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 Journey Through the Tarot Every month in my newsletter, I will post a new Tarot card, working my way through the entire deck. Stop in here to read them and continue the journey. A Journey through the Tarot Tarots Words I have been working with the Tarot since I was 11. My introduction to it is an unusual one. I first read about them in a young adult horror story where the Tarot played the role of the villain but the way the writer described the imagery and archetypes of the cards won over my young imagination. My mother bought me my first deck for Christmas – the traditional Rider-Waite I believe (I have had many decks since). The first deck I bought was shortly afterwards on our annual summer trip to Busch Garden’s the old Country in Williamsburg, VA. We were in “merry Old English’ with all its magick. I went into a little shop and fell in love with another deck of tarot. I still use that beloved first self bought deck with its medieval gypsy theme based off the Rider-Waite. I have also been studying them ever since. In 2004, I truly stepped onto my spiritual path, awakening the channel within me but never realizing that this path would take me even deeper into the World of Tarot as well as becoming a teacher of it. It is some of this knowledge that I would like to share with you. Month by month I will take you on a journey through one of the cards and some of the knowledge I have gained in my studies, I would like to share with you. Month by month I will take you on a journey through one of the Tarot cards and because my Ascendant is in Virgo; I will it an orderly fashion and for you reading this Remember: The Tarot can be a world upon its own with each card meaning something different to the reader of it. I hope you enjoy the journey. ~*~ O The Fool  The Fool is who we were before we came into this physical life and who we will return to when we leave. This is the essence of spirit, the beginning and the end. The Fool is 0 because he goes before The Magician and after The World. He is where we start and where we start again. He is that leap of Faith that we all took when we decided to don the human, the physical body and leave all our knowledge behind or in the very least deeply buried in that part of ourselves that we do not consciously connect with it. We truly come into this world with all the wisdom of the universe but none of the knowledge in how to access it. But, luckily in that little sack the Fool is carrying over his shoulder, he can access it when the time is right. The little dog at his side is his constant and faithful companion who is there to remind him that he is not alone, just as none of us, no matter how lonely we get, are ever truly alone for when we come into this world from spirit for we came in with friends, guides, to accompany us throughout our lives and like the dog, they will be our faithful companions who will never lose faith in us even when we lose it in ourselves.The Fool is a card, a symbol of Hope, of belief in not only ourselves but in something greater than we are. It reminds us that there is something more than just our existences, our physical everyday expectation, that there is a plan for everything even when we have to take that leap of faith and step into nothingness for we trust that there will always be hands to catch and guide us along our own personal blueprint of life. It reminds of us to remember the biggest leap of faith that we have ever taken– that of entering the physical world and we not only survived it but we have grown and learned and with each step forward, if we remember to step with trust, we can face the worst for we are not alone and we will never be. Have Faith in that and in the words of a wise woman I once met: I might get lonely, but I am never alone. ~*~ 1 The Magician  Our journey continues past The Fool who encompassing pure spirit at both the beginning and end and moves into the first ray of manifestation represented in the persona of the Magician. And thus you move from that place of simply trusting and learning to the beginning of action. You are now ready to implement all that you have learned during your stay with the Fool. You come to a flowered covered arbor and step beneath to see a large stone table before you. You stop to take all your tools out of your bag and have lay them out on the table. As you examine your tools, a man in a white robe with a red cloak approaches you. He is the Magician and he begins to ask you some of the most important questions you will ever hear in this period of individual teaching. How do you use your tools? Individually or all together? What will happen if you use them all together? Do you dare try? Here, he says, you must give yourselves permission to experiment for this is how we learn. Having gathered all that you have together, The Magician shows you that you must us not only the wisdom of the world but the knowledge you are gaining on how to yield that wisdom. And with all your tools, you have all you need to begin learning what the Magician is here to teach: How to create Magick. But this leads opens an even bigger question: What is magick and can one truly use it in this day and age. How can we make it a part of our lives in this modern age? You ask these questions of the Magician and he sends you on a mission. Meditate upon it, child and allow the answer to come to you. So you take ourselves off to ponder this and after meditating upon it, have come to this conclusion: Magick is taking something and making it into something else. But could it really be that simple? Luckily the Magician has the wisdom to know that it is that simple but he also knows that there is more involved if he wants to create High Magick. His tools are required for that and so he has laid them out before him alongside yours. His Staff or Wand, he learned