Each deck is different in the order and content of their Trump cards. Most of the time the High Preistess is the third trump. This card varies from deck to deck in it's depiction and in mine she is a Preistess that sits between the two pillars of the Tree of Life in the Kabalah. She balances and is the middle pillar herself. Over and center of her head is the cresent moon and the background is a very pretty shade of blue representing night, although not the darkest aspect of night. She sits upon a step and is naked. She looks totally calm and peaceful, if not somewhat happy.
 The high preistess is a natural progression in spritual matters from the beginning of the Fool and the Majus. She is where we begin to realize that there indeed is more to life then having control over circumstances and situations. She is where we begin to seek the higher inititations into deeper truths and wisdoms. She heralds in flucutation and change as this is what happens when we progress. She indeed imbodies the Highest of initiations we have in life.
 In matters of the heart the High Preistess challenges us to take on extra burden without becomming swamped. She lets us know we have the natural ability to woo people, or perhaps someone in our life as in our love interest does this quite naturally and well. If she is poorly aspected then what we can expect is giving our all for little in return. The High Preistess also speaks to the caregiver and leader in us as well as the healer. In matters of the heart it is very easy for us to get caught up in caring for someone and giving our all and then neglecting ourselves. When she shows up in this sort of reading it is vital to pay attention to w3hat is around her as the message will be very clear.
 In intellectual matters she is the joining of mind and spirit. Bringing here to the material plane that which normally is on the spritual. Her gift is to teach and be very clear about her teachings. She is a natural at this. She is a leader and cotinually trys to solve the unsolvable problems.  Her mind, unlike the Majus is balanced with emotional input as well as intellectual and she indeed strives to balance both and encourages others to do the same. She is fair and just and does not choose one side over the other. She reserves her judgement until all data is in. Unlike the Majus however, she does not ruin on information alone, but sees the bigger picture and motives behind actions. These too factor in her thinking.
In material matters she heralds a time of change. These changes are natural and nessisary. They can be for good or ill and even if things seem to be changing for the better it is often far wiser to temper your exuberence with caution as these changes can take a nasty backlash. It is not intentional, only the way that energy happens to flow and how things must be in order for them to find a natural balance. She indeed can signal many changes all at once and much like a great storm she can upset many things all at once,ho9wever, once the storm is over and the debris is cleared away we are left with a frshe start and far more wisome to proceed on the next leg of our journey.
 The caustions of the High Preistess is simple. Do not neglect our own developemnt and lives for another. Cut loose that which is no longer useful be it a habit, a person or relationship, even a job. care for others as you can but always remember to care for you first.
  

After the Fool comes the Magus in the Major Arcana. The Magus usually depicts a man in front of his alter with wand, cup and athame or cerimonial daggar shown. He looks as if he is in total control and has not worries about his world or life.In other depeictions the Majus may bear a resemblance to Mercury, the God of course and have various objects swirling around him. usually these objects are scales, books, compass and other mathematical tools.
 The Majus is the awakneing of ones awareness of control. He begins to realize that he is in control of his physical life and journey. He is the intellect that is sharpened and honed to be keen and insightful.He realizes that through adroitness, skill and majick invocation he can control his immediate world around him with great accuracy and precision.  He is the realization that his life is his own and he is in control. This card also is indicative of mastery of occult skills and knowledge and the ability to use these.
 
In Spiritual matters the Majus lets us know he has ( or we) broken through the illusions of powerless and helplessness and know we are in control. He has made the connections between the higher self, the material world and the Gods. He too is begining to realize the significance in this connection and the power it brings.  If the Majus is aspected to the better then he usues his new found power well and to the benift of himself and others. If not he turns into a power monger, and is ruthless and selfish in his acts. The Universe will allow us to have whatever it is we want, and power is one of those things. However, the Universe will exact a price and this too the Majus will either understand through preveious works or will become intoxicated with his own power and eventually snare himself with it.

In Intellectual matters the Majus indicates intelligence and skill as well as agility in ones thinking. The Majus is a formidable business oponent for indeed his mind does not nessisarily focus on the bottom line, but all things around it. he can see the problem from every angle and to some this may appear to be somewhat preturnatural, however it is the result of a well trained mind. Again, how the Majus usess his abilitites is up to him, but the fact that he has them and is aware is what is key.

In emotional matters the Majus too usess his mind to dictate to his heart what is right and good. He has begun to tame his desires and emotions in favor of higher thinking and seeing. He will sacrifice one for the other. Too, the Majus has found control in his life and expects this out of others, or at least the willingness to learn. He can be a very hard partner for one who does not see him clearly nor understand his Nature. The Majus usually prefers a lot of alone time to devote to his training and Craft. The result is that he can appear to be aloof and unemotional, but this if far from the truth, he merely understands the price that one must pay to gain this higher training and wisdom. For the one who is partnered with the Majus they must take a good look at this one, for he will not change his nature and will either bend you to his will (if poorly apsected in a reading) or leave you. There is no beating the Majus in matters of the heart, there is only understanding and accepting what is, not projecting what should be.

