The Tower
Explanation
The card of The Tower goes by different names in different Tarot games. Some call it The Tower of Destruction, or The House of God, or Tower of the Light.
Some think that The Tower gives reference to the tower of Bable, but there are no direct indications for this.
Place in the cycle
The Tower has the number 16 attached to it, composed that is 7. This is a ladder number, a number of ambition and climbing to new heights.
The composed number of this card is the same as The Chariot's, but where The Chariot represents balance, The Tower represents chaos.
You've come a long way in the cycle already. You've let go of the old to welcome the new, you've faced and overcome your fears, yet The Tower tears down whatever remains.
This card lets chaos loose into your life, so that creativity and growth can flourish. The Tower ends what The Hanged Man started. From here the journey back to the upperworld begins.
Meaning
Positive
Don't resist what happens to you, try to see it as exciting.
Neutral
Go through your fears so you will end up in kind of a freefall. You've put down your shackles and now you let go, anything becomes possible.
When the card of The Tower falls, something will happen to you that robs you of your (remaining) securities. Some things will happen to you that may scare you, but you can choose to see them as exciting.
Negative
Don't conjure up extra fears related to what happens to you. Remain able to react.
Temperance
Explanation
Temperance is the third of four mideaval values, and the last mideaval value in the Tarot.
According to mideaval understanding this value is about reaching the golden middle ground in a field of opposites. Not too happy, not too angry, not too sad. In everything balance has to be achieved, extremes were not appreciated.
Place in the cycle
Temperance carries the number 14, composed that is 5.
5 is an assignment number, which indicates there's work to be done.
With Death, an important decision made with The Hanged Man was given shape by letting go of the old. Now you're in a transitionary period and this Temperance card is a place of rest during the journey through the underworld.
Meaning
Positive
Experiment, search for what you think will be good for you. Try everything and don't get discouraged when you don't immediately feel some gains. Know that chances don't come around every day and it's up to you to find and shape chances. You have got to work for it.
Neutral
This transitionary period has it's downsides. You may feel you're making progress one moment, then falling back the next. But in the end, you are making progress even though at times you feel you're not. You are more careful and more of an adult when making your choices. You're more flexible, because you know there may be something unexpected just around the corner. You don't fully realize yet how far you've already come.
But be careful you don't end up in an endless quest for compromise. Draw conclusions for your experiments, because otherwise the effort might have been in vain.
Negative
You're looking for compromises a bit too hard.
7 of Cups
Explanation
The 7 of Cups is about making a choice between different ideals. But Cups, with the water element, don't like making definitive choices that much, making this 7 in this suit a bit of a hard choice.
Meaning
Positive
Listen only to yourself as you make the choice of what ideal to pursue. You might even want to ignore the advice of those around you for this choice, as it is you who has to do the work to get there.
Neutral
You've overcome many illusions so far already. But you might be tempted to believe in one of those illusions again. Try to believe in something that's attainable this time.
Negative
When this card falls in an upside down way, you are probably too stuck in evaluating things. At least fulfill your existing commitments.
Page of Wands
Explanation
Pages are exploratory in nature. They look at new ideas, or at old ideas from a different perspective. They don't actually decide much.
The Page of Wands is about exploring new ideas, about making some preliminary plans. It brings something new.
Meaning
Positive
Take your time to evaluate all the new ideas coming your way. One of them might be worth pursuing.
Neutral
Everything before this was perhaps a little boring, but with this card you might detect a new enthousiasm in yourself that will help you decide what to do next. This is the card to break an impasse with.
Negative
You might be a bit too careless, wandering from idea to idea. It's time to pick one of those ideas and pursue it.
3 of Pentacles
Explanation
This card is about completing a masterpiece, it's the output number of the production cycle after all.
It's a chance to show the world what you're capable of.
Meaning
Positive
Don't let this opportunity to show off your skills slip by.
Neutral
You have received, or will soon receive, a valuable opportunity where you perhaps can gain some free advertising if you do the job well.
Negative
Although you might receive an opportunity to do some high-profile work, this is not the perfect time for you to be very ambitious in this (new?) field, you've yet to master the craft.
10 of Wands
Explanation
The 10 in the small arcana, any of the Wands, Cups, Swords or Coins cards, is the number that connects to the Ace of the next element.
The 10 of Wands is therefore the transition from the element Fire (associated with Wands) to the element Water, associated with Cups. As you might imagine, this not the easiest of transitions.
Meaning
Positive
Although it would be nice to focus on just 1 thing, now is not yet the time for it. You need to keep track of multiple responsibilities at this time.
Neutral
On the one hand all these tasks before you feel like a prison, but on the other hand you don't feel like letting go just yet. You might be looking for what you want to do most.
Negative
You're trying to do too many tasks at the same time, don't dump all of them, but reduce the number you have at hand, yes. Think carefully about which ones are best performed first, and then do those first.
3 of Cups
Explanation
The 3 of Cups represents hope, faith and love. The 3 is a reward number and in this suit of Cups your feelings during that number will be that of joy and self-contentment.
Meaning
Positive
This card will test your abilities to enjoy hope, faith and love, in the widest. Let go of all doubts and enjoy the comfort of the innocence of a child who believes all will turn out for the best.
Neutral
You might be feeling a lot of optimism about the future, and this is not unjustified, even though parts of the world might believe differently.
Negative
You can go overboard with enthousiasm and optimism as well. If this card falls in a negative, upside-down way, try to be more realistic, so you don't get disappointed later.
5 of Pentacles
Explanation
The 5 of Pentacles is an assignment-number card, and is about letting go of your securities. Pentacles element Earth (also) represents material posessions, so this card is about letting go of (some of) your worldly assets.
Meaning
Positive
Don't look back, and don't get depressed over what you've lost. Things may seem a little barren right now, but help is on the way.
Neutral
Despite losing something, you gained something as well; freedom from ties.
Negative
You're too afraid of losing your securities and thus setting yourself free.
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.
4 of Swords
Explanation
4 is the first number in the cycle of giving things shape. It's about making things real. The element of Swords also relates to making things real, so this enhances the effect so much that arrogance can cause you to exhaust yourself.
Right now you probably could use some rest. It doesn't mean you should fall asleep, but both your body and your mind can use some rest before embarking on the next steps.
Meaning
Positive
Learn to trust the signals your own body sends you. If you need rest, take rest soon. Don't work yourself into a burnout.
Neutral
You might have been asking too much of yourself lately. Take a rest now or face true exhaustion just a little later.
Negative
You've rested enough, it's time to get back to work.
