The Kings - Masters of the Universe

King of Wands – Jupiter
Jupiter is the largest planet in the solar system and is almost a mini-star, with four large moons and 59 smaller ones in its orbit. It’s a cloudy, turbulent planet – its famous red spot is a storm that has been raging for hundreds of years. In mythology, Jupiter, the equivalent of the Greek Zeus, was the king of the Roman gods. His powerful aura and formidable leadership skills are reflected in the King of Wands, who has mastered the unpredictable, fiery energy of the suit. This King may be less spontaneous and eager than the Page or Knight, but he knows how to channel the creative spark of Wands into productive endeavour. If he turns up in a reading, it’s time for you to take charge and get your act on the road.

King of Cups – Neptune
Neptune is the furthest planet in the solar system from the sun apart from Pluto. Because of Pluto’s erratic orbit it does actually become the farthest planet for 20 years out of every 248. The planet’s vivid blue colour comes from the methane in its atmosphere, which is even more stormy than Jupiter’s. Neptune in Roman mythology was the equivalent of Poseidon, Greek god of the sea. Neptune was known for his unpredictable temperament, notorious for flying into rages that manifested as storms at sea. The King of Cups is a little more in control of his moods. He rides the churning seas of emotion rather than being shipwrecked by them. He symbolises someone who has their emotions in check, but through awareness and self-control rather than repression. This King has not necessarily conquered powerful feelings, he just knows how to manage them.

King of Swords – Uranus
Uranus is unique among the planets of the solar system in that its axis of rotation is almost horizontal, as if it had been turned on its side. Its magnetic field is also strange – very powerful, and offset from the planet’s centre by a third. In mythology, Uranus was a Greek sky god, husband to Gaia. Uranus’s airy realm is familiar territory to the King of Swords, who represents mastery of the intellect. This King has the ability to be objective, clear-thinking and detached. His judgement is not clouded by emotion, bias, or wishful thinking. Mirroring Uranus’s unusual rotational axis, he has the ability to turn things on their head and look at the world from unexpected angles.

King of Pentacles – Saturn
Saturn is a large, gaseous planet with an atmosphere mainly of hydrogen and helium. It’s more than 700 times larger than the Earth, not including its famous rings. These stretch for thousands of kilometres and are mostly made up of ice. The Roman god Saturn (Greek equivalent; Cronus) was the father of Jupiter, King of the gods and had a rather bad reputation as devourer of his own children. The King of Pentacles is an equally powerful ruler but is usually a bit more beneficent in his approach to kingship. However, the devouring habit finds a parallel in the negative associations of Pentacles with greed and desire for material domination. But the King of Pentacles tends to exhibit mastery over the material world in a more positive way. He is canny and knowledgeable in deploying his physical and financial resources and we can call on his hard-headed business sense to keep us on track. This King can roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty to make sure our visions are not thwarted or shunted off track.

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The Queens - Women of Knowledge

Queen of Wands – Venus
Venus is an extremely inhospitable planet that has an atmosphere of carbon dioxide and sulphuric acid, with temperatures hot enough to melt lead. This unfriendly environment seems at odds with the love-and-beauty image of Venus, but the mythological goddess also rules the passionate emotions that love engenders. These find an apt metaphor in the superheated, seething atmosphere of the planet. The Queen of Wands, like the Greek goddess, has gained a certain level of comfort with powerful emotions. She is the independent, forceful woman who has the courage to be authentic, not cowed by stereotypical notions of femininity. This Queen contains the fiery energy of Wands by being true to her own nature and to the boldness of her grand plan.

Queen of Cups – Andromeda
The constellation Andromeda is best known for containing the galaxy of the same name, which is the closest spiral galaxy to our Milky Way. The mythological Andromeda is famous for being rescued from the sea-monster Cetus by the heroic Perseus. Through no fault of her own she’d been chained to a rock as a sacrifice to Poseidon. Although as modern women we may not respond to this old-fashioned victim kind of archetype, it’s important to remember that sometimes enforced passivity is the only thing that makes us stop what we are doing and reflect. We live in a culture predicated on action and assertion and the Queen of Cups embodies qualities we tend to discount – the ability to be still, meditate, and introspect. This Queen contains the emotional qualities of Cups in a compassionate and tender way, allowing us to slow down and understand our feelings about ourselves and the world.

