The Pip Cards
The Aces and number cards all represent concepts you can experience yourself. They move from the simple life of the Hunter, forming links to wider society and finding internal growth, to the mastery of the Magician. The Tens are the end of this personal journey, and the Court cards afterward show a different set of external forces.
In this section each Role will get its own explanation, followed by an in-depth look at the four cards within it. The numbers and suits increase in the natural progression of meanings: the early Promise, using the skill as Gambit, finding the dangers in Folly, and succeeding as Triumph. Read the stories to get a feel for the personality of each card, and then use the detailed definitions for readings.
This first Role includes several traditional meanings of the number one: a single person with a single idea, not yet distracted by the larger concerns of society.
The Hunter travels alone, moving toward their goal while maintaining complete focus. Their life is very simple, they look along the arrow and see only the target. Worrying about events at home or how to interact with others won’t help them catch their prize, so those are ignored while the hunt is on.
Many Roles later in the deck are based on relationships with the wider world, but the Hunter is not interested in that. They have a main hunt which takes all of their attention. Whoever you are reading for, this goal is always something that the subject of the reading truly needs—it goes beyond idly wanting it and is instead connected to their deepest passions. (If the person is unhappy because they can’t seem to find a single thing to be that passionate about, then the goal is often the search itself until it is successful).
In terms of the Magician’s Journey through the deck, there is nothing else to concentrate on at this time. Everything outside of your target is a blank canvas. This is a place of beginnings and seeking something which feels more important than other events.
The Hunter may be the first Role, but their personality is not new or childlike—they believe that they have the right to exist, want things for themselves, and pursue those things even if it means taking a risk. They must already believe that they deserve to take up space in the world and have their own desires independent of other people. This isn’t something everyone finds easy to do, but it is necessary if they are to be a Hunter.
The second skill they need is to focus intensely on a single task—again, a difficult thing for many of us! The strength of demand from the Ace encourages the reader to find a way to do both.
As the Hunter moves through the deck, they will learn that we all have to reach out to others, to make more complicated decisions, and to find different ways of living. None of this comes into play for the Aces which are too primal and too immediate. They help the Hunter to focus only on the prize.
Ace of Clubs:
Hunter’s Promise
“Alanna Hunts the Dragon”
A New Beginning, Personal Goals, Focus
Alanna moved quietly through the forest. The light was warm and golden, with soft shadows from the many trees which surrounded her, but she kept her eyes on the ground. Tracks in the soil showed that small animals had passed this way earlier—and had then run quickly home again.
The young mage stopped to crouch at the edge of a clearing, glad that she’d changed her formal blue robes for the brown scouting clothes that were easier to move in. Searching the area carefully, she thought back to the conversation that had started it all.
The leader of the Academy had called her to his office. It was a room she’d never been to before, furnished in rich wood and with many books on shelves, but he captured her interest away from them with his first words:
“There is a message from the islands in the far West. A Dragon has been found.”
The shock quickly passed, and Alanna felt only a warm certainty. Her time with them was over and this would be the beginning of the rest of her life. She answered without hesitating.
“I will seek it.”
The leader regarded Alanna with a serious expression. “You have earned the right to do so, but … are you sure? It means leaving your studies and this land, being focused on nothing but the pursuit. You would be travelling alone.”
“I know. I am ready.”
She stood before him calm and determined, and he saw in her face that the walls of the school were confining to her now, and she wanted to be out in the world. After a few moments he nodded sharply. “Very well, then. It passed through the Southern Forest on its way to the islands, you could start there.”
She was filled with joy as she prepared for the journey. Mages sought Dragons for many reasons but in every case it led to knowledge, accomplishment and mastery. Alanna shouldered her pack and stood for a moment in the doorway, taking a last look at the study room which had been her home.
The next day she was in the forest where the Dragon had been sighted. The clearing was silent as she moved slowly on, checking for signs. Suddenly the ground in front of her showed the huge clawed print that she had hoped for—and her vision blurred. A new feeling rose in the mage’s chest. She felt connected to the mysterious creature that she was to chase, tied to it now, and knew that across time and many lands she would not stop travelling until they met. Through orchards, and royal palaces and … star-birds in the night sky?
The images slowly faded, leaving her breathless. She sensed immediately that it had been a true vision. Instead of feeling afraid or cautious, it only made her more eager. This Hunt was on now, wherever it led, and every step from this point would bring freedom and discovery.
Aces (and the number one) in card divination often mean new beginnings, or the most fundamental version of a theme. The Promise cards of each number also mean a beginning, a time full of potential when all good things could arrive in the future and nothing is yet decided. The Ace of Clubs (Hunter’s Promise) is therefore the very start of a new journey. By coincidence, in the game of Hearts, the players also begin with the lowest Clubs card, just as the Roles do here.
Ace cards are potent symbols that have always drawn the attention of players and audiences. When they appear in these readings they represent subjects close to the heart of the reader, never trivial or small matters. The Hunter’s personality is the same: their goal is particularly meaningful to them and they don’t look around at anything else. The Promise of this card is the future that the Hunter can eventually achieve, of tracking and gaining an important prize. This journey is taken alone, and the Hunter must go to seek their quarry with great determination.
If you receive this card then it is time to examine any distractions around you and deliberately put them aside. Don’t let your energy go to anything except hunting the real prize. A project will be of great importance to you. Hunter’s Promise tells you to prepare well, to plan, and to know the goal that you seek. Part of that planning is to look again at what is really important in your life.
This is a card of new beginnings, but it can also relate to an existing situation. Often the message is “Right! You know that thing you’ve been delaying on? Time to finally start it and not give up until it’s done. It’ll be an adventure.” Although the topic the card relates to is usually the first one you think of (because it feels the most important) it can still be scary to follow that call—there may be good reasons that you haven’t made a proper attempt yet! However, the Hunter has an urgent energy and certainty which overrides any doubts. The appearance of Hunter’s Promise in a reading means that you are going to want to drop everything else to do this.
While the idea of a lone figure going on a journey may remind readers of the tarot’s Fool card, Hunter’s Promise is quite different. Instead of carefree wandering, this is the first step on a directed and planned journey with a goal at the end. The Hunter is not as innocent or naïve as the Fool. They may not be paying much attention to events on either side, but their ability to focus in on the main goal is admirable.
Ace of Diamonds:
Hunter’s Gambit
“Sev Sees the Target”
An Opportunity, Test of Skill, Going All In
As the crowd roared, Sev walked to the area where archers should stand. Everyone was here today to see the competition.
Excitement tingled in their gloved hands and they checked the bow before turning to wave to the many spectators. Straw targets were being replaced after the last round of shooting and moved a long distance down the range for the final attempt. That didn’t matter. This was what all the training had been for, all the preparation.
This was the best moment, the few seconds before anything was decided when all the possibilities were still in play. Would the arrow hit or miss? Whose name would the crowd be calling at the end of the tournament? These hands will decide it, these eyes!
The breeze was soft, with no unexpected gusts. The sun shone onto the targets from above, bringing out their bright colours.
Sev slowly raised the bow and drew the arrow back to their cheek. The noise of the crowd faded away, but as the string was briefly held against skin, the mouth beneath it broke into a grin of joy.
Here we go—all or nothing! Only skill will decide.
Wishing there was a way to make the moment last forever, Sev was still smiling as their fingers carefully relaxed and the arrow leapt into flight.
The Gambit cards have two meanings: taking an action in the way that only this particular Role can, and taking a risk. They are the Role that says, “I’m going to leave the safety of the planning stage in favour of action, and it’s not certain that I’ll succeed.” After the rising energy of the Promise card (which starts a journey and moves towards the world of action) the Gambit’s energy sits on a peak, capable of falling to either side. It could succeed or fail. Your protection during this gamble is that each Role has a special skill and can win using the talents familiar to them.
For the Hunter, that skill is tracking and capturing prey. Their Gambit is to create a moment when the target will either be caught or get away. The Ace of Diamonds (and many Gambit cards) can be pictured spinning like a coin: “I’m all-in. Let’s see where the arrow lands.”
The idea of hunting animals is not a pleasant one in the modern day, but thankfully the Ace of Diamonds shows us that this is not what the Role of the Hunter means at all. It is instead about quests and goals, and this Ace does a good job of resembling a valuable red gem that you are reaching out to take.
This is a very exciting and positive result! Having the opportunity to solve something with a big gesture is often a good situation to be in. Where Hunter’s Promise was the beginning of a solo journey, the Gambit is the intense moment that everything hangs in the balance, ready to fall one way or the other.
When this card appears, it is telling you to fully commit to one action. You should see your goal clearly and make an attempt. If you have been undecided on a topic, this message says, “Focus only on the target, and seize it.” You must put distractions to the side and ignore the whole world except for the target in front of your arrow; crucially, you must also take action. Planning and focus are not enough—you have to actually take the risk. A Gambit is a card of action, and there is no prize to be gained if you hesitate.
The Hunter’s prize has the power of an Ace, meaning that it is very important to the person seeking answers. With topics so significant, we can often be afraid to take a leap in case we fail. It requires a lot of certainty to commit this much to something which isn’t guaranteed, and the Hunter (at this starting point on the journey) have only themselves to rely on. This means that they must find some self-acceptance, and belief in their own skills.
This card is guidance that you should commit now and stop holding the arrow back. Let it make its journey. You might miss this time, but you definitely won’t hit the target if you stay on the line holding the bowstring instead of letting it do the work it was meant for.
“Nikolai Finds Only Death”
Ruthlessness, Disaster, Sudden Change
Nikolai was a man who hunted innocents, and today it was to be a farmer’s daughter. Others might have hesitated to take these jobs from the chief of a clan known for its evil deeds, but Nikolai had only coldness in his heart and a love of coin.
This child of one of these local families had simply seen too much, and now the killer had arrived from the city to find her. With the heavy sword gripped in his hand, he would complete this mission just like so many others. There was no chance that his target would escape him—the rest of the girl’s family were away celebrating the harvest, which is how the unfortunate youth had become the only witness to the deed. Now she needed to be removed.
Nikolai stalked silently into the village. Evening shadows hid his dark clothes as he crept between buildings hunting the chosen victim. He found one dwelling set apart from the others—this is where she should be. Moonlight barely showed on the blackened metal of his terrible blade.
It was a fine plan, but that night fate was not with the dangerous stranger. His heart, already foul from past deeds and dead to emotion, did not have time to jump as the hiss of unseen arrows came from either side. The girl’s cousins lowered their bows, satisfied that the ambush had worked.
One mistake of overconfidence was all it had taken, and all of Nikolai’s luck had run out.
Traditionally, the Ace of Spades is the card of death. There are many reasons for this association, but the main one is that companies were not allowed to print this specific card unless the official duty fee had been paid. The penalties for counterfeiting decks were severe, and this Ace was the proof of guilt. It is also the reason that this card often has a more intricate design today than any other in the pack: when the laws were changed later to allow anyone to print cards, designers kept the more elaborate Ace of Spades.
A second connection with death comes from this Ace’s association with war. Soldiers have carried this card in the belief that it was lucky, although in the twentieth century they also dropped copies of it into enemy territory, believing it to be deeply unlucky and intimidating to the enemy.
In traditional playing card divination, the black suits (Clubs, but especially Spades) are considered worse and given the more negative outcomes. The suit of Spades in this book follows that approach, as the Folly cards are usually each Role’s weakness or danger that should be overcome in order to learn its lessons. In the case of the Hunter, the folly is often the result of believing that the target is the only thing that matters to the exclusion of other hazards nearby. The Hunter is so focused on their chosen prey that they don’t see enemies closing in from either side.
It’s easy to become obsessed when we focus on just one target for a long time. However, the world is bigger than that and has more areas for you to play in and responsibilities to maintain. The Hunter thinks they are in control and superior to their prey, but the Folly card says that this isn’t true in this situation. Do not be arrogant about your abilities, or obsessed with too narrow a goal, because you are very vulnerable here. You are hunted instead, by an enemy you did not see when you were busy aiming at your own targets.
The Ace of Spades means ruthlessness, disaster, or a catastrophic loss. It stops all other plans and forces you to concentrate on itself. It is a card so significant that if it comes up during a reading, you should stop everything else and pay attention to it. There is a danger associated with failure of some kind, a very serious one that cannot be waved away. Instead, it must be vigorously defended against.
If the cards show Hunter’s Folly in a way that is actually positive, it means you should be ruthless. Matters have turned serious and you need to come out on top. Stop your previous plan—looking only in a single direction will not save you. You must also check on all sides and find the hidden threats before they strike.
Part of the Folly of the Hunter who silently advances through the forest, bow drawn, is that to be stealthy enough to close in on a target, they must work alone. This card therefore says that one way to avoid this fate is to reach out to others for help.
The energy of all the Folly cards fall downwards from the previous sharp peak of the Gambit cards. This Ace is the fastest and most dangerous falling Folly. Despite this, it does not mean actual death—card readers perform a lot of readings, and if we died every time one card out of fifty-two appeared then there wouldn’t be any of us left! It is merely a warning to start putting your defenses up, or you will be hit by change that you did not expect.
Change is not death. Change is life. As you grow you become a different person, leaving the past behind when it is right to do so. You should not be the same person you were five years ago, for example. There are all kinds of things in your life that you should want to end, including events you’ve been struggling with and long-term situations you don’t feel you can move out of. This card allows all of that to happen.
In this way the Ace of Spades keeps to its historical double “lucky” and “unlucky” nature. It is a disastrous change to the current situation … but sometimes we need those changes or were even hoping for them.
Ace of Hearts:
Hunter’s Triumph
“Sophia Claims The Silver Arrow”
Joy, Gaining Your Heart’s Desire, Strong Success
Sophia stood in line and waited for the announcement.
“And now, the winner of the prize for Sciences, Sophia Marin!”
The circle of people filling the small bookshop cheered and clapped, as she approached the old man behind the desk. Shelves full of books towered around them on all sides—the most coveted works in the land, a treasury of medicine, philosophy, and knowledge. All those nights alone studying had been worth it. She had passed the examinations and impressed the judges, and finally the book would be hers.
The small figure of the owner looked up from behind his delicate glasses. “My congratulations! Your prize is, as we all know, any book of your choosing from my stock.”
The old women and men held their breath. They were crowded into the shop around the polished shelves and piles of famous tomes, eager to hear her answer. Would she choose the Treatise on Mathematics, which was the size of a small table and required three people to lift it? With that, she would have professors visiting her to consult on all the theories of the day. Or maybe one of the oldest works, each sought by collectors from far lands, which she could sell for a fortune and immediately retire?
“I will choose … that one.” She pointed to the large book that had shone in her dreams all this time, with its golden cover. There was immediate confusion from the other people, muttering and sounds of disbelief. She couldn’t mean it, surely?
“Uh … are you certain? That one?”
“Oh yes. It is rare, is it not?”
“Well … of course, the only one of its kind in the country, as far as I know. And very valuable … I suppose.”
“Then I shall take my reward.”
The whispers from the assembled doctors and scholars faded back to respectful silence as the owner turned and lifted the book from its display case. On its cover was a golden pattern featuring a large silver arrow, and the title, One Thousand Folk Tales from Faraway Lands.
Sophia bowed her head respectfully to the old man and re-ceived the prize. Smiling joyfully, she hugged it to her chest as she walked out into the street. Unable to wait, the young woman leaned against a wall and opened the gold-edged pages to a random chapter … falling deliciously into worlds of wonder.
The Triumph cards show a full success, a happy and glorious win. They come at the end of everything, after you have planned and hoped, taken a chance, and avoided the dangers. The Triumph is what happens when the Role functions perfectly and is proven wise and effective, reaching the final goal according to its nature. For the Hunter this is succeeding at a task which is important to you.
All the Triumph cards mean success in some way, but the Ace of Hearts is particularly strong. For example, the Queen of Hearts is called “Lady’s Triumph” and means receiving extreme good luck, although that’s not the same as the situation coming to an end. This Ace in particular tells of good endings. For a Hunter to Triumph the chase must be finished and the prize entirely in their hands. Hunter’s Triumph means the bull’s-eye has been hit, the trophy taken home, and you have gained the thing that you worked for.
Promise cards have a rising energy, Gambit cards resemble a sharp peak at the top which can fall to either side, and Folly cards a fall. By contrast, the energy of a Triumph is a stable, level line which stays at the maximum amount. All the up-and-down movement has finished and the situation is locked in to a full victory.
Triumphs often mean “Success!… of this flavor” or “Success!… if you do this.” The Hunter’s Triumph means getting your heart’s desire, or at least the one you planned for, made an effort for, and earned. The story for this card features a silver arrow, famously a prize won by Robin Hood in the medieval ballads (in other versions, it’s a golden arrow). This particular Triumph is also frequently linked to gaining an object or passing an important test, not just to emotion. If the reading covers an action, then the advice is to recognise what is most important to you in the situation and hold onto it. Make sure that the prize you are choosing is the one that you really want, no matter what anyone else thinks.
This is still a card about doing things alone and doesn’t imply sharing or leaning on others. The Hunter’s goal is often a measurable solo achievement instead of progress in a relationship. The happiness this Ace brings is strong, with a feeling of “Got it!” and the situation resolved in a way that makes you smile.
The number two in playing card divination traditionally refers to dealings between exactly two people. Not a crowd, not wider society, but love or business partnerships where another individual is the focus.
The Lover as a Role teaches us to connect fully to another person. It has moved from the solitary nature of the Hunter to including another in our world, letting them in past our normal barriers. There is an emotional bond with that person; they are not a stranger. The relationship itself could be personal or business but it connects the two of you directly. This Role doesn’t look at how you interact with the wider population yet, only with this one other.
Such two-part bonds can be intense in comparison to the rest of the deck. The focus will nearly always be on the relationship, what you owe to the other partner, or potential risks of letting someone in. That risk can be love, friendship, financial, or something else, but when we see a Lover card appear, it will always direct us to look at who exactly it could be about.
With this Role the Magician’s Journey takes its first step away from solo independence. It is a step that requires trust in another person, loving ourselves enough to be able to love others, and the bravery not to run from commitment. The Lover cards are about contracts and agreements between people. Even with our families and those we love most, there is a mutual agreement to do our best not to cause harm while making ourselves vulnerable to the possibility anyway. Holding up our own end of that deal requires more emotional stability than we might expect: we have to know what we want, respect ourselves enough to know where to put boundaries, and walk away if the trust is broken. We have to act selflessly for others, give love, and be part of something bigger. None of this is easy, but it is crucial to being more present in the world.
“Aisling Walks in Autumn Leaves”
Hope, Romance and Fantasy, Comfort
Aisling could feel Orlaith there with her. She didn’t doubt, not for a moment. They had walked together under these trees many weeks earlier, when the leaves were not as deep orange or brown as they are now and had not yet formed a carpet around their feet.
When they strolled along this path at the side of the castle, before Orlaith went to sea, her lover had given Aisling a green nut from a tree—and with it, a vow.
“When this nut dries and opens, I shall return to you. Keep it close and look for my ship on the horizon.”
