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Knight of Swords: Knight in Shining Armour

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.

BASIC DESCRIPTION: A knight on horseback is charging through the card. He is wearing armour. His clothes, cape and feathered crest are red. There is a flower etched into his helmet. There are birds on his surcoat, breastplate, on the horses reins and in the sky above him. There are butterflies on the horses breast collar and a little red heart on the halter. The trees in the background and the clouds above his are windswept.

Our knight doesn't look like the type to sit and think does he? He looks more like an action figure charging through life. And yet being a member of the sword family he is associated with the element of air so unless he is reversed (in which case he will dive right in without a single thought) he does actually think before acting.

He is a thinker, a communicator, a talker. He is a very clever man who thinks things through and then takes action. Once he decides on a course of action, nothing and no one is going to stop him and he can be very, very assertive. But he also tends to be headstrong – he will use that mighty sword of his to cut through all opposition until he achieves his goal.

If ever there was a person who can change your thinking on a subject, the Knight of Swords is the man – his logic will run rings around you and bring you round to his way of thinking and onto his side. And if he doesn't – well, he really doesn't care for your viewpoint or perspective! It's not something he's interested in, in the slightest.

Before he comes to a conclusion, he has thought through, analysed, taken to pieces and put back together again all the ins and out's, pros and cons of any situation. He hasn't come to his position lightly. And once he has come to the his conclusion no one is going to change his mind. He acts swiftly to cure any problems or right any wrongs he sees.

He is the area manager who determines that you haven't done your quota of work and demotes or sacks you without a second thought. He is the stranger in the street who sees you being attacked and like a knight in shining armour he rushes in to help you. He is the person who sees injustice in the world and works to right it. It doesn't matter what the problem is, the Knight of Swords is the person who is determined to fix it. He uses his sword to cut to the heart of the problem and again uses his sword to fix it. If it means some people getting a nasty nick along the way, so be it.

The red he wears shows his passion for his 'projects', the birds taking flight show how quickly his thoughts lead to action, and the butterflies how quickly a situation can metamorphosise when the Knight decides to take action. Whenever the knight of swords is around you can guarantee that life is about to change.

Reversed the Knight of Swords can come across as a know it all who is full of hot air. His arguments are irrational and ill thought out and he will argue just for the sake of it. He uses his intelligence to cut to the quick and charges into action without thinking things through. He is a show off who doesn't consider the consequences of his actions.

To read the tarot novel
which accompanies these articles please visit
The Mythical World of Tarocchi

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses

The World

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.

21st December - 19th January

Description: A naked woman hovers in the air inside a laurel wreath. She is partly wrapped in a silken sash and in her hands she lightly holds two wands. She is about to take her first step out into the world. At each corner of the card are the figures of man, an eagle, a bull and a lion.

The world is a card of both physical and spiritual completeness – representing an ending to a cycle - a pause in life before the next big cycle beginning with the fool.

The figure in the centre of the card is suspended between the heavens and the earth. Here is a free spirit ready to step out into the world and participate in all life has to offer. The world is our oyster, filled with opportunities both physical and spiritual – there are no limitations - only possibilities. We have an opportunity for new growth – possibilities to expand our horizons further than they have been expanded up to now. We feel a new found freedom, inner balance and harmony. It is a time when we can re-create ourselves and our world.

The World signifies a time when we have or are about to, complete a long term goal. When we have shown the world what we are made of, when we have struggled through to victory and achieved what we set out to do. The world is about positive outcomes : rewards or promotions for a job well done.

When the world is reversed there is no opportunity for growth either physically or spiritually. We can find ourselves stuck in a situation from which there is no escape or we find that we cannot move on from the past. We can feel restricted by circumstances as in the case of the teenager who wants to break out into the world but is restricted by overly protective parents.

The images at the four corners are the images of the elements – man representing air/intellect, the lion representing fire/passion, the eagle representing water/emotions and the bull representing earth/substance. Our task is to balance the four elements leading to harmony within.

When we balance the four elements we have a better grasp of universal laws that operate around and through us – we have faced the fear of the lion, seen the world from the viewpoint of the eagle, mastered our human emotions along with the man and learnt to use the tools given us by the bull. This card is about putting into practice all you have learnt along the fools journey of the tarot – along the path you have so far travelled.

