During my emo phase of middle school, I decided to test out a new hobby: tarot cards. Yes, those are the fancy looking cards that lay around in Urban Outfitters. The majority of people buy them to display how edgy they are, but thanks to my emo phase, I know how to read them. Throughout the years, I have realized that the tarot card’s power comes from the tarot reader, for there isn’t one uniform definition of each card. This is because many people have their own interpretations of what the cards display. Since I still do readings, I decided to formulate a personal master list of my top five favorite tarot cards.
- Death
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This might be the most dreaded card in the deck, but it’s an unlikely favorite of mine. The symbol means “a loss” or “things coming to an end.” This can mean either physical death, or the demise of a relationship or event in your life. The tarot image depicts death riding on a white horse, and there is also a bishop, which can be an indication of something big happening. The foreground pictures a child and the background shows the rising sun. This is such a powerful card in so many ways. Death is known to be bad, but it’s one inevitable aspect of life. The sun and child resemble that with death comes rebirth. When viewing this card, it’s good to be cautious. Something big is going to happen, but it’s okay to allow things to come to an end. This is a way to start over, so when you’re contemplating on keeping the relationship you’re in, don’t. This card symbolizes the ultimate release, as the sun will still rise at the end of the day. No matter what it’ll all be okay in the end. Hold on to those important people, and don’t dwell on the negative people that you come across!
- The Fool
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Typically this card is a symbol of ignorance. The fool card displays a sunny background with a man looking blissful. There’s usually a dog in the foreground of the card. The happiness that is displayed on this card is odd. The fool card showcases happiness, however there remain elements of darkness throughout the symbol. The fool only cares about the good and ignores the bad. This is my second favorite card in a deck because it teaches a good warning. To be carefree, sometimes the bad results in something better. On the flip side, when you see the good, be prepared for that (hidden) bad side.
- The Devil
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This card is a symbol of temptations. The card depicts a devil with a man and a woman at the bottom. There is also a fire present in the background. When people usually come across a devil, they assume it to be evil. This certain devil is about lust and temptations. Sometimes people or things persuade us into what isn’t morally right. This card is a warning of an upcoming temptation that might result in something bad. The reason why this card is my third favorite is that as humans we ignore our temptations, so this is a perfect lesson to be learned. This card sheds light on what you do not want to accept. Make sure to not have fear if you come across this card! It resembles a lesson that we must learn to overcome what could be ignored.
- The Hermit
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The hermit card can be considered a sad one. It’s a symbol of solitude. We crave social interactions, so this card could easily be interpreted as being alone. What we have to realize is that being alone is not a bad thing sometimes. It’s good to be alone to gain inner wisdom about your life. On this card, the hermit is holding a lamp, and the background is dark blue like the night. It could be a symbol of shedding the light on certain wisdom during the hermit’s time in solitude. When viewing the future, keep into consideration in considering all of your options and reflecting on them before you choose what path you want to go down. This card is my fourth favorite because of how important self-reflection is for our souls. The next time you’re alone, just remember to cherish it!
- The Moon
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The moon has such a variety of meanings depending on the context. The moon holds a lot of power and energy through the way it lights up the dark night. On the card, it displays the moon with a dog and wolf barking at it. This artwork shows that sometimes we long for something that we can never reach. It teaches the lesson that if we reach for what we long for, then for a short time we will be satisfied. With time, we start to long for something more, as it’s just something that humans are wired to do. The bad side of this card is that it reveals how we can become toxic victims of longing, never being fulfilled in life. It’s good to break this cycle because we will never truly become happy if we are constantly wanting more and more.
While the future is always uncertain, tarot readings might shed light on certain aspects. It is important when considering what the cards mean to also note that the future is always changing. Life is a constant winding path. Tarot cards portray some aspects of certain paths, but not all. You hold the power to change your own path. Remember, each of us holds the map to the certain paths we could take, so which direction will you choose?