1601641907 Touchstone Tarot

Touchstone tarot

TM

K AT B L AC K Creator of the Golden Tarot

Touchstone tarot

TM

78 friends you hold in your hand

Touchstone tarot

TM

K AT B L AC K USA

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CANADA

Touchstone Tarot

TM

Copyright 2009 and Trademark Kat Black | All Rights Reserved. No part of this book or the Touchstone Tarot deck of cards, including illustrations, may be used or reproduced in any manner whatever, including internet usage, without written permission from Kunati Inc., except brief quotations or use of images embodied in critical reviews. This book is a component of a boxed set, including 200-page book and 78-card Tarot deck, plus two special cards.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Black, Kat. Touchstone tarot / [written and illustrated by Kat Black]. -- 1st ed. p. cm. ISBN 978-1-60164-190-8 1. Tarot. 2. Art, Baroque--Miscellanea. 3. Art, Renaissance--Miscellanea. I. Title. BF1879.T2B53 2009 133.3’2424--dc22 2008049186

FIRST EDITION ISBN 978-1-60164-190-8 Printed in China For information, contact Kunati Inc., Book Publishers in Canada. USA: 13575 58th Street North, Suite 200, Clearwater, FL 33760-3721 USA Canada: 75 First Street, Suite 128, Orangeville, ON L9W 5B6 CANADA. [email protected] | http://www.kunati.com Packaging and booklet designed by Kam Wai Yu | Persona Corp. http://www.personaco.com Written and Illustrated by Kat Black http://touchstonetarot.com Kunati is a trademark owned by Kunati Inc. Touchstone Tarot is a trademark owned by Kat Black.

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CANADA

Review I don’t want to discuss how the Touchstone Tarot fits my hand, or the symbolism, or the colors and the clothing. I want to briefly discuss the images. I know these people. I know each and every one of them. So do you. We work and play with them, we went to school with them; like the man in the Five of Cups, he sat at the next table when we were out to dinner the other night, and spent the whole night making the waiter miserable. Since we identify with these people, the Touchstone Tarot may be one of the most accessible decks to date. We don’t have to think about meanings, or refer to a weighty tome telling us what the cards mean—the figures in the cards tell us everything we need to know. Where many decks go into the minutiae of symbolism, Kat Black took the faces and hands of ordinary people, and posed them in Baroque and Renaissance costumes, allowing the personas to shine through and provide us with meaning.

Look at the Page of Coins. This looks exactly like Adam, my best friend’s son. Look at the expression on his face; this is Adam right after Cookie told him he’d have to get a job when he went back to college. As I thumb through the cards, I can identify my whole circle of friends, past and present, I invite you to do the same. —Dan Pelletier n Dan Pelletier has been reading Tarot for himself and others for over thirty years. Dan is also co-owner of The Tarot Garden, a highly respected resource for tarot decks and related information on the Internet. He has written articles appearing on the Tarot for Life website newsletter, Seeker’s Journey, TheTarotSchool.com, and Tarot Passages, and he has published interviews with deck creators on the tarotgarden.com website library.

Review The Touchstone Tarot (by Kat Black, of Golden Tarot fame) is a traditional 78-card deck, digitally collaged from the works of European masters of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Stunning costumes and backgrounds are accompanied by modern-looking faces. Kat uses the tagline: 78 friends that you hold in your hand, indicating that this deck deals not with esoteric symbolism and hidden secrets, but with real people who want to sit down, have a chat with us and offer advice and support. The structure of this deck is traditional: the Major Arcana carry traditional titles, with Strength as VIII and Justice as XI. The suits are Wands, Cups, Swords, and Coins; the Court Cards are entitled Page, Knight, Queen and King. Each of the Pages is depicted as a student, in black cap and gown, per the era reflected in the cards. The Knights are all shown standing, while the Kings and Queens are shown in a seated position. The imagery in this deck reflects the heart of each card: the Fool is shown with a flute in his hands and his

loyal dog at this side. The High Priestess stands between two pillars, holding both a scroll and a book in her hands. The Chariot shows female imagery, great strength and intent with a hint of warrior. The Hermit shares space with a lit lantern, an owl and a deer in a forest setting. I feel very much at home with this deck. While it is new to me, it is also an “old companion.” This is an elegant deck that connects to the reader (and the Seeker) without a problem. Any level of Tarot student would find it easy to work with this deck. Many thanks to Kat and her wonderful Tarot vision, and to the benefactor who made the development of this deck possible. — Bonnie Cehovet n Bonnie Cehovet is a Certified Tarot Grand Master, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years’ experience, a Reiki Master/ Teacher and a writer. Bonnie has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, is co-founder of the World Tarot Network, and Vice President (as well as Director of Certification) for the American Board For Tarot Certification. She has published articles in the 2004 and 2005 Llewellyn Tarot Reader.

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Touchstone Tarot, tell me true, this is what I ask of you.

Kat Black

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Dedication by Mary K Greer at Black, creator of the Golden Tarot, has done it again with the Touchstone Tarot. This is no ordinary deck of collaged artwork. Instead, it is a masterpiece in its own right, seamlessly combining historical portraits and backgrounds from the Baroque and Renaissance into easily recognizable tarot scenes of luminous color and clarity of detail. This is a magical deck. Personalities dominate each card, and the perception in their eyes becomes a test—the touchstone—by which your sincerity and truth is measured. Gazing out from the cards, each demands you accept the hard won wisdom and knowledge depicted therein. The past speaks, and it knows your secrets. I highly recommend this as a deck you’ll have to not just own but use—frequently.

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Foreword by Secret Benefactor t is with great pleasure that I bring you the Touchstone Tarot. As the Provider of Pentacles (Coins), I literally did play a part in bringing you the Touchstone, much as the many personages you will be meeting played their parts in funding their own portraits! What can I say but that it has been huge fun and money more than wisely spent. I have been a student and reader of Tarot for over thirty years, and yes, that includes for business and investment decisions. I am an admirer of Kat’s Golden Tarot, and to be told that no publisher would finance the development of her second deck struck me as, well, dreadfully silly of them. It turns out that for Tarot Artistes, apparently that is Just Not Done. It tickles my sense of artistic congruence therefore that this deck be funded through the system of patronage, and I consider this opportunity to be an honor. And now, an instructive tale: Since the completion of the masterpiece you now hold, I attended an investment pitch session held by the European representative of a mysterious eccentric Doctor Cook in the eastern half of united Germany. He was soliciting funds for a process that converts any form of garbage into high-quality diesel fuel, via secret processes of boiling, stirring, and separating common ingredients. Of course, close questioning

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revealed that no one had actually been permitted to see the interior of this wonderful construction of crucibles, alembecs, turbines, etc. They were raising $16 million dollars, and had investors lining up. In the Tudor period, Edward Kelley presented Dr. John Dee with a secret process of turning lead into gold, and was hired as Dee’s assistant. They travelled Europe (or escaped from Elizabeth) seeking patrons (aka investors) for their process. Emperor Rudolf II in Prague believed Kelley’s claims and made him a baron. Upon Kelley’s failure to provide return on the investment, Rudolf had him arrested in 1591 and imprisoned in Křivoklát Castle near Prague in order to force Kelley to produce. Kelley stayed there for three years, until 1594, until he promised to make gold in return for his freedom. He was released and still withheld his talents. Again he was imprisoned and legend says he died while attempting to escape his tower at Hněvín Castle. It was just too bad I had no castles free at the moment. May the 78 Friends help you, in your Emperor Moments, to discern the Edward Kelleys of the world truly; and may you delight in the celebration of magic and timeless human nature that is Kat Black’s work.

Kat Black

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CONTENTS

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Introduction...............................................................................21 FAQs..........................................................................................27 Reading......................................................................................33 Reversals...................................................................................34 Significators...............................................................................35 Spreads......................................................................................36 Journaling and other creative pursuits.......................................44 Other uses for the deck.............................................................45 The Touchstone Deck................................................................45 The Major Arcana....................................................................46 0 The Fool..........................................................................46 I The Magician....................................................................48 II The High Priestess..........................................................50 III The Empress..................................................................52 IV The Emperor..................................................................54 V The Hierophant...............................................................55 VI The Lovers.....................................................................56 VII The Chariot....................................................................58 VIII Strength.......................................................................59 IX The Hermit.....................................................................60 X The Wheel of Fortune.....................................................62 XI Justice...........................................................................63 XII The Hanged Man..........................................................64 XIII Death...........................................................................66 XIV Temperance.................................................................67 XV The Devil.......................................................................69 XVI The Tower....................................................................70 XVII The Star......................................................................71 XVIII The Moon..................................................................73 XIX The Sun........................................................................74 XX Judgement ..................................................................76 XXI The World....................................................................77 Kat Black

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The Minor Arcana....................................................................79 Suit of Wands..........................................................................79 Ace of Wands.....................................................................80 Two of Wands....................................................................82 Three of Wands..................................................................83 Four of Wands....................................................................85 Five of Wands....................................................................87 Six of Wands......................................................................88 Seven of Wands.................................................................90 Eight of Wands...................................................................91 Nine of Wands...................................................................93 Ten of Wands.....................................................................95 Page of Wands...................................................................97 Knight of Wands.................................................................99 Queen of Wands..............................................................100 King of Wands..................................................................103 Suit of Cups............................................................................105 Ace of Cups......................................................................105 Two of Cups.....................................................................107 Three of Cups...................................................................108 Four of Cups.....................................................................110 Five of Cups.....................................................................112 Six of Cups.......................................................................113 Seven of Cups..................................................................115 Eight of Cups....................................................................117 Nine of Cups....................................................................118 Ten of Cups......................................................................120 Page of Cups....................................................................122 Knight of Cups..................................................................123 Queen of Cups.................................................................125 King of Cups.....................................................................126

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Suit of Swords.......................................................................128 Ace of Swords..................................................................128 Two of Swords.................................................................130 Three of Swords...............................................................132 Four of Swords.................................................................134 Five of Swords.................................................................136 Six of Swords...................................................................138 Seven of Swords..............................................................140 Eight of Swords................................................................141 Nine of Swords................................................................143 Ten of Swords..................................................................145 Page of Swords................................................................146 Knight of Swords..............................................................148 Queen of Swords.............................................................150 King of Swords.................................................................151 Suit of Coins...........................................................................154 Ace of Coins.....................................................................154 Two of Coins....................................................................156 Three of Coins..................................................................157 Four of Coins....................................................................159 Five of Coins....................................................................160 Six of Coins......................................................................162 Seven of Coins.................................................................163 Eight of Coins...................................................................165 Nine of Coins....................................................................166 Ten of Coins.....................................................................168 Page of Coins...................................................................170 Knight of Coins.................................................................171 Queen of Coins................................................................173 King of Coins....................................................................174 Bonus Cards............................................................................176 Appendix: Love Knot Sample Readings...................................179 Kat Black

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Introduction

hen I created my first deck, Golden Tarot, in 2000, I wanted to make an easy-to-read Rider-Waite-Smith–style deck that looked convincingly Early Renaissance in tribute to both the art and symbolism of tarot’s traditions and heritage. Luckily for me, a lot of other people wanted such a hybrid too and it became a popular deck. Since then, a huge number of other tarot decks have flooded the market, filling all manner of niches both mainstream and obscure. Economically, the chances of a new deck’s being a financial success are very low. Production costs for quality decks are much higher than books, and in such a crowded market it’s certainly no way to make a living. All of this would tend to suggest that my making another deck would be a bit pointless. Logically, that’s true. But then, art transcends logic, and once the seeds of Touchstone were set in my mind, they began to grow. I wanted to make a deck for use in digital media, something that could communicate well, even on the small screen of a mobile phone. I wanted it to be a deck of oil portraits, richer and darker than the soft frescoes of Golden. I posted a few cards online at Aeclectic Tarot Forum for feedback. I didn’t say much about what was special about the deck, but I received some enthusiastic support for the cards posted. After doing about a dozen draft Kat Black

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cards though, I realised that it wasn’t viable to commit the time to completing the deck. I have to make a living and my main livelihood as a VJ (Visual Jockey) is both creatively fulfilling and very time-consuming. So, the deck was put on hold. A few months later, I received a message from a stranger on the forum. The person asked me if I was willing to complete the deck, no strings attached, if they gave me an arts grant. All I had to do was to supply my bank details and then get to work. Not having a tradition of private benefactorship here in Australia, I was a little suspicious. Nigerian bank internet scams sprang to mind. The person was very understanding though, and gave me details of their identity that I could confirm with others in the Tarot community. They insisted on their identity being kept a secret for obvious reasons, but they were well known and respected in the field. Once I confirmed who they were, of course I agreed immediately. To be paid to do a project that I was passionate about—what a fairy tale! The money went into my account within a few days, and I got to work. Apart from the financial support, the other wonderful thing about having a private benefactor is the feeling of sharing the development of the deck with someone else who is intellectually and emotionally invested in the project. The feedback I got along the way as I worked on drafts of the cards was invaluable. The deck evolved as I was encouraged to really follow my own path, and that suggested by the source artwork. Funnily enough, most of the original source 22

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artworks I’ve used were painted by artists who were supported by private benefactors during the trade-fueled economic boom in Western Europe during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, so the fact that I also had a patron supporting my work on this deck seemed terribly appropriate. At a certain point, it became obvious that a name change for the deck was needed. I’d started out with the name of Tarot Cielo, which means “of the heavens” or “of the sky” in Italian. While that’s a lovely name for a deck, it’s not the name for this deck. I was using more and more English, Dutch, Flemish and German faces, and fewer Italian. The character of the deck and what I wanted to convey was far better expressed by the intense, emotional faces of the Mannerist and Baroque genres than the somewhat vacuous and stylized faces of the Renaissance. I canvassed my circle of tarot colleagues about the name. Many good suggestions were made, but none struck me as “it.” As I worked on the deck, looking at thousands of paintings for elements to use, suddenly I saw “it.” A young jeweler leans from a window. In one hand, he holds a ring, and in the other, a touchstone. A touchstone is a small, textured stone used to assay the quality of metals. Immediately it struck me: something small enough to hold in your hand that tells you the truth—sounds just like tarot to me! I had my name, and with it an even deeper conviction about what the deck would be. It was always intended to be a deck of portraits, and now I was convinced that the Kat Black

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portraits would do the talking. While there would still be Rider-Waite-Smith symbolism where I could squeeze it in, the main voice of the deck would be their voices. I take no credit for the intensity in these faces, and their ability to communicate. I’ve acted more as a curator, assembling them into a context that fits traditional tarot. The true talent was that of the artists four hundred years ago, men and women who could capture that human spark on canvas. My benefactor said of the Two of Cups “I’d love to have that couple round to dinner.” How magical is that? These people lived and died hundreds of years ago, and yet still they can give us pleasure, joy and insight. Art is a wonder, a miracle, a maker of the immortal. I felt like a casting agent, seeking the perfect candidate for each role within the deck. The archetypes of the Majors, the characters of the Courts, the bitplayers of the scenic Minors: I hunted again and again through my body of collected source material looking for just the right face for each card. Every one of the faces I chose spoke to me. I felt I could know them, that they were friends I could trust to tell me the truth. The Rider-Waite-Smith deck turned out to be a powerful force though. If I took one step away from “Pixie” (Pamela Colman Smith), I ended up taking two steps back toward her. Even if I had a main character whose face said everything I wanted the card to say, I missed basic RWS elements if they weren’t included. In the final stages of the deck, I opened it up for feedback from a small focus group of tarot experts. This helped me 24

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to work out just which aspects of RWS meant the most, and to include them where possible without detracting from the main portrait. The result is that there will be familiarity in the deck for RWS readers, but it’s not a “clone” to the extent that Golden Tarot was. Once the characters were cast, the rest of my job was relatively easy, pushing pixels. There’s more detailed discussion of the digital collage technique I use in the book with my first deck, Golden Tarot. In summary, basically I cut up old paintings on my computer and stick them back together to make new compositions. I’ve always been a cut ‘n paster. While most collagists put disparate elements together, my style is to try to make the collages look as seamless and consistent as possible, to make each card look like a whole, real painting. If I’ve done my job well, you won’t be able to tell they’re collages. I encourage you to look at some of the original source paintings online, or ideally to see them in real life. The artwork is so key to what the cards are that I’ve included references to every component used, and noted where it can be seen. A trip to the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam is high on my things-to-do-before-I-die list. There’s nothing like seeing these luminous paintings in real life. Apart from the support of my benefactor, another person who encouraged me to follow my instincts and create the deck as I truly felt it should be was Mary K. Greer. I was very lucky to meet Ms Greer in person at the International Tarot Conference in Melbourne in 2005, and very surprised to find she used Golden as Kat Black

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one of her regular reading decks. I remember reading her groundbreaking Tarot for Your Self many years after getting my first deck as a teenager, and thinking, Wow, it’s okay to read the cards the way I do. I was very nervous about meeting Ms Greer, but she turned out to be just as warm, open, welcoming and downright sensible as her books would suggest. Her insightful feedback on the draft of Touchstone Tarot was greatly appreciated. This booklet will not teach you to read tarot. It is intended just as a small companion volume to the deck. While it includes some basic layouts and meanings, it’s intended more to tell you about this deck, with some insights and background regarding each card. I recommend if you’re new to tarot to get a proper introductory book. There are many excellent tarot books. I’d suggest starting with some by Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack. If you’re interested in the history of tarot, Stuart Kaplan’s Tarot Encyclopedias are the definitive resource on that subject. I think of deck companion books as a bit like a user manual on a new appliance. I read them once and then just start using the deck. If I have questions—for example, I suddenly notice something unusual in a card when doing a reading—I’ll fish out the book and refer to it again. That’s how I’m hoping you’ll use this book, as something to read and then refer to now and then as needed. Starting a tarot journal will help you get used to the cards much more quickly and deeply than relying on a book to interpret meanings. I’ll cover that in more detail later. 26

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FAQs n Should a deck be a gift? I don’t personally believe it has to be, but a deck sure does make a wonderful gift as it’s not just an object, it’s a set of possibilities. I bought my first deck when I was fifteen. I gave the money to a friend and got her to walk into the store and buy it for me as I’d heard the “rule” that you shouldn’t buy a deck for yourself. In retrospect that seems supremely silly, as it misses the point of why a gifted deck is so much better than one you buy yourself. Ideally, someone gives you a deck because they care about you enough to want you to make your own decisions, and they think tarot can help you to do that. Or perhaps they think you’re great at counseling and that you might make a good tarot reader. Or they see a particular deck and know you’re into tarot but don’t have this one, and they think it’s very “you.” I treasure the decks that have been gifted to me, and I’ve given many more decks to other people than I could sensibly afford. Most of the people I’ve given a deck to have never had a deck before, and say they’re not into tarot, but if just a few of them get curious and end up finding it a useful tool in their life, I’m very happy. If not, perhaps they will give it to someone else. I suspect that tarot decks keep moving until they find their true home. Kat Black

