TAROT:“It’s in the cards,” Finding Truth
The Fool (0), The Empress (3), Justice (11) and The Universe (21) cards:
These four noteworthy cards, which are included in Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness, bring up questions about truthfulness relevant to what’s going on around the world at the present time. This Tarot quest is not just about uncovering and pointing out serious problems; it’s about finding possible solutions and discerning the truth of the state of affairs in difficult situations.
(1. Seeking the truth: — When we search for truth, we expose the lies and misinformation of liars and pranksters, and all the thoughtless absurdities exemplified by The Fool card.
(2. Uncovering the truth of the Earth: — The Empress card inspires us to explore the truth about life on Earth and cultivate an understanding of Nature and its abundance. Daily, as “Earth Riders” and “Stewards of the Earth,” we experience the fecundity of flora and fauna all around us and now realize the importance of protecting the environment and conservation of all species. With this card, we aspire to understand the truth of the Feminine Principle in regard to reproduction, cell-division, growth, and complexity of life processes. The Empress card helps reveal much deeper information about our relationship to the Earth and Nature’s ever-changing cycles.
(3. Telling the truth: — Knowing the truth about what is true or false, helps expose the injustice we see every day in the proliferation of lies, abuses, prejudices, malfeasance and hidden corruption. Truth defeats criminal activity and the Justice card helps us uncover wrong doing and unlawful crime in our own lives. By hearing and telling the truth, law-breaking and lawlessness can be eradicated. Malicious behavior can be corrected through penalties, reformation and rectification processes, not just in courtrooms of law and order, but also in our homes and workplaces.
(4. Practicing the truth: — Through our spiritual practices, we can experience the freedom and joy illustrated by the dancing figure in The Universe card. With spiritual preparation and right action, we can experience freedom and joy and dance in Cosmic Awareness. As we advance on our spiritual path, we are finding our rightful place in the Cosmos and fulfilling the promise of happiness and joy.
The Fool card: The Fool card awakens unknown possibilities for spiritual discovery.
Where is the best place to begin working with Tarot? It is with The Fool. You might ask “Why”? In
Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness, we begin by considering that The Fool card is illustrated as zero — representing nothing — no-thing. In the
Rider-Waite deck, a young person is foolishly about to walk over a precipice. At first, The Fool card represents a prelude filled with expectations before “something” happens. Imagine yourself as an artist or writer staring at a blank piece of paper or canvas and contemplating what to put on it. In life, we all start with nothing – zero – nada – zilch. From a physical perspective, we come into this world with nothing but a little ready-made living body and a consciousness. The Fool card, found at the beginning of the Tarot Major Arcana, is usually interpreted as the jumping off place into an unknown. Most of all, it can indicate starting on a path of self-mastery during your life journey. By studying and working with Tarot, we are exploring the path to wisdom. Be aware, but never fear that we might make silly fools of ourselves along the way. Avoid any red-flags of pretentious behavior. Contemplating this card requires a lot of self-examination as you move forward on the path to Cosmic Consciousness.
The Fool card painting in Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness, depicts an oval which is symbolic of no-thing. To the Tarot enthusiast, it implies anticipation of good things to come. In the best sense, it represents the positive, hopeful aspects of achieving Cosmic Consciousness — a wish for spiritual fulfillment. Shimmering silvery clouds swirl in the center of The Fool card symbolic of unknown possibilities. Rainbow colors radiate outward around the edges. When viewed from the highest perspective, the 22 Major Arcana cards in Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness refer to a metaphysical system epitomizing the fool’s steps on a path toward spiritual ideals. In consulting the Tarot, we are yearning for “Oneness” with the spiritual Universe. As we discern the meaning of Tarot images, we have begun the search for the origins of Cosmic Selfhood. When carefully studied, these Tarot paintings are models that can trigger memories that help you discover and retrieve information about your path in life. Study these four cards as they are important guides for you on your spiritual journey. My teacher, Gail Fairfield, refers to using Tarot cards as “mnemonic devices” in her book, Choice Centered Tarot (Weiser, 1997).Of this she says:
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| Fool TOCC |
“The key to the Tarot is the symbols on the cards. They are the triggers
and catalysts for our insights into ourselves and our lives.”
When we get The Fool card in a reading, what will we learn? Fools and their outlandish behavior have been teasing us for centuries. Foolish behavior and foolish people were written about in the literature of early civilizations (such as Homer’s, Odyssey). Biblical fools are mentioned throughout the Old and New Testament at least as far back as 6th century B.C. (see Prov.18:6–7). It’s no different today, foolish stunts and actions continue and there are still a few people who make fools of themselves. We see them often, especially on the daily TV “news.” And we laugh at the comedy programs nightly on TV. Although some people may remain in a foolish, naive state for the rest of their lives, others grow in wisdom garnered from life’s laughable or reckless “lessons learned.” Lucky for us, those people usually relinquish their past foolish behavior and move on to better things.