holds the essences of the Element Fire. It is that first spark of inspiration, that first flicker of life, it is the idea of what We can create and manifest into his reality. But he knows there is more needed and turns to his next tool the Sword. The Sword is the key to the Element Air and our ability to think, to communicate with works: To Invoke. And the Magician knows that if we is not careful and yields the sword wrong it can become weapon of destruction. The Magician points out that so far he has shown you only the tools of masculine energy. The staff and the sword embodies that of the Primal Male, but with his next tools We finds balance within this with first the Chalice, the cup, and all it’s feminine energy of creation for in water all things form both on for the planet and within the womb. To bring forth his magick from first the spark and then the thought, We must have a place for it to gestate and the Chalice (cup or cauldron also) work brilliantly for this and within this it begins to come into true form. The key word here is begins, for it is only when you add the final tool or element that of the Pentacle and Earth does it finally manifests into the actualized physical form and his Magician's magick is complete. Yet you must not forget that there is something else the Magician needs to create his magick from the speck of an idea to a physical form. And this last tool is the most importand of all: Will. But it must be a balanced will. TheMagician knows that for his will to work fully, he must be balanced within himself for the energy to truly form and in this balance he becomes the conduit. He becomes a force betheen the Divine Will and Mother Earth. He draws down from the Heavens and connects to the Earth until he is but a channel for the energy that will follow through him. He knows that to truly perform High Magick he needs to be connected to the higher while staying grounded in the lower. He becomes a balance betheen these two forces. But this is not something that he has learned overnight. It has taken him years of study, of practice, of being the Fool to have gained the knowledge to become the divine creator, manifestor in his own right. He has become the true Magician and this is why He is number one. He not only represents the masculine energy of action but has learned to use it along with all of his other tools. And so it is: AS BOVE SO BELOW. ~*~ 2 The High Priestess  Having left the Magician, we are now moving into the primal female and the first feminine energy of the Major Arcana. We are leaving the force of Manifestation behind to move into the first energetic force of Creation with the High Priestess.
The High Priestess is the receptor of the Divine. She is only considered the passive counterpart of the active Magician because she is the vessel of the Divinine forces. She is the Oracle, the channel and as such is the holder of divine energy. She, as the Divine Vessel, does not need to learn the lessons taught to the Fool or learn to manifest with the tools the Magician had been given because of her natural access to the divine. She innately knows how to access the knowledge of spirit and the universe and she uses her gifts with integrity because she is also the holder of the law of the universe and man. She carries these scrolls with her always.
Often times, the High Priestess seems remote, removed from the physical world around her. She has detached herself from the emotions that would make her messages from above less than pure. She, in her work and life, holds herself in this place of remote power. For she knows, she is not here to judge. She is here to serve. She delivers what is needed for those who come to her seeking her wisdom and channeled messages. If she became emotionally connected to the messages or even to the people who seek her then she alters the messages, distorting them and she becomes less than the vessel of the divine and more the human, so she sits herself apart enabling her to remain pure and as such she remains the Virgin.
The High Priestess wears the crescent moon above her brow or under her foot to demonstrate that she is the vessel for psychic energy. The crescent moon symbolizes her ability to receive and the High Priestess, if nothing else, receives. To do this she must be balanced within herself and thus she sits in the middle pillar of the Tree of Life symbolizing this balance as does the number she holds: 2. She is the equilibium between light and dark, severity and mercy. She is balance herself as has already achieved what the Magician is learning; As above, so below. Having gained this wisdom, she spreads her knowledge and understanding out to the rest of the Major and Minor Arcana through the water that flows from the hem of her gown to share with all who seek and request her insights.
The Hight Priestess is also the first holder of life, of creation and this is truly what she does. She holds the energy within her, becoming and forming it within her body. But it is more important for her to be the channel, the vessel of the divine. When her time as the High Priestess ends then she moves from being the Maiden to the Mother and steps into the role of the Empress, becoming the life bearer instead of simply being the holder of it.
~*~ 3 THE EMPRESS  As the High Priestess grows and evolves she is transformed into the Empress, the mother. She is no longer simply holding the energy of creation but is creation herself and births it into the world of man. She has much to show and teach us as we continue our journey. And we will find that she is a gentle, nurturing guide for us who does not hestitate to take a firm hand if needed. She will become the piece of the foundation we are building just as the others had before her, you can even glimpse the influence of the High Priestess here with the stream that flows from the hem of her robe.
