Minor Arcana · Tılsım As
A pure new impulse of work, body and material life.
Upright: earth, work, body and material life
Reversed: blocked, excess
A hand—issuing, as usual, from a cloud—holds up a pentacle.
Perfect contentment, felicity, ecstasy; also speedy intelligence; gold.
The evil side of wealth, bad intelligence; also great riches. In any case it shews prosperity, comfortable material conditions, but whether these are of advantage to the possessor will depend on whether the card is reversed or not. Such are the intimations of the Lesser Arcana in respect of divinatory art, the veridic nature of which seems to depend on an alternative that it may be serviceable to express briefly. The records of the art are ex hypothesi the records of findings in the past based upon experience; as such, they are a guide to memory, and those who can master the elements may—still ex hypothesi—give interpretations on their basis. It is an official and automatic working. On the other hand, those who have gifts of intuition, of second sight, of clairvoyance—call it as we choose and may—will supplement the experience of the past by the findings of their own faculty, and will speak of that which they have seen in the pretexts of the oracles. It remains to give, also briefly, the divinatory significance allocated by the same art to the Trumps Major. § 3 THE GREATER ARCANA AND THEIR DIVINATORY MEANINGS 1. The Magician.—Skill, diplomacy, address, subtlety; sickness, pain, loss, disaster, snares of enemies; self-confidence, will; the Querent, if male. Reversed: Physician, Magus, mental disease, disgrace, disquiet. 2. The High Priestess.—Secrets, mystery, the future as yet unrevealed; the woman who interests the Querent, if male; the Querent herself, if female; silence, tenacity; mystery, wisdom, science. Reversed: Passion, moral or physical ardour, conceit, surface knowledge. 3. The Empress.—Fruitfulness, action, initiative, length of days; the unknown, clandestine; also difficulty, doubt, ignorance. Reversed: Light, truth, the unravelling of involved matters, public rejoicings; according to another reading, vacillation. 4. The Emperor.—Stability, power, protection, realization; a great person; aid, reason, conviction; also authority and will. Reversed: Benevolence, compassion, credit; also confusion to enemies, obstruction, immaturity. 5. The Hierophant.—Marriage, alliance, captivity, servitude; by another account, mercy and goodness; inspiration; the man to whom the Querent has recourse. Reversed: Society, good understanding, concord, over-kindness, weakness. 6. The Lovers.—Attraction, love, beauty, trials overcome. Reversed: Failure, foolish designs. Another account speaks of marriage frustrated and contrarieties of all kinds. 7. The Chariot.—Succour, providence; also war, triumph, presumption, vengeance, trouble. Reversed: Riot, quarrel, dispute, litigation, defeat. 8. Fortitude.—Power, energy, action, courage, magnanimity; also complete success and honours. Reversed: Despotism, abuse of power, weakness, discord, sometimes even disgrace. 9. The Hermit.—Prudence, circumspection; also and especially treason, dissimulation, roguery, corruption. Reversed: Concealment, disguise, policy, fear, unreasoned caution. 10. Wheel of Fortune.—Destiny, fortune, success, elevation, luck, felicity. Reversed: Increase, abundance, superfluity. 11. Justice.—Equity, rightness, probity, executive; triumph of the deserving side in law. Reversed: Law in all its departments, legal complications, bigotry, bias, excessive severity. 12. The Hanged Man.—Wisdom, circumspection, discernment, trials, sacrifice, intuition, divination, prophecy. Reversed: Selfishness, the crowd, body politic. 13. Death.—End, mortality, destruction, corruption; also, for a man, the loss of a benefactor; for a woman, many contrarieties; for a maid, failure of marriage projects. Reversed: Inertia, sleep, lethargy, petrifaction, somnambulism; hope destroyed. 14. Temperance.—Economy, moderation, frugality, management, accommodation. Reversed: Things connected with churches, religions, sects, the priesthood, sometimes even the priest who will marry the Querent; also disunion, unfortunate combinations, competing interests. 15. The Devil.—Ravage, violence, vehemence, extraordinary efforts, force, fatality; that which is predestined but is not for thisreason evil. Reversed: Evil fatality, weakness, pettiness, blindness. 16. The Tower.—Misery, distress, indigence, adversity, calamity, disgrace, deception, ruin. It is a card in particular of unforeseen catastrophe. Reversed: According to one account, the same in a lesser degree; also oppression, imprisonment, tyranny. 17. The Star.—Loss, theft, privation, abandonment; another reading says—hope and bright prospects, Reversed: Arrogance, haughtiness, impotence. 18. The Moon.—Hidden enemies, danger, calumny, darkness, terror, deception, occult forces, error. Reversed: Instability, inconstancy, silence, lesser degrees of deception and error. 19. The Sun.—Material happiness, fortunate marriage, contentment. Reversed: The same in a lesser sense. 20. The Last Judgment.