What’s the best way of learning the meaning of Tarot cards?

For me, it’s being a bit more spontaneous as there are so many thoughts and ideas the occur just looking at the card. I enjoy getting a large piece of paper and scribbling down words I associate with the card… 

For instance when I look at the Emperor, first thought, he’s number 4 in the major arcana, 4 sides of a square.  Structure and stability.   He sits on a throne. Leader.  Authority figure.  Control. Command.

The Emperor is number IV in the Major Arcana and the card of empowerment

At his most benign and positive I think of him as the quintessential ‘Daddy’ strong, dependable, wise (see the grey beard of wisdom), head of the family.   Yes he makes the rules but they are for the benefit of those in his care. My kind of man, sure of himself, dependable, self controlled, as long as he’s not too controlling, as sometimes with the Emperor it’s easy to become too disciplined, too rigid, ‘what he says goes!’.

The Emperor represents a man/woman of determination (just look at the rams heads on the arms of the throne, the sign of Aries) once they have their quest in sight nothing will stop them.  They ‘armour up’ their emotions, fear, doubt, anxiety in order to be empowered.  The Emperor has strong boundaries! 

Questions to explore when you get the Emperor in a reading might be?

How do I empower myself?

How do I claim my authority?

How can I establish stronger boundaries ?

With every card there’s two sides so you might consider

How to create order and still be spontaneous? How to have self control and be disciplined without feeling oppressed?

What kind of order is necessary to empower myself? See earlier blog

Where is the balance between discipline and freedom for me? Because we want to empower ourselves but at the same time we want to feel fully alive and open to possibility. It's always worth weighing up the pros and cons and asking ourselves ‘what are the benefits’? and ‘to whom?”

The interesting thing in the Wheel of Becoming, the opposite and complimentary major arcana card to the Emperor is the Tower, which is when we realise the foundations upon which we have built our structure has some cracks (metaphorically speaking) …and indicates a moment when we need to dismantle the scaffolding on which we have built our ideas/the situation? When we look at things differently we can easily spot where things are ‘dodgy’ and need to be addressed.

the start of playing with first impressions of the Emperor…..

Sometimes I like to link words with the visuals, as in the armour underneath his robe suggesting our need to armour up (emotions) in order to empower ourselves. I always find this card helpful in a reading as it says we have the power to achieve what we want…..with a bit of self discipline and determination!

Judgement is the penultimate card in the Major Arcana, the breakthrough!

Do come and have a tarot reading with me online via WhatsApp video or in person in battersea