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I will make no secret about the fact that I am no fan of the work of Mr Paul Hughes-Barlow. His previous book, The Tarot and the Magus, left me unimpressed to say the least. But his latest offering, The Secret of the Thoth Tarot, had me holding my head in my hands. The book reads like fragmentary notes on Aleister Crowley's, The Book of Thoth. And that is because that it exactly what it is. Information is presented as fact, without sources or references. If there is a central premise to this book it is on page 17. This seems to be the root of Barlow's monomania about the number 8. Anything and everything connected to this number is roped into his theory about the Society of Eight and its purported influence in the Book of Thoth. After all, who could fail to see the true import of the 8 colour plates in the Book of Thoth? 🙄 Mildly amusing is Barlow's attempt at finding deep meaning and qabalistic import in the word SCRUNCH. (The Book of Thoth, p.10) Apparently this word is a secret key hidden within the Book of Thoth. This amazing revelation appears on page 40. Upon reaching this point it is somewhat depressing to realise that there are another 200 pages to go. It doesn't get any better either. Early on in the book Barlow seems to have an issue with the O.T.O.. According to Barlow they prevent serious academic research into the Book of Thoth. Supposedly this is because "there is always the danger that a tarot student gets above himself and asks dangerous (for the O.T.O.) questions." Is this an admission that the O.T.O. turned Barlow down when he requested access to the O.T.O. archives? Possibly. But if there really are dangerous questions, they are most certainly not posed in his book.

Awesome!

You’re very kind, @Raggydoll . Yes, I’ve seen a doctor and fortunately feel better now. Thank you a lot 🩷

I don’t do lenormand, but I hope you’ve seen a doctor for that, you might need ear drops if it is external otitis. Feel better soon ❤️

It's alright. I do health readings mostly for myself and my parents, so the Ship's yet to come up in a reading under that association. You're very welcome. Back when the Cabinet Course was done (2012-2013 I guess?) I was in first grade so I wouldn't have had any idea as a kid, lol. Definitely happy to see the blog back so I could learn more. Thanks again, especially for the combo. I'll note that down!

Yeah, I agree. I think the things that were mentioned in the Philippe sheet or that are in the name itself - the actual human heart - are read pretty consistently by most. Meanwhile other parts of the anatomy have that flexibility, or at least vary more depending on who you ask. I only read for people I don’t know in circles here, and I've never done a health reading where those were asked about or might have been a consideration, so I don’t know. but like you, Andy B's info is my go-to, and I'd look up anything I don't know there. Thanks for the blog link. I forgot that's back up. I still use my course notes from years ago. (On a side note, looking at that, I see that Whips + Coffin together could mean deaf.)

Wow, I just did not know there are so many different views on health associations. Good thing I asked! Yes yes. I have his book and he’s the #1 I follow. On his blog* though, he associates the Dog with “the nose and mouth, including the teeth and tongue”. He says further that “the card governs smell, taste, speech, oral health, and conditions affecting the upper respiratory passages”. So, overall I think that the cards can be very flexible regarding what we anatomically associate them with. This is actually making a lot of sense as well. I had never thought of the ship in that way before. My only question is that whether you read that along with the pancreas, spleen, etc associations, or is that another card for you altogether, like the Fish? True. And I agree that the Fox has always been one of those trickier cards (so true to its own nature!). I myself had occasions in which I struggled to see if it’s talking about the nose or something being wrong in general; I really had to squint. Thank you for the combinations and your reply, @Rose Lalonde ! I will definitely experiment with all the suggestions in my own practice and see what comes up. *https://thecartomante.com/2026/08/17/a-familiar-entourage-the-hound-card/

If of interest, Andy B's book lists the Fox as the nose and the Dog as often a carer but anatomically the mouth and teeth. I didn't see one for the ear. If I had to narrow it down to one card, although it's not traditional, the Ship comes to mind first, since my husband has had many bouts of Labyrinthitis. It affects the ears' function of maintaining balance and can lead to hearing problems. Although he lays still he feels miserably 'seasick', like he's being thrown back and forth on a boat in a storm. For infections, fluid in the ear works for the Ship as well. Another plus for me personally is that there are rarely business ventures and travel as part of a health reading, so I'm unlikely to be torn on how to read the Ship. I agree Fox has the best sense of hearing, and is a natural association for the ears, but its meanings of wrong or misleading is relevant so often in a health reading, that I'm leery of going there. I really feel the loss of cards going from tarot to Lenormand. So much is handled by 36 cards that I struggle to pin things down to a single card and find it much easier to read combinations of cards. I'd read Tree (close to Sig) + Ship + Mice as hearing loss. Clover + Tree, when Clover is with bad cards, can come up as minor, localized conditions - anything from a mild ear infection to a skinned knee.

