Note: The following is intended as a very brief introduction to the fifty-six cards of Tarot's Minor Arcana and a quick suggestion about how each might serve your creative efforts. Of course, as with the Major Arcana cards, each minor leaguer has a world of meaning remaining to be explored by you.
Ace of Wands:
Set it off! An opportunity is being freely offered to you. Take it. This could be the start of something big! Raw energy like this, of course, must be channeled appropriately. So, get serious about your purpose, your focus, and your skills.
Two of Wands:
There are two tracks to your endeavor or two paths you are on at the same time or two projects you are handling. They require equal respect and nurturance. Ground yourself and balance your energies. For some reason, they are meant to rise and progress together. Neglect neither, but look to that higher purpose that links them.
Three of Wands:
It just feels great when you've got wonderful collaborators or caring support, folks with good minds and hearts taking the time to do things right because what's important is important. Someone's got your back. Now you can bring out your best.
Four of Wands:
Because you have held fast to your values and standards, you can point with pride to the results and take comfort in them. Spirit moves in your favor. Your prayers are answered.
Five of Wands:
If you've been feeling held back and left out, look out! The Force is with you! You flow with the universal energies and just go, go, go! It's a great ride. This is a time of growth, of change for the better. Onward and upward!
Six of Wands:
Lookin' good, cookie! Doors swing open for you. Good news--probably about achievement, reward and recognition--is on the way.
Seven of Wands:
With careful planning--preferably, mapped out on paper--and clear communication, you can handle a lot of interesting challenges. Yes, there's a larger world out there, and it's on your doorstep, knocking and demanding a response. Are you ready?
Eight of Wands:
With you, every now and then, things seem to slow down. Then, suddenly, they jerk into motion and speed up. You may be in or headed for one of those "speeding up" times. Lots of activity, a blur of motion, a heady whirl. In all things, keep a healthy balance. Don't forget to eat, sleep, breathe...
Nine of Wands:
The energy builds to a frankly scary intensity, and you might feel as if you're sitting on a rumbling volcano or being slowly, steadily fed into a food blender! Will all this agitation end in a beginning--a creative breakthrough? Stay tuned...
Ten of Wands:
When it all gets to be too much, take a few moments to breathe. Wash your face with soothing cool water and aromatherapy soap. Go for a long, mind-clearing walk. Don't take on more than you can reasonably handle, and don't absorb other people's negative stuff.
Page of Wands:
Sweet, warm fire! Keep your spirits high, and bring others together in an embrace of good feelings. You know no obstacle to harmony and cooperation. Your innocent open-mindedness reminds others of their original purpose and ideals.
Knight of Wands:
Risk-taker, don't hold back! Throw yourself wholeheartedly into the situation, for your presence will be a spur to everyone's best action. You're a catalyst, a motivator. Your motto: Get it done!
Queen of Wands:
Deeply-knowing one! You keep your eye on how the internal energy of a thing begins, courses, grows, dips, and then regains its fullness. You work to heal from the inside out, to influence in subtle yet powerful ways. Your warm touch restores life.
King of Wands:
Grand leader! People feel and respect your influence. You have fought for your power and, when necessary to achieve your vision, you know you can call upon that power. You groove on your own enthusiasm for the task at hand, and your spirit is irresistible.
Ace of Cups:
A pure, radiant idea. You welcome it, embrace it, protect it, nourish it...and share it. It isn't every day that you feel this good, but it should be. Contemplate: How can you allow more grace into your life? How can you allow yourself to receive more beauty...and give it?
Two of Cups:
You are elevated by the ideals of sharing and harmony. You encounter the reflection of your hidden self out in the world, and your are moved to tears of gratitude, caught up in passion.
Three of Cups:
What a delightful atmosphere of friendship and joy! Open to having more fun in your work, or take a break from your efforts and celebrate your achievements and the basic goodness of those you love.