Queen of Swords - Cassiopeia
Cassiopeia is an easily recognisable constellation for those of us in the northern hemisphere, with its wide, flat W-shape. The mythological Cassiopeia was a bit of a troublemaker. She claimed that her beauty rivalled Poseidon’s sea nymphs, which enraged the unpredictable sea god. As a punishment Cassiopeia’s daughter Andromeda was chained to a rock at sea as a sacrifice to the monster Cetus. When she was rescued by Perseus, Cassiopeia plotted to do him in at their wedding. That’s gratitude for you! The Assyrians give Cassiopeia a rather better press, depicting her as a beneficent grain goddess. The Greek Cassiopeia gives a rather negative impression of the Queen of Swords – more like a permanently reversed version of the card. In most instances this Queen represents a woman who has gained wisdom through experience, and often suffering. She has honed the sword of her mind and gained the maturity to deploy it wisely. She can hold the mental energy of swords in abeyance, knowing when to speak what she knows and when to stay silent.

Queen of Pentacles – Earth
The Earth is unique within the solar system (and as far as we know so far the universe) in that it supports a multitude of life. 70% of it surface is covered by water and its atmosphere is 78% nitrogen and 21% oxygen. This combination of factors – especially the presence of water – is crucial to the Earth’s ability to support life. Our Earth is a series of incredibly complex interlocking systems that all conspire to create and maintain a comfortable environment for life to thrive. In many mythologies, the Earth takes the form of a mother-figure, such as the Greek Gaia. The Queen of Pentacles is a similarly nurturing, maternal figure, symbolising the endless fertility of the natural world. She represents a physical container for the earthy energy of Pentacles and acts as midwife and generous mother to all our ideas, plans and relationships.

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The Knights - Action Men

Knight of Wands – Mars
Mars may once have been very like Earth but has been much altered by asteroid impacts, volcanic eruptions and massive dust storms. Once there may have been water (and perhaps life of some kind), and recent data from the Mars Odyssey mission suggests that there are still large amounts of ice beneath the planet’s surface. Mythologically, Mars is the Roman god of war and, paradoxically, of agriculture. It’s the warlike side of Mars that is represented by the Knight of Wands. The fiery, enthusiastic qualities of Wands are channelled into purposeful activity by the Knight; he may be a fighter, but his aggression is focussed by skill and purpose. He enjoys the energy of combat – his whole reason for being is battle. On the negative side, he may pick a fight just to be able to express this energy. But the knight is brave, skilled and unflagging and you will need his energy to keep going in the face of opposition or difficulty.

Knight of Cups – Perseus
Perseus is a large constellation that is known for its binary star system Algol as well as the Perseids, a famously dramatic meteor shower. In mythology Perseus was the son of the god Zeus and a mortal woman. He had an adventurous life, famously severing the head of the gorgon Medusa and rescuing the princess Andromeda from a sea monster. In a way he’s the archetypal romantic hero. The Knight of Cups symbolises this idealised active male, taking the qualities of skill and action into the realm of dreams and emotions. He is like a Grail Knight on a perpetual quest, seeking visions and ideals rather than material gain. His inspired, idealistic energy spurs us on to something greater than ourselves.

Knight of Swords – Hercules
The constellation Hercules is not particularly distinctive but does contain the well-known Hercules Cluster, one of the most beautiful globular star clusters in the night sky. The mythological Hercules is synonymous with physical strength. He was the son of Zeus and a mortal mother, and loved by all the gods except Zeus’s wife Hera. His famous labours were a result of Hera’s campaign of persecution against him. Like Hercules, the Knight of Swords never backs off from conflict, though he is more often armed with words than weapons. This Knight fights intellectual rather than physical battles and he’s at his best in defence of a just cause. He needs a purpose, or he might start an argument just for the sake of it.

Knight of Pentacles – Centaurus
Centaurus is a very large southern-hemisphere constellation full to the brim with phenomena. It contains the tiny Proxima Centauri (the nearest star to our sun), the binary system Alpha Centauri and the galaxy Centaurus A, which may contain a black hole. The constellation depicts Chiron the Centaur, the archetypal teacher of Greek mythology. Centaurs have a dubious reputation in mythology but Chiron was different. He was famous for training and educating heroes like Jason and Hercules as well as being a skilled healer. Accidentally wounded by Hercules, Chiron gained much of his wisdom from his unsuccessful attempts to cure himself. The Knight of Pentacles has many of Chiron’s qualities of patience and fortitude. He is a bit of a plodder compared with the other Knights but has the stickability to see a project through to the end. He represents small, patient steps rather than giant leaps.

