another card to illuminate a helpful quality you can bring to the situation

or to the relationship.
5
THE MAJOR
ARCANA
THIS CHAPTER EXPLORES THE CARDS of the
Major Arcana in detail. Cards 1 to 21 comprise
the Fool’s Journey in which The Fool, the
adventure-seeker within each of us, travels
through life’s major experiences, represented in
these 21 archetypal personas and experiences,
to gain knowledge, grow, and achieve an
epitome of freedom, joy, and love.
Each Major Arcana card description includes
an interpretation of the card, upright and
reversed, along with information about the
symbols in its imagery, as well as its associated
element, astrological sign/planetary association,
and numerological significance.
I’ve chosen to use the gender-neutral
pronoun “they” to describe most of the figures
in the Major Arcana and later in the Minor
Arcana. Most of the Minor Arcana cards depict
men, though they are theoretically meant to
apply to people of any gender. Many of the male
and female figures of the court and Major
Arcana are excessively gendered, in my opinion.
I’ve noticed throughout my readings with clients
that the clearly gendered cards of the court and
Major Arcana (both masculine and feminine),
though meant to represent elements within
people of any gender, tend to hinder seekers
from connecting to cards across genders. My
use of the gender-neutral pronoun intends to
help you make this leap to fully enter the cards,
regardless of the gender or figure portrayed.
 0. THE FOOL

ALSO KNOWN AS The Jester

KEYWORDS Leap of Faith, Innocence, Adventure

ELEMENT Air
 ASTROLOGY Uranus

NUMEROLOGY 0

The Fool is our sense of adventure, our inner child who sets out gleefully
and impulsively to see the world and gain experience. The path of the
Major Arcana is known as the Fool’s Journey; each card represents a
lesson or phase of life that The Fool experiences.
The Fool travels lightly on their journey, carrying all their belongings
in just a small bundle. The Fool is hard to pin down. They are
unknowable and endlessly playful. Just when we think we know
something or have achieved anything, like a jester The Fool strips away
pretentions and solid answers.
Pulling The Fool indicates taking risks and leaps of faith. The dog in
this card symbolizes instinct and self-preservation, as well as social
mores, which The Fool ignores. The dog tries to warn The Fool of the
danger of stepping off the cliff, but The Fool ignores the little dog,
because we must accept danger to go into the world.
Dreaming at the edges of cliffs and believing in only the best
possibilities, the hopeful, idealistic Fool reminds us that it’s never too
late to follow our dreams. If you have pulled The Fool, enjoy your sense
of play and optimism. Catch yourself before you do anything too
foolhardy—but remember that confining yourself to convention is
sometimes the silliest and most foolish thing a person can do.

Reversed
Reversed, The Fool indicates that you are being either too impulsive or
not impulsive enough. If you have been going overboard in your
adventures, it is time to rein it in before anyone gets hurt. On the other
hand, if you haven’t gone out dancing or had a good laugh in a while, do
something fun.

Symbolism
CLIFF Leap of faith

DOG Instinct, self-preservation, social mores

WHITE ROSE Innocence

MOUNTAINS Challenges to overcome and accomplishments to reach

SUN Conscious awareness, light, energy, and guidance from a higher

power

Mystic Meanings
The numerological significance of 0 points to infinite potential. The Fool
has yet to become someone with an identity or role. Instead, The Fool’s
role is to reduce arrogance and insistence on rules down to zero.
Air is The Fool’s element. The Fool is light on their feet, lighthearted,
and idealistic—sometimes with their head in the clouds. Their sense of
adventure propels them to scale great heights, ascending mountains up
into the atmosphere.
In astrology, The Fool is associated with Uranus, the planet of
individuality, originality, and breaking tradition. Uranus’s energy is
androgynous, like The Fool’s.

Posing a Question
Why am I feeling bored in my relationship with my partner?
In response to a question of matters of the heart, The Fool points
to our inner child. It is essential for your health in all areas of life
to feed your creativity and your sense of adventure and fun. In
what ways is your current relationship neglecting or silencing
your inner child? What needs to change? Once these issues are
clear to you, you’ll be better able to state your needs and find a
solution that will renew your relationship.

