Just the Tarot

The Magician: Symbols of Manifestation

The Magician shows how thought becomes form.
From roses and lilies to the infinity symbol, every detail reveals the art of manifestation — the meeting of spirit, will, and action.
Discover what each symbol means and how The Magician teaches conscious creation.

The Magician stands at the threshold between spirit and matter, reminding us that creation begins in consciousness. Every element in this card — from his roses to his raised wand — tells the story of how ideas become real.

Let’s look closely at the symbols that make the Magician such a powerful image of manifestation.

🌹 Roses and Lilies – Desire and Purity

At the Magician’s feet, red roses and white lilies intertwine. The roses symbolize passion and vitality — the raw energy of desire. The lilies represent purity, clarity, and spiritual truth.

Together they tell us: creation requires both — the fire of wanting and the innocence of trust.

✋ The Raised Hand and Pointing Finger – “As Above, So Below”

With one hand holding a wand to the heavens and the other pointing to the earth, the Magician enacts the Hermetic axiom: “As above, so below.”

He channels divine inspiration downward into form, bridging worlds. It’s a reminder that every idea you manifest must be grounded in action.

⚡️ The Double-Ended Wand – Energy Flows Both Ways

The wand itself has two tips, showing that energy moves in a circuit. Inspiration doesn’t just descend — it also ascends, rising from the material back into the spiritual.

When you create something authentic, the universe responds in kind. Power flows in both directions.

🌀 The Infinity Symbol – Eternal Creative Flow

Above his head floats the lemniscate — the sideways figure eight of infinity — mirrored again in his serpentine belt, the ouroboros that eats its own tail.

These symbols whisper that creation is endless. There is no true beginning or ending, only perpetual transformation. Every manifestation becomes the seed of the next.

🎀 The Headband – Focused Intention

Around his brow, the Magician wears a simple white band. It signifies concentration — the mind harnessed and directed.

Magic without focus is daydreaming; focus without inspiration is drudgery. The headband marks the moment when clarity and will fuse.

❤️ The Red Robe – Passion in Action

Red is the color of vitality, courage, and physical energy. The robe says: ideas alone are not enough — they must be acted upon.

Beneath the robe, his inner tunic is white, showing that true power is driven by purity of motive, not ego.

🌞 The Yellow Background – Light of Consciousness

The entire scene glows in radiant yellow, representing illumination and awareness.

This is the color of intellect, clarity, and awakening — the mind fully alive. The Magician works in daylight because his magic is conscious, not hidden.

🧰 The Tools on the Table – Mastery of the Four Elements

Before him lie the wand, cup, sword, and pentacle — the emblems of fire, water, air, and earth.

They show that he commands all aspects of creation: spirit, emotion, thought, and matter.

Nothing is missing; he already holds everything needed to bring vision into being.

🔢 The Number One – The Point of Origin

As the first card of the Major Arcana, The Magician represents beginnings — the spark of individuality, the “I am” moment.

He’s the point where potential first becomes personal power. Every creative act starts here: the decision to say yes to your own ability.

🌟 Bringing It All Together

Every symbol in The Magician tells the same story: you are the conduit between heaven and earth.

Your thoughts, feelings, and actions are the instruments on his table.

When you align them with clarity and purpose, magic isn’t mysterious — it’s inevitable.

So the next time you draw The Magician, take a breath and remember:

You already have everything you need. All that remains is to raise your wand — and begin.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – a guidebook for reading the cards with complete definitions and sample layouts, available as an ebook on Amazon.

The Top Ten “No” Cards for Taking a New Job

When the Tarot says no, it’s often saving you from a storm ahead. This article explores the ten cards that most often warn against taking a new job — from the Tower’s sudden collapse to the Devil’s golden handcuffs. Learn how to recognize when the energy around a position is toxic, unstable, or simply not aligned with your higher path. Sometimes walking away is the most empowered move you can make.

Sometimes a new opportunity looks great on paper, but the cards tell a different story. When these ten Tarot cards appear in a career reading — especially in key positions like Outcome, Challenge, or Advice — they often signal that the timing or energy around a new job just isn’t right.

1. The Tower

Sudden upheaval, chaos, or destruction. The Tower warns that this job could collapse unexpectedly — layoffs, toxic leadership, or a company shake-up that leaves you scrambling. Proceed only if you thrive on change and can land on your feet fast.

2. The Devil

Temptation disguised as opportunity. This card often signals golden handcuffs — a job that looks lucrative but erodes your freedom or values. Watch for manipulation, burnout, or a boss who wants control more than collaboration.

3. The Ten of Wands

Overload and exhaustion. The job might demand everything you’ve got — and then some. This card suggests taking on too much responsibility, often without the recognition or compensation that makes it worthwhile.