—Change of position, renewal, outcome. Another account specifies total loss though lawsuit. Reversed: Weakness, pusillanimity, simplicity; also deliberation, decision, sentence. Zero. The Fool.—Folly, mania, extravagance, intoxication, delirium, frenzy, bewrayment. Reversed: Negligence, absence, distribution, carelessness, apathy, nullity, vanity. 21. The World.—Assured success, recompense, voyage, route, emigration, flight, change of place. Reversed: Inertia, fixity, stagnation, permanence. It will be seen that, except where there is an irresistible suggestion conveyed by the surface meaning, that which is extracted from the Trumps Major by the divinatory art is at once artificial and arbitrary, as it seems to me, in the highest degree. But of one order are the mysteries of light and of another are those of fantasy. The allocation of a fortune-telling aspect to these cards is the story of a prolonged impertinence. § 4 SOME ADDITIONAL MEANINGS OF THE LESSER ARCANA Wands. King.—Generally favourable; may signify a good marriage. Reversed: Advice that should be followed. Queen.—A good harvest, which may be taken in several senses. Reversed: Good-will towards the Querent, but without the opportunity to exercise it. Knight.—A bad card; according to some readings, alienation. Reversed: For a woman, marriage, but probably frustrated. Page.—Young man of family in search of young lady. Reversed: Bad news. Ten.—Difficulties and contradictions, if near a good card. Nine.—Generally speaking, a bad card. Eight.—Domestic disputes for a married person. Seven.—A dark child. Six.—Servants may lose the confidence of their masters; a young lady may be betrayed by a friend. Reversed: Fulfilment of deferred hope. Five.—Success in financial speculation. Reversed: Quarrels may be turned to advantage. Four.—Unexpected good fortune. Reversed: A married woman will have beautiful children. Three.—A very good card; collaboration will favour enterprise. Two.—A young lady may expect trivial disappointments. Ace.—Calamities of all kinds. Reversed: A sign of birth. Cups. King.—Beware of ill-will on the part of a man of position, and of hypocrisy pretending to help. Reversed: Loss. Queen.—Sometimes denotes a woman of equivocal character. Reversed: A rich marriage for a man and a distinguished one for a woman. Knight.—A visit from a friend, who will bring unexpected money to the Querent. Reversed: Irregularity. Page.—Good augury; also a young man who is unfortunate in love. Reversed: Obstacles of all kinds. Ten.—For a male Querent, a good marriage and one beyond his expectations. Reversed: Sorrow; also a serious quarrel. Nine.—Of good augury for military men. Reversed: Good business. Eight.—Marriage with a fair woman. Reversed: Perfect satisfaction. Seven.—Fair child; idea, design, resolve, movement. Reversed: Success, if accompanied by the Three of Cups. Six.—Pleasant memories. Reversed: Inheritance to fall in quickly. Five.—Generally favourable; a happy marriage; also patrimony, legacies, gifts, success in enterprise. Reversed: Return of some relative who has not been seen for long. Four.—Contrarieties. Reversed: Presentiment. Three.—Unexpected advancement for military man. Reversed: Consolation, cure. end of the business. Two.—Favourable in things of pleasure and business, as well as love; also wealth and honour. Reversed: Passion. Ace.—Inflexible will, unalterable law. Reversed: Unexpected change of position. Swords. King.—A lawyer, senator, doctor. Reversed: A bad man; also a caution to put an end to a ruinous lawsuit. Queen.—A widow. Reversed: A bad woman, with ill-will towards the Querent. Knight.—A soldier, man of arms, satellite, stipendiary; heroic action predicted for soldier. Reversed: Dispute with an imbecile person; for a woman, struggle with a rival, who will be conquered. Page.—An indiscreet person will pry into the Querent's secrets. Reversed: Astonishing news. Ten.—Followed by Ace and King, imprisonment; for girl or wife, treason on the part of friends. Reversed: Victory and consequent fortune for a soldier in war. Nine.—An ecclesiastic, a priest; generally, a card of bad omen. Reversed: Good ground for suspicion against a doubtful person. Eight.—For a woman, scandal spread in her respect. Reversed: Departure of a relative. Seven.—Dark girl; a good card; it promises a country life after a competence has been secured. Reversed: Good advice, probably neglected. Six.—The voyage will be pleasant. Reversed: Unfavourable issue of lawsuit. Five.—An attack on the fortune of the Querent. Reversed: A sign of sorrow and mourning. Four.—A bad card, but if reversed a qualified success may be expected by wise administration of affairs. Reversed: A certain success following wise administration. Three.—For a woman, the flight of her lover. Reversed: A meeting with one whom the Querent has compromised; also a nun. Two.—Gifts for a lady, influential protection for a man in search of help. Reversed: Dealings with rogues. Ace.—Great prosperity or great misery. Reversed: Marriage broken off, for a woman, through her own imprudence. Pentacles. King.—A rather dark man, a merchant, master, professor. Reversed: An old and vicious man. Queen.