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Quantum Tarot on the Tarot Connection

A couple of weeks ago, Chris Butler and I did an interview with Leisa ReFalo for her Tarot Connection podcast.

Leisa is a tarot reader based in Portland, Oregon. For the last two years or so, she has single-handedly produced the Tarot Connection podcast, which as far as I know is the only podcast on the net dedicated exclusively to tarot (if I'm wrong, please get in touch because I'd love to know of any others). It's always an interesting listen, as she combines interviews with practising readers with artists and authors of the tarot. I think she must have talked to practically everyone in the tarot world by now. There's usually a reading somewhere along the way in her interviews, and ours was no exception. Towards the end, you can hear me doing a live reading for Chris using the Quantum Tarot and one of the spreads listed in our book.

Leisa is also a one-woman publishing house. She has produced new limited editions of such gems as Ellen Lorenzi-Prince's Tarot of the Crone, Robert Place's Alchemical Tarot, Kat Black's Touchstone Tarot and her own Tarot of Color.

The interview is available here, along with Leisa's detailed show notes. These include images of the cards we discussed and some more in-depth background about the Quantum. Oh and there are some free desktop wallpapers that Chris designed too!

We had a long and (I think) very interesting conversation - I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. Leisa is very good at letting people talk, just coming in at strategic moments with a question or comment. I've long been a fan of the Tarot Connection and I'm really proud that the Quantum has been featured alongside such luminaries as Robert Place, Ciro Marchetti, Kat Black and many more...

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The Pages – Getting In Touch With Your Inner Child

Page of Wands – Orion
Orion is one of the most recognisable constellations for those of us in the northern hemisphere, with its characteristic broken-X shape. The Ancient Egyptians named it Sahu, the soul of Osiris. The name Orion comes from Greek mythology – he was a hunter loved by Artemis. Apollo tricked her into killing him and in her grief she placed his body in the heavens (the Greek Gods seemed to be very fond of doing this).
Orion is one of Greek myth’s many action men. His impulsiveness (some might say uncontrolled aggression) is typical of the Page of Wands. Pages represent children and childlike energy, and in Wands this youthful enthusiasm is most directly and physically expressed. This Page turns up to augur new ideas, projects, passions – anything that’s got you all worked up and ready for action.

Page of Cups – Ophiuchus
The constellation Ophiuchus is entwined with another constellation, Serpens, and the mythological Ophiuchus’ name in Greek means “serpent bearer.” He is associated with Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, who was taught healing by a snake. Asclepius was killed by Zeus for daring to raise the dead, then immortalised in the heavens in recognition of his skills. Ophiuchus/Asclepius was receptive to information from the natural world (the snake), and this gave him healing skills that seemed magical. The Page of Cups represents this receptivity and healing ability – at least in potential. Because he is a Page, his skills have not yet been tried, but his open-heartedness and playful delight in learning make him a sponge for soaking up information on an intuitive level.

Page of Swords – Mercury
Mercury is the nearest planet to the Sun and the second smallest after Pluto. Its surface resembles the Moon; full of impact craters and distinctly lacking in atmosphere. Mercury was the messenger of Roman mythology (the equivalent of the Greek Hermes). He ruled all forms of communication, from speech to writing (and today he’d happily preside over radio, TV and the net). The Page of Swords is the ultimate student of communication. He only stops talking long enough to check his email or send a text or IM. His boundless desire for information can become gossipy or shallow, for this Page does not discriminate in terms of quality. He represents the curious child in us who is forever asking “why?”

Page of Pentacles –Bootes, the Herdsman
The constellation of Bootes contains one of the sky’s brightest stars – Arcturus. In Greek mythology Bootes is better known as Arcturus, which means “guardian of the bear.” In one version of the legend, Bootes earned his place in the stars by inventing the plough. This association with earthy practicality is appropriate for the Page of Pentacles, who represents the qualities of the careful and diligent student. Here the flighty enthusiasm of the Pages is grounded, indicating someone who is inexperienced but also dedicated and tenacious. This Page represents the application of a new idea to everyday reality; the creating of real, practical strategies to put our ideas into action.


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The Tens – Completing the Circle

10 of Wands – Neutron Star
When a very big star dies it explodes as a supernova and its core collapses into a small, bright and extremely dense remnant known as a neutron star. Neutron stars are so compacted that they are the heaviest form of matter known to exist. This sense of heaviness is aptly reflected in the 10 of Wands, where all this weight and density has become a burden. The completion implied by the ten becomes overkill in wands; the load has become just too much to carry. This is the card of the control freak at breaking point, unwilling or unable to share or delegate. The fiery energy of wands has become consuming rather than inspiring.

