The World
Explanation
The world is large, but not as large as the galaxy or the universe.
The person in the center of the card has completed many journeys already, and is completely at ease. Yet she continues to move, for having reached your goals is no reason to stop moving.
Place in the cycle
The World carries the number 21. As a composed number that is 3. The World is the third 3 in the Major Arcana. 3 is a reward number, so the third 3 must be even more powerful.
This card falls when you've completed all assignments, overcome all obstacles and are completely at peace with yourself due to your accomplishments. Yet Tarot wouldn't be Tarot if it didn't challenge you to enter entirely new worlds and start the process all over again.
Meaning
Positive
Use your abilities to see into yourself, others and situations. Reconnect with your inner child and go back to The Fool, the first card in the deck, to learn yet new aspects of life.
Neutral
This card doesn't get drawn often in readings. When it does, it means you're entering a very important period in your life. You've reached a point where you're able to rise above yourself, to reach new heights. You're at peace with all that has happened, and your negative emotions find a (hopefully gentle) way out by themselves.
This card is not so much negative or positive, as it is special. It's the threshold between past and future.
Negative
This might not be the moment to embark on a new journey, something in your (recent) past is as yet unsolved.
The Emperor
Explanation
Like The Empress, this card indicates power. But instead of spiritual power, this card indicates materialistic, worldly power. The Emperor is sometimes compared to Mars, God of war and courage.
Place in the cycle
The Emperor has the number 4 attached to it. This is the number of order and structure, the number of matter; with 4 things can be built and organized.
There are 4 seasons, 4 elements, 4 wind directions. The number gives stability and orginanisation and discipline and a steady strength to get done what needs to get done.
The number 1 brings the idea, the number 4 takes it on. This also means that with this number 4 things can be decided one way or another.
While the previous card, The Empress, indicates a time to relax and enjoy, with this card it is time to get things underway and for the work to commence.
Meaning
Positive
Of all the things that are heading your way you must pick just a few or even just one to focus on. Get your goals into focus and stick to your goals. Be careful not to get distracted.
Neutral
This card falls in a time when you're busy and facing challenges. This means there is a lot to do and a large need to organise and structure your activities.
You feel strong and full of energy, you have willpower and selfdiscipline and an ability to close yourself to distractions.
Negative
Don't be too rigid, you can't achieve your goals with just strength, often wisdom and knowledge are needed as well.
3 of Wands
Explanation
This card is about exposing your new ideas to the world. The Wand's element fire goes well with the number 3, as 3 is an output number, a number of results. Fire likes getting to results quickly.
Meaning
Positive
Now is the time to come out with your plans. Trust your own objective judgement on whether your ideas are any good, and others will likely share your opinion. Don't fear rejection, though.
Neutral
Your new ideas are ready to face the world, and you're ready to talk about them with those around you. You do this in an enthousiastic and positive way, you feel proud and energetic. You're sure that your ideas are worth their salt and you're capable of convincing others of that.
Negative
Be careful about what you tell others of these new ideas of yours. They might think you've gone crazy, or you could give your competition your idea for free. Be careful and look at your ideas with a critique's eye.
9 of Wands
Explanation
The 9 represents rest after work, which is another thing (like 8) that the element Fire associated with Wands is not very comfortable with. Fire likes to keep going. This rest will probably be spent thinking about what to do next along the course to completion.
Meaning
Positive
It's not wrong to keep thinking ahead, but you could really use some real rest as well. You've earned it.
Neutral
You've completed a chapter in which you faced yourself. Your success has given you confidence, and now would be good time to get a little rest, but you're probably too impatient to truely do nothing.
Negative
There might be things on your horizon that you did not face before. Now is not the time to be arrogant or careless.
The Sun
Explanation
The Sun has been admired as God or the symbol of all life by many cultures. Without the sun there is no warmth, light or life. The Sun is seen as a very positive force.
Place in the cycle
The Sun carries the number 19, a composed value of 1. This is the third composed 1 in the Major Arcana. It's the culmination of the 1's. The third 1 is a reward and a beginning at the same time. It also represents creative energy.
With The Sun the third and final cycle of Tarot is commenced. The first cycle was the upperworld or childphase, a place to start and gain inputs. Here you gained wisdoms, knowledge and ideas. The second cycle was the underworld or adult phase or assignments phase, the hard cycle where you had to really work for gains. This third cycle that starts at The Sun, is the phase of rewards, of enjoyment of results.