The World card denotes spiritual as well as physical completeness

The figure at the centre of the laurel wreath is called cosmic consciousness – it is a state of mind where we become aware that we are part of one big consciousness, part of one big world where each and every human being has an effect on the others. Where each of our actions has a 'butterfly effect' on the world around us.

What have you learnt about yourself, others and the world in general? Have you leant that each and every one of your previous actions has bought you to this point in time. The world card is as much about the inner consciousness of achieving goals as it is about reaching outer goals. It is as much about spiritual achievements as it is about physical ones. This is the point where you take stock of your life so far, what you have learnt and what you have done or intend to do with that knowledge. You have achieved so much and yet you can achieve so much more if you listen to all the lessons you have been faced with in your life up to now.

Reversed, this state of mind reminds me of the Wizards First rule from the Sword of Truth books by Terry Goodkind ….

People are stupid; given proper motivation, almost anyone will believe almost anything. Because people are stupid, they will believe a lie because they want to believe it's true, or because they are afraid it might be true. People’s heads are full of knowledge, facts, and beliefs, and most of it is false, yet they think it all true. People are stupid; they can only rarely tell the difference between a lie and the truth, and yet they are confident they can, and so are all the easier to fool.

Just make sure you are seeing the truth and not allowing yourself to see the lies we all tell ourselves to make our world seem a better place. Don't fool yourself into believing something is true when it isn't. Don't fool yourself into believing you have achieved your goals when they are a world away. Don't fool yourself into believing your actions don't affect other people. Make sure you 'get' the spiritual message of the world – think, feel and act in accordance with your higher self.

The World card is ruled by Saturn.

We learn patience from Saturn, we learn about karma and how to endure the trials that come our way through life. Saturn's lessons are often hard but when we do finally learn the meaning behind the lesson we can move beyond our limitations and free ourselves from often self imposed (physical and spiritual) karmic responsibility.

We are each responsible for creating our own reality and the world that we live in. We need to take responsibility for our experiences – we make the choices for ourselves and we need to own up to those choices and learn by our mistakes. Don't blame the person who took advantage of you – own up to the fact that you made a mistake in not seeing them for who they are. Don't turn your power over to someone else – own it – warts and all.

At the same time don't deny your successes. Don't give someone else the kudos for your work – own it and pat yourself on the back when you have achieved something worthwhile. Don't be afraid of success.

To read the tarot novel
which accompanies these articles please visit
The Mythical World of Tarocchi

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses

Four of Pentacles

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.

(21º – 30º Capricorn - 10th January to 19th January)

Basic Description: A crowned figure, having a pentacle over his crown, clasps another with hands and arms; two pentacles are under his feet. He holds to that which he has. He is seated on a stone pedestal and wears a red tunic edged in blue. He is wrapped in a fur mantle. Behind him can be seen a city or town.

The four of Pentacles is a wealthy man (or woman). He is so wealthy that he can afford to do anything he wishes. He accumulates money like most of us accumulate debts! Everything he touches turns to gold. He has the Midas Touch. He doesn't let anything get in the way of his accumulating his wealth. Not mind, not body, not spirit.

In his arms he clutches a pentacle shielding his heart with it – he doesn't let emotions get in the way of his money or accumulating more. This can make him a very lonely man as he will always put finances before people. Romance, family and friends all take second place. Above his head is another pentacle – spiritual matters certainly don't get a look in before financial considerations. You won't find this man giving his money to charity or even a friend in need. At his feet are two more pentacles – he is highly disciplined when it comes to his money and is firmly rooted to the earth when making any financial decisions.

Making money and taking care of it is no bad thing as it enables you to ensure your future. But doing so at the cost of love, romance, friends and family must make for a very lonely person. This man is afraid of being poor much more than he is afraid of losing the people around him. He may have the Midas touch but he is also very much a Scrooge and if he doesn't learn to let people in and his money go, at the end of his life he will have a very expensive funeral with no mourners.

There's no doubt that this man has worked very, very hard to achieve his wealth and status and has to be admired for his ability to stay the path and achieve his goals. But, along the way he has denied himself family and friends. If this card appears in a spread be aware that money isn't everything and that while you may be on the path to success, friends and family can bring rewards that money simply cannot buy. Being financially secure is all well and good but a lack of love and friendship is a high price to pay.