But be sure not to make any mistakes about the Empress simply because she does not appear as cold and aloof as the High Priestess. She is just as powerful for she is not just any mother but The Mother. She is Mother Earth, Gaia, and embodies the essence of all mother goddesses on in our world. And though she would prefer to nurture us as her children, she is willing to punish as well. For all mother goddesses are destroyer goddesses as well and with a look or a word can render us helpless. But The Empress will also lift us up with praise, bring us unconditional love, shower us with joy, and open the bounty of the earth to us for the greatest power she holds is that of love.
The Empress knows and understands that Love is not an emotion, but an actual force of nature. But more than that, she holds the energy of Nature, Earth, and Venus and she knows that through this very energy of Venus - the energy of Love- she becomes the strongest, most powerful Goddess there is. She is Venus, Aphrodite, Isis, Danu, and Gaia. She is the holder of love and that is why she is so powerful, fertile, and abundant. She understands the power she holds and uses it to grow and nurture all things around her, including her children.
The Empress is the Woman, the Lover, the Mother, the Queen, and the Goddess. She is the Matriarchial force of nature that nurtures and supports us. Never forget to thank her for her gifts and she will bestow more upon you. Always remember though, she is woman first. A strong, beautiful, amazing woman, and when we feel that energy within ourselves and our lives than we are tapping into our goddess self. With all that she is and offers, she shares and bestows these gifts upon you with deep love and grace before sending you further along your path. Enjoy the fertiltiy and abundance she offers and return it with love and gratitude for all she gives.
~*~ 4 THE EMPEROR  As you go to leave the Empress, she asks if you would like to meet her counterpart, her equal, and her mate. You agree and she brings forth and introduces you to the Emperor. Immediately you feel his presence and for the first time you feel fear as this formidable man stands in front of you. Power and strength radiates off of him whereas the Empress flowed with an energy of gentle love, nurturing compassion, and sensuality. Compared to her, the Emperor seems cold, harsh, and extremely disciplined. He talks to you with the air of command and you find you want to obey his every word. He speaks with such authority that you have no doubt that his word is law and stangely you have almost an overwhelming desire to please him. You yearn for his respect, his support, and his protection for once offered is there for life unless by your own actions, you turn his disdain upon you and just as hard won as it was, it can be taken back in a flash. This is a personage that you never wish to be on the wrong side of for he has the will and has the power to strike you down without blinking and even though you are drawn to his strength, it is this other aspect of the Emperor that has you trembling at his mere presence.
As you watch him with fear filled eyes, his demeanor shifts and the tension in the air relaxes. The Emperor beckons you to follow him as he makes his way to a stone cube upon which he sits and you realize that this is his throne. You look past him and out over the mountains in the distance. This is his domain, his kingdom and ultimately all within it is his responsiblity. Your understanding of him starts to shift and you are lulled closer to him by his softened voice. You sit at his feet as he explains that as the Emperor he must wear several masks. The Protector, the ruler but that he has a gentler mask he wears also - that of the father.
He is the father's whose job it is to provide a secure foundation to all he sees as being under his care. To do that, sometimes he must be cold and distant for he knows that sometimes to nurture another's growth you must step back and allow them to stand on their own, no matter how painful it is or how much he would like to assist. He is here to teach and to love even if it is not always shown. He is controlled becasuse without the mastery he holds over chaos would reign. He has the strength to wear the mantle of power and can carry the burden that comes with it.