—Dark woman; presents from a rich relative; rich and happy marriage for a young man. Reversed: An illness. Knight.—An useful man; useful discoveries. Reversed: A brave man out of employment. Page.—A dark youth; a young officer or soldier; a child. Reversed: Sometimes degradation and sometimes pillage. Ten.—Represents house or dwelling, and derives its value from other cards. Reversed: An occasion which may be fortunate or otherwise. Nine.—Prompt fulfilment of what is presaged by neighbouring cards. Reversed: Vain hopes. Eight.—A young man in business who has relations with the Querent; a dark girl. Reversed: The Querent will be compromised in a matter of money-lending. Seven.—Improved position for a lady's future husband. Reversed: Impatience, apprehension, suspicion. Six.—The present must not be relied on. Reversed: A check on the Querent's ambition. Five.—Conquest of fortune by reason. Reversed: Troubles in love. Four.—For a bachelor, pleasant news from a lady. Reversed: Observation, hindrances. Three.—If for a man, celebrity for his eldest son. Reversed: Depends on neighbouring cards. Two.—Troubles are more imaginary than real. Reversed: Bad omen, ignorance, injustice. Ace.—The most favourable of all cards. Reversed: A share in the finding of treasure. It will be observed (1) that these additamenta have little connexion with the pictorial designs of the cards to which they refer, as these correspond with the more important speculative values; (2) and further that the additional meanings are very often in disagreement with those previously given. All meanings are largely independent of one another and all are reduced, accentuated or subject to modification and sometimes almost reversal by their place in a sequence. There is scarcely any canon of criticism in matters of this kind. I suppose that in proportion as any system descends from generalities to details it becomes naturally the more precarious; and in the records of professional fortune-telling, it offers more of the dregs and lees of the subject. At the same time, divinations based on intuition and second sight are of little practical value unless they come down from the region of universals to that of particulars; but in proportion as this gift is present in a particular case, the specific meanings recorded by past cartomancists will be disregarded in favour of the personal appreciation of card values. This has been intimated already. It seems necessary to add the following speculative readings. § 5 THE RECURRENCE OF CARDS IN DEALING In the Natural Position 4 Kings = great honour; 3 Kings = consultation; 2 Kings = minor counsel. 4 Queens = great debate; 3 Queens = deception by women; 2 Queens = sincere friends. 4 Knights = serious matters; 3 Knights = lively debate; 2 Knights = intimacy. 4 Pages = dangerous illness; 3 Pages = dispute; 2 Pages = disquiet. 4 Tens = condemnation; 3 Tens = new condition; 2 Tens = change. 4 Nines = a good friend; 3 Nines = success; 2 Nines = receipt. 4 Eights = reverse; 3 Eights = marriage; 2 Eights = new knowledge. 4 Sevens = intrigue; 3 Sevens = infirmity; 2 Sevens = news. 4 Sixes = abundance; 3 Sixes = success; 2 Sixes = irritability. 4 Fives = regularity; 3 Fives = determination; 2 Fives = vigils. 4 Fours = journey near at hand; 3 Fours = a subject of reflection; 2 Fours = insomnia. 4 Threes = progress; 3 Threes = unity; 2 Threes = calm. 4 Twos = contention; 3 Twos = security; 2 Twos = accord. 4 Aces = favourable chance; 3 Aces = small success; 2 Aces = trickery. Reversed 4 Kings = celerity; 3 Kings = commerce; 2 Kings = projects. 4 Queens = bad company; 3 Queens = gluttony; 2 Queens = work. 4 Knights = alliance; 3 Knights = a duel, or personal encounter; 2 Knights = susceptibility. 4 Pages = privation; 3 Pages = idleness; 2 Pages = society. 4 Tens = event, happening; 3 Tens = disappointment; 2 Tens = expectation justified. 4 Nines = usury; 3 Nines = imprudence; 2 Nines = a small profit. 4 Eights = error; 3 Eights = a spectacle; 2 Eights = misfortune. 4 Sevens = quarrellers; 3 Sevens = joy; 2 Sevens = women of no repute. 4 Sixes = care; 3 Sixes = satisfaction; 2 Sixes = downfall. 4 Fives = order; 3 Fives = hesitation; 2 Fives = reverse. 4 Fours = walks abroad; 3 Fours = disquiet; 2 Fours = dispute. 4 Threes = great success; 3 Threes = serenity; 2 Threes = safety. 4 Twos = reconciliation; 3 Twos = apprehension; 2 Twos = mistrust. 4 Aces = dishonour; 3 Aces = debauchery; 2 Aces = enemies. § 6 THE ART OF TAROT DIVINATION We come now to the final and practical part of this division of our subject, being the way to consult and obtain oracles by means of Tarot cards. The modes of operation are rather numerous, and some of them are exceedingly involved. I set aside those last mentioned, because persons who are versed in such questions believe that the way of simplicity is the way of truth. I set aside also the operations which have been republished recently in that section of The Tarot of the Bohemians which is entitled "The Divining Tarot"; it may be recommended at its proper value to readers who wish to go further than the limits of this handbook. I offer in the first place a short process which has been used privately for many years past in England, Scotland and