4. The Five of Swords

Office politics and power struggles. The Five of Swords points to a competitive or hostile environment where people win at your expense. If you sense drama or hidden agendas during the interview process, trust your instincts.

5. The Eight of Cups

Walking away. Even if you take the job, this card suggests you won’t stay long — your heart isn’t in it. The Eight of Cups reminds you that emotional fulfillment matters more than a paycheck.

6. The Seven of Swords

Deception or hidden motives. This could mean shady company practices or a job offer that isn’t what it seems. Get everything in writing and read the fine print — twice.

7. The Five of Pentacles

Financial instability or lack of support. This might be a company struggling to stay afloat or a position that doesn’t pay enough to sustain you. Be cautious about promises of “growth potential.”

8. The Four of Cups

Apathy and disengagement. This job could leave you uninspired or emotionally flat. If you’re already feeling unmotivated, this may just be more of the same in a different package.

9. The Hanged Man

Stagnation. The Hanged Man suggests a lack of progress — your talents might be undervalued or your advancement delayed. If the job feels like waiting in limbo, it probably is.

10. The Ten of Swords

The painful ending. Whether it’s betrayal, burnout, or a layoff, this card says “enough.” The Ten of Swords is the Tarot’s final full stop — a clear “No” that urges you to let this opportunity pass and prepare for a fresh start elsewhere.

Closing Thoughts

A “No” from the Tarot isn’t always bad news — it’s often protection in disguise. These cards help you see beyond surface appeal and recognize when a job may drain your energy or steer you off your true path.

Sometimes the most powerful word you can say to the universe is no — because it creates space for the right yes to appear.

Feel free to leave questions in the comments section and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – A complete guide to Tarot readings available on Amazon.

Healing Our Week with the Tarot: Using “Antidotes” for Negative Energy

Weekly Tarot as mindfulness: forecast your reactions, apply the antidote (compassion, joy, courage), and make your inner world a peaceful place

There’s an internet meme I really love that says, “Maybe the day had a shitty you.” It’s a good reminder that our own energy creates a lot of what we experience as being, “outside of us.” Let’s talk about a very simple mental hygiene routine with the Tarot that we can use to keep our energy clean and positive.

The Buddhist Practice of Antidoting

Buddhism has long recognized that positive emotions are good for us and negative emotions are bad for us. There’s nothing revolutionary about that simple fact. Happiness makes us happy and sadness makes us depressed. What a concept!

Buddhism gets even more radical than that, though, and refers to negative emotions as, “poisons.” Constantly feeling the negative emotions – anger, hatred, jealousy, depression – is like drinking poison. It makes us physically, emotionally, and spiritually sick.

And, if we drink poison, we obviously need an antidote, right? So, in the Buddhist practice, if we’re angry about something we meditate on loving/compassion. If we’re jealous of someone, we meditate on feeling good for them. If we’re afraid, we meditate on courage. Any negative emotion has a corresponding antidote.

We can easily tie that thinking into a Tarot practice that helps us to stay balanced and stress free.

A Simple Weekly Tarot Practice

At the start of each week, try doing a short four-card predictive spread:

1. Current Conditions

2. What Needs to Be Done

3. Factors Working Against Me

4. Probable Outcome

For example, imagine the reading comes up like this:

• Current Conditions – Five of Cups (reversed) – recovering from sadness

• What Needs to Be Done – Seven of Wands (reversed) – exhausted after a battle and feeling defensive

• Factors Working Against – Five of Swords – conflict, tension, disagreements

• Probable Outcome – Five of Wands – ego struggles for dominance; hollow victories.

Without diving too deeply into analysis, we can see this describes a week of emotional recovery mixed with potential conflict.

The energy of the week feels charged—lots of fives, lots of challenges.

But remember: nothing the Tarot predicts is ever set in stone. It simply points to the energetic weather we’re about to walk into.

Finding the Antidote

So, how do we antidote this kind of energy?

By becoming as peaceful and non-reactive as possible.

If the cards forewarn us that conflict is likely, we can consciously generate its opposite: serenity, patience, and groundedness. When we carry that peaceful energy into the week, we DON’T blow up at the rude cashier at the grocery store. We DON’T indulge in road rage when someone cuts us off in traffic. We DON’T snap at a co-worker when they say something sarcastic to us.

When we carry those antidoting energies, we rise above the fray.

We stop feeding the poison and instead create harmony wherever we go.

In the same way, if our reading predicts sadness or depression, we can consciously seek out things that will make us happy. If it predicts that we’re going to be scattered, we can do a little extra mindfulness practice.

