Which tarot cards are the most miss-understood?

[Aeon418]

18 hours ago, Misterei said:

I've been mostly in my higher chakras since childhood and actually NEED to activate the lower ones to stay grounded.

 

This recalls those renditions of the Devil card that blatantly depict the god PAN (meaning ALL), bearing the 7 piped Pan-flute, corresponding to the 7 classical planets and the 7 chakras. The creative music of Pan is an harmonious melody utilizing all 7 notes on the Pan-flute. The music is incomplete if one, out of ignorance, obsessively plays only the four lower notes. But equally as bad is the attempt to play only the three higher notes, "fearing the stain of earth upon their holiness."

[Misterei]

2 hours ago, Aeon418 said:

This recalls those renditions of the Devil card that blatantly depict the god PAN (meaning ALL), bearing the 7 piped Pan-flute, corresponding to the 7 classical planets and the 7 chakras. The creative music of Pan is an harmonious melody utilizing all 7 notes on the Pan-flute. The music is incomplete if one, out of ignorance, obsessively plays only the four lower notes. But equally as bad is the attempt to play only the three higher notes, "fearing the stain of earth upon their holiness."

SO well said!

I didn't think about this symbolism and very much appreciate the image.

The Christians certainly demonized Pan in their conquest of Europe. Leaving many Europeans with a harmful legacy of imbalance and hatred of nature.

[Misterei]

12 hours ago, Chariot said:

... 3 of Swords as meaning 'head over heart,' ...

... Swords is the suit of pragmatic action, and mental activity.  Cups is the suit of emotion, isn't it?  So why would intense 'heartbreak' end up in Swords?  It never did make sense to me.

I lean a bit toward your head over heart interpretation when reading non-scenic pips. 3 is dynamic and swords are mind. Not so negative.

LOL the scenic pips with their images of swords stabbing a bleeding heart overpower my other perceptions 😉

The Buddhist axiom that all suffering arises in the mind relates to swords as I see it. For example in CUPS we experience emotional pain which ideally flows through us and releases in the river of consciousness. But when the SWORDS mind holds that pain and identifies with it ... suffering arises.

[Misterei]

11 hours ago, Deian said:

... an interesting book some years ago with the idea kundalini raises in everyone(more or less) when they are around 50-55 year old. Its called "middle age crisis" in English I think ... Unless physically damaged I don't think many can stop it when its time comes...

 ... be careful with meat.

Hmmm. I think we may be speaking about different things with this word "kundalini"

I agree the natural evolution of human beings is that they're meant to evolve spiritually in their later years when the needs of family and sexuality calm down.

In traditional societies this is why Elders were the wise guardians and leaders.

 

If we speak of kundalini as a bio-energetic force that might be intentionally cultivated for spiritual evolution or physical healing ... I don't think anything happens "automaticcally" to everyone at a certain age.

 

The "mid life crisis" is often people REJECTING the wise elder archetype and trying to recapture their youthful sexuality with hormones, drugs, cosmetic surgery, fake hair, or whatnot.

 

As far as the meat ... I weigh 101 lbs at 5'9" tall. I'm severely UNDER weight. I had so many dietary restrictions [vegetarian, vegan, arthritis diet, gluten, sugar, etc.] ... it became an eating disorder.  Plus the disease itself causes weight loss.

I need to GAIN 30 lbs to be at a normal healthy weight.

In this case giving myself permission to eat EVERYTHING is the most life affirming choice for me. That being said, I well understand that a healthy diet always follows the idea of moderation. Eat nothing to excess and keep meals balanced. Which I do.

 

Back to the topic of our misunderstood Devil card ... as @Aeon418 mentioned ... the Devil is also the God Pan. Pan means "everything" in Greek. At this moment in my life I need to eat EVERYTHING to gain weight. An example of how Devil as Pan can be positive in some contexts.

Edited March 30, 2024 by Misterei

[Deian]

38 minutes ago, Misterei said:

Hmmm. I think we may be speaking about different things with this word "kundalini"

I agree the natural evolution of human beings is that they're meant to evolve spiritually in their later years when the needs of family and sexuality calm down.

In traditional societies this is why Elders were the wise guardians and leaders.

 

If we speak of kundalini as a bio-energetic force that might be intentionally cultivated for spiritual evolution or physical healing ... I don't think anything happens "automaticcally" to everyone at a certain age.