When the card is reversed it can indicate that money slips through your fingers far too easily and that you lack the ability to take control of your finances. You may have financial problems and debts building up without a hope of sorting them out. You may have projects in mind or a business idea you want to put into action but you fail to find the money needed to do these things.

On the other hand, you may put people before money. Helping out your friends and family to the point where you are on the verge of going broke.

To read the tarot novel
which accompanies these articles please visit
The Mythical World of Tarocchi

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses

Page of Pentacles

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.

Description: A youth is looking intently at the pentacle which hovers over his raised hands. He seems to be moving very slowly, unaware of the landscape around him. He wears a green tunic over an orange shirt. He also has an orange belt and shoes. On his head is a red turban like hat. He appears to be way out in the country far away from civilization.

The Page of Pentacles represents a serious young man or woman who is prepared to apply themselves to studying a particular subject because they know that in order to advance in their chosen profession they must master all the in's and out's of a subject.

It could be a young person who is still at school working towards their exams so that they can go on to college or someone working towards a university degree. It might be a young apprentice working towards an industry specific qualification. Whatever the case, this young person knows the value of learning everything they can about their chosen subject(s). They understand that in order to achieve the qualifications they want that they must be dedicated to studying and developing the skills necessary in order to advance through their chosen career.

If you have read the post on the three of pentacles then this person could be said to be the apprentice who is working towards becoming the master depicted in the three. The Page understands that the master builder has gone through the same lessons and apprenticeship that he must now follow. He understands that he has to decide what qualifications he needs and what he is going to do with them once he has got them. The Page could have just passed one set of exams and is now in the process of deciding which subjects he or she now has to study in order to progress towards their life's goals.

He or she is highly dedicated to their chosen path, is determined to achieve their goal in life and is capable of persevering through many levels of study to achieve their desired status in life. He knows that there are no short cuts and that he must progress through each stage in order to truly become his own master.

When the Page of Pentacles is reversed the young person is likely to equate money with security and yet is not prepared to do any work towards achieving any qualifications which could ensure their security in life. This young person will avoid study or work and has no specific goal. He wastes any opportunities he has to further himself.

On the other hand a reversed Page of Pentacles could indicate that the young person has decided that spiritual matters are more important to them than money and status. He could be a natural student of life and spiritual concerns.

The Pages are also considered to be the messengers of the Tarot. In this case the pages bring news regarding anything to do with Pentacles such as financial or business affairs. When the Page is upright he will be bringing good news concerning your business or finances. If the Page is reversed opening that envelope could be very disappointing indeed!

To read the tarot novel
which accompanies these articles please visit
The Mythical World of Tarocchi

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses

Three of Pentacles

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.
The Elvis song chosen represents the Three of Pentacles Reversed.

(11º – 20º Capricorn - 31st December to 9th January)
Description: A sculptor is at work in a monastery. The sculptor is wearing a grey tunic over a white shirt and blue stockings. He is also wearing a leather apron and in his right hand holds a chiselling tool. He is discussing the work, which appears to be completed, with a monk and an architect. The monk wears a grey habit and the architect wears a colourful robe of yellow covered with red flowers. In her hand she holds the plans for the works.

As we can all see the monastery is already built and the work currently taking place is what most of us would call decoration. The foundations have been laid and the walls have been built – a substantial part of the work is already complete. What is being discussed between the three is the fine details that any master craftsman would put into his projects.

This card brings to mind the type of person who has a wealth of experience under his or her belt. They have served their apprenticeship, they have years of experience dealing with projects, they know what plans have to be made before the project can even begin, how to guide the project through to completion and what finishing touches are needed. He is a master at what he does and he deserves the position he has attained.

The three of Pentacles is about that type of recognition – the type of rewards available you when you have put in the effort, made everything work despite problems and setbacks and seen a project through to completion. You are now entitled to the rewards which come from such hard work and dedication.

Everyone wants to hire a person of this calibre. We can see your work for what it is, we can see how much planning, dedication and effort has been put into your projects. So, its not just about the rewards for the work you have just or are about to complete but about the possibility of obtaining further work based on what we can see you have already achieved.