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n Should you let other people touch your cards? I think this is a matter of personal taste. Personally I’m happy with people handling my cards. Especially if I’m reading for others, I want them to feel an empowered part of the process, and so I encourage them to shuffle and cut, and to pick the cards up from the spread to look at details in the cards themselves. If someone particularly creepy handled my cards though, I’d probably want to do a cleansing ritual. n Should they be stored in something special? Storing your cards in a box or bag is a good idea if they don’t come with a protective box. Some people believe they should be stored in silk or wood, but others disagree just as emphatically! Keeping a few heads of dried lavender or a chip of cedar with them to discourage pests could be a good idea, although I have to say in over 20 years, not one of my decks has ever suffered from bug attack. Some of my favorite decks have their own special home, a collection of antique cigar and jewelry boxes and lush handmade bags trimmed to match the deck. For the deck I carry in my handbag, I have a well-padded, lined bag that ties securely closed and protects the deck from keys and anything else that’s kicking around in there. n Are there any important rituals? Human beings love ritual. It’s existed in every culture. In fact, even some non-human species use ritual. 28

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Male bowerbirds of my native Australia build elaborate twig structures and then decorate them with blue objects to attract mates. This structure isn’t even used as a nest, just to “score.” Once he gets the female interested with his fashionable décor, he does an impressive little song and dance to really seal the deal. What is it about all this that makes him so popular with the lady bowerbirds? Who knows, but it’s a ritual that will make or break his chances of passing on his genes. I think of rituals as a way of making something seem special. I love to do a “proper” reading, clearing off the kitchen table and laying out a nice cloth, lighting some candles and incense and putting on my favorite Hildegard of Bingen album. Transporting yourself away from your everyday life by taking the time to set all this up really helps to make the reading feel more significant. It’s a time-out from my work and life in general, which I find helps me to step back and be more objective when doing a reading for myself. On the other hand, I’m also a fan of online readings and can’t wait to be able to do a reading on my phone (especially being able to shuffle with a motion-detecting phone by shaking it). Not all readings have to be special. I also feel comfortable with tarot being part of my everyday life. I wonder if the “proper” reading would still seem special if I did it every day? Maybe, maybe not. For me personally, it’s an optional extra for when I have something important to ask the cards. Kat Black

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I think that whatever feels right for you is the way to go. n Is it wrong to read cards for a third party? I can understand why some people, especially those with psychic abilities, have an ethical problem in talking about someone who isn’t present at the reading. Whether it’s your sitter’s friend, sister, partner, or even a celebrity, telling things about other people that they haven’t consented to reveal can be seen as an invasion of privacy. On the other hand, I believe that part of who we are is defined by our relationships and the people we choose to have around us. Their behavior and their issues affect us very deeply. They are part of who we are. It’s not a cut and dried case of “us” and “them.” In the classic ethical dilemma, a reader is asked by a sitter if her husband is having an affair. If the reader has a strong conviction that it is the case, do they tell the sitter? Do they hint at it? Do they deny that they see it in the cards? Do they try to reframe the question so it’s about the sitter and her relationship with her husband rather than his behavior, or will that make her feel she’s responsible for her husband’s affair? I’m not going to tell you what’s right and wrong. I think our emotions and responses are so complex that any ethical decisions need to be based on the actual situation in hand and the context of the reading. It’s up to you to decide. 30

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n Divination or intuition? Ah, the old debate. Is tarot reading fortune telling? It can be, but it doesn’t need to be. A tarot deck is a tool that can be used in many ways, depending on the reader. I use tarot myself as a form of counseling and to help me work out solutions to problems. I think it’s helped me over the past decades to be more self-aware than I otherwise would have been. Personally, I don’t believe in predetermination. I don’t think our fates are fixed. When I read “Future” cards, I see it as a likely outcome given current potential and direction, i.e., something that can be easily changed by active intervention. I don’t consider myself to be psychic. I prefer to think I’m just intuitive. Over the years though, the cards have come up with some readings that do their best to challenge my “psychic agnosticism.” Once at a Renaissance Faire, I was doing three-card readings, and a woman was emphatic that the cards laid were “wrong.” I collected them up, gave the deck back to her and got her to shuffle again. I’d never normally do that, but she was being such a pain about it, and I just couldn’t be bothered arguing. She cut the cards and then from the top of the deck I laid the exact same three cards out. We were both so shocked we just looked at them. After a while I said the obvious: “I don’t think they’re the wrong cards.”

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n I’m a Christian. Isn’t reading tarot wrong? I’ve been asked this a few times, probably because Golden Tarot contained a lot of Renaissance Christian imagery. Touchstone doesn’t contain nearly as much religious imagery because by the Baroque era, most art was being commissioned by wealthy individuals rather than churches, but this is still a question that I get asked. The earliest tarot decks were commissioned by Catholic families, including families with members who became popes. Branding tarot, fortune telling and even dice and playing cards as “the work of the devil” came much later. I’m not a Christian, but I know of a number of high profile tarot experts who are. Biblical references to divination are mixed, and as with other aspects of your religion, I’d encourage you to research the issue and make your own decision. You might have noticed, I’m pretty big on people making their own decisions. Personal responsibility is very important to me. n Do I need to ask a specific question when I do a reading? No, you can just do a general reading. I personally find tarot more helpful when you do ask a specific question, although sometimes even though you’re asking about something specific, the cards can very insistently tell you that there’s another, more important issue that you should be considering. 32

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Reading I’ve always laid and read the cards one at a time to reduce the temptation to rush ahead and read the final card/s. Dan Pelletier suggested in his wonderful audio book The Process to lay the full layout down but with the cards face-down, then to turn them over one at a time as you read them. I think that sounds like a very sensible option. If you’re reading for another person, you will need to decide who shuffles, you or them. Usually after shuffling, the cards are cut into three piles then put back together and laid from the top of the deck. This can be done by the sitter, although that will depend on how you feel about others touching your deck. There’s no right way to shuffle—whatever feels right for you.

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Reversals In tarot a “reversal” means a card that is laid upsidedown. Whether or not you get reversals depends on how you shuffle your cards, and how you handle them when not doing readings. If you’re the only one who ever handles your deck and you shuffle in a straight manner, you probably won’t ever get a reversal. Many readers, myself included, don’t use reversals. I always lay the cards right way up. All cards have both positive and negative meanings, and are interpreted in terms of context, their position in a spread. I don’t feel the need to basically double the number of meanings in a deck when I’m doing my readings. As many people do read reversals though, I’ve included reversed meanings for each card in this book. For some cards, traditionally reversed meanings can be the opposite of the upright meaning. For other cards, the meaning can be the same, but with less emphasis. I’m hoping that you only use this small book as a guide if you’re first starting in tarot. I’m a firm adherent of the “make your own meanings” school, and since reversed meanings aren’t really evident from looking at the cards, I wouldn’t recommend using reversals if you prefer to use your intuition in reading the cards. An exception to this is Zach Wong’s fascinating Revelations deck, where the images were designed to be read differently upright or reversed. 34

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»» Multiple reversals in a spread: Confusion, conflicting messages. Perhaps now is not the right time to act, when the options are unclear. Solutions found by taking an opposite view, standing in the other person’s shoes.

Significators A Significator is a card selected to represent the sitter. It’s usually one of the Court cards—Page, Knight, Queen or King, or else a Major Arcana such as the Hierophant or High Priestess. It is found in the deck before shuffling and placed on the table near where the spread will be laid. Reading with a Significator, like reading with reversals, is optional. I sometimes use a Significator. Mine is the Queen of Wands of course, since in many decks it includes a black cat.

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Spreads A spread or layout is a pattern in which you lay tarot cards, assigning meanings to the positions in which they appear. I like small spreads personally. From time to time I use the full Celtic Cross, and I’ll include that most common of spreads here in case you don’t know it already, but mostly I use small spreads. I have one larger spread designed specially for Touchstone, the Love Knot Spread. It’s not a large spread so much as two small spreads with a pair of extra cards that relate to the relationship between the two spreads. We’ll start with the most basic of spreads, if you can call one card a spread.

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One-Card Spread Card of the Day Choosing a card (either deliberately or by drawing at random) and thinking about it throughout the day is a great way to familiarize yourself with a new deck. Does the card perhaps remind you of something happening in your life right now? Does it suggest some new idea or project? Perhaps it reminds you of someone in your life: do they need your support right now? Choosing a Card of the Day ties in very well with journaling. Throughout the day, think about the card, what it means and how that could apply in your life. Can you think of people—friends, family, fictional characters, historical or contemporary public figures—who the card makes you think of? Because I’m a bit of a geek, I set my Card of the Day as the wallpaper on my computer and cell phone. If you’re not that way inclined, you could just sit the actual card somewhere that you’ll see it throughout the day.

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Three-Card Spreads Past Present Future The cards are shuffled, cut and laid left to right. I find it helpful to ask a specific question, especially in relation to a simple spread. There are many other options for three-card spreads such as: Within, Without, Beyond; and Body, Mind, Spirit (from Mary K. Greer’s Tarot for Your Self).

1 2 3 Past

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Present

Future

Larger Spreads Celtic Cross This is probably the most popular spread. It comes from the Pictorial Key to the Tarot, A.E. Waite’s book that was written as a companion to the Rider-WaiteSmith tarot deck. There are many different variations of the Celtic Cross, mainly in the names of the cards and the order in which they are laid. I won’t go into much detail; it’s such a standard and will probably be covered in detail in any book you buy if you’re a beginner. If you’re not a beginner, the last thing you need is another long and detailed coverage of the Celtic Cross. So here it is…

0

10

4

Significator

Outcome

4

2

5

Behind

Cross

Crown

Cover

3

Beneath

6

Before

9

Hopes & Fears

8

House

7 Self

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0 Significator: an optional card selected to represent the sitter. 1 Cover: the general influences currently affecting the sitter and their question or situation. 2 Cross: obstacles that the sitter may be facing 3 Beneath: the foundation, the sitter’s background, what they have to work with internally. 4 Crown: what they can achieve, the sitter’s goal in the matter in question, what they can become. 5 Behind: external factors that are now passing out of influence in the situation in question. 6 Before: external factors that will soon begin to influence the situation in question. 7 Self: the sitter’s present attitude or position in relation to the question. 8 House: factors of influence from those close to the sitter, their family and close friends. 9 Hopes and Fears: just what you’d guess this position means. 10 Outcome: the likely result if the sitter maintains their chosen path on the matter in question. Sometimes called the Future position.

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The Love Knot Spread I designed this spread for Touchstone because it’s such an unusual deck in the way the cards read that I thought it deserved a spread of its own. Not some gimmicky thematic spread just for the sake of it, but something really useful, something that reflected the heart of the deck. Touchstone is a deck about people, so relationship readings are its real strength. That doesn’t necessarily mean romantic relationships: our lives are full of relationships with friends, family and work colleagues. You could use it when considering a new business partnership, for example. Although the cards laid out may look like a cross, the way they are read will explain the name. The seemingly complicated designs of Celtic Knots are really very simple and logical if you trace them with your finger. They are usually a very simple pattern repeated and d

f

h

1 2 3

a

Past

c

Present

e

Future

g

8

Assets

7

4 5 6

b

Past

Present

Future

Obstacles

You

They Kat Black

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interlocked over and over until you come back to where you began. After reading “you” and “they” as two self-contained three-card spreads, you then interpret each corresponding card through the central cards of “obstacles” and “assets.” The basis of this spread is that a relationship is two sided. This is really two spreads, and then an analysis of the relationship between those two spreads. Most tarot spreads are linear. You start at one end and read to the other. In the Love Knot, there’s a lot more back and forth. It may look a little complicated, but once you get the point it’s very easy, especially if you’re used to doing three-card spreads. You can substitute any threecard spread here, I’ve used the common Past, Present, Future version to demonstrate. a) 1, 2, 3. First, read the You spread for the sitter: Past, Present, Future. b) 4, 5, 6. Then read the They cards in a similar manner for the other person in question. c) 1 and 4 with 7. Compare the respective Past cards and consider the Obstacles card. This suggests the way in which your respective pasts could be causing problems in the relationship. d) 1 and 4 with 8. We then move up to the Assets card. This suggests the way in which events in your respective pasts could be utilized to enhance the relationship e) 2 and 5 with 7. Compare the respective Present 42

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cards and again consider the Obstacles card. This suggests the way in which your current situation/feelings could be causing problems in the relationship. f) 2 and 5 with 8. For those same two cards, now consider the Assets card. How can you maximize your strengths, compatibilities and complementary traits to enhance the relationship NOW? g) 3 and 6 with 7. Compare the respective Future cards. Consider the Obstacles card. This suggests the way in which your future situation/feelings/ plans could cause problems in the relationship. h) 3 and 6 with 8. Now relate the two Future cards considering the Assets card. This is the most important part: how to make the most of your respective traits to improve the relationship and face whatever comes. To plan together to achieve what’s best for each of you, making the best use of your similarities and differences. I asked the owners of the Limited Edition of Touchstone Tarot to try this spread out for me, and I got some wonderful readings sent back to me. See appendix.

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Journaling and other creative pursuits A tarot journal is like a diary where you talk about your relationship with the cards. You can use a plain notebook and assign a page to each card, or you can buy specially made journals with a page for each card. For a deck like Touchstone, your own personal interpretations are intended to be more important than the brief meanings contained in this book, so I highly recommend starting a tarot journal. It’s a great way to get familiar with a new deck, and will really deepen your relationship with tarot. Participating in tarot study groups, either online or in ‘real life’ life is another great way to better understand the tarot. You’ll find a study group a real help with your journaling too. Writers of fiction are increasingly finding tarot a useful tool in character development. The archetypes of the tarot are universal, representing so many aspects of human personality and behavior.

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Other uses for the deck There are a number of games specifically for tarot decks. In fact, use of tarot decks for games pre-dates their use for divination according to historical sources researched by tarot scholars in recent years. Tarot games are still played in many countries. They are usually complex, trick-based games. You can even play Patience and other games with a tarot deck by removing the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana’s Pages—voila, you have a standard fifty-twocard deck. A close friend of mine who passed away after a long battle with cancer played Patience with my Golden Tarot deck every day once she was bedridden. Since it doesn’t have small symbols in the corners, it’s not ideal for the purpose, but in a pinch it does the job. She said she liked the challenge.

The Touchstone Deck Touchstone is a traditional seventy-eight-card tarot deck with illustrated Minors in the tradition of the RiderWaite-Smith deck. There are twenty-two Major Arcana cards and then the Minor Arcana with four suits of fourteen cards each­—Wands, Cups, Swords and Coins.

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The Major Arcana The Major Arcana cards represent the “big issues” in life, which transcend the everyday. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.”

0 The Fool A carefree young man with a flower in his hat wanders by a cliff’s edge. A dog looks up to him. In the distance are hills and a bright blue sky with fluffy white clouds. While this card traditionally has the young man carrying a bundle on a stick, this Fool instead carries a flute. He stares away into the distance, as though a melody is playing in his head and he is about to absentmindedly start playing along with the tune. He carries a basket, casually strung on his back. Perhaps he has been playing in a field, picking flowers, singing and dancing a jig with his canine 46

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friend. Now he wanders close to a rocky cliff, but is oblivious to any danger. n Meanings: Beginner’s Luck. Naïve enthusiasm. A hopeful journey commences. A sudden, unexpected event may influence the matter in question. Listen to the advice of a loyal friend. o Reversed: Foolhardy disregard for consequences. Inertia, pessimism. Unwillingness to accept reality. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • •

Painting Sources

Sky, mountain: WOUWERMAN, Philips, Landscape with Peasants by a Cottage, 1651-53, private collection. Cliff, rocks: MEMLING, Hans, Triptych of the Family Moreel, 1484, Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Flute, fool: BIJLERT, Jan van, Shepherd Holding a Flute, 1630-35, private collection. Borzoi dog: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Diana Returning from Hunt, c.1615, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Basket: BEUCKELAER, Joachim, Woman Selling Vegetables, c.1560, Rockox House, Antwerp.

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I The Magician An enigmatic man with a knowing smile and fine clothing covered in mystical symbols displays an array of items: a knife, a coin, a cup and a wand. There are books on the shelf, and an owl perches behind him. In his right hand, he holds a small gold orb on a chain. n Meanings: A wise person with deep knowledge. You are the sum of what you know. Assess your choices well, using all available tools. An important new venture begins. Scientific knowledge. Action. o Reversed: Take care whom you trust. Beware sleight of hand. Instability, fear of the unknown, inaction. Misuse of power, talent wasted. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” •

Painting Sources:

•

Staircase: RING, Ludger tom, the Younger, The Delphic Sibyl, 1500s, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Books: GUERCINO, Portrait of Francesco Righetti, 1626-

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• • • • • • • • • •

28, private collection. Face, shirt: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Cardinal Bibbiena, c.1516, Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence. Cape, cap: KULMBACH, Hans Süss von, Portrait of the Margrave Casimir of Brandenburg,1511, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Right hand with orb: OOSTANEN, Jacob Cornelisz van, Portrait of a Man, c.1518, private collection. Right sleeve, left hand: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, Portrait of a Man, 1462, National Gallery, London. Table: RIJN, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van, The Holy Family with a Curtain, 1646, Staatliche Museen, Kassel. Knife: DIJCK, Floris Claes van, Still Life with Fruit, Nuts and Cheese, 1613, Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. Wand: MASSYS, Quentin, The Adoration of the Magi, 1526, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Owl: DÜRER, Albrecht, The Little Owl, 1506, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna. Cup: SCHOOTEN, Floris Gerritsz van, Still life with Glass, Cheese, Butter and Cake,1600s, private collection. Coin: MASSYS, Quentin, The Moneylender and his Wife, 1514, Musée du Louvre, Paris.

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II The High Priestess A mysterious, androgynous woman in a dark blue robe and double-peaked gold headdress stands between two pillars, one light, one dark. She holds a scroll, a pomegranate and a finely tooled red leather book. A crescent moon and waterfall can be seen behind her. She looks directly at the viewer with her large, dark eyes. The face in this composition is by the female Renaissance painter Sofonisba Anguissola. It’s titled as a portrait of her sister Minerva, but looks strikingly similar to Sofonisba’s many self-portraits of the same era. Sofonisba was from a remarkable family, where her father encouraged all of his children to reach their full potential. A number of her sisters also became painters, although none as well known as her. In her late 40s she married a sea captain decades younger than herself, and they lived a happy married life until her death in her 90s. Seven years after her death, on what would have been her hundredth birthday, her husband had inscribed on her tomb: “To Sofonisba, my wife … who is recorded among the illustrious women of the world, outstanding in portraying the images of man … Orazio Lomellino, in sorrow for the loss of his great love, in 1632, dedicated this little tribute to such a great 50

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woman.” I thought that the High Priestess was a perfect role for her, a woman who achieved greatness in her lifetime, despite the limitations placed on her by society. Forbidden to study nudes and therefore finding large multi-figure church commissions impossible, she revolutionized the art of portraiture. Those who were influenced by her work included Sir Anthony Van Dyck and Pieter Pauwel Rubens. n Meanings: A mysterious, insightful woman. A keeper of secrets and esoteric knowledge. Stillness and contemplation. The Divine Feminine. o Reversed: Emotions run wild. Neuroses, destructive passion, illicit affairs, secrets exposed. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • •

Painting Sources:

Water: GREBBER, Pieter de, Moses Striking the Rock, c. 1630, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Tourcoing. Moon: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Descent from the Cross, 1612-14, O.-L. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp. Pillars: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523, National Gallery, London. Nun body: BELLINI, Giovanni, Madonna and Child, 1485-90, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Kat Black

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• • • • • • • •

Face: ANGUISSOLA, Sofonisba, Portrait of Minerva Anguissola, c.1550, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. Pomegranate: HEEM, Jan Davidsz de, Festoon of Fruits and Flowers, 1660-70, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Left hand: BOTTICELLI, Sandro, Madonna of the Pomegranate, c. 1487, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Book: BELLINI, Giovanni, Portrait of Teodoro of Urbino,1515, National Gallery, London. Scroll: GHIRLANDAIO, Domenico, Adoration of the Magi, 1488, Spedale degli Innocenti, Florence. Headdress fabric: GEERTGEN, tot Sint Jans, The Holy Kinship, 1475-80, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Peaked metallic hat: RIBERA, José de, Simeon with Christ Child, 1647, Marquis of Bristol Collection. Brooch: BRONZINO, Agnolo, The Panciatichi Holy Family, 1540, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

III The Empress A gentle-looking woman meditates, surrounded by symbols of fertility: flowers, corn, grapes, wheat and other produce from a bountiful harvest. A plump hare sits amidst the harvest. This is Demeter, the “earth mother.” She may be pregnant, suggesting the beginning of a new project, the forming of a practical plan. 52

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n Meanings: Matriarchal Authority. Fertility, creation, nurturing love. The Earthly Feminine. Collaboration, co-operation, working together. The earth’s natural abundance and balance. Emotional intelligence. o Reversed: Bare earth. Barrenness, drought, apathy, weakness. Abandonment or neglect. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Bountiful harvest: HEEM, Jan Davidsz, The Eucharist in Fruit Wreath, 1648, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Hare: DÜRER, Albrecht, Young Hare, 1502, Graphische Sammlung Albertina, Vienna. Body, hat: RIJN, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van, Saskia as Flora, 1634, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Face: GREBBER, Pieter de, Mother and Child, 1622, Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. Roses: EVERDINGEN, Caesar van, Bacchus with Nymphs and Cupid, c.1660, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Scythe: ROMANELLI, Giovanni Francesco, Ceres, c.1660, private collection. Hair: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Duke of Buckingham, c.1625, Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence.

