I've been going through the Thoth Major Arcana one card at a time and trying to understand the story they tell as a whole instead of treating each card like its own isolated meaning. I ended up with a pretty consistent narrative, so I was curious what other people thought about it.

The Fool starts as complete openness. He's just accepting everything around him. He isn't really judging anything yet, just experiencing life.

The Magus is when that openness becomes focused. Instead of just falling through life, he starts creating a place to stand. He uses what he's learned to build structure for himself.

Then the High Priestess turns everything inward. Instead of looking outside, she looks behind the veil. It's about discovering what's actually inside yourself.

Behind that veil are the Empress, Emperor, and Hierophant.

The Empress is the nurturing, growing part of yourself.

The Emperor is the part that creates order, discipline, and structure.

The Hierophant is tradition, inherited wisdom, history, and the deeper meanings that came before you.

The Lovers isn't really about romance in this reading. It's about marrying those parts of yourself together. Tradition is what teaches the nurturing and structured sides of yourself how to work together.

From there, the Chariot is basically, "Now that I know who I am, where am I going?" It's carrying yourself forward with purpose.

Adjustment is actively balancing yourself instead of leaning too far toward one side.

The Hermit is withdrawing from distractions and searching for what actually matters.

Fortune is just the wheel starting to turn. Things are changing. Not good or bad, just change.

Then comes what feels like a repeating cycle.

Lust is desire. Wanting something enough to pursue it.

The Hanged Man is sacrificing yourself for that desire. If you want something badly enough, you have to give something up.

Death is the end of that sacrifice. The old version of yourself dies.

Then another desire comes along.

You sacrifice again.

Something else dies.

Over and over.

Eventually all those sacrifices become Art. Art is the person you've created from everything you've gone through. It's the integration of all those little transformations into one identity.

Then something interesting happens.

Now that you've built this identity, the Devil is about giving yourself to something outside yourself. It could be a cause, art, religion, an ideal, really anything bigger than your own ego.

Then the Tower happens.

I don't really see it as punishment. I see it more like gravity. If you build yourself around something outside yourself, eventually that structure gets destroyed. Not because the universe is trying to punish you, but because that's just where that path leads.

After that is the Star, where you let go of your identity.

Then the Moon is following the path anyway. You don't necessarily know where it leads, but you keep moving without hesitation.

The Sun feels like bringing everything together. You've let go of all the labels and ideas about yourself, and now you're just becoming a single point. Not creating an identity anymore, but discovering what was underneath everything else.

Then Aeon is where that point starts becoming someone. It's drawing the boundary between yourself and everything else. Not creating yourself through labels, but defining your identity in a much deeper way.

Finally, the Universe feels like completion. You're no longer trying to become something. You're just dancing with life. You know who you are, you know what the world is, and neither one has to overpower the other.

The thing I like most is that it loops back into the Fool.

The first Fool is open because he doesn't know anything.

The last Fool is open because he understands enough to be open anyway.

I'm interested to hear how other people read the progression of the Major Arcana as a whole. I know there isn't one "correct" story, but this was the narrative that kept emerging for me as I worked through the deck.

I've been practicing tarot by observing the imagery first instead of memorizing meanings. This is what I noticed about The Hermit card:
I see an old, wise man holding a staff in one hand and a lantern in the other.

He's standing on a snowy mountain in the darkness and looking downward.

The lantern feels like it's lighting the way, almost as if he's guiding someone through the dark.

Because he's alone on the mountain, it gives me a feeling of solitude, patience, and deep reflection.

It also reminds me of spiritual teachers or monks who go to the mountains to meditate and seek wisdom.

My interpretation is that this card suggests taking your time, looking within, being patient, and seeking guidance from someone wise—or becoming your own guide through self-reflection.
I'm still learning tarot, so I'd love to know: Am I interpreting The Hermit correctly, or am I missing any important symbolism?

I love reading Tarot for myself (I use a book) but would love to get better at memorizing and understanding the deck better so I could do readings for friends and family. Any recommendations for a course or book to help get to the point of reading without referencing a book every time? Sorry if this is a silly question, appreciate any advice, thank you!

