Major Arcana
Virtues & Ethical Challenges XI - XV
Virtues & Ethical Challenges XI - XV
The Soul then faces the challenges of the dualistic world in the form of the VI Lovers (Choices), VII Chariot (Duality), VIII Strength (Fortitude), IX Hermit (Introspection), and X Wheel of Life (Karma).
XI - Justice
Message:
Be fair and just with all beings.
Keywords:
Codes of honor, legal matters, integrity, accountability, discernment, mercy.
Reversed
Unfairness, injustice, lack of accountability, dishonesty.
wisdom synthesis
Choosing to align personal will with divine will is the path to freedom.
Colors
Pink/Yellow
Meaning:
Justice is an archetype and a virtue, and a quality of rightness and discernment that arises out of the human need for fairness and equality. In a world that can seem unfair, even chaotic, it is important to remember that all human actions are recorded, and eventually, in this world or the next we must review our choices and answer for them. Sometimes Justice is gentle, and on other occasions she seems harsh, punishing, even destructive. Worse than a ruling and judgement is the absence of Justice in a civilization. Lawlessness certainly feels sad, even barbaric and frightening. Justice upholds the moral codes of a culture, as well as the ethics of an individual and human character. Because we have free will, we have moral choices. Eventually all actions are weighed, and each person is given their due, usually in terms of mercy, punishment, or liberation. If you have pulled Justice in a reading make certain that contracts and commitments with others are clear, honest, and fair.
11th - Arcanum:
Justice of one of the manifestations of Wisdom. The 11th arcanum is a key to understanding the evolution of the soul through human and divine Justice. The Ten Commandments, a divine code of conduct given to Moses from above for an ethical society below, are behind the interpretations of most laws in western civilization. Because we have free will, we have moral choices. The Bhagavad-Gita, a revered Hindu text, categorizes three types of human karma: actions that elevate the soul, actions that degrade, and action (including non-action or no reaction) that lead a soul toward liberation. In Hinduism and Hermetic Alchemy reincarnation is considered a fact. Justice reminds us that our actions in this lifetime will influence our next incarnation.
It was Henry II who is considered the father of Common Law. In the 12th Century, he established a jury of twelve knights to settle disputes, and that sowed the seeds for the judicial system as we know it today. Article III of the American Constitution established the Judicial Branch established that every person has a right to a fair trial. The Constitution also protects the freedom to worship in whichever way we choose. Wisdom and Justice are necessary companions for they strive to maintain both reasonableness and stability. Most civilized countries uphold love of the divine and family, punish adultery, stealing, lying and murder. Justice must also be willing to put on trial, sentence and punish those who break the laws and regulations. There is no accident that Hanged Man follows as the 12th Arcanum.
Justice can also appear as the 8th arcanum instead of Strength or Fortitude. After the VII Chariot teaching that equilibrium leads to health, Justice in the form of balance has meaning. It is before IX Hermit and the practices of balanced spiritual contemplative development. However, the human Judicial system is also part of Justice, and the reality is that punishment by hanging, only stopped in 1964. There is a wise Jewish saying that fits here: “Behind each law Mercy is concealed.”
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
Themis, the Titan goddess of culture, personified divine or natural law and reflected correct human behavior, especially concerning familial and cultural social interactions. She also had the ability to bless and cure. Her symbols were the scales which represent impartiality and the sword to symbolize her power to exact punishment. Themis shared a temple with Nemesis as a reminder that those who ignore natural law face divine retribution. Justitia was the Roman personification of Justice, but she eventually took flight and became the constellation Virgo. Minerva then served as both Wisdom and Justice. The combination of these triple goddesses is known as Lady Justice, who is sometimes shown blindfolded as a reminder that a judge should be impartial, without passion or prejudice. Justice cannot act, only react.