 

The "mid life crisis" is often people REJECTING the wise elder archetype and trying to recapture their youthful sexuality with hormones, drugs, cosmetic surgery, fake hair, or whatnot.

 

As far as the meat ... I weigh 101 lbs at 5'9" tall. I'm severely UNDER weight. I had so many dietary restrictions [vegetarian, vegan, arthritis diet, gluten, sugar, etc.] ... it became an eating disorder.  Plus the disease itself causes weight loss.

I need to GAIN 30 lbs to be at a normal healthy weight.

In this case giving myself permission to eat EVERYTHING is the most life affirming choice for me. That being said, I well understand that a healthy diet always follows the idea of moderation. Eat nothing to excess and keep meals balanced. Which I do.

 

Back to the topic of our misunderstood Devil card ... as @Aeon418 mentioned ... the Devil is also the God Pan. Pan means "everything" in Greek. At this moment in my life I need to eat EVERYTHING to gain weight. An example of how Devil as Pan can be positive in some contexts.

 

Of course, my bad, probably shouldn't have brought it up.

 

About the devil... There are other points to it. If we view the idea of reading it from the Tree mentioned in the other topic, the Devil becomes combination of Severity/Will(and that often shows up physically as isolation/closing up) and Thinking/Trying to understand.

So the idea someone is holding something and that comes with distancing themselves from everything else. Not always bad, people like Da Vinci and others can arrive at great inventions by isolating themselves so point of view is "pure", then researching... But more often then not its not great.

Looked at that in this way, its interesting because it can show spirituality as much as material problems. As it more points out to "fanaticism" or "extreme grasping" of anything, without clear indication by itself what.

 

Kundalini... I guess so. We probably name different things with that. Systems I follow view it as like a focus. It moves up and we perceive the world depending where in the path it is. Different "steps" it has arrived to are viewed as something we called "initiations",

Although others have notice that too. In the East I think they called them Tribulations. In Egypt I think "paths"(lion path, cow path etc.)
And there are others.

 

But the idea is something like, if someone has a path, the amount and position of the kundalini and where it has raised to shows at what step they are. However, we also view that few decades ago there was a vast change that brought about different structure all works on, and they doesn't work the same way now.

Doesn't matter much, just seemed interesting to mention. : )

 

[Aeon418]

2 hours ago, Misterei said:

The Christians certainly demonized Pan in their conquest of Europe. Leaving many Europeans with a harmful legacy of imbalance and hatred of nature.

 

Yes, that imbalanced hatred of nature was also reflected in a hatred of human nature. This was despite the injunction to "Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's." And yet the spiritual impulse of the age revolved around the mortification of the flesh and the denial of the senses as a pathway to the divine. This is the path of the Mystic. The same path favoured by A. E. Waite, at least in theory. Its influence is still apparent in some streams of "new age" thought under the flimsy guise of "virtue."

 

The alternative is the path of the Magician, in which the physical body is central and the senses are harnessed in exaltation towards the divine. This was the path favoured by Aleister Crowley, who's contemporaries accused him of "black magic." How ironic given that the path of the Magician is the path of the Devil card in which the union of the most extreme opposites is the way to transcendence. In the place of a sorrowful and life denying view of life, there is a joyful embrace and a life affirming YES!

 

Obviously, the potential pitfall of this path is hedonism. But no path is totally safe, as Crowley warned A. E. Waite in the The Dangers of Mysticism (oto-usa.org) 

 

But the Goat is OZ (in Hebrew), who is also Strength. Unlike the Mystic who seeks God by denying the body, the Magician fortifies the body by giving it what it needs. It is the foundation of a strong body that allows the Magician as the Goat to climb the Mountain of Initiation. If this includes eating meat, so be it. (Personally I eat meat. To each their own.)

 

In the Golden Dawn inspired traditions the Devil card is attributed to the letter Ayin, the Eye. Its value is 70. This is also the numeration of the Middle Pillar on the Tree of Life that connects Kether to Malkuth. (The 13th path + the 25th + the 32nd = 70.) The highest high united to the lowest low, represented in the Thoth Tarot by possibly the most blatantly "phallic" Devil card in any deck. How shocking! 😄           

Edited March 30, 2024 by Aeon418
Typo

[Misterei]

1 hour ago, Aeon418 said:

... This is the path of the Mystic. The same path favoured by A. E. Waite, ... Its influence is still apparent in some streams of "new age" thought ...