Four of Cups:
It's time to decide what you will--and what you won't--accept. Set your standards and your limits. If you've had enough, say so. It's also may be time to take a break so that you can open your intuition to something important that you're not yet seeing, hearing, or feeling. There may be a gift for you, just slightly out of your reach. Turn and look.
Five of Cups:
Healing sometimes requires that we feel some hurt first. Right now, your feelings are a bit agitated and divided. You'd like to have a simple reaction to the situation, but it's all so very complex. Having faith in what's good here is not the same as being in denial about what's not so good. Put your energy towards positive approaches, and the matter will improve.
Six of Cups:
Beautiful moment! You're at the height of your creative powers, and everything flows--such a feeling of satisfaction! You can be as generous with the world--and with yourself--as the Universe has been with you.
Seven of Cups:
Consider another venue for your project--and/or for yourself. You might pull up stakes and move to a different home, job, geographical location, lifestyle.... Or you might re-imagine the setting in which your project might flourish.
Eight of Cups:
Review your history carefully with clear eyes and make peace with those things that are best left behind as you move forward. A little nostalgia is okay, but don't let obsessive sentimentality tie your feet. What you take with you must serve you and your future. Strengthen yourself and keep walking.
Nine of Cups:
Time to check your self-perception for accuracy. How's your self-esteem today? Look at yourself with love and compassion. Strengthen your internal self-regard, but also polish your external self-presentation. Don't be afraid to be visible and vocal; you must shine. It's important for people to know the real you. You may surprise yourself!
Ten of Cups:
Either learn to loosen the reins or let life take the reins right out of your hands. Maybe you're a bit of a maverick or iconoclast anyway, and you like the excitement of change. You're a pioneer and a brilliant innovator. You like challenging yourself and others. In any case, get ready for some big surprises. Also, when you throw your heart into something without restraint, you will get back as good as you've given.
Page of Cups:
Sweetheart! Generous little soul! You are tender, empathic, and utterly loving. Your sensitivity opens intuitive insights into seen and unseen reality. Turning your sensibilities to specific, well-grounded projects, you bring beauty and remarkable depth to their execution. You excel.
Knight of Cups:
Devoted, visionary one, you create art out of your very being. Your love for your work will take you far and wide as well as into the deepest parts of yourself. Your ultimate materials are your feelings, and you have the full complement of them. Your fearless exploration of feeling helps us all to feel more deeply and completely.
Queen of Cups:
Magickal one, you are familiar with the realms of dreams, fantasies, myths, ritual, mystery. You know the realms of suffering, illness, madness, death--and the power of transformation. Your healing keys are primal and shamanic. Draw your tools and colors from beneath the waves of emotion and from old, nearly forgotten places within yourself and outside in the world.
King of Cups:
Majesty, you overturn the untruths of the world through the truth of compassion. You undermine rigid structures and refresh the dry, ungiving places. Your art regenerates where all hope of new life was given up. You visualize and draw the best to you. Your authority--like a steady, reliable heartbeat--is undeniable.
Ace of Swords:
Bright idea! Look for a sudden opening, a new path, a way out of no way. Listen for the words you've been waiting to hear. An exciting new vision comes to you. Or someone has important news for you. If you're not a leader, find the leader--hint: it's the one holding that gleaming sword aloft for all to see--and follow.
Two of Swords:
Don't push ahead too fast. You may run into confusion, conflict, and resistance--either internal or external. Take time to sort out your thoughts and find where your thoughts connect to deeper, perhaps troubling, feelings. Return to action when you're feeling and thinking more clearly and with one focus. Do the same if your conflict is with someone or some people out in the world.
Three of Swords:
Nervousness or anxiety signals that you are feeling somewhat disconnected from your Higher Self and its inherent strengths and sustenance. Remember that you are greater in nature than your limited conscious self and physical body. There's a greater you with a broader vision, a more generous perspective, and a wellspring of creativity and power. Make time each day to meditate and get to know that extraordinary Higher Self.