Aisling smiled to herself as she traced the same journey again, this time surrounded by the warm colours of the changed season. It was hard to be alone, but she held easily to the hope and trust they had for each other. When she thought of Orlaith, her heart knew that this was the anchor that made her world make sense, and that all the winds of winter could not trouble her if they were together. As she walked the same steps she had taken then, green grass now carpeted with fallen leaves, she studied the nut once more. It was opened and ready to share its goodness.
Aisling came to the end of the path in the gardens and to the high hill overlooking the docks. She gazed upon the calm sea and there, in the distance, saw the sails of a ship returning home.
Lover’s Promise represents both hope and romance. It is a dream of wishes and potential, of the words we use to create a better future for someone. Like all Promise cards, it deals with beginnings and intends to create something substantial later, but until that comes along the message is to put aside cynicism and instead believe that good things can happen.
There is nothing wrong with the promises Lovers make to each other in the early days. They are sincere and meant truthfully. If your question was about another person, Lover’s Promise shows somebody who will give you loyal support in times of need. It is the ideal of a new connection with someone who wants only good things for us.
The connection doesn’t have to be romantic. The Lover as a Role overall gives and takes easily, forming bonds with a partner that range from purely emotional to more formal agreements such as business contracts. However, if it is a business-related matter, this will not just be a cold arrangement. It will be one which you believe in and which captures your needs.
Overall, this is a card of optimism and comfort. When you see it in a reading, the Promise is from someone you can trust. This trust—whether of a person or events—is an important part of allowing yourself to hope. We all have times when it feels difficult to hope and we’re too tired or cynical to feel positive about how things will turn out. This card reminds us that the good and reliable must return. The card is saying, “It will be alright, let down your defenses, there is no danger here.”
Lover’s Promise also reminds us to take some time to enjoy ourselves, indulge fantasies, and see the beauty in the world. We should allow ourselves to believe the best about others and make grand plans without dismissing them as unrealistic.
Two of Diamonds:
Lover’s Gambit
“Lela Steals a Kiss”
Emotional Risk, Agreements, Contracts
Lela ran breathlessly into the shadowed courtyard, straight into the loving arms of Vincenzo.
“What are you doing here? It’s too dangerous!”
The taller figure had a more confident stance, and answered with a smile. “I had to see you.”
Clutching him tightly, the young woman hurriedly checked the darkened space around them, but there was no one with a view of their hiding place. She protested again. “Our families would be furious! So close to the merger, with all Mother’s money at risk. We—”
But her words were cut short as he kissed her roughly, and she quickly lost herself in returning it.
The night covered them almost completely, only made pale in places by a weak moon. The shifting shadows gave them time alone, but how long would it last? Lela felt a touch of excitement at the danger, but also a warm rush of love. As she turned her head, a fine chain earring with two red gems trailed down her exposed neck and glinted darkly under the moon’s muted gaze. The night hid their secret.
This gamble was worth it, she reasoned. Tomorrow’s business was full of risk, but intense connections such as theirs should not be denied.
Although this Role is called the Lover, the Twos govern all kinds of interactions with another person, including friendships and business contracts. It is rarer to see this Gambit apply to a strictly business arrangement unless it is also a matter of trust or great importance to you. More often this card is about emotional risk and taking exciting chances.
All Gambit cards are about making things happen in the way the particular Role does best, and for the Lover this is an honest and intimate conversation between two people. When we are completely alone we are safe from emotional connections to others. That is how the Hunter moves around the world: free of entanglements or having to concentrate on anything but themselves. When we open that space to include another person it can be a scary decision! Eventually we must do it, because everyone relies on others as we make our way in life. That risk is the Gambit—the need to trust that the other person will fulfil their end of the agreement.
As anyone who has been through it knows, you can only get to the dizzying highs of love if you take risks to get there. At some point, you will need to tell the truth about your feelings in a way which could backfire and cost you. This is one of the hardest Gambit cards to proceed with, because of that fear. However, the rewards of a successful Gambit are large. This could be a “yes” to a romantic question, or money in return for working hard on a contract.
Emotional honesty between friends and lovers is something we can all be better at maintaining. The Two of Diamonds requires us to actually do it—to forge good connections, make new partnerships, or strengthen old ones. Make a contract and mean it. This brave action can lead to great riches.
“Rickard Floats Downstream”
Heartbreak, Argument, Angry Words
Rickard didn’t want this. They’d fought, sure, but that was no reason to … oh well, regrets wouldn’t achieve anything at this point.
The two small boats met in the middle of the river. He tried one more time.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”
“No more words. As of today, our partnership is ended.” The other man held up the wooden stick and ceremonially broke it, dropping both parts into the water.
There was nothing more to say. Anger had pushed them apart, and it would be some time before it could be mended. Rickard nodded his head in acceptance but silently vowed to heal what was between them when he could.
The two vessels moved apart slowly, one north and one south, headed to opposite shores.
Every divination system has a reading to signify heartbreak and loss, and Lover’s Folly is the classic one in this deck. All the Two cards directly represent two people, but where the other suits bring them together, this is the card that shows them breaking apart. It may not be in a romantic sense, but the Two of Spades always indicates an argument, conflict, painful emotions, or the ending of a partnership.
Linked with something like the Role of the Smith, this could be entirely about business, but more often it is emotional or even romantic. The one thing that can’t be escaped is that this means bad feelings and an argument.
So, what can we do about it? No one likes receiving a card that means trouble, but there are several ways to think about the outcome that can make it better. Firstly, an argument is a temporary thing. Time can allow us to go back and ask forgiveness, or to forgive. Also, “trouble” is not the same as “disaster.” It is unpleasant, but not critical. This is therefore a card that indicates a difficult road ahead but not always a serious problem. As this card is numbered two, at least this means that the difficulty is only with one other person.
The Lover is not interested in the whole of society, only in the more intense bond formed with a single individual. That bond can grow stronger but must also be able to become weaker, which is natural and necessary. Sometimes the only thing to do is recognise when you cannot achieve anything in that moment, and hold the door open for a reconciliation later when it is possible. Arguments happen, but you are in control of your actions. One choice you have is to forgive.
Finally, Lover’s Folly is the first card to show an important rule: Folly cards are not automatically negative. Sometimes an argument is both necessary and the right thing to do. If a reading says that the other person is wrong and will cause harm with their action, your arguing or angrily debating with them is a good thing. If this card is an action you should take then it is time to say something that could cause an argument … because the alternative is going along with a situation you know is wrong. In that case you should do the difficult thing and explain why you want the opposite decision.
Two of Hearts:
Lover’s Triumph
“Yelen Looks to the Stars”
Love, Partners, Intimacy
Yelen lay back on the grass and held Bata’s hand, gazing up at the constellations spread above them. The hillside was full of quiet couples who had arrived for the fireworks and celebration earlier, but now that the festival was over only the quiet night-time sounds of nature could be heard.
The light above had taken countless years to reach the arrangement it gave today, years as the planets and stars circled past each other, the pattern of the Dragon in its Den giving way to the Mother’s Web and then up to the Great Tree. Yelen saw the bright dot of the Evening Star (which was in fact only a planet reflecting the sun) and in a perfect line leading from it the pattern known as the Sailor’s Lamp.
Now the time was right for a wedding tomorrow. It was the most auspicious alignment. Her parents believed that this meant the relationship would last as long as the stars did, but the young woman knew better. Bata was already the foundation of the world to her, and whatever happened in her life from this moment, it would not involve them being apart for longer than they had to be. Messages written in the night sky would not change that.
The cold silver stars blazed on above but Yelen could feel Bata’s loving hand in hers, the hot blood communicating the beat of their hearts in time with each other.
In nearly every divination system, the Two of Hearts represents success in love. There is also usually at least one card in a deck that signifies physical love and intimacy. In Lenormand readings the Lily is supposedly about purity and virtue, while other decks might mask it as marriage or emotions, but really they’re being polite—those cards are about sex.
Lover’s Triumph includes this definition too, as it covers all the connections between two people. It can refer to other types of bonds, but the action it suggests most frequently is to open your heart to another.
The best way to interpret this card is to concentrate on the fact that this is a Triumph. The Lover has made a Promise, worked a Gambit, overcome their Folly, and now achieves a final win—the two people involved are now in alignment, and all goes according to their plan. The meaning could apply to non-romantic relationships between two people, but it’s quite intense if it does.
The energy of any Triumph card can be thought of as a line at maximum output that never falls. Because this card is specifically the Lover’s Triumph, the success is gained in the way the Lover would do it. The Lover Role doesn’t look far beyond their own boundaries: they are willing to interact with one other person who is important to them, but they haven’t yet opened up to view the whole of outside society in the way the next Role, the Healer does. If you see this Triumph in a reading this means that it is definitely only about the connection to one other person.
In love, friendship, or any intense connection to another, the indication is of a strong and lasting bond. If there was any uncertainty between them previously, that is now gone. Needs are aligned, usually because both people know each other so well.
To be able to make this connection with anyone also requires the person to do something else first—be able to love themselves. The person has to believe that they deserve to be one half of a partnership. This can be easy to forget, and sometimes others in our lives will convince us that it isn’t true. Both hearts in this Triumph are strong and successful, not just one, so for their love to endure, both must feel that they are worthy of it.
Overall this is a card of strong friendships, deep love, or at the very least a successful partnership based on acceptance and real understanding. The two hearts on the card are open to emotion and full of joy.
The Lover teaches us to love ourselves and also love the one person who fits us. The Healer turns this love into compassion for many others—including strangers and wider society—and works to help them without asking for a reward.
The Role of the Healer can be one of the hardest to follow and to receive in readings. If you are angry at someone, the answers here give you no excuse to feed that anger; instead they demand that you act as a Healer, which is not always easy to do. Caring for others and forgiving them (even when they don’t behave well) can be hard.
The Healer teaches us that it is okay to be angry or emotional but never to be cruel. Our emotions are our own concern, but our actions to others must always be better than that. In this way it is both a very peaceful and good influence on readings, as well as sometimes a difficult standard to live up to!
The Magician’s Journey takes this expansion from two to many and educates the person on what that means in their life. Compassion is not an optional idea for Magicians. It is a critical life skill for everyone. Nobody gains real power, self-respect or happiness without having compassion for others.
The other lessons of The Healer build from that beginning. If you have compassion, is it worth anything if you don’t act on it? How far do you go, before it becomes exhausting? What happens if you bring this into your life? The Healer is a very important Role for helping us decide who we are and how we will reach out to others before any of the later Role decisions can be made.
Three of Clubs:
Healer’s Promise
“Hanna and the Soldier”
Moral Decisions, Compassion, Principles
The young boy woke up and looked straight at Hanna, but he was too weak to move in the mound of blankets she had used as an emergency bed.
“Who are you?”
The woman replied in a calm voice. “A healer. I found you in the woods with that blade in your chest, brought you here.” She nodded at the curved dagger on the table, still stained with his blood. She knew it well, since Arik, the town guard, had carried it these past three years.
The boy’s eyes flicked to it, then quickly away. He could see that he was in a hut at night, with only a few flickering candles around the one room. He turned back to her and tried to sound brave. “You could have left me there.”
“Yes.” She didn’t add the words that followed in her mind, “… especially as your army was attacking my people.”
“Could have killed me too. But you didn’t.”
“No.”
They waited in silence for the boy to ask the obvious next question. After a pause, he did.
“Why not?”
Sighing, the Healer folded a parcel of leaves in her lap and tried to put it into words that he would understand. And to convince herself too, because she was only half sure that her actions had been the right ones.
“I did it because you are very young, and very scared, and there’s still time for you to learn that there are more important things than looking brave in front of your friends. I’ve seen into your eyes. You’re not like the others yet.”
“My people hate yours!”
“Yes. But you don’t. And you don’t like the killing. That means you can still learn the real lessons—that helping people makes you more impressive than hurting them. You’d be dead now if not for me. I’m no warrior, but I’ll bet you find my skills quite impressive in this moment.”
He swallowed, and eventually nodded.
“And besides, I took an oath. I help everybody, as long as it doesn’t directly cause more harm to do so. In a way, I don’t have a choice.”
The boy’s eyes narrowed. He made to get up but collapsed again when his body refused. “What do you mean? Of course you get a choice!”
“No, I don’t. I swore to help all strangers, whether they were people I liked or not. Whether it would benefit me or not. Whether they carried different beliefs or called another town home. You were dying, so I helped you. That is past, and of no concern.”
Something in Hanna’s voice caught his attention as her tone changed, and he turned cautiously to lock his eyes with hers once more.
“All of that is unimportant, boy. Look not to the past, but the future. You have your life again, but only because it was given to you by an enemy. What will you do with it? Who is your enemy now, and who is your friend?”
The Role of the Healer deals with how we relate to society, but its lessons are intensely personal. A Healer is someone who has made a choice to help others. While the Hunter was concerned only with themselves and the Lover focused on one other person close to them, the Healer must decide how they are going to interact with the whole of outside society.
This card is about making moral decisions. You have a choice to make, and one option is to act to heal the situation. Compassion through the Healer is not only for someone you have met and decided deserves your friendship—it is the choice to extend kindness to everyone before you know them.
There is an important second meaning which is not external at all. Many of us agree instantly that other people deserve kindness and to be treated fairly, but then don’t do the same for ourselves. We judge ourselves by higher standards and assume failure in exactly the ways we would reassure friends aren’t fair to do.
Healer’s Promise is a reminder to all of us to be better. When it comes up in a reading it means that we should look very closely at which aspects of the situation could be looked at as a moral choice. It doesn’t mean that you will give or receive compassion soon (putting compassion into action is the next card, Healer’s Gambit). This is more about attitudes and tells you to look around at the kind and unkind people in a situation. A Promise is a vow, something you plan to do long-term. Are we only agreeing to make an effort if we get something in return? Are we rushing to judge someone, or assuming the worst? Are the people around you acting with good intentions toward you?
This card is one of the most important steps on the Magician’s Journey. Compassion is sometimes seen as a lesser concept in divination and magic, but that is very wrong. It is the light in the darkness which shows real character. Many magical groups train their members to have a mental will that cannot be broken, and to see dominance or power as most important while leaving out any guidance on being kind to others. Those groups tend to produce terrible magicians with all the weaknesses that we see in the Folly cards: fearfulness, anger, egotistical and conflict-seeking
behavior, and a lack of inner peace. That is not a path to strength. This card is a reminder to the reader that there is always a better way.
Compassion is not optional—it is a critical step for all spiritual and magical development. It does not make you weak, less successful, less respected, or less determined. In fact, compassion for others is the only thing that can give you real strength.
Strength does not come from your ability to do violence. (The Warrior Role looks at this topic as well, but the Healer knows it from a different direction.) Hate can make you feel strong and temporarily distract you from your fears, but you cannot use it to actually be strong. Real leaders and elders, those who are in control of themselves and get recognised for their spiritual strength, all demonstrate compassion often. It is very obvious whether a stranger has it or not.
Healer’s Promise is a beautiful thing: a card symbolizing selfless compassion. Someone who does this will be seen as a light of healing and goodness the same way that the card itself is whenever it appears. No matter what the situation, a message of “someone here is acting selflessly” is always going to be welcome. When Healer’s Promise appears, look closely for a decision that needs to be made. Examine how the individual is interacting with all of society, and whether the situation could be improved by a deliberate effort to be kind.
Three of Diamonds:
Healer’s Gambit
“Angelique Receives a Gift”
Gift, Good Deeds, Assistance
This was the most delicate part of the negotiations. Their two houses were respected, but everyone knew that Angelique’s family had nowhere near the wealth or connections of Robert Tessier. The day would require delicate protocol.
Everything came down to how much one side owed the other. If Robert would sit with them, accept food and drink, then the onlookers would know that Angelique could at least speak of financial matters. But what if he wouldn’t sit? What if he called on any of the hundreds of obligations which would require them to match his gesture or appear rude? Her House did not have enough money to compete that way, and these talks would instantly be over.
She was surprised when he arrived. The man was younger than she’d expected, with green eyes and long brown hair. He smiled politely and bowed exactly the correct amount while she ran through the required words to allow them all to proceed.
She had just reached the second part of praising his grandfather’s achievements when Robert interrupted.
“Before we continue, I would like to present you with something.”
And as her despair grew, she watched him reach into a bag and produce a parcel wrapped in fine paper.
This was a disaster! She had no similar gift to give in return, nor could she have afforded one even if it had been planned. Angelique felt her eyes sting as she realized that it was over.
He continued: “This is one of my family’s better treasures, a statuette in gold and sapphires. I believe it has become known as ‘The Running Horse.’”
Even worse. The item he was holding was a legend, something so expensive that it was worth more than the holdings of her entire House.
“… And it is a gift to you. There is no obligation in return for this action.”
Several people in the room gasped. Angelique blinked, and had to check that she had heard him correctly. He had just said the formal words which relieved her from need to give anything in return—and everyone had heard it! More than that, with this item on her side in the negotiations, they were now evenly matched for the rest of the day. It changed everything!
“Sir, you did not have to do this.”
He smiled, and she decided that it was a smile she could grow to like.
“I know. But I see before me a woman who wears all the weight of others’ expectations upon her and doesn’t flinch, who stood up in front of the people here today knowing that it could end badly but was determined to help her family for the right reasons. I have … a lot of respect for people who have that kind of strength.”
They proceeded to sit, she in a different chair from the one she had planned, able to use the one opposite him instead of the third seat to the side, now as an equal. And when they had finished the long, intricate words required before the first drink, he was still smiling, and she matched his with her own.
Where Healer’s Promise was about the concept of compassion for others, this card speaks about an action. The meaning of Healer’s Gambit is “gift”: it could be a physical gift, given for good reasons, or it could be someone’s time and energy. A Healer assists people, and putting that into action always results in a gift of some kind from one person to another.
Compassionate deeds support others, so while drawing this card won’t cause an actual parcel to arrive at your door it is still always a very positive result to receive. This is also a Gambit card, which converts the Promise of the Role into action. Here, it is not enough to wish that things were nice; Healer’s Gambit requires the Healer to take action in the world. Gambit cards also have an element of chance and risk, which in this case means that the Healer must perform the action without expecting a reward. It’s possible that they will have done it for no personal gain (or not an immediate financial one, at least). However, Healers will quickly realize that behaving like this pays for itself: a Healer’s reputation with people improves, and they act more positively. You as the Healer will also feel better about yourself, as doing good things for other people is one of the most well-known ways to improve your own sense of self-worth and happiness. You might think that people who spend effort on others for no immediate reward are foolish or being taken advantage of, but the rewards do come back to them.
Sometimes Healer’s Gambit appears in a reading where it’s very hard to see how it could belong. In those circumstances it often means “the rest of this reading is actually good for you, even if it doesn’t seem so.” It can mean “This seems bad, but it’s actually a lucky escape.” Since it is about your interaction with society, if it’s in a position which has to be negative then it can mean there is a risk that people will disapprove of you.
Most often this card is more straightforward, meaning simply that you will receive assistance. This could put you ahead while needing no effort on your part or be the advice you need to help you move past an obstacle. It is a positive and a welcome sight in a reading.