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IV The Emperor An alert, bearded fatherly figure sits on a stone throne adorned by rams’ heads. He holds an orb and scepter, and wears a bejeweled crown and majestic goldtrimmed cape and gloves. Around his neck he wears a black eagle on a gold medallion. His long beard and hair are graying, but he is still a strong, confident figure of authority, a man of experience and earthly power. n Meanings: Patriarchal Authority. Virility. Competition, aggression, desire to rule. Masculine strength. Rational intelligence, decisiveness, logic. Order, structure, rules to be followed. o Reversed: A stubborn man. Misguided action, inability to compromise even when that is the logical course. Inconstancy, indecisiveness. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” Painting Sources:

•

Throne, rams’ heads: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Raising of the Cross, 1610, O.-L. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp.

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• • •

Emperor: DÜRER, Albrecht, Emperor Charlemagne, c. 1512, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg. Face: AMBERGER, Christoph, Goldsmith Jörg Zürer of Augsburg, 1531, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Brown tunic: BEHAM, Barthel, Portrait of a Man, 1525-30, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden.

V The Hierophant An aloof young man in papal regalia stands between two pillars. His regalia includes a large peaked hat covered in ornate decorations, a gold cape with a beaded collar, a gilded hook staff and a pair of large gilt keys on a chain around his neck. He has chiseled features but soft, blue-grey eyes. An older man, perhaps a priest or donor, kneels beside him at a respectful distance. n Meanings: A spiritual leader. A tendency to conservatism and conformity. A spiritual awakening or calling. Education, a desire for higher learning and consciousness. o Reversed: Beware false prophets. Ignore those who tell you what to believe or how to behave. Take responsibility for your own moral choices. Follow your own path. Kat Black

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»» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Pillars: VERONESE, Paolo, Feast in the House of Levi, 1573, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice. Pope’s chest, hat, collar: GRÜNEWALD Matthias, Meeting of St Erasm and St Maurice, 1517-23, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Face: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, Philippe de Croy, c.1460, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp. Staff: STOM, Matthias, St Ambrose, 1600s, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basle. Keys: MASTER of MOULINS, Pierre II, Duke of Bourbon, Presented by St. Peter, 1492-93, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Donor: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, The Last Supper, 1464-67, Sint-Pieterskerk, Leuven.

VI The Lovers A young couple stand naked in a landscape. She offers a primitive fruit and looks directly at the viewer. He is bearded, with long unkempt hair. An angel hovers above them, touching them with a blessing. In the distance is a large, snowy mountain peak. n Meanings: A blessed partnership. Choices to be made, but a favorable outcome is likely. A mutually beneficial 56

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alliance. Balance of the Male and Female, logic and compassion, reason and responsibility. o Reversed: Partnership problems. An important issue with a relationship needs addressing: jealousy, division, incompatible goals or beliefs. Difficult choices to be made. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sky: UDEN, Lucas van, Panoramic River Landscape, 1600s, private collection. Mountain: CARIANI, Sacred Conversation, 1524-30, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Sun: CRESPI, Giovanni Battista, St Gregory Delivers the Soul of a Monk, 1617, S. Vittore, Varese. Angel’s lower body: ALBANI, Francesco, The Annunciation, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Angel’s upper body: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Poetry, 1509-11, Stanza della Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. Angel’s face: VOS, Cornelis de, Elisabeth (or Cornelia) Vekemans as a Young Girl, c.1625, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp. Eve’s body, Adam: EYCK, Jan van, The Ghent Altarpiece, Kat Black

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•

1425-29, Cathedral of St Bavo, Ghent. Woman’s face: POURBUS, Frans the Elder, Portrait of a Young Woman, 1581, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent.

VII The Chariot A warrior woman rides in a golden chariot, her hair and robe flying in the wind. Her plumed helmet is topped by a sphinx, and she carries a scepter and shield. Her chariot is decorated by a roaring lion, but a white dove flies in the sky behind her, trailing a golden cloud. n Meanings: United, we stand. An inspiring leader brings together conflicting parties. Victory through compromise. Force of will, motivation, commitment to a common goal. o Reversed: Disquiet ignored can lead to rebellion. Possible collapse of an agreement through petty squabbles. Take care to prevent minor complaints escalating. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.”

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• • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sky: DEL SARTO, Andrea, The Annunciation, 1512-13, Galleria Palatina (Palazzo Pitti), Florence. Body of woman, sphinx helmet: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Marie de Medicis as Bellona, 1622-25, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Chariot: RIJN, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van, The Abduction of Proserpine, 1631, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Face: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Eleonora of Toledo, c.1545, National Gallery, Prague. Shield: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Triumph of Victory, c.1614, Staatliche Museen, Kassel.

VIII Strength A beautiful young woman with a garland of flowers in her hair opens the jaws of a lion. There are wild herbs in the foreground and a river and castle in the distance. A lemniscate or infinity symbol hovers above the woman’s head. n Meanings: Strength through persuasion. Use of force to dominate will ultimately fail. It is more effective to settle peaceably than to invade. You have the inner strength to face all of life’s challenges. o Reversed: Lack of commitment. Self doubt and willingness to Kat Black

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capitulate instead of asserting one’s sense of what is right and protecting the weak. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Landscape, castle, sky, body: DA SESTO, Cesare, Madonna and Child with the Lamb of God, c.1515, Museo Poldi Pezzoli, Milan. Lion: CRANACH, Lucas the Elder, Samson’s Fight with the Lion, 1520-25, Kunstsammlungen, Weimar. Face: COXCIE, Michiel van, Saint Cecilia, 1569, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Ribbon: EVERDINGEN, Caesar van, Amor Holding a Glass Orb, c.1660, private collection. Garland: ZURBARÁN, Francisco de, St Casilda of Burgos, 1638-42, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

IX The Hermit A brown-robed monk stands in a dark forest at night. He carries a lantern, but his eyes are closed. A stag, a cat and an owl watch him. The central figure in this card is St Francis in Ecstasy by Caravaggio. Although St Francis is not specifically associated with this card in traditional tarot, I feel his 60

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relationship with both the divine and also the natural world makes him a good representation of the archetype of the Hermit. n Meanings: Look within. A time for reflection, quietness and solitude. Stand apart from your everyday life to assess your goals. You will find the answers you seek there. o Reversed: A lonely recluse. Isolation, lack of necessary social skills. Inability to empathize or compromise. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Landscape: ELSHEIMER, Adam, Jacob’s Dream, 1600s, Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt. Owl: GOLTZIUS, Hendrick, Minerva, 1611, Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. Deer: CRANACH, Lucas the Elder, Adam and Eve, 1533, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Monk and habit: CARAVAGGIO, St. Francis in Ecstasy, c.1595, Wadsworth Atheneum, Hartford, Connecticut. Cat: METSU, Gabriel, Woman Eating (aka The Cat’s Kat Black

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• •

Breakfast), c.1662-65, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Chain: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Sir William Butts, 1543, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston. Lantern, rocks: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Descent from the Cross, 1612-14, O.-L. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp.

X The Wheel of Fortune A wheel of robed figures holding messages is flanked by the symbols of the four evangelists: an angel, an eagle, a bull and a lion. n Meanings: The only constant is change. Life moves ever onward in an eternal cycle. Misfortunes may come, but they will also pass. Seek a new beginning, a fresh path, and good fortune will follow. o Reversed: Run over by the wheel of life. Those who cannot adapt to life’s constant flux will never be content. Take care not to become bitter, for all misfortunes are balanced by Fate’s gifts. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” 62

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• • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Angel wings and body: GENTILESCHI, Orazio, St Francis Supported by an Angel, c. 1603, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Eagle: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Abduction of Ganymede, 1611-12, Schwarzenberg Palace, Vienna. Wheel: ANGELICO, Fra, The Vision of Ezekiel, c. 1450, Museo di San Marco, Florence. Bull: BACKER, Jacob de, The Nativity, 1500s, private collection. Boy’s face: PERUGINO, Pietro, Portrait of a Young Man, 1495, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Lion: CRANACH, Lucas the Elder, Cardinal Albrecht von Brandenburg as St. Jerome, 1526, Ringling Museum of Art, Florida.

XI Justice A young woman in a classical robe sits on a large marble and gilt throne. She holds a sword above her head in her right hand, and in her left she balances a set of scales. An owl perches above her. n Meanings: Do the right thing. Protect the weak, and guard against your own weaknesses. Treat others as you would be treated, and consider the common good not just what is best for you. In all things, be fair. Kat Black

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o Reversed: An undeserved result. Injustice, inconsistency and unfairness. If you do something you know is wrong to get ahead, your conscience will not let you enjoy your success. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Columns, wall: VERONESE, Paolo, The Vision of St Helena, c. 1580, Pinacoteca, Vatican. Throne: ISENBRANT, Adriaen, Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows, 1518-35, O.L. Vrouwekerk, Bruges. Owl: BOGDÁNY, Jakab, Fowls and Owl, 1600s, Hungarian National Gallery, Budapest. Justice: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Justice, 1509-11, Stanza della Segnatura, Palazzi Pontifici, Vatican. Face: GELDORP, Gortzius, Portrait of a Lady, 1597, private collection.

XII The Hanged Man This card traditionally portrays a man hung upsidedown, with his legs forming a cross. As this deck is not one of esoteric symbols so much as real people, I have used one of the many paintings of St Sebastian as I felt this in keeping with the meaning of the card. 64

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n Meanings: Accept the things you cannot change. There can be peace in resignation. Deep commitment to your own beliefs can protect you from society’s scorn, but respect that others may not share your beliefs. o Reversed: A false martyr. If you are always feeling like a victim, then take responsibility to claim more control of your own life. If we ask to be treated poorly, then we cannot complain at the treatment. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • •

Painting Sources:

Garden: HAARLEM, Cornelis Cornelisz van, The Fall of Man, 1592 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Tree: BLOMMENDAEL, Reyer van, Paris and Oenone, c. 1655, Palais des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Man: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Polyptych of the Resurrection: St Sebastian, 1520, Santi Nazaro e Celso, Brescia. Halo: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona.

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XIII Death A woman lies on a bed, recently deceased. Although the setting is one of poverty and grime, she looks as though she has passed peacefully. A woman grieves beside her and a skeleton appears in the darkness holding an hourglass and a coffin decorated with a Tudor rose. The two women are from Caravaggio’s controversial painting The Death of the Virgin, which shocked audiences in its day by portraying the Virgin as a very mortal (and poor) woman instead of the usual portrayal of Mary being carried to heaven on the wings of angels. Such gritty realism was revolutionary, and the painting was refused by those who commissioned it. n Meanings: Massive change. If your life finished today, would you be happy with your achievements? If not, make bold changes to have the life you would truly be proud of. You only get one life: really live it. o Reversed: A life half-lived. Stagnation, resistance to change. Slow decay without ever breaking into bloom. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given 66

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over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • •

Painting Sources:

Skeleton: VALDÉS LEAL, Juan de, In Ictu Oculi, 1670-72, Hospital de la Caridad, Seville. Tudor rose: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Sir Thomas More, 1527, Frick Collection, New York. Women: CARAVAGGIO, The Death of the Virgin 16041606, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Hourglass: BAILLY, David, Self-Portrait with Vanitas Symbols, 1651, Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden.

XIV Temperance A young woman in a demure brown costume with a white hat and veil pours water from a jug into a cup. Beside her is a statuette of an angel. A dove perches on the bench, and behind her is a jug full of Iris and Lilies. She modestly averts her eyes. The face is that of a young Katharine of Aragon, recently widowed after the death of Arthur, Prince of Wales and before she married his younger brother Henry VIII, a pragmatic solution to a diplomatic dilemma. n Meanings: A balanced life. With spiritual, emotional and material Kat Black

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needs met, this is a time of equilibrium. Moderation, satisfaction with life’s gifts. Skilled diplomacy and negotiation. The middle path. o Reversed: Self-destructiveness. Lack of ability to moderate one’s actions and emotions. Conflict. Imbalance. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Face: SITTOW, Michael, Katharine of Aragon, c.1502, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Habit, timber: RING, Ludger tom, the Younger, The Delphic Sibyl, 1500s, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Iris: MEMLING, Hans, Flower Still Life, c. 1490, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. Table: ROMBOUTS, Theodor, The Card Players, 1600s, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp. Angel statue: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Resurrection of Christ, 1611-12 O.-L. Vrouwekathedraal, Antwerp. Dove: BOTTICELLI, Sandro, Giuliano de’ Medici, 147677, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Pouring jug: BLOMMENDAEL, Reyer van, Xantippe Dousing Socrates, c.1655, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg. Cup: METSU, Gabriel, The Sick Child, c.1660, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Water from jar: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Union of Earth and Water, c.1618, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

XV The Devil A bearded, ruddy-cheeked Satyr dressed in a wolfskin offers the viewer a bunch of grapes with a knowing leer. Behind him is a wall of rock and fire, to which a nude couple are chained. A small figure dances in the flames. n Meanings: A destructive path. Temptation, addiction, vice. Inability to face one’s fears and demons. Question your own motives. Identify your true goals, then look for reasons to succeed, not excuses to fail. o Reversed: Taking control of your life. Sobriety, freeing oneself from the chains of vice or oppression. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • •

Painting Sources:

Fire: MEMLING, Hans, The Last Judgment, 1467-71, Muzeum Narodowe, Gdansk. Stickdancer: BOSCH, Hieronymus, The Last Judgment (fragment of Hell), 1400s, private collection. Satyr: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Two Satyrs, 1618-19, Alte

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• •

Pinakothek, Munich. Chains: TINTORETTO, The Liberation of Arsinoe, c.1556, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Adam and Eve: COXCIE, Michiel van, Original Sin, 1500s, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

XVI The Tower A castle’s tower burns fiercely and begins to crumble. A giant golden crown falls from the top of the castle, and a small black devil flies off into the stormy sky. In the foreground, a red-haired man and youth in brown robes weep and pray. n Meanings: The mighty can fall. No riches can protect us from the hand of fate. We build our walls, but they can crumble. A storm will strike. Chaos, upheaval, massive and unexpected change. o Reversed: A House of Cards. The higher you build a façade, the weaker it is and the easier it will fall when calamity strikes. It is time to tear it down and start again with a stronger foundation. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. 70

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There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Stormy sky: BEERSTRATEN, Jan Abrahamsz, Village of Nieukoop in Winter with Child Funeral, 1600s, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Fire: BOSCH, Hieronymus, Hell, 1500-04, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Large crown: VERONESE, Paolo, Juno Showering Gifts on Venetia, 1554-56, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Castle: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, The Execution of the Innocent Count, c.1460, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Praying man: MASSYS, Quentin, Christ on the Cross with Donors, c.1520, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp. Weeping youth: HEMESSEN, Jan Sanders van, The Lamentation of Christ, 1500s, Rockox House, Antwerp. Devil flying: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, Hell, 1450, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille.

XVII The Star A young woman sits beside a stream in a state of undress, as though preparing to bathe. Water pours from a large terracotta jar onto the earth, and she pours water into the stream from a smaller terracotta jar. Her golden hair is loosely tied, and her robes are of rich silk and fine linen. A crown of stars circles above her head and a shooting star appears in the sky. In the distance, a heron Kat Black

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fishes in the stream. n Meanings: A shining path. Dreams realized, hopes fulfilled. Great joy. Good health, happiness and success on many levels. Acclaim for your creative accomplishments. o Reversed: An obstacle on your path. Success and happiness are so close, but there is a block to their fulfillment. Clear the block and reach your true potential. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” •

Painting Sources:

•

Star halo, sky: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Immaculate Conception, c. 1628, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Nude: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Sacred and Profane Love, 1514, Galleria Borghese, Rome. Shooting star: Master MS, The Adoration of the Magi, 1506-10, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Plinth: BADALOCCHIO, Sisto, Susanna and the Elders, c. 1609, Ringling Museum of Art, Sarasota. Pouring water, jar: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Union of Earth and Water, c. 1618, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Jug: BOSCH, Hieronymus, The Temptation of St Anthony,

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• • • •

• • •

1505-06, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Lisbon. Stream: GENTILESCHI, Orazio, Landscape with St Christopher, 1605-10, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Nipple: EYCK, Jan van, The Ghent Altarpiece: Eve, 1425-29, Cathedral of St Bavo, Ghent. Stork: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, The Miraculous Draught of Fishes, 1515, Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

XVIII The Moon A young girl in a white and gold robe stands beside a wild sea, holding a crab. She is flanked by two pillars, one male and one female. A huge full moon hangs in the sky behind her. n Meanings: Nature’s cycles always turn. That which is hidden will become revealed. Seek the subtle wisdom that hides from the harsh light of day. Emotions, intuition and dreams. o Reversed: Intuition ignored, dreams dismissed. Your subconscious may be trying to tell you something, and it’s time to listen. Secrets may soon be exposed. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. Kat Black

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There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Moon: CARAVAGGIO, Jupiter, Neptune and Pluto, 15971600, Casino Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome. Stormy sea: PEETERS, Bonaventura the Elder, Shipwreck, 1600s, National Gallery, Prague. Crab: DÜRER, Albrecht, A Crab, 1495, Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen, Rotterdam. Column, male: JORDAENS, Jacob, Portrait of Rogier Le Witer, 1635, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Column, female: JORDAENS, Jacob, Portrait of Catharina Behagel, wife of Rogier Le Witer, 1635 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Girl: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Darmstadt Madonna, 1526-28, Schlossmuseum, Darmstadt.