Another, very important, aspect of justice is impartiality. Hence the blindfold in most depictions. So, for a love/romance question, while this card could mean there is more of an intellectual rather than emotional attraction, it might also mean no attraction at all (depending on what the question is or how it is worded). Impartiality = no preference.

Interesting. I wouldn't have got that from Justice card and yet it hits.

Thank you for your reply, @Mister . You're right. Both the Dog and the Fox's associations seem quite close and your point is logical. I think I should do more readings on myself to decide for sure; I've been having some swelling in my ear for the past week and the Whip has been showing up frequently to describe the ache. I'm leaning more towards the Birds myself but have to find a way to separate that from the eyes as that is my main problem with using this card. I think both Caitlín and Elvira use the Sun for the eyes, but if I change one thing my whole system would have to change, lol. Let's see where this goes and if the Fox would work for me; I'll experiment with that...

Hi @Moon-Hermit - mine are dog for the nose, fox for the ears (said to be eachs most well-evolved sense). Works well enough for me - others read fine with the roles reversed.

I’m a bit stuck on this one and just wanted to know everyone’s thoughts. I have a few guesses: the Birds, because of their chatter and everything. However, it’s also a card I use to represent the eyes, so it already creates a conflict. the Fox, because of the nose and ears and how those two can be connected; however, I’m in doubt. the Dog; same reason as the Fox, because of the closeness of the mouth and throat to the auditory system… but that could also be the Whip, since it’s the voice and anatomically the vocal chords go deeper into the neck and throat. Agh. As is evident, I’m no anatomy expert and of course would not use these to diagnose. I’m just curious because the majority of my resources don’t point out what the ears could be represented by (I’ve only seen Rana George give that attribute to the Lilies and that doesn’t resonate with me because I don’t read the card as “oldness” or “possessing vision and wisdom”, etc.) It’s similar to my other dilemma about what the neck and shoulders could be represented by- I’ve seen the Cross being referred to before, but I feel awkward if I were to take away its association with the lower back area and lumbar discs. Aside from this I’m fine with everything else. I’d deeply appreciate any help/ideas. Thank you.

In my view, Justice in romantic readings shows a relationship that is mind-oriented, not body/passion-oriented. There is a general lack of excitement and/or of sexual/physical attraction, but there might be a lot in common from an intellectual point of view. And, of course, it can point to legal aspects of a relationship, such as legal marriage or divorce, though it depends on the context. I remember seeing in a reading in which the querent was getting infatuated with someone and, although they found the querent intellectually interesting, in terms of attraction there was nothing, zip. But because the intellectual connection existed, the querent was kind of misreading the situation.

Cool head (not like usual romances where people generally lose their head) - Justice is "all head" because the sword is there being discriminating, analysing, assessing - cutting things open to see what's inside and what a thing is made of). And following that approach to relationship there's not passion or focus on what the heart wants but Weighing up the facts - what is being weighed in the scales? Suitability, longevity - looking forward to a point where you're looking back to see the results, practicalities/materiality. How many divorces have occurred because people were caught up in lust and passion, sexual attraction, completely oblivious to where all of that would lead - no looking forward to the point where you're looking back on the realities? Totally unsuitable - never even talked about practicalities etc.

Hi, @Misterei Your question sent me to my book (the one where I've written all the permutations of a card that I can think of.) I see quite a number of ways that the Justice card could be interpreted in terms of beginning a relationship that does not involve legal dealings. In general, Justice means a careful weighing of the matter. There is the suggestion of impartiality and objectivity being a good idea. When upright, the card usually indicates the end decision will be fair. Folks will get what they deserve. (Reversed may indicate unfairness or a lack of objectivity.) I would say, when it comes to budding romance, the Justice card (upright) would suggest carefully weighing what appears to be on offer. Be impartial and objective about the romantic partner's characteristics, and what they say or do. Stepping back a bit to have a think is probably a good idea, before making a decision. Try to avoid prejudice or bias. Don't be taken in by immediate emotional reactions either. The process of thorough investigation may take a bit of time, but don't feel pressured or rushed.