Meaning
Positive
Use this period in your life. If you do nothing you end up having a good time but not much else. If you use your strengths and powers of creativity, you will end reaping rewards for a much longer time.
Neutral
You've gone through a difficult time with lots of searching and experimenting, and you've made it on your own. This has lead to a new sense of self-confidence in you, you're ready to take on anything, it seems.
Negative
You're too optimistic and care-free. So much that you lose track of reality somewhat.
Knight of Pentacles
Explanation
The Knight of Pentacles doesn't like to get worked up about anything. He prefers to make quiet steady progress by sticking to a persevering attitude, while not allowing himself to become exhausted or stressed.
Meaning
Positive
The project you've chosen, and the phase in which that project now is, allow you to focus only on your own work. This can be comforting and productive.
Neutral
You're working on a project without caring too much about the rest of the world. For a lot of project types, this is possible. But some projects require that you regularly look around at what others are doing in the same field. Keep an eye on your competitors to stay ahead of them!
Negative
You're probably too attached to securities, and you could use a more relaxed attitude that allows you to enjoy the adventure that uncertainty can bring.
The Fool
Explanation
Only a fool would stand so close to the cliff's edge.
But the fool is on a high, thinks he can handle anything the world will throw at him. Here in lies both his strength and his weakness. One false step and the tumble down the rock face could be short or long. The fool doesn't even know how long, because he looks to the sky.
Place in the cycle
The fool is the first card in the deck, the new born heading out into the world, facing the different stages of development ahead. One can undergo many cycles during his or her life, the last card in the major arcana ('The World') always followed by The Fool for some new aspect of life to be discovered and experienced.
Meaning
Positive
Don't look at practicability or feasibility for a while. Open up to your desires and dreams, without immediately trying to figure out how to realize them.
Dream all you want and figure out which dreams to realize later.
Neutral
You're probably saturated by the life you now have around you.
It's time for something new, to let the child inside you boss the adult in you around a bit as it discovers these new things to explore.
Negative
Perhaps you're discouraged by your dreams, because your subconscious is telling you you're not happy with current circumstances, while your higher intellect is still OK with this situation.
The Hanged Man
Explanation
Inclusion of The Hanged Man in the Tarot could mean that Tarot has it's origins in Scandinavian mythology.
In the Edda is described how Odin hung himself upside down from the Yggdrasil, the tree of transformation, for nine days and nights, to better understand the runes.
This card can therefore be seen as a link to rune laying, another yet somewhat more mysterious divination tool.
But these observations can not serve as proof for Scandinavian origins for the Tarot.
Place in the cycle
This card has the number 12 attached to it, the composed value of which is 3 (an output number).
The year has 12 months, and therefore this card can be seen having a reference to the passing of time.
The Hanged Man is the first (composed) 3 in the second major cycle.
First you learned that you're not a plaything of fate, that you can make your own choices. Then you've learned how to fend for yourself and face yourself. Now, at The Hanged Man, you can learn to let go. You no longer have to cling to old values. You've found strength in yourself and by letting go, you allow growth.
This is the reward of the first output number (3) of the second cycle. The numbers 10, 11 and 12 may be seen as the gateway to the underworld. From 13, here, this underworld is truely entered.
Meaning
Positive
Allow things to happen to you, don't resist them. Follow your feelings and discard practical objections for a while. You're on the eve of a major transformation in your life.
Neutral
When this card is drawn, you've reached a point of giving up your resistance to change. You allow fate to take over for a while, and things to happen to you. You've got enough self-confidence to realise you'll make the right choice for yourself in whatever circumstances.
Negative
Keep your feet on the ground and don't jump into any adventure right now.
The Priestess
Explanation
The Christian Church has outlawed priestesses, but in other religions like for instance the Celts, women could be priests.
This card signifies a spiritual insight like intuition.
Place in the cycle
This card has the number 2 assigned to it, which is more complex than 1, because it signifies there's a choice to be made.
It is also the first "assignment card" in the deck. The assignment here won't be as difficult as with the next assignment cards, numbers 5 and 8.
Meaning
Positive
Be open to unexplainable events happening around you. Let the universe tell you through your subconscious how to proceed. Take your time to decipher it, and don't be afraid of unexplainable events.
Neutral
When this card is drawn in a reading, it tells you that you're ready to grow and become more aware of yourself, or get a better insight into yourself.
Information will come to you from the subconscious, via sudden insights or dreams or meaningful coincidences.
Negative
Don't turn inward too much, be practical about things.