XIX The Sun A smiling toddler rides a white horse within a walled garden. The sun shines and sunflowers bloom within the garden. n Meanings: It’s a beautiful day. Great joy, spiritual and material success. As you reap this bountiful harvest, however, take care to put 74

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stocks aside for leaner times. o Reversed: Don’t get burned. This is a time of success, but do not take it for granted. A harvest hoarded can soon be spoiled, and too much sun can be fatal. Share your good fortune. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sun: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Assumption of the Virgin, 1516-18, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice. Wall: GRÜNEWALD, Matthias, Nativity, c.1515, Musée d’Unterlinden, Colmar. Sunflowers: HEEM, Jan Davidsz de, Fruit and Flower Still Life, 1650, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Baby body: FRANCIA, Francesco, The Holy Family, c.1510, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Red fabric: GUERCINO, St Marguerite, 1600s, San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome. Horse: EYCK, Jan van, Ghent Altarpiece, 1432, St. Bavo Cathedral, Ghent. Face: BRONZINO Agnolo, Portrait of Giovanni de’ Medici, c.1549, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.

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XX Judgement A woman in a plain dark robe and white wimple holds her hands together in prayer. In the background, figures stand around an open tomb from which flowers emerge. A golden-haired angel flying above them blows a long trumpet. In the distance, large craggy mountain peaks reach up to touch the clouds. n Meanings: Heed the herald’s call. Deep satisfaction with what you have achieved. A current project will draw to a close, but an exciting new one will commence. A dramatic life-changing and positive experience. o Reversed: Don’t stick your head in the sand. You are ignoring an important change that has happened. You need to acknowledge that change to make use of it and allow it to enrich your life. »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” Painting Sources:

•

Mountains, clouds: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian),

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• • • • • •

Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple, 1534-38, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice. Angel: SARACENI, Carlo, Saint Cecilia and the Angel, c.1610, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome, Sarcophagus: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, The Crowning of the Virgin, 1502-03, Pinacoteca, Vatican. Ground: CARIANI, St Sebastian between St Roch and St Margaret, 1500s, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Marseille. Praying woman: HORENBOUT, Gerard, Portraits of Lieven van Pottelsberghe and his Wife (Livina van Steelant), 1500s, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent. Angel face: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, St Cecilia, 1514, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna. Trumpet: STROZZI, Bernardo, A Personification of Fame, 1600s, National Gallery, London.

XXI The World A nude man stands in the clouds, surrounded by a wreath of laurel leaves and the faces of a woman, an eagle, a bull and a lion. A light cloth protects his modesty, and he holds two golden rods, one aloft and one by his side. n Meanings: True fulfillment. Abundance, success, enlightenment, contentment. You are a role model: others want to follow your example. With this comes responsibility. Kat Black

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Share your wisdom and good fortune. o Reversed: Can’t get no satisfaction. For all you have achieved, you are still not content. Perhaps you have set unattainable goals and not taken joy in the increments you have made towards those goals? »» Multiple Majors in a spread: A significant time in your life, perhaps a turning point or an epiphany. There are powerful forces at work. Solutions given over to Fate and what seems “meant to be.” • • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Sky: EVERDINGEN, Allaert van, Hendrick Trip’s Cannon Foundry at Julita Bruk, Södermanland, Sweden, c.1645-75, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Eagle: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Jupiter and Callisto, 1613, Staatliche Museen, Kassel. Lady’s face: MIJTENS, Jan, Lady Playing the Lute, 1648, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Nude man: RENI, Guido, The Triumph of Samson, 1611-12, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna. Laurel leaves: GIORGIONE, Portrait of a Young Woman (Laura), 1506, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Rods: DAVID, Gerard, The Annunciation, c.1520, Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt. Lion: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, c.1615, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Cow: AERTSEN, Pieter, Adoration of the Shepherds, c.1565, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

The Minor Arcana Suit of Wands Suit Meanings: Wands are the suit of fire and correspond to the modern playing card deck’s clubs. They represent the medieval peasant class, those who work the land and craftspeople. They’re a suit of strength, confidence, practical ability and the ability to make the most of what you’ve got. The wands are always sprouting new leaves, representing the life energy and creativity suggested by this suit. I have used the color of Venetian Red for the suit of Wands. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.”

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Ace of Wands A sultry angel in a red satin gown holds a wand. Behind her is a lush forested landscape with a hill topped by a castle. There are fluffy white clouds in the blue sky. Beside her is a brazier filled with glowing coals. The face is that of Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia of Spain by Sofonisba Anguissola. Isabella was cosovereign of the Spanish-occupied Netherlands and northern France during the Golden Age of the Baroque from which much of the art used in Touchstone comes. This painting was done by the same artist mentioned in the High Priestess. n Meanings: The essence of fire. The spark of life. Creation, innovation, new growth. Independence, autonomy, selfreliance. A sudden explosion of activity. o Reversed: Too much, too soon. Great energy and enthusiasm, but perhaps needing more direction. Inability to act decisively, impotence. »» Multiple Aces in a spread: Gifts and opportunities, powerful positive forces at work. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. 80

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An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Ground, castle: RUISDAEL, Jacob Isaackszon van, Bentheim Castle, 1653, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Blue sky, clouds: RUISDAEL, Jacob Isaackszon van, View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds, c.1665, Kunsthaus, Zurich. Face: ANGUISSOLA, Sofonisba, Infanta Isabella Clara Eugenia, 1599, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Wings: MEMLING, Hans, The Last Judgment, 1467-71, Muzeum Narodowe, Gdansk. Angel body: PEREDA, Antonio de, Allegory, c. 1654, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Brazier: EVERDINGEN, Caesar van, Winter, 1646, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Two of Wands A woman in a sumptuous, billowing red velvet gown sits on a balcony staring out to sea. In front of her sits a globe of the world. Her ash-blonde hair is held back high on her head in an ornately dressed bun. She holds one sprouting wand in her left hand and another sits behind her against the wall. n Meanings: And yet, you yearn. Although you have the world in the palm of your hand, fulfillment is still out of reach. You may build an empire, but then feel trapped within it. o Reversed: The tide is turning. Time to set sail for new adventures, leaving behind your worldly comforts and social position. »» Multiple Twos in a spread: Duality, two sides of a conversation. Conference and negotiation. Balance, wisdom. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” Painting Sources: 82

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• • • • • • • •

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Blue sky: HALS, Dirck, The Fête Champêtre, 1627, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Cove: RUISDAEL, Jacob van, The Mill at Wijk-bijDuurstede, c.1670, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Face: POLLAIUOLO, Antonio del, Portrait of a Young Woman, c.1475, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Balcony: CARPACCIO, Vittore, The Virgin Reading, 150510, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Red gown: BRUGGHEN, Hendrick ter, The Adoration of the Magi, 1619, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Globe: STOSKOPFF, Sébastien, Summer or the Five Senses, 1633, Musée de l’Oeuvre de Notre Dame, Strasbourg.

Three of Wands A young man in a rich gold and red patterned gown stands overlooking a harbor into which ships are sailing. He holds a wand in each hand, and a third rests beside him. The sky is golden, as though the sun is setting. He looks deep in thought. n Meanings: Your ship sails in. Your hard work will soon pay off. You are in a solid position, with Kat Black

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material security, satisfaction in your work and respect from your peers. o Reversed: Insecurity strikes. The vantage point you climbed to reach may suddenly seem a perilous position. Seek new allies, review your position to one with less risk so you can feel secure again. »» Multiple Threes in a spread: A result is near. A project nears production, the fruit of a union has been sown and will soon burst forth. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Boats: BRUEGEL, Pieter the Elder, Naval Battle in the Gulf of Naples, 1558-62, Galleria Doria-Pamphili, Rome. Man: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Young Man with Cap and Gloves, 1512-15, Garrowby Hall, Earl of Halifax Collection, London. Red costume and hand: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, St Columba Altarpiece, c.1455 Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

Four of Wands A young woman with dark hair and eyes looks at the viewer with a coy smile. Around her neck she has a double string of pearls, and she wears a fine red and black gown trimmed with lace. There is something slightly untidy about her appearance, as though she has just been dancing or frolicking. In her right hand she holds a small red book, marking a page with her finger. In the background is a lush, forested hill topped with a castle on a cliff. Behind her, another woman dances under a garland of flowers hanging from four wands. More flowers lie scattered on the floor. n Meanings: A happy home. Friends and family. Health, harmony and happiness. Hard work, good planning and clever use of resources resulting in a fine harvest. Affluence, luxury, satisfaction. o Reversed: A fine harvest is assured. The fruit of your labors will take time to grow and ripen, but the bounty will be plentiful. »» Multiple Fours in a spread: Order, stability, a solid foundation. Practical planning will assist the matter in question. Conventional wisdom has its uses. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. Kat Black

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An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Castle, trees, sky: SPRANGER, Bartholomeus, Venus and Adonis, c.1586-07, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Ground, garlands: LASTMAN, Pieter, Orestes and Pylades Disputing at the Altar, 1614, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Dancing girl: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Diana and her Nymphs Surprised by the Fauns, 1638-40, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Main woman: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Isabella Brandt, c.1626, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Red sleeves: Master of the Holy Blood, Lucretia, c.1530, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Cat: HOOGSTRATEN, Samuel van, The Anaemic Lady, c. 1660-70, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Five of Wands A finely dressed young man stands challengingly with his hands on his hips. He has a sprouting wand but does not participate in the mock battle of his more casually dressed companions behind. He looks like a young nobleman, they look more like soldiers off duty. There is a red curtain, vaulted ceiling and stone steps; perhaps this is the hallway of a Manor. The young man has a lazy eye, perhaps the result of injury from a similar mock battle that got out of hand. It has not affected his confidence though; he holds his chin high and looks at us with an air of arrogance. n Meanings: Mock battles. Small obstacles and conflicts can serve to prepare us for more serious ones. Constructive debate, friendly rivalry, the challenge of a worthy competitor. o Reversed: Dirty tactics. What started as a good-natured debate could turn nasty. Some people aren’t playing fair. You may be shocked by a friend’s behavior. »» Multiple Fives in a spread: Conflict, instability, unsettled times approaching. Realization of ideas, action and effect. Kat Black

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»» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Stair, fighters: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Crowning with Thorns, 1542, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Leg: BACKER, Jacob de, Garden of Eden, 1500s, Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Curtain: Master of Moulins, Anne de France, Wife of Pierre de Bourbon, 1498-99, Cathedral, Moulins. Young face: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Room, main young man: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Portrait of a Young Man, c.1540, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Six of Wands A young man in armor wearing a laurel victory wreath holds a flag emblazoned with a stag’s head affixed to a sprouting wand. Behind him, another cavalier stands holding a wand topped by another laurel wreath. Four more wands are held aloft. A servant leads away a grey horse. 88

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n Meanings: The triumphant return. Recognition for your accomplishments. An undisputed success: popularity and critical acclaim. Bask in the glow, you deserve it. o Reversed: A chink in your armor. Loss of self-confidence may result in a challenge to your reputation. Hold your ground. You know you deserve the credit for your skills, do not let others undermine you. »» Multiple Sixes in a spread: Harmony, pleasure, abundance and fulfillment. A hierarchy or a span of generations. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Blue sky: ASSELIJN, Jan, A Waterside Ruin in Italy, c. 1620-52, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Horse: WOUWERMAN, Philips, The Grey, c. 1646, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Kat Black

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• • • •

Merry man: HALS, Frans, Banquet of the Officers of the St Hadrian Civic Guard Company, c.1627, Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. Main face: GIORGIONE, Portrait of a Young Man, 1500s, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Wreaths: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Immaculate Conception, c.1628, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Armor, flag: DÜRER, Albrecht, Paumgartner Altar, c.1503, Alte Pinakothek, Munich.

Seven of Wands A man stands on top of a rocky hill, wielding a wand in his own defence. Six more wands are coming up the hill at him, held by unseen hands. He does not look greatly worried. He is wearing a loose, practical robe with bare legs. The sky is full of dark, ominous clouds. n Meanings: Stand your ground. You are facing adversity and maybe outnumbered, but you are fighting from a strong position. Hold firm, take courage and success will be yours. o Reversed: Be brave. Do not despair, even when it seems you will soon be overwhelmed. If you feel you cannot win, it may be better to surrender than to fight on. 90

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»» Multiple Sevens in a spread: Progress, but goals still yet to be fulfilled. You still have obstacles to overcome and challenges to be met. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sky: GOYEN, Jan van, Marine Landscape with Fishermen, 1600s, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Hill: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, The Entombment, 1507, Galleria Borghese, Rome. Man: GENTILESCHI, Orazio, David Slaying Goliath, 1607-9, National Gallery of Ireland, Dublin. Face: MEMLING, Hans, Diptych of Maarten Nieuwenhove, 1487, Memlingmuseum, Sint-Janshospitaal, Bruges.

Eight of Wands A young woman sits on a balcony overlooking a lush rural landscape. She looks up at eight sprouting wands flying through the air. The woman wears a large turban decorated with gold embellishments and a red silk wrap. She is holding a scroll of music. Kat Black

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The portrait is the Cumaean Sibyl, although in name alone. She looks remarkably similar to a number of other paintings by Domenichino. Once he got something right, he repeated it: this baby-faced musician appears as St Cecilia and even St John the Evangelist in other paintings of his, right down to the folds in the wrap and the position of the hands on the scroll. Before photography, who would have known he kept repainting the same picture again and again with a new title each time? That’s got nothing to do with the meaning of this card, but I thought it might be an interesting little factoid for the art history buffs! n Meanings: Take flight. Swift action brings results. A flurry of creative activity, a burst of highly productive energy. Important information arriving quickly. Travel by air. o Reversed: Hasty words are soon regretted. Perhaps you should think twice before sending that email? »» Multiple Eights in a spread: Do what you need to do. Action is required, resist inertia and break out of your box. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” 92

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• • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Landscape, sky: BRIL, Paul, An Extensive Landscape, 1600s, private collection. Girl: DOMENICHINO, The Cumaean Sibyl, c. 1610, Pinacoteca Capitolina, Rome.

Nine of Wands A woman in a fine red and gold gown stands on top of a castle wall. She holds a wand and eight more lean between the battlements of the castle. She wears many opulent jewels and an ornate peaked cap. Her head is bandaged and she wrings her hands and purses her lips as though concerned. This is Henry VIII’s third wife, Jane Seymour, who died shortly after giving him what he most wanted, a son. Historians are divided on the issue of Jane. She was the least educated of Henry’s wives and could scarcely write her own name, so there are no letters of her own by which to judge her character and actions. She has been variously pictured as a meek and mousy maid who happened to be in the Kat Black

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right place at the right time, to a ruthless schemer who planned the downfall of her mistress so she could take her place at Henry’s side. n Meanings: Keeping vigil. You have reached the apex you sought. Now what? Assaults will come, but you are well defended, you have the strength and weapons you need at your disposal. o Reversed: Resistance. Just when you thought the tower was conquered, you find that there are still defenders hidden within. Perhaps a truce, a more peaceful solution, is the answer? »» Multiple Nines in a spread: Completion, fulfillment. The result that you have been expecting has arrived. Is it all that you hoped or feared? »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sky: BOECKHORST, Jan van, Christ on the Cross, c.1640, private collection. Castle, wall: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, The Execution of the Innocent Count, c.1460, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Brussels. Woman: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Jane Seymour, Queen of England, 1536, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Bandage: BABUREN, Dirck van, The Procuress, 1622, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

Ten of Wands A woman in a red velvet dress with gold bodice and trim holds a bundle of wands in her arms. Her face is impassive and her hands are clasped in front of her. Her jewelry is simple, although she wears an ornate headdress of gold cloth. For centuries, there’s been a story that Holbein and Henry VIII had a falling out over this portrait of Anne of Cleves being too flattering. Certainly Henry didn’t want Anne as his wife once she arrived in England. This caused a difficult diplomatic situation as he couldn’t just send her back, but there is no contemporaneous information about just why. Perhaps she just wasn’t his type. There’s another portrait of Anne done a few years earlier by a different artist that shows a clear similarity to this one, and there is no record of anyone ever contesting the accuracy of a portrait of Holbein’s during his lifetime, so just how she earned the nickname “the Mare of Flanders” Kat Black

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centuries after her death is anyone’s guess. In reality, I think she was probably just a fish out of water. She wasn’t accomplished in the arts or humanities as was expected in the English court. She persisted in wearing unfashionable, heavy costumes, didn’t speak French or English and couldn’t play music or read anything but German. She liked to play cards and drink ale. At least they got along. She agreed to an annulment, for which Henry was grateful. Henry called her “dear sister” and she remained in England for the rest of her life. She got along well with his children, kept her head and lived longer than any of his other wives. We have very little information about her life, but she never married and I think it’s likely that it wasn’t a terribly happy one. n Meanings: A heavy load to bear. Responsibilities are weighing you down. You have taken on so much. Perhaps it is time to share the burden before you cause yourself permanent injury. o Reversed: Cast down your heavy load. Throw off the shackles of oppression. If you stay in a bad job or destructive relationship without any improvement, it is no benefit to anyone. »» Multiple Tens in a spread: To come full circle. An ultimate outcome has been reached, perhaps overshooting your intended goal. This is a conclusion, now a new cycle can begin. 96

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»» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Cell wall: DÜRER, Albrecht, Madonna and Child (Haller Madonna), c.1498, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Woman: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of Anne of Cleves, c.1539, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Silk tie: DÜRER, Albrecht, Madonna of the Pear, 1512, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Page of Wands A young man in the cap and gown of a student sits at a table reading an illuminated text. A gold and silver bell sits beside him. He holds a wand, resting it on his shoulder. Out of the window behind him is a conical tower. n Meanings: The optimist. An independent youth, full of life Kat Black

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and unafraid of failure. An exciting journey full of new experiences. A birth notice or news of a creative project commencing. o Reversed: A confused youth. Taking on too much too soon. Immaturity, inability to handle complex juggling of priorities due to lack of experience. »» Multiple Pages in a spread: The company of young people. News. New experiences, or experiences enjoyed in a new way. Zest for life. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Room: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, Portrait of a Man, 1462, National Gallery, London. Young man: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Unknown Young Man at his Office Desk, 1541, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Illuminated text, bell: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi, 151819, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Window scene: POELENBURGH, Cornelis van, Amaryllis Giving Myrtill the Price, c. 1635, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

Knight of Wands A young man with a finely trimmed moustache and large sensual eyes poses in dark armor. Behind him is a red velvet curtain and a statuette of stag with a rider. This portrait is thought to be of Christopher “Kit” Marlowe, one of the contenders in the current debate over the Shakespeare authorship question. Marlowe is believed to have been a spy employed by Walsingham. Recent theories suggest that he wasn’t really killed in a drunken bar-room brawl as history books have long recorded, but either assassinated or secretly smuggled to mainland Europe where he lived for many years, perhaps even writing some of the plays attributed to Shakespeare there. n Meanings: The adventurer. Confident, competitive, a leader in the making. Enthusiastic and sociable, but with a short attention span. Loves ‘em and leaves ‘em. Speedy travel to exciting, exotic destinations. o Reversed: Beware speed bumps. Someone who just can’t slow down, pelting along at full speed no matter the risk to themselves or others. Could be heading for a fall.