Ireland. I do not think that it has been published—certainly not in connexion with Tarot cards; I believe that it will serve all purposes, but I will add—by way of variation—in the second place what used to be known in France as the Oracles of Julia Orsini. § 7 An Ancient Celtic Method of Divination This mode of divination is the most suitable for obtaining an answer to a definite question. The Diviner first selects a card to represent the person or matter about which inquiry is made. This card is called the Significator. Should he wish to ascertain something in connexion with himself he takes the one which corresponds to his personal description. A Knight should be chosen as the Significator if the subject of inquiry is a man of forty years old and upward; a King should be chosen for any male who is under that age; a Queen for a woman who is over forty years; and a Page for any female of less age. The four Court Cards in Wands represent very fair people, with yellow or auburn hair, fair complexion and blue eyes. The Court Cards in Cups signify people with light brown or dull fair hair and grey or blue eyes. Those in Swords stand for people having hazel or grey eyes, dark brown hair and dull complexion. Lastly, the Court Cards in Pentacles are referred to persons with very dark brown or black hair, dark eyes and sallow or swarthy complexions. These allocations are subject, however, to the following reserve, which will prevent them being taken too conventionally. You can be guided on occasion by the known temperament of a person; one who is exceedingly dark may be very energetic, and would be better represented by a Sword card than a Pentacle. On the other hand, a very fair subject who is indolent and lethargic should be referred to Cups rather than to Wands. If it is more convenient for the purpose of a divination to take as the Significator the matter about which inquiry is to be made, that Trump or small card should be selected which has a meaning corresponding to the matter. Let it be supposed that the question is: Will a lawsuit be necessary? In this case, take the Trump No. 11, or Justice, as the Significator. This has reference to legal affairs. But if the question is: Shall I be successful in my lawsuit? one of the Court Cards must be chosen as the Significator. Subsequently, consecutive divinations may be performed to ascertain the course of theprocess itself and its result to each of the parties concerned. Having selected the Significator, place it on the table, face upwards. Then shuffle and cut the rest of the pack three times, keeping the faces of the cards downwards. Turn up the top or First Card of the pack; cover the Significator with it, and say: This covers him. This card gives the influence which is affecting the person or matter of inquiry generally, the atmosphere of it in which the other currents work. Turn up the Second Card and lay it across the First, saying: This crosses him. It shews the nature of the obstacles in the matter. If it is a favourable card, the opposing forces will not be serious, or it may indicate that something good in itself will not be productive of good in the particular connexion. Turn up the Third Card; place it above the Significator, and say: This crowns him. It represents (a) the Querent's aim or ideal in the matter; (b) the best that can be achieved under the circumstances, but that which has not yet been made actual. Turn up the Fourth Card; place it belowthe Significator, and say: This is beneath him. It shews the foundation or basis of the matter, that which has already passed into actuality and which the Significator has made his own. Turn up the Fifth Card; place it on the side of the Significator from which he is looking, and say: This is behind him. It gives the influence that is just passed, or is now passing away. N.B.—If the Significator is a Trump or any small card that cannot be said to face either way, the Diviner must decide before beginning the operation which side he will take it as facing. Turn up the Sixth Card; place it on the side that the Significator is facing, and say: This is before him. It shews the influence that is coming into action and will operate in the near future. The cards are now disposed in the form of a cross, the Significator—covered by the First Card—being in the centre. The next four cards are turned up in succession and placed one above the other in a line, on the right hand side of the cross. The first of these, or the Seventh Cardof the operation, signifies himself—that is, the Significator—whether person or thing—and shews its position or attitude in the circumstances. The Eighth Card signifies his house, that is, his environment and the tendencies at work therein which have an effect on the matter—for instance, his position in life, the influence of immediate friends, and so forth. The Ninth Card gives his hopes or fears in the matter. The Tenth is what will come, the final result, the culmination which is brought about by the influences shewn by the other cards that have been turned up in the divination. It is on this card that the Diviner should especially concentrate his intuitive faculties and his