Quick Guide Into TAROT Symbolism
Vikki Anderson created The Totally Tarot Method over twenty-five years ago with outstanding results. She decided that the old meanings of the cards were too negative for today's times when we need more positive energy and options for our futures. Instead of memorizing 78 upright card meanings and 78 reserved card meanings, she developed a way of delineating each card by the colors of the sky, clothing, directions of the figures in the card (past, present or future), the ground (foundation), balance issues, mountain positions, greenery, thrones, etc., and many other logical connections. When you find one symbol in a card, it means the same in another. Vikki uses upright cards to predict what will happen during the next six months, and reversed cards to foresee what will happen during the six to twelve month period in a year's reading. If time frames are shorter, then the upright card would forecast the first half of the time frame vs. the second half. The symbolisms she uses make sense, are logical and very current for the new age. She decided to write two tarot books when she constantly asked teachers many years ago, "Why does this card mean ...." and the answer she always got was "Because it's always meant that!" Her method has surprised professionals, students and clients alike on its accuracy. She hopes you enjoy this new method and be able to expand your understanding of the cards.
Armor - Any figure wearing armor was hurt in the past and is taking steps never to be hurt again. They are protecting themselves.
Birds - The Querent must take a necessary risk to achieve her goal or objective.
Black Birds - These indicate hidden secrets or negativity that is yet unseen. (Notice which part of the card they occupy - past: left; present: center; or future: right).
Chains - Chains signify feeling imprisoned, helpless, restricted, or limited in some way. These are self-imposed feelings, not reality.
Clouds – Puffy - Things are brewing behind you. Be prepared for life to get a little more upsetting in the near future.
Clouds – Streaking - You are in the middle of fighting at the moment and things have escalated beyond your control. You must take control of the situation.
Beard - A man with a beard is enlightened, wise, and honorable, with much integrity and spirituality.
Black Animals - Animals denote hidden meanings, secrets, or concerns where the animal is can help one understand if the Querent is noticing the issue, avoiding it, or not seeing it.
Castles - These indicate love, happiness, prosperity, joy, inner peace, inner strength, self-esteem, and confidence. (This also applies to towers, houses, tents, or cities-any place in which one can live). If the castle is behind the figure in the card, one must pay more attention to his home life to reap the wonderful benefits of having a castle in the card at all. Is the castle in the past, present, or future? Facing the castle, home, tower, or tent is the goal of the Querent. If one is not looking at the castle, there are none of the benefits signified from the symbolism.
Cement - This is the most grounding substance on which to stand or sit. It indicates determination, security, stability, focus, endurance, and being totally grounded.
Cliffs - You need to make a decision quickly before falling over the cliff and finding it hard to recover. Making the proper decisions in a timely manner will save you from issues and concerns in the future.
Clothing - Clothing is an integral part of interpretation. What is the figure wearing? The clothes closet to the body is how they were in the recent past; the layers of clothing over that is how they are now and all the emotion and traits that are relevant to them at this particular time.
Circle(s) - Circles stand for completion, eternity, oneness, wholeness, following a total cycle of beginning to the end of a situation, the one, the all, and totality.
Crown - A crown symbolizes royalty, regality, knowledge, and high status in life. What color is the crown?
Cups - Cups stand for the water signs of the zodiac: Cancer, Scorpio, and Pieces. They represent nurturing love and a desire to be thoughtful, kind, compassionate, and sensitive. They also represent love relationships or extremely close friendships.
Dog(s) - The beloved house pet symbolizes fidelity, loyalty, and trust.
Feet - The color on the figure's feet is their grounding color or foundation. If it is blue, they are compassionate by nature. Red would indicate a fiery temper and are passionate. Brown would indicate grounding and stability. Yellow means a very good intellectual foundation. White stands for naiveté, goodness, purity and ignorance.
Flame - Fire represents Spirit, passion, burning desire, and consuming energy.
Foundation - Whether the foundation in the card is in the background or the color of the shoes the figure is wearing, foundations are very important. They indicate what is really holding or not holding the situation together.
Fruit - Fruit indicates prosperity, abundance, fertility, growth, ideas, and being productive.
Future - Anything on the right side of the card is in the future. These are the things that are possible if a step is taken in that direction.
Gecko - These represent challenges or obstacles that must be handled. If they have completed a full circle, the concerns and issues are at an end. If they remain open, the issues have not totally been resolved or will continue. When a gecko has hold of his tail in his mouth thus forming a circle, the obstacles and problems are either self-contained or being properly handled. If there is a break from the mouth to the tail, additional problems may come into your situation unless they are promptly handled.
Gloves - Covering the hands indicate hiding the truth, not being honest, not telling the whole story, and keeping things to oneself. Take note of the color as well.
Head - Anything on the head of a figure in the cards is very important. The hair color is an indication of the figure's motives or temperament. For example, white on the head indicates spirituality and goodness, a sharing and caring nature while red may indicate someone with a fiery nature who is passionate, aggressive and controlling in the way they handle circumstances.
Horse - A horse is often seen carrying the present figure back to the past or ahead to face the future. The horse's color is also important for a proper interpretation. For example, beige or brown would be a grounding influence. White would be someone who is now in control of his or her spirituality or has taken a step towards not being taken advantage any longer.