“He dares to be a fool and that is the first step in the direction of wisdom.”
James Gibbons Huneker
Some play at being a fool, the joker, the trickster, the mock-king, mock-president or priest, which, inadvertently, helps us examine our own actions and come to grips with our own occasional irresponsible behavior. Questions always come up about the kind of lives we lead, and one always has to deal with the question of “Who am I?” “Where am I going”? “What am I doing to get there”? In Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness, these concerns are about seeking one’s spiritual selfhood and experiencing the “I AM” of the Cosmic Universe. As most of us are always engaged in the work of improving ourselves, this implies a transcendence of Ego. Finding one’s Cosmic Higher Self involves silencing the “monkey-mind.” On the path to discovery of one’s true spiritual Selfhood, ask yourself, “What is the Ego-Self in contrast to the Cosmic Self ”? As we consult the Tarot, these cards become “doors” to a better understanding of ourselves. As we improve, it is possible to move forward in finding a peaceful “Oneness” with all things. In the 21st card, The Universe, or World card, we dance in the promise of bliss for the future.
(See my post about The Fool in the The Good, Bad and Dangerous 5/25/2020 at https://tarotofcosmicconsciousness.blogspot.com.)
“The way to that goal, the steps and music of the dance, lies in the living images of the Major Arcana”
Rachel Pollack, Seventy-eight Degrees of Wisdom (Aquarian Press, Ltd., 1984)
The Empress card: This card symbolizes the formative Cosmic Mother Principle of creation and
prompts us to ask, “What is the truth about Nature and life on Earth”? What is the “Life-force” that animates living beings? How do we answer that? For the religious — “God did it!” For the more mechanical minded, it happened in a muddy, primordial, soup-like puddle. The famous “Rider-Waite” Tarot deck, depictsThe Empress card as a woman surrounded by water, plant life, and a wheat field. Her attributes are abundance and fertility, love, and the processes of birthing and nurturing. Religious implications of Waite card are shown in her crown of twelve stars (refer to Rev. 12:1). In Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness, The Empress card represents Mother Nature’s complex organizational abilities and requires our admiration of Mother Earth. On December 28, 1968, Apollo Astronaut, William Anders, took the first pictures of the whole body of Earth from the Moon. It looks like a giant blue marble covered with swirling white clouds and solid land masses, and somewhere, you are there — a “space traveler” among millions.
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| The Empress TOCC |
Through scientific research, we know that the earth is populated with billions of self-organizing, self-replicating, self-perpetuating living organisms. Yes, we know a lot about DNA and cell-division, but what about “aliveness”? What kind of Life-Force impels those cells to self-actuate, to grow, develop and reproduce themselves? What is the Life-Force in living beings? “Prana” or “Chi”— represent invisible inner forces, which are offered as explanations for “aliveness” in Eastern thought. We are aware of most every living thing on Earth today, from micro-cellular creatures, to multitudes of flora and fauna, which includes apes and mankind. When we contemplate The Empress card, questions come up about the origin of life. What is the truth behind how we came into being? Ask yourself: “How do I view my own aliveness”? Every gardener knows that when you plant seeds in the ground, little green plants emerge as carrots or peas, beans, kale, and so on. Their living forms emerge and are on their way to fruition and creation of seed-packets that, yet again, yield more cycles of future life forms. For life to begin, tiny cells must arrange themselves by mingling together according to a specific plan or so-called “blueprint” in order to transform into a complete Being. By merging and combining —Voilà ! — there is a dog or cat, or cow, and the cow is always a cow, not a horse or a chicken, and so on. Why is that?
(See my post The Empress, Another View, October 1, 2021 https://tarotofcosmicconsciousness.blogspot.com.)
The first thing to consider about The Empress card is gratitude — being grateful for your aliveness and the sense of aliveness in all other beings, from the tiniest amoeba to the grandest elephant. Express your gratitude and love for Earth’s abundance. Ask yourself, “Do I understand the total awesomeness of the creative process? Am I in tune with the Great Creatrix of the Universe?” How am I nurturing, caring for and providing sustenance for others in my life? What am I doing to maintain the environment and protect endangered species and public lands?
In political terms, as “Stewards of the Earth,” do I support the “Endangered Species Act” and all that entails? What about a women’s freedom to be in control of what goes on in her own body during reproductive processes? After the repeal of the “Roe Versus Wade Act,” who is trying to control what women do in privacy and why? These are some of the questions brought up as you contemplate The Empress card. Democracy needs your answers and activism.
Justice card: Justice will be done.
In order to bring about justice for wrongdoing, we must first acknowledge what defines “injustice.” What does this mean? What are the inequities? What are the criminal acts? What questions do you need to ask to rectify lawless and immoral situations and find justice? Who is being wronged, mistreated, lied about or misrepresented and why?
(See my blog posts 2/10/2018, and November 2022, The Fool and Misinformation.)