Turning “Negative” Cards Into Meditation

This is one of the most powerful ways to meditate with the Tarot.

When we pull a card that seems negative, rather than dreading it, we can pause and ask: What’s the opposite of this energy? If this card represents a poison, what’s its antidote?

If the cards suggest sadness or loss, how can we actively cultivate joy?

If they hint at arrogance, how can we practice humility?

If they predict anger or tension, how can we embody calm?

Each “negative” card becomes a mindfulness bell—an invitation to rebalance our inner world.

Empowerment Through Awareness

Instead of thinking, “This is going to be a rough week,” we can say,“This reading is giving me insight into the energies ahead—and tools to shift them.”

This approach gives us agency.

It empowers us to stay in the flow, improve our own energy, and choose how we’ll respond to life’s ups and downs.

No matter what’s happening around us, we’re the ones who have to live in our own minds—and Tarot can help us make that a bright, peaceful place to be.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – a kindle ebook of Tarot definitions available on Amazon

The Karma Cards of the Tarot: Lessons, Consequences, and Course Corrections

Some Tarot cards seem to carry more spiritual gravity than others — the ones that reveal how actions return, lessons repeat, and growth becomes inevitable. These are the “karma cards,” reflecting the Kybalion’s Principle of Cause and Effect. Each shows us where the soul confronts the consequences of its choices — and how to rise into a new level of awareness.

What We Mean by “Karma”

Karma isn’t punishment or reward — it’s simply the universal law of cause and effect. Every thought, every word, every choice sends ripples into the field of consciousness, and those ripples eventually return to their source. When we see a “karma card” in a reading, it doesn’t mean the universe is judging us. It means the universe is teaching us.

In The Kybalion, this is expressed as “Every Cause has its Effect; every Effect has its Cause.”

In the Tarot, that principle unfolds symbolically through specific archetypes that reveal how energy cycles back around, how old patterns resolve, and how the soul grows through awareness.

The Major Arcana Karma Cards

Justice (XI) — Karma in its purest form

Justice is the balancing of the scales — the moment when truth emerges and consequences unfold. It represents the return of equilibrium after imbalance, reminding us that integrity, fairness, and honesty always realign the cosmic order. When Justice appears, something in your life is finding its balance again.

Judgment (XX) — The higher reckoning

This is karma’s spiritual octave — the point of awakening. Judgment calls us to review the past with clarity and compassion, to rise from the old self, and to claim renewal. It shows that karmic patterns are completing because understanding has dawned.

The Wheel of Fortune (X) — The turning of cycles

The Wheel reveals how karma is always in motion. Life rises and falls, fortunes shift, and every chapter becomes another turn in the spiral of growth. This card reminds us that luck isn’t random — it’s the natural consequence of the energy we’ve set in motion.

The Hanged Man (XII) — Seeing karma differently

When we find ourselves “stuck,” suspended between worlds, it’s often because the universe is asking us to pause and see things from another perspective. The Hanged Man teaches surrender, acceptance, and the wisdom that comes only when we release control. Sometimes, karma simply says: Wait. See. Understand.

Death (XIII) — Karmic transformation

Death ends what has outlived its purpose. It’s the natural completion of a karmic story — the moment when the past dissolves so new life can begin. In karmic terms, Death is liberation, not loss.

The Devil (XV) — Karma we create ourselves

The Devil shows entanglement — the cycles of desire, addiction, and illusion that keep us bound. It’s the reminder that we forge our own chains, and the key to freedom lies within. Whenever this card appears, it invites us to stop creating new karma and start unbinding the old.

The Tower (XVI) — Karma as course correction

When we resist growth, the universe sometimes intervenes dramatically. The Tower represents those moments of sudden change that dismantle illusion and force renewal. It’s not cosmic punishment — it’s divine intervention, clearing away what can no longer stand.

The World (XXI) — Karma fulfilled

Here, the cycle completes. The lessons have been learned, the soul has integrated its experiences, and balance has been restored. The World is the joy of completion — the karmic graduation that makes space for a new beginning.

Karmic Echoes in the Minor Arcana

While the Major Arcana show the grand architecture of karmic movement, echoes of those same lessons appear in the Minor cards.

• Ten of Swords — the final reckoning of a mental or verbal pattern.

• Ten of Wands — karmic burdens carried too long.

• Six of Pentacles — the law of giving and receiving, the return of generosity.

• Eight of Cups — walking away from a karmic cycle that has served its purpose.

Each of these cards shows a microcosm of cause and effect — personal moments of realization that mirror the larger soul journey.

The Deeper Message

The Tarot doesn’t show karma as destiny written in stone — it shows movement, opportunity, and awareness. Every card offers a chance to respond consciously, to change course, to balance energy, and to evolve.