Suddenly he falls silent and you realize that your time with him is at in end. Rising to your feet to continue the journey along the path, you know that you know carry a piece of that power, that wisdom, and that burden with you as you leave the Emperor seated upon his stone throne always on the alert, always ready for action if that need comes. . ~*~ 5 THE HIEROPHANT  Still reeling from the vision given from the Emperor, you continue along the path you had set out for yourself and try to puzzle through all that you have gathered and learned so far when all of a sudden you hear the sound of voices raised in song. Looking toward the direction of the music, you notice a side path and you feel compelled to follow where it will lead. The voices rise in harmony as you walk the path, the melody drawing you forward until you enter a clearing filled with people gathered around a stone platform with two large pillars. The song ends and silence fills the glade as a tall, sturdy old man steps up onto the platform and the crowd gathered around bows towards him, and as you walk forward you realize this is a bow of respect, not one of worship. You come closer to the dais and look up as the man who raises to fingers to the sky. The audience raisese from their bow and they sit down on the grassy ground in rapt attention, eager to hear the words of this man, this priest, who fairly shines with the wisdom he holds. You look up at him and he casts a smile upon you before nodding, and a space is made for you to sit at the base of the platform. He begins to talk. His strong voice carries easily out over his followers, and as you listen to his words, you realize that even though what he is saying is profound, everyone around you is hearing something different. It's almost as if he is delivering a message just to you and not to the group! You absorb his words, and within them, understanding and peace fills you. Everything you had been trying to fit together now seamlessly flows together with the teachings you are receiving. Enlightenment dawns from this radiant teacher before you who is, through his words, helping you remember all that you know and all that you are. When his speech finishes, he beckons you forward, and in awe you approach and are warmly embraced. He welcomes you, and thanks you, before handing you a key. You hesitate to take the key and all that it represents. You don't feel ready or worthy to have this unexpected gift. The Hierophant smiles gently and presses the Key of Knowledge into your hand and tells you that sometimes, when you do not feel worthy is when you truly are and that even as a teacher you will still be the student. Bowing your head, you accept the gift of the key and his blessings, before heading back to your path, knowing that you may not yet feel wiser, but one day you will be, and at that time you will truly feel worthy of the Key of Knowledge you have been given. In the meantime you will do your best to honor it.
~*~ 6 THE LOVERS  As you continue along your path, now much more aware of where your journey is guiding you, you are startled when a figure dashes across the path in front of you. You blink, trying to clear your vision. Did you really just see that? And before you can confirm what you thought was a female in all her glory run in front of her, a man dashes in before you in the same state of dress, or lack there of, as the female. Intrigued by them, you follow their laughter through the woods as their chase continues. You know you should simply leave the obvious lovers in peace but something pulls you onward as if their sounds of merriment is a siren's call leading you forward. Suddenly there is a shriek followed by a shout of laughter and you hurry forward to see what you already think you'll see for by the sounds the man has caught the lady. But as you enter the small clearing next to a bubbling brook, you stop short. You are surprised to find that the two are already in the congress of making love. Slowly, you start to back away leaving the lovers to their tryst afraid to interrupt their ardent pursuit of one another. You turn and jump. A large, beautiful angel is standing next to you, watching the couple with a smile upon his lips before turning towards you. Come, he beckons and you follow him back through the woods. His voice is melodious as he speaks telling you how the union you just witnessed is blessed and one of deep love. It is both the separation of two and the joining of one which is how we were designed to be and how we are also connected to the divine ourselves. We are all two but still individual. We all have the male and female within ourselves and when they join, we are complete as the young couple are striving to be and that completion is not something that is found without but within, the two becoming whole. Complete. Blessed. ~*~ 7 The Chariot  Finally the path you have been traveling has widened into a road and you soon leave the forest behind for softly rolling hills. Off into the distance you see a large walled city that fills the horizon. You move forward eagerly, ready to be amongst civilization once again. As you near the city, you notice that there is someone approach you at a fast sped. You watch at the distant shape draws closer and you realized it's chariot driven two sphinxes with a warrior holding the reins. The warrior comes to a stop in front of you and you notice the crown upon his brow. This is not simple warrior but the ruler of the walled city. He steps down from the chariot and greets you. He notices that you keep glancing towards the black and white sphinxes pulling the chariot and he explains that they are the two sides of the same coin of knowledge and sometimes for us to succeed we must first fail. They are wisdom and mystery the balance between the light and the dark. Finishing his explanation, he introduces you to the two wise creatures that willing chose to pull his chariot then offers you a ride to his city. Having walked for a long time you are eager for the ride. As you journey towards the city, he explains how he is both king and protector of the city and you are reminded of the Emperor you had met earlier. He guides and teaches you how to take the reins of the chariot, gladly teaching you how to take your own destiny and path in your hands as he questions you on your journey. You answer all of his questions surprised at how much you do know, how self aware you have become and as you enter the city, you know that you will only be there for a short rest before continuing on your path, your destiny and that you have the discipline to do so. The Chariot ~*~ 8 Strength