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»» Multiple Knights in a spread: Setting forth. Energy and the intensity of youth, but now tempered with a little experience. Bravado and self- confidence. A trip is likely. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Red curtains: GENTILESCHI, Orazio, Joseph and Potiphar’s Wife, 1626-30, Royal Collection, Windsor. Table objects: BOEL, Pieter, Large Vanitas Still Life, 1663, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille. Armor: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Portrait of Stefano IV Colonna, 1546, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Face: Unknown Artist, Christopher Marlowe (?) 1585, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

Queen of Wands A young woman in a fine red gown decorated in many jewels sits at a throne topped by two carved lions’ heads. On her lap sits a black cat. Out of the window a road, tree and distant castle can be seen. The woman 100

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gives us a “come hither” look. The face is that of Marchesa Brigida Spinola-Doria, a “hottie” if ever there was one. I couldn’t find out much about her, but her flushed cheeks, red lips and flirty look in this Rubens portrait made her my chosen face for the Queen of Wands. The body is that of a young Princess Elizabeth I. In her youth, probably about the time this portrait was painted, Elizabeth was implicated in a sex scandal with Thomas Seymour. He was the brother of her father Henry VIII’s third wife Jane and husband of her guardian Catherine Parr, who had been Henry’s sixth wife. Confused? I sure am! Oh, what tangled webs the Tudors wove. Elizabeth very narrowly missed the same fate as her mother Anne Boleyn when Seymour’s intrigues escalated to the point that he tried to kidnap her brother King Edward VI with the intention of then marrying Elizabeth and seizing power. He was executed for treason, but there was no direct evidence against Elizabeth. Her interrogator said “I see it in her face that she is guilty” but she stuck by her motto: video et taceo, I see, and say nothing. Her dalliances with Seymour and how close they brought her to disaster were said to have taught her to be far more discreet in her dealings with men thereafter. Although she encouraged the public persona of being Kat Black

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“The Virgin Queen,” there is much evidence to suggest she was anything but. n Meanings: The star. This woman is a flame that draws others in. She is confident, passionate and sensual. She laughs easily and lights up a room with her vivid personality, but she can be exhausting. o Reversed: The advocate. A woman who takes action on behalf of others. She loves a cause and is passionately interested … until she isn’t. She has a very short attention span; don’t rely on her for the long haul. »» Multiple Queens in a spread: Plans become reality, actions produce results. Your boats sail into harbor, crops are harvested. Strong, mature feminine energy and authority. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Window: Unknown Artist of the Flemish School, Edward VI of England, c.1546. Throne lions: JORDAENS, Jacob, Portrait of Catharina Behagel, wife of Rogier Le Witer, 1635, Rijksmuseum, To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Amsterdam. Body: SCROTS, William, Elizabeth I when Princess, c.1546, Royal Collection, United Kingdom. Black cat face: ADRIAENSSEN, Alexander, Still Life with Fish, 1600s, Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Cat body: EWORTH, Hans, Portrait of Lady Dacre, 1540, National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa. Face: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Portrait of Marchesa Brigida Spinola Doria, 1606, National Gallery of Art, Washington.

King of Wands A bearded man in black clothing sits on a red and gilt throne. A red velvet curtain hangs behind him. He wears a chain with a medallion and a flat black hat edged in white plumes. His gloved right hand holds a wand, and in his left hand he holds the other glove. A small lizard sits beside him. n Meanings: The leader. A charismatic man whom people admire and want to follow. He is masculine, virile and yet caring. His confidence is such that he does not need to dominate or assert his superiority. o Reversed: Ruthless focus. This man is so sure that his path is right Kat Black

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and that he can walk all over any who get in his way or challenge his authority. He grows less benevolent and more despotic. »» Multiple Kings in a spread: Power, responsibility, maturity. Experience and mastery over one’s life, skills and talents. »» Multiple Wands in a spread: Fire, intensity, creativity. An auspicious beginning to a new business or creative project. Solutions based on trial and error: “Let’s just see if it works.” • • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Wand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), St Christopher, 1524, Palazzo Ducale, Venice. Wand leaves: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Cosimo il Vecchio, c.1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Curtain: JORDAENS, Jacob, Portrait of Magdalena de Cuyper, mother of Rogier Le Witer, c.1635, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Throne body, right hand: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Portrait of Charles V Seated, 1548, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Neck chain: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Henry VIII, 1540, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Face: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, De Vos van Steenwijk, 1541, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Hat: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Henry VIII, 1536, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. Lizard: AST, Balthasar van der, Basket of Fruits, c. 1625, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

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Suit of Cups Suit Meanings: Cups are the suit of water and correspond to the modern playing card deck’s hearts. They represent the medieval clerical class, and as such suggest spirituality, study and reflection. I have used the color ultramarine blue for the suit of Cups. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right.

Ace of Cups A beautiful female angel flies through the air above a lake of water lilies, draped in blue silk. She holds a golden cup from which a white dove emerges, glowing with a golden light. n Meanings: The essence of water. Your cup runneth over. Emotional fulfillment. True joy and contentment. Bounty, abundance, profound satisfaction. o Reversed: Tempest in a teapot. Kat Black

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An overemotional reaction, unfounded jealousy. Potential happiness thwarted. Ask yourself, do you really want to be happy or do you subconsciously sabotage every opportunity? »» Multiple Aces in a spread: Gifts and opportunities, powerful positive forces at work. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Halo, dove, sky: GREBBER, Pieter de, Baptism of Christ, 1625, St Stephanus Church, Beckum. Angel body: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Annunciation, c.1628, Rubens House, Antwerp. Angel face: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Portrait of Helena Fourment, c.1630, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Water lilies: RUISDAEL, Jacob Isaackszon van, Oaks by a Lake with Water Lilies, 1665-69, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Wings: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Triumph of Victory, c.1614, Staatliche Museen, Kassel.

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Two of Cups A young couple sit at a table with two cups. He offers her a red carnation, she looks at the viewer with a coy smile. There is a scroll, inkwell and quill as though they have just signed a contract. A pocket watch with a blue ribbon sits open before them. Two crests and a Hermes staff hang on the wall. One crest is of a rampant lion, gold on black, wearing a crown. The other has three gold crosses on a red shield. n Meanings: Love realized. A proposal, a commitment, a deeply satisfying relationship. Unity, empathy, a close friendship based on mutual trust. o Reversed: A parting of ways. This could be a permanent breakdown of a relationship, a rocky patch that can be mended, or even just a separation by circumstance. »» Multiple Twos in a spread: Duality, two sides of a conversation. Conference and negotiation. Balance, wisdom. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Kat Black

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Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Blue paint: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Robert Cheseman, 1533, Mauritshuis, The Hague. Hermes staff: BABUREN, Dirck van, Prometheus Being Chained by Vulcan, 1623 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Lion and X shield: WEYDEN, Goossen van der, The Gift of Kalmthout, 1511, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Woman: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Isabella Brandt, c.1626, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Man: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of Simon George, 1536-37, Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt. Marble, watch, ribbon: AELST, Willem van, Vase of Flowers with Pocket Watch, 1656, Staatliche Museen, Kassel. Quill, inkwell: WOLFFORT, Artus, St Andrew, 1600s, private collection. Scroll: PROVOST, Jan, The Coronation of the Virgin, 1524, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Three of Cups Three young women wearing sumptuous clothing each hold a golden cup. They are surrounded by cascading silk curtains, as though they’ve retired to a boudoir for a quiet drink at a party. n Meanings: A time to rejoice. Celebration of 108

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success, a recovery from illness or misfortune. Fellowship, a supportive network of peers. Collaboration toward a common goal without the need for leadership. o Reversed: Friendships fractured. Rivalry, jealousy, petty fights. Dissatisfaction with one’s circle of friends and family, a need to assert independence. »» Multiple Threes in a spread: A result is near. A project nears production, the fruit of a union has been sown and will soon burst forth. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Curtain: GREBBER, Pieter de, The Conferring of the Sword on the Coat-of-Arms of Haarlem, 1630, Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. Rear body: MEMLING, Hans, Triptych of the Family Moreel, 1484, Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Rear face: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Straw Hat, c.1625, National Gallery, London. Kat Black

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Rear hair: MASSYS, Jan, Judith, 1600s, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp. Left hands: MEMLING, Hans, The Donne Triptych, c.1475, National Gallery, London. Left dress: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, St Columba Altarpiece, c.1455, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Left face: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Drunken Silenus, 1616-17, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Hat, dress: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, Braque Family Triptych, c.1450, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Black blue cape: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Annunciation, c.1628, Rubens House, Antwerp. Main face WEYDEN, Rogier van der, Lady Wearing a Gauze Headdress, c.1445, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

Four of Cups A young man with a moustache and long, loose red hair sits beside a table under a tree. He is wearing a flowing white shirt and black overshirt, tied with bows. There are three cups on the table before him, and a third is offered to him by a mysterious hand, but he shows no interest in any of them. n Meanings: Boredom with life. Taking good fortune for granted. Opportunities wasted, gifts refused. An ungrateful person, 110

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perhaps a sulky teenager. Remember that your life will only be as interesting as you are. o Reversed: A time for action. Take care not to act rashly though, or to follow a destructive path in an attempt to escape boredom. There are many gifts life has to offer you, now you are ready to accept them. »» Multiple Fours in a spread: Order, stability, a solid foundation. Practical planning will assist the matter in question. Conventional wisdom has its uses. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Sky: KONINCK, Philips, Distant View with Cottages Lining a Road, 1655, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Tree: MELZI, Francesco, Pomona and Vertumnus, 1517-20, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Young man, hand: DYCK, Sir Anthony van, Thomas Killigrew and William, Lord Croft, 1638, Royal Collection, Windsor. Table: VERTANGEN, Daniël, Jan Valckenburgh, Director General of the Coast of Guinea, c. 1660, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Five of Cups A stern-looking mature man in a black satin robe stands in a blue room, holding a handkerchief. Beside him on one side is a plain wooden bench with three cups lying on their side. On the other side in a carved, gilded table with two upright cups. Behind him is a window and in the distance, a landscape with a river crossed by a bridge. n Meanings: Hope abandoned. Cynical dismissal of life’s gifts. Contempt for love and romance. Pessimism is a self-fulfilling desire. Some cups have been tried and discarded, some not even touched. o Reversed: Hope renewed. A bridge crossed, a journey started toward a more positive future. Much work is needed to repair your damaged psyche, but the decision that you want to heal is the most important step. »» Multiple Fives in a spread: Conflict, instability, unsettled times approaching. Realization of ideas, action and effect. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. 112

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• • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. River ruins: PATENIER, Joachim, Baptism of Christ, 151523, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Bridge: ASSELYN, Jan, Italian Landscape with the Ruins of a Roman Bridge and Aqueduct, 1600s, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Wall, window: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, St Ivo, c.1450, National Gallery, London. Wall texture: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, Portrait of Philip the Good, c.1450, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Dijon. Man: DYCK, Sir Anthony van, Portrait of Antonio de Tassis, 1634, Liechtenstein Museum. Handkerchief: HEDA, Willem Claesz, Still Life, 1651, Collection of the Prince of Lichtenstein, Vaduz. Plain table: METSU, Gabriel, The Cat’s Breakfast, aka Woman Eating, c.1662-65, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Carved table: CORTONA, Pietro da, Marcello Sacchetti, c.1626, Galleria Borghese, Rome.

Six of Cups A young boy and girl sit in a courtyard beside a stately home. They are lavishly dressed and well groomed. The boy holds a cup full of flowers, and five more cups containing flowers sit on a wall in front of them. The sky is bright blue, and a tree shades the courtyard. n Meanings: Happy memories. Loving care and Kat Black

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brotherly protection, although at times that can be a little too smothering. Yearning for the past rather than embracing the present. o Reversed: Look forward. Some painful memories have haunted you in the past, but you are moving on now, and the future is looking brighter. »» Multiple Sixes in a spread: Harmony, pleasure, abundance and fulfillment. A hierarchy or a span of generations. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Tree, blue sky: CORTONA, Pietro da, Romulus and Remus Given Shelter by Faustulus, c.1643, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Building: AVERCAMP, Hendrick, A Scene on the Ice near a Town, c.1615, National Gallery, London. Boy: DYCK, Sir Anthony van, George, 2nd Duke of Buckingham and Lord Francis Villiers, 1635, Royal Collection, United Kingdom. Girl: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Bia, The Illegitimate Daughter of Cosimo I de’ Medici, c.1542, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Stone ledge: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, Mary and Child, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Bunches of flowers: HIEPES, Tomás, Still Life with Fruit and Flowers, 1642, private collection.

Seven of Cups A gentle, kindly woman in Arabic-style robe and turban offers a sheet on which seven cups appear. Each one is filled with a mysterious gift: a face, a hooded figure, a snake, a castle, jewels, a wreath and a dragon. In the distant landscape, we can see a fine castle and a blue sky filled with fluffy white clouds. The face I have used is that of Saskia van Uylenburgh, Rembrandt’s wife and his favorite model before her untimely death at the age of twenty-nine. n Meanings: Spoiled for choice. Faced with many attractive options, how can you choose? Do not rush to grab at one though, for some may be mere illusion. Take your time and assess each one well before deciding. o Reversed: Decision, then action. Now you have chosen the goal you want, take the steps to achieve it. It is time to stop daydreaming and act.

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»» Multiple Sevens in a spread: Progress, but goals still yet to be fulfilled. You still have obstacles to overcome and challenges to be met. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Sky: WOUWERMAN, Philips, Landscape with Peasants by a Cottage, 1651-53, private collection. Face: RIJN, Rembrandt Harmenszoon van, Portrait of Saskia with a Flower, 1641, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Landscape, body: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Blue cape bottom: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Annunciation, c.1628, Rubens House, Antwerp. Dragon: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, St Michael and the Dragon, c.1505, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Wreath leaves: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Triumph of Truth, 1622-25, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Jewels, halo: EYCK, Jan van, The Ghent Altarpiece: Virgin Mary, 1426-29, Cathedral of St Bavo, Ghent. Pearls: BAILLY, David, Self-Portrait with Vanitas Symbols, 1651, Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden. Building: GIAMBONO, Michele, Birth of the Virgin, 143133, Mascoli Chapel, San Marco, Venice. Snake: CARAVAGGIO, Medusa, 1598-99, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Hooded figure: LAER, Pieter van, The Flagellants, c. 1635, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Bust: EYCK, Jan van, The Ghent Altarpiece: St John the Evangelist, 1432, Cathedral of St Bavo, Ghent.

Eight of Cups A young man in a feathered cap and blue robe sets forth on a moonlit night. An owl flies overhead and the full moon reflects in a lake. Behind him is a rocky cliff on which eight abandoned cups stand. n Meanings: Setting forth. To leave behind much of what you know and begin a quest for fulfillment. You have a comfortable life and have met many of your goals, but you need new challenges. It is time to move on. o Reversed: Don’t run away. The situation needs resolving. Work is needed, but it is worth the effort. You can hide from others but not from yourself, and the life of the eternal traveler can be a lonely one. »» Multiple Eights in a spread: Do what you need to do. Action is required, resist inertia and break out of your box. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love Kat Black

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both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Night landscape: ELSHEIMER, Adam, Flight into Egypt, 1609, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Rocky cliff: BELLINI, Giovanni, St Jerome Reading in the Countryside, 1505, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Feather: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Edward, Prince of Wales, c.1539, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Boy: HOLBEIN, Ambrosius, Portrait of a Young Man, 1518, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Owl: BOEL, Pieter, Still Life with Owl, 1600s, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent.

Nine of Cups A mature, clean-shaven man in a black and sable fur coat sits at a wooden table. He is holding a rustcolored sash, and a bowl of cherries sits beside him. On a wooden shelf above him, nine cups are arranged in an arc. This is one of several portraits of Erasmus painted by his friend 118

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Hans Holbein the Younger. Erasmus put in a good word for Holbein with the Tudor court in England, but then they had a falling out, purportedly because Holbein took money from the nobility there for portraits he never quite got around to painting. n Meanings: Wishes granted. Health, happiness and fulfillment of worldly desires. New friendships, parties and good times. A gracious host who anticipates your every want. o Reversed: Careful what you wish for. You can have too much of a good thing. Do not let your popularity crowd out the relationships with those most dear to you. »» Multiple Nines in a spread: Completion, fulfillment. The result that you have been expecting has arrived. Is it all that you hoped or feared? »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Blue wall: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Robert Cheseman, 1533, Mauritshuis, The Hague. Man: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523, National Gallery, London. Table: CHRISTUS, Petrus, St Eligius in His Workshop, Kat Black

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1449, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Hat jewels: BALDUNG GRIEN, Hans, Count Philip, 1517, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Bowl cherries: BEERT, Osias, Still Life with Cherries and Strawberries in China Bowls, 1608, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

Ten of Cups A happy family pose in front of a green rural landscape. The mother and daughter wear blue silk gowns, the father wears a plain grey and black coat and the golden haired young baby wears nothing. The father holds a pair of spectacles and a book, and looks to the sky as though deep in thought. The rest of the family look at the viewer. The daughter has a hunting horn and holds the collar of a white whippet dog. n Meanings: Dance for joy. True riches—health and happiness in those you love. Success in the fields that really count. Security and satisfaction. Peace and a time of plenty. o Reversed: Gifts taken for granted. You have so much to be thankful for, take time to celebrate the love and luxury in your life. »» Multiple Tens in a spread: To come full circle. 120

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An ultimate outcome has been reached, perhaps overshooting your intended goal. This is a conclusion, now a new cycle can begin. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Sky: RUYSDAEL, Salomon van, River View near Deventer, 1645, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Rainbow: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Landscape with a Rainbow, c.1638, Wallace Collection, London. Landscape: EVERDINGEN, Allart van, Hendrick Trip’s Cannon Foundry at Julita Bruk, Södermanland, Sweden, c.1645-75, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Parents, baby: EVERDINGEN, Caesar van, Holy Family, c.1660, Museum Catharijnconvent, Utrecht. Lady’s face: LOO, Jacob van, Lucretia Boudaen, 1600s, private collection. Girl, dog: EVERDINGEN, Caesar van, Portrait of a Girl as a Huntress, c.1665, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp.

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Page of Cups A student in a black gown and cap sits at a wooden table holding a cup. A fish looks up at him from the cup, as though speaking to him. Several letters and books are tucked into a writing bureau. On the table are quills, scissors and sealing wax, as well as a few coins in a silver desk set. A fluffy grey tabby kitten sleeps curled up beside him. A silver orb hangs from the top of the bureau. Behind him are delicate, sheer blue curtains sewn with black ribbon. n Meanings: The dreamer. A warm, loving and romantic youth, one fragile and easily hurt. Messages about emotions, e.g., love letters. o Reversed: A hopeless romantic. One who does not value reality and is happy to become lost in their own fantasy world, oblivious to the fact that their affections might not be reciprocated. »» Multiple Pages in a spread: The company of young people. News. New experiences, or experiences enjoyed in a new way. Zest for life. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. 122

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Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Table, sleeping kitten: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Annunciation, c.1628, Rubens House, Antwerp. Wall, curtain: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Portrait of a Lady, c.1550, Galleria Sabauda, Turin. Young man, items: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, The Merchant Georg Gisze, 1532, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Coat: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, De Vos van Steenwijk, 1541, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Fish: BARRERA, Francisco, Still Life, c.1640, private collection.