Brigid, one of the most powerful goddesses of the Celtic pantheon, is a personification of both Wisdom and Justice in Imaginosophy. She stands inside a cup of rebirth made of blossoming flowers. She is clad in a light green dress and looks vulnerable. Yet Nuada’s sword, Fragarach, known either as the “the whisperer” or “the retaliator” depending on the need, rests above her head. Her right hand touches the edge of the sword. Her eyes are closed, suggesting that she is centered in inner knowing. There is nothing in her left hand, which suggests freedom. Behind her a white heart shines through the foliage, symbolic of the deep love inherent in the true nature of the universe. A lotus blooms in the lake as a reminder of spiritual awakening and rebirth. Within the image of the scales of Justice is the Ankh, an Egyptian symbol representing the power of life over death. The dragonfly, a sign of ancient wisdom, flies toward the scales reminding us that there are at least two sides to every story.
In Irish mythology, Brigid was the daughter of Isis. The Irish clung to their goddess so ferociously that she was eventually adopted as St Brigit. As a saint she was known as the foster-mother of Jesus. The triple goddess was replaced by the trinity, and so (like Minerva) she transformed from Mother Goddess to Lawgiver. Brigid ruled that any woman who could defend her land should keep it. As the old religion merged with Christianity, Brigid continued to insure the rights of women. Brigid is still revered as an unbroken vessel, virginity being completely symbolic, and one who tends the spark of light that is alive within everyone. A perpetual flame, Brigid is an embodiment of both Wisdom and Justice.
Grail Legend:
To prepare her to serve as counselor of Camelot, High Priestess Anna initiates Nimue into the ancient grail wisdom. To become a true grail heroine, she had to know and feel the ancient pulse of life some call Eve. In the stone circle known as Avebury, she realizes only human beings can refuse to bloom into their true nature. With a sudden flash of illumination, Nimue understood that everyone must decide whether to live in darkness and despair or receive what has been divinely given and thrive.
Person As a Person:
A judge, attorney, therapist, or truthful friend.
Grail Question:
Are you keeping your agreements?
XII - The Hanged Man
Message:
Feeling hung up; let go and trust.
Keywords:
Delays, obligations, illness, patience, new perspective.
Reversed
Feeling trapped, helpless, choosing peace.
Wisdom Synthesis
Let go and trust.
Colors
Indigo/Clear
Meaning:
The Hanged Man asks us to think about life from a new perspective. Perhaps event has occurred that has turned life on its head, and a change in perspective is required. An individual may feel falsely accused or judged in some manner but is helpless to proceed. Life might seem like a crazy fantasy or an illusion. The Hanged Man forces a person to surrender or even to admit temporary defeat. There may need to be an adjustment in moral orientation, or personal insight, or even a life review. Patience is needed so that insights can emerge. It can feel frustrating, even terrifying to feel helpless. If you have pulled the Hanged Man in a reading, all worldly plans are on hold for now, but spiritual change is taking place. Be patient. This is a period of assimilation.
12th - Arcanum:
The 12th Arcanum shows a man hanging upside down. There is no noose around his neck, but he is upside down and no longer experiencing ordinary consciousness. This is a moment of sacrifice, an initiation that requires courage. Instead of suffering, he appears to be centered within himself and in a state of rapture. He is not afraid, but instead seems to be in touch with the immortality of the soul. The Fall of humankind appears throughout world mythology in which there is a gravitational pull toward separation and individual consciousness and then back toward the unity of the Divine. The world is divided, and thus individuals tend to feel split within themselves. The Hanged Man teaches that ultimately, suspended between the terrestrial and celestial gravity, clarity and freedom can be found. The Hanged Man could be a criminal, or a saint, or an initiate, it does not matter. He is a man who has been tried and tested and he is very mortal. Suspended between heaven and earth, the Hanged Man represents the dilemma of humanity.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
A tree with green upper branches is mirrored like a cracked cosmic egg with an image of violet roots. Within the tree, wise Merlin hangs in a yogic tree pose. A circle can represent eternity, but it can also be a snare. In myth and legend, Merlin was trapped inside a Hawthorn tree. In some version of the tale, he was fooled by a magical lover, and in other stories it was by choice. He epitomizes the druid teachings of the Three Circles in which a soul journeys from the Underworld of Annwn (circle of the ancestors), to Abred (the circle of biological life and evolution), and on to the circle of Gwynfydd (the circle of happiness, love and bliss). In this third circle there is only natural genius and access to universal knowledge. The last invisible no-circle is that of Ceugant, (the no-circle or space) is the Infinite Totality of Existence. Merlin in this artwork is at one with the three circles of existence. The symbol of the asteroid Chiron at the lower left-hand side of the card, indicates that this is the journey of the wounded healer. In healing and transforming the self, one also mends and the metamorphoses the world.