 Refreshed and energized, you are ready to continue your journey. You feel as if your strength has been fully restored. You short break has given you the time to analyze your adventure so far. With any journey into the unknown, you have experienced your share of ups and downs, there were moments where you wanted to give up and quit, but you didn't. With every step forward and with each stop along the way you have learned valuable lessons and have met some fascinating people but most of all, you have learned about yourself. You are ready to face anything that may be ahead of you. You have come out of the city and are once again traveling upon the road of your destiny. This time you are no longer traveling alone. You have begun the second part of your journey with a strange traveling pair; a young maiden gowned in white with a crown of flowers adorning her hair and a regal lion in his prime. How this pair have become your traveling companions, you do not know but find at first that you are wary of traveling with a lion. Your fears soon ease as you observe the maiden's gentle control of the beast. She does not need force to control the wildness within the lion, instead a soft word and gentle touch is all that is needed. Watching her with her companion, you are reminded of something you heard once long ago but have forgotten when and where: That love is the strongest force on earth and with the power of it, you can control anything. As you think this, you realized that it isn't completely true. The maiden doesn't controlling the lion, it is the lion's love for the maiden that has him doing what she asks and that both their strength comes from within. It blossoms forth from their love for each other as well as for their own selves. This is a lesson you have been learning upon this journey, so for a while you are content to travel alongside your new friends learning even more about yourself and your own inner strength. ~*~ 9 The Hermit
 Coming to a cross road, you realize your journey with the young maiden and her lion companion have come to an end and your paths part. You watch her continue along her road until she fades from view. There is a part of you that almost wishes you could continue to travel with her as you turn to face your own path ahead. Looking at the gradually inclinging path to the mountains in the distance, there is another part of you that wants to stay, to rest but you have gathered your strength and it is time to continue forward. With a braveness you don't really feel, you set out.
Hours later, you notice the day has lengthened and the sun will set soon. You begin to look for a place to rest for the night when you realize just how far you have come. You've come too far to turn back and theres still a ways to go before you reach the top. Knowing there is no point in turning back or stopping you decide that continuing forward is the best option and maybe there will be a place ahead to seek shelter during the night or you may even reach the top before darkness falls. You pick up your pace but the path is steep and the day is waning. Dusk falls and your pace grows slower. It continues to grow darker until your pace is a mere crawl and you have to feel your away along the rocky route. It is almost perfect darkness and your hand on the cliff wall beside you becomes your only guide. The darkness is complete and you are blind on the side of the mountain with no where to turn or even to rest. You know you're not going to make it to the top and the path is to narrow for you to sit and stay for the night. You try to stay calm and inch your way forward but you know that one misstep and you will be over the edge, plummeting to your death. You are no longer the young Fool who knew and trusted that he would be fine if he stepped of the edge. You have gained knowledge and with it have lost the ability to trust absolutely. You become frozen on the path, unable to move forward or go back.
You feel trapped.
Panic starts to set in when you notice a dim glow in the distance. It is a light in the dark! And it's moving steadily towards you, fighting back the darkness that so completely surrounded you moments before. The light draws closer and you realize it is a lantern held by an old man with long white hair and equally long beard. Relief fills you as he greets you, shining the glow of the lantern on you and the path. He tells you that he is here to guide you through the dark along the path he indictates with a long, ancient looking staff. Guiding you with his light, you follow the old man. As you walk behind him, you ask him how he came to be there. He answers that he was once like you and was on his own hero's journey. Along his path, he had been presented with many options, including the choice not to begin his journey. Then a time came when the call of the quest was to strong to ignore and he set out facing many obstacles, meeting new people, experiencing many adventures and facing many fears until he, too, found himself trappped in the dark on the side of a mountain, afraid to move in any direction for terror of the unknown. He had been on the verge of tears when a light came out of the darkness and a guide appeared for him to show him the way. He rememembered that night along time ago and you listen to his tale as you walked. He tells you how he had asked his newfound wise mentor question after question and with each answer, the old man pointed out to him how he already knew the answer, even showing him how to achieve them through his own insight.