 

The alternative is the path of the Magician, in which the physical body is central and the senses are harnessed in exaltation towards the divine. This was the path favoured by Aleister Crowley, who's contemporaries accused him of "black magic." How ironic given that the path of the Magician is the path of the Devil card in which the union of the most extreme opposites is the way to transcendence. In the place of a sorrowful and life denying view of life, there is a joyful embrace and a life affirming YES!

 

... no path is totally safe, as Crowley warned A. E. Waite in the The Dangers of Mysticism (oto-usa.org)    

OMG! this letter from Crowley totally hits. Thanks for the link.

LOL I have damaged myself both with extreme Left Hand Path and extreme Right Hand Path practices. I think the key word there is extreme.

 

My years in OTO never damaged me ... I grew apart from it for various reasons ... but It was healthy and wholesome, in my experience.

I never understood the bad reputation.

I'm beginning to see that the MIDDLE WAY is the only path that's healthy for a person like me.

Which brings us to TEMPERANCE. I don't think this card is misunderstood ... but I've always seen it as paired with the Devil card. And my recent experiences of being damaged by extreme Right Hand Path practices has deepened my understanding of why Temperance and Devil go together [at least in my Tarotology].

Edited March 30, 2024 by Misterei

[Deian]

13 hours ago, Aeon418 said:

 

Obviously, the potential pitfall of this path is hedonism.

 

In todays world, there are so many changes... Information is easier to access. Different oppressing influences, aren't very oppressing now...
One interesting example is Kabbalah. We have some very respectable lineages open now, like the School of Images, the Kabbalah Centre and others.

In the second group, we can see the idea we don't have to read the Zohar to understand sephirot. One can just read what we call the old testament,knowing the patriarchs are grounding Sephirot.
And David, apparently is grounding Malkut. The peak of the "desire to receive"

So reading something like the Ecclesiastes from time to time, wrote by his son(of David), presumably, seems also great way to see what happens after/at Malkut. I think that can be useful balance for following the doctrines and systems coming from Crowley.

 

In my humble view, one of the good qualities he had was his view that the east did understood all these systems and processes better then the west did, in many aspects.
As long as that is kept by his followers and they doesn't stop there, I believe they should be fine with whatever obstacles they may face coming from what may not have been known back then.

 

[Aeon418]

18 hours ago, Misterei said:

I'm beginning to see that the MIDDLE WAY is the only path that's healthy for a person like me.

Which brings us to TEMPERANCE. I don't think this card is misunderstood ... but I've always seen it as paired with the Devil card. And my recent experiences of being damaged by extreme Right Hand Path practices has deepened my understanding of why Temperance and Devil go together [at least in my Tarotology].

 

I like to throw Death and the Devil into the work of Temperance. It is the mixture of opposites that creates that curious blend of beautiful, harmonious balance that is Art. It is impossible to define it, but we instinctively know it when we see it or experience it because it directly connects us to something beautiful within ourselves. We get a taste of this every time we see the beauty of nature and it feel as if we are transported out of ourselves in that moment of union. It is the reason why we can be intensely moved by works of Art, whether visual, musical, or literary. We feel it in intimate relationships where there is a mutual disclosure of vulnerability that leaves feeling as if were literally falling into the depths of the other person involved. And we can experience a very intense amplification of this same thing through "spiritual experience," in which the individual feels as if they are uniting the individual self with the universal.

 

But, while I don't think any of this can be forced, we can be brought or guided to a place where we can realise it. And that may possibly be due to the influence of Death and the Devil.

 

In Liber Aleph, Aleister Crowley says about the path of Death:

 

Quote

This Path is perilous, for it seeketh the Level, and may abase thee, except thou take Head unto the Going.

 

The path of Death is the natural path the Mystic, who seeks to abandon themselves to the divine. But in that act they risk becoming too passive, losing sight of That within themselves that has its own unique motion through the universe. I guess it's like the difference between being passively swept along by a river and navigating with the current. Connecting the spheres of Netzach and Tiphareth, this is the challenge faced by those who more inclined to emotion as a way to union.

 

Concerning the path of the Devil:

 

Quote

Now the Goat flieth not as doth the Eagle; but consider this also that it is the true Nature of Man to dwell upon the Earth, so that his Flights are oft but Phantasy; yea, the Eagle also is bound to his Eyrie, nor feedeth upon Air. Therefore this goat, making each leap with Fervour, yet all Times secure in his own Element, is a true Hieroglyph of the Magician.