Three of Spades:
Healer’s Folly
“Peter’s Poor Excuses”
Exhaustion, Undeserved Guilt, Overwork
Peter emptied the jug of water over his head and slid down the wall until he was sitting on the stone floor with his legs sticking out into the room. The sun shone hot outside, with a few rays slanting in through the narrow window of the castle.
Kat stepped over him and looked down with a scowl. “When was the last time you slept?”
Peter waved the question away. “I had to look after the soldiers they brought in.”
“Really, all of them on your own? The last I checked, Captain Rob had three other people to help with that.”
“No, I … I want to contribute.”
The older woman’s voice softened. “I know you do. But if you don’t eat and sleep soon, that won’t be up to you.”
The exhausted man continued to protest. “Now it’s Elizabeth. Her temperature is better, but I must be there when she wakes up.”
Kat’s tone turned firm. “Don’t be a fool. Drink more water, and rest. You can’t help her if you’re passed out on the floor.”
“I … yes, alright.” Eventually Peter agreed, mostly because he wasn’t sure he could lift his arms anyway. “Wake me in an hour.”
The move from looking at only one partner or close family to interacting with the whole of society is not without its dangers. Some people find socializing invigorating, and some prefer it in smaller amounts, but a party has to end for everybody eventually. The demands of others can lead to tiredness and exhaustion if you do not rest and take time for yourself.
There are two main meanings with this card. The first comes from Healer’s Promise, which signifies compassion. If you feel compassion for the whole world, you can quickly reach a point where it becomes too much to contain. Taking other people’s pain onto yourself is a noble thing to do but can be a heavy burden over time. Simply being surrounded by a lot of people and noise for too long can be difficult, and the society a Healer deals with is very large and very demanding.
The second meaning is of foolish choices. Not every situation requires you to stride into it like a hero and decide that you should get involved to change it. Sometimes this makes it worse. It is a Folly of the Healer that they automatically assume they should act, when in fact they should either be resting or realizing that they don’t have enough information to make the right choices.
By opening ourselves up to others, being compassionate, and making connections, we also open ourselves emotionally. This is good—life is for living, and healthy emotions should be explored! But opening and giving can easily lead to burnout or exhaustion if we don’t also care for ourselves. Everyone has a limit, and this card suggests that the situation will test our boundaries.
One of the hardest lessons for all of us to learn is that we cannot help those we love if they are not ready. Patients have to make the decision to change before a helpful action from someone else will matter. Very often Healers and compassionate individuals will keep trying to make a change for someone else and be exhausted when they are ignored. It’s just not true that you can fix anything or anyone if you try hard enough, the other person has to be ready as well.
The card’s theme of exhaustion also applies to the thankless emotional work you do for others. Some people assume that those around them will take the hurts or aggravations of the day onto themselves automatically so that they don’t have to. Healer’s Folly is a good time to check that you are not being taken advantage of in this way.
So, this card means several things: the task may be tiring. Do not feel guilty if you personally don’t fix all the problems in the world. Don’t assume this is your fight. You can’t help others if you don’t look after yourself. Keep your emotional shields up. Consider not getting involved, and look at whether you need to stop and take a break. Make sure that the emotional effort you’re spending is being appreciated.
As with many of the Folly cards, this overall meaning is not entirely negative—it is a chance to rest and to look after your own well-being.
Three of Hearts:
Healer’s Triumph
“Hazel Brought To Judgement”
Gratitude, Recognition, Teamwork
“Come in, Sister.”
Hazel paused outside the door, then slowly opened it and walked into the large room. To her shock, the chairs around its walls were full of people. She had imagined that the Mother of the Order wanted to see her alone, maybe over the matter of the spy who had recently been revealed in the temple. Instead everyone was here, and some were smiling at her.
“I don’t understand.”
The Mother stood formally in a ceremonial robe, weapons at her waist. She gestured for Hazel to walk to the area in front of the main table. A window to the side illuminated whoever was in that spot.
The Mother spoke: “I hear that you were approached by the Spy, who we shall not name, on the day of their capture?”
“I was.”
“And that you were offered a very great sum to betray us, a sum which your family certainly have need of.”
“That is true.”
“But you did not take the Spy’s offer, and instead reported them. Why?”
“It wouldn’t have been right.”
There was a murmur from the crowd, but all eyes remained on the Mother. The leader continued.
“The Spy was a master manipulator. Others in the order could not resist them. But you did. When I told people this story, none of them were surprised.”
There was a pause, during which Hazel wondered if she was supposed to say something. Eventually the Mother continued.
“Those who rise to our highest rank do not do so from a single test on one day. The recognition comes from a property of their character that is constant and long-term. It is clear to everyone that the character of such a Sister is already worthy. It is simply who they are, and who they will be tomorrow. None in this room doubt that you have become that person.”
Hazel couldn’t believe what she was hearing, as the Mother said the final words.
“Kneel, and be knighted.”
The Healer Role is about dealing with the whole of society, and a natural result of someone choosing to act well is that they will be recognised for their good deeds. The final card of the Role deals with that conclusion.
Of course, a Healer doesn’t do their Role in order to get personal fame. A bigger prize is the end result of what compassion brings to the person who practices it: an internal change to be happier, stronger, and supported by many friends. The Hunter and even the Lover are very much about you, but the Healer looks at how you interact with many people. The answer is that a good Healer puts others first—at least enough to cooperate, or to create healing, which can defuse a difficult situation and bring peace to all.
The type of success that comes with this Triumph therefore suggests teamwork with multiple people, and a response from them which is happy and filled with gratitude. Recognition for good actions is a very important thing to give and receive. It helps us feel seen and valued, and it shows others that we don’t take them for granted. That we see the effort they have taken and are grateful for it.
Life can be exhausting, and work can be ignored. Recognition of small acts, generosity, or even of the person that you are, can be a vital part of building relationships. Check to ensure that you are giving this feedback to other people who deserve it, as well as demanding it for yourself when it has been earned.
If this card appears in the reading in a way which suggests you need to take an action, then look for ways to involve others in teamwork. Make sure that you are giving respect to people properly and not assuming that they just know you are grateful.
Most of all, recognise that our actions can bring good or bad reactions from people and the only way to be sure that our connections to strangers are going to turn out well is to be a Healer and to make peace.
The Smith is a blacksmith, using skill to bring many elements together according to a plan, creating something new, and eventually collecting the reward for their hard work. In numerology and divination the number four is a calm and stable one, and this Role generally is as well. The Smith is also linked to the traditional associations of the element of Earth: many of their tools are heavy, solid, unyielding, and are linked to the home, work, and money.
The Smith can be any gender but is always a figure of calm stability. The four pips on the card can be seen as corners of a room, holding up the walls and giving a quiet space to work within.
In the Magician’s Journey, the Smith represents the next step after the Healer. We have moved on from having a good relationship with outside society and now have to decide what we’re going to build in that society. A Smith creates, has a career, makes long-term plans for earning, and in doing so produces items which support the whole community. The lessons the Role teaches are of patience (such a difficult task for many of us!), the need to keep learning new things, and using our time to create the kind of order we want. Most of all, it teaches that while work and physical items are important, they are not more important than people. A skill or career is fulfilling and provides good services to others, but objects are just objects. The Magician continues on afterward in the search of deeper meaning.
Four of Clubs:
Smith’s Promise
“Dinri and the Shining City”
Long-term Work, Planning, Patience
Two people sat lazily in comfortable chairs, sipping their wine. Carolyn liked the look of this little-known Dinri, with their rich clothes and quick eyes. She asked them about the coming elections.
“Tell me, who do you support, Marius or Ezade?”
“Of the two, I must support Ezade.”
She raised an eyebrow at this. That choice was the younger one, known to be hasty and prone to big decisions. That didn’t sound like Dinri at all.
“Wh—”
Before she could even finish, they spoke again in their odd, calm voice.
“Do you know of the City of Lapis? The treasure of the Eastern Isles, home to the four Wonders?”
“No, I’ve never heard of it.”
“The gates to the city are made of black stone, rising up from the stormy sea to brace the high, strong walls. In the Merchant’s Quarter, endless stores are filled with chests and carpets, showing the glittering wares, as spices scent the air. In the Great Library, scholars from every land study all the works that can be found, sharing the wisdom they find across borders. And then there are the Gardens, stretching from the south wall to the central Spire many miles inland, each serenaded by the gentle murmur of sparkling fountains. The opera house! The forges and workshops, boat yard and observatory! Citizens can eat, be amazed, perform art, and work together as they wish.”
Carolyn gazed at the mysterious figure, entranced. “And where can I find this city?”
Dinri shook their head. “It doesn’t exist yet, and won’t for another seventeen years.”
She blinked, confused. “Seventeen? That’s … very specific.”
“Yes, that’s why I need Ezade to win. She won’t help directly, but next year is the election of the new Head of Building Projects. And only Ezade will pick Nalen. Nalen will definitely approve the plan I need for the shipment of gold and stone, meaning that in five years’ time I’ll be able to convince the Council to begin the Library.”
Carolyn put her drink down, suddenly feeling distance from someone who could hold grand plans in their head with such intimidating clarity. Even as she desperately wanted to see the outcome of the project, she decided that it would be as an investor, not a romantic partner.
“Tell me more.”
The Smith’s Promise is a plan for long-term work that will bring a great reward when completed. It is the farmer looking at an empty field and seeing a full harvest in the future. It says that a thing can be done with low risk, although it will take steady work.
The Smith creates beautiful masterpieces but also all the mundane items we need to keep our homes secure and comfortable. They deal in the heavy tools and metals of the forge: hammer, anvil, fire, air, water, and earth. From this they produce objects essential for daily living.
Now, “this needs planning and could take a long time” is not a reading many people want to see! It’s hardly as exciting as taking a risk with Lover’s Gambit, or as immediately rewarding as Hunter’s Triumph. But this card can still be a great result because the act of planning gives us a special way of thinking about something. A plan before any work has started can be about an ideal version, unspoiled by any need to compromise. Plans still have time to improve the end result since we aren’t yet locked into a fixed schedule. In a way, a plan can be as perfect as a dream; the gift of time to keep improving is one we’d all like to receive.
If a timescale is needed in the reading then this card says that it is definitely not going to happen immediately, but also reassures us that the end result will eventually be worth it. This is an early promise of something that will end in a great reward. It also gives the path which will be required: the only route from here to the Triumph is to actually do all of the work, not to avoid it.
As with the other number fours, this card brings a sense of calm and stability to the reading. Nothing is going to happen right now and the conditions are right to start some good work. Even if we wanted the prize to come to us more quickly, that period of safety and predictable time can be a nice result. Have patience, and build something worthy of the time that will go into its creation.
Four of Diamonds:
Smith’s Gambit
“Fiona’s Masterpiece”
Creation, Skilled Work, Planned Change
Fiona stepped out of the smithy and took some deep breaths of the cold air. She looked at the land all around, changed once again by the seasons. Now it was covered in frost and ready for the snow, but when she had started living in this remote village the green shoots of spring had been everywhere. In that time, she had worked on everything she could to raise money: kettles, horseshoes, gate hinges, small nails. Tools for the farmer, the baker, the shepherd.
And every evening, when the work was done and her time was her own, she added to her masterpiece. Two iron gates, tall and delicately turned, full of arcs and intricate leaves shaped in metal. Shadows on the ridges were highlighted in silver. The gates were the key which would earn her entry to the Guild and to the title of Master.
No one in the city would have seen such as these, for she had poured all of her love and hopes into them, week after week in stolen moments and late-night freedom. Once she had the title, she could marry Dougal.
Next Spring my masterpiece will be ready, she thought, and smiled out at the frosted landscape surrounding the smithy.
Gambit cards involve a risk that may be won by using the skills of the Role. For the Smith, that must be about creating something new and the peril that it will either break completely or just not be of high enough quality. Creating anything can be intimidating—people might judge you on the results, or you may have only one opportunity to get it right. Don’t let their opinions hold you back from making art. The Smith loves to create, is good at it, and will bring something new and valuable into existence.
In a reading, this card can cover a very wide range of options. The only rule is that the Smith’s creation is never instinctual, only planned. They work from a template and know what they’re going to do—you can only forge metal by learning the rules and sticking to the process, the right temperatures and techniques in the right order. This means that if the item does fail, it is mostly due to the Smith’s skill. Chance and chaos are only small factors here.
If you were to apply Smith’s Gambit to a romantic situation, it could mean moving on to a new stage of building a life together such as marriage. It could easily mean starting a family, but only if it’s planned! (Several readers were shocked to see this card appear in romantic readings, and are reassured when it’s explained that this won’t mean a surprise!)
In its widest definition, Smith’s Gambit means “something which wasn’t here before.” The situation the cards are revealing will have a new element introduced, as part of a deliberate decision. If the rest of the reading is highly chaotic then the Smith brings a measure of order—this creation takes time and there are choices to be made in that time which will definitely affect the end result. Many other Gambit cards (the Diamonds) deal with risk or the unknown. The steady, calm nature of the Four of Diamonds brings more predictability to this one, along with the twinkling potential for profit. You can always succeed or fail in a task, but the Smith has tools and knowledge to make sure that the journey towards their Triumph is more dependable than most.
“Nell Clings to the Window”
Greed, Inertia, Obsession
The Skull of Rathek! A large cobra’s head made of purest gold, with shining red ruby eyes and sharp extended fangs! A work of such beauty and wealth that generations of treasure-seekers had fought to own it. Rumored to have been found in a hidden desert temple, every woman and man who claimed to possess it had died soon afterwards, leading to the belief that the item was cursed. Still the glowing golden tones of its menacing curves capture the greed and imagination of more victims.
The latest two are climbing the outside of the mansion where it currently sits on display. Reaching the top floor window, they peer into a room that is more like a vault. Deep brown wooden panels line the walls and luxurious carpets adorn the floor, but these are simply traps for the unknowing thief. Beneath the flooring are weighted levers ready to sound alarms. In the walls there are lethal crossbows waiting to fire. And if one were to touch the table itself where the skull sits invitingly on a red velvet cushion, well …
“It can’t be done, Joe! You know what the old man said—if you step on the carpets, the guards’ll come and grab you!”
“So we’d need to jump from there, by the door, over the whole rug and onto the raised bit with the table on it, in one big leap.”
“Let’s go back. This isn’t worth it. We’ll never get away with the stupid thing. We could have been making proper coin at the festival, but all you’ve talked about for weeks is this room, drawing maps, reading the old man’s books …”
But Joe had that look in his eyes again, the one which said that he wasn’t listening or seeing anything except the candlelight flashing from the scales of the golden snake head on the table. “Enough, Nell! I’m going in.”
Through the window was easy, and onto the safe area of floor beneath it, but then he had to prepare. Flexing his legs, Joe sprang—and landed just beyond the carpet, wobbling to keep his balance!
Nell followed him in, and made the same jump—successfully, although she landed farther to the left and couldn’t reach him. Joe ran ahead to the small raised platform which held the table. He knew not to step on the paler wood at the top, as crossbows were waiting to fire on anyone who did that. Avoiding the traps, he finally approached the table itself.
“Please, Joe! Come away. It can’t be that easy!” She whispered urgently, reaching for his arm.
“I told you, Nell! We can have it! Look at its eyes, those are rubies, real rubies …”
He put his hand out for the skull just as Nell pulled his shirt hard enough to yank him backward … and it was well that she did, for at that moment needles shot up from the table, glistening with poison! Joe fell against her in surprise, the two of them hitting the top step … and crossbow bolts flew through the air right above their heads as they lay low on the floor. A loud bell started to clang, and Nell pulled Joe again, this time back to the window and out into the night. They cleared the opening just as the heavy door to the room crashed open revealing armed guards. Despite the danger, Joe couldn’t stop looking back to the treasure on its cushion, the sharp fangs promising adventure and riches … but not today. Fleeing the grounds by Nell’s side, he muttered to himself:
“I nearly had it. It was nearly mine!”
The Smith’s Folly is most simply described as greed, but a more subtle description could be “thinking that objects are more important than people.” An artisan can become obsessed with a project, working long hours and putting it before their health or relationships. While the Role of the Smith deals with orderly work and skill, it’s also important to keep your eye on the real goal. The point of a long-term project is still to create something, not just to endlessly do work. The useful tools or beautiful objects created should benefit people and bring something to the world. Even if the goal is only to earn money, look again at what use that money is eventually put toward—that is what really matters, not the hours of work.
There is more to life than working. If you are very lucky, your career can also be fulfilling and enjoyable, but take care to balance it with the other essential components of a happy life. This Folly indicates that you may not be seeing things clearly and are in danger of ignoring the good advice from those who are close to you.
The other meanings of Smith’s Folly are inertia and perfectionism. The Smith hopes to create something, work on it, and then be paid when it is ready, but nothing gets done if you lose yourself in the work. The number four has many associations with a slow and stable pace that can be taken to extremes (especially when what you want is speed). If you’re asking about the timing of an event, this card indicates delays due to being busy doing something else.
Smith’s Folly can even refer to hoarding of wealth, or rampant greed. In all cases, it comes from wrongly thinking that possessions, wealth, and status symbols are important in themselves, or that everything you create must be perfect no matter how long that takes. Items can have value in providing security or comfort for you to live your life, but they are just objects and should never come before people.
This card’s perfectionism aspect might be the biggest problem. Many people these days believe that they (and any work that they are judged by) must be perfect every time. This is impossible, and no way to live. None of us are making their final masterpiece today or competing for the gold medal at an Olympics. Instead, we are in training, all of us, to gain experience and be a little better tomorrow. This requires us to fail. Failing is the only way for us to learn anything and is very normal in the act of creation. Try something, fail at it. Try it again. Get a bit better. Try it ten times more. It’s better still. Keep failing.
The fear of failing even once is what makes people seek perfection and what stops the Smith from finishing their work. If they can keep adjusting it some more, it will be closer to perfect … but never actually released into the world. This card says that we should stop aiming for the absolute best every day and allow small imperfections. Anything else leads to so much inertia that we’ll never reach the goal. Alternatively, like Joe in the story, we’ll aim only for the Gold Medal as a first step and take too many risks to try to bypass the steady work and repeated failures that the Smith must go through to be successful.
Look carefully at your priorities when this card is drawn. It is a warning to make sure that you are not doing any of the negative actions above. Focus instead on balancing the work and results with people and relationships in your life, instead of going too fast, too slow, or dismissing everything for a shiny but unrealistic prize.
Four of Hearts:
Smith’s Triumph
“Old Fu Eats A Pear”
Harvest, Order, Fairness
Old Fu sat on the bench next to the basket of fruit. He reached in and picked up a large, ripe pear, breathing in its scent. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the important business of appreciating the fresh smell.
A young woman beside him looked at the basket curiously and asked her question again. “Please, what helped you the most in becoming the Master of your school?”
He took a delicate bite from the juicy pear, thinking over his words.
“Before I learned fighting, I was a farmer. That is what made me great.”
They sat in silence for a moment, until she realized he wasn’t going to explain further. She tried again.
“But how did that make you into a fighter?”