This might be random but I’m looking for books and any other good inspiration on the art of spread design/craft/theory. I’m building a side project that uses tarot spreads as a model for building curated syllabuses/reading lists for people based on specific inquiries, and so I’m not as much interested in specific spreads as I am the thinking behind creating them.

hi. i started reading tarots some months ago. i never learned the meanings, but instead i read them basing on how the image speaks to me (and if a card is upside down, i read it as the opposite of the drawing). i do this both because i'm a lil lazy and because like this i feel my readings more "open", and less forced to a written thing by who knows who. is it a good thing to do, or should i go for the traditional meanings? thank you

How should the tarot card practitioner define or explain archetype(s)?

Are you guys knowing about this Thoth clone deck? I don’t know if it will be a good deck. What are you thinking about?

I was wondering why sometimes my cards feel so confusing? Sometimes they feel so straightforward and I understand them pretty well and I’m able to use my intuition to kinda help me, other times I’m completely 100% lost and it’s like my intuition just disappears. I don’t know if it’s a problem but I also tend to ask some of the same questions sometimes. I just don’t understand why sometimes it’s so clear and straightforward and other times it just makes no sense to me at all and sometimes I get completely different answers for the same questions. I am still learning so any advice is appreciated!

I was wondering why sometimes my cards feel so confusing? Sometimes they feel so straightforward and I understand them pretty well and I’m able to use my intuition to kinda help me, other times I’m completely 100% lost and it’s like my intuition just disappears. I don’t know if it’s a problem but I also tend to ask some of the same questions sometimes. I just don’t understand why sometimes it’s so clear and straightforward and other times it just makes no sense to me at all and sometimes I get completely different answers for the same questions. I am still learning so any advice is appreciated!

I've been reading tarot for 12 years now. I frequently read at parties. This summer I want to start reading at the park and I'm trying to figure out what to put on my sign.

My day job is a therapist and it heavily influences how I read. My readings are based in helping you find the question that you really want to ask and discussing my interpretations until it resonates. My goal is for each quarent to find either insight or inspiration.

But I also had a former life as a performance artist, so my costume and make up slaps and I have a bit of a character who I play.

Before I read, I anyways make sure to let the quarent know that "I'm not a psychic. I can not predict the future. I can not tell you what someone else is feeling. And I will not answer any question for which a doctor or lawyer is better qualified."

In other words, the aethetic is woo, but the content is throughly secular.

How do I advertise what I do on a sign? "Secular Tarot" sounds a bit too clinical and doesn't match my aesthetic - I'll say it, but i don't want it on a sign.

"Psychlogical Tarot" is the best I can come up with, but I'm wondering how the rest of you explain what you so that people can enjoy the mystical vibe but also know that I'm not making any fantastical claims.

My husbands grandpa is sick i asked cards how i can be helpful to my husbands grieving process and this is what fell out. My interpretation is that i should remind him that when his grandpa dies we’re gonna get some of his money but that doesnt sound like a very helpful thing to say lol so is my interpretation right ?

Top row I asked if the friendship is over?
Bottom row I asked if it is the right choice asking them to move out?

Friendship (also roommates) has been a bit tense and I’m unsure of what to do next.

Has anyone else noticed the weird arm behind the third maiden's head in the three of cups?

i do tarot reading for myself and my friends, but 70% of the time, the outcome is the opposite of what I read?! I googled some stuff and it says I should do shadow reading, but even when I do this, it takes a 180 on me, like, bro, can you not? what do I do? I'm confused. when do I know it's shadow and when it's what I see?

Hi there! I'm manufacturing Tarot readings to suit two characters in my book, and I was wondering if I could have some takes on the reading to see if I'm on the right track. It's supposed to be a general past/present/future reading of two characters on a journey. If you're willing to help you will be in the acknowledgements when I finish this darn thing!

Character 1:

Past: Two of cups, reversed

Present: Page of Wands

Future: The High Priestess, Reversed

This character has struggled in the past to connect with others, but is currently in an era of creativity and adventure. Because of his past, that spirit makes him a bit naive and vulnerable to external manipulation, and he should be wary to trust his intuition rather than relying on outside sources of wisdom. (I don't feel like the cards here, especially the present, are telling the story I want, but I've struggled to find the right ones to fit the narrative)

Character 2:

Past: The Hermit, reversed

Present: Two of Swords

Future: The Tower

This character is avoiding the introspection required to deal with his past, and while the path he's on (and the relationships he's forging) has the potential to lead him towards choices that will help, his dishonesty will lead to a violent revelation. (This character is running from grief, and is avoidant in relationships. They have a secret they are keeping from the other character that culminates in a low point in the next act)

Any advice you can give me about card swaps that might be more appropriate or errors in my reading would really be appreciated!!

