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It's been an Aeon since I read it... So I guess I'll be reading it again soon 🙂. So... is this tiny little book now OOP and ridiculously expensive then??

Well unfortunately I can't actually read Tarot right now, I recently lost my place of living and had to move back in with my parents who are STAUNCHLY christian, and they won't even allow my cards in their house, I'm lucky they even let me keep them in the garage actually. I hate it too because I'm at a place where my intuition is rising, my fear is leaving, and I could really use some incite into where I'm at and how close I am to being done with the "turning inward" phase as you call it. But at the end of the day I'm not going to sneak the cards in or anything out of respect, I suppose I could ask some of my questions to the readers on here though! Hadn't thought about that haha. And yeah I mean, when I say I used to fear the Tarot I really mean it! Along with all the occult stuff I really did one hell of a shift, and that's why hearing about the fool's journey was so important for me. It was like, suddenly these cards weren't some spooky witchy means of spying on others or trying to figure out the future out of I dunno... ego or something, I was shocked to find that so many real life lessons that I knew in my heart were true were being taught through the cards. I had no idea the Tarot had such meaning and depth, and nothing about it seemed evil once I grasped what the cards meant. And when I realized you could use them for inner work, not just trying to know about the outside world, but trying to figure out your own inner world, these types of things drew me to it. As far as how I see the fool's journey now, I mean I haven't studied this stuff in ages, I have books that were gifted to me by a member here that I would be reading if they were allowed in the house! But the way you say it sounds right, it's like... you begin your journey innocent and naive, you ignorantly fall off the cliff so to speak, you then become sort of aware of your place in society, you brush up against uncomfortable systems, you realize you are powerless, so you turn within (hermit) then sort of.. the next level of true awakening happens, then once you are on the verge of self realization you are tested again to see if the lessons have stuck, and then you became a naked lady dancing on top of the world of course! (Ok I got a little sidetracked there at the end) So yeah that was my clunky ass way of remembering it lol

Symph — I really appreciate you sharing that. The way you described that moment of recognition, like something stirred inside you, really came through. I had a similar experience myself the day I stumbled across a reader at a Renaissance fair when I was young. It’s striking how those first encounters can stay with us and shape the way we connect to the cards. The three phases I described — Awakening, Surrender, and Transcendence — are just one way I’ve tried to make sense of the arc. Awakening feels like the Fool stepping into identity and will; Surrender feels like the turn inward, where solitude and transformation reshape us; and Transcendence feels like facing shadow and illusion on the way back to wholeness. It’s not rigid, just a lens I’ve found meaningful. They’ve become a kind of road map I keep returning to, refining little by little over the years. When one of these cards comes up in a reading, it often grabs my attention in a particular way. I’ll have a quick internal dialogue with myself — oh, this is important; what position did it fall into, where might the seeker be on their path, and how does this card make me feel in relation to the spread as a whole? That moment of pause helps me listen more closely to what the card is pointing toward. I’m curious how you carry that sense of the journey now — does it come through when you read for others, or more as a personal lens you hold in the background? Sincerely,

@TangaDo you have the book, the Traveller’s Report?

I can't remember EXACTLY what I was originally taught or believed about the 3 phases in the Tarot, but awakening, surrender, and transcendence and the way you described them is what resonates with me personally and fits my own journey. It was learning about the story the cards tell that made me want to read Tarot. I was still quite weary of anything that could be deemed occult at the time. Some gaia TV special came on and a man was explaining his view on tarot and he just had so much passion and love in what he was saying, and then he explained the journey of the soul that the Tarot sort of "tells", and whatever he said I was like "omg that's ALL SO TRUE" Something stirred inside me like I was feeling a calling or even a remembrance of something I used to know, and I ordered a deck the next day 😁

I really DO love the look of that deck! I can't believe it's only 12 bucks!

That looks super cool! I love blacklight stuff, but I had never seen it in cards before.

Well!! I have been resisting this sort of deck for quite some time... always looking and looking and thinking I don't like it that much... So I finally decided "Just buy one already!". There are 2 versions from TarotCollectibles, and it took me quite some-time to decided which one to get. Black Light or Neon Pam. I happen to already have a UV torch (pets. Good for checking for pee on the ground!) - so I'm all sorted! Huh. Looks like night-time is going to become even more interesting for me... (I've already installed a movement sensitive multi coloured light in the toilet 😂) Daylight: Darkness - under UV light: WOW.................

ENABLED! Thanks @gregory. This deck is an all-time favourite for me too @BrightEye And a staple of my Tarot spell craft.

Wow, Misterei — thank you for taking the time to respond. I had to look up the word triunfi — I didn’t realize it was the older Italian word for Triumphs/Trumps when I first saw it. I realize I don’t have much historical background on the Tarot, so I feel a bit like I’ve been living in a vacuum. You mentioned you liked my modern take on the three phases — that feels like a huge compliment, so thank you for saying that. When I first encountered the idea of the cards as a story years ago, I immediately got my deck out and tried to tell it in my own words. I’ve been making small edits to that version ever since. It’s fascinating to see how my personal reflections line up with ideas that were already circulating centuries ago. I’d love to learn more about how those Neoplatonic groupings were understood in their time, or what your take is on that journey. Thanks again for sharing your perspective, it really gave me something to think about, especially the way you connected it to body, heart, and mind. Sincerely, Darrell

The triunfi naturally fall into 3 groups of 7 cards. It originally followed neoplatonic symbolism back in the 1400s. The 3 states through which a developing soul evolves. Soul of Appetite [body] soul of courage [heart] soul of reason [higher mind]. Many different iterations since then. I like your modern take on the 3 phases.