Looking out over the field where children were playing, Fu responded:
“When you are a farmer, you must be aware of everything around you. The ground, the weather, the animals that might eat your crops. You must know when the right time to harvest comes, when the storms will strike. An artist can sit down and start painting at any time, but a farmer has to wait for the seasons. You must learn to find the best time and use it. That is why I was superior to others in a duel—they thought they could start fresh at any time, but I was content to wait and read the signs. Farming taught me patience. It taught me that hard work pays off, even if the reward is a year from now. And it taught me to take opportunities when outside forces converge in the right way, to see the openings and use them.”
Old Fu’s mastery had ensured that the school prospered over the years and supported the growing family around it. He bit into the pear again, seeing in his mind the full fields of wheat, trees heavy with fruit. Yes, he thought, after the harvest when the crop is safely in and you have earned its bounty through honest work … that is the sweetest time of all.
Smith’s Triumph is a reward that arrives after a period of deliberate work. It’s a finished sword blade after a long night of hammering in the forge, or a collected harvest brought in and on its way to market.
Unlike Smith’s Promise, which says there will be a reward in the future, the Triumph symbolizes something coming to you now due to past efforts. It is safe, but above all it is fair. While other Roles look at good luck or big successes, this one is calmer: it may not be spectacular, but you will receive what you worked for. Certainty can often be a lot more useful than flashy chances.
This reward will not be as personally important as the Triumph for the Role of the Hunter, but it also doesn’t require the Hunter’s absolute commitment. The Smith’s work is more conventional and predictable with an end product that pays the bills.
When you see this card in a reading, it means that a long-term prize will be yours, one that has been earned and is deserved. The “prize” is rarely a single item or money— instead, it’s often a reaction to a long-term situation. More than once it has shown people coming together to help a friend who has been there for them reliably in the past and can now be supported in turn. The Smith’s energy is stable and slow, but the results are visible to all and appreciated. This is an earned success.
The Warrior’s number is five, because (unlike the balanced and stable four of the Smith) the Warrior exists to take action. They are not a patient guard but a wandering sword who is only defined by their skills. Action is the way in which they gain fame and approval, but it is also a philosophy: warriors believe it is right to take action, that we should make changes in the world which cannot be undone, and that we should force progress to happen through our efforts.
The four previous Roles have been less disruptive. They involved working out who you are, who to let in, how to get along in society, and what is created for the self when left alone to do so. The Warrior is very different—this Role has decided to go out into the world and kick over some furniture. They are going to bring change to the way things are, because they want that change to happen even if others don’t.
The Warrior’s active mentality can be very positive. After all, there are good reasons for seeking change, in others and in ourselves, but the Warrior takes on a lot of responsibility when they make that choice. Dealing with that responsibility is a large part of this Role, and it is also the main lesson in the Magician’s Journey at this point.
The Warrior has some of the most important and difficult lessons of any Role, ones we all come back to. Being a Warrior requires us to confront our fears, choose issues we will take a stand for, control ourselves even when we’re passionate about a cause, and speak even when society tells us to be quiet. All of these things are incredibly difficult. Fear on its own can prevent us from taking action or make us look for excuses, while emotion turns easily to anger. Not all the consequences can be known before the decision has to be made.
Mastering this Role gives the Magician the decisiveness and control to make positive change.
Five of Clubs:
Warrior’s Promise
“Temir of the Three Chiefs”
Conflict, Necessary Opposition, Resistance
The swords clashed again as the two muscled warriors threw themselves into the fight. From the sidelines, three elders of the tribe kept an experienced eye on the duel.
The one on the left spoke first. “What do you think of the merchant and his latest threats?”
The others considered this for a moment. On the right, Chagatai made a noise of disgust while continuing to watch the training match. “I told you at the start of the year. We need to fight these people. Their ‘concerns’ are always the same and end up with them in power and the innocent trampled underfoot. What of you, Temir? I suppose you will counsel peace, as always?”
There was another pause, and the middle figure spoke.
“No. Not this time.”
To the surprise of the others, more words followed. “The tribe to the East have been our neighbors since my grandmother’s days. Now this merchant and his army have come in, trying to turn us against our friends. They say that people from other places are lesser. They say that the poorest in our halls are a threat to us. They say that our friends who have children among our village should be sent away. They poison the minds of the young and would ruin our reputation with the other lands.”
The two elders were amazed, for they hadn’t heard Temir say more than a single word in judgement for many years. Gesturing to the fighters in front of them, he continued.
“Here are two boys who grew up together. In all my rulings where peace talks between enemies can heal a divide, I counsel that way. I do this because I want our people to live to be old. But this enemy today will not respect peace. His power is from hate, and he intends to use the hate he can stir in the people to gain only more power. He would turn one boy against his friend. You cannot fight that poison with words. You cannot allow the village to think it is something worthy of debate. It is not. It is not part of any real discussion, only an evil man’s lies.”
The three of them considered the young fighters again, as one of the youths strained against the other’s shield.
“I hope these boys will live to be old. But there is no way that we can allow the merchant to spread his story in our village and remain the people we are. In many disputes, I counsel peace. But this poison … this we fight.”
If you have a cause you believe in, it means that you want to change things from the way they are now. The current situation isn’t good enough, and you want to improve it. There are valid reasons for being a warrior in today’s society, but you must accept that taking action to increase your cause will reduce someone else’s. Any change you make in the world will affect everyone it touches. For the Warrior Role, this action is needed, so they accept that conflict will be the result.
This Role is not about an argument between people like the Two of Spades. It is a bigger decision, to oppose. Nearly every situation covered by the Warrior Role does not actually mean violence, but primarily action, and conflict.
A funny thing happens when someone trains to be a warrior. You see it most often in martial arts or sports that include fighting. When someone feels confident that they can protect themselves, they fear strangers less and they become less aggressive. People who train to fight will often become calmer and choose nonviolent solutions whenever they can, simply because they are less afraid. This is the flipside to the conflict this card signals: it doesn’t have to happen. The Warrior’s Promise means “Conflict,” but it can be a sign to take steps now to avoid that conflict in the future … and that choosing to do so is a very good idea. The Warrior who stands ready to protect others but never has to take their weapon out of its scabbard is one who never runs the risk of attacking when they shouldn’t. Restraint is an excellent antidote to conflict.
However, sometimes conflict is both necessary and the right thing to do—either to protect others, or to fight for your beliefs. You must look very carefully indeed to see that you are not leaping in when you could have chosen a peaceful solution, but also that you are not neglecting your duty to protect the vulnerable. Conflict has consequences, and you should always think carefully before engaging in it. That does not mean it is never the right answer; sometimes it is necessary.
It’s important not to take this card as justification for acting on hate. There is a very big difference between being motivated to act because you are angry at injustice and being driven by hate. Disagreeing with the way things are because you can see that they are unfair or wrong is valuable: as long as it prompts you to fight for a better world for everyone, it is not a bad thing to feel. Anger can be extremely good at motivating people to make real changes in social equality and justice.
Hate, on the other hand, never works. Hate for another is not acceptable, nor is it helpful to you. It always ends badly (a theme the Warrior’s Folly looks at in more detail).
When this card appears in a reading, remind yourself that some battles are worth fighting—but also look very carefully at whether you are doing the right thing.
Five of Diamonds:
Warrior’s Gambit
“Elena on the Burning Sands”
Courage, Overcoming Fear, Taking Action
Elena clutched the weapon in her hands and tried not to tremble. It felt reassuringly heavy and would be good enough for the job today. The sands of the arena were hot under her feet, the sun blinding.
She thought back to her training with Mertis.
“When the time comes, you will feel fear. That is normal.”
“Demitrius doesn’t seem to fear. He stands like a mountain.”
“That is an act for appearances. Every living thing feels the rush in their body when a dangerous situation begins. It is good, it keeps you alive. Feeling fear is never a cause for shame or concern. When it happens, simply know that the event has begun and you are ready to take action.”
Elena adjusted her grip on the sword and held her breath. She hated the way that fear made her want to hide, to give in. The emotions churning in her stomach took on a hard edge, and she briefly used the burn of anger to replace them. Then she allowed it to drain away, remembering Mertis’s guidance on that as well.
“Anger is not your friend. If you have been wronged, it can give you motivation. But if anger is demanding to be felt because you do not like to be afraid, ignore it. You are a warrior, one who must never lose themselves to mindless rage. Your responsibility is too great. The weapon in your hand must only go where you choose, never where anger would throw it hastily. When one warrior is calculated and the other is angry, it is the first who will stand at the end of the day.”
“But my feet don’t want to move. How do I begin when it is so important that I must not fail?”
“For some, being the silent mouse until the predator has passed overhead is an option. It is not so for a warrior. Others rely on your actions to protect them. The only route you have through fear is to take action to resolve the threat. If you want to feel less fear, use your blade to slice pieces from your enemy until they are smaller.”
Elena grinned at the memory. Mertis was one of the kindest people she knew, and her words had been a joke, but they were still true in a way. Her training had slowly allowed her to recognise her fear as a signal to act. It had been hard, but her ability to acknowledge the fear without being overwhelmed by it had grown … until today.
Her opponent stepped out onto the sands. The two were to be judged on their skill, and the ability to fight without injuring the other. Still, accidents could happen, and the danger was real. Her stomach wasn’t feeling any better, but that discomfort was the background noise of the warrior’s life. Taking a breath, she stepped forward.
When we talk about Courage, what we’re really talking about is fear. It’s a good topic, because fear affects all of us on a daily basis and is the motivation for a vast range of human behavior. When we try to get down to the real cause of many of the negative things we do, the answer is simply fear.
An issue many people face every day is the fear of failure. We’re told all the time that failure is bad, that there are winners and losers and you don’t want to be a loser. However, this isn’t how the world works at all. Failure is the only way we learn anything (quite literally: the brain finds it harder to remember things if we get them right the first time). Successful people are nearly always those who fail, and fail, and fail, and then succeed after a lot of practice. Perseverance is much more important than skill.
A fear of failure means that a lot of us don’t take action. The Smith’s Folly previously signified perfectionism where we don’t want to release a project because we’re afraid it’s not good enough yet (or we rush for the top prize because we don’t want to fail even once). The Warrior’s fear starts earlier, at the very beginning of an action. We procrastinate or find excuses not to start. We put up walls against others and stay in bad situations because it’s scarier to take a risk on something new. We hesitate and worry over situations where we don’t want to fail. In short, fear is the reason that most of us don’t go out and make big changes in the world today. The Warrior is a Role which is determined to take action and fear is the biggest block to that happening.
This card is one of courage, specifically the type that overcomes freezing out of fear and allows us to proceed into action. The first step to following this is not to be ashamed or afraid of feeling the fear itself. It is a natural emotion, and a healthy way of your brain telling you to be careful. True courage does not require you to never feel fear at all, it is feeling it and being determined enough not to let it stop you carrying out the action anyway.
If the Warrior is to fulfil their Role and act decisively, making change that affects others, they absolutely have to confront fear. As well as preventing new beginnings, fear also makes people aggressive and angry. The plan is that by aggressively driving away the thing causing the fear, the warrior will stop it happening again. In this way, fearful people support violence and oppression in order to feel safer. Look very carefully at your emotions and actions if you find yourself thinking along those lines. You do need courage, but overcoming your fears must not change the good intent of the action you had planned.
Courage never means “feel fear, ignore it, and blindly charge ahead without thinking about it.” True courage comes from not letting fear turn your good intentions into bad results. The subject of the reading must overcome personal challenges and be able to act instead of being stopped, but they must also keep the quality of that act as pure and beneficial for others as it was when they planned it.
The Warrior’s Gambit is to step onto the battlefield and take a stand for what they believe in. All Gambit cards signify action, but this one may be the most physical and high energy in the whole deck. Courage is loud, and the effects of a worthwhile act will be felt strongly by other people. When this card is seen the person should look at the fears which are holding them back from supporting a worthy cause and courageously defeat them.
Five of Spades:
Warrior’s Folly
“Ferghus, Shunned and Alone”
Acting Rashly, Dishonourable Actions, Shame
Ferghus sat upon the stone floor, listening to the chatter of the people outside. All was lost. So many years of dreaming that they would one day chant his name, call him a hero, and now … that was gone forever.
It had taken only a few seconds. A burst of anger, and a thrust of his spear against a kinsman who had no defense. The people hail you and thrill to see your prowess when you have honor, but one mistake can take it all away. No one follows a brute who attacks the weak, no one praises an unfair fight caused by rage.
He saw the way they looked at him as he walked through town. They were afraid. His muscles were a threat now, and in place of a hero they only saw a dangerous animal who couldn’t be trusted to restrain himself.
All gone. The respect, the glory … he would never gain a new name in song to replace this, his tale would always include the angry actions of the past day no matter what else he accomplished in the future.
The warrior picked up his spear and studied the intricately engraved handle, lost in thought again. Then he threw it to the floor in disgust.
The Warrior makes change happen. They act, and other people have no choice about being affected by those actions. This puts a heavy responsibility on the Warrior to be sure that their reasons are the best ones, every time.
It is not easy to be a Warrior in today’s society. Opposing others will always cause some to hate you or be afraid of you. You have one chance, only one ever, to stay on the narrow road where your actions are justified and necessary. If you mess that up, you are done—you become someone who must be kept away from others for the safety of all.
Warrior’s Folly concentrates on our Reputation, and how delicate it is. This isn’t the same as fame or how well-known we are, it is how much honor and respect we have managed to keep. Most of us don’t think we’ve done anything worthy of respect (we don’t leap into a burning building to save people or discover medical cures) but that’s not where the line is. The relevant questions are: “Can you be trusted by others? Do you make the right choices?”
This choice might be to keep going to school or work every day, instead of not going. As the Smith knows, long-term work is a hard decision that takes effort. They keep making the effort daily to provide for those they love, instead of robbing a bank or leaving town to live on a beach.
The danger of reputation for the Warrior is not that you didn’t do enough, it’s that you did the wrong thing just once. Anger is an emotion we all feel, but very few of us can deal with it well. We either let it spill out and affect people or turn it inward and damage ourselves. The only way to deal effectively with anger is to let it go. Acknowledge that it exists and don’t be frightened by that. Look at why it exists, what your body and mind are telling you to be afraid of or to confront, but then move on to the next stage without the loss of control that anger can bring.
The Warrior has to be aware of anger because conflicts that inspire us to make change often cause us to feel anger as well, about the unjust or unfair nature of current reality. If we didn’t care, we wouldn’t be driven to change things. A lot of issues in modern life seem simple, but one mistake that will always ruin a warrior’s reputation regardless of what they are trying to do is to act in anger. They must be more honorable than that.
Warrior’s Folly appearing in a reading is primarily a warning not to rush into action. It’s a card about moving too fast and making bad decisions from rage or pride. This can lead to shame (as well as rejection by society). This does not mean that such an outcome will definitely happen, it is only a warning that it could—steps can still be taken to protect against it. Seeing this card therefore sends a message that says “Danger! You could mess this up. Check really carefully that your motives are right, and that your actions won’t affect others in a bad way. Put insurance against that into place now, not later. And don’t rush!”
Honor is not separate from your life, even if you think that parts of the Warrior Role couldn’t apply to you—there is no division of your health, work, family, home, and then somewhere over in the corner, honor, which is something vague to do with knights fighting each other. Honor is your whole life; it is how you spend every second of your day. This doesn’t mean you have to follow some kind of military code—you can be anyone and spend your time doing anything. It simply means that when you make a decision, you ask the following questions: “Do I care if I harm others?” and “Am I willing to take actions that put ‘not harming others’ ahead of me getting the maximum that I can?”
This card means that the situation contains the potential for the person to mess up in such a way that they will appear shameful or dishonorable. They need to look carefully at how they are communicating with people and whether their motivations are the right ones. They should tread carefully and make sure they are beyond reproach.
Five of Hearts:
Warrior’s Triumph
“Ambassador Levan’s Game”
Victory, Beating Stronger Opponents, Safety
“Do you play chess, Ambassador Levan?”
“I am aware of it, but we have a different national game ourselves.” The ambassador sat comfortably in robes, in contrast to the visiting general’s stiff military uniform. “We do not like chess very much.”
The general spluttered slightly, so Levan explained. “Chess only deals with domination and destruction. It starts with equal armies and allows equal turns. When you have moved, your opponent always has the chance to move. The only interactions are in terms of military might—the Knight never gets to ask the Pawn about her childhood. Our cultural game, named Drannet, is very different.”
He brought the general to a large table at the side of the room that hosted a Drannet board. The enemy clearly did not know what he was looking at, so after a moment Levan was forced to point to the pieces. “This is our board game.”
“This? But … there are trees on it! It’s not even flat. I thought this was a map of the region. How do you even play on that?”
“It can be difficult to see if you are used to chess. We start at opposite ends of the board, here … and here. There are many ways to play. Our forces may be armies, or townsfolk, or animals seeking shelter. We may cooperate, or not. We grow our population and expand at our own speed. There is a lot of randomness: we use small glass beads to represent the elements and weather, and drop them directly onto the board. Water falling on a forest has a very different effect to fire upon a village.”
The general had no reply, staring at the landscape laid out before him. Rivers and streams cut through dark woodland, across green fields. Mountains rose to one side and a village could be seen at the other end.
“On this particular board,” Levan continued, “it is full summer. In our hemisphere that means the sun is at the height of its power. The rules therefore change, and the sun influences play. It banishes darkness, removes all the shadows which could be used to hide secrets. It exposes lies and allows only for the energetic pursuit of truth. In the spirit of that, I will speak truth to you now: we desire peace with your nation.”
The general agreed to peace, which Levan had expected. It was easily said, although the other culture was so warlike that he doubted their words would last longer than it took them to prepare to invade. However, the ambassador had kept the situation of seasons on the board deliberately simple for the newcomer. In reality, the time was a little past summer and the moon was almost an eighth returned. This allowed for a small concealment of the plan, one which was not entirely made of straight lines and truth.
From the corner of his eye, Levan saw the guards of both nations stationed at the door begin to talk to each other. Curious already, flirting a little. He smiled. This was one route to peace. These visitors saw everything in terms of dominance, owning resources, demonstrations of strength, but life wasn’t like that. Soon there would be families between their peoples—and who were they going to heed when a government told them they must now fight each other? In so many other subtle ways, Levan had spent the past few months preparing the borders and the people so that the enemy would find it quite impossible to launch an attack. Victory was already his, and this visiting general didn’t even know which game had been played.
“Now, let us move on to your military parade, General. I understand your soldiers look very fine.” Levan shook his head at the flags and troops lined up outside that were supposed to mean something. Chess players, ugh.
Unlike most of the other Roles, the Warrior takes up opposition to something or someone. Victory therefore refers to victory over an opponent. This being a Triumph, it also means a clean and lasting victory, one with no doubt around it.
There are several things the Warrior wants to do: by taking action, they have already beaten procrastination and fear, which can be a victory in itself. This success is even bigger than a brave beginning because it is reached while someone actively opposes you and it brings a definite end to the threat, and new safety afterwards.