In the Occult department the Majus is formidable. Due to the fact he does not think the way the average person nor his his ethics the same he will not hesistate to use his skills to protect and defend those he loves and that which he has. He has worked very hard to master himself, and will allow nothing to undermine this work. He will work on all levels to benefit those whom he loves and perceives as being under his protection and to defend them. The Majus continually seeks knowlegde on many levels. Nothing is taboo to him and even if he never uses many things he learns he still prefers to learn and understand.

For the person that the Majus card is the significater this is a remarkable start. It is important that htis not be where one stops in their developement however. The Majus is all about finally awakening to ones potential and control over ones circumstances. We have ceased to be the Fool wandering and have become direct in our purpose and intent. The Majus is truly the first awakening of a person.

 Many times as a reader I have people come to me and want a 'sneak peak' into their lives and futures and as a reader that is the basics of what I do. However sometimes it can be difficult when the querent has questions and you aren't certain whether you should or should not answer them. A Querent will often times make the mistake of thinking that not only is their life  an open book for me to read but the lives of those around them as well.

 I have a few basic standards I follow. One is that I do not answer questions related to a third party. Questions such as 'does Jack or Jane love me' are definately out as they are invasive to Jack and Jane. The querent needs to be responcible enough to explore and learn if jack or Jane has feelings for them. If a querent were to ask instead 'How can I be certain that Jack or Jane truly loves me' then that is a different sort of matter as they are asking what sort of action they can take to get their answer. As a reader it is my job to empower my querent to get their answers they need by warning them of possible pit falls and obsticles as well as showing what may be working in their favor as well as actions they can take. It is not my job to delve into the minds and hearts of others. True, the Tarot does have many cards that can signify a certain person and it is fine if it shows up and I inform the querent of the discription of this person as they should know who it is. However, I cannot ethically break into the minds and hearts of anyone but the qerent.

 I also avoid questions about health. For one I am not a doctor and readings should not be used to diagnose health issues at all. Also there is legal ramifications for doing that. It is illegal in most countries to practice medicine or to council on medical matters without a liscence. In essence the best responce I can give someone is to go see their doctor if they have concerns over their health. That does not mean if something comes up about their health I cannot advise them to see their doctor, however I cannot really advise them in specifics.

Another matter is client confidentiality.Readings are very personal and to me personally discussing it with a third party is as unethical as reading about a third party.  I don't read other peoples mail nor tell their secrets they ask me not to tell and this is another part of repsecting another person. People more often than not come to a reader to get council on matters that are important to them. Some are not bothered who knows they consult a reader and others are not so open..that is their choice. Too, many times the information devulged is of a very personal nature.  One thing to keep in mind is that quite often a person will listen to someone reading for them before they will anyone else, whether it is a family member, spouce or councilor. This level of trust demands great respect and sensitivity. If the Querent wishes to broadcast their reading that is their choice, however keeping silent about the content or even who you read for is usually best.

 Some believe that regardless of the type of readings you do that you should not ever be compensated for it at all. Hogwash I say. Regardless of whether I read tarot or read any other form of divination or do open readings I deserve to be paid. Like any other talent  I may have I  put a lot of time and effort in honing that gift and being more accurate with it. Like anything else it is a skill and one that deserves just compensation. I do not however agree with charging an exorbitant amount of money for a reading. Fair price for a fair reading is the rule for me.

One other thing is this. I am only able to delve into the cards or any other form of divination as far as the Universe will allow me to go.  The Universe will only give any reader so much information as it is our own responcibility to handle our own lives and be responcible for them. I am only a guide and like most guides I have a few answers but ultimately it is up to the querent to choose his or her own path. That is all  a part of the growing process and one we must all undertake.

 Readings basically work like street signs on the road, they tell you where you are at and what may be ahead and even what speed to drive. But they cannot tell you how the trip will be or what you may encounter every step of the journey.