In Between - if a figure is "in between" anything, whether it is a tower, trees, columns, etc., something in the Querent's life is out of balance. However, sometimes getting in between two towers also showers luck on the Querent by the very nature of the meaning of towers, castles, homes, and cities. Pay Attention to the objects the figure is standing in between.
Leaves - Depending upon the color of the leaves, they usually represent fertility, growth, prosperity, and new beginnings. Add the color of the leaves to the position in the card for a more precise meaning.
Lilies -These flowers are indicative of purity, naiveté, kindness, being overly giving, and trusting. If there are too many lilies in a card, it may indicate that the Querent is always being taken advantage of or is always doing for others. One must stand up for themselves and try to say "No" more often.
Moon - The moon stands for illusion/delusion, not seeing the truth, seeing what you want to see, or hearing what you want to hear because it is easier to face than reality.
Mountains - The positioning of the mountains in a card is very important in reading. If they are in the past, they mean procrastination is an issue. If they are in the future, your goals and objectives will be easily met and will come to fruition quickly if they have not already come to pass. If the mountains cross the whole card, they indicate all the opportunities and goals you have set for yourself are waiting for you. The trick is that you have to grab them or they will slip away as easily as they were brought before you.
Naked - Naked people in the cards are extremely vulnerable and easily hurt. They should try to set more limits so that others will not take advantage of them.
Past - Anything on the left side of the card indicates the past. You are going in the wrong direction, so you must handle the issues of the past, turn around and get on with your life.
Paths - Be sure to note if a path is straight, crooked, or going off into the sunset or mountains. Usually paths are put into a card to show the Reader where she has come from or where she should go. Also, take note of the color of the path. For example, if the path were yellow, you would follow the path of intellectual and logical thought rather than emotional thought.
Pentacles - Pentacles correspond to the earth signs of the zodiac: Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn. They represent prosperity, abundance, inheritance, possessions, and money.
Present - The absolute middle of the card represents the present. This indicates the way things are now, whether good or bad, and possibly a current situation you need to handle.
Rabbits - A rabbit connotes someone in a hurry to conclude a situation or to get on with a particular concern or issue. It represents not looking before you leap.
Serpents - Having a serpent in a card means trouble, secrets, hidden problems or concerns, mistrust and negativity. Do not trust everyone so easily.
Ships – Ships float so as long as they are floating, you are ahead of the game. Keeping emotions and dreams inside will keep your life as if an emotional roller coaster. However, sometimes a ship is just to escape from a situation quickly.
Shoes - The shoes are the foundation of the wearer. Notice if the shoes are the same color, or the same kind, and all the other possible combinations.
Sky - Clear skies indicate smooth sailing, happy endings, and everything working out for the best. Notice the color of the sky as well; which indicates in what area your good fortune will come to you.
Snails - A snail indicates preceding with extreme caution or not moving fast enough for others. You feel as if "slow and steady" wins the race.
Snakes - This reptile represents wisdom and knowledge (both practical and enlightened).
Stars - Stars represent choices or decisions. Take note of the color and number of stars. White stars indicate spiritual guidance; while yellow mean that the Querent must remain logical and rational. The bigger the star, the more important the issue.
Sun - The sun stands for vitality, goodness, optimism, illumination, focused energy, new beginnings, and reality.
Swords - Swords correspond to the air signs in the zodiac: Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius. Swords represent arguments, fighting, responsibilities, conflicts, concerns, limitations, creative thinking, ideas, actions and energy.
Sunflowers - Like the sun, these flowers represent new beginnings, fertility of ideas or creative energy. New ventures and new growth.
Towers - Something between two towers indicates that there is a balance issue - something must be dealt with. It may have taken the Querent a long time to get between the towers to experience the balance of home life and love. Look at the color of the towers for further clues. However, if there are towers in a card, it usually represents love, happiness, prosperity and joy.
Trees - The green leaves indicate prosperity, possession, and things concerning money and abundance. The brown trunk of the tree stands for grounding and clarity of purpose in regard to finances.
Water - There are so many depictions of water throughout the Rider-Waite deck, but in particular, it stands for emotions. Calm water indicates secrets and emotions below the surface. There could also be hidden agendas. Ripples in a body of water mean that some troubles or negativity is coming into your life. If a body part is causing the ripples, the Querent is making his own emotional problems. If the water is very wavy, there are rather serious problems to handle.
Wands - Wands represent the fire signs of the zodiac; Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. This suit represents career, jobs, and how one works on the job (from procrastinator to workaholic) while sharing all the career-related opportunities available to the Querent.
Wheat - Wheat symbolizes fertility, growth, abundance, fruitfulness, bounty, and plenty.
Wood - Wood is the second most grounding substance to stand, lean, or sit on. This color also brings one in connection to the earth or Mother Nature.
Yods - These small, usually yellow flecks of light are blessings from God. If Yods are present in a card that looks negative, this always indicates that God is blessing that person and pushing them into a necessary change.
Ghost or Spirit Orbs around the Williamsburg, VA property.