When we recognize a “karma card,” we’re not seeing a sentence. We’re seeing a mirror.

And in that mirror, we find both the story of what has been — and the power to write what comes next.

Please feel free to leave questions in the comments section and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.

The Alchemy of the Mind: Transforming Your Life With the 7 Principles of The Kybalion by Dan Adair – A kindle ebook available on Amazon.

The Influence of The Emperor Card

The Emperor in Tarot represents structure, authority, and the disciplined use of power. When paired with the other Major Arcana, his influence reveals how stability, order, and leadership shape every phase of life—from creative beginnings and relationships to transformation and mastery. This chart offers quick interpretations of The Emperor in combination with all 22 Major cards, including reversed meanings. Perfect for Tarot readers seeking deeper insight or a printable reference for their readings.

In the absence of a regular blog post for today, I’d like to offer a chart detailing the influence of The Emperor card when paired with the other cards of the Major Arcana. Please feel free to print this and use it for reference in your readings.

Or, if you’d prefer, you can download a PDF version here. Just click on the link and, when it comes up, go to your browser menu and select Print.

The Emperor + The Fool

Establishing order within spontaneity; bringing discipline to new beginnings.

Reversed: Rigidity crushes adventure; fear of chaos blocks growth.

The Emperor + The Magician

Structured willpower manifests results; mastery through disciplined focus.

Reversed: Control issues distort creativity; misuse of authority for personal gain.

The Emperor + The High Priestess

Balancing logic and intuition; wisdom gains form through structure.

Reversed: Repression of the intuitive or feminine; ignoring inner guidance.

The Emperor + The Empress

Perfect union of order and creativity; leadership joined with nurturing power.

Reversed: Domination smothers harmony; imbalance between authority and compassion.

The Emperor + The Hierophant

Law, tradition, and moral authority combine; social order strengthened.

Reversed: Dogmatism or oppressive systems; blind obedience replaces wisdom.

The Emperor + The Lovers

Commitment grounded in integrity; love stabilized through loyalty and structure.

Reversed: Control in relationships; emotional manipulation disguised as protection.

The Emperor + The Chariot

Directed ambition achieves victory; leadership in motion.

Reversed: Power struggle; lack of self-control undermines success.

The Emperor + Strength

Calm authority; inner strength expressed through steady leadership.

Reversed: Harshness; using force instead of gentle courage.

The Emperor + The Hermit

Solitary leadership; wisdom applied in governance or mentorship.

Reversed: Isolation through pride; refusal to listen to guidance.

The Emperor + Wheel of Fortune

Mastering change through stability; fate meets steady will.

Reversed: Resistance to life’s cycles; attempts to control the uncontrollable.

The Emperor + Justice

Fair authority; order maintained through truth and balance.

Reversed: Corruption, hypocrisy, or biased rulings; justice twisted by ego.

The Emperor + The Hanged Man

Surrendering control to gain new perspective; discipline through acceptance.

Reversed: Stubbornness; refusal to yield or adapt leads to downfall.

The Emperor + Death

Transformation of power structures; endings that lead to renewal.

Reversed: Fear of change; clinging to obsolete authority.

The Emperor + Temperance

Measured leadership; control balanced by moderation and patience.

Reversed: Extremism; misuse of authority through lack of balance.

The Emperor + The Devil

The darker side of control; domination and attachment to power.

Reversed: Breaking free from tyranny or self-imposed limitations.

The Emperor + The Tower

Collapse of rigid systems; false structures destroyed to rebuild truthfully.

Reversed: Denial delays the inevitable; abuse of power leads to ruin.

The Emperor + The Star

Hope finds structure; inspired vision made practical through planning.

Reversed: Cynicism and loss of faith; suppression of creative dreams.

The Emperor + The Moon

Authority guided (or confused) by emotion and illusion.

Reversed: Paranoia or manipulation; losing control through fear and fantasy.

The Emperor + The Sun

Confidence and vitality in leadership; stability brings joy and success.

Reversed: Arrogance; demanding recognition rather than earning respect.

The Emperor + Judgement

Accountability; renewal through responsibility and moral clarity.

Reversed: Refusal to own past actions; defensiveness when challenged.

The Emperor + The World

Achievement through mastery and structure; completion of a lasting legacy.

Reversed: Fear of letting go; rigidity blocks full integration.

“Just the Tarot,” by Dan Adair – A Kindle E-book available on Amazon

The Six of Cups — Protecting the Inner Child of Your Art

The Six of Cups reminds us that our creativity flows from the innocence of the inner child. Protecting that child means honoring your art, choosing who sees it, and never letting careless criticism silence your joy.