Amazed by what he is telling you, you begin to ask your own questions. Before you realize it, the dawn has broken and your guide tells you that it is time for him to go. You ask how you could ever repay him and he tells you that you already have by allowing him to be of service to you. But, he adds, when you are finished with your life's journey and if you wish, return to this mountain and the lantern and staff will be handed down to you. And with all the wisdom you had gained through that lifetime, you could guide others as he had guided you. You thank him again and as you leave, you realize he never did answer any of your questions, he merely showed you how to find them on your own. He guided you to find them within. You turn back to share this awakened insight with him only to find the path behind you empty. You mentor, your guide through the night, has vanished. The path behind you is empty. You smile and continue along your journey. ~*~ 10 WHEEL OF FORTUNE
 Relief fills you as you look back at the way you have come. You have in climbed a mountain. You learned so much about yourself in the journey up and back down the steep narrow path and in some ways you have crossed the dark night of the soul. Gratitude fills you as you send a silent thanks to the guide that led you through the highest mountain peak in the darkest part of the night. You have completed a part of your journey that you feared you would fail but you have learned an important lesson along the way. You learned that what goes up, does come down. You begin to think about where you have been so far and where you are still going and you see the cycle in your life that the journey has created. Life, you realize, is a series of cycles that rise and fall. Some are good while others can test you to your limits. There has been successes as well as failures yet you have continued moving forward, not willing to give up because with each obstacle you have faced, you have learned something. As you are thinking about this you realize that there is someone or something standing in the middle of the path ahead of you. As you near, you realize it is a Sphinx blocking your path. She is watching you with dark eyes and as you stop in front of her, she asks you a question. At first you are confused, not sure how to answer her riddle. The trick question fills you with confusion and you take a rest, sitting on the ground in front of her to contemplate the answer. Minutes pass. Then alittle longer as you make the question more complex than it needs to be. An hour passes when you realize that the answer isn't hard but simple. With this dawning, you have your answer. You look back up at the patient Sphinx and give her your answer. She nods and moves from your path but you know you will never have this opportunity again. You ask her for a little of her time and she agrees. You spend the afternoon sharing your new insights with her. You tell her how you have realized that life is a series of cycles because for us to grow, we need the ups and downs but the largest piece of the puzzle was what she had just taught you. That no matter what is thrown at us, if we are able to keep it simple than we can work through anything. Not matter how big or complex the problem seems, keep it simple. Perseus found his way out of the Minotaur's labyrinth with a ball of string. Nothing more. He kept it simple. By doing that he, and you, have created your outside world by what you have achieved in your inner world. The cycle of life continues for you but it will be much easier from now on for what goes up must come down and what is on the inner reflects the outer. You get up and continue along your path having learned on of your most valuable lessons and one the most ancient: As above, so below. As within, so without. ~*~ 11 Justice
 As you continue along your journey you come across a remote temple. You approach the temple, then walk up the marbled steps. It is beautiful and the carvings on the large Doric pillars are so realistic you feel as it is going to move any minute. The temple looks and feels ancient and you wonder who it is dedicated to and how long it's been there. You step off the last step and are startled to find that you are not alone. A beautiful woman in a white robe is standing in the doorway. She welcomes you and tells you that she has been waiting for you. She holds her hand out to you and you place yours on hers. With a smile, she leads you through the door and into the temple, explaining that you are there to observe, to watch and learn. She warns you that silence is a must and if you break that there will be a debt to pay. She pauses before the temple's inner doors and asks if you can obey. You promise to uphold her rule of silence and she raises her hand to the door. You watch in astonishment as the door opens and with your hand still in hers, she leds you forward. You cross the threshold and feel as if you have been transported to another place and time. The walls of the temple are no longer square but pointed as if you had entered a pyramid. You are standing on a balcony overlooking a large temple floor below. As you watch, you realize that a sacred precession is taking place. There are two rows of throned beings (gods?) on either side of a long aisle running between them. You amazed how different they look from one another, some even have what appears to be the heads of animals. You see a jackal headed man, a lion headed woman, and so many more. They are beautiful yet frightening in their appearance and each row ends at a large stone table that a beautiful woman is standing behind. In front of her on the table is a large scale, next to the scale is a pile of stones and a single large white feather. You are filled with questions to ask but hold onto your promise of silence. As you watch the proceedings below, you see another priestess enter holding the hand of an old man. She brings him before the first throne, bows and leaves the man there. From where you are sitting, you can see the man is shaking with fear. He flinches when the first voice rings out and he is asked (or demanded) a question. With a shaky voice, he answers. The being looks up from the man to the woman/goddess at the stone table and give a nod. She picks up a stone and places it on one side of the scale. One after one this scene is repeated before your eyes. The one side of the scale is so weighed down that it is almost touching the table. At last the old man had been questioned by all the beings except for the woman at the table. With tears streaming down his face, he faces her. She smiles gently at him and when she asks her question, the final question, she does so in a gentle voice that carries throughout the entire temple. It is strange to you how her question though quietly asked, seems louder than all the rest. It penetrates you and the room and you know that this is a question you will never forget in your life.