memory in respect of the official divinatory meanings attached thereto. It should embody whatsoever you may have divined from the other cards on the table, including the Significator itself and concerning him or it, not excepting such lights upon higher significance as might fall like sparks from heaven if the card which serves for the oracle, the card for reading, should happen to be a Trump Major. The operation is now completed; but should it happen that the last card is of a dubious nature, from which no final decision can be drawn, or which does not appear to indicate the ultimate conclusion of the affair, it may be well to repeat the operation, taking in this case the Tenth Card as the Significator, instead of the one previously used. The pack must be again shuffled and cut three times and the first ten cards laid out as before. By this a more detailed account of "What will come" may be obtained. If in any divination the Tenth Card should be a Court Card, it shews that the subject of the divination falls ultimately into the hands of a person represented by that card, and its end depends mainly on him. In this event also it is useful to take the Court Card in question as the Significator in a fresh operation, and discover what is the nature of his influence in the matter and to what issue he will bring it. Great facility may be obtained by this method in a comparatively short time, allowance being always made for the gifts of the operator—that is to say, his faculty of insight, latent or developed—and it has the specialadvantage of being free from all complications. I here append a diagram of the cards as laid out in this mode of divination. The Significator is here facing to the left. § 8 An Alternative Method of Reading the Tarot Cards Shuffle the entire pack and turn some of the cards round, so as to invert their tops. Let them be cut by the Querent with his left hand. Deal out the first forty-two cards in six packets of seven cards each, face upwards, so that the first seven cards form the first packet, the following seven the second, and so on—as in the following diagram:— Take up the first packet; lay out the cards on the table in a row, from right to left; place the cards of the second packet upon them and then the packets which remain. You will thus have seven new packets of six cards each, arranged as follows— Take the top card of each packet, shuffle them and lay out from right to left, making a line of seven cards. Then take up the two next cards from each packet, shuffle and lay them out in two lines under the first line. Take up the remaining twenty-one cards of the packets, shuffle and lay them out in three lines below the others. You will thus have six horizontal lines of seven cards each, arranged after the following manner. In this method, the Querent—if of the male sex—is represented by the Magician, and if female by the High Priestess; but the card, in either case, is not taken from the pack until the forty-two cards have been laid out, as above directed. If the required card is not found among those placed upon the table, it must be sought among the remaining thirty-six cards, which have not been dealt, and should be placed a little distance to the right of the first horizontal line. On the other hand, if it is among them, it is also taken out, placed as stated, and a card is drawn haphazard from the thirty-six cards undealtto fill the vacant position, so that there are still forty-two cards laid out on the table. The cards are then read in succession, from right to left throughout, beginning at card No. 1 of the top line, the last to be read being that on the extreme left, or No. 7, of the bottom line. This method is recommended when no definite question is asked—that is, when the Querent wishes to learn generally concerning the course of his life and destiny. If he wishes to know what may befall within a certain time, this time should be clearly specified before the cards are shuffled. With further reference to the reading, it should be remembered that the cards must be interpreted relatively to the subject, which means that all official and conventional meanings of the cards may and should be adapted to harmonize with the conditions of this particular case in question—the position, time of life and sex of the Querent, or person for whom the consultation is made. Thus, the Fool may indicate the whole range of mental phases between mere excitement and madness, but the particular phase in each divination must be judged by considering the general trend of the cards, and in this naturally the intuitive faculty plays an important part. It is well, at the beginning of a reading, to run through the cards quickly, so that the mind may receive a general impression of the subject—the trend of the destiny—and afterwards to start again—reading them one by one and interpreting in detail. It should be remembered that the Trumps represent more powerful and compelling forces—by the Tarot hypothesis—than are referable to the small cards. The value of intuitive and clairvoyant faculties is of course assumed in divination. Where these are naturally present or have been developed by the