When Beauty Meets Criticism

Have you ever created something you thought was beautiful — a painting, an essay, even a garden — and when you finally shared it, the first thing someone did was point out the flaws? Instead of seeing what you were trying to express, they zeroed in on what they thought was wrong.

There’s always a tension between creating and sharing. When we make something real — assuming we’re not just hacking away — we’re revealing a piece of our heart, our soul, our lived experience. A careless critique can feel like a personal attack. It can leave us feeling exposed, vulnerable, even ashamed.

The Inner Child at Play

Picasso once said, “All children are born artists; the problem is to remain an artist as we grow up.” Creativity flows from the same source as play — from the child who once molded mud into castles or splashed finger paints across paper just for the joy of it.

That inner child still lives inside us, but it’s easily wounded. A thoughtless comment can silence it. A dismissive tone can make it retreat. And when that happens, the creative flow — the very essence of who we are — begins to dry up.

The Birth of the Critic

Mel Brooks joked that with the birth of art came the inevitable afterbirth — the critic. And he wasn’t wrong. If you take your creativity seriously, you’ll eventually encounter people who feel compelled to “fix” your work.

Julia Cameron wrote that before we can become good artists, we must first give ourselves permission to be bad ones. Every artist, writer, gardener, or musician produces clumsy beginnings — and even seasoned creators sometimes turn out a piece that just doesn’t land.

The creative process is messy and human. Yet while you’re admiring what went right, someone else may focus only on what went wrong.

The Wound of the Inner Artist

Cameron also warned that exposing your inner artist to harsh criticism is the emotional equivalent of child abuse. It’s like taking the eager, innocent child who offers you their finger painting and saying, “That’s terrible. You don’t really have any talent, do you?”

If you choose a creative life, criticism is inevitable. Some people simply won’t resonate with your vision, and occasionally you’ll make something that misses the mark. That’s part of the territory. But you can — and must — protect your inner artist with the same fierce loyalty you’d show a child under attack.

Learning by Heart

I became an artist late in life and am entirely self-taught. I picked up a mallet and chisel and learned to carve wood through trial, error, and stubborn joy. I learned to paint the same way.

Looking back, I can see how rough those early pieces were — primitive, awkward, untrained — and yet they were full of life. I still remember the pride I felt each time I saw progress take shape beneath my hands.

Claiming the title artist took courage. The first time I walked into a gallery and asked, “Would you show my work?” was absolutely terrifying.

A Pact of Protection

One simple, unbreakable pact guides me still: when someone criticizes my art, that’s the last time they see my art.

Showing your work is an act of intimacy — an unveiling of something deeply personal. The art flows from the child within you, and that child deserves protection.

Donald Trump and the Dark Archetypes of the Tarot

A closer look at the dark archetypes the Donald Trump embodies and has brought into our national consciousness.

Most of us embody certain archetypes as we move through life.

Some of us are “The Wounded Healer” and endeavor to share our personal healing with others. Some of us are “The Magical Child,” who lead others back to their own creativity and wonder. Yet others are “The Wizards,” who have a deep understanding of life’s mysteries.

Donald Trump seems to embody several archetypes symbolized in the Tarot—none of them good—and it might be interesting to take a look at them.

THE MAGICIAN REVERSED

In order to really understand this one, we need to look at the older version of The Magician from the original Tarot decks. Contrary to the shining image portrayed in the modern decks, The Magician was much more of a street performer than an occultist. The closest we have to that in modern life is the stage magician who makes flowers appear out of his sleeve or pulls rabbits from his hat. In a word, he was an illusionist.

Another version of that is what is referred to as a “flim-flam man” in the South. He’s the guy who sets up three shells on a table and you have to guess which one the pea is hidden under while he shifts the shells faster than the eye can see. He’s also known as a con artist.

Trump is very much in that tradition. From his fake university to his fake charities to his golden tennis shoes and engraved guitars, he’s been conning people his entire life. He is such an excellent illusionist that he’s actually managed to con his way into the White House—not once but twice.

THE HIEROPHANT REVERSED

The Hierophant is basically a religious leader—more specifically, a leader of a formal religion rather than a spiritual path. When he’s reversed, he’s a false teacher, a pastor who’s leading his sheep-like followers down a path to the slaughterhouse.

This “religious” aspect of Trump may be the most surprising of all. As many people have noted, his most devoted followers have all of the characteristics of cult members. Despite the facts that he’s a serial adulterer, a pathological liar, a convicted felon, and an adjudicated rapist, they’re convinced that he’s been sent by God to watch over the United States. He’s violated every single teaching of Jesus Christ, yet he’s become the de facto leader of Christian nationalism.