Four of Swords:
If you keep pushing yourself or keep pushing whatever you've been pushing, you're heading for burnout--or worse. Drop what you're doing, and take a vacation or go on a creative retreat or just take a good, old-fashioned mental health day. You need time for yourself, out of the line of fire and away from the daily demands. You will benefit physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and creatively.
Five of Swords:
You've come to the end of a long process. Perhaps, you’re burnt out. Don't be guilt-tripped or seduced into rushing back into action. Take some time to fully cleanse yourself and your environment. Create a turning-point ritual in which you release the past and turn to face the open future. The war's over. Lay down your arms.
Six of Swords:
Sometimes you have to let someone else take control of the direction while you, for once, sit back. Sometimes you have to have faith. (Also, you might want to get rid of whatever has lost its flavor and its usefulness. Just let go.) The whole thing really is a mystery, kiddo, and the far shore is still fogged over, but the boat is steadily moving over the water.
Seven of Swords:
At least for now, keep your own counsel. Take steps to protect what you have proposed or created. Attend to the security of those things you value. Set and respect your own boundaries. Respect the boundaries of others.
Eight of Swords:
You may feel that you are blocked, stymied. You may kick yourself for walking into a situation you think you can't get out of. Start examining and deconstructing your barriers. Some of them may actually be old and more wobbly or more rickety than you thought. Some of them are of your own creation. Dismantle them, one by one--and don't forget to laugh a little.
Nine of Swords:
Initiation is a sacred time, a deliberate, high-pressured event with a beneficial outcome. You will be challenged to stretch and grow in ways that will feel uncomfortable at first. You will discover what you're made of--and what you were made for. You may sacrifice much, but new status--and new responsibilities--will come your way. Don't give up! There's a positive purpose underlying all of this, and you can find support.
Ten of Swords:
Game over. Don't torture yourself. Move on and start again. Period.
Page of Swords:
Clever kid! You're a breath of fresh air. Your gift of gab and natural wit easily win folks over to your side. You bring a delightful touch of humor to whatever you do. Hone your writing and/or speaking skills. Watch the tendency, though, to live too much in your head and not enough in your body and heart. Ground your bright ideas in practical application.
Knight of Swords:
Clear-eyed one! People depend upon your sober-minded vision, your ability to cut through nonsense and delineate a reasonable path. You're not afraid to express your opinion, to make a decision--no matter how drastic--and to make appropriate adjustments. You can be your own worst critic, but better if you are happy with and respectful of your creative side. Then you enter into balanced partnership with that part of yourself and come in and quietly do your work when the time for assessment and editing is right--and not a minute before!
Queen of Swords:
Visionary mind! You race ahead of most of us. You've got your finger on the pulse of what's next. As psychic and intellectual, you're a double threat, sure to make people a little nervous. Don't worry about that. However, when *you* feel wired, make sure to embrace nature, explore sensual experience, care for your body with compassion, and attend to projects that have at least some mundane utility.
King of Swords:
Mind warrior! You've explored the frontier. Now you bring us the benefits of your experience and wisdom. We look to you for leadership and inspiration. You do not indulge us with feel-good illusions, but you help us strengthen our character and build up power for fighting our own battles and launching our own endeavors. You are our touchstone.
Ace of Pentacles:
A seed has been offered to you. Plant it. Water it. Pray for it. If you care for it, it will feed you for a very long time to come.
Two of Pentacles:
Two entities--perhaps very different in nature--have or should come together. This encounter can suggest cooperation, collaboration, reconciliation. Its benefits are practical.
Three of Pentacles:
Take steps to shore up your security or that of your creative project. Concerns here are either in the realm of mind (inner psychological security or insecurity) or in the realm of matter (money, nurturance, shelter, protection, and the like). Make sure that everything and everyone involved is getting what he, she, or it needs to survive and thrive.
Four of Pentacles:
Call it fairness, justice, or karma, what's right is right. This is about getting your due for work done, for expertise achieved, and the like. Reward means anything from adequate monetary compensation for your labor to a rousing round of applause; anything from a simple pat on the back to a coveted arts grant. You'll want to look at your powers of manifestation, how your outflow of energy moves things in the world and how that good energy doubles back to you--or does not. Sometimes we cannot totally control this flow; social conditions or access to the right people and resources may hold some control. But sometimes you can find ways to make the necessary practical, psychological, and/or spiritual adjustment.