 

Connecting the spheres of Hod and Tiphareth, the Devil represents the challenge posed to those whose way is more naturally intellectual. The great danger in this way is that the mental "flights of phantasy" that are created by the conceptual mind are mistaken for reality itself. Wander in "spiritual circles" long enough and you will meet people who can't wait to let you know about their new symbol system they've created that explains life, the universe, and if you humour them long enough, even the secrets of the pyramids! But it's just another trap in which they mistake themselves for the creations of their own minds.

 

But the conceptual mind is meant to be a conveyor and a conduit. The Book of Lies, chp, 15.

 

Quote

I am not I; I am but an hollow tube to bring down Fire from Heaven.

Mighty and marvellous is this Weakness, this Heaven which draweth me into Her Womb, this Dome which hideth, which absorbeth, Me.

This is The Night wherein I am lost, the Love through which I am no longer I.

 

The way of the Devil is through exaltation that transcends the self. The structural tendencies of the conceptual mind are best used as a framework within which transformative energy can be stored and directed for the purposes of spiritual growth. But the tendency of the mind is to ossify and become an end in itself. Instead of being a tool to transcend its own limitations, the mind becomes self-aggrandizing and egotistic, while blissfully unaware that is trapped within a prison of its own making.

 

The Temperance / Art cards are the dynamic process whereby the Quintessence of Death and the Devil are refined, while the "impurities" (pure being singleness of purpose) and imbalances of these two paths are burnt off. But the emphasis is on "process." The image of the alchemist doing their alchemical experiments is very much on point. Mistakes are part and parcel of the experimental process. Perhaps this is a way to view our own mistakes in the Great Work as a necessary and needful part of that work, instead of a source of self-recrimination.

 

I'm reminded of a quote from Magick in Theory and Practice concerning mistakes in divination that I believe has much wider applicability.

 

Quote

This is especially true of divination, because the essence of the horror of not knowing one's Angel is the utter bewilderment and anguish of the mind, complicated by the persecution of the body, and envenomed by the ache of the soul. One puts the wrong questions, and puts them wrong; gets the wrong answers, judges them wrong, and acts wrongly upon them. One must nevertheless persist, aspiring with ardour towards one's Angel, and comforted by the assurance that He is guiding one secretly towards Himself, and that all one's mistakes are necessary preparations for the appointed hour of meeting Him. Each mistake is the combing-out of some tangle in the hair of the bride as she is being coiffed for marriage.

  

Edited March 31, 2024 by Aeon418
Typo

[Grizabella]

I think the Lovers is very often misunderstood because people jump to the conclusion it's a "soulmate" card and it isn't necessarily.  It can be a card that indicates a contract, sometimes one that isn't voluntary.  It could mean an arranged union that one or both parties isn't in favor of.  People are so intent on thinking there's a soulmate destined just for them, and they want it so badly, they grab onto the Lovers card if it shows up without widening their view of what other meanings could apply.  I don't read single cards in a spread most of the time.  I look at the whole spread and see what it's saying.  The Lovers is a Major so it does have an important message for the sitter but what that message is will usually be indicated by surrounding cards.

[Misterei]

Hi Grizabella. Nice to "see" you again.

Lovers seems to have 2 basic interpretations and readers go one way or the other.

Some readers relate it to romantic unions and others to a choice.

I observe it can mean a "soulmate" but in 90% of readings it's something else entirely!

 

Even early artists seemed to have different opinions about this card. Tarocchi decks from the 1400s-1500s often show a couple getting married [romantic union] but then TdM decks show it as a choice between 2 women which has more to do with the choices we make in life and relationships than romantic love per se.

[Anesiadora]

I think for me, the Ten of Swords comes to mind. Lately I've seen a lot of new readers catastrophize this card, but to me, a ten is an ending. It means the worst has happened and it's over. It's more of a finality than a "the world is ending RIGHT NOW and everything is horrible" card that I've seen people think it is. The symbolism can certainly look scary, but similar to the Death card, you see the stormy skies giving way to the golden light of dawn and the sun.

[SamiHirvikallio]

Several tarot cards are often misunderstood due to their imagery, traditional interpretations, or cultural associations. Here are some of the most commonly misunderstood tarot cards:

Major Arcana:

1. Death:

   • Misunderstanding: Often seen as literal death or something extremely negative.
   • True Meaning: Represents transformation, endings, and new beginnings. It's about closing one chapter to start another.