JUSTICE REVERSED

The Justice card is strongly associated with the legal system. Quite simply, when it’s upright it indicates a fair and balanced outcome in the law. Reversed, it indicates injustice and a lack of fairness.

Using his immense wealth and a stable of crooked lawyers, Trump has managed to evade 90% of the legal consequences that he should have faced. Yes, he fomented an insurrection; yes, he stole top secret documents and lied about it; yes, he’s committed one impeachable offense after another. But he continues to skate on the consequences. When his pet attorney general says, “No one is above the law,” she means no one but Trump.

THE DEVIL

If The Lovers card exemplifies love, then The Devil exemplifies hate. Trump is very fond of saying that he hates his opponents, he hates Democrats, he hates liberals, and he hates immigrants. In many ways, he’s hatred and vindictiveness personified.

Moreover, The Devil is a card of people being chained to their basest instincts. Trump has an amazing power to bring out the very worst in people. In just a few short years, he’s managed to turn half of the country into xenophobic, homophobic, misogynist racists who are happily ripping up our Constitution in order to celebrate their prejudices.

THE MOON

At its root, The Moon is the card of insanity. It’s the card of both delusions and illusions. You only have to listen to one of Trump’s speeches to know that he’s out of his mind. From rambling about sharks eating electric boats to windmills driving whales insane to his obsession with toilets that won’t flush, he’s a never-ending fountain of gibberish and word salads.

And beyond that, he drives the rest of us to the verge of insanity. He’s like this brain virus that’s slowly eating away at our serenity and sense of well-being. His view of the world is so skewed, so bizarre, so out of touch with reality that it’s astounding—and yet, here he is in our daily lives, ranting and raving and frothing at the mouth.

CONCLUSION – NAMING THE ARCHETYPES TO WEAKEN THEM

Archetypes are powerful forces shaping our destinies, our worldviews, and even our collective behavior. When they surface on a national scale, they can feel like hurricanes we can only endure.

But awareness is its own kind of power. By recognizing these archetypes and calling them by name, we loosen their grip. We stop being unwitting participants in someone else’s drama and begin to reclaim our agency. In a time when dark archetypes seem to walk among us, simple recognition is a first act of resistance.

The Top Ten Tarot Cards Indicating Something Is About to Change

Feeling stuck in life, like the gears just won’t move? Tarot can reveal when change is on the horizon. Here are the top ten cards that signal transformation, progress, and fresh starts are just ahead.

Are you feeling like your gears are stuck in park and you just can’t make any progress?

Life has those frustrating phases when nothing seems to move forward, and it feels like the universe hit “pause.” But in Tarot, there are clear signs that the stillness is temporary — that something is about to shift. When these cards appear in your spread, they often signal that change is on the horizon.

Here are the top ten Tarot cards that whisper, “Get ready — things are about to give.”

If you’d like to download this list as a PDF file to use in your reference library, please click here.

1. The Tower

The most dramatic of them all. The Tower represents sudden upheaval, breakdown of old structures, and unexpected change. While often unsettling, it clears space for new growth that couldn’t happen otherwise.

2. Death

Not about physical death, but transformation. The Death card announces the end of one cycle and the beginning of another. Something old must be released so something new can be born.

3. The Wheel of Fortune

The cosmic gears are turning again. The Wheel reminds us that nothing stays the same forever — what goes down must rise again. Big shifts in luck, fate, or perspective are coming.

4. Judgement

This card calls for awakening and renewal. Judgement often signals that a chapter is closing, and you’re being invited to step into a new version of yourself.

5. The Fool

When The Fool appears, it’s time to leap. New journeys, fresh starts, and adventures are right around the corner. Change is already waiting at the door.

6. The Hanged Man

At first glance, this card seems like being stuck — but it’s the pause before release. The Hanged Man invites you to surrender, gain a new perspective, and prepare for the shift that follows.

7. The World

Completion is at hand. The World marks the end of a major cycle and the transition into the next. It’s change with a sense of wholeness and accomplishment.

8. Eight of Wands

Fast movement! When the Eight of Wands shows up, delays are ending, and events will soon speed up. It’s the card of sudden progress, news, or opportunities arriving quickly.

9. Ace of Wands

The spark of something new. This card often signals a breakthrough — fresh energy, creative drive, or passion ready to ignite. It marks the turning point from stagnation into action.

10. Five of Pentacles (Reversed)

In upright form, this card shows hardship, but reversed it often signals recovery and things turning around. Change is coming to lift you out of difficulty and into support, healing, or new resources.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve been in one of those liminal phases where nothing seems to move, these cards are reminders that stagnation never lasts forever. Whether the change comes suddenly like lightning (The Tower) or slowly like the seasons (Death, The World), the Tarot assures us: movement is inevitable.