Five of Pentacles:
Visible improvement and growth are indicated. You should see a change in a material situation soon. What has been seemed static now shows its concealed dynamism. Heavy conditions may be lightened, rigid conditions overturned. Make some practical change in your approach or physical change in yourself, your work, or your surroundings.
Six of Pentacles:
The ideal arrangement suggests itself to you. You value equitable relationships, sharing, harmony, balance, serenity, and cooperation. You see the world as one big (fill in the blank: happy? dysfunctional? healing?) family, and you don't mind doing whatever it takes to make that family work well for everyone involved. Or perhaps you are involved in a creative effort involving family members or people who you consider to be like family. You place a high premium on safety, security, support, generosity, and a democratic voice for all. Your creativity is an integral part of your contribution to the attainment of these ideals.
Seven of Pentacles:
Don't rush! Allow for careful, steady growth over time. You are (perhaps, your project is) a work-in-progress. The process is necessary, valuable, educational, and even pleasurable when you adjust your perception of it and curb your obsessive drive to get to the goal. Observe the flow and cycles of time in the natural world. You, too, are part of nature. Give time time.
Eight of Pentacles:
Either you are or should be working with a teacher or mentor to help you identify and bring out your skills. Steady application of effort will produce results and rewards. Believe in yourself. You are being prepared for greater things. You are growing into your power and, in time, will take on a role of more visibility, authority, and responsibility.
Nine of Pentacles:
Tread carefully, slowly, not missing any step along the path. Don't take shortcuts. Delve in deep. Look at the critical details. Handle the small matters. Build inner and outer security. You want to be fruitful and prosperous. You'll get there, don't worry! You'll be more sure of yourself when you do.
Ten of Pentacles:
We depend upon your stability, reliability, and down-to-earth practicality--particularly in business matters. Above all, we benefit from your experience and hard-won wisdom. Honor the past, honor traditions. Uphold what you find most valuable. In a traditional, indigenous culture, you would be a master of memory, a keeper of stories and histories, an elder. In some way, you serve those special roles even here and now. It's so easy to get hardened and overly judgmental in one's way of thinking. Learn to temper your words and actions with gentle humor, compassion, fluidity, and warmth. Here’s an additional possibility: Your creative work may be or should be associated with an established institution.
Page of Pentacles:
Child of Earth! You delight in studying Nature and learning from Her ways. The world has much to teach you, and you are, in all things, an eager and diligent student. You are not dissuaded from the effort and time learning takes. Perhaps you are, literally, a student now or should consider entering a program of training. Take full advantage of your ability to focus and apply yourself. You’re planting for a wonderful harvest!
Knight of Pentacles:
Honorable one! You have taken on a burdensome task, but you are determined to see it through no matter how long it takes. Though you sometimes tire, you will not turn away from your responsibility; you will not break your oath. You've made a commitment--especially, a commitment to yourself. Just remember to care for yourself with as much devotion as you care for your work and for others.
Queen of Pentacles:
Nurturing one! You make the environment welcoming, full of all good things. We need your care and your steady vigilance from the beginning of all matters, through every stage of their development, to their fulfillment. When we get frantic and rush around in haste and confusion, you calm us and calmly redirect us. And at the end of it all, you stand with hands on your hips and say, simply, "See? I knew it could be done."
King of Pentacles:
Earth elder! Your experiences in life have given you quiet courage and deep calm. Today, nothing fazes you. You hold high authority and power very gently. You are not threatened by seeing the growth or expression of these qualities in others. You make--or would make--a fine teacher or mentor. If you offer a critique, it is with concern that things be balanced, truly workable, and--oh, yes, beautiful as Nature is beautiful, as powerful as Nature is powerful. You are a master of manifestation, moving ideas to form with great expertise.
