Tarot: Your Life in Twenty-one Steps by Jeanne Mayell

Most people dont realize the Tarot presents a map of your life. It is a 21-
step journey from novice (or child) to mastery and enlightenment. It is filled with
ancient stories that have lasted because of their truth. If you understand the journey
and the wisdom hidden in the stories, youll see the big picture of your own life. Its
like one of those trail maps that shows you the whole forest and then points to a
spot on the map that says, YOU ARE HERE.

Life as the Fools Journey. Everyones journey, whether it is his or her whole life
or some aspect of it, begins as a child or novice. In the Tarot, the novice is called
the Fool whose number is 0 because he is a blank slate.

Ask a question and pull a card. The best answers come from learning to
ask questions that illicit insight. You could ask, Where am I right now on my
journey? Or, where am I right now in my career, relationship, or spiritual practice?
Or what is there for me to know about (my health, my parenting, or any aspect
of my life)?

If you have a Tarot deck, pull out the 22 Major Arcana, also called the Trump cards
and draw from them for your answer. Then you can look up what Ive written about
that card here or in any Tarot book (although I like what Ive written herelol).

If you dont have a deck, no worries. You can write down numbers 1 through 21 on
slips of paper, then after asking your question, with eyes closed, choose a number.
Then look up the meaning below of the Trump card that corresponds to that
number. Or you can close your eyes and run your fingers up and down the cards
on this page, not looking directly at them, until you feel its time to stop. Now note
what card you are pointing at. Youll have your answer by reading below about the
card that corresponds to that number. If you are between cards, then read about
both. If you read about all of the 21 steps, you will see your life in greater
perspective.

You can also use this article to learn the Trump cards so you can read
without a book. Ive greatly simplified and boiled down the very complex
meanings of these cards. You can also read about the card you pick in any of some
good books, which Ive listed at the end.

The Major Arcana (using Aleister Crowleys Thoth Tarot for illustration)

0. The Fool. The Fool is about to take off. Hes got his bags packed hobo
style, hes got a silly grin, and hes going to lunge forward unaware of what
hazards are there. He is full of energy, innocent, devilish,
a bit foolish although fun loving, and utterly clueless
like a five-year-old child or freshman college boy. He is
you when you eagerly begin some new endeavor,
whether it is a relationship, a job, or anything at all . He
might be some guy whos coming onto you, but might
not be too serious beyond physical attraction, although
it could develop into something over time. While he can
be reckless, he has the freshness and clarity of a
beginner mind, a naive boldness, and the potential to do
great things. If you pull this card: Youre at the
beginning, whether its a new relationship or a new job
or anything in which you are at that heady, early stage.
Go for it! The Fool might also be someone youre
thinking about who is Fool-like, appears sincere but may
be a bit immature. Have fun with him, as long as you
understand his Fool nature which will change as he matures.
Keywords: child, novice, beginner.

STAGE 1: TRUMPS I to VII: THE JOURNEY TO ADULTHOOD OR

INDEPENDENCE. This is the beginning of a journey. It is the phase in which you
get equipped to manage on your own.
 I. The Magus or Magician: The Fool begins his
journey with two gifts. The first is the gift of
communication as symbolized by Mercury, the messenger
god. Also known as the Magician in most traditional Tarot
decks, this card represents the power of the spoken
word. Mercury is everything that language can create a
teacher, a healer, conjurer, trickster, a presenter, a
salesperson, and a teacher. His gift is communication and
his words make ideas and inspirations concrete. If you pull
this card: teaching and/or presenting may be one of your
strengths, and it may be time to embrace that role in your
life. Notice that Mercury is happy and uses many tools of
the trade to be a messenger of spirit. Keywords: Gifted
teacher, conjurer, presenter, joyful communicator.

II. Priestess: The second gift our Fool (and all of us) are born
with is intuition, symbolized by the priestess. Ruled by the
moon with the light blue colors of spirit, this card represents the
pure unadulterated intuition that is wired into every human
being. If you pulled this card: You are using your intuition
and also may be gifted in this area. It comes from universal
consciousness and youll find it by learning to get in touch with
your bodys senses, as in mindfulness meditation practices,
including yoga. Keyword: Intuition. Message: trust your
intuition.
 III. Empress. Equipped with language and intuition, the Fool
now meets the first and most important other in his world:
his mother. This fourth trump card corresponds to the fourth
Hebrew letter, daleth, which means door, since the mother is
the door to all of life. Like the swan at her side, she is earthy,
creative, commanding, loyal, nurturing, and fiercely protective
of her young. She is counterbalanced by her consort, the
Emperor, who her head is turned towards in the Thoth tarot
deck. If you pull this card: you will draw upon the strength of
your inner queen, empress, or mother to guide you. Also a
strong mother figure is operating in your life.
Keywords: mother, matriarch.