A Triumph was originally a Roman parade, to praise a commander who was successful in war. In the Warrior’s Triumph, this means that you will not only win but will be seen to win by others. All of this means that when the card is shown in a reading it symbolizes a decisive, total victory with safety after it. The conflict can involve anger or disagreement, but it will be settled. The kind of causes that we choose to oppose in modern life can be much bigger than ourselves and there are forces in politics or society which can seem impossible to beat. This Triumph is the one which is strong enough to do so. Alternatively, the opponent might be ourselves. Some of the hardest habits and beliefs to defeat are our own, the ones we believe too difficult to change.
This Triumph describes a turning point, after which everything is gloriously better. It can be successful resistance to a larger force, or overcoming something difficult in your own mind. Both scenarios lead to a visibly better situation afterwards.
The Singer communicates with others and creates experiences. They have a message and need it to be understood by an audience. The two parts of this process are both very important. It is not enough to speak your message out loud and not care if it was received by the listener; real communication doesn’t finish until the other person knows what you were trying to say.
The Singer is a very public figure who creates joy and spectacle all projected outward. Actors and musicians fall into this Role, as does anyone who needs to make a speech to a crowd. The Singer is very much about seeking personal fame but also about feeling good while doing it. Music can be beautiful and sharing it with others is a happy experience.
Where the Warrior acts in opposition to something in society, the Singer projects energy into a grateful crowd and joins their celebration.
The Magician’s Journey sees this step as the first time we discover the joy that having an adoring crowd can bring. This forces us to think about our self-image but also the image we want to project to the public. The Singer’s valuable lessons are of finding authenticity in what you want to share, not just giving an audience whatever will bring you fame. The best communication requires thought, but adding true passion to your message will elevate it (and you) above the crowd.
Six of Clubs:
Singer’s Promise
“Claire Reads a Secret”
Communication, Written Messages, Being Understood
“My dearest sister—”
(What? That wasn’t like Patrick at all. He hardly even called her Claire, it was usually “pan-face” or “porridge-head.” Something was going on.)
“I am writing to you from the wonderful Haversham Correctional Home for Boys.”
(Oh, so that was it.)
“I have behaved quite badly, and so am determined to redeem myself with good behavior according to the rules of this fine establishment. They are always fair here, and I am put in mind of the justice and education provided to us by our beloved schoolteacher, Mr. Thomas.”
(Mr Thomas used to shout and hit his desk with a long ruler while going rather red in the face. Of course, no one else reading the letter would know that. Patrick was speaking directly to her.)
“While it’s true that I haven’t made the best start, I find myself remembering the lessons we learnt in Sunday school, and know that I will be much improved in the near future.”
(Pat had lasted two hours at Sunday School before climbing out of the window and spending the day at the beach, picking up seashells. He was obviously going to break out of this place too. She checked the address: it was next to a pebble beach. That’s where he would be.)
“The staff have suggested that my stay here be at least a year, and I replied that it is certainly what I deserve.”
(Which is not the same as agreeing to stay.)
“For now I shall make a go of things, and wait out my time as patiently as old farmer O’Connor.”
(Farmer O’Connor once kicked in his own barn door because he wouldn’t wait thirty seconds for his son to bring the key. The escape would be as soon as possible, so she’d have to be ready tonight.)
“I hope you are well and still living with your friend and her sister.”
(Bring two people.)
“See you when I see you,
Patrick.”
(“See you when I see you” was what their father used to say, every morning when he went to work. Since he returned at precisely six o’clock every evening, it meant … see you at precisely six o’clock.)
Claire put the letter down and began making the arrangements.
The Singer’s Promise is Communication. Promise cards are about intention and plans, and the Singer wants to be heard. As the introduction to this Role states, there are two parts to successful communication: you must say what you mean and your audience must also understand it. A singer might want to make their audience feel sad with a melancholy song, but that will only work if the people think that the music and words are sad instead of happy. Communication is therefore about connecting properly with someone else so that you both view things the same way.
The Singer places a lot of importance on appearances. They stand up in public and are seen. They project energy and sound outward to influence people. However, for the first time in the Roles, there is also something more. Music, and all the other sounds that vibrate in air such as speech, can lift us out of normal life. A singer needs to sound genuinely caught up in the emotion of their song and finds a state of joy and serenity when doing so. No one becomes a singer just to convey words—a good one creates and also lives joyously in the song they make.
This card can signify that the reader will soon receive a message. In traditional playing card divination, this would be a written letter on paper, although these days it is just as likely to be an email. It is also a reminder that any important communication you make needs to be received correctly by its audience and that the words should not be misunderstood or ignored. To any “How do I achieve this?” questions, “communication” is an easily understood answer and always a good idea.
The other main meaning of the card is to tell the reader to use more communication. Again, it’s difficult to think of any situation where this would be a bad move. Relationships can always use more of it; other problems can become easier if you bring someone else in on them. What’s called for here is more than just dry speech, however. Look for ways to feel the Singer’s performance and self-belief. Make the communications not just clear but meaningful.
The Promise Roles imagine the best version of their theme, and in communication that goes beyond logical words on a page: the Singer should aim to have the listener feel the emotions in their heart that prompted them to craft a message in the first place.
Six of Diamonds:
Singer’s Gambit
“The Lady of the Forest”
Performance, Outward Appearances, Being Seen
When the world was younger than it is now, the Lady of the Forest strode through the woodland singing her song. As the breezes carried her sweet melody, the flowers around her opened and trees unfurled their leaves. Sunlight sent gentle slanting rays through the ranks of oak, elm and ash. The Lady placed her feet carefully along the sides of sparkling streams and ponds, tending to weeping willow and fiery alder.
She raised the note of her song to cause delight, and bright daffodils heard the call. From the busy undergrowth golden buttercups rose up in her steps and a carpet of bluebells covered a clearing when she passed.
Turning her voice to darkness, the Lady sang nightshade and holly and monkshood. She created shadowed groves of long-lived yew and quiet mounds where mushrooms slept.
All along her path the creatures of the forest gathered to listen and to peek out in wonder. Deer and wild horses, badgers and owls, beetle and squirrel and bat. They heard the music in their blood and were lifted by it, enchanted as the pure voice rang out to the stars and down to the mosses.
The Lady walked alongside a waterfall, and for the first time a tiny shiver entered her voice. It sang of caves which had collapsed, swamps fallen to rot. Those listening were confused, wondering how the Lady could fear that her work would not be perfect. Surely one so divine would have the power to guarantee her notes remained clear and life-giving? That changed when they saw her pass by, for her glamour was such that it was impossible to imagine this being as anything but perfect. And yet the tone of sadness and caution in her voice remained.
When she finally went on her way, leaving all observers behind, the sun seemed to dim and the streams quieten their splashing. But the forest itself and all life within it could still hear the piercing notes of her song, and it remembered them.
The Gambit cards are always the actions a Role takes. For the Singer, it is (unsurprisingly) to put on a performance but what this means in the modern day is quite complicated! We live in a time where the picture we would like to show of ourselves to the outside world is often different to our real life, especially on social media. This is also true of singers who find it useful to craft a persona for the stage and transport us to a world where glamor is possible (compared to earlier the same morning when they were half asleep with bed-hair and couldn’t find their keys). A performance is an artificial time created to have maximum effect, but its artificiality doesn’t make it bad. All the deliberate effort does succeed in making a performance more effective.
Another aspect of performing is being seen and judged. It can be a scary experience, whether you are speaking in public or using your charisma to convince just one person of something important. If you are performing, you will not be able to escape the spotlight.
There are three main things to consider when this card appears. In addition to “you will need to perform to make this happen” and “you will be seen; there’s nowhere to hide,” the Singer is also the first Role that steps into new territory: this card has a strong theme of losing yourself in the song. At the same time as wanting to sing for an audience, part of the Singer’s journey is that they can close their eyes and lose themselves in a timeless moment.
Singers put part of their real selves into their music. After the earlier Roles of finding a goal, relating to people, creating and gaining security, and opposing those we disagree with, the Singer is the first to look inside and find a purer way to be. Though they seek the audience’s approval, they also have an inner connection essential to moving forward in life.
The performance aspect of this card frequently refers to using skill in communication (the Singer’s type of performance) and can mean impressing people at a meeting, performing in an exam, or anything where you must rise to the occasion of being tested and seen by others.
“Jenny Buys Another Round”
Celebration, Holiday, Carefree Enjoyment
“Jenny, are you in here?” The tavern room was crowded and noisy, but it was easy enough to find the young woman sat at a table—she was shouting while thrusting a tankard of ale into the air.
“Marcus, darling! Meet my very good friends Tom, Bob, and … sorry, what was his name again?” She gestured to the others around the table, but the third “friend” was loudly snoring and couldn’t be woken to ask.
“Jenny, where have you been?” Marcus asked. “They said you rented a room here, but when I went there it was locked and there was a loud screaming noise inside.”
“Oh yes, that’s the peacock. Don’t tell the landlord.”
“The … Jenny, you were supposed to be home after your performance to meet the new priest when he came to the house.”
“Stop being so serious and have a drink. That’s not for ages yet!”
“It was last Wednesday.”
The woman shrugged and emptied her tankard. “Listen, you won’t believe it. I sang for the Earl’s son and he paid me … oh, it was so much money! All the people said how good I was, and then he instructed his man to give me a huge sum in pounds!”
Marcus was clearly taken aback by this news. “Goodness Jen, that’s wonderful! But you decided to celebrate in a tavern?”
“No, first I bought a puppy.”
“A … listen, Jen, you need to come home. I’m happy for you, but you have duties.”
“Yes, yes. I will. I’m just going to order another roast dinner and … some more ale, isn’t that right my friends?” At this, a ragged cheer went up from the slumped figures around the large wooden table, and Marcus pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance.
This stage of the Magician’s Journey brings a frivolous, easy celebration, and is one of the nicest cards to receive in the deck. It’s unusual for a Folly, which (while they’re not automatically negative) are certainly full of problems in most of the Roles. The Folly of the Singer is that after a successful performance they can believe the outward appearances of their own glory, and ride on the wave of appreciation from the crowd. Celebrating then becomes easy.
This situation is actually fine and brings real relaxation, a very valuable thing in today’s society. There is a cheery and optimistic holiday attitude to this card, one of sunny beaches and free time. You will be able to drop any stress you’re feeling and really appreciate the break—the only drawback is that you won’t get any work done. If you have pressing deadlines this means that it may be difficult to keep them when faced with other temptations.
This card is usually a bright ray of sunshine, unless it’s in the middle of a lot of “you must do the hard work now!” messages. Then you might want to look at taking steps to ensure you can keep disciplined for the important task. At any other time, sit back and enjoy the relaxed happiness that the celebration brings.
If your question was regarding the best way to achieve something, the answer is that you should be as relaxed and happy as possible. Events will either take care of themselves or be so undemanding that you can easily guide them without any stress.
Six of Hearts:
Singer’s Triumph
“Lissa Sings of Love and Sorrow”
Persuasion, Fame, Glamor
Lissa stood in the centre of the stage, waiting for the audience to fall silent. She started her performance singing the story of Nalia the orphan girl, growing up with her best friend Henki, supporting each other during the tense times of the previous years. It was a popular tale and the musical notes were plain and reassuring, letting the crowd feel the loyalty between the friends and their determination to survive hardships.
Then she sang of the sudden appearance of Dina and the fierce love that Nalia felt for them, and how she felt that Dina enriched her heart and brought colour to the world. At this the people in the room sighed, and as the notes soared pure and lightly, they remembered their own loves or held hands with the partner next to them.
Next Lissa moved on to the war, which swept Nalia out into the countryside. This song was a sad one indeed. The lovers were separated, and even her friendship with Henki was tested as so many changes came upon them both so quickly. Lissa sang of how in the countryside Nalia met Kon the Riddle-Master … unknowable, unpredictable Kon, who taught her many mysteries. But this new knowledge was not enough to stop the pain of separation, and the singer’s voice which rang out into the hall brought tears to the eyes of everyone there as it lamented the darkness that comes from being apart from a heart which belongs to you.
That’s when she knew she had them. It was one thing to tell a tale for others to hear but another for them to truly know the emotions and to feel them within their own bodies. “If you can reach out and change people in that way,” she thought to herself, “they are yours—and if you cannot then you are simply a bird singing outside the window, ignored and temporary.”
For the finale, Lissa brought the unexpected but happy conclusion: Nalia and Dina reunited, their love strong. Henki who survived the early years with her friend’s help, grown to be powerful and brilliant in the new age. And a voice which rose and rose to bring hope, first to the few characters, then their village, then their lands, and finally the real world that the audience occupied with all their own hopes and fears. The people would go home emboldened, uplifted, and she smiled as she felt the same during their ecstatic applause.
As the Singer deals in communication, their Triumph is to change the emotions and decisions of others. This is the Singer’s masterwork: to use their voice to show others how the world can be, and to change listeners with their message. Successful persuasion is different from communication, the meaning of Singer’s Promise. Simple communication is like receiving a letter from someone else, although it’s better if you can share your real motivations as part of it. Persuasion is a much deeper and more rewarding connection, usually achieved by opening your heart a little and asking them to do the same.
A Singer who can convince their audience to do this will receive fame and adoration in return. This attention is not the same as the solemn gratitude the Healer earns, based on recognition of the person’s real character. The Singer’s fame is instead the glamor and illusion of a celebrity on a stage, a song of deeds and loves more intense than normal life. We saw in the Singer’s Gambit that a singer (or famous actor or other artist) is not perceived as their real selves by the audience. Their outward appearance is accepted instead of the truth. The reward of such a performance is fame, but not a very deep or personal one. It isn’t related directly to the work done so much as it is the people’s excitement for anybody in the spotlight.
When this Triumph appears in a reading, it first of all is about persuasion. It also implies that the situation will gain you wider popularity. Despite the maybe shallow nature of fame, it’s often difficult to see how this would ever be a bad thing. The one obvious answer is if you were trying to keep a secret or hide from someone; in that case, it may be far too much attention at a time when you don’t want it.
Fame isn’t the only reason that a Singer sings. In the journey of the Roles, they have moved on from being alone, finding a partner, choosing how to face society, earning a trade, deciding what they stand for and what they oppose, and now the Singer sings because … they want to. Even the most attention-seeking celebrity needs to have at least a little bit of this desire. They perform for the joy and for what art brings to other people. Whether a serious calling or just a leisure activity, singing needs to feel good and be about connecting to something larger than oneself. This connection to a brighter inner world is something that we will see again later with the Dancer, but the Singer is the first to try it and to perform it for others.
This Triumph is the conclusion of a very extroverted set of cards: talking to others, performing under pressure, loud enjoyment, and deliberate persuasion while in the spotlight. This collection of extrovert actions ends with one that signifies noise and attention but also guarantees a typical Triumph’s good outcome.
The Singer’s fame leads to money and influence, and naturally to the Role of the Noble. This Noble is not a king, queen, or princess—all the gendered names have too many associations of more power or less. Instead, this title applies instead to everyone who has any power over others. As with all the Roles, it applies to any gender.
You might not think that “money and influence” sounds like you. Most of us don’t feel as though we’re rich or powerful compared to those around us, and indeed we might be struggling to gain money, respect, or basic security. However, most of us will be involved with making some decisions for another person, even if on a very small level. This could take the form of you asking someone to trust your leadership, or to accept your version of events. It might be others asking you to take the lead in even a small matter. Whatever it is, most of us will experience responsibility for others at some point.
There’s nothing wrong with being in a position of power over someone else, provided it is completely consensual. Having a decision-maker for a group can be useful and efficient … but it comes with challenges, and the Role of the Noble explores these. After previously tasting fame on the Magician’s Journey as the Singer, the lessons now turn to the responsibility that comes with that power. Obligations at home, questions on how you will use the control you have over others, and wrestling with your ego are all part of discovering worldly power.
Seven of Clubs:
Noble’s Promise
“Lady Mapenzi Faces the Storm”
Home, Fair Dealing, Contentment
“Get inside the house, go!”
The storm continued to roar around them, and the children ran for the cover of the main building.
“Lady Mapenzi, please, we must save the stables! Lightning has started a fire. We’ll lose everything on that side.”
“Are the horses free?”
“Yes, they’ve run to the far fields, but the building—”
“There are still people who need help on the road, come with me now.”
The tall woman swept forward into the rain, the night sky thrashing above and winds sending bushes tumbling along the ground. Her house was stronger than any around it and should survive the storm easily enough, but many others had lost their shelter already. The girl who ran alongside her was talking of the stables again, but Mapenzi cut her off with a loud shout to new figures whom they met in the darkness.
“Biran! Get to the house!”
“Bless you, Lady.” The man and his family hurried up the road past them as more lightning struck nearby. The girl tried again.
“But the stables! And the kitchens! These people can find their own—”
Mapenzi turned on her, much taller and with a voice full of command.
“You seem to think that these are my buildings. They are not. They belong to the people. I serve the villagers. I might spend my time meeting diplomats instead of bringing in the crops, but that doesn’t mean I deserve riches and they don’t. People are more important than houses, Sibo, and that building is theirs to use.”
The small girl stood gaping up at her leader as howling winds tore at their clothing.
“Now, back to the main room. It is strong with good foundations. There are two families I haven’t seen yet, so I must go and search.”
Mapenzi pulled up the hood of her cloak and strode into the night.
The promise that the Noble makes to those who serve them is to use the power and money they gain from the position to provide everyone with a stable home. Others consenting to give you power over them is an exchange—they need to get something back. In most societies around the world, this exchange is broken. The rich have far, far more than the poor agreed for them to have and do not provide the safety from poverty or fair reward for work that should be given in such situations. If a Noble has people working on their land and giving power to them, but those workers do not have a reliable home, then the contract is not being honored. The Role usually works on a smaller scale because most of us won’t actually be a member of a noble house (nor do we live in a feudal society), but it also applies to any time we make decisions on behalf of other people.
That decision making for others is something that can happen quite often to any of us. It might be in tiny ways, but we will all eventually have to take responsibility for someone else. It is part of growing up, and a crucial step in working out who we are in the world.
The first meaning when the Noble’s Folly is revealed is usually related to domestic matters, as this card in particular deals with the one place where some have power over others—the home. Home is a huge and important part of everyone’s lives no matter how they live. Security and shelter, somewhere to belong, privacy, and a place to rest are essentials for everyone’s wellbeing.
This is a brilliant card for all dealings with authority, as it predicts benevolent and fair behavior according to agreed-upon rules. A Noble’s Promise is the ideal everyone wishes would be delivered, the well-intentioned words before any compromises must be made. It is full of positivity and sincerity from those who have power over us, whether that’s parents, teachers, bosses, or politicians.
This particular Role is also the first on the Magician’s Journey that implies a duty paired with every part of the Role’s experience. There is one right way to be a Noble: to be responsible to those from whom you benefit.
If this card is addressing something that will happen in the future, it’s already a success and the person has got that balance right. If it’s drawn as an instruction on how to act, the message is to be immediately humble and make sure you are treating those around you fairly. Are others doing emotional or physical work you’re taking for granted? Is there someone who can’t make the changes they want because you’re in control of that part of the picture and ignoring them?
The Promise’s idealist nature will win in most scenarios, making this a statement that the Noble acted properly and the result is a calm and content home, appreciation and respect from others, and harmony with those closest to you.