"In your life, did you make a difference in one person's life?"
The man answers so softly that you can barely hear him. The nod of the old man's head confirms what you were sure he had said. Yes. He had made a difference. The goddess smiles at him and picks up the white feather and goes to lay it on the opposite scale, the empty scale and as the the feather touches the metal plate, the scale starts moving. Your mouth drops open as you watch the scales come in perfect balance. A pile of stones equals one feather? How is that possible? You are dying to ask but hold your tongue, keeping your promise. And then the priestess next to you touches your arm and you look up at her and you know it's time for you to leave. You take the hand she is offering you and follow her out of the inner temple. Soon you are back on the steps of the temple and she is looking down at you smiling. You know that you just witnessed one of the great mysteries. You give the priestess a slight bow before turning to continue along your journey when her voice stops you and tells you to remember that no matter where you are on your journey, how bad it might seem or even how good, that everything is always always seeking balance. And when you find balance within your life, you will find it without. ~*~ 12
The Hanged Man
 With your thoughts still on what you had learned in the temple, you don't realize that the path you have been walking has come to an abrupt end. Heart pounding, you look down into the abyss created by the sheer cliff wall that you almost walked off of. In the distance, you hear a roar of rushing water and realize that the bottom of the chasm is a mighty river. You must cross this gash in the earth but how? You look around and try to find a solution to your situation. You've come too far at this point to turn back but there is no path down and no way across. You start walking along the cliff, looking for somehow, anyhow to cross. As you walk the edge, you try desperately not to look down into the deep gorge. Suddenly in the distance, you notice something. You hurry towards it, noticing it's a narrow bridge stretching across the width of the abyss. Hesitating only a moment to test the strength of it, you step out. The bridge shakes beneath you but it holds. You continue walking, trying to keep your eyes forward on the opposite cliff. You're heart continues to pound and you realize that this is worse than when you climbed the mountain. The fear that is within you has nothing to do with outside forces but with your own self. The abyss you are crossing are your deepest fears. It represents those darkest parts of yourself, those pieces that can be seen even in broad daylight but remains hidden within your heart. This is the abyss of your soul and you are trying your best not to look down into, afraid of what you will see. You don't want to know what might be reflected back up at you. You're breath is hollow and your hands are sweating as you clinch the rope that is holding the bridge up. You feel as if you are holding on for your life.
Halfway across you freeze, two boards are missing and you find yourself staring down into the darkness below. You find you can't move even though you know it's would only take one large step to cross the gap. Looking down, the world fades around you and you feel as if you're suspended above nothing but the rope holding you up. You can barely make out the rushing waters far below and almost feel as if you can see yourself looking back up. You can't turn away from this illusion and as you stare into what appears to be that deepest part of yourself, you realize that there is only purity here, balance. You see the truth of who your truly are and it's nothing to fear. It is you. Pure. Brilliant. Divine. You have seen through the illusion that was presented before you upon the bridge. The true perspective shines out at you and your fear fades to be replaced by a strength you never realized you had. You take a deep breath, breathing the new found clarity into your lungs and with an ease you wouldn't have believed you had earlier, you step over the missing boards and continue across the bridge. This time you do it with peace in your heart and quickly reach the other side. ~*~ 13
Death 
You doze off when a sudden noise that startles you awake. You listen to the sound, realizing that it is still off in the distance. What is it, you wonder? You strain your hearing before realizing the noise is steadily getting closer and you turn in the direction. You can see a long procession heading in your direction and you stand up watching it approach, hearing the mingling of voices and what seems to be loud sobbing. As it approaches, you realize you are watching a funeral procession! The air fills with the sound of wailing as the procession reaches you and continue past you. Not one person looks up and notices you, they are so lost in their grief. You watch as they pass wondering to yourself who this person could be that has earned so much grief. You find yourself following along with the procession, your curiosity growing with each step. Within minutes, you find yourself becoming overwhelmed by the amount of grief you feel coming from the large group and you slow down easing your way out of the group, letting it sweep by you until you near the end of the large procession. You are about to completely drop away when a voice speaks to you. "Do not let the emotions of these others consume you, this is not your grief. It