The Star
Explanation
The Star is a guidepost by which you can find your way, it represents hope but also unreachability.
Place in the cycle
The Star carries the number 17, composed that is 8. This composed number is an assignment number, like 5 is. It is a nice card, but one where work is to be done as well.
After The Tower, you're in the mess chaos left behind. The Star is your compass to find your way out of these problems. You haven't lost everything, you've still got yourself.
Meaning
Positive
Dare to show some vulnerability. Follow the stars and dare to hope. Try to see positive developments and pick up on them. You will re-find your ideals, try to open to them (again).
Neutral
You've lived in chaos for a while and you've accepted that chaos and might even have gotten used to chaos. Now you're challenged to step out of chaos and develop trust and confidence again. But: someone who hopes might be disappointed, so you will have to show some vulnerability, which won't be easy after the period you've just gone through. You might get hurt again.
Negative
Use your brains, don't get too naive and protect yourself.
Justice
Explanation
Justice is an important concept in nearly every culture and religion. It is part of the four midieval values, the other three are: strength, temperance and carefulness. Only carefulness is missing from the major arcana, nobody really knows why.
Place in the cycle
This card carries the number 11. In the Rider-Waite deck, Strength and Justice have swapped places because Waite saw links with the astrological signs Leo and Libra.
Consisting of two 1's, it has both the characteristics of 1 and 2. A number full of opposites therefore. The number 11 is the first assignment number in the new cycle.
Meaning
Positive
Waiting for another can be very frustrating. See what you can do on your own. Make your own analysis, subject yourself to your own objective judgement. Then the judgement of the other(s) won't a surprise to you anymore.
Neutral
When the Justice card is drawn, you will feel a major change heading your way, which brings some apprehension or excitement on your part along with it. An outside entity could have to pass judgement on you, which will leave you feeling somewhat powerless.
Negative
Don't wait for the judgement of others. You'll be able to continue on your own.
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.
Strength
Explanation
Strength is the second of the four midieval values. Justice, card 11, is the first, and the third, Temperance, is card 14.
Place in the cycle
In the Rider-Waite deck, the cards for Justice and Strenght have swapped places, because Waite saw links between the cards and the astrological signs Leo and Libra.
This card carries the number 8, and is the third and final assignment number. This assignment is no longer simple like the first two, but is all about standing upright in the real world.
Meaning
Positive
Stand up for yourself and don't bother yourself with others' opinions of you.
Neutral
When the card of Strength falls, you will gradually discover sides of yourself that you didn't know before. First you adjusted, now you've decided to go your own way. You are no longer bothered by the opinions of others. Even if others disapprove, you will go your own way. You stand up for yourself and accept yourself as you are. You don't have to be liked as much as you needed to be.
Negative
This card signifies a long process. When the card is drawn upside down, it usually means you're not going fast enough for real change to happen.
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 Lovers
Explanation
Some attribute love and romance to the card of The Lovers. Others see it as finding and living with both female and male aspects of yourself.
Place in the cycle
This card carries the number 6. It is the number of protection, of stability and security. It comes after the assignment number 5, it is the reward after hard work.
The Magician announced four wisdoms. In the cards that followed, they came into view one by one. The traveler of Tarot has accumulated the baggage with which to travel. This card signifies a choice between staying with the old and familiar, or (the way of Tarot:) going to new experiences and lessons.
Meaning
Positive
Open yourself to growth towards independence.
Neutral
When the card of The Lovers is drawn, then you're ready to realize that you've gained security in yourself. You've developed a basic self confidence that enables you to look objectively to your surroundings. But you're ready to grow beyond your current realm of comfort. Your need for self reliance is increasing. This card is a process card, which means that it's effect might last for months.
Negative
Don't linger, don't get stuck in your own habits. Spring into action.
Death
Explanation
This is about psychological death (or: transformation), not physical death as we have to face in life.
Place in the cycle
Death carries the number 13, which is considered the unlucky number not now but throughout history as well.
It's composed number is 4, the number of structure and order.
Meaning
Positive
Get rid of the old (habits) and get ready to welcome in the new. Don't look back too often, which may make you second guess your decisision.
Neutral
You're in a period of your life where you've decided to radically clean up your act. Actually you've made the decision at The Hanged Man, the previous card in the deck, and now at Death you're ready to fill in the blanks of that change. The cleaning up concerns things that you know have to change. You get rid of things that no longer matter and will become blockages when you continue with them. But the new is not here yet, so while you cut old habits out of your life you may end up waiting for the input of the new. This may cause feelings of uncertainty and vulnerability.
Death is a card that does not fall frequently, it is a bit of a special card. When it does fall, you should spend time to understand it's meaning for you then and there. First of all to take away the negative appearance of the card, second because the card signifies an important time in the life of the asker.
The card may indicate relational problems. Getting rid of the old may mean abandoning someone you once loved.
There is the chance that you may want to kick out the old (habits) too soon, just to get clarity. Or you may end up in limbo, having eliminated the old but also not welcoming of whatever new is heading your way.
Negative
Don't make any (drastic) changes yet, give things time instead.
The Moon
Explanation
The Moon has been looked in all ways during our history. It has been both revered and dispised.
Where the sun ruled the day, the moon ruled the night. Those who knew the lunar cycles knew when they needed to seed and when they needed to harvest.
Place in the cycle
The Moon carries the number 18, composed that is 9. This composed number is the number of completion, of achievement.
The Hermit, also a 9, closed off the upperworld. The Moon closes the underworld.
You've faced a lot in the underworld, your own fears not least of them. Now it is time to crawl back up to securities and comfort, but there's work to be done before you're there.
Meaning
Positive
If you want to achieve a high goal, you'll need to walk the middle ground between the swamps. You'll need to articulate to others where you want to go, and in telling them about your desires expose yourself somewhat.
Neutral
You're busy with your feelings at the moment, re-finding your ideals and vocalizing your feelings despite that making your vulnerable. This is not the time to get stuck in the sea of your feelings, it is time to go onto shore and find the golden middle path toward hapiness.
Negative
Don't look at your ideals and desires too much. Stick to practical goals.
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 Devil
Explanation
The Devil has since ancient history been the adversary of God, the opposite of God.
The Devil has many faces and is always waiting to make new victims.
In a psychological sense, every human has his/her positive sides, and his/her negative sides. Only by being aware of your negative sides can you overcome them.
Place in the cycle
The number this card carries is 15, composed that is 6. The resemblances to the first '6' card (The Lovers) are remarkable; in both cards security is a central theme.
With The Lovers, you made the choice against old securities yourself, with The Devil you will lose them due to outside influences.
The Devil is a very important card in the cycle. An enormous amount of work has to be performed at The Devil. Facing your fears will be a large part of that work.
The Devil kind of forces you to face your future.
Meaning
Positive
Don't avoid change. Seek some security outside yourself, away from your inner troubles.
Neutral
The Devil announces a bad time in your life, which also allows you to experience new heights later. After this bottom at The Devil you can only go up. You're busy changing, and in that process you now encounter your own fears. And you might not even recognize this!
Negative
This is not the time to face your own fears. Other issues in your life had better take priority.