IV. Emperor. After mother, the Fool then meets his father.
If the Empress is the archetypal matriarch, the Emperor is
the archetypal patriarch. Like all symbols, these two
characters are multifaceted, existing on many levels from
strong, solid, leader, job creator, protector, and
entrepreneur; to negative, petty, controlling, and cruel. In
his most exalted form he is as strong and tough as he is
kind and protective. His fiery colors indicate action,
solidity, and the sign of the ram, Aries, cardinal fire energy
of the innovator and person of action. If you pull this
card: you are dealing with patriarchy, the father figure in
your life, both inside and outside of you. It could be in your partner, your boss, your
real father, or yourself. Your best bet is to be like the emperor in his best form -
strong, creative, commanding, protective, while also kind. Also, dont forget to have
his very excellent boundaries. To determine if this is a good or bad emperor, see if
you can sense how he looks to you. For example, he good or threatening?
Keywords: Father, patriarch.
 V. Hierophant or Pope. After the father, the Fool child
has come of age to meet a higher authority than his
parents. In the 15th century when the Tarot first
appeared, this was the Pope. Today it can mean the
law, government, a schoolteacher, a spiritual teacher, a
person you look up to, or really any higher authority. He
is grounded by the powerful forces of tradition as
symbolized by the great land beasts the bull and the
elephant. He can represent wisdom in his highest form,
as well as the pettier and controlling leaders some
people follow. If you pull this card: you are going to
be drawing from the guidance of a higher authority.
Remember to use this energy to support you, take
what resonates and leave what does not feel right.
Keywords: higher authority, teacher.

VI. Lovers. After teacher or higher authority, the Fool

child now meets his peers and may move into
partnership, find love, and eventually enter into marriage.
The union is blessed and even ushered by angels, and
is ruled by Gemini, the twins. Keywords: marriage,
lovers, siblings, family. If you pull this
card: marriage, family, and/or partnership are on your
plate, may be your lesson or your strength, and play a
huge role in your life. Keywords: lovers, marriage,
partnership, siblings, twins.
VII. Chariot. Finally the child now strikes out on his own to find his independence,
perhaps this means career, perhaps just being his own person. He wears protective
armor and sits lotus style on a chariot that will take him on the next leg of his
journey. If you pull this card: independence is yours at this time, or is your next
step, or you may be dealing with someone who is behaving independently of
you. Whether the figure is you or someone important to you, the behavior is self-
sufficiency. This phase of maturity is essential to thrive, and thrive you
will! Keywords: Independence, career.

STAGE 2: TRUMPS VIII to XVI: The Fool has now reached adulthood, passed the
milestones of relationship, family, and career. Contrary to what fairytales led us to
believe as children, life does not stop at this point with happily ever after. This is the
point when you begin to find out who you really are beneath the expectations and
the childhood efforts to grow up. This is when the journey gets interesting. It begins
with the next card, which is a sensitivity to how karma is working in your life.
VIII. Adjustment or Justice. The Adjustment card depicts the scales of Libra, and
shows us that karma is operating every moment. Since the movement of all energy
in life is as exact as the laws of physics, each action we make creates a shift in the
balance of things, both within us and outside of us. These waves of energy then
travel throughout the universe and return to affect us. Like the blindfolded figure, we
cannot see the effects of our actions, unless we are acutely sensitive to how
we affect others. Like the Libra figure standing on tiptoe, karma is exact and even
the slightest wave of energy will shift the equilibrium. As Lao Tzu said, the wise
masters proceed as carefully as if crossing an iced over stream. If you pull this
card: you are feeling the effect of your actions on others and of others on you, or
you might simply be waiting and listening for karma to unfold. Keywords: karma,
balance, justice.

IX. Hermit. After the Fool has reached adulthood, had his own relationship or
family (the Lovers card), achieved independence with a career (the Chariot), he may
for the first time pull away from others and turn within. Everyone needs to go
through this period of introspection. The monk-like figure sits in the
darkness turning inward for inner light, grasping the lamp of enlightenment, which is
symbolized by the sun. Occasionally he achieves a glimpse of insight when the
grains of life part to reveal the orphic egg symbol of light from which everything
emanates. If you pull this card, trust your need for solitude right now even if you
didnt seek it on purpose. Keyword: solitude, turning within, meditation, aloneness.

