-
Tarot Card Meanings: The Star
Welcome to my Circle of Stars! The Star is the seventeenth card of the Major Arcana, and represents hope, healing, faith, and the long path back to wholeness. In this post, I explore the Star Tarot meaning, from classical and contemporary symbolism to literary reflections, deck interpretations, and personal experience – and what it means to keep going when the light is faint, but still there.
-
Tarot Card Meanings: Death
Welcome to my circle of death (which is, in many ways, a circle of life!) If you've landed here searching for the Death Tarot card meaning, the good news is that the Death card very rarely predicts a literal physical death! Instead, it usually points towards endings, transformation, release, and the difficult but necessary process of letting go. Unlike some of the other "bad" cards, Death comes up quite a lot in readings I do for other people. Which I guess speaks to how routine - how ordinary, really - loss is to the cycle of our everyday lives. But while we know on some level that all things end,…
-
Tarot Card Meanings: The Hanged Man
Welcome to my hanging circle! At the top of my Tarot journal page for the Hanged Man, I've scrawled 'loitering with intent', a phrase from Poppy Palin's Everyday Enchantment Tarot, and I love it as a description of what's happening in this card. Sometimes we need to wait, be still, to try to see things from every angle (even if involves flipping our whole worldview upsidedown), and to sit with our own discomfort. Sometimes it's only by surrendering to a situation, trusting the flow of events and ourselves, and accepting (often difficult or painful) realities, that we are able to truly learn, and eventually move forward with our lives.
-
Tarot Card Meanings: Justice
Welcome to my wheel(s) of justice! Hot on the heels of the Wheel of Fortune, Justice, the eleventh card in the Major Arcana, is another Tarot card concerned with karma, balance, and consequence. But where the Wheel asks us to recognise forces beyond our control, Justice turns the question back onto us. It asks us to think about the choices we've made, the ethics we live by, the power we have - and how we wield it. Life constantly asks us to decide, to weigh things up, to choose which path we want to take. And once we’ve made those choices, we don’t simply move on from them: they become…
-
Tarot and Religion: Why the Cards Aren’t the Enemy
People often ask me whether Tarot is “compatible” with religion; or more bluntly, whether it’s evil. As someone who reads professionally and also grew up within a Christian cultural framework (and has a very beloved brother-in-law who’s a vicar!), I think it’s time we unpack that a little. When I’m on my Tarot stall at the market, I often get Christians and Muslims who come over to critique the cards and admonish me for reading them (Jewish folks, in my experience, don’t tend to mind – maybe because Judaism has a more flexible relationship to divination, or maybe they just have better things to do with their time than harass…
-
Tarot Card Meanings: The Wheel Of Fortune
My first mnemonic for this card was the simple phrase “what goes around, comes around.” And honestly? However much more I study Tarot, that still feels like the essence of the Wheel. This is a card of change: often good luck sweeping in (it’s ruled by Jupiter, planet of expansion, after all). However, other times it's that sinking feeling when our luck runs out, fortune turns against us, everything tilts topsy-turvy, and we're thrown into uncertainty. Either way, it speaks to the rise and fall of fortunes beyond our control. The Goddess Fortuna, who could crown or crush with the same spin of her wheel, personified that ancient recognition of…
-
Tarot Card Meanings: The Hermit
The Hermit is one of the most iconic cards in the Tarot. Often seen as a symbol of solitude, wisdom, and introspection, the Hermit invites us to step away from the noise of everyday life and follow the quiet glow of inner guidance. In this deep dive, we’ll explore Hermit symbolism, history, astrology, shadow work, and the many animal archetypes that walk beside him, from owls to snakes. Whether you’re a Tarot beginner or a seasoned reader, this card has much to teach us about walking alone, but never being truly lost.
-
Tarot Card Meanings: Strength
Strength is the eighth card of the Major Arcana in many Tarot traditions, and represents inner fortitude, self-mastery, and the power of gentleness. In this post, I explore what the Strength Tarot card means: from mythology and theology to personal experience, deck art, feminist readings, and more. Some Tarot traditions have Justice in this position (8), but I like Strength here, as it points to such a radically different kind of power than the previous card - the Chariot - the strength to confront yourself calmly, and without fear.
-
Tarot Card Meanings: The Chariot
The Chariot is the seventh card of the Major Arcana, representing willpower, victory, determination, and the challenge of keeping opposing forces in balance. In this post, I explore what the Chariot means in Tarot readings: its triumphs, its warnings, and its many fascinating depictions across different decks. Though it’s called the Chariot, this card isn’t really about the vehicle, it’s about the driver. The charioteer is the one who draws your eye, commanding your attention and immediately asking you to identify with him. And in my experience as a reader, querents love identifying with him. Honestly, I’d legit say he’s one of the most well-received cards in the deck. I…
-
Tarot Card Meanings: The Hierophant
In this post I am focusing on the Hierophant (typo-enemy of indie deck producers everywhere 😂). The Hierophant is the fifth card of the Major Arcana, representing tradition, spiritual teaching, community wisdom, and the bridge between the sacred and the everyday. Here I'll explore what the Hierophant means in Tarot readings, how the archetype has evolved, and how to work with both its light and shadow. Given The Hierophant can be accused of many of the same institutional sins of the patriarchy as the Emperor (authoritarian, fearful of change, stodgy, literal) - with an added dollop of organised religion thrown in for good measure - I expected to struggle with…