Knight of Cups A young, bearded man in armor stands beside a rocky stream leading to the sea. Seabirds fly up from the cliffs in a grey, cloudy sky. He rests one hand on the hilt of his sword, and in the other he holds a golden cup. A blue ribbon is tied around his arm, and the Order of the Golden Fleece hangs around his neck. n Meanings: The romantic. A poet, artist or musician. Chivalrous, but Kat Black

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fickle, preferring the chase to the capture. In love with love, seeking a Grail that will never be found. Travel by or to water. o Reversed: Reality check. The romantic dreamer confronted by reality—that he needs to get a job, pay rent, and maybe accept others despite their flaws. To live in a world of fantasy is hard to sustain. »» Multiple Knights in a spread: Setting forth. Energy and the intensity of youth, but now tempered with a little experience. Bravado and self confidence. A trip is likely. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Sky: PEETERS, Bonaventura the Elder, An Oriental Harbor, 1650-52, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Rocks, river: EVERDINGEN, Allaert van, Scandinavian Rocky River Landscape, 1649, private collection. Face: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Portrait of Tomaso or Vincenzo Mosti, c.1526, Palazzo Pitti, Florence. Armor: MOR VAN DASHORST, Anthonis, Portrait of Philip II in Armor, 1557, Monasterio de San Lorenzo, El Escorial. Golden fleece emblem: ORLEY, Bernaert van, Portrait of Charles V, 1500s, Musée du Louvre Museum, Paris. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

Queen of Cups A woman in a blue gown sits at a table laden with fruits and silverware. She holds a cup and wears a heavy gold chain and coronet. Carved on the wall behind her is a crest with a parrot and fleur de lis. Out of the window beside her is a mountainous landscape with a castle overlooking a harbor. She has a distant, dreamy look about her. n Meanings: The counselor. A warm, motherly figure. Deeply insightful and intuitive. At times she may be overly emotional and will always do what she feels is right, sometimes without fully thinking it through. o Reversed: A manipulative woman. One who can easily control others by exploiting their emotions. She may be intending this for their own good, but it is better to let them stand on their own two feet. »» Multiple Queens in a spread: Plans become reality, actions produce results. Your boats sail into harbor, crops are harvested. Strong, mature feminine energy and authority. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the Kat Black

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ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Room: AMBERGER, Christoph, Portrait of Christoph Baumgartner, 1543, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Dress, neck: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Lady with a Basket of Spindles, c. 1516, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Face: DÜRER, Albrecht, Portrait of a Young Venetian Woman, 1505, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Table objects: HEEM, Jan Davidsz. de, Still Life, 1600s, Kunstmuseum, St. Gallen. Coronet: BELLINI, Gentile, Portrait of Catharina Cornaro, Queen of Cyprus, 1500, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest.

King of Cups A mature man in a black satin and fur robe sits at a table. A large pie decorated with a crown sits before him, broken open to reveal a mélange of fruit. He leans on a plinth on which a few seashells are scattered. His red beard and hair are flecked with grey, and he is smiling.

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n Meanings: The champion. A deeply caring fatherly figure. He is strong and loyal, and very protective of those he loves. He is creative, but also very practical and likely to be successful in his field. o Reversed: Pent up emotions. A frustrating inability to understand or articulate feelings. Self-harm, or seeking destructive distractions instead of resolving a problem. »» Multiple Kings in a spread: Power, responsibility, maturity. Experience and mastery over one’s life, skills and talents. »» Multiple Cups in a spread: Emotions, feelings, love both worldly and divine. Keep your feet on the ground though, do not get lost in romantic dreams. Solutions based on emotions, what feels right. • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Cup: MEMLING, Hans, St John and Veronica Diptych, c.1483, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Blue curtain, wall: POURBUS, Frans the Younger, Henry IV, King of France in Armour, 1500s, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Man: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Charles de Solier, Lord of Morette, 1534-35, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Table: HEEM, Jan Davidsz. de, Still Life of Books, 1628, Mauritshuis, The Hague. Royal pie: UTRECHT, Adriaen van, Still Life, 1644, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Shells: GHEYN, Jacob de II, Neptune and Amphitrite, 1600s, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne.

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Suit of Swords Suit Meanings: Swords are the suit of air and correspond to the modern playing card deck’s spades. They represent the medieval ruling class, indicating worldly authority and leadership. I have used the colors gold and black for the suit of Swords. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic.

Ace of Swords A heavy-lidded, dark-haired female angel in a golden robe with large black wings holds a sword in her right hand, pointed directly upward. A small crown hangs from the tip of the sword, and a snarling tiger sits beside her. In the distance are rocky hills and a stormy sky with a patch of daylight breaking through in which a butterfly appears. n Meanings: The essence of air. Strength, power, visionary leadership. Reason and intellect. 128

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Clear vision and inspirational insight. Genius at work. o Reversed: False visions. Misunderstanding and confusion. That which was clear becomes muddled. Misuse of power and position, bullying, corruption. »» Multiple Aces in a spread: Gifts and opportunities, powerful positive forces at work. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Sky: BACKHUYSEN, Ludolf, Small Dutch Vessels, 1600s, private collection. Mountain: BREENBERGH, Bartholomeus, The Preaching of St John the Baptist, 1634, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Tiger: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, The Four Continents, c.1615, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Wing: CARAVAGGIO, Amor Victorious, 1602-03, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Woman: ALLORI, Cristofano, Judith with the Head of Holofernes, 1613, Royal Collection, Windsor. Crown: TRISTÁN DE ESCAMILLA, Luis, Adoration of the Magi, 1620, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. White-orange butterfly: MIGNON, Abraham, Still life with fruit and oysters, c.1660-1679, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Kat Black

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Two of Swords A young woman in a black coat trimmed with fur stands in a rural landscape on a moonlit night. She holds two swords, one resting against each shoulder. Around her neck is a golden crest featuring a two-headed black eagle hanging from a heavy gold chain. She wears a close-fitting plain black cap. A black and white butterfly flies above her. This is Christina of Denmark, aged fifteen, in a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger. She was already a widow after a political marriage by proxy to Francesco Sforza, the Duke of Milan, hence the mourning clothes worn in this portrait. Holbein had been sent around Europe to paint portraits of potential wives for Henry VIII’s consideration. Henry was said to be in love with Christina based on this portrait, but his enthusiasm wasn’t shared. She supposedly told the English Ambassador who came to offer Henry’s suit that she’d perhaps have considered the proposal “if I had two heads.” Henry’s execution of Anne Boleyn hadn’t exactly made him a very popular catch among the ladies of the noble families of Europe. The “two heads” story may be nothing more than rumor: there’s no evidence of it from the time. If she 130

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did say it, it’s doubtful that it reached the vain Henry’s ears as this portrait hung in his private chambers until his death. Henry settled for Anne of Cleves as a second choice. Her portrait, as used in the Ten of Wands, bears a noticeable resemblance to this one. In an ironic twist of fate, Christina of Denmark married François, Duc de Bar, the abandoned betrothed of Anne of Cleves. n Meanings: A truce. Resolution of conflict, willingness to negotiate and compromise. Political savvy. Effective defence. A rival drives you to improve your skills and strategy, then mutual respect results. o Reversed: Dropping one’s guard. Indecision, lack of concord, disputes arising. Take care to avoid unnecessary conflict and people who enjoy creating trouble. »» Multiple Twos in a spread: Duality, two sides of a conversation. Conference and negotiation. Balance, wisdom. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Kat Black

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Landscape: NEER, Aert van der, River Landscape, c.1650, private collection. Sky, moon: POEL, Egbert van der, Seashore by Moonlight, 1660-64, Museum Briner und Kern, Winterthur. Girl: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, 1538, National Gallery, London. Chain: GELDORP, Gortzius, Portrait of a Lady, 1597, private collection. Double-headed eagle crest: DÜRER, Albrecht, Emperor Sigismund, c.1512, Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg. Butterfly wings: BRUEGEL, Pieter the Elder, The Fall of the Rebel Angels, 1562, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Butterfly head, body: KESSELL, Jan van, Insects and Fruit, c. 1636-79, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Three of Swords A woman in mourning clothes holds three swords to her body. Her eyes show fear or perhaps shock. Beside her is a book with an engraving of Henry VIII on which a white butterfly is resting, and an hourglass. Behind her is a golden curtain and a stormy sky. This portrait was formerly thought to be that of Catherine Howard, the unfortunate fifth wife of Henry VIII who started off as 132

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his “rose without a thorn” but who ended up, like her cousin Anne Boleyn, being executed after accusations of infidelity. Since the figure has now been identified as wearing the clothes of a widow and the back of the painting notes the sitter as twenty-one years of age, by which age Catherine was in the Tower awaiting her execution, the identity of the sitter is now the subject of conjecture. I think of her as a “young Tudor widow” and all that would entail, even though we don’t really know who she was. The terrified eyes are from Caravaggio’s Medusa, who appears frozen with fear at the moment of her death, as her many victims had been. n Meanings: Heartbreak. Grief, loss and betrayal. Knowledge can bring great sadness, but would you prefer to have remained ignorant? Take heart, time will ease the pain and you will emerge wiser and stronger. o Reversed: Grief denied. A betrayal or the loss of a loved one. If you resist accepting the pain, you could become cold and joyless. Acknowledge the hurt, mourn and then you can begin to recover and let go. »» Multiple Threes in a spread: A result is near. A project nears production, the fruit of a union has been sown and will soon burst forth. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. Kat Black

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Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Stormy sky: POUSSIN, Nicolas, Hagar and the Angel, c.1660, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Room, book: CLOUET, François, Pierre Quthe, 1562, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Woman: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Unknown woman, formerly known as Catherine Howard, 1540-41, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Ohio. Eyes: CARAVAGGIO, Medusa, 1598-99, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Hourglass: CHAMPAIGNE, Philippe de, Still Life with a Skull, 1600s, Musée de Tessé, Le Mans. Engraving of Henry VIII in book: VERTUE, George, The Heads of the Kings of England, 1700s. White butterfly: KESSELL, Jan van, Insects and Fruit, c.1636-79, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

Four of Swords A bearded man lies on a crypt decorated with mermaids, putti and a crest consisting of a crown, a rampant lion and a fleur-de-lis. He holds one sword to his chest, and three more hang on the wall above him. A stained glass window also features a crest with a rampant leopard. A white moth rests high on the wall. 134

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n Meanings: Sanctuary. A respite from conflict. A time of quiet solitude and recovery. As you retreat from noise and chaos, your path will become clearer and your strength will be renewed. o Reversed: Time to emerge from your cocoon. You have had a chance to retreat and assess the situation, now it is time to return to the field of battle with your wounds healed and a new vigor. »» Multiple Fours in a spread: Order, stability, a solid foundation. Practical planning will assist the matter in question. Conventional wisdom has its uses. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Stonework: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Susanna and the Elders, 1610, Schloss Weissenstein, Pommersfelden. Stone slab: LUINI, Bernardino, St Catherine Carried to her Tomb by Angels, 1520-23, Pinacoteca di Brera, Milan. Kat Black

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Coat of arms: ORLEY, Bernaert van, Altarpiece of Calvary, c.1534, O.L. Vrouwekerk, Bruges. Pillow: Master of the Saint Lucy Legend, St Nicholas Altarpiece, 1486-93, Groeninge Museum, Bruges. Man: MORONE, Francesco, Samson and Delila, 1500s, Museo Poldi Pezzoli. Stained glass: MEMLING, Hans, Diptych of Maarten Nieuwenhove, 1487, Memlingmuseum, Sint-Janshospitaal, Bruges. Grey butterfly: BOSCH, Hieronymus, Garden of Earthly Delights, c.1500, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Five of Swords A man stands on a beach holding three swords. Another two swords are stuck in the sand. Behind him, two defeated men kneel. A butterfly flies above them. n Meanings: An unfair fight brings shame to all. To win by cheating has no honor, especially when the victor revels in the shame of the defeated. Humiliation, despair and feeling victimized or bullied. o Reversed: Beware dirty tricks. An unfair fight may occur if you do not take care to avoid it. A return to dignity after suffering pain, anguish or humiliation. 136

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»» Multiple Fives in a spread: Conflict, instability, unsettled times approaching. Realization of ideas, action and effect. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Dunes: GOYEN, Jan van, Dunes, 1629, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Older retreating man: STEEN, Jan Havicksz., The Sacrifice of Iphigenia, 1671, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Younger retreating man: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, St Gregory the Great with Saints, 1606, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Front man: MORONI, Giovanni Battista, Portrait of Don Gabriel de la Cueva, Duke of Albuquerque, 1560, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Butterfly: HEEM, Jan Davidsz., Festoon of Fruit and Flowers, c.1635-84, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Six of Swords A young couple with an infant sit in the back of a boat. The man has a pole to punt the boat. Six swords are embedded in the back of the boat. The sky is filled with dark clouds backlit with sunlight. The water on one side of the boat is smooth, and on the other side, choppy. n Meanings: Sailing into smoother waters. A voyage, perhaps of discovery, or of escape from a difficult situation. A safe harbor awaits you. o Reversed: Travel. Setting sail in search of better opportunities for those you love. This could mean a literal move, or perhaps a metaphorical one—a change of job, a new business opportunity. »» Multiple Sixes in a spread: Harmony, pleasure, abundance and fulfillment. A hierarchy or a span of generations. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • 138

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Water, boat: TINTORETTO, The Liberation of Arsinoe, c.1556, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Sky: CUYP, Aelbert, The Ferry Boat, 1652-55, Wallace Collection, London. Black cloak: BEHAM, Barthel, Portrait of a Man, 1529, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Man’s face: WEYDEN, Rogier van der, Portrait of Charles the Bold, c.1460, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Oar: PONTORMO, Jacopo, Halberdier, 1530s, J. Paul Getty Museum, Malibu. Woman’s face: POURBUS Pieter, A Married Lady of Bruges, 1565, National Gallery of Scotland. Baby: BIJLERT, Jan van, Virgin and Child, c.1635, Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museum, Braunschweig. Cape, arm: BRAY, Salomon de, Young Woman in an Imaginary Costume, 1652 Frans Halsmuseum, Haarlem. Orange butterfly: BOSCH, Hieronymus, Garden of Earthly Delights, c.1500, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

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Seven of Swords A man sneaks away from an encampment of tents. He holds five swords to his chest and two more are stuck in the ground beside him. A white butterfly rests on one of the swords. He wears a black cap with a large brooch and a checked black and gold coat with a sable trim. n Meanings: Trickery uncovered. Reckless, risky behavior. Take care to guard against theft and deception. There are those who would lie and cheat to defeat you, but they have left you with enough to fight back. o Reversed: Second thoughts. Sensibly you have taken the time to think through your actions instead of acting rashly. This more careful approach will pay off in the end, and you have avoided potential calamity. »» Multiple Sevens in a spread: Progress, but goals still yet to be fulfilled. You still have obstacles to overcome and challenges to be met. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic.

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• • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Sky: VALKENBORCH, Lucas van, View of Antwerp with the Frozen Schelde, 1590, Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt. Tents, ground: BALDUNG GRIEN, Hans, Mucius Scaevola, 1531, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Man: BARTOLOMEO, Veneto, Portrait of a Gentleman, c.1512, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Shirt: CLEVE, Joos van, Portrait of a Man, 1520, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Large jewel: Unknown Master, Portrait of Henry VIII in early manhood, 1500s, National Portrait Gallery, London. White butterfly: BEERT, Osias, Bouquet in a Niche, 1600s, Rockox House, Antwerp.

Eight of Swords A young woman in a black dress with white lace bodice and cuffs stands in a stormy landscape. She is bound in ropes and wears a blindfold, but the ropes are very loosely tied and the blindfold is semi-transparent. Eight swords are stuck in the ground and a black and white butterfly flies overhead. n Meanings: Prisoner without a prison. Although you may stand blindfolded and bound, the ties are loose and Kat Black

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nobody stands guard. Are you choosing to be a passive victim? Shrug off the ropes and take control. o Reversed: Escape your bondage. You have torn off your blindfold and pulled away the ropes that bound you. Now what will you choose to do next? Were you using the ties as an excuse for inaction? Then act now! »» Multiple Eights in a spread: Do what you need to do. Action is required, resist inertia and break out of your box. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Stormy landscape: BERCHEM, Nicolaes, Jupiter Notices Callisto, 1656, Private collection. Girl: KEY, Willem, Portrait of a Lady, 1500s, Rockox House, Antwerp. Rope: ZURBARÁN, Francisco de, Meditation of St Francis, 1632, Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes, Buenos Aires. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Eye cover: FRANÇOIS, Guy, Holy Family with St Bruno and St Elisabeth, 1600s, Musée de l’Ain, Bourg-en-Bresse. Lace: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Portrait of a Young Girl, 154145, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. White butterfly: AST, Balthasar van der (aka BOSSCHAERT, Ambrosius the Elder), Basket of Fruits, c.1625, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

Nine of Swords A woman sits up in bed with her head in her hands. The side of the bed has a carving of a person whipping another person. A snarling black dog snaps at her, and nine swords hang on the wall behind. An orange butterfly sits on the end of her bed. n Meanings: Nightmares. Worries, fears and unresolved issues are haunting you. A health problem in someone close to you may have you feeling frustrated and helpless. Depression, despair, a sense of hopelessness. o Reversed: Fears confronted. Wake up and face your nightmares. If they are caused by guilt or remorse, think of what you can do to give redress, and perhaps then you can find peace.