Diviner, the fortuitous arrangement of cards forms a link between his mind and the atmosphere of the subject of divination, and then the rest is simple. Where intuition fails, or is absent, concentration, intellectual observation and deduction must be used to the fullest extent to obtain a satisfactory result. But intuition, even if apparently dormant, may be cultivated by practice in these divinatory processes. If in doubt as to the exact meaning of acard in a particular connexion, the Diviner is recommended, by those who are versed in the matter, to place his hand on it, try to refrain from thinking of what it ought to be, and note the impressions that arise in his mind. At the beginning this will probably resolve itself into mere guessing and may prove incorrect, but it becomes possible with practice to distinguish between a guess of the conscious mind and an impression arising from the mind which is sub-conscious. It is not within my province to offer either theoretical or practical suggestions on this subject, in which I have no part, but the following additamenta have been contributed by one who has more titles to speak than all the cartomancists of Europe, if they could shuffle with a single pair of hands and divine with one tongue. Notes on the Practice of Divination 1. Before beginning the operation, formulate your question definitely, and repeat it aloud. 2. Make your mind as blank as possible while shuffling the cards. 3. Put out of the mind personal bias andpreconceived ideas as far as possible, or your judgment will be tinctured thereby. 4. On this account it is more easy to divine correctly for a stranger than for yourself or a friend. § 9 The Method of Reading by Means of Thirty-five Cards When the reading is over, according to the scheme set forth in the last method, it may happen—as in the previous case—that something remains doubtful, or it may be desired to carry the question further, which is done as follows. Take up the undealt cards which remain over, not having been used in the first operation with 42 cards. The latter are set aside in a heap, with the Querent, face upwards, on the top. The thirty-five cards, being shuffled and cut as before, are divided by dealing into six packets thus:— Packet I consists of the first Seven Cards; Packet II consists of the Six Cards next following in order; Packet III consists of the Five Cards following; Packet IV contains the next Four Cards; Packet V contains Two Cards; and Packet VI contains the last Eleven Cards. The arrangement will then be as follows:— Take up these packets successively; deal out the cards which they contain in six lines, which will be necessarily of unequal length. The First Line stands for the house, the environment and so forth. The Second Line stands for the person or subject of the divination. The Third Line stands for what is passing outside, events, persons, etc. The Fourth Line stands for a surprise, the unexpected, etc. The Fifth Line stands for consolation, and may moderate all that is unfavourable in the preceding lines. The Sixth Line is that which must be consulted to elucidate the enigmatic oracles of the others; apart from them it has no importance. These cards should all be read from left to right, beginning with the uppermost line. It should be stated in conclusion as to this divinatory part that there is no method ofinterpreting Tarot cards which is not applicable to ordinary playing-cards, but the additional court cards, and above all the Trumps Major, are held to increase the elements and values of the oracles. And now in conclusion as to the whole matter, I have left for these last words—as if by way of epilogue—one further and final point. It is the sense in which I regard the Trumps Major as containing Secret Doctrine. I do not here mean that I am acquainted with orders and fraternities in which such doctrine reposes and is there found to be part of higher Tarot knowledge. I do not mean that such doctrine, being so preserved and transmitted, can be constructed as imbedded independently in the Trumps Major. I do not mean that it is something apart from the Tarot. Associations exist which have special knowledge of both kinds; some of it is deduced from the Tarot and some of it is apart therefrom; in either case, it is the same in the root-matter. But there are also things in reserve which are not in orders or societies, but are transmitted after another manner. Apart from all inheritance of this kind, let any one who is a mystic consider separatelyand in combination the Magician, the Fool, the High Priestess, the Hierophant, the Empress, the Emperor, the Hanged Man and the Tower. Let him then consider the card called the Last Judgment. They contain the legend of the soul. The other Trumps Major are the details and—as one might say—the accidents. Perhaps such a person will begin to understand what lies far behind these symbols, by whomsoever first invented and however preserved. If he does, he will see also why I have concerned myself with the subject, even at the risk of writing about divination by cards.
A. E. Waite, The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, 1911 — public domain.