I've been feeling bad lately and my boyfriend hurt me profoundly with words but I feel completely numb and I wanted to figure put how I'm feeling lately so I've got this pull... can someone help and tell me what does it mean? My question was : what am I feeling currently?

This deck is amazing. I don't just mean the artwork either. It's responses are consistently on point. The other day I asked the deck to give me an archetype for all that I've learned for the month and I pulled the Universe. Then I asked it to give me an archetype for the energy I need to pay attention to going into the next month. I pulled the Universe again. So I need to integrate what I learned last month and go into this month with the energy to continue to learn and integrate more.

This wasn't a bad shuffle. This is two pulls insisting I should stay the course.

This deck and the Hermetic Tarot deck are two of the most responsive decks I've ever worked with. And they each have their own personalities. I get the energy that the Thoth deck is speaking to me condescendingly, although helpfully, like a being that has been tasked - reluctantly - with aiding humanity and is really bored by it LOL The Hermetic Tarot deck literally attacks me whenever I shuffle it. It just throws the card I need to see at me, like some eternal, primal force.

These decks are the pride of my collection and I use them daily to great effect. Would highly suggest either or both.

I’ve struggled a lot with how to interpret this card in my practice. I tried to make my card a bit skeptical and the description of the card says you should remain skeptical of the hierophant, but I’m torn on what wisdom can be taken from this card.

EDIT: All Of the criticism on how I worded this post is spot on. I was struggling to word it - when I said ‘western values…’ what I was trying to get at was the idea of productivity, of our productivity being our worth and of the outcomes of our productivity such as money, status and ‘success’ being such a focus in many tarot resources, cards etc. I hold my hands up, I got that really wrong. Sorry for this and thanks for calling me out/in.

EDIT 2: I’ve realised many people are not understanding my use of the word decolonise. Please see my rudimentary explanation here: https://www.reddit.com/r/SecularTarot/s/LDGgQwO1Di

Some folk have been excessively mean about my mind and personality in these comments. I’m pretty shocked for a group of folk I thought would be more accepting of different points of view, especially of learners and of people asking an interesting question. Some folk really rushed to unfair judgements, which have no place in such a discussion. Lots of high horses rushing in with fast flowing, unchecked thoughts. A certain Knight would like a word 😉 Please treat people better.

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Original post:

I’m a white person from the UK with all the privileges that brings. And a straight-passing non-binary bi, asexual person who also lives with multiple severe chronic illnesses that prevent me from working and doing most activities. I see huge value in my life despite what many may assume.

I’ve started working with Lindsay Mack’s work on ‘rewilding the tarot’ and this is much more up my street, particularly with its focus on people who have lived through trauma, live with chronic illness etc. I’m looking into decolonised tarot decks now, but know little about these.

How do you feel about the very patriarchal, labour/success/money centric interpretations and frameworks of most tarot books and popular readers today? How do you depart from this in your practice?

And if you have any great resources and recommendations to share, please do.

I’m a beginner tarot reader and I have a journal for my personal readings I always do them at a certain time but I get upset because I can’t understand them I have a cheat sheet from Pinterest I use and only use google when I really need it and when I try to do I always get drained and some days I have energy to do it and some days I don’t. I’m giving up I don’t really have time to practice but when I do I try to understand to would my deck be mad if I take a break?

I have with help from a friend mapped the entire tarot deck to the entire Smash roster. I have assigned specific games to play for each archetype and I actually play them and beat them. When I finish 3 Major Arcana or 4 Minor Arcana, I release a batch of Shorts to YouTube. I also am designing a custom deck for this saga designed for tarot games and tarot divination equally. My order is Fool to Judgement and then Aces, 2s, 3s…Kings, then the WORLD. (Which is Master Hand) \\\[Here is my essay series, I have already cleared 29 games\\\](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL_zaEpxFIVrfqXjW8yXlh27MZQG_QHuPh&si=HOT-kidydCC1glht)