Supporting and Opposing Cards

The Fool is a card of endless beginnings. If an Ace or Aces from the
Minor Arcana also appear in a reading, the message of a new beginning
is emphasized.
The Hierophant and The Fool always butt heads. They are the
archetypes of convention and irreverence. Both cards appearing in a
reading signifies conflict between these two forces in one’s life.
 I. THE MAGICIAN

ALSO KNOWN AS The Juggler

KEYWORDS Creativity, Manifestation, Ability

ELEMENT Quintessence
 ASTROLOGY Mercury

NUMEROLOGY 1

The Magician makes things happen. The Magician always finds a way to
manifest plans into reality. Their ability to envision what they wish to
manifest, along with their conviction in manifesting it, gives them 360-
degree vision, noticing opportunities and resources that others overlook
or don’t deem themselves worthy of pursuing.
The Magician is optimistic and willing to take an unconventional
route to manifest their vision: They care more about putting an idea into
action than they do about what others may think of them along the way.
If you have pulled The Magician for yourself, you are creative, flexible,
and adaptive. You have strong concentration and the willpower to
actualize your plans and goals.

Reversed
Reversed, The Magician’s power is either latent or being used without
integrity. Watch out for someone who may be charming you in order to
take advantage of you. Make sure you are only completing projects that
have strong integrity and that your means of achieving your goals live up
to the intended integrity of your project.
Alternately, if you are feeling stuck and powerless, focus on the
vision you want to achieve. You may be stuck because you are only
considering conventional routes. What alternate routes or resources are
available to you? Striking out on your own to achieve your goals, rather
than allowing yourself to remain stuck because a path isn’t being offered
to you by someone else, will be worth the bouts of momentary confusion.

Symbolism
LEMNISCATE (SIDEWAYS FIGURE 8) Infinity

VERTICAL BATON Interconnection of matter, consciousness, and the

divine; “As Above, So Below”
PENTACLE, SWORD, CUP, WAND Four elements, four Minor Arcana suits,
the range of resources available to The Magician and spheres of
influence
YELLOW Consciousness and manifestation

OUROBOROS (SNAKE SWALLOWING ITS TAIL) Wholeness, infinity

ROSES Passion, beauty, creativity

LILIES Purity, integrity

Mystic Meanings
The numerological significance of the number 1 is unity and power. The
Magician has incredible power to manifest and create, in large part
because The Magician does not see themself as separate from the rest of
the universe. They tap into all available resources and inspiration to put
plans into action.
The Magician’s element is actually ether, or quintessence, the
alchemical denotation of the divine spirit that fills all four natural
elements with life.
Mercury is The Magician’s astrological counterpart. Like The
Magician, Mercury is the planet that helps everyday logistics,
transportation, technology, and communication go smoothly.

Posing a Question
I’m considering a career change. What will guide me in making
this switch?
Pulling The Magician suggests that you are indeed embarking on
a new beginning. New and positive career opportunities are
coming to you. Choose between them with confidence—do not
allow your vision to be limited by anyone or by your own self-
doubt. The Magician urges you to have confidence in your vision
for your new career and for your contribution to society. Weigh
your job, internship, or education options according to how they
 will best support you to achieve this vision, not according to how
prestigious or well-trodden certain paths may be. The right path
for you might be an original one.

Supporting and Opposing Cards

The Chariot shares The Magician’s concentration and clarity of
purpose. Aces reinforce The Magician’s meaning of opportunities and
beginnings.
In opposition to The Magician, The Devil constrains our vision and
narrows our possibilities. Minor Arcana cards of blockage or pause, such
as the Two of Swords, inhibit The Magician’s energy, but to a lesser
degree than does The Devil.
 II. THE HIGH PRIESTESS

ALSO KNOWN AS The Female Pope

KEYWORDS Inner Knowledge, Intuition, Duality

ELEMENT Water