Blessed Be

Amanda

The very first card in most traditional tarot decks is the Fool in the Major Arcana. Its number is either 0 or 1 depending on how the deck is numbered. The Fool is where we all begin our journey.Usually the picture on the card is of a young man with a pack over one shoulder. He his walking and not looking at all where he places his feet and has one foot on firm ground and the other stepping off what appears to be the edge of a cliff. Usually the background of this card depicts a bright background. Other version of this card have the Fool literally as the jester in a kingly court.
The Fool in a spiritual sense represents divine innocents and ignorance which is where we all start our journey. He is the seeker, but has a very jovial or carefree attitude about this. Folly can often be his ally. He seems to learn best through errors most of us already know better than to make, however this is a part of his innocence as he does not yet have the enlightenment to know any better. The Fool spiritually is much like a child filled with wonder on a fantastic adventure. he is too filled with wonder on what he sees to over worry about his destination.
The Fool on a material level however  indicates actions that are not thought out clearly and if they should turn out well it is through dumb luck or beginners luck. In this sense the Fool does not carefully weight his options out nor does he think about what he is doing so much as he simply acts on impulse. The Fool many times on a material level indicates actions which are almost assuredly disastrous and are impulsive and brash. The Fool can be very much the child, going purely on wants and desires without care to what is right or good.
On a level of personal relationships the Fool can indicate a person who will do anything for love and regularly hands their hearts out without really analyzing the person or object of affection. This is the epitome of a 'fool for love'.  On the other side of that coin the Fool can indicate foolishness on the part of the querent as in throwing away a relationship that could be the best thing for them. Usually this is through impulsive and selfish actions and accusations that have absolutely no basis in reality. This form of foolishness is destructive and the Fool will show up to indicate that the querent need to heed the warning, you are about to loose a very good thing should you continue this action. 
 In an over all sense the Fool speaks to all of us about our various journeys. We all have to start somewhere and no one starts at the top. We are over and again the Fool in life, starting with no real knowledge and building up from there. Many times while takijng the actions and attitude of the Fool is not advisable, taking the sense of newness and wonder about our world is. This aids us in seeing things in a different perspective then we previously could before.  The Fools journey is the beginning of our quest and development in the major Arcana, the next stop...the Majus.

For those that know me you all probably know I love to read the tarot. I thought what I would do is start a series of blogs, taking the Major Arcana in order and talking about each one a bit. This first Blog will be about the various ways to use and read tarot.
Most are familiar with the scene of going into a dimly lit room with some sort of insence burning and having a mysterious person lay out the cards and foretell your future.
Cool scene right?
In reality reading tarot is an art and takes a lot of practice to become profficient in.  One of the best things for a person just starting out with tarot to do is to get a deck that they can relate to. Usually the art work will make senes to you right off the bat. Also a notebook for journaling your readings is helpful as well as starting out with simple spreads. Other things that help tremendously is a comp[rehensive book on the tarot that includes a few layouts and descriptions of the cards.
 Most decks when bought in a boxed kit comes with a book that gives detailed descriptions of the cards and their meanings. Some also give ideas on meditations used with the major arcana as well. If possible and affordable I recommend one of these kits. If not then of course you work with what you have.
The tarot generally breaks down into three areas. The first is the Major Arcana or Trumps. These cards signify the major events in your life as well as the spritual and psychological influences coming to play. They speak of forces that usually are beyond control in a normal human sense.  Some times they also speak of people in your life that display certain qualities for good or ill. They may even represent a part of yourself that needs to be explored or that is heavily influencing you even if on the subconcious level.
The second level of cards to look at after the Trumps is the court cards. Most often than not these represent social or work situations, people in your life that heavily influence you and even attitudes or mind sets one needs to develope. many times when they represnt people you can figure out who those people are. Usually when it is a court card a breif physical description is given of what this person may look like. According to how your deck is structured will depend on the description of the various suits (which I will get to in a minute).
The third set of cards is the pip cards and they represent the everyday influences surround your question at that time. They number ace through ten and each will speak of various levels of attainment or warning according to it's suit. Aces are usally the beginning of each suit and represent the primal and unmanifested or unmolded energy of that suit.
There are usally four suits, again you have to learn your deck as many now are structured differently.Traditionally these suits are Swords, Wands, Disks and Cups
Swords usually represent the element of air and will indicate intellectual forces and movements in ones life for good or ill. Swords can also indicate a journey, usually physical  to another place.
Cups represents the element of water and presides over the emotions and unseen influences of your nature. This covers impressions and intuitive thinking. The suit of cups, for good or ill, indicates memeories and nostalgia as well.
Wand represents the physical and spritual development or place a person holds as well as business . Wands can indicate energy it's self in it's most temporal forms. This energy can be your physical energy, spritual energy  or someone elses that will be or is influencing your life.
Disks is ruled by elemental earth and represents  as well as presides over not just monetary issues but security and stability issues as well. The suit of disks  is thought by many to pertain to money or prospertiy only but this is a limited scope. Disks also covers the lengths we go to so that we feel secure mentally and emotionally.
These descriptions are by no means in depht at all.They are intended as a basic guide to introduce on to some of the meanings of the various suits.
The next blog on the tarot I will write will start with the Major Arcana and the first card in it..the Fool.
Blessed Be
Amanda