Seven of Diamonds:
Noble’s Gambit
“Omorede Is Not Alone”
Friendship, Loyalty, Recognising Debts
Omorede sat at the desk in the nearly empty room and looked at the dust all around. This place had been his home for many years, but now there was no one left to help, and no way he would be able to keep it. He didn’t know where he would go next.
Ewansiha entered and leant against the doorframe. He crossed his arms, smiling down at his old friend. “I see you’re taking this well.”
The older man was startled, and the surprised expression stayed on his face when he recognised who had spoken. “Ewansiha? What are you doing here?”
“I decided to stay.”
There was a pause as Omorede checked that he’d heard the words correctly.
“But it’s so much money! You can’t turn that down.”
“Of course I can. You didn’t think …?” He walked in and sat on the edge of the wooden desk. “Do you remember when my niece was sick, and you sat by her bed so that I could work?”
“We didn’t know if she’d live, but now she’s moved to the islands with a family of her own.”
“Yes. And when the flood came, you remember how you helped us clear the street?”
“Of course.”
“And when I thought that it would be a really good idea to trust a business partner in the city, and they nearly took everything? You gave me the money.”
Omorede was silent now. His friend continued: “I would have lost my own home at least once if not for you. Asking around, I’m not the only one. So, I’m not going to leave you behind for something like money. I’d have none at all if you hadn’t helped, again and again.”
Looking into the distance, Ewansiha became thoughtful. “I could be swimming in profit next month but surrounded by people I don’t respect … I’d rather have enough to get by, but keep supporting the people here. And you.”
Silently, Omorede reached out and grasped his friend’s hand tightly. Ewansiha grinned. “So, don’t bother packing, we’re all going to help you keep this place.”
There are many cards symbolizing luck in this deck; sometimes it’s bad luck, and there is even an entire Role for the Trickster. On the other side from this unpredictable chaos is the loyalty of friends, holding the situation together and working to stabilize anything that causes us fear.
Loyalty and true friendship are the answers to many of the typical questions asked in divination. “Can I trust this person?” “Is this person lying to me?” “If I take this action, will I lose my friends?” To these questions and more, this card is a reassuring and firm message of strong friendship.
It can also go beyond friendship. Loyalty can mean loyalty to a superior in a situation where you are under pressure to betray them. It can mean choosing sides, or working hard when you would rather take the easy route. This card can show a debt owed, one that requires careful thought.
In the Magician’s Journey, it is here the Noble draws on the loyalty of their people and risks abandonment. Loyalty is the currency Nobles use to get things done, but that loyalty needs to be earned and they need to be trusted. The card is usually reassuring when it says that friendship will hold true. After all, this isn’t casual friendship or the wider society the Healer deals with—it is the work of the Noble and the question of whether they have power to make things happen or not. Nobles rely on other people for that power, so what’s being are tested the links to those people. It could be personal friendship but it’s much more often people over whom you have some kind of power.
Not many of us are a queen, an office manager, or a captain in an army. We don’t have people reporting directly to us; we just have friends, family, and colleagues we can ask for help or who have some sort of small obligation to us. They could simply be people whose help we need for a personal project or even a hobby, as long as they are following our directions. This is the kind of link many of us have to the Noble, but just because it’s not an official title doesn’t mean it is of smaller importance. The Noble is a vital Role for everyone, because it covers what we do when we have power.
Being in the position of power and then trying to use it is always a risk. The people you thought were reliable might not be. You could fail in holding up your end of the deal, in treating people properly, or doing enough planning. Power is difficult; being honest about what we owe to others is something that will always reward us.
This card puts the net of power that the Noble commands into action. It tells us to call on others for help, to explore how well we handle being given power over other people and to make big decisions based on being in a position of responsibility.
Seven of Spades:
Noble’s Folly
“Tatiana, Queen of the World”
Ego, Prejudice, Injustice
“Mighty one, I am Tatiana, Queen of all from East to West, the supreme leader of the Empire, owner of palaces, cities, and the largest army the world has ever seen. My glory is known across every land and my enemies fear my very name. Each morning trained servants wash my hair with purest water and perfumes, and my clothes are adorned with famous jewels. Truly, I am the only one worthy to meet your challenge.”
Far above Tatiana stood the goddess of her people, whose hair was made of night mists and mountain streams, whose eyes were burning stars, whose arms were rolling green hills and lush meadows. When she leant forward to regard the mortal, deserts shivered and bright sunshine burst from clear crystals. Her voice was rain upon lily ponds and hot thunder over ancient trees.
“Mortal. Tell me the extent of your rights over others.”
The Queen raised her head proudly and smiled. “My command of the people is absolute. When a province defied my rule, I sent my army to burn their towns and enslave their leaders. All beneath me must pay gold to my collectors, and my word is law.”
The goddess shifted, birds flying from treetops and winds howling through ravines.
“No. You have no rights over others. Be silent and listen.”
Tatiana had been about to object but closed her mouth with a scowl. The voice before her dropped in volume to the flutter of bats escaping a cave, of soft sunlit waves over sand.
“Mortal, my champion must know the true cost of their actions and feel the changes that they make in the world. When they step, all the rock beneath them is aware of it. When they move a hand, they push aside the air. Their actions are felt by everything that is. The taking of a whole life should be enough to devastate the champion’s mind and senses forever. But you do not know this. You do not see those who are in your power as people. In your reasoning they are not equal to you. They have become resources to be used. You do not feel their pain as your own.”
The eyes of the goddess, hanging in the air before the tiny woman, were so vast and full of love and wisdom—but now they narrowed as quickly as shadows filling a forest.
“I have no use for a champion who cannot feel.”
And then the ground was falling away, and the shining gold and gems hung upon Tatiana’s silks, the heavy crown and all her armies were not enough to save her.
The Noble cards so far have shown how Nobles should act, and what they hope for in return. The Folly is the opposite of all the ways that they “should” act. It is instead a list of the dangers that power brings.
The biggest danger is ego. Society tells us that the person with the most money, property, or power over others is one who is better than any who are poorer. When we have those things, we believe that we rise in status and have succeeded in life. This is a natural place for the Noble, who by definition is above other people in some way. When our self-importance rises, so does our sense of personal identity or the idea that we are separate to everyone else. It is easy to go from there to the belief that “my needs are more important.”
You are not superior to any other human. Your wants and needs don’t override theirs, and your identity doesn’t give you more rights than them … except in many cultures it often does, and the messages we receive (both loudly and quietly) are that some people deserve to have power over others.
Nobles quickly move from valuing all people less to being more specific in who to see as expendable. Racism and sexism come from choosing one group to be more and one to be less. No child is born racist or sexist; it is taught to them by adults and societies that show that anyone who is different from you can be excluded. The Role of the Noble (which includes all of us in some aspect of our lives, even if it’s just when we communicate with children) has the power to do the most damage with this, and so people in that Role should never act on prejudice.
Ego leads to “us and them,” which leads to exclusion and injustice. However, a sense of your own identity can also be useful. It is linked to self-respect, and feelings of our own worth. You are not more important than other people—but neither are you less important. Many of us tolerate behavior toward ourselves that we wouldn’t if we saw it elsewhere. If that harmful behavior was happening to a friend, we would tell that friend it was unfair and that they should not accept it … but when it happens to us, we allow it.
If this card appears, your first reaction should be to check that your own ego has not been making you behave badly. The second reaction should be the opposite, to check that you have been using your ego as much as you deserve to.
Humility is something all Nobles could use more of. The Healer showed that compassion for others goes a long way, but an essential further step is the manner in which we think about ourselves. No matter the temptations of the Noble—money, fame, status—we all need to remember that everyone is important.
Seven of Hearts:
Noble’s Triumph
“Dalton’s Empty Advice”
Searching for Answers, Continuing
Responsibility, Restlessness
“How many people want to see me, Dalton?”
“A crowd of around forty, sir. More than yesterday.”
“I see. What do you think is the purpose of life, Dalton? I’ve been wondering.”
“I’m sure I have no idea, sir. Here is the list of petitions for this morning, and this stack of papers over here as well.”
“It’s just that having the extra money doesn’t seem to help. It used to feel good to solve people’s problems, but now … there are always more problems. I thought being rich would make it more tolerable, but it hasn’t.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, sir. The ambassador is waiting in the main hall, she has rejected your latest trade offer.”
“What kind of music would I make, do you think, if I learned the lute?”
“I’m sure I don’t know, sir. You told me to remind you of the issue in the village—the Carter family is demanding the return of their land from the Mayners, and the head of the Mayner house says they will kill every living Carter before that happens. The Bishop wrote to say that if you don’t resolve the dispute by tomorrow, the Church will confiscate the entire area and the plot next to it as well.”
“I’ve never been to the big lake on the other side of the mountains, Dalton. I want to see what the water looks like on a winter morning. I always meant to experience more of nature at sunrise.”
“That’s very nice, sir. The treasury is doing well after your quick action last month but has reported that it will need assistance this month as well or we won’t be able to buy enough food when the harvest comes in.”
The richly dressed man sat in his elegant chair and wished with all his heart that he could be somewhere else. Anywhere else, really.
The problem with being a Noble (and therefore being responsible for others) is that the challenges never end. You do not reach a place where you stop being afraid of the dangers that could disrupt home, family, or those who look to you for leadership.
The other issue the Noble faces is encountered only by those who think that seeking power, wealth, and control are all you need to do in life. As soon as they have those things, they realize that they do not give real security or fulfil our hopes in the way that society promises. You can chase money, items, fame or sensations, but soon they will not be enough. Even people who are extremely rich never think that they have enough—they look at the few still above them and feel they need to compete further. The struggle never stops.
Many of us are Nobles in small ways when we take on responsibility for other people at work or in the home. We too can find the job of keeping those people safe and prosperous doesn’t end. Even if we enjoy the challenge or welcome the responsibility, the work only covers some aspects of life. Focusing excessively on just the Noble Role leaves us with questions: what about our inner life? Who would we be without these obligations, if we had more time? Is there more to experience in life than chasing money or power? Even at its ultimate point, the Role of the Noble can leave us dissatisfied.
This is one of the rare Triumph cards which is not totally positive. In a reading, it shows restless frustration and ongoing duties. It can also mean shortsightedness in terms of the big things: believing that money and possessions are all that matter instead of searching properly within for what might fulfil you.
On the other hand, it is a Triumph, which means that tasks associated with the Noble Role will continue to go very well. If the reader is concerned with control of decisions, respect from others or a well-run household, this card certainly provides those. There is a lot of comfort and even luxury. It is easy to simply keep going when things are fine. But if we stay in that comfortable space, they may never be better than fine.
The Noble shows a lot of what society tells us is important in life. If you have succeeded at the Noble Role, you might think that there’s nowhere else to go from there. But this essential restlessness is what pushes us on to look further, deeper, and in different places than the demands of power would steer us toward.
In the Magician’s Journey, it is at this point the Noble rejects what they have built. They reached out to society as the Healer, learned a skill and decided what they would fight for, gained fame as the Singer, and used that fame to build power as the Noble. It all led to one point, so why stop? The answer is that the Noble gives you power, but also responsibility you may not want, as well as respectability you must live up to. It takes up all your time and doesn’t satisfy your mind or heart. It leads the Noble to think, “is this all there is?”
When they reach a crisis point, the Noble will reject their wealth, possessions, and status and take a new road in a search for answers. That is what the card indicates: domestic and public success but the need to look to your more spiritual needs as well.
After the fame of the Singer and political power of the Noble, most people expect to be happy, but that is often not how things turn out! We are taught to seek money and influence, but if we get them, they can surprise us by being very unsatisfying.
The Singer’s Fame is based on external glamour, the Noble’s power is over physical resources or people. There is another part of life we must explore if we are to reach the wisdom necessary to become the Magician, and it is entirely internal.
The Hermit gives us the route to reach this new knowledge through travel, peace, and silence. They realize that everything they have gained up to now in life isn’t enough, so they take time away from daily pressures to look inside and find a better way to be.
As part of the whole journey, this retreat stage is a famous one. Everyone needs to do it at some point. Either you will be dissatisfied with life and want to make changes, or you might find a spiritual or mental challenge that requires silence and solitude to think and reflect upon so that you can move to better things.
Silence can be a powerful tool for self-improvement, but the overall message of the Hermit is that you are not your job or your fame; achieving status in society is not enough. Humans need more than that in order to have inner peace and inner strength. To reach the heights of the later Roles, concentrating on your inner needs is absolutely necessary.
Eight of Clubs:
Hermit’s Promise
“Sara Reaches the Empty Sky”
Travel, Peace, Escape
Sara put both hands on the rock and pulled herself up the last part of the steep slope. Behind her lay the winding path from the base of the mountain. The journey had not been tiring, and her spirit was light and happy. Now she had come to the narrow passageway that divided these lands from the next.
A few moments of pushing through the gap between the crevice walls, turned sideways to slip as carefully as she could between the high stone barrier on either side, only a few moments of darkness and held breath, and then she was through.
Sara gasped at the change. Strong sunlight warmed a vast open space. A wide valley, full of fields and streams, stretched out below her in a bowl that extended to the horizon. The empty sky above was a pale blue with drifts of white cloud. She could feel the winds moving freely around the mountain peak, the fresh breeze bringing new scents. A falcon soared above, crying suddenly into the soft quiet.
Smiling in achievement, Sara sat with her back to the sheer rock wall and felt something in her unclench for the first time in a long while. There were no people here, no noisy demands. She closed her eyes and listened to the slow winds and the lone bird, her smile only growing.
The idea of escaping from it all to spend time alone is a seductive one. The Hermit’s Promise is of quiet restfulness, fresh air, and a place to relax. When we leave all the pressures of the day behind, we can think clearly and without distraction.
This card strongly suggests travel, but it doesn’t have to be physical travel to another location. The theme is more along the lines of “getting away from the noise” to find a place where you can think in peaceful quiet. Travel itself is often described as a way to escape our worries, but it rarely works (we do, after all, bring our head with us to the new place). That said, everyone needs the potential benefit of escaping from stress and leaving everyday life behind so that we can relax and remember who we are.
Escape is essential now and then. You are not your job, your grades, or your reputation with friends. The demands of normal life are difficult, and occasional escape from them is healthy and fun.
The Hermit doesn’t have to be entirely alone during this time but they do need to be able to operate without any intense connections clouding their mind. The goal of travelling is to be able to think deeply and seriously at the other end, and distance can help with that.
If this card appears in a reading that is otherwise filled with stress or danger, it doesn’t mean frantically running away—this travel is always deliberate. It is something you control and leads to a slow, peaceful relaxation. Most often the message will be to make your mind entirely calm and work out the answer without fear, or it will refer to a need to put distance between yourself and the sources of stress. This distance can be mental, as simple as time spent alone in a quiet room; it doesn’t mean you need to leave the country! In fact, escape from mental turmoil is one of the most common meanings.
Promise cards are often perfect imaginings of the best a Role can offer, and here the Hermit delivers contentment, peace, and rest.
Eight of Diamonds:
Hermit’s Gambit
“Hedda Speaks to the Ancestors”
Mental Effort, Clarity, Ignoring Interruptions
Hedda sat in the cave, looking out at the bright morning. A wooden staff lay on the stone floor in front of her, but she didn’t reach for it yet.
The staff was the property of the Speaker, the one who communed with the ancestors. It was her duty to take it up, but every time she lifted it and listened for their voices she was overcome by emotion—grief for those who had gone before, shame from being unable to help her people in the way she should.
Hedda listened to the silence in the cave, which was broken only by far-off animals and the quiet sounds of nature. Her fingers touched the staff. Immediately, the storm of emotion returned: low and high voices disrupting her concentration. She imagined her family accusing her of failing and added that to the wave of guilt. Once more, she pushed it all away and dropped the relic, cursing.
When her heartbeat had slowed again, the young woman thought deeply. Nature continued its murmurings outside but all else was still. She had come here to escape the gaze and judgement of her people, and she was indeed alone now, but it was not enough. Running from her grief did not work and numbing herself to it simply removed any other connection she could make. It wasn’t possible to only numb one part, it deadened everything—including the senses she needed to call on now.
Hedda was carrying the sadness in her body like a physical token, but the mind is not the body. The mind could instead create a place where only the actions required by her duty existed. An empty space in which she was powerful enough, resolute enough to find a way forward.
Finally, she lifted the wooden staff once more and let the voices come. They surrounded her like an angry wind, shouting and demanding. She kept entirely still, searching with a mind that was shaped like a needle. Through the voices and the pain. Through the uncertainty and self-doubt. She had a right to be here and a duty to fulfil. It seemed as though she flew among clouds, but this time they did not distract her from the straight journey she insisted on. Her eyes were closed, face blank, and her breathing did not quicken.
With her mind strong, calm and her own, she reached out for her ancestors and immediately heard a warm and loving voice in return.
“Hello, Daughter.”
The Hermit takes a break from the expansion of many of the previous Roles. Escaping society, they remove all distractions of the heart and body to focus entirely on the mind. When a problem requires solving, they are able to use their mind to its fullest extent.
This gives the Hermit amazing clarity. They can see the situation as it really is and make decisions without emotion. The wisdom that comes from this can be profound. If this card is drawn, it advises the reader to concentrate and solve the problem using thought rather than action or strong emotions. It is often the card of academic work.
Depending on the other cards that appear with it, Hermit’s Gambit can give advice (e.g., that you should be logical instead of emotional) or a warning (e.g., that you are being too remote and not emotional enough!). The Hermit’s way involves isolating yourself from life’s noise and false pressures … but this can go too far. In particular, running away from fear instead of facing it isn’t healthy, and making decisions very coldly can lead to trouble. As much as the Hermit wants to control them, emotions are valuable guides that tell us why we act the way we do. Emotions have the potential to connect us to others and help us remember those who will be affected by our actions.
Every Gambit is a risk; the tightrope the Hermit walks is to find just the right amount of distance and peace. Negative emotions such as anger and hate can lead us to make terrible decisions, where seeing the situation more clearly could reveal that a problem never came from the source at which the anger is aimed. If we overly rely on logic, it can reduce everything to a calculated trade. People become numbers we can justify harming, or we numb ourselves to emotion so much that we don’t feel beneficial emotions we should be embracing.
In the modern world, many of us lead lives full of noise and worry. Clearing our head enough to solve a mental task is usually a very good thing. If we can’t use our mental resources strongly, we may fail the Gambit—but if we go too far, we could end up entirely in our heads, assuming that cold logic has all the answers, disconnected from our bodies.
Use this card’s opportunity to create a space where you can think without interruption, but when you have finished calculating, come back to your full self and check the results with an open heart.
Eight of Spades:
Hermit’s Folly
“The Emerald Mask repaid”
Isolation, Overthinking, Prioritising
Thoughts Over Deeds
The famed hero, “the Emerald Mask,” was surrounded!
From all sides of the darkened warehouse, her enemy’s allies closed in. There was no chance of fighting so many. She let her rapier fall to the ground. The sneering villain Lucia, “The Blade,” took her time to savor the moment.
“So, Emerald Mask! You fall at last. I shall take your city, have your lover exiled to the mountains and finally see you defeated at my feet!”
