Adrift_Inquirer Posted May 12, 2018 Posted May 12, 2018 Greetings, I'm new to the forums and figured I'd sign up to help me further gain understanding about tarot card meanings while I'm teaching myself. The book I'm using as a guide is... Title: A Complete Guide To The Tarot Author: Eden Gray ISBN: 978-0-553-27752-4 As I'm learning about Key 0 (The Fool.) I see that it says... The wand over the youth's shoulder is a symbol of the will, and tied to it is a wallet that is thought to carry universal memory and instinct. (Another possible interpretation is that the wallet carries the four magic symbols that he will have to learn to use.) My question is, What are these four magic symbols? I attempted a google search what these 4 magic symbols may be and came up with inconclusive results. the only thing that catches my eye for it potentially being the answer is the 4 elements, My reasoning for assuming this may be what the wallet of the Fool hold's is because Key 0 represents Inexperience, or life before 'living'. and I figured that the 4 elements separate don't account for creation until the elements combine. Can anyone confirm or dispel my assumption? and if I am incorrect in the wallet contents being the 4 elements, can you explain to me what the wallet contents '4 magic symbols' are? Thanks in advance, - A.I.
DanielJUK Posted May 12, 2018 Posted May 12, 2018 Yes those are four magic symbols, used sometimes but I have only very recently seen them used in tarot. For example those symbols represents suits in the new Wild Unknown Spirit Oracle deck. Gray's books are quite old now, perhaps they were a big thing, it went quiet and now it's having a resurgence. Most decks and books from the 80's till just recently won't mention them as those symbols (that I have seen!).Tarot has the four suits which represent the elements, Wands, Pentacles, Swords and Cups, they are more relevant I think than the magic symbols. I think the four symbols might be Wands, Pentacles, Swords and Cups, unless Gray was really into Magic because that is the regular 4 symbols in tarot. The next tarot card along, The Magician, has all those elements on his table in most cards, he has everything he needs to hand. The Thoth tarot has alchemic symbols but it's an area which I have not studied yet at all, could it be related? I find this a difficult interpretation of The Fool to unpick, it could be said that the wand and bag over his shoulder has everything he needs in it (I guess the four elements of the tarot suits) but he is inexperienced and starting out so might not know how to use them or realise he has everything for his journey. I've never heard this before as a concept but it is interesting :)
Adrift_Inquirer Posted May 12, 2018 Author Posted May 12, 2018 Yes those are four magic symbols, used sometimes but I have only very recently seen them used in tarot. For example those symbols represents suits in the new Wild Unknown Spirit Oracle deck. Gray's books are quite old now, perhaps they were a big thing, it went quiet and now it's having a resurgence. Most decks and books from the 80's till just recently won't mention them as those symbols (that I have seen!).Tarot has the four suits which represent the elements, Wands, Pentacles, Swords and Cups, they are more relevant I think than the magic symbols. I think the four symbols might be Wands, Pentacles, Swords and Cups, unless Gray was really into Magic because that is the regular 4 symbols in tarot. The next tarot card along, The Magician, has all those elements on his table in most cards, he has everything he needs to hand. The Thoth tarot has alchemic symbols but it's an area which I have not studied yet at all, could it be related? I find this a difficult interpretation of The Fool to unpick, it could be said that the wand and bag over his shoulder has everything he needs in it (I guess the four elements of the tarot suits) but he is inexperienced and starting out so might not know how to use them or realise he has everything for his journey. I've never heard this before as a concept but it is interesting :) Thank you for the quick response, and what you've said makes sense. When you say the 4 magic symbols may be the Wands, Pentacles, Swords and Cups - that makes alot of sense, especially given the understanding that the Tarot cards are suppose to help one reveal or unveil his/her experiences (in a sense, magic). I'm going to also cross-reference the cards meaning/symbolism with Astrology, Kabbalism, Numerology, and the Hebrew Alphabet so I can try to gleam as much as possible about any one particular card meaning.
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