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| Justice TOCC |
In the biblical story “The Judgement of Solomon,” two women were fighting over a baby, each claiming it was her baby. They went before King Solomon for a solution. His ruling was to divide it in two by giving one half to one woman and the other half to the other. The first woman was sorrowful as this would kill the baby, so she said to give it to the other woman. The other woman said to cut it in two. Solomon gave it to the first woman saying she was its real mother
(I Kings 3:16–28). That’s how absurd it can get in our search for truth. This confabulation echo’s our contemporary times like what we saw in the storming of the US Capitol building on January
6, 2021. For several hours, excess violence and threats of death obstructed the final process of electing a President. Since everyone watched the attacks and violence on TV, it doesn’t make sense for certain news reporters and legislators to say they were “just tourists.” Say what …?
Who is fooling who? The truth has been revealed about what actually occurred that day and criminal penalties have been enforced for about 1,000 extreme right obstructionists.
The symbol of Justice is a woman who holds scales to weigh the good versus evil aspects of human behavior. Finding justice implies weighing the evidence in the balances and seeing the difference between truth and lies. In the past, the list of injustices in the establishment of Democracy in the USA was very long. In the struggle to determine what was right and what was wrong, justice was served with the Civil War. But there is still some bad news. Today, there is still ongoing discrimination and abuse of civil rights, although with some improvement. The “air” is still filled with concocted conspiracy theories and maligning falsehoods. In some states, there is voter intimidation and misinformation, persecution and attacks on LGBTQ people, and even bounty hunters for women and doctors over abortion rights. And, we have seen countless cases of disrespect for persons of color. Attacks upon others based on white supremacy ideology and Nazism are occurring in an open disregard for law. The worst part is the gunning down of people in offices, parks, parties and parades, including children and teachers in schools. This form of murder has been carried out by crazed individuals using military style rifles. Wake up people! What is going on here? What happened to “Liberty and Justice for All” and “Love thy neighbor”? What are the steps we need to take to stop this crazy senselessness?
The Universe (The World) card: Liberation
In the Rider-Waite deck, a woman dances in joy within a large oval. In Tarot of Cosmic Consciousness, the woman is now a swirling prismatic figure. In the painting, the dancer is shown transformed into a radiant spiritual being. She embodies freedom and liberation, which symbolizes the outcome of the adventure into unknown inner space and Cosmic Awareness. The Universe or World card signifies the possibility of freedom and liberation from an Ego-centered selfhood. The colorful figure represents merging into Oneness with the Cosmic Universe where one is free from mental anxiety and fears. She is swirling in the joyousness of a new higher reality and expresses freedom, self-determination and Love.
What should we do when we receive this card in a reading? At night, we see millions of stars “out there” and wonder if there are other planets like ours. Are some of those planets covered with water and life forms like our beautiful Earth? Are you wondering if we are alone in the Universe? Yes, what if we are truly alone and this planet is unique? The first thought is to be grateful for our sense of “aliveness,” and our living presence here on Earth. This is the time to express immense gratitude for our lives and for all other living beings. With this card, it is a time to ponder and meditate on “the meaning of life.” Do you love yourself, your family, friends and neighbors? Do you love your enemies? Do you love and care for the Earth?
“I find under the boughs of love and hate, in all foolish things that live a day,  |
| The Universe TOCC |
Eternal Beauty wandering on her way.”
WB Yeats,“To the Rose upon the Rood of Time”
As we face the reality of living on earth in dangerous times, we can’t be frozen in great fear about an atomic war, which would be the ultimate destruction of Earth. We must have hope and continue to work together toward a peaceful settlement of conflicts. And even though it seems this is the scary time frame we are living in today; we can find solutions in our committed sensible stewardship of the Earth. Its “riders” who are dedicated to truth are needed now more than ever.
Jane Goodall,in her book with Marc Berkoff, The Ten Trusts (HarperSanFrancisco, 2002) she takes up the issue of destruction of the planet, where she says:
“We have destroyed and polluted so much of Planet Earth in sixty plus years since I was a small child. So many plant and animal species have gone forever. It is so desperately important that the children of today learn to be better stewards than we have been.”
Look for answers to these pertinent questions.
1. How do I approach my life experiences? How do I deal with relationships with others who are on the same path and those who aren’t?
2. Are there some people in my life I think are fools? How am I dealing with them?
3. Whom do I trust? Whom do I doubt? Whom do I fear?
4. What is my truth? Am I telling lies? What am I lying about? Am I just a fool?
5. What is distracting me from reaching my goal? Am I just being selfish?
6. Am I happy in my daily living? What makes me joyful or sad?
7. How do I deal with disappointment and frustrations?
8. Am I working with those who demonstrate good stewardship of earth’s resources?
9. Am I helping to protect the environment?
10. Am I telling the truth? Do I express love and forgiveness?
For further exploration of what you can do with Tarot cards see my see blog posts:
https://tarotofcosmicconsciousness.blogspot.com