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»» Multiple Nines in a spread: Completion, fulfillment. The result that you have been expecting has arrived. Is it all that you hoped or feared? »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Wall: GENTILESCHI, Orazio, Danaë, c.1621, Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, Ohio. Pillow: HEINTZ Joseph, Liegender weiblicher Akt, c.1600, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Whipping slab: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Sacred and Profane Love, 1514, Galleria Borghese, Rome. Coverlet: VELÁZQUEZ, Diego, Queen Isabel of Bourbon Equestrian, 1634-35, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Grieving person: FETI, Domenico, Melancholy, c.1622, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice. Black dog: WEENIX, Jan Baptist, A Dog and a Cat near a Partially Disembowelled Deer, c.1647-60, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Butterfly: AST, Balthasar van der (aka BOSSCHAERT, Ambrosius the Elder), Still Life with Fruit and Flowers, c.1620-21, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Ten of Swords A man lies dead on a beach with ten swords thrust into his chainmail. A black dog looks up at the swords, on which a butterfly rests. The sky is dark and stormy. n Meanings: Pain and panic. Tragedy may strike, but keep your response in perspective. One sword would have struck a fatal blow. Were ten any worse? Overreaction will not help. All things must end. o Reversed: Acceptance of loss. Time to move on. Tragedies occur, but the true measure of spirit is in how you deal with the aftermath. You keep a clear head, and help others out of the darkness. »» Multiple Tens in a spread: To come full circle. An ultimate outcome has been reached, perhaps overshooting your intended goal. This is a conclusion, now a new cycle can begin. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Kat Black

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Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Storm: PEETERS, Bonaventura the Elder, Shipwreck, 1600s, National Gallery, Prague. Landscape: WILDENS, Jan, Winter Landscape with a Hunter, 1624, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Man: RENI, Guido, The Triumph of Samson, 1611-12, Pinacoteca Nazionale, Bologna. Dog: BERCHEM, Nicolaes, Jupiter Notices Callisto, 1656, private collection. White butterfly: AST, Balthasar van der (aka BOSSCHAERT, Ambrosius the Elder) Basket of Fruits, c.1625, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

Page of Swords A cocky youth in a black gown sneers at the viewer. He has long, curled hair and wears his cap at a jaunty angle. Around his neck, he wears a chain with the emblem of the chivalric Order of the Golden Fleece. He casually rests his hand against his sword’s blade. On the shelves behind him are many books. A pair of scissors and a set of keys hang from the shelves, and beside him on the writing desk are many papers, a magnifying glass and 146

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other writing equipment. A butterfly flies beside him. n Meanings: The spy. A passionate, intelligent youth, arrogant and self-assured. One who ravenously hungers for knowledge, always wanting to know more. Be vigilant. Messages about ideas, e.g., theories put forth. o Reversed: An overconfident youth. Not knowing the limitations of their knowledge, they may be heading for a fall. Some secrets are better left hidden. Anxiety, paranoia. »» Multiple Pages in a spread: The company of young people. News. New experiences, or experiences enjoyed in a new way. Zest for life. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Wall: HEEM, Jan Davidsz. de, Fruits and Pieces of Sea, 1600s, Musée Fabre, Montpellier. Bookshelf: MASSYS, Quentin, Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1517, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Head: CAVAZZOLA, Warrior with Equerry, 1518-22, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Kat Black

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Page: FRANCIABIGIO, Portrait of a Man, c. 1510, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Papers: HEEM, Jan Davidsz. de, Still Life of Books, 1628, Mauritshuis, The Hague. Letter, inkwell: FRANCIABIGIO, Portrait of a Man, 1522, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Collar: MEMLING, Hans, Anthony of Burgundy, 1467-70, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Magnifying glass: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Pope Leo X with Cardinals Giulio de’ Medici and Luigi de’ Rossi, 1518-19, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Keys: MAES, Nicolaes, Old Woman at Prayer, known as “Prayer without End,” c.1656, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Butterfly: BONZI, Pietro Paolo, Fruit, Vegetables and a Butterfly, c.1620, private collection.

Knight of Swords A ruthless-looking young man in beautiful black and gold armor holds a sword poised at the ready. He rests his left hand on a matching helmet. His beard is close-trimmed and his hair is short. A pillar behind him features a carving of a man carrying a heavy weight. Behind him is a window with a heavy wooden shutter. A moth rests on the wall. This is William the Silent, also known as William of Orange, who had the dubious honor of being the 148

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first head of state to be assassinated by firearm. With an expression like that, I’m not surprised. William of Orange is a national hero in the Netherlands as he led a successful revolt against Spain for Dutch independence. The Dutch flag, national anthem and coat of arms are all in tribute to him: even the color worn by Dutch Olympic athletes is orange. n Meanings: The warrior. Always the first to start an argument or charge into battle. Brilliant, but yet to be softened by age. Can be hurtful, but honest: if you want the harsh truth, ask him. Travel by air. o Reversed: Acts first, thinks later. A brash, foolhardy person who always thinks that they are right. Stand your ground, their aggression is a bluff. »» Multiple Knights in a spread: Setting forth. Energy and the intensity of youth, but now tempered with a little experience. Bravado and self- confidence. A trip is likely. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Room: Master of Flémalle, Madonna with the Child, 1433Kat Black

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35, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Knight: MOR VAN DASHORST, Anthonis, Portrait of William of Orange, 1555, Staatliche Museen, Kassel. Black butterfly: BEERT, Osias, Still Life with Cherries and Strawberries in China Bowls, 1608, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

Queen of Swords A woman in a fine black velvet dress with grey patterned trim sits in a throne decorated with fabric of golden eagles. Her hair is neatly tucked into a bonnet. She wears many jewels in gold and black. In her right hand, she holds a sword pointed directly up. Beyond her throne is a great hall with gilded columns and a high vaulted ceiling. A butterfly rests on the back of her throne. n Meanings: The matriarch. A powerful, intelligent woman, single-minded in pursuit of her goals. She may be alone, but not lonely, just independent. She is strong but a little cold, hardened by grief and pain. o Reversed: Time to move on. It is good to be able to grieve after a loss, but do not wallow in self-pity and resentment forever. Anger, nastiness and looking for others to blame will not help you to recover. 150

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»» Multiple Queens in a spread: Plans become reality, actions produce results. Your boats sail into harbor, crops are harvested. Strong, mature feminine energy and authority. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Palace columns: RUBENS, Pieter Pauwel, Portrait of Anne of Austria, 1621-25, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Bird fabric: MASSYS, Quentin, Virgin and Child, 1500s, Mauritshuis, The Hague. Queen: MOR VAN DASHORST, Anthonis, Queen Mary Tudor of England, 1554, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Brown butterfly: KESSELL, Jan van, Insects and Fruit, c. 1636-79, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

King of Swords A slender, bearded man in black watches the viewer with a cold gaze, resting a sword on his arm. Although his sword is drawn, he is not holding it in a threatening way, more as though he has taken it out to inspect the Kat Black

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blade. He sits in a modest wooden chair decorated with carved lion heads. The room is equally modest with wood paneling and a plain, shuttered leadlight window. On the table beside him is a folding chessboard, a deck of playing cards and a black money purse. A butterfly sits on the windowsill. n Meanings: The judge. A strong authority figure who acts fairly but sometimes lacks compassion. Extremely intelligent, he values logic above emotion. Opinionated, but accepting of arguments supported by facts. o Reversed: Abuse of power. A man who uses his position or intelligence to dominate others. One who enjoys feeling superior to others, and delights in humiliating people. Avoid him if you can! »» Multiple Kings in a spread: Power, responsibility, maturity. Experience and mastery over one’s life, skills and talents. »» Multiple Swords in a spread: Action, ideas, decisions. Power asserted. A conflict or debate is in the air. Conceptual solutions based on theory or logic. •

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Painting Sources:

Sword hilt, blade: GENTILESCHI, Artemisia, Judith Beheading Holofernes, 1612-21, Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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Sword grip: VOUET, Simon, Magdalene, 1614-15, Palazzo del Quirinale, Rome. Wood panel, window: HEMESSEN, Jan Sanders van, Woman Weighing Gold, 1500s, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Purse, cards, chessboard: BAUGIN, Lubin, Still Life with Chessboard (The Five Senses), 1630, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Throne: JORDAENS, Jacob, Portrait of Magdalena de Cuyper, mother of Rogier Le Witer, c.1635-1636, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Chair, man: MOR VAN DASHORST, Anthonis, Sir Thomas Gresham, 1565-70, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Gold chain: CRANACH, Lucas the Younger, Portrait of a Woman, 1500s, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Hat: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of Henry VIII, 1540, Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Antica, Rome. Butterfly: AST, Balthasar van der (aka BOSSCHAERT, Ambrosius the Elder), Still Life with Fruit and Flowers, c. 1620-21, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Suit of Coins Suit meanings: Coins, also known as Pentacles, are the suit of earth and correspond to the modern playing card deck’s diamonds. They represent the medieval merchant class, suggesting financial matters, commerce and trade. These are cards of the material world. I have used the color forest green for the suit of Coins. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience.

Ace of Coins A golden-haired angel in green and gold robes gestures to a gold coin floating in the sky. A small dog sits in a garden with his paw on a touchstone. n Meanings: The essence of earth. Success beyond your intended goals. Advancement at work or profit in business. Material, emotional and spiritual needs all fulfilled and in balance. o Reversed: The gods can be 154

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jealous. Windfall gains are most easily spoiled. You are in a position that many would envy: take care not to become complacent or take these gifts for granted. »» Multiple Aces in a spread: Gifts and opportunities, powerful positive forces at work. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Garden: CORREGGIO, Portrait of a Gentlewoman, 151719, The Hermitage, St. Petersburg. Dog: GOLTZIUS, Hendrick, Lot and his Daughters, 1616 Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, Lilies: GRÜNEWALD, Matthias, Stuppach Madonna, 151719, Parish Church, Stuppach. Wings: PENCZ, Georg, Angel, 1525-30, Wallraf-Richartz Museum, Cologne. Angel: Master of MOULINS, The Annunciation, 1500, Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago.

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Two of Coins An enigmatic man in plain dark clothes holds an infinity symbol containing two coins. He leans on a cabinet on which books, instruments and a globe are sitting. He could be a diplomat, or perhaps a traveler or trader. n Meanings: A clever juggling act. An effective balance of opposing priorities. Calm mediation and tactful negotiation leading to mutually satisfying solutions. o Reversed: Money troubles. Difficulty in balancing spending with debt. Poor time management, or other practical inefficiencies. »» Multiple Twos in a spread: Duality, two sides of a conversation. Conference and negotiation. Balance, wisdom. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • 156

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady To u c h s t o n e Ta r o t

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in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Background: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve (The Ambassadors), 1533, National Gallery, London. Leadlight: HEMESSEN, Jan Sanders van, Woman Weighing Gold, 1500s, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Ribbon: DYCK, Sir Anthony van, Portrait of a Member of the Balbi Family, c.1625, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati. Man: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Portrait of a Cardinal, 151011, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Hat: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Thomas Howard, Prince of Norfolk, 1539-40, Royal Collection, Windsor.

Three of Coins An artist paints a church scene on a canvas. A sketch and quill lie on the table behind him. Behind the artist, another man watches him work, perhaps his patron. n Meanings: A master craftsman. Fine work rewarded, recognition of talents. Noble work with both a spiritual and material purpose. A well-deserved reputation for excellence. Making a house a home. o Reversed: Inspiration is worthless without action. Talents undeveloped or wasted through Kat Black

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laziness or lack of confidence. Jealously of the talents and achievements of others. »» Multiple Threes in a spread: A result is near. A project nears production, the fruit of a union has been sown and will soon burst forth. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Wall: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Portrait of Julius II, 1511-12, National Gallery, London. Onlooker: AMBERGER, Christoph, Portrait of Christoph Baumgartner, 1543, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Artist, table: SWANENBURG, Isaac Claesz. Van, SelfPortrait, 1568, Stedelijk Museum De Lakenhal, Leiden. Painting of church: GEERTGEN, tot Sint Jans, The Holy Kinship, 1475-80, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Four of Coins A woman in a black velvet dress with a high ruff and fine jewelry points to a table on which two coins lie. She holds another coin, and a fourth coin hangs in the air above her head. Her hair is pulled high on her head, ornately braided with pearls and jewels. n Meanings: Material success. Wealth and affluence, but perhaps at a price. The wealthy miser too afraid of theft may die alone. Materialism offers little real satisfaction. True wealth is wealth shared. o Reversed: Letting go. Generosity. Financial loss perhaps, but with a reassessment of priorities and change to a lifestyle more focused on love, health and happiness. »» Multiple Fours in a spread: Order, stability, a solid foundation. Practical planning will assist the matter in question. Conventional wisdom has its uses. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience.

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Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Skyline: BALDUNG GRIEN, Hans, Mucius Scaevola,1531, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Belt lady, table: BRUYN, Barthel, Portrait of a Noblewoman, 1530-35, Museo Correr, Venice. Face: CLOUET, François, Elisabeth of Austria, Queen of France, c.1571, Musée du Louvre, Paris.

Five of Coins A destitute young couple in ragged clothes walk past a church at night. He carries a thin staff and she carries a green blanket. The church is large and dark, but an illuminated window glows brightly before them, although they do not pay it any attention. She looks downcast, but he has put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly. n Meanings: Foolish, stubborn pride. In difficult times there are those who would help, but your ego is in the way. To graciously accept charity in a time of need is as noble as generosity in a time of plenty. o Reversed: Brought together by 160

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adversity. A special bond formed between those who have shared suffering. Help is at hand, if you choose to accept it with dignity. »» Multiple Fives in a spread: Conflict, instability, unsettled times approaching. Realization of ideas, action and effect. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Stained glass: SCARSELLINO, The Virgin Receiving St Stephen of Hungary in the Paradise, 1500s, private collection. Castle wall: GOES, Hugo van der, Monforte Altarpiece, c. 1470, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Window: BOUTS, Dieric the Elder, The Last Supper, 146467, Sint-Pieterskerk, Leuven. Boy’s face: TIZIANO, Vecellio (Titian), Madonna with Saints and Members of the Pesaro Family, 1519-26, Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, Venice. Girl’s face: CARAVAGGIO, Magdalene, 1596-97, Galleria Doria-Pamphili, Rome. Green fabric: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Portrait of Ludovico Capponi, 1551, Frick Collection, New York. Beggars: SCHEDONI, Bartolomeo, The Charity, 1611, Museo Nazionale di Capodimonte, Naples. Kat Black

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Six of Coins A finely dressed noblewoman weighs coins and distributes alms to the poor. A pile of coins and small open book lay on a green tablecloth in front of her. On the shelves behind her are more books, some shells and a glass decanter, as well as a rosary of large glass beads. A grasshopper chirps on the arm of her chair. n Meanings: A generous benefactor. The truly rich are those who know the satisfaction of sharing and using their wealth to make the world a better place. Affluence is a measure of contentment, not currency. o Reversed: Over-generosity. Take care not to give too much, too often or to those who prefer to become dependent instead of improving their own prospects. Sending yourself into poverty is no help to the world. »» Multiple Sixes in a spread: Harmony, pleasure, abundance and fulfillment. A hierarchy or a span of generations. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience.

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Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Room, objects: METSYS, Quentin, The Moneylender and his Wife, 1514, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Noble lady: DYCK, Sir Anthony van, The Wife and Daughter of Colyn de Nole, 1600s, Alte Pinakothek, Munich. Grasshopper, shells: AST, Balthasar van der, Flowers in a Vase with Shells and Insects, c.1630, National Gallery, London. Table: BIJLERT, Jan van, Musical Company, 1600s, private collection. Hands: CARAVAGGIO, Madonna del Rosario, 1607, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna.

Seven of Coins A woman in a plain brown gown and green wrap waters a potted plant with a white and blue jug. Flowers bloom in the walled garden behind her, and seven coins hang on a tree. A roll of parchment is tucked between two potted plants. n Meanings: Now you must wait. Your hard work has created a fine Kat Black

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crop, but now it must mature on the vine. There is little you can do but stand back and hope for fair weather. o Reversed: A crop spoiled. When work does not go well for you, resist bitterness. This season will pass, and you will be able to plant again. Those who can learn from failure stand the best chance of success. »» Multiple Sevens in a spread: Progress, but goals still yet to be fulfilled. You still have obstacles to overcome and challenges to be met. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Garden: HIEPES, Tomás, Garden View with a Dog, 1660s, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Gardener: LA HIRE, Laurent de, Allegorical Figure of Grammar, 1650, National Gallery, London. Face: RAFFAELLO, Sanzio, Portrait of a Woman (La Muta), 1507, Galleria Nazionale, Urbino. Scroll: DÜRER, Albrecht, Portrait of a Man with Baret and Scroll, 1521, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

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Eight of Coins A bearded man in plain black robes and a cap sits at a work table surrounded by instruments, measuring angles. A book with a red cover sits at his side, with a place marked with a wooden instrument. n Meanings: Practice makes perfect. Skills mastered by repetition. Talent is nothing without application. Keep at it and one day you will be a master at your craft. o Reversed: The impatient apprentice. No skill worth learning can be mastered overnight. Natural ability and talent will only get you so far; tools take time to become part of your hand. »» Multiple Eights in a spread: Do what you need to do. Action is required, resist inertia and break out of your box. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Kat Black

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Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Green wall: DÜRER, Albrecht, Portrait of a Cleric, 1516, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Craftsman: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of Nikolaus Kratzer, 1528, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Bearded face: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of a Member of the Wedigh Family, 1533, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Book and square: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve (The Ambassadors), 1533, National Gallery, London.

Nine of Coins A woman in a fine green and gold gown sits with her arm resting on a table. A hooded falcon sits on her arm, and a violin hangs on the wall beside her. A lush vine covers the wall of a garden beyond. n Meanings: Abundance. All material and spiritual needs fulfilled, this is a time to savor. Some pampering is in order. This is the garden that has bloomed through your efforts, now enjoy its luxurious fruits. o Reversed: Money troubles. Poor financial planning or bad 166

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investments may cause substantial losses. Take care to keep something aside for a rainy day. »» Multiple Nines in a spread: Completion, fulfillment. The result that you have been expecting has arrived. Is it all that you hoped or feared? »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Garden: BRAY, Jan de, The Haarlem printer Abraham Casteleyn and his wife Margarieta van Bancken, 1663, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Wall, violin: LEYSTER, Judith, Young Flute Player, c.1635, National Museum, Stockholm. Lady: BRONZINO, Agnolo, Portrait of a Lady in Green, 1530-32, Royal Collection, Windsor. Falcon: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Robert Cheseman, 1533, Mauritshuis, The Hague.

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Ten of Coins A bearded elderly man sits in a garden writing a letter. He leans on a book to write, and a dog sits beside him. There is a vine on the wall and a large tub of rosemary. A young couple walk behind him in animated conversation. The young couple wear elaborate finery but the elderly man wears more practical attire. The young couple in the background were actually married, and in their lifetime these two portraits hung as a pair. Sadly, they have now been separated and are in different collections. I enjoyed reuniting the couple digitally. They look very much in love. n Meanings: A valuable legacy. Domestic harmony, a fine home and financial security. An inheritance accrues. Wisdom formed by experience. Loyalty and remembrance. o Reversed: Security surrendered. Fear of responsibility, a desire for freedom. Seeking escape from a comfortable walled garden where all your desires are met, but there are no challenges to stimulate you. »» Multiple Tens in a spread: To come full circle. An ultimate outcome has been reached, perhaps 168

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overshooting your intended goal. This is a conclusion, now a new cycle can begin. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Courtyard: FABRITIUS, Carel, The Watchman, 1654, Staatliche Museum, Schwerin. Happy girl: HALS, Frans, Isabella Coymans, 1650-52, private collection. Young man: HALS, Frans, Stephanus Geraerdts, 1650-52, Koninklijk Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Antwerp. Rosemary: HIEPES, Tomás, Garden View with a Dog, 1660s, Museo del Prado, Madrid. Dog: BASSANO, Jacopo, Two Hounds, 1548-49, Musee du Louvre, Paris. Older man’s body: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam Writing, 1523, Kunstmuseum, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basle. Green top: BOTTICELLI, Sandro, Giuliano de’ Medici, 1478, Staatliche Museen, Berlin. Head: DÜRER, Albrecht, Portrait of Hieronymus Holzschuher, 1526, Staatliche Museen, Berlin.

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Page of Coins A young scholar in a black robe and cap sits at a desk, holding his gloves. On the desk before him is an inkwell with a pen, and a book with a note tucked inside. Another book sits on a shelf behind him near a wallhanging in green and gold featuring a pattern of clasped hands and initials. n Meanings: The scholar. A methodical, serious youth who assesses all available data before making a decision. Slow and steady wins the race. A practical message; e.g., financial advice or a business proposal. o Reversed: The scatterbrain. Someone so easily distracted by new information that they veer off constantly on new tangents, forgetting the task at hand. Their love of life and learning is very endearing though. »» Multiple Pages in a spread: The company of young people. News. New experiences, or experiences enjoyed in a new way. Zest for life. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience.