Grail Legend:
Merlin tells Nimue that it will be her destiny seal him in a Hawthorn tree where he is to remain until the time of his return. She refuses at first, not wanting to give him up to the embrace of the White Deva, Guendolonea. Neither of them has chosen this destiny, but he must sleep to feed the soul of Albion. As part of the great tree, Merlin travels through the pure lands where he is imprisoned until the time of the great shift. Like IX Hermit, his gaze is turned inwards, but in this case, he is held upside down indicating that his inner journey is even more intense. Nimue trusts the journey of his immortal spirit but misses the physical man. However, it is Merlin’s spirit that ensures that the human kingdom will be protected. The true task that Merlin offers Nimue, is the mission of spiritual realization.
Archetypal Power As a Person:
A yogi, non-conformist, or rebel; an individual who feels wounded or insane; an incarcerated person; a martyr; a wise person who has returned rehabilitated from a long inner journey.
Grail Questions:
In what ways do you feel puzzled or trapped?
XIII - Death
Message:
Change is inevitable.
Keywords:
Endings, mortality, life-renewal, rebirth, change, transformation.
Reversed
Inertia, lethargy, resistance to change.
Wisdom Synthesis
The soul’s unity with the Divine.
Colors
Black/Clear
Meaning:
Death as a Force presents a paradox. It is the principle of subtraction; surgery would be the modern term. When Death visits, we must ask if it has been called upon to kill, heal or transform? Surgery can save a life by sacrificing part of the whole for the greater good of the body, and thus death can be a healer. Death changes and transforms us in ways that are outside the understanding of the conscious mind. In a reading Death usually indicates the need to make a change, to face a difficult truth such as a health issue, or even to face mortality in some way. It can also suggest the end of a cycle or era. To move to a new home, we must release the old one. We become attached to things but in the end, we must let it all go. The ultimate role of Death is to unite the Soul with the Divine.
13th - Arcanum:
As the 13th Arcanum death functions as the principle of subtraction or excarnation. Death is linked with forgetting. Each night when we sleep, we forget the material world and awaken to psychic and spiritual phenomena; and when we awaken at dawn, we often fail to remember the spiritual worlds. Besides clinical death, there are many types of death, including mental, psychic, and moral death. To the world of the senses, death means the disappearance from the physical plane of existence; it is the soul’s forgetting of material existence and an embrace of the great mystery. The psyche symbolizes subtraction, but from what? It may be the withdrawal from the physical or mental world, but perhaps it is something else. It may be a removal of oneself from the etheric or astral worlds, so that a task can be performed on Earth. Mental images of ancestors, ghosts and phantoms can emerge from the void. Is this frightening, or is this simply the artistic way in which the great imagination works? Death can also take a soul to a revelation, to non-ordinary states of consciousness where the inner eye opens, and the Higher Self is revealed. The reason Death is a paradox is because one never knows which world is opening, the physical, psychic, or spiritual. We often shut down the reality of mortality because we are frightened of it, and yet incarnation (life) and excarnation (mortality) are our constant companions. Yet, in truth the soul never dies. Remembrance of past and future lives helps us relax into the never-ending story of reincarnation. Death is a powerful and sacred magic, and a colleague of miracles. Death is a call from above and a forgetting of below. In the next world, the caliber of the soul is measured not by its physical wealth, but by the development of the soul qualities of love, charity, hope, faith, and the fulfillment of the individual’s mission. There is no mistake that we are on the planet for the exact number of years we are given.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