The Justice card usually makes me think of the word "consequences." Like someone getting their comeuppance. Regarding a potential romance, it could indicate a warning to "be careful what you wish for." I might see it as some kind of situation that will bite you in the butt later, perhaps due to overlooking red flags, such as an abusive or criminal element, dishonesty, or perhaps some cheating going on. But it could also mean that a relationship with this person will be lackluster and boring. Either way, the querent might be setting themselves up for something they'll regret later, and whatever that is will depend on other cards in the spread and/or the energy surrounding the situation. This card calls for letting logic and reason be the guide, rather than allowing emotions and hormones to take over.

Nice topic. As you both mentioned, Justice is not a warm/hot card (unless it's about bdsm with female dominant), but it definitely makes me think of getting into a romantic relationship for other reasons (whether that motivation is known to the other party or not). Wanting financial security or to move to another country, being able to navigate the bureaucracy of adopting more easily, a "shotgun wedding". Many years ago, I knew couples who married because they found a same sex relationship untenable for their career goals, their family, or desire to have children, etc. A terrible situation for them to be put in (and yet they were good friends and are still married today). If instead it's about the passionate side for both parties, it could be a partner who would want a civil ceremony, not a church wedding. Or want a 'prenup'. If it's just a 'will they ask me out' kind of thing, it's not a good sign. Since we make a deck provide cards for the question even if the love-interest being asked about has zero interest in our sitter, it has to say something. So for me a card out of left field for the topic is often a simple no. Especially if there are no romantic cards pulled. --Or if it's surrounded by romantic cards, it could be a separate upcoming issue that will have an impact on the question asked.

They just recently charged me for the shipping, so it is happening 😃

This topic makes me think of Stella Kaoruko, the creator of Stella’s tarot. She’s a very traditional fortune teller and offers love-themed interpretations for all the cards. I thought you might enjoy hearing some of her thoughts on the Justice card. She basically says that it is a fairly bad sign for love; the romantic life becomes sluggish (stable but unexciting, low performance), and a cold attitude might alienate others. There might be a need to make a decision regarding the relationship and it could end negatively. A break up or divorce is possible. For those looking for love, it might be hard to find motivation to go on dates and they might struggle to feel content in a relationship. She also mentions the risk of a miscarriage, but it’s unclear how that fits together with the card, other than it’s generally unlucky. I agree with a lot of what she says. If it’s a new relationship/date stage, I would view this card as a not-great sign. There is judgment and lack of vulnerability and warmth. (Kind of like an awkward speed dating session or a blind date…). It might be a match that looks good on the paper but that is really unexciting in real life. Definitely not a hot date with a happy ending 😁

For me, Justice card most often appears if there are legal matters at hand. In certain combinations--it's a divorce [legal proceeding] or absent actual legal proceedings--it certainly shows the possibility of a breakup. But in some romantic readings it's mysterious to me. Does the person have any legal proceedings going on? No. It is especially perplexing to me in a "romantic interest" reading. There's not a committed relationship to have a breakup. No assets to divide or child/pet custody to sort out. No question about who keeps the apartment and who moves. The imagery of Sword and Scale don't suggest romantic togetherness to me. But beyond that-- ??? How do YOU read Justice card in "romantic interest" readings? [i.e. there is a romantic interest but it hasn't progressed to the relationship stage]. thank you!

Everything is context. Going on a spiritual retreat where you WANT to tear down your ego structures? Tower is positive in that context. Remodeling your house and need to demolish the old floor to repair the rotted joist? Tower is part of the process. Planning a wedding? Tower is probably some kind of disaster. That promotion you really wanted? Tower is a hard NO. Einstein's Theory of Relativity comes to mind. Everything is relative. And yes, it also strikes me as fake to pretend that context plays no role in whether a card is positive, negative, or neutral. Empress is a benefic card--but for an obese person who overeats sweets--it's too much of a good thing. The phrase "toxic positivity" comes to mind. A few times I've had well-meaning friends try to put a more positive spin on malefic cards. As events transpired I could see the cards were accurate but my friends' affection for me gave a softer interpretation . This is just human nature. We want to be nice to our friends. The YouTubers and TicTokkers? Removing cards? Figures. Nothing surprises me with social media. I've heard some readers do it for party readings too. And, yes, it is awkward when you get Tower for someone in a 12-minute bachelorette party reading. But I've managed to navigate malefic cards in party readings. Not everyone has the skill to do this. And if they are unskilled--prolly best they don't read malefic cards. If we were ice skaters--the malefic cards are a higher difficulty level. Benefic cards are a waltz jump. Malefic cards are a triple axel.

Neither of the comments I made were directed at "correcting" your post - by the way (from the above, it appears that you have read it in this way). I was just giving my own succinct penny's worth to the OP 🙃.