If we walk past a building we admire we want THAT builder to build OUR projects. If we see a tastefully designed website we want that designer to design our own websites. No matter what type of work you do, your work is out there on public display and you can feel proud of what you have achieved. Know that your work will be well received and that further orders will be generated by what has already been done.

No one works alone – not even the lonely artist. He has to interact with those who have commissioned his work and suppliers for his materials. He has to have the ability to interact with many people on many different levels in order to produce the final product. Therefore, an ability to communicate and interact with a team is also of importance with this card. No man is an island - as the saying goes - and we all need the people who purchase our work and the people who supply our materials. This is where good communication skills and an understanding of those peoples needs are vital. Each 'team member' is vital to the proper completion of the project.

The three of Pentacles is associated with Mars in Capricorn – Mars gives us that artisan creativity while Capricorn helps us with the sustained effort required to complete a job. This reminds me of a blacksmith I knew who carefully arranged all the tools he would need and ensured the forge was at the right temperature before starting a job. He always said that you should never start a job until you had everything in place and readily to hand. He checked and double checked his plans and drawings and measured everything twice. He had to put a great deal of physical strength into the work he was doing while at the same time make the object he was working on beautiful to the eye. He made the physical work appear like a dance and the metal transform into a beautiful object as if that were its natural state. He put his heart and soul into his work. Just watching him work was a spiritual experience. He was the epitome of the three of pentacles.

When this card is reversed it can indicate a person who doesn't plan his or her projects, doesn't take into consideration the time and materials that will be needed and the work itself is shoddy and ill-thought out. He doesn't listen to what people want or need and thinks he knows best about his work. He blames his tools for his mistakes and other people for misunderstandings. He isn't really interested in the work he is doing and only wants the money he can earn on completion of the job. No one is going to hire this person based on the work he or she turns out, so they lose out on future work and possibly even the payment for the work they have so badly done. Would you pay a person who does such mediocre work?

The three pentacles in this card are part of the masonry of the church indicating that these abilities – to plan, to communicate, to carry through a project to completion – are part of the persons make up. They have an innate understanding of the work, they don't leave things to chance, they ensure every tiny portion of the project is done to the best standards.

This card is known as the Lord of Material Works. He understands the materials he is working with, the people he is working for and the people who work under him. He doesn't consider himself above or below any of these people but as a mechanism that is as vital to the machine as any other part of it is. Each team member is considered important and communication within the team is vital.

This card is all about the relationships we have not only with our bosses and co-workers but the materials we work with. The whole team works together to make something beautiful, to create something worthwhile. In the card the priest has the vision to initiate the project, the architect drew up the plans for the project and the mason has built the vision. They have all worked together as a team who understood what they wanted to achieve and the materials they had to work with. Without the priest there would have been no vision of a beautiful church, without the architect the vision couldn't have been transformed into a practical idea, without the mason the vision would have gone no further than the architects drawings. They needed to work as a team to bring the project to completion.

To read the tarot novel
which accompanies these articles please visit
The Mythical World of Tarocchi

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses

The Devil

A little light listening for you whilst you read the article.

(Capricorn - 21st December – 19th January)

Basic description: A devil complete with bat wings and horns is perched above a narrow pillar. Linking his horns is an inverted pentagram. He holds a torch in his left hand while his right hand makes a sign of benediction. A male and female are loosely manacled to the pillar on which the devil is perched. They too have horns and tails.

Want some superstitious nonsense? Just watch what happens when the devil card appears in a reading. You can almost see the clients crossing themselves and reaching for the garlic. Nothing (except perhaps the card of death) inspires fear like the devil.

And yet this card isn't about some evil monster rising up from the depths of Hades but rather the devil within ourselves. Yes, that means you too – no point denying it – we all have a touch of the devil within us. What's important is how we handle him – he is our own dark side.

The devil within seduces us out of the spiritual realms and into the material world. We know that owning this item or buying that thing will not make us feel better but we still become obsessed with having it, dream about how it would make our lives better, drool each time we see it until finally we get to the point where it is ours. We show it off to family and friends, proud of our latest acquisition but the novelty soon wears off and we are looking for the next thing that will give us us a thrill to own. Sit back and think about something you felt this way about in the past. Do you still feel a thrill at owning it? Did it really make a difference to your life? Or has ownership jaded your appreciation of it? Do you now own that thing or does it now own you – are you now dragged down by the responsibility of caring for the thing that you once desired?