10 of Cups – Spiral Galaxy
Our own galaxy, the Milky Way, is a spiral galaxy and this is probably how we imagine them all to be – a ball-like core with long, swirling arms containing billions of stars. These spiral arms are bursting with activity, full of stars being born and dying. The glorious abundance of star birth shown in the 9 of Cups is taken one step further to create this swirling cycle of life. Galaxies go on for a long time, and this long-term abundance and happiness is symbolised in the 10 of Cups. This is the enduring contentment of a happy marriage rather than the heady thrill of a quick affair. The 10 of Cups is one of the most beneficent cards in the tarot, presaging emotional satisfaction lasting a lifetime.

10 of Swords - Star Death
Very large stars die in dramatic explosions known as supernovae. The explosion throws off layers of material that go on to form sculpted clouds of dust and gas. The effects of gravity pull these clouds into beautiful formations and patterns known as planetary nebulae. The 10 of Swords shows a situation where the worst has just happened – the “explosion” in your life has come and gone and you are left with its remnants. This ten is not much liked or anticipated in a tarot reading, but there is a positive aspect to it. If you have experienced an all-time low in your life, an utter defeat or terrible blow, the 10 of Swords indicates that the worst is over and a new (and perhaps beautiful) dawn is about to break.

10 of Pentacles – Solar System
The solar system comprises the sun, the nine known planets and a belt of asteroids. All the planets probably evolved from stellar dust left over from the birth of the sun, so in a way they are all “related.” The solar system is like the harmonious family symbolised in the traditional 10 of Pentacles. All the planets orbit in the same direction and on the same plane (with the exception of Pluto, the black sheep of the family!). Like a diverse, multi-generational family sharing the commonality of blood, the planets share the sun’s sustenance but have little else in common. This ten does not have quite the same sense of harmonious contentment as the 10 of Cups. Instead it has a sense of a disparate group united by common cause. There are tensions and imperfections, but happiness is achieved through mutual tolerance and creative compromise.


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A Quantum Tarot Reading

This week I decided to have a spur-of-the-moment reading competition over at Aeclectic Tarot Forum. The first person to post on the Quantum Tarot thread got a free 3-card reading here on my blog.

The winner was la-luna, who wanted to ask about relationship issues. I decided to use Rachel Pollack's no-nonsense Do/Don't do spread which is very good at cutting to the heart (no pun intended!) of these kinds of questions.

So...

What does la-luna need to do about love and relationships right now?
1. Issue (central card) - Queen of Pentacles
2. Don't do (left-hand card) - XXI The World
3. Do (right-hand card) - XIII Death

1. Issue: Queen of Pentacles
My first response to this, la-luna, is that you're probably going through a bit of a nesting phase, right now. You may have been playing the field for a while, but perhaps you feel like settling down and getting nice and comfortable with one special person. You're in a receptive, feminine space and you may want to forget about being a party animal and curl up in front of the TV with a pizza and a regular, faithful lover. This card makes me think that you're looking for a steady, secure relationship rather than wild, shipwrecked passion!

2. Don't do: XXI The World
If you think you're close to achieving your ideal relationship, don't count your chickens! You say you have two suitors at the moment; you might be thinking that one of them is bound to work out, but this isn't necessarily the case. I would be prepared for neither of them to work out - at least in the short term. You're not there yet, and perhaps you're not ready to choose just one, or indeed either, of them. Perhaps you need to spend a bit longer getting to know them both? You may also need to consider that you and they may not have the same kind of romantic involvement in mind.

3. Do: XIII Death
Always a bummer in a relationship reading! I think you have to be prepared to let both of them go. Not that it's definitely not going to work out, but perhaps you need to detach from your idea of how things are going to go, then you can be more open to what is actually happening. To me, this card indicates the death of an idea of relationship. Perhaps your cosy, by-the-fire, queen-of-pents vision isn't such a good one after all - at least for you. You may think that this way of being suits you, but this card seems to suggest that it may be getting in the way of real opportunities for relationship.

The quintessence card for the reading is VII The Chariot. I think you need to be a bit cagey here, and not fall into anything too headlong and rash. Keep flirting and take your time! Once you get to know these two people better, you'll be able to make a more conscious choice.

La-luna hope this makes some kind of sense for you :) If anyone else has some thoughts on these cards, please feel free to leave a comment. I'd be very interested to hear another take on this.


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