So if your spread shows one of these cards, take heart — the gears are about to shift, and your story is moving forward again.

The Influence of The Empress Card

The Empress in Tarot embodies creativity, abundance, and nurturing energy. When paired with the other Major Arcana, her influence reveals how growth, harmony, and fertility play out in every area of life—from relationships and intuition to cycles of transformation. This chart offers quick interpretations of The Empress in combination with all 22 Major cards, including reversed meanings. Perfect for Tarot readers seeking deeper insights or printable reference material.

In the absence of a regular blog post for today, I would like to offer a chart detailing the influence of The Empress Tarot card when paired with the other cards of the Major Arcana. Please feel free to print this and use it for reference in your readings.

Or, if you’d prefer, you can download a PDF version here. Just click on the link and when it comes up, go to your browser menu and click on print.

The Empress + The Fool – Nurturing new beginnings. Creative innocence finds fertile ground.

Reversed: Overprotection stifles growth; immaturity in creativity.

The Empress + The Magician – Manifesting abundance through intention and artistry.

Reversed: Manipulating creativity; false appearances of growth.

The Empress + The High Priestess – Balance of intuition and creativity; inner wisdom flowering into expression.

Reversed: Repressed intuition blocks creativity; confusion in nurturing roles.

The Empress + The Emperor – Harmony between creation and structure; nurturing power within order.

Reversed: Domination suppresses creativity; imbalance between control and flow.

The Empress + The Hierophant – Sacred traditions inspire fertile creativity; nurturing spiritual communities.

Reversed: Stagnation within rigid traditions; blocked feminine wisdom.

The Empress + The Lovers – Love as a fertile union; creativity fueled by harmony and relationship.

Reversed: Codependency; love smothered rather than nurtured.

The Empress + The Chariot – Creative direction with determination; abundance set into motion.

Reversed: Lack of discipline wastes creative potential; scattered nurturing energy.

The Empress + Strength – Gentle power; nurturing builds resilience.

Reversed: Overindulgence weakens; misplaced compassion.

The Empress + The Hermit – Creativity drawn from solitude; nurturing wisdom within.

Reversed: Isolation stifles growth; withdrawal from fertile opportunities.

The Empress + Wheel of Fortune – Cycles of abundance; harvests following seasons of sowing.

Reversed: Bad luck in creativity; loss of balance in life’s rhythms.

The Empress + Justice – Fairness in nurturing roles; creativity guided by truth.

Reversed: Biased nurturing; injustice in relationships or creative endeavors.

The Empress + The Hanged Man – Creative surrender; new perspectives nurture growth.

Reversed: Stagnation, unwillingness to release control in nurturing.

The Empress + Death – Transformation gives birth to new creation; fertile endings.

Reversed: Resistance to endings; clinging smothers growth.

The Empress + Temperance – Harmony in creativity; nurturing balance and wholeness.

Reversed: Excess stifles balance; nurturing turns to enabling.

The Empress + The Devil – Passionate creativity; fertility bound to desire.

Reversed: Enslavement by overindulgence; blocked nurturing energy.

The Empress + The Tower – Creative breakthroughs; fertile destruction clearing ground for new growth.

Reversed: Suppression of necessary change; smothering collapse.

The Empress + The Star – Hope renewed through nurturing; creativity as healing.

Reversed: Disappointment in creative outcomes; blocked inspiration.

The Empress + The Moon – Intuitive creativity; fertile imagination guided by dreams.

Reversed: Illusion clouds nurturing; confusion in creative flow.

The Empress + The Sun – Joyful abundance; creativity flourishing in light.

Reversed: Overexposure or lack of clarity in nurturing roles.

The Empress + Judgment – Rebirth through nurturing; creativity aligned with higher calling.

Reversed: Misuse of nurturing power; denial of creative responsibility.

The Empress + The World – Completion of cycles; fulfillment through creation and nurture.

Reversed: Lack of closure; unfulfilled creative potential.

What To Do When Our Lives Turn Into Crap – Wheel of Fortune Reversed

How to deal with it when you hit a period of bad luck

I recently got The Wheel of Fortune reversed in one of my personal readings and we all know where that’s at: a period of bad luck coming. Get ready, because things are NOT going to go the way that you want them to, at least not for a while.

And, since I’m an intuitive, I started thinking about exactly what, “luck,” is. When we say we’re lucky or we’re unlucky, just what exactly are we talking about?

KARMA

Some of it can be karma, of course. We’ve all met those people who seem to be blessed with nothing but good fortune. They were born into families that loved and nurtured them, they were the beauty queens and football heroes in their high schools, and they went on to have wonderful careers, lots of money, and 2.5 semi-perfect children. Into every life a little rain must fall, but they seem to live under giant umbrellas.