Gwyn Ap Nudd sits on his throne the Celtic Underworld of Annwn, his white hounds by his side. They are said to go hunting for lost souls on Samhain, and sometimes other nights when the moon is full. Out of the darkness, the blue stars of the Underworld shimmer. Gwyn Ap Nudd holds death’s scathe in his right hand and in his left is the Pair Dadeni, the cup of rebirth, which can revive the dead. His Birch throne suggests that death and life are intimately related. His green robe symbolizes the green grasses, fields of spring and summer and his connection with the botanical kingdoms. The stag antlers indicate his ability to travel between worlds and his ability to listen to the movements of the planets and stars. The astrological symbol of Pluto, a planet that signifies transformation and rebirth, appears in the lower left side of this card. Pluto’s earlier name was Hades, a name for the Underworld. A deity familiar with the forces of both death and life, Gwyn Ap Nudd is ultimately a psychopomp, a spirit who ferries the dead to the Afterlife. However, if it is not the correct time, he might offer a sip from his cup of rebirth, remind a person of their life purpose and mission, and send them with the fairies that dance at his feet back into the world of the living. When he is hunting lost souls, he wears a black stripe across his white face. His golden sash denotes that he is also a personification of Wisdom. He knows exactly where you need to go and when. As he gazes into your eyes, ask if any part of your soul might be forgotten and awaiting your attention in the Underworld.
Grail Legend:
Unwilling to accept her destiny as the person who must seal Merlin in the Hawthorn tree, Nimue throws herself into a dark lake. Since she is a Lady of the Lake, she cannot die but does find herself in the Underworld with Gwyn Ap Nudd. As an embodiment of Wisdom, Gwyn helps the protagonist review her choices. Looking into her future, Nimue understands why she has been given such a difficult mission. Once she is ready to accept her destiny, Gwyn Ap Nudd gives her a sip from the Pair Dadeni. She arises from the lake, coughing and spluttering. Merlin who has intuited her Underworld voyage is making a fire by the shore so she can warm herself.
Archetypal Power As a Person:
Surgeon, saint, shaman, medium, nurse, hospice worker, psychotherapist, someone who deals with forgetting, dementia, illness and death; also a priest, yogi or minister.
Grail Questions:
What is dying or changing within or around you?
XIV - Temperance
Message:
Ask! Help is always close at hand.
Keywords:
Balance, self-restraint, moderation, sobriety, self-discipline, hope, faith, goodness.
Reversed
Indulgence, excess, extremes, addictions, leniency, suffering.
WISDOM SYNTHESIS
Inspiration; restored faith in the process of life; a miracle.
Colors
Yellow/Gold
Meaning:
Resting between Death and the Devil, the message of Temperance is that of hope, faith, and goodness. She reminds us that the powers of the universe operate outside the realm of understanding, and yet they can be trusted. As an enduring presence and divine guardian of the Holy Grail, she inspires us to trust the process of life and continue placing one foot in front of the other. Life will improve. There is a trusted path that leads to the Golden Age of the future. If you have pulled Temperance in a reading, remember that even in your darkest hours, help is always available.
10th - Arcanum:
Temperance is the embodiment of the law of Inspiration and can materialize as an embodiment of Hope. We tend not to appeal to our guardians and helpers unless we are in profound depression, suffering or despair. When called upon the messenger immediately responds. Temperance is the Guardian Angel of the 13th Arcanum who when we need her the most. She is generally depicted as a female with wings, some may embrace her as a Faery God Mother, or a Grail Maiden. Generally appearing in feminine form, Temperance as guardian defends her person as a mother would shield her child. The world stage is one of war and peace; and Temperance shows a third way, that of inspiration. Although not omniscient, Temperance radiates profound tenderness, creativity and understanding. She encourages us to look ahead and meet the aspect of wise Sophia who sits in the future always moving us forward toward our highest destiny.