@Darrell you get more freedoms around the place and more areas when you hit 5 posts 🙂

I'm already digging into stuff, Nice to meet you!

Welcome I have not been here long, yet. I love it here 😊 I am sure you'll find interesting content and connections here.

Hey all, I’ve been reflecting lately on how the Major Arcana can be read as a symbolic journey — not just a sequence of cards, but a narrative arc. The Fool’s Journey is often described this way: a soul’s evolution through encounters, from innocence to wisdom. Personally, I like to tell the story in three phases: Awakening — where the Fool leaps into life and begins forming identity through will, desire, and structure (Cards 0–VII: The Fool, Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot) Surrender — where the Fool turns inward, confronting emotion, solitude, and transformation (Cards VIII–XIV: Strength, Hermit, Wheel of Fortune, Justice, Hanged Man, Death, Temperance) Transcendence — where the Fool faces shadow, illusion, and ultimately returns to wholeness (Cards XV–XXI: Devil, Tower, Star, Moon, Sun, Judgment, World) It’s not a rigid framework, just a way I’ve found meaningful when reflecting. Each phase feels like a distinct passage — and together, they form a cycle of becoming. I’ve been journaling about Tarot for a long time, and this three-phase arc first appeared in my notes nearly twenty years ago. It’s evolved slowly, shaped more by reflection than expertise. I don’t claim to be an expert — just someone with a long-standing curiosity that’s helped me make sense of the cards over time. I’m curious how others here see it. Do you read the Major Arcana as a journey? If so, how do you tell it? Do you break it into phases, or see it as one continuous arc? And if you don’t see it that way at all — what speaks to you instead? Would love to hear how you approach it, whether in readings, teaching, or personal reflection. Sincerely, Darrell

What a lovely colorful deck! Most of my pip decks are historic tarocchi or tdm. One can plainly see if cups are reversed--but not so much the other suits. For example swords you might only be able to see a reversal on the odd number cards but not the even numbers. of course one can still see reversals on courts or trumps. So I might use reversals if i read that way generally--but since I don't use reversals generally speaking I carry that across. If you normally use reversals its worth a try to experiment and see if you like it for pip decks. I don't think Ben Dov teaches reversals in his book--but it's been years since i read it. My general impression is the books I've read on TdM don't teach reversals--but I might be mistaken.

Hi everyone, Thank you all for the warm welcome — it truly means a lot. I’m still finding my footing here, and it’s encouraging to be greeted with such kindness. It’s nice to be among like minded people, and I’m looking forward to learning from everyone. Thanks again for making the first step feel so supported. Darrell

There are a huge amount of ways for "alternative" / or "poor mans psychotherapy" as my mother calls it. Ah yes - I bet they do! Have you eaten? 🫠😁 I also don't like "I trust that you are well?" - so "I'm forcing my goodwill on you" type of thing. Lol.

Welcome to the community @Darrell Glad you found us here 😀

Hello @Darrell welcome to the TT&M Family

A lot of the cards for this one still have a couple of upright cups. It makes me think of something I'm stealing from Crowley: When life has been easy, any disturbance of that is going to feel like 5C 'Disappointment'. I could be disappointed a summer vacation is ending and it's back to normal life. Imagine if someone were a billionaire and lost a whopping 80% of their wealth. Then they'd only be a multi-millionaire 🤑, and I'm sure it would feel like a huge disappointment. But to most of us either number is like the Thoth 4 of Cups: 'Luxury'. I don't mean to downplay disappointment. We could be in a bad place already emotionally and then lose what little sense of well-being we felt we had. In which case, it can be lonely and difficult to get through it. And then some. But I like that this art isn't usually 5 Cups overturned -- not because 2 is more positive, but because having some up and some down is more interesting of an idea to me.

@Darrell Hello and welcome to the Tarot Community! 👋

Thank you a lot this is a good one

Can Tarot answer these questions? I love it because it is about helping me understand the way I feel and think about the topics and why I do think and feel the way I do . And now writing it all down I understand that after modification any question can become secular one and help me talk to my inner self . Thank you big time

Oh, yee ha! I didn't give away my Universal Wirth Tarot after all! It's languishing in the bottom of the box where I keep empty tuck boxes (because I like to put my decks in lidded boxes.) The one I remember giving away was a terribly garish version of the Tarot de Marseille. I have a much calmer version of that now. Oh boy. So except for a Thoth deck, I guess I have a pretty good foundation to try out these new systems! UPDATE - just ordered a pre-owned (traditional) Thoth deck (plus booklet) from eBay. So I'm entering a new phase. Old dog learning new tricks? Thanks everybody for all the extremely useful advice. 🙂