And then there are people who just can’t buy a fucking break. No matter how hard they try, no matter how they struggle and strive, nothing goes right for them. They’re always at the right place at the wrong time and money and love evade them like a bunny rabbit on speed.

Many of the people who are blessed with Hallmark Card lives have done little to deserve those lives, and many of the people who are cursed with disastrous existences have done little to deserve THAT fate.

So all we can do is to shake our heads and say, “Well, it must be karma. They must have been very, very good or very, very bad in a previous incarnation and now they’re getting what they deserve.”

Because if we DON’T say that, there’s no real justice or balance in it. Then life becomes this sort of an insane lottery where it’s all just a matter of . . . luck.

TIME AND TIDE

Another approach to dealing with bad luck is the Principle of Rhythm that’s discussed in books like The Kybalion. The idea here is that there’s a natural rhythm to life where sometimes everything’s coming up rainbows and sometimes it all turns to shit.

The way that the Kybalion explains it is that life is very much like the pendulum of a clock. It swings first in one direction and then in the opposite direction and each swing is equal to the other. We may have a period of great good fortune but it will be followed by a period of bad luck and vice versa.

They reinforced that idea by looking at nature. The moon waxes and then wanes. The tides rise and then fall. People are born, spring into maturity and then die. Our emotions may be ecstatic one day and really depressed the next.

There seems to be a natural rhythm where we swing from one extreme to the next on a regular basis but spend most of our time somewhere in the middle.

Of course, the problem with that theory is that it ends up being one-step-forward and one-step-back. If our bad luck is always equal to our good luck, then we ain’t got no luck at all, brothers and sisters.

The way that they solved it was to say that life TENDS toward the positive. That even if we have swings between good and bad luck, we have a little more good luck than bad. So we’re actually making progress even if it feels like our feet are stuck in concrete.

And, yes, they turned to reincarnation to explain why some people have nothing but good luck and some people have nothing but bad luck. Even if it seems like the clock’’s pendulum got permanently stuck on one side, it’s really just swinging very slowly because we can’t remember our past lives.

Okay . . .

WHO THE HELL KNOWS?

Humans have been trying to explain luck since the beginning of time. There are a million different theories and formulas about it and they really just boil down to, “How do I get me some of that GOOD luck?” Or, “How do I avoid that BAD ju-ju?”

A lot of the advice has involved figuring out ways to bribe the crazy gods that we’ve invented. The Old Testament tells us to burn a fatted calf, because god likes a good barbecue. The Taoist religions burn fake money because apparently that’s a way of making a deposit in their god’s bank accounts (yes, even gods need a little pocket change.). And, of course, many modern day Christians go to church every Sunday to sort of hedge their bets. “Hey, Lord, I just put a twenty in the collection plate, and I could use a really lucky week.”

All we really know is that there seems to be something out there that we call, “luck.” It’s some sort of a force or energy that brings good fortunes into the lives of some people. Its absence brings bad fortunes into the lives of others. No matter how much we may want to, we can’t buy it or cajole it into our lives or pay a priest or pastor to make it go away when it turns bad.

SO WHAT DO WE DO?

So what do we do when we’re going through a patch of really bad luck? When we flip over the card and it’s The Wheel of Fortune reversed?

One solution is to just hunker down and ride it out. Bad luck can feel like a huge storm that’s raging through our lives and we just need to get into the tornado shelter. Try to turn off our emotions, grit our teeth, and wait for it to pass.

The Kybalion suggests trying to, “rise above it.” In other words, there’s not a goddamned thing we can do about that clock pendulum swinging, but we can try to raise our vibrations to a point where it affects us less than it would otherwise. Eventually the pendulum will swing back in the other direction. If we stay calm, try to stay positive, and remember that this too shall pass, it will lessen the effects.

BEEN DOWN SO LONG IT LOOKS LIKE UP TO ME

Of course, if we ARE one of those people who seem to have been born under a bad moon, that’s a different kettle of fish. If there’s been nothing but bad luck for a very long time, then we need to learn to adjust to that, too.

And the only solutions I can come up with there are to try a little harder than the Hallmark Card people and build in the fact that we’re not luck magnets. We actually need to take the time to write the affirmations, do the visualizations, make the vision boards, and feng shui our houses until they shine like newly minted dimes. Because it’s NOT going to come naturally to us.

Maybe we were terrible people in a past life. Maybe our clock pendulums broke when we were born. Who knows? What we do know is that we’ve got to put in a little more effort.

Ultimately, good luck or bad luck, we make our own lives.