The Mask made no reply. Around her, Lucia’s crowd of brigands stood still, letting their leader set the pace of the encounter. Daggers and clubs waited in rough hands, handkerchiefs pulled up over each face.
The taunting continued: “Now you will be killed, alone and friendless. Your mighty skill with the sword will not save you this time. Have you any last words, before the end?”
In the silence that followed, in the final precious seconds, the beloved rogue known as The Emerald Mask looked straight into her enemy’s eyes, and slowly asked the most important question of her life:
“Hey Lucia, where did you get your henchmen?”
This was not what The Blade had expected. Confused, she shrugged and answered: “The docks, mostly. Hired muscle, anyone who can hold a weapon and wanted to make some coin. Why?”
Under the shining green half-mask, our hero smirked and crossed her arms. “Because this is Venice. Here, spectacle creates legends. A name on the lips of the crowd becomes a hero known in every kitchen, on every street corner. And a villain who would attempt to kill The Emerald Mask will have to fight an entire city to do it.”
The space around Lucia began to shrink as the dockhands and street brawlers silently turned around to face the villain and push her toward the doors.
“No! Stay away!” Lucia threatened first one, then another with the sharp tip of her sword, but she could not stop an entire room with no space to move. She was swept back by the crush of bodies, and out into the street.
The Mask recognised one of the men by her side. “Hello, Alfredo. How is your sister doing now that she has that medicine?”
“Much better, Emerald Mask. Thank you again.”
One person wears the Mask, but they inspire a community. On some days, that unspoken contract between them is repaid.
The Hermit’s Folly is Isolation. Humans are social animals, and while getting away from the noise to find solitude and peace often does us good in the modern world, it is difficult when it becomes your whole life. The Hermit can fall into the trap of believing that intellectual pursuits are all they need and that purely mental processes can provide all the answers—this isn’t true!
We live in a very disconnected way from each other, even in cities. Despite hundreds of people in a small urban area (or maybe because of it) many people don’t know their neighbors, and loneliness is very common. We need connection with others for all kinds of reasons, and taking the Role of the Hermit to an extreme level can be a block to achieving that.
When this card is encountered, it frequently means that you have tried to do something alone when you would be better off relying on friends. We often come to divination when we face challenges and a common reaction is to try to tackle them alone.
As usual, though, the situation you’re reading this card within greatly affects the advice it gives. This card’s meaning, “Isolation,” and its being a Folly would usually suggest that you should beware of excess isolation and give thought to what you could achieve with friends. But if the problem is that too many people are already involved, the advice would be exactly the opposite, that your solution requires isolation. Others may be trying to influence your decision, or you may be unable to see it clearly with them so closely involved—in this case, the Hermit’s ability to retreat and be alone is valuable. (Note that the Folly cards do not automatically mean that the idea they bring is a wrong one every time, only that it is a common flaw of the Role.)
Generally, there are more negative aspects to being isolated than positive ones. It’s easy to overthink, to be too coldly unemotional, to feel rejected or unworthy when you are alone for long periods of time and do not have other people there to remind you of your connections. Sometimes it is useful to go somewhere quiet to think deeply, but frequently it is a mistake to cut ourselves off from others. Look carefully at whether there are individuals that you could stay away from, entire groups whose noise you need to leave behind for a short while, or whether you would benefit from bringing in more people instead. Look at whether you’re overthinking things instead of seeking out a useful action to move them forward.
Eight of Hearts:
Hermit’s Triumph
“The Phoenix and the Stars”
Reconciliation, New Knowledge, Returning
The Phoenix of the southern sky meditated in silence. The stars of her wings and body shone their white light into the deep darkness, the wide spaces between each bringing quiet peace to her mind. Before her stood the door, the final portal to rejoin the world of people and animals, to regain her place in the heavens that could be seen by the mortals who looked up from their realm.
Crystalline light crossed the door in different colours, running in thin webs from one part of the frame to another. Occasionally, a new line would appear as the Phoenix made a connection in her thinking. Nothing moved for a time, until her Enemy appeared.
“You shall not gain the doorway.”
Its voice was deep as a chasm into rock, its bulky form shimmered with fire and dark night. Pacing to the place where the Phoenix was sitting, it taunted her again.
“Stop. Your mind shall be clouded, your fears shall overcome thought. Anger and despair shall halt your progress.”
The Phoenix gave no answer to this, but another connection on the doorway was linked by a precise line of colour.
“Stop. Your work cannot be perfected, for you are too weak. Life on the other side contains noise and obligation, expectations and confusion.”
Still the Phoenix made no sound. Her mind was peaceful, and she had a task to complete.
“You were not ready before. You had fame and your place in the sky, and you have lost them. What can you be without others recognising your status?”
For the first time, the starbird replied.
“I do not require the praise of others. I have the strength of my mind.”
The Enemy responded with fury. “You are alone! The heavens were too crowded for you, so you ran to hide in this place of secrets. Now you are friendless, and working to return? Foolishness!”
“What you say is true. I did retreat from my place, seeking silence. I had stared too long at the world of mortals, at its pressures and noise and evil deeds. I could not solve their problems or bring the quiet within myself. Soon, their struggle became mine. I am not a creature who can hold such things within.”
With a shout of triumph, the Enemy advanced, only to stop at the next word.
“But then I rested here and spent time in thought. I was able to calm my mind and find a way to exist that does not fall to noise. When the woes of the mortals are hurled toward me, I can bend to avoid them. I can flow around them. I can see my own being distinct from them and maintain my silence.”
“You should be afraid. By leaving, you have lost your family and locked yourself alone in this place forever.”
“No. I am not alone.”
And then that was true, because the door was complete. The last line of colour burned between the points, and suddenly around them her family appeared—the star bodies of the Crane and the Unicorn, the beautiful and immense Swan with eons between her white fires, and the Crow. The Enemy fled, and the wise bird retook her place in the skies holding new knowledge and peace within her being.
The Hermit achieves several things no other Role can. They draw on the experience of all the previous Roles to think deeply and carefully about matters. When this is successful in Hermit’s Triumph, what they do with that knowledge changes them as a person in very good ways.
By moving away from the world and finding a private place, the Hermit is not distracted by other people’s demands and can listen to their inner self. The applications of this knowledge are often also about the self. The biggest one is reconciliation, taking a problem and thinking it out logically until it can be dealt with and you are at peace with it. If there is hurt from a relationship, for example, this means looking realistically at what has actually been done and what is offered for the future—with your head, not your heart. The wisdom gained can be thought of as a key that unlocks a secret, or a light that dispels darkness. When this Triumph card appears, it means successfully finding an answer that previously eluded you.
After the Hermit’s business is done, they will return to the real world and all of its demands—money, social interactions and relationships. These are things that the Hermit did not have to deal with during their retreat. However, they are not the same person they were previously: the new answers have changed them. They cannot go back to being the Singer or the Noble now. This means that even though the current surroundings look familiar, the person in them is different and this “return” is really a new beginning. Reconciliation is always a welcome result in a reading, and this is one of the most comforting Triumphs.
The Dancer takes the wisdom they have learned in their time away as the Hermit and applies it to the physical life they have now returned to. Where before they struggled to achieve power or fame, as the Dancer they know what is truly important (and it is not either of those things). They don’t fight the small details and so move through the world much less anxiously. They listen carefully to the cycles of nature and are carried along when those go in a useful direction.
The Dancer does not get into arm-wrestling matches with anyone. They move easily around obstacles and take whatever route will use less energy, avoiding instead of confronting unless the situation requires it. They wait for the right time to take advantage of the tide and prioritize their inner happiness above worldly demands. All of this comes naturally from their place in the Magician’s Journey. They have been away as the Hermit and now refuse to live their life the way that they did before. Every moment becomes an opportunity to dance in a new way instead of just walk. Harmony becomes built into every minute.
There are still dangers, notably of losing oneself in the music instead of staying grounded, but this ninth Role is an exciting one. You have tried the different aspects of life and gained the wisdom you need. After this, only one final lesson needs to be learned.
Nine of Clubs:
Dancer’s Promise
“Adelise Listens Within”
Intuition, Connection, Avoiding Danger
“Oh yes, you are very powerful. I can sense that you know just the right one to pick! Which will it be?”
Adelise looked at the street stall in front of her with its three overturned cups and the man who sat behind it grinning. She reached out with her mind, trying to find which container called to her. She pointed to the one on the left and he leant forward to lift it. The ball was underneath!
A crowd who had gathered around the stall all clapped, and she felt a rush of excitement.
“Now, young lady, because you clearly have the gift, will you wager double the amount on one more try?”
There was a gasp and muttering from the people near her. That was suddenly a lot of money. She barely had that much, but if she won—oh, the things she could do if she won!
“What does your intuition tell you, which cup? Will you play?” He put the ball back under the one on the left and swapped them around too quickly for her to follow. She couldn’t risk it. She should only agree if she was sure she could feel which cup was the correct one.
Calming her mind and thinking hard again, Adelise examined how she felt about each of the choices. Not that one. No. Maybe that one?… Yes, surely it must be the middle cup! She should reach out and tell him she accepted the bet and—no. Something. Something’s wrong.
Adelise knew it must be the one in the middle, but every time she decided to speak up a voice in her mind told her there was danger. She looked from the table to the faces of the stall owner and his assistant.
Why that cup? Why danger? She decided to pay heed to the warning and studied the people around her. The owner’s eyes were too bright, he was too happy. He should be at least open to the possibility of losing, but look at him—totally confident. His breathing was too forceful, he wasn’t sitting like he should be, everything was … wrong in some way. She didn’t like it.
Reaching out, she quickly overturned each of the three cups before he could move. They clattered to the street, all empty. The crowd were instantly furious, shouting at the stallholder—who grabbed up his wares and ran.
“Huh. I guess I do have a gift for this after all,” thought Adelise.
The Hermit’s purely mental approach works well if you have space and silence but can be difficult to maintain when surrounded by everyday noise. The Dancer takes a different route, feeling their way forward with emotion and intuition.
The point of learning the Dancer’s wisdom is to make it easier to navigate through life. The Dancer knows that all the desires of the outside world are foolish: for power, or possessions, or recognition. You can spend all your time striving to gain those and be very unhappy doing it. Instead they create a calm mind and happy emotions and learn to avoid most of the unnecessary confrontation in the world. This is achieved through intuition and connection, which are related.
To explore our intuition we must first become more connected with the world. It is not solely an act of looking within, but of opening your perception to take in more details from outside. Intuition is not coldly logical—it’s heavily emotional. A person walking down a street using their intuition to understand what can be seen is someone who has their senses fully open in order to gather information. This is not the same as the connection to a single other person the Lover discovers; it is between the self and the whole environment.
Our subconscious decisions keep us alive using instinct and collected knowledge. This card tells you to pay attention to intuition and look within for the answers. If something seems wrong to you about a situation or person, it probably is. Trust your instincts.
Equally, your own feelings about the outcome are more important than someone else’s conclusions. If you ask a friend’s opinion and they say no, but you think about it and decide yes, then you have been helped to see where your decision always was.
Living this way can bring depth and feeling while also helping us avoid the traps that many people fall into. Deliberately choosing to use intuition every day is a brave thing to do, and a rewarding one. It can protect against the shallow or false goals society tells us to desire and can reveal what actually matters to each of us. A Dancer who moves through life this way is very different from the earlier Roles who are more concerned with worldly power, such as the Singer and the Noble.
The Dancer’s Promise is that your intuition will give the right answer for this question. Look inward and trust yourself.
Nine of Diamonds:
Dancer’s Gambit
“Anja Enters the Cave”
Cycles, Habits, Burdens
The Cave had always stood next to the village, its dark entrance issuing a silent challenge since before anyone’s grandparents were born. Laws had been passed dictating that any person who would attempt to enter it must first give up their lands and power. This began as a test to prove that the candidate was not motivated by greed, but soon became useful to sort out matters of inheritance—those who went in rarely came out again.
Yesterday, Stefan had made the attempt. A huge man, he strode up to the darkened mouth of the cave with crowds of people cheering him on. Holding a heavy spear ready in both hands he lunged forward into the shadowed opening. He had not been seen since.
A little before noon on the following day, a young woman arrived. It was raining and there were no other villagers to see her approach, but she was smiling. Her name was Anja and she seemed to enjoy the raindrops. With only a little skip in her step she walked calmly into the darkness.
Once inside, challengers found that the dangers were fiercer than they had imagined. Weapons were useless against the foes in this place—they came from within. The first one to assail Stefan had been a dark cloud of his own Pride. He was still struggling with it a day later. The more courage he took from his rightness to succeed at this quest and rule over the village, the larger the monster he wrestled with became. He fought harder and it grew fiercer.
Anja was not able to see anyone else, but she was soon confronted by her own enemy. The first monster approached her, made of anger about things she could not control. It reached with tentacles and many hooks, ready to grasp and keep her, but she raised her arms and danced further into the cave, stepping easily to one side.
The next foe was her self-doubt, ready to breathe a gas that would weaken her limbs and leave her helpless on the floor. Anja twirled once, twice, smiling and spinning past.
Ahead of her, the beast of her life’s misfortune waited hungrily. Nothing escaped its jaws. Those who tried to avoid it simply found themselves coming around the same corner again and again, sometimes tasting success elsewhere but always returning to hardship as well. It tempted Anja with promises of wealth and responsibility, ready to strike as soon as she was kept in place by the heavy prizes it offered.
Anja saw the piles of gold and medals on the stone floor but did not stop. She was not bound to the straight lines and competition that the other challengers assumed were the strongest way. Closing her eyes, the woman’s smile grew bigger as she spread her arms to feel the air move between her fingers. She sensed the stone surrounding the space, the air currents, the drip of water. She was in tune with nature and demanded nothing of it.
The demon of her sorrow was one of the largest, and this she did not entirely avoid. It wailed that her being here was disastrous, that she should be afraid and mourn every event that had happened. She turned on one foot in front of it, her other held off the ground and moving in a slow circle. She had chosen not to engage with all the previous monsters but laid a hand on this one, acknowledging it. Her sorrow had helped make her who she was today, and while she did not choose to stay with it, she did not reject it either.
Moving past, steps still light, a smile on her face flowing from the depths of her heart, Anja left the other challengers to wrestle their heavy burdens while she entered the bright opening at the far end of the Cave.
The Dancer is very linked to cycles. Not only is this the shape of their physical movement, flowing around obstacles and moving to their own tempo, but it also reflects their experience in the world. The Dancer often finds themselves on streets they have previously walked but this time with a new understanding and making different choices.
When this card appears, it shows that we are all affected by cycles. We will be lucky and unlucky in our lives, and fate may bless us or deliver hardships. All we can do is survive these events as best we can.
Cycles move and return to the starting point and can indicate relief or trouble. Even if things are bad, we know that soon they will swing in the other direction and that nothing stays negative forever. Change always happens, and eventually some of that change will be good.
The problem with a motion that returns repeatedly to a start point is that the cycle also applies to behaviors we like less—to our habits, to choices we keep making which might not be the best ones for us. We’re really good at repeating actions which feel nice but don’t help us. While we stay locked in that pattern we won’t move on to better places.
Luckily, the Dancer is an expert at navigating cycles. They can ride them safely or make a new path instead of staying within the current one. They have more awareness and self-knowledge than the Roles before the Hermit, have gone through wisdom and reconciliation, and no longer follow their old habits unless they choose to.
Fortune will always send varied things our way. We can study and recognise the cycle and decide how we will react to it—flowing with it painlessly or forging a new path. We can wait patiently until the right time to leave or use our knowledge to start preparing now.
Nine of Spades:
Dancer’s Folly
“Mara, Lost in Beauty”
Illusion, Self-deception, Imbalance
The Queen of the Bay had ruled over the nearby villages since her arrival many years ago. Her name was Mara, and she pulled magic and enchantments from the water. Anyone who tried to stand up to her became lost in the web of illusions that she could bring forth.
One day, an old teacher walked up to the castle. He did not seem afraid but calmly made his way to the throne room where the queen was waiting. She had foretold his arrival and was prepared to overcome him with her spells.
“I am here to ask you to step aside and let the people rule themselves,” he said to her. Mara laughed, and in a cruel but musical voice informed him that his life was at an end. She would daze him with magic and make him walk off the cliffs to fall into the sea.
Her first spell was one of fear, voices in a storm, chasing him and pleading with him. The teacher sat calmly, ignored the pleading calls, and looked intently through the suddenly black clouds to where the queen had previously sat. Eventually it became clear that he was not caught by this trap, so she released him from the vision.
The next one followed it immediately. Dreams of power and riches appeared on all sides of him, crowns and servants, glory and praise. He folded his arms and grunted impatiently. Soon she realized that he knew his own mind too well to fall for those tricks.
Finally, she prepared her most fearsome magic. From the sea mist she called up beautiful illusions. Jewels and works of art of such emotion and grace, animals playing together in peace, the sun and moon shining exquisitely down from the skies. In the heart of it lay her most reliable snare: an image of herself. This was a charm only a few had survived long enough to see, but all fell before it. Her face appeared as the most lovely that any could imagine, strong in its certainty, immortal in its purity in a way that her real features had never been. Mara’s greed and cruelty always showed through in her real face, but not here.
This time, however, it was not enough. The teacher remained where he stood, arms folded, looking defiantly at all the fantastic creations. It was impossible! No mortal had resisted this before. How could they? She had sculpted the vision of her face to be the most captivating, admirable person who had ever lived. She had never even held the illusion for this length of time before. Looking at the perfect image before her now, she could see the impossible nobility of the cheekbones, the lustrous hair. Gazing into her own eyes, she lost sight of the other images—the slowly flowing waters, sparkle of sun on wet rocks, the beautiful bird calls. She could only see her creation.
Back in the castle, the old teacher watched as the Queen stood silently in the centre of the room, staring at nothing. She was captured by her own lies, as he knew she would be. One led by vanity and selfishness prized themselves above all others. The teacher had a home, a family, and friends to remind him to be humble and to keep his mind focused on what was really important. A mere illusionist had none of these things.
He walked away, and behind him the Queen stood enraptured by the beauty of her own making.
The Dancer is an extraordinary Role. Having learned all the previous lessons, they return to the world and see it entirely differently. They move through it in a new way, with wisdom and intuition. They open their senses to emotion and dance their way around problems, feeling the joy within. When you’re that connected and avoiding most problems, there is a danger that you just want to close your eyes and lose yourself in the dance. Existing purely within intuition leads to a life full of wonder and sensitivity … but it lacks balance. We can’t passively move around all our challenges or tackle everything from just one viewpoint.
In particular, the Dancer sways with their eyes closed and listens to their own music. They avoid the common trap of believing that other people’s opinions are more important than their own, certainly a valuable lesson (inner peace, control of your mind and joy are all good things to have instead of aggressive competition). But living this way also leads to being lost in sensation, avoiding responsibility, and only looking inward for every answer.
We don’t live entirely in our inner world. Nearly all of us can benefit from bringing more of it into our daily actions, but we exist in the physical world too—and ignoring that fact can lead to problems. Going with the flow and finding an effortless path through the day needs a counterpart, a grounded and reliable heavy foundation that ensures our plans don’t stay only in our heads.