Temperance personified as a Guardian Angel or Grail Maiden acts as the Higher Self, the link between humanity and Divinity. Angeoli means messengers in Greek, and they are always available but only respond when asked. The halo behind the messenger is symbolic of a flaming star. One of the functions of our Guardian Angel is to remembers all past and present lives, as well as future lives, and may appear when a person needs to remember the timeless mission they have been assigned to, and the color ray and galactic symphony. There is no mistake that we are here and each of us is loved beyond belief. We are not just from Earth, but there are many dimensions of consciousness in which life resides. Temperance can restore a holistic vision that unites us with the wisdom of our hearts once again.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
In Imaginosophy, Sophia in the guise of St Brigit holds the Holy Grail aloft. She is Inspiration in the darkness, the one who knows how to keep the perpetual flame burning. Known by many names over the centuries, she can be referred to as Bride, Bridey, Brighid, Brigantia, and St Brigit. However, whatever name and form she takes throughout the ages, Brigid is an embodiment not only of life, but of everlasting life. It is for this reason she can appear in the most orthodox and patriarchal Judeo-Christian religious house of worship as well as any Pagan temple or stone circle. Brigid wears a crescent moon as a necklace, signifying her role as priestess, and embodiment of the goddess. The pink flowers in her hair suggest that she is an incarnation of Life. Like the Moon card, we see a path with towers. Here the way is paved with golden wisdom. The astrological planet of Jupiter on the lower left-hand side of the card is associated with good fortune and prosperity, even miracles. Temperance can indeed indicate a miracle.
Grail Story:
Most of the Legends of the Grail series focus on the earlier stories of Sovereignty, yet these stories make their way into Arthurian tales also. Dindraine, a beautiful young woman, was the first person to achieve the Holy Grail. Through an act of self-sacrifice, Dindraine was able to open the gates of the heavenly realm of Sarras (a mystical island in the Holy Land) for Galahad, Percival and Bors, who took the chalice to Heaven via King Solomon’s ship. As part of this Grail quest several questions are asked, such as: “Who does the Grail serve?” In the goddess traditions, the inquiry was a reminder that women are happiest when they make their own choices in life and partnership; in the later Christian stories the question was a reminder that a good knight served the Divine. Two traditions have woven together in Arthurian legend regarding the cup of redemption or healing, one Christian and the other from the stories of Sovereignty. In the oldest tales, the Cailleach can appear as an elderly woman (even a frightening hag), or the stunningly beautiful Faery Grail Maiden.
Here we can also discover the inspiring tale of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell, who were tested on their wedding night with a riddle. Appearing in the form of the loathsome lady, Ragnell tells her husband that she can take two shapes and he must decide which he prefers. She could either be an exquisitely attractive woman by day and a hag at night, or an ugly woman during the day and a beauty at night. At first Sir Gawain is upset by the sorcery she has been placed under by the terrible Sir Gromer. But as he takes her into his arms he says, “The choice is yours.” Ragnell rejoices as the evil spell is lifted. The way through to her freedom was for a husband to give her the choice of freewill and to reestablish her sovereignty. The moral of the story is that all people need to make their own decisions, for that is the way to happiness.
Archetypal As a Person:
A good friend or ally; a trustworthy healer.
Grail Questions:
What inspires you?
XV - Devil
Message:
It is easy to become trapped in the realm of illusion.
Keywords:
Slavery, escapism, addictions, lust, fear, indulgence, unbridled materialism.
Reversed
Breaking free, lifestyle renewal, return from a wild phase.
WISDOM SYNTHESIS
Being fully present in the moment.
Colors
Black/red
Meaning:
The word “devil” is “lived” backwards. The Devil is the energy of intoxication and despair. Although seductive, the overuse of alcohol, drugs, food, sex, and gambling (material addictions) are anti-life. They lead to illness, premature death and sorrow, even ancestral torment. We can recognize an addiction, because when we feel empty it is the thing we reach for: the booze, the pie, the many distractions of the material world. Part of the journey of spiritual awakening and holistic living is finding the courage to recognize where we are still stuck, even trapped, and seek help. Bringing awareness to the places where we suffer is the first step toward freedom. If you have pulled the Devil in a reading, ask yourself where in your life you feel trapped or bound.