X. Fortune or Wheel. This card represents the halfway point of the Fools journey
and shows how all life pivots on chance. Life is a game of Chutes and Ladders, and
we know how easy it is to be boosted up or knocked down. The lesson is that it
matters less whether our fortunes are up or down, but how we ride the wheel. Like
all the great Trumps, this card is neither good nor bad, but the way it feels in a
reading depends on how you feel when you look at it after asking a question. It
simply refers to the choppy waves of life rocking your boat. If you want to know
how youre faring, ask yourself how the riders look to you on that wheel? Are you
drawn to the one who is hanging off the sides for dear life, or are you noticing the
sphinx sitting confidently on top? Whoever you notice, does he look strong,
clueless, or fearful to you? If you pull this card: You are operating in the midst of
upheaval. Notice how you ride the wheel. Keywords: luck (good and bad), chance,
hazard.
 XI. Lust or Strength. This is about the time on your journey that you may find
your passion, or feel the power of desire. We need the strength that comes from
passion, and the desire to move it forward in life. The woman on the back of the
lion is fire energy personified. She is passion, creativity, that eat-your-heart-out
power of going for what one loves. The world is at your command when you are
passionate about something. If you pull this card, youve got a message to share
that flows through you like fire, and you will influence the world. Keywords:
strength, will, passion, charisma.

XII. Hanged Man. Having experienced the heady power of passion (Lust or
Strength card), the Fool now hits the limit of his abilities to control his situation. He
feels like he is hanging upside down by his toes, with no way out. He has lost all
control over his situation and can only turn it over to the Universe, otherwise he will
become exhausted. The wisdom is to relax and wait, and know that this too shall
pass. The background shows a promise land awaiting him if he can just breathe
and be patient. This card comes up when you cant do anything to change a
situation. This is the card of our age watching world violence, suffering of so many,
and a planet heating up with no way to get the polluters to stop. If you pull this
card, you are powerless to effect your situation. You can, however, surrender to it,
relax into it, and turn it over to the universe. Wise action will eventually be yours.
When youve learned surrender, you can handle anything. Keyword: Surrender.

XIII. Death. Once the Fool surrenders, he can fully let go. This card does not
usually mean death of a persons body, although it can. Usually it refers to a letting
go, with all the lessons and insights that accompany that situation. Death is not only
a painful ending, a cutting of all ties by the grim reaper who wields his scythe, but it
is transformation, as shown by the spirits rising up as the threads are cut. If you
pull this card, youre letting go of something. The sooner you allow this ending,
the sooner will be your transformation to new beginnings. Keywords: death, letting
go, transformation.

XIV. Art or Temperance. It is around this time in your journey that you need the
wisdom of this card to get you through. We see a woman divided into many
opposite parts working together as she performs a task.

When we are in balance, our many parts fit together into

one congruent whole person, like a great work of art.
But often we tuck away our shadow selves, only to have
them operate at cross-purposes beneath the surface,
draining our energy and our health. The Art card, called
Temperance in other decks, shows us the importance
balancing all our many parts. If you pull this
card, there may be inner conflict. You try to show a
happy face, but deep within you are holding something
untenable. Its time to get in touch with all your parts and allow even the most
painful to be felt and processed. Eventually you achieve a lovely integration when
all the parts are in balance. In this event, you have a work of art, where ordinary
parts come together to form something divine. Watch where your eye takes you
and how you feel when you see it, and youll get the
message. Keywords: balance, integration.

XV. Devil. Before Christianity, the pagans saw the horned goat god Pan as the god
of nature. He was sardonic, matter-of-fact, and sexual
like the goat. He does not kowtow to humans because
Nature always has the last word. Early Christians didnt
like the unrepressed sexuality of paganism and they
rebranded Pan as evil. If you look closely, you may see
his wry smile. You may also see life force or libido. Or you
may see someone confrontational, nasty, and
domineering. Its your call whether you choose a pagan
or Judeo-Christian interpretation. Either way, hes in your
face, telling you that nature is in charge, whether its
sexual desire, someones ego, or the climate, so get
used to it. If you pull this card: You might be
facing opposition. Try to step out of the way, dont
engage. Keywords: Dominance, sexual power,
unyielding confrontation.

XVI The Tower. Everyone is afraid of the Tower, the scariest card in the deck. It is
the point in our lives when major structures to which we have clung are now
collapsing. Its the shedding of a skin that happens when someone loses a job or a
marriage, or when someone fails at something, or experiences a breakdown of their
world order. Watch where your eye goes when you are reading this card. Your eye
will fixate on the part of the card that fits your situation. Perhaps its the large third
eye that sees what is happening and understands that this is a rite of passage.
Perhaps its the dove that escapes from the burning building like a phoenix rising
from the ashes. Your eye will provide the insight you need. No matter how cruel the
Tower may feel, as long as you face the loss and allow old structures to fall away,
you will move onto the Star, the next stage for the fool, which stands for hope and
redemption. If you pull the Tower you are facing your worst fears. Remember that
your pain comes from holding tightly to old structures you have outgrown. Time to
remember the lessons of surrender (Hanged Man), disengaging from opposition
(Devil), letting go (Death), and turning inward (Hermit). Allow the waves of emotion
to crash over you, and they will recede. Transformation and hope are next.
Keywords: collapse of structures, deep fears.