2. The Devil:

   • Misunderstanding: Viewed as representing evil, danger, or immoral behavior.
   • True Meaning: Indicates bondage, materialism, and temptation. It highlights areas where we feel trapped or controlled by desires or habits.

3. The Tower:

   • Misunderstanding: Feared for its association with disaster and sudden upheaval.
   • True Meaning: Signifies sudden change, revelation, and breaking down false structures. It’s about tearing down what is no longer serving you to rebuild stronger foundations.

Minor Arcana:

4. Three of Swords (Swords):

   • Misunderstanding: Seen purely as heartbreak and sorrow.
   • True Meaning: Represents mental clarity and the painful truth. It’s about facing difficult realities and the healing process that follows.

5. Nine of Swords (Swords):

   • Misunderstanding: Interpreted as doom, fear, and despair.
   • True Meaning: Highlights anxiety and stress, often self-imposed. It urges the seeker to address their worries and fears to find peace.

6. Five of Pentacles (Pentacles):

   • Misunderstanding: Associated strictly with poverty and loss.
   • True Meaning: Represents hardship and struggle, but also emphasizes the importance of seeking help and community support during tough times.

7. Ten of Swords (Swords):

   • Misunderstanding: Seen as the ultimate betrayal or a terrible end.
   • True Meaning: Signifies the end of a difficult situation or mental cycle. It’s about hitting rock bottom so that healing and a new beginning can occur.

8. Seven of Cups (Cups):

   • Misunderstanding: Viewed as having too many options or being confused.
   • True Meaning: Represents dreams, fantasies, and the need for discernment. It’s about recognizing illusion versus reality.

9. Seven of Swords (Swords):

   • Misunderstanding: Seen solely as theft, deceit, or dishonesty.
   • True Meaning: Can indicate strategic thinking, resourcefulness, or acting independently. It’s about being cautious and sometimes needing to go your own way.

10. The Hanged Man:

    • Misunderstanding: Viewed as being stuck or passive.
    • True Meaning: Represents suspension, letting go, and seeing things from a new perspective. It’s about patience and gaining insight through stillness.

[Misterei]

On 4/11/2024 at 3:33 AM, Anesiadora said:

I think for me, the Ten of Swords comes to mind. Lately I've seen a lot of new readers catastrophize this card, but to me, a ten is an ending. It means the worst has happened and it's over. ...

You make an interesting point about catastrophizing cards. I've been reading for 45 years and I still struggle with this in personal readings [not for clients thank god!] 

 

I never attempt to read one card. 10 Swords can be your luncheon got cancelled and you were really looking forward to that restaurant. Or it can be divorce, bankruptcy, grave health problems, not getting the job you really wanted. We can only see it in the context of other cards.

On 7/12/2024 at 3:50 AM, SamiHirvikallio said:

1. Death:

   • Misunderstanding: Often seen as literal death or something extremely negative.
   • True Meaning: Represents transformation, endings, and new beginnings. It's about closing one chapter to start another.

To me the MISunderstanding is when people try to pretend that DEATH isn't DEATH.

Death *can* mean actual, literal, physical Death. People die. Women have miscarriages, or get abortions.

Should we pretend Tarot doesn't have the Death card to describe these events?

 

Yes, we all understand Tarots can be symbolic or literal. But why should the Death card be so special that it's never literal and only symbolic?

 

Is Death always a bad thing? No. Luckily for many of us on this forum, the experience of Death is an elderly parent or relative who has lived a full life. Death is a welcome release from a worn-out body. It's sad, but it's not negative. Sometimes it's profoundly important to prepare for death.

Sometimes a woman suffers a miscarriage. Sometimes a person loses a dear one to suicide. Or war. Or accident.

 

NONE of these human experiences are "transformation". They are real, actual, DEATHS and I expect Tarot will serve the Death card if this pertains to my client's reading.

 

If my client just went through a miscarriage i doubt she wants to talk about "trnasformation". No. She wants to heal from the Death of her baby. If a client is struggling to care for his dying father, he doesn't want to talk about "closing one chapter to start another". He wants to talk about how to prepare for the inevitable. How to keep his father comfortable at the End and give him a good death. How to keep up his own health whilst on deathwatch. How to deal with family dynamics around the funeral arrangements.

 

LOL if I started blathering on about "transformation" and "life chapters" to these clients they would ask for a refund.

Edited July 14, 2024 by Misterei