15th - Arcanum:
The Devil of the 15th Arcanum is a force of counter-inspiration and intoxication. The sensation is that of deficient emptiness. The Devil as a Major Arcana arises out of Judeo-Christian theology as a demonic force with a perverse will and malevolent imagination. Satan can be charming and successful, tends to enjoy chaos, lust, power, and fear. He appears in German literature in Goethe’s Faust, a well-known story in which a man (a black magician) sells his soul to the devil and is morally compromised by evil. It is a reminder to occultists that the practice of theurgy (religious magic) that raising spirits can have unintended (or intended) consequences.
The Devil can be understood as the greed, lust and selfishness of the ego that will seek fame and fortune at the cost not only a soul, but the souls of an entire planet. The Devil is not an energy to call upon or to emulate, but it is one to be aware of. The Christian faith is designed to be a religion of love, yet it has allowed theological factions to divide it. This divisiveness is where the demons enter. Think of the righteous persecutions of the Inquisition, designed to maintain Catholic orthodoxy by identifying and punishing heretics, or those who refused to convert. Imprisoning, torturing, killing in the name of God, executing people in the name of religion, is an expression of human evil. Demons tend to be manmade, evolving out of the negative even hateful thoughts and desires of those who seek power over others. The Devil is the impulse behind slavery, not only the enslavement of others, but also becoming a captive of our own minds. It is the unifying energy of Love that dispels the agony of demons.
To Rudolph Steiner and the Anthroposophist movement, evil was described as twofold: Lucifer, the force of illusion and escape; and Ahriman, the force that binds and enslaves. To Steiner, the Christ Consciousness and the development of spiritual wisdom brought liberation from these opposing forces. Eastern religions with a transcendent focus can mistakenly align with the Luciferic forces that deny matter and seek physical and psychological annihilation. And Western civilization must contend with the energies of Ahriman that seeks to dominate matter, the demons behind soulless corporations and artificial intelligence that strive to destroy the soul of humanity.
Symbolism/Image as Guide:
The Devil in Imaginosophy emerges out of the darkness. His face is green, hinting at Lucifer’s lost emeralds. His mouth is open and with no bottom jaw his appetite is unconstrained and knows no limits. Nose rings are used to control bulls and to keep pigs from rooting, and without a doubt cause undeniable pain. Psychologically, the Devil has to do with the parts of our soul that we have rejected or suppressed. The Devil in this card is made of smoke, and when looking at him closely, we see that he is an illusion. His eyes are that of a goat, perhaps linked to Baphomet (a deity who reportedly brought down the Knight’s Templars), and is sometimes correlated with the Sabbatic Goat. He is the beast of materialism, the phantom of terrors, and he also reminds us that the way out of a drama, illusion, nightmare or addiction it to face it straight on.
The Devil has nothing to do with Paganism, Polytheism, or Pantheism, which tolerates all gods and goddesses and ways of worship. A demon can manifest as a destructive deity or monster such as Egyptian Seth (or Satet), who represented confusion, chaos, anger, violence and evil. Seth was the opposite of Ma’at, or divine order. Seth’s brother Osiris ruled as a wise and powerful king. Seth, jealous of his power, murdered his brother, thus becoming the enemy of the healing goddess Isis and a deity of the shadows. The Greeks associated Seth with the monster god Typhon who challenged the sky god Zeus and was hurtled into Tartarus, an infernal underworld. In the Celtic world, the Fomorians were a race of demonic beings who inhabited Ireland until they were subdued in the second battle of Moytura by the Tuatha de Danann, who were associated with the faery folk and white magic. We find dark and twisted beings throughout global mythology. Demons are designed to scare us back ontrack.
Grail Story:
There is no Devil in Celtic mythology. There are characters such as Math fab Mathonwy, in Welsh literature, who use black magic and trickery for their own selfish purposes. In Riddles of the Ancestors, one of the challenges is to break the curse of Balor of the Evil Eye, who like Medusa, kills anyone with one look.
Archetypal As a Person:
A charmer; someone who can lead you astray; an addict.
Grail Questions:
What lurks in the shadows of your psyche?