STAGE 3: TRUMPS 17 THROUGH 21: ASCENT

Having endured the descent into the dark night of the soul, you have hit bottom,
learned wisdom, and are now rising to the light. In the next few steps, you are
connecting to heavenly bodies the stars, moon, and sun for it is in raising your
own consciousness to the vastness of the whole universe that you will find
enlightenment and grace.

XVII. Star. The Star represents hope, redemption, and new beginnings after loss, a
fresh new morning after a devastating storm. You have passed through the worst,
and now energy from the heavens is sending you into a state of grace. The figure is
Nuith, the sky goddess of the heavens, who nurtures and protects us all. Ruled by
Aquarius, the consciousness of higher mind, this card is about hope,
the redemption that comes when we see life from the perspective of the whole
universe. Its about the understanding that there is a plan, a cyclical path that
nurtures us all. If you pull this card, you have new hope and an understanding
that there is a star out there working in your favor. You are now ascending towards
the light. Keywords: Hope, redemption, grace, trust.

XVIII. Moon. Everyone knows the moon, that mysterious heavenly constantly
changing body that we gaze at with wonder. It refers to the unconscious, the
ultimate mysteries, the unknown, the female principle, moods, cycles, and our own
inner journey into the unseen. We confront the mystery of the moon on our way to
the light because now we have inner light to carry us through the darkness. We see
mystery as beautiful, and when the moon disappears every month, we know it will
reemerge whole, just as we will. If you pulled this card, you are dealing with the
unknown, with unsolvable mysteries. You simply cannot know what will happen.
You are, however, equipped to venture into this situation without knowing. You will
then emerge from the other side into the light. Keywords: mystery, unconscious,
unknown.
XIX. Sun. Having accepted our fears and the darkness, we can finally step out into
the sun and dance in the light. The 19th Trump card finds us free, playful as naked
children playing in the sun. The sun is everyones deity, the god of gods. If you pull
this card, expect to experience a childs exuberance. If this card appears when
you ask about a relationship, you are sensing someone with whom you can laugh
and play.

Nearing the end of our final ascent, we are close to achieving mastery. We have
experienced lifes woes and uncertainties, understood and surrendered to things
we cannot change, and suffered heartbreaking loss. Through all this, we have
learned to hope, to live comfortably with the unknown, to brave the darkness, let go
of the past, and play like children. Keywords: joy, light, gratitude.

XX. Aeon or Judgment. This card represents the step before mastery or final
decision, the moment in which we ask that last ditch question before making a final
plunge. It shows our inner child wondering what to make of the world or some part
of it, or a person in it. Its about a final evaluation of ourselves at the end of life;
about questioning the project were doing just as we approach mastery, or the
career weve worked so hard to master, the marriage weve made, the people
weve invested in. Its a final evaluation that questions our underlying motives, or the
motives of someone we thought we knew. If you pull this card, you are trying to
evaluate a decision, a person, or a group. Keywords: evaluation, new beginning,
open-minded wondering.

XXI. Universe or World. Finally it all comes together for our Fool and for you. We
all want to achieve mastery, and when we do, this card shows how it feels and
what it means. Like the dancing figure in the center, you can groove with the
complex swirling forces of the whole universe. You now live your life in a state of
flow, fed by a powerful intuition (see the third eye), relaxed, and fully integrated in
body, mind, and spirit. The world is your oyster! If you pull this card, you are fully
equipped for whatever endeavor you undertake. You are a master.
Keywords: mastery, enlightenment.

The Journey Continues. Although we are never back where we started, the
journey starts again with the Fool, only we are more evolved. Thats because our
trajectory is a spiral, not a circle, so we seem to come full circle, but we are further
along in our path.

Further reading: For a brilliantly written analysis of the Tarot as a life

journey, read Theodore Roszaks pamphlet Fools Cycle/Full Cycle: Reflections on
the Great Trumps of the Tarot where the late Stanford scholar analyzed the cards
as a life cycle in the tradition of Western thought from Dante to Freud. If you are
using the Thoth deck (pictured here), another good book is Gerd Zieglers Tarot:
Mirror of the Soul.