is not what you are here to experience." You look over to find a tall thin man drawing up alongside you riding a white horse. You look up at him but strangely you can't seem to make out his face as he continues speaking. "Let the emotions flow away from you and know that they are not yours to hold. I have something to tell you, my child. I know this is something you will be able to comprehend whereas others here will not. Death is not the final aspect of one's life but the end of a cycle one is experiencing. If you look over your life and all the journeys you have undertaken, you can count up all the deaths, all the transitions, you have already lived through. The world we live in is one of cycles and to grow we must let go of the old and bring in the new for without that, we would never grow and fully explore all the levels of our existence that we are here to enjoy. And, for you my child, like the one whose empty shell is being carried up ahead, your journey here is at an end but another one is about to begin for you as it has already begun for the one all are mourning." The horse stops and the rider points at a path you can barely make out leading off to the right of the road. "My child, your journey continues there with a rebirth and new understanding. Always be willing to shed what no longer serves you for something new is always waiting for you up ahead. Your old path is over but your new one is just beginning." And with those words the rider on the white horse leaves you standing there looking at the new path waiting in front of you to explore. ~*~ 14 TEMPERANCE 
You follow the path that has been pointed out to you, not sure of where you are heading but knowing that it feels as if everything is falling into place. The echo of the words you heard moments before repeat in your ears and you realized your entire journey so far has indeed been like a death to you. The person who started out on this path so long ago is now someone completely else. Someone stronger, more sure of themself due to the numerous changes you've experienced. You are growing and fast. It feels wonderful and you know that beyond every trail will be a new chance to grow and change. In eagerness, your pace increases as you continue along the forest lined path to a beat that only you can hear. Suddenly, the trees end and you find yourself in a clearing standing in front of a large pool of water. On the edge of the pond, kneels a beautiful naked woman with one foot in the water and a bended leg on the earth. She holds two goblets in her hands and appears to be pouring water from on to the other. You can't tell if the water is flowing down or flowing up. You blink to clear the vision and when you open your eyes the scene is gone. In its place is a small cottage with a well in front of it. A sweet baking smell comes from the cabin and you find yourself irrestibly drawn forward. You knock on the door and after a moment, it swings open and you find yourself facing an older version of the woman you had envisioned in the pool. She invites you in. You enter into her kitchen and the sweet cinnamon vanilla smell envelopes you. You look around and see that almost all the surfaces--the counters, the large wooden kitchen table--are covered with one delicious dessert after another . The only surfaces that are not covered are a few counters on either side of the stove and the stove itself. Your mouth waters with all the delicious scents and you realize just how hungry you are. The woman before you tells you to help yourself but to remember to feast with temperance. You begin to fill your stomach with the delicious foods as you ask her what she means. She beckons you over to the stove. "Do you see this?" she says, and you look into what she is stirring. It is a large bowl filled with chocolate over a pot. "When one is tempering chocolate, one must be very careful with timing, stirring, and being watchful of what one is doing. For, you see, if the chocolate isn't melted just right then you have large chunks of hard, solid bits in it. To use this chocolate, you need it to be perfectly tempered. You need all the bits melted, but," and she waves to a pot sitting over to the side and you go over, looking into it as you chew on a warm sugary cookie. "you have to be careful. Because there's only a short time frame before the chocolate becomes that. If you try to use the chocolate too soon, it's chucky but if you go too long, it's ruined. In a way it's the same as you eating right now. If you don't eat enough you're still hungry and sometimes starving yourself but if you eat too much, you're overly stuffed. You want to find the right temperance to what you are doing, the right balance." She stopped, as you realized that you were bordering on the stuffing yourself and withdraw your hand from the piece of bread you were reaching for. You watch her as she goes about the kitchen picking up food from here and there and putting them into a basket. She hands you the basket with a kind smile. "I see you understand. Take this for the rest of the journey and if you find the right balance, you'll be able to make this last long enough to get to your next stop. Thank you for your visit." She ushers you to the door and gently pushs you out. You step out of the house and turn back to gaze at it one last time only to find it gone and your path clear ahead of you. In your hand, you're still holding the basket.
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