will turn into a routine?

MEANING: expertise, diligence,workmanship, stability, material wel-fare, interesting work.

Reversed: monotonous work, lack of workmanship, financial losses.

 

 

Nine of Coins

A young dandy is enjoying views of the city from the balcony of his lux-urious palazzo. A gorgeous peacock and a pedigree dog emphasize his high social standing.Can luxury and ex-

quisite entertainments become a gold-en cage and a trap for his spirit?

MEANING: reward, Iuck, achieve-ments, financial independence, abun-dance, comfort, wealth.

Reversed: financial losses, poverty,disrupted plans.

 

 

Ten of Coins

A rich couple is boating along a canal admiring the sunset which casts its golden light onto palaces and water of the canal.Can their doubts and hesitations prevent them from

enjoying their life and tranquility?

MEANING:wealth, reliability, stabili-ty,enjoyment of life, confidence in the future,support from family,prosperity and abundance.

Reversed: unjustified risk, losses,lack of support, lack of confidence,dissatis-faction with oneself.

 

 

Knave of Coins

A young appren-tice receives a long awaited letter de-livered by a carrier pigeon.It says that he has been ad-mitted to the guild.There is a period of apprenticeship and mastering the

trade to follow. Is he going to miss oth-er joys of youth being busy with hard work and studies?

MEANING: a conscientious young man, good bargains, execution of con-tracts, start of studies, a new project,a good offer.

Reversed: having head in the clouds,waste, bad news, indifference, life of leisure.

 

 

Knight of Coins

On a dull day a suc-cessful banker is going somewhere on business. Has he foreseen every-thing? He is cover-ing his expensive suit and important coffret protecting them from rain but

paying no attention to his shoes which are getting wet in large puddles.

MEANING: a businessman, a prag-matist,financial growth, successful in-vestments,growth of wealth,favorable confluence of circumstances,travel-ling, benefit,profit.

Reversed:impracticability of a person,idleness, apathy, inertness, stagnation of business,indecision,financial losses,difficulties in implementation of plans.

 

 

Queen of Coins

A gorgeous lady is going to the carni-val. A golden box with jewelries in her hands and a wreath of golden fruit on her head are a part of the surrounding lux-ury. Can her soul

turn into a bar of gold?

MEANING: a successful woman, a rich kinswoman, favorable events,sta-bility,confidence, prosperity, comfort,self-fulfillment in the physical world.

Reversed: a wasteful person, a threat of disease or loss of money, scheming,a threat to well-being.

 

 

King of Coins

A doge wearing a golden mask is standing on a ve-randa of his palace lit by the rays of the midday sun.The sun makes the golden decoration of his clothes, the gold crown on his

head and a gold pendant with a penta-cle in his hand shine. Does this proud man remember that the sun can burn if it is too close?

MEANING:a leader, a successful per-son, a rich relative, a patron,stability,reliability, success in business, career,financial support.

Reversed: a lucre-seeking person, a fraud,laziness,selfishness,unfulfilled obligations,impracticability.