Are you now drooling over something, bigger, better, faster, glitzier? Has the Devil in the guise of keeping up with the Joneses got you well and truly hooked? Has the material world put a chain around your neck?

Or is it a person you desire to own? Yes – that's right, some people do in fact believe that they can 'own' another person. Who is that man or woman who has you tangled up in knots so tight that you would do anything – and I mean anything – just to have them? Who is it that you believe would make everything in your life perfect if they were your partner? Who is it that you are lusting after so hard that you haven't even considered that person as a real entity with thoughts and feelings of their own? Are you willing to use the word love instead of lust in order to chain someone to you?

Or perhaps its status and position you lust after. Are you really prepared to step on the heads of your associates to get the promotion you have wanted for so long? How far are you willing to bend the rules to achieve your own aims? Do you really think its going to bring you the satisfaction you crave?

All these obsessions – material goods, owning people, gaining status – are in the realm of the Devil. He wants us to leave the spiritual world and dive head first into his. A world where power, lust and ownership have free reign. A world where anything goes so long as we achieve our ambitions. Where losing sight of what we really are – spirit in a physical body – is his ultimate goal.

There is another side to the devil – rather than obsessions ruling us we are held in the world of addictions. Addictions to drink and drugs that numb us to the real world. Where we prefer to disappear into a world of our own making.

No, no, I'm not like that at all I hear you say. But deep down within is there something you really crave? is there someone you long to have control over? Is there a job you would die for? Do you long to escape the realities of this world if only for a short time? This is your dark side – your shadow self – itching to have free reign. This is the devil within craving all those taboo's you think only control other people.

You may wish to deny your dark side but he is there within us all. When we become jealous because someone has what we want. When we fear someone who is different and prejudice raises its ugly head. When we contemplate deceiving someone – even a little white lie is still a lie. These are your own little demons snapping at your heels.

Or perhaps you have allowed a devil to control you. Is there someone that owns you? Someone who controls you? Someone who uses the words you want to hear in order to get you to do their bidding? Or perhaps you went willingly – is there someone you feel you can save from their own demons? Do you want to get away? Or is it a case of better the Devil you know?

The devil card is associated with the astrological sign of Capricorn, who's symbol is the goat. The couple in the card are said to be Adam and Eve after their fall from grace. No longer are they protected by their guardian angel from the Lovers card but instead presided over by the passions and greeds of the Devil. They are now ruled by their animal nature as shown by the tails and horns they now sport. The woman's tail bears fruit from the tree of knowledge while the man's bears the flame from the tree of life. The reversed pentagram indicates a world of darkness and misused power. The black background on the card indicates ignorance and lack of light.

We can quite easily reverse the Devil card. OK, easy for some, not so easy for others. We can attempt at least to escape from our addictions to drink and drugs. We can escape the chains that bind us to false gods – possessions, position, power. You can release other people from your control and allow them to make their own decisions in life. We can stop using emotional blackmail to chain someone to us. We can be truthful with those we interact with.

We can go a little too far sometimes with the reversal of the Devil. Becoming pious or overly spiritual. We can feel superior to those still in the clutches of the Devil and become overtly moralistic. We can go from sinner to saint and suddenly start berating others for the sins we were once guilty of. Mmm, that brings to mind a friend who has recently quit smoking.

There's no denying that the Devil is a very enigmatic creature who will suck us into his world without conscience or feeling. He will take on the guise of whatever our craving of the moment is. There is no harm in indulging our dark side once in a while – in fact it's very necessary. But don't let him get his clutches into you to the point where there is no escape. Don't replace one addiction with another. And if you do manage to escape his clutches please, please, remember what it was like to be chained to him and have a little compassion for those still in his grasp.

To read the tarot novel
which accompanies these articles please visit
The Mythical World of Tarocchi

To learn tarot for yourself please visit the
Worldwide Mediums and Psychics Online Tarot Courses

I wonder if anyone has guessed my obsession yet :)