This card suggests that we are falling for our own illusions. Listening to our own thoughts without asking other people for an opinion can make it very easy to lie to ourselves or invest in an outcome we want more. We can put people on a pedestal and see them as the perfect choice for us, when the reality is that they are only human as well. We can lose ourselves in sensation instead of concentrating on the outside world or believe that everyone thinks negative things about us when this isn’t true.
A little illusion is good for anyone. Our intuition and emotions are extremely important, but make sure that this is not the only route you use to assess something. Get an outside opinion or look at evidence based in solid fact.
Nine of Hearts:
Dancer’s Triumph
“Hyun-Ki Chases His Master”
Paths, Easy Progress, Harmony
“M-Master?”
All Hyun-Ki could see of the older figure was the familiar blue cap calmly making its way through the oncoming crowds. Trying to catch up, the student bumped into a tall man carrying a box of vegetables for market, who made a tutting noise. He tried to apologize, but the man was already gone and it seemed as through three more people had replaced him, all wanting to get past Hyun-Ki in the narrow street.
Why was his master going the wrong way, when it was nearly time for market? These roads were always chaotic at this time of day!
“Oh! Sorry, madam!”
Another member of the crowd gave him a look as he tried to back out of her way, only to push against someone else.
“I’m coming, master!”
Again the man in the blue cap calmly flowed along the street against the tide of people, slipping into gaps or sometimes taking a dignified step back to allow others to pass. Hyun-Ki was not finding it as easy, and was now out of breath and flustered, hoping that the hat would not get so far ahead of him that it would leave his sight.
It was infuriating! Every time he tried to gain speed, he bumped into someone’s shoulder or had to leap back to avoid being knocked over entirely. The narrow street was so full of impatient people that their movement was like a rushing river, and he was foolish enough to be trying to swim against all the pressure coming the other way.
The anger was enough to make the panicked student finally remember the previous week’s lesson, on moving like water. He decided that anything would be better than the exhausting struggle he was currently attempting, and so tried to imagine how to do that. A gap appeared in front of him, and he stepped into it. Then he found his way blocked by three people carrying boxes! Instead of trying to shoot forward and slip around them or back up hastily and worry at the progress his master was making ahead, Hyun-Ki let himself drift gently away from them. Soon, a space appeared to the right as the three drew level, and he was able to take it. Then the crowd moved with him for a moment, at a slower pace than he’d like, but he decided to match them and only change if the opportunity arose. It soon did, and he stepped forward and matched speed again. When oncoming merchants walked toward him, he gave way. When there was a space, he slid into it. He was no longer out of breath and was moving a surprising distance.
Suddenly Hyun-Ki realized that the figure in front of him was his master, smiling gently. “Good. You stopped resisting. When someone tried to push you back, you flowed around them, like water. Not against them, straining your muscles and damaging you both.”
“Now, turn around and go to the market, we need food for dinner.”
The Dancer finds themselves moving along the same streets as the Noble but with a totally different approach. Time away as the Hermit has taught the Dancer what is really important in life—and it is not possessions or competition. They move happily while listening to inner music and wait for life to flow the way they require before stepping into the current.
We are taught to strive, achieve, and work hard along the normal routes: to look attractive (according to whatever our country and time period says that is right now) and to value certain things above others. Some of the choices society suggests for these are extremely negative and will cause distress to anyone who tries to pursue or apply all of them. There are other ways to live.
The Dancer’s Triumph is that making these new choices will open a path that wasn’t there before. Sidestepping the hazards and moving away from the crowded road that everyone else is using gets you to your destination by faster and more scenic routes. Moving with your own tide instead of against it will let you swim farther before you are tired, while fighting it will only leave you in the same place you were, exhausted and angry.
This idea of not fighting a tide absolutely does not mean that you don’t fight against injustice or avoid anything that takes effort. The Dancer has self-knowledge from their time as the Hermit and is relaxed and happy enough to let the love in their heart influence their decisions. They do not abandon others or back down from resisting people who do wrong, they simply find an efficient and natural way to progress which takes less energy. The Dancer dances forward, around, behind. If an enemy attacks, the Dancer is not there. If an opportunity appears, the Dancer glides into it.
This card represents a new path opening up due to your actions coming from a place of wisdom more so than in your past. It is easy to follow, because the Dancer’s attitude makes everything easy. If there is a brick wall ahead, do not strain and angrily try to push it down—skip around it. The Triumph is in being able to walk with only peace and joy driving you, and to find the experience easier and more meaningful than before, ignoring obstacles and holding to what is really important. The result of living this way is that you reach your destination faster, with less stress or conflict. This very quickly leads to new opportunities as you arrive safe and refreshed at your destination ahead of the crowd.
The Magician balances all the previous Roles. They have learnt the wisdom of each and can wield it in the right amounts. They have also learnt when to stay still and silent, and that sometimes taking action is not the best answer.
The Magician is a Role which is always reaching in several directions. Whether it is to create a balance, juggle many moving forces or find their true nature, they deal with multiple aspects and know the best way to use each. They do not start a new task until they have a solid foundation, but also do not let themselves be slowed by burdens if a burst of determined energy could help things along.
The Magician is the final Role on the Magician’s Journey and represents a place of success. From the single-minded Hunter, through the challenges of society and our own emotions, the Roles expand our knowledge until we are ready to control the world with courage, love, endurance, and a quick mind. They allow us to dive into life without being held back, be true to ourselves and make the choices which will lead to us being truly happy. They leave us with inner peace as well as the energy needed to make change. We have compassion for others but also secure boundaries.
The Magician knows themselves and knows how to walk in the world without fear, encounter change without stress, and guide those around them with wisdom. They are strong enough to be kind. They have achieved balance and mastery.
Ten of Clubs:
Magician’s Promise
“Jess Throws an Acorn”
Balance, Self-Discipline, Fairness
Izarre walked alongside Jess and asked excitedly: “Will you call the animals for me? And sing the rain away, and make the tree give me a shiny apple?”
Jess—slightly taller and recently graduated as a name-speaker—simply smiled and shook her head. Izarre didn’t give up. “What if we went to the stream, and you made it spout and sway like a fountain?”
Pausing at the gate, her answer was not what the excitable one had hoped for.
“Do you know the price for working magic? What it means to bend things out of their natural rhythms, and what must be done to achieve it?”
“Well … no. That’s why you went to school and I didn’t.”
Searching on the ground, Jess picked up an acorn. “See this? I can throw it.” She did, and it sailed through the air. “That’s fair. I found it, I spent the energy to throw it, I moved my arm. Using magic is different. If I used magic to move the acorn, I’m asking it to fly over there without tiring my muscles. I have to get the energy from somewhere else instead.”
“And that leaves the other place without the energy?”
“Yes, but that’s only a tiny part of it. The bigger problem is how to justify doing it at all.” She stopped Izarre from interrupting again with a stern look and continued: “The acorn should be on the ground. It had a destiny there. I just picked it up and made a choice about it. Maybe now it won’t take root in the new place it landed. Maybe someone will slip on it. When I decided to change its fate, the stars listened. When it hit the ground, the rocks and soil trembled. Each action we take, big or small, has consequences. So it’s not just how to balance the forces I would use to magically throw the acorn so that I don’t accidentally create a desert where a lush valley was. It’s whether the world needed the acorn to be in its original place, and what right I had to move it.”
Izarre looked disappointed but took Jess’s hand and kissed it. “I understand.”
A small smile perked the taller one’s lips, and she made a flowing motion with the other hand, producing a green apple from the air. At the astonished look from her companion, she shrugged.
“Eh. The balance isn’t that delicate. The world won’t miss one apple, when it creates such beautiful joy on your face in exchange.”
Balance is a rare gift which becomes important to all of us at different times. Like this card, it is a Promise. If anything is worse than usual now, balance promises that it will one day return to normal.
The Magician Role spends a lot of time thinking about balance. The Magician’s Gambit card is one of frantic motion, but this Promise is calm instead. Promise cards often deal with the idea of a perfect destination, not the messy reality of needing to juggle events right now. When looking to this one for guidance, it is usually an assurance that balance will come. Acting to bring it about is more the job of the Gambit card, this Promise needs less intervention on your part.
What could “balance” mean? It could refer to the inner balance of your mind, the amounts of work and play in your life, or how often you get to see those you love. It doesn’t have to be equal and still on all sides—you might need a lot of a certain thing to happen, and keep happening. As long as the requirements on the other end of the scale are also met, this situation can continue for a long time. One end can be larger than the other if you keep putting the energy in to hold it there. This isn’t automatically a boring card; it can promise more than just a flat, level field.
The Magician has learned many lessons to reach this place: that the attractive prizes of glory or temporary power in the outside world are false without inner mastery, that one rule does not apply to every situation but instead we must use all the tools we have to choose the best outcome each time. Now they must reach into several different areas and invest in them all to create the best kind of balanced change.
You can only do this if you concentrate on the same aspects as the Magician does. Make sure you have solid foundations and security, that your mind is clear and sharp, that your emotions are under control and ready to be explored, and that you have the passion and will to make the necessary changes happen. This card is a prompt to think about all those things and be ready to act later.
Ten of Diamonds
Magician’s Gambit
“Isla and the Four Spirits”
Juggling, Reducing Chaos, Applying Knowledge
Isla entered the chamber and could immediately see that the Wise Woman had been correct. Everything was dangerously out of place. The ceiling was lost in smoke, and the windows were obscured. Gathering her wits, Isla began the work.
On her left, the spirit of Fire had nearly gone out. The Magician called to it, reminding it of the courage, passion, and hunger that drove fire to charge forth in search of new action. How could it be sleeping when such a crisis was upon the tower? She took the fine woods from a rack nearby and fed them to the flames. Slowly, the embers bloomed to light and the spirit resumed its normal strength, eager and determined.
Over in the other corner, the spirit of Water rested in silence. Its still and dark depths were unmoving. Isla sang a song of love, of clear bright waters rushing in a stream under the sunlight, of mysterious currents flowing around any enemy who tried to stop them with order or rules. A bubble emerged in the centre of the pool, and then another. The murkiness retreated, replaced by a bright and pure flow of sweet water.
The spirit of Air was frantic. Speaking to it, reasoning with its logic and long sight, the Magician reminded the Air of open mountains, gusts that travelled into valleys and played around the caves and trees with nothing to block their quick thought. There was no call to emotion or passion here, only communication and sharp insight. Seeing the recovery of the Fire and Water, the Air spirit calmed and resumed darting around the ceiling in its normal manner.
Then Isla turned to the spirit of Earth, the cascade of rock and soil that took up the far end of the room. This would be the most difficult. When the spirits had lost their balance, the Earth had reached for its greatest defense—solid, unmoving stone. Patient and tough, it could not be talked out from behind the unbreakable walls. With enough time, it felt, all things would return to comfortable normality.
But Isla had to try, and quickly. Without Earth’s stabilizing influence, the other elements were running too loosely. Fire and Air together were exploring with more speed, Water was without boundaries. Most importantly, the tree growing in the centre of the chamber urgently needed the return of light from the windows, something that would not be possible until the Earth spirit was part of the balance. Isla spoke to the Earth of the other side of its nature, which was not the patient mountain but instead the life of green shoots and buds, the great creative energy within the soil. Slowly she coaxed it out from immobile stone to warm mud, in search of sunlight and the soft kiss of rain.
As the spirits of the Elements reassured each other, calm was restored. The air cleared, and the boundaries of the room could once again be seen. On the right and left, ornate windows let in their promised light—one side golden and one silver. With the elements in harmony, the sun and moon shone their blessed rays upon the tree in the centre and the Magician stood before their work, holding the balance.
The Magician’s Gambit is to juggle the many forces of the World, using all the Magician has learned. This is not the gentle inner balance the Magician’s Promise assures us of but a messy, constantly moving situation. It is the task of navigating the many challenges of life.
To succeed, the Magician must look very carefully at what surrounds them and then act. This is a card of action guided by wisdom. As with all Gambit cards, it is a challenge that can be failed, but reassures us “You know enough to do this. You can keep all these juggled balls in the air and still have a peaceful mind.”
Though the Warrior teaches the first steps in taking action, the Magician does it slightly differently. Balance can require transformation, the conversion of multiple forces around you at the same time. The Healer advises us to do this with compassion, the Hermit with a calm mind. The Dancer would be very good at doing so, if they weren’t so caught up in sinking into their own intuition as much as possible. The move from there to the Magician is one of taking responsibility and staying grounded.
In readings, this card tells us to get ready to juggle! There will be more than one issue that needs dealing with, and we’ll have to do some work. It also tells us that we do have the skills to manage it. The Magician is the most advanced Role—they have the expertise to make a success of the most difficult situations. They recognise that each issue has multiple parts and therefore reject simple single answers.
This card may have a lot of movement in it, so the person the reading is about would need to come to the situation with energy and confidence in order to stay juggling.
Ten of Spades:
Magician’s Folly
“Mother Olivia’s Magic”
Simple Tasks, Avoiding Arrogance, Routine Work
Mother Olivia was the greatest magician in the world. She had travelled to the ends of every land and beyond, where she had gathered many powers. Now she lived quietly in the village of Elsom. One autumn day, the fishermen needed wind for their sails, so she untied the smallest knot on a string. She had used it to catch the great wind Varlatha, high on the slopes of the mountain of Hjek, and now called on the tiniest fraction of that fearsome gale’s strength. The boats were soon back at shore.
That winter was harsh, and the villagers gathered in the great hall for warmth. When the wooden logs in the fireplace would not light, she pulled a gleam from the red ruby eye of the dread monster Sissarnat, which she had fought and defeated in the vast desert of Paraf. That monster had been able to blast a man to ash with only a gaze. She aimed its destruction towards the fireplace and the logs lit merrily.
When the spring came and the shoots needed rain, Olivia opened the tiniest corner of a cloth bag that contained the legendary storm clouds of Rilga, caught far out into the waters of the Isles of Brac. She had learned the trick after besting the Sage of Gonric in a contest of riddles at his crystal castle home.
In the warm summer, enemies appeared on the border of their lands. She frightened them away with the echo of a shriek from the banshee of the caves of Rolthen, which had dwelled at the end of a maze of dark stone. She had woven its deadly cry into a skein of wool, and now unpicked just the few threads it would take to cause an army to flee but not kill them.
Later that year, the chief of the Magician’s Guild visited the village. She saw the children fed and happy, the buildings secure the community giving love to each other and their neighbors. She did not ask to see a demonstration of Mother Olivia’s power. She knew immediately that Olivia was worthy to lead the Guild and asked her to do so.
The Magician has grown in skill as they’ve progressed through the Roles but that does not mean that they should only ever deal with complicated or magical things now. The Folly of those who are accomplished is to think that they live in a special place where they don’t need to do basic tasks anymore. (This is especially true of magicians.)
One of the most powerful actions we can take is do a really good job at something we’re an expert at. This can be completing a simple action brilliantly, or helping others who are just starting out. This card says to simplify a situation down to something you know that you can easily achieve—and not to want the situation to be more difficult than that.
There are other benefits to the idea of going back to basics: the Magician avoids arrogance and bad habits if they follow it. We’re all still human, even when pride makes us think we’ve earned the right not to get involved with the kind of tasks we used to like less. When we’re lost in the storm of juggling complex forces, we need to remember that simplicity also works.
The Magician’s Journey is almost over. They have learned wisdom, experienced responsibility and power, worked out which causes they will stand for and gained the skill they need to balance the demands of life. This is the final Folly—that they think everything must always be so busy, perfectly handled, or filled with only complex issues. They think they have nothing left to learn. This is never true for anyone! Simplify, and stay humble.
Ten of Hearts:
Magician’s Triumph
“Alanna Faces the Dragon”
Mastery, Completion, Success Through Learning
Alanna stepped calmly to the edge of the shore and looked out at the glittering, gentle waters. The sunset turned the sands around her into a warm shade of orange as small waves lapped at her feet.
She called the Dragon.
The waters parted with a crash as the massive scaled head of the beast rose from the sea and regarded the small figure before it.
“You must be a mage, to call me from my depths.”
“I have come to the end of my studies. I wanted to talk.”
“I do not talk with mages. I judge them, and they destroy themselves.”
“Judge me then, old one.”
The Dragon began its assault, reaching into Alanna’s heart and bringing forth all the pain and difficulty it could. The fears which stopped her taking action. The hurt of previous losses, and knowledge that loved ones could not be protected from all ills in the future. How she controlled herself when violence occurred. How she had opened her defenses to another, and been abandoned, and done it again anyway. How much she contributed to the suffering of animals, humans, and the fertile earth. How she had sat with her books and learned over years. The times when she had not met the expectations of her teachers, and whether that meant she was a failure as a person. The panic of self-image when someone excelled in a way that she couldn’t. Those times when she had chosen to demand the respect that she had earned instead of taking second place as others automatically expected her to do. The times she had been tempted by popularity but not abused it. Her love of the trees and stars, and sorrow that the day would come when she could not see them again. Her ability to find happiness in normal moments. Her wondering whether anything made a difference, when the dark shores of death awaited everyone. Her caring for others. The peace she made with her enemies. The daring she showed when the world required changing. Her fierce love for life and all the good things in existence.
When the Dragon did this to a Mage, it was always the same. Some part of them would reach out from the inside and make the Mage react with fear, hate, and violence against everything they saw as threats. They would claw at themselves, and either die or walk the rest of their days with unbalanced pain in their limbs.
This did not happen.
The Dragon spoke again.
“The elements are united within you. You can act or stay silent. You are not ruled by fear. You are not numbed to love. You have mastered this life. You know who you are.”
“And now,” Alanna called to the ancient power before her, “I want to learn more.”
This is the final card of the Magician’s Journey and it represents completion and mastery. The Court cards after this section are different; they deal with large and eternal outside forces, instead of daily matters or personal growth. Magician’s Triumph is the final card of the main cycle and the ultimate destination.
Any situation you are asking about will be a safe and complete success. You have the skills to win, and everything up to that point will combine to move to a natural and glorious end. It symbolizes all the lessons of every card in this book so far across all ten Roles.
Frequently, what this card refers to in your real life is success through skill, even at very difficult tasks. If you’re going up against an expert, you can beat that expert. You move forwards in strength and have every advantage. If a question is about timing, the action is happening now, but the indication is that the larger situation will also come to an end (in the way you intend) soon.
What this card means internally is more complex. The Magician knows their true nature, feels in control, and can make changes happen while being in a good, secure, peaceful place mentally. However, this is a Triumph—the ultimate Triumph. The background noise of this card is trumpets and fanfare with high energy. So while the Magician has learned everything they need to, this is still a very active and powerful card and not one of quiet endings.
If you need to take action, this card says to make it a wise one. See the whole picture and act decisively to bring events to a successful end. Make sure that your decisions are informed by looking back over the whole history and are worthy of someone who can achieve mastery.
Magician’s Triumph is always welcome in a reading because of the sheer power of positive outcomes it brings. You can do the task, events will go your way triumphantly, and the movie’s end credits will roll on a celebration of success.