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• • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Room: ORLEY, Bernaert van, Joris van Zelle, 1519, Musées Royaux des Beaux-Arts, Brussels. Page, table, book: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of a Member of the Wedigh Family, 1532, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Leopard fur: JACOBSZ, Dirck, Pompeius Occo, 1531, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Inkwell: REYMERSWAELE, Marinus van, St Jerome, 1547, Museo del Prado, Madrid.

Knight of Coins A young, bearded man poses in a suit of finely decorated armor with a large ruff. On the table behind him is a sketchbook, a globe and an hourglass. On a chain around his neck, he wears the sign of the chivalric Order of the Golden Fleece. n Meanings: The plodder. Always prepared, all decisions are thoroughly researched. Loyalty, commitment and maturity beyond his years. A homebody. A slow, Kat Black

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relaxing journey, taking time to explore along the way. o Reversed: What am I missing? Wondering why other people have more interesting, exciting lives: why not take up new, sociable hobbies or a more challenging or glamorous career? »» Multiple Knights in a spread: Setting forth. Energy and the intensity of youth, but now tempered with a little experience. Bravado and self- confidence. A trip is likely. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • • •

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Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Green curtain: MIEREVELD, Michiel Jansz. van, Prince Maurits, Stadhouder, c.1625, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Globe: RING, Pieter de, Still Life of Musical Instruments, 1600s, private collection. Hourglass: PEREDA, Antonio de, Allegory, c. 1654, Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Armor: MIEREVELD, Michiel Jansz van, Ambrogio Spinola, Commander of the Spanish Troops in the Southern Netherlands, 1609, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Head: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Aristocrat with Falcon, 1542, The Royal Picture Gallery Mauritshuis, The Hague.

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Queen of Coins A red-haired woman in a sumptuous green velvet and gold silk gown sits at a table piled with luxurious goods. Although she is wearing jewels and has the look of a refined lady, she is also kindly and gentle looking. n Meanings: The sensualist. A woman who appreciates earthly pleasures and enjoys sharing them—a beautiful home, wonderful food, material comfort and security. She is generous and giving, and dearly loved. o Reversed: Lost bearings. A woman feeling cast adrift, losing her sense of security and knowledge of herself and her world. She needs to take stock and plant her feet firmly back on the ground. »» Multiple Queens in a spread: Plans become reality, actions produce results. Your boats sail into harbor, crops are harvested. Strong, mature feminine energy and authority. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. Painting Sources: Kat Black

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• • • • • • •

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Room: Master of the PARROT, Mary Magdalen, 1525-50, private collection. Body: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Venus and Amor, 1524-25, Kunstmuseum, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basle Face: VERONESE, Paolo, Portrait of a Venetian Woman (La Belle Nani), c.1560, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Headdress: VOS, Marten de, The Family of St Anne, 1585, Museum voor Schone Kunsten, Ghent. Table objects: HEDA, Willem Claesz., Still Life with Gilt Goblet, 1635, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

King of Coins A bearded man in fine clothes sits at a table scattered with pewter platters containing oysters and other shellfish. He wears a fur-trimmed cloak and a hat with a plumed feather. A money purse and silver coins sit in front of him on the table. n Meanings: The executive. A man who enjoys the affluence his success has brought. He is trustworthy, reliable and approachable. A giver of good advice, and a generous 174

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benefactor when he thinks a cause is worthy. o Reversed: Losing stock. If you value your worth in terms of money and possessions, what if these are lost? Who you are is not what you own, and markets will ever turn. You are more than your portfolio. »» Multiple Kings in a spread: Power, responsibility, maturity. Experience and mastery over one’s life, skills and talents. »» Multiple Coins in a spread: Business activities: money, finance, investment. Worldly matters. Practical solutions based on personal experience. • • • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Coin: ANGELICO, Fra, Annunciation, 1433-34, Museo Diocesano, Cortona. Coin profile: BALDOVINETTI, Alessio, Portrait of a Lady in Yellow, c.1465, National Gallery, London. Chair, wall: CLAESZ, Pieter, Vanitas Still Life with the Spinario, 1628, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Body: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Portrait of Sir Henry Guildford, 1527, Royal Collection, Windsor. Face: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve (The Ambassadors), 1533, National Gallery, London. Feather: CECCO DEL CARAVAGGIO, The Flute Player, 1615-20, Ashmolean Museum, Oxford. Money, purse, coins: LINARD, Jacques, The Five Senses, 1638, Musée des Beaux-Arts, Strasbourg. Opulent objects: HEDA, Willem Claesz., Still Life, 1637, Museum Mayer van den Bergh, Antwerp. Kat Black

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Bonus cards You may have noticed an extra card in your deck and wondered what it was doing there. It’s a bit of a tarot in-joke, and was intended to be taken out for readings. I’ve been very surprised to find though that many of the Limited Edition owners (most of whom are very experienced tarot readers and collectors) have chosen to leave it in the deck!

Happy Squirrel A young woman reads the palm of a young man underneath a tree. She wears the costume of a fortune teller gypsy. He is a fine young gentleman with a velvet doublet, ruffled collar, kid gloves and a high plumed feather in his hat, but they look as though they could be brother and sister, their faces are so similar. On a fallen log in front of them, a red squirrel looks into a crystal ball, as 176

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though also reading their fate. The Happy Squirrel tarot card first appeared in an episode of The Simpsons entitled “Lisa’s Wedding.” n Meanings: Lighten up. Do not take yourself, or anything, too seriously. There are no simple answers, life is very complicated and the most important thing is to take joy in the journey. o Reversed: Hey, it’s bad enough that I gave you upright meanings, you do realize this isn’t a real tarot card? • • • • • •

Painting Sources:

Garden: HAARLEM, Cornelis Cornelisz. van, The Fall of Man, 1592, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam. Palm reader and client: CARAVAGGIO, The Fortune Teller, 1596-97, Musée du Louvre, Paris. Fallen tree: BRUEGEL, Pieter the Elder, The Sermon of St John the Baptist, 1566, Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest. Gold base: CLAESZ., Pieter, Still Life with Great Golden Goblet, 1624, Gemäldegalerie, Dresden. Squirrel: HOFFMANN, Hans, Squirrel, 1578, National Gallery of Art, Washington. Orb: EVERDINGEN, Caesar van, Amor Holding a Glass Orb, c.1660, private collection.

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Author Card • •

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Painting Sources:

Persian rug: VERMEER VAN DELFT, Jan, A Woman Asleep at Table, c. 1657, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Sign: HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger, Bonifacius Amerbach, 1519, Kunstmuseum, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basle. Stone ledge: BRAY, Jan de, The Discovery of Achilles among the Daughters of Lycomedes, 1664, Muzeum Narodowe, Warsaw. Woman: OLIVER, Isaac, Elizabeth I: The Rainbow Portrait, c.1600, Hatfield House, United Kingdom. Touchstone: VALCKERT, Werner Jacobsz. van den, Portrait of a Man with Ring and Touchstone, 1617, Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.

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Appendix Love Knot Spread Sample Readings The signature spread for Touchstone Tarot was tested by owners of the Limited Edition of the deck, and a number of them agreed to share their readings.

d

f

h

1 2 3

a

Past

c

Present

e

Future

g

8

Assets

7

4 5 6

b

Past

Present

Future

Obstacles

You

They

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Reading by Annie Dunlop 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Queen of Coins Page of Coins Knight of Swords Page of Swords Two of Swords Ten of Wands XVIII The Moon II The High Priestess

A relationship reading for Annie and John a) Annie, Past, Card 1, Queen of Coins In the past Annie was the perfect hostess who could turn her hand to providing a sumptuous feast. An earthy, generous person, she made her home a warm and comfortable place to be. She was talented and creative and enjoyed raising her family and focusing on the needs of her partner and her family. Annie, Present, Card 2, Page of Coins Annie has her eye on a new project! She will need to work at it to make it successful. This will involve seeking advice, and being diligent and trustworthy. Annie, Future, Card 3, Knight of Swords This new project is going to take off and cause a bit of disruption to her comfortable and predictable way of life! 180

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She will have to keep her wits about her and a level head to maintain balance in her life and in her relationship. b) John, Past, Card 4, Page of Swords John is a very intelligent man and he just loved to study. He spent a lot of his time alone, searching for new ways to learn and researching his family history. John, Present, Card 5, Two of Swords At the moment John is at a crossroads and feels he needs a change, but he does not know what. Perhaps he needs to bring a bit more balance into his life? He is searching inwardly for the answers. John, Future, Card 6, Ten of Wands Success will be achieved! This success and creativity are a little overwhelming and John will not know whether to share his achievements or keep them to himself. c) Pasts compared, obstacles considered. Cards 1 and 4, Queen of Coins and Page of Swords, with card 7, XVIII The Moon In the past Annie and John both led the lives that suited them. Both had their hopes and dreams, but did they always share these? Maybe they believe that they did, but now is the time for some clarification. This is needed so that there are no misunderstandings in the future. d) Pasts compared, assets considered. Cards 1 and 4, Queen of Coins and Page of Swords, with card 8, II The Kat Black

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High Priestess In the past both trusted their intuition and this guided them well. They have a strong spiritual bond that brings great strength to their relationship. e) Presents compared, obstacles considered. Cards 2 and 4, Page of Coins and the Two of Swords, with card 7, XVIII The Moon In the present it appears as though Annie is looking to the future and has plans, whereas John is unsure of his position now. This is really a time for communication and for not keeping any secrets as this could lead to problems in the future. f) Presents compared, assets considered. Cards 2 and 4, Page of Coins and the Two of Swords, with card 8, II The High Priestess Annie must listen to her inner voice and use tact and sensitivity in pursuing her new project. The High Priestess is able to guide John with her wisdom and her gentleness. The big secret with the High Priestess is that one must actively seek her knowledge to solve the mystery, as she does not share her profound wisdom unless asked. g) Futures compared, obstacles considered. Cards 3 and 6, Knight of Swords and Ten of Wands, with card 7, XVIII The Moon Annie, look before you leap! Be cautious about your enthusiasm and be aware of how this may affect John. 182

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John, can you deal mentally with the burden of success for yourself? Do not be spooked by your own shadows. h) Futures compared, assets considered. Cards 3 and 6, Knight of Swords and Ten of Wands, with card 8, II The High Priestess This is going to be a balancing act for both of you! Annie, you will have the energy and the enthusiasm to make this project work if you keep in touch with your inner voice and are guided by your intuition. John, you will find the answers to your quest and need to be careful not to overburden yourself. You will both be guided by great inner wisdom and the spirituality of your relationship together. Dreams and visions have the possibility of becoming a positive physical reality with the combination of the Moon and the High Priestess.

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Reading from Kirsten Weiss 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Six of Coins XI Justice Page of Wands Page of Cups Ace of Wands XIX The Sun III The Empress VIII Strength

I used the love knot spread to analyze my relationship with my boyfriend (I’ll call him “J”). a) Kirsten, Past, Card 1, Six of Coins Looking at the Six of Coins I found myself looking at the expression on the woman’s face. She appears to be in control and carefully handing out her treasure. Is she being parsimonious? Had I been withholding relationship, or was I one of the beggars, clamoring for more? Perhaps a bit of both. I hadn’t been terribly honest with what I wanted for fear of being denied, and my boyfriend, J, had kept a significant fact out of the relationship (he had four adult children). Kirsten, Present, Card 2, XI Justice The present card, Justice, seemed to show that things had been brought into balance. We’ve both become more honest, I with my needs and he about his past (and 184

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its impact on our present). Kirsten, Future, Card 3, Page of Wands The card in the future position, the Page of Wands, looks straight out at the reader, comfortable and confident. If his sense of surety and security is in my future, I’ll be quite happy! J, Past, Card 4, Page of Cups The Page of Cups wears a suspicious expression, as if he’s afraid you’ll take away his fish (though the cat who might do so is napping quietly). I read this to mean that in the past, J was fearful that if he told me the truth he’d lose me (which is something he’s admitted). J, Present, Card 5, Ace of Wands His present, Ace of Wands, is in a much happier, more secure position. She’s stroking the cat* in her card. It’s as if the cat from the Page is no longer a threat to the “fish”; now there’s a sense of comfort about it. *Please note: these readers were using the earlier Limited Edition version of Touchstone. The cat has been replaced by a brazier. J, Future, Card 6, XIX The Sun The final card, the Sun, with its laughing baby in the future position, says to me that good things are coming, happy, sunny days are ahead. Kat Black

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c) Pasts compared, obstacles considered. Cards 1 and 4, Six of Coins and Page of Cups, with card 7, III The Empress The Empress is looking down, as if lost in a dream world of creation. Looking at our past cards, the Six of Coins and Page of Cups, perhaps I was lost in dreams about the way our relationship would end up rather than looking at the relationship as it was. Now when I look at his past Page of Cups card, it seems as if the youthful page is saying, “I’m not ready for this!” And when I look at my past, it seems more and more that I was approaching the relationship from the beggars’ perspective—wanting wanting wanting and not realizing what I actually had. d) Pasts compared, assets considered. Cards 1 and 4, Six of Coins and Page of Cups, with card 8, VIII Strength Fortunately, we both had Strength as an asset to get through this. It takes patience to tame that lion, and courage to face our own errors. e) Presents compared, obstacles considered. Cards 2 and 5, XI Justice and Ace of Wands, with card 7, III The Empress For the present, The Empress is still hovering in the background, but I’m coming to terms (Justice) with reality, and J is feeling more comfortable and confident. f) Presents compared, assets considered. Cards 2 and 5, XI Justice and Ace of Wands, with card 8, VIII Strength Now the Strength card shows a different side: the lion’s 186

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mouth is open, expressing its true feelings and secrets. The woman embraces the lion, rather than rejecting or trying to repress it. Here the asset of Strength is honest expression and acceptance. g) Futures compared, obstacles considered Cards 3 and 6, Page of Wands and XIX The Sun, with card 7, III The Empress And for the future, pairing the Empress with the Sun makes me think of weddings and possibly children, but when I pair the Empress with the Page of Wands, his sensible, grounded expression reminds me that what will come will be good, but I need to enjoy what is rather than continue to be lost in dreams. h) Futures compared, assets considered Cards 3 and 6, Page of Wands and XIX The Sun, with card 8, VIII Strength The asset of Strength, keeping honest and remaining patient with ourselves and each other, will no doubt aid us along the path.

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Reading from Bonnie Cehovet 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Five of Wands Four of Swords XVII The Star Ten of Wands XIX The Sun Knight of Coins Five of Coins II The High Priestess

Question: What do I need to know? Note: This is a business relationship reading. Positions: 1st card (1/4): What is consciously known? 2nd card (2/5): What is not known? 3rd card (3/6): What needs to be known? a) Seeker: What is consciously known? Card 1, Five of Wands There have been some minor setbacks in this relationship for the Seeker, setbacks in achieving the goals that they set out to accomplish, as well as miscommunications and misperceptions. There is a feeling of needing to defend themselves, or their position. The Seeker may be too concerned about the business partner’s opinion. 188

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There is a sense of competitiveness between the Seeker and the business partner. Seeker: What is not known? Card 2, Four of Swords What the Seeker does not know is that they need to take a small “time out” to address their inner fears and to resolve issues from the past. The Seeker needs to be conscious about their expectations in this relationship. Seeker: What needs to be known? Card 3, XVII The Star What the Seeker needs to know is that there is hope, that their goals can be realized. The energy that they are working with is Divine energy. Wherever the Seeker puts their attention, what they are working to manifest will come about. b) Business Partner: What is consciously known? Card 4, Ten of Wands The business partner is conscious of their personal achievements and of their personal power. They have a history of success, and expect others to acknowledge that. They want to do everything that they can to help the Seeker achieve their goals. They feel their power. Business Partner: What is not known? Card 5, XIX The Sun What the business partner does not know is that they have reason to truly believe in themselves. They are extending themselves in many different directions, and run the risk of burning themselves out. Kat Black

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Business Partner: What needs to be known? Card 6, Knight of Coins What the business partner needs to know is that they need to be consistent in their efforts, and take responsibility. They also need to watch a tendency to become somewhat dogmatic. c) Consciously known compared, obstacles considered. Cards 1 and 4, Five of Wands and Ten of Wands, with card 7, Five of Coins The conscious understanding that the Seeker and their business partner have about themselves is apt to hit heads a bit. The Seeker is not as sure of themselves as their business partner is, while the business partner wants to do business as usual. The obstacles that they may face have to do with finances. Each person needs to be aware of the needs of the other person, and where that person is coming from. The Seeker does not want the business partner to know that they may be in a position where they see themselves as “lacking” in some way. With the Seeker, there is a sense of the “victim” mentality, and of their not being able to see themselves actually reaching their goal. d) Consciously known compared, assets considered. Cards 1 and 4, Five of Wands and Ten of Wands, with card 8, II The High Priestess The asset that these two people have is that of accessing their own intuitive faculties. Both people have the ability to “know without knowing,” and “see without seeing.” 190

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e) Not-known compared, obstacles considered. Cards 2 and 5, Four of Swords and XIX The Sun, with card 7, Five of Coins What these two people do not know about themselves shows the Seeker needing a “time out,” with the business partner having the ability within themselves to bring in the energy to make things happen. The obstacle connected with what the Seeker and their business partner do not know is that if the Seeker were to allow their business partner to help them, they could move past the “lack” that the Seeker feels and accomplish their joint goals. f) Not-known compared, assets considered. Cards 2 and 5, Four of Swords and XIX The Sun, with card 8, II The High Priestess The asset connected with what is not known is that if both parties listen to their intuition, the answers that they need are there. g) Needs-knowing compared, obstacles considered. Cards 3 and 6, XVII The Star and Knight of Coins, with card 7, Five of Coins What the Seeker and their business partner need to know about themselves places a great deal of power with the Seeker, and would bring out the best in their business partner. The obstacle connected with what they need to know is that they need to connect with spirit, and they need to adjust their mental attitudes: the Seeker moving away from victim mode into personal empowerment, and the business partner moving from their rigid, dogmatic Kat Black

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ways to their own sense of empowerment in getting things accomplished. h) Needs-knowing compared, assets considered. Cards 3 and 6, XVII The Star and Knight of Coins, with card 8, II The High Priestess The asset connected with what they need to know is that of intuition: if both of these individuals felt personally empowered, they could easily accomplish their joint goals. I see the situation between these two people as one in which each person needs to move from a limited mindset into one of truly believing in themselves and in their goals.

Reading from “Prism” 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

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King of Cups XIX The Sun Ace of Cups Ace of Wands Ten of Cups VI The Lovers XXI The World Six of Wands

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Prism, Past, Card 1, King of Cups Although I was a pretty nice person (if I do say so myself), I was somewhat uncomfortable in my role as a parent when my kids were little, and I thought it meant I would have to shut the door on my past in order to become more “respectable,” a more ideal parent. Prism, Present, Card 2, XIX The Sun Mercifully, that attitude changed, and, having gained a new acceptance of who I really am, I now want to enjoy my life and appreciate each day. I want to see what’s in front of my face and take things as they come, to see things as a child, as if it were the first time. Prism, Future, Card 3, Ace of Cups I will be receiving a surge of love or feelings of being connected. It could be either something new or a rekindling of a relationship. I need to be open to receiving it. Partner, Past, Card 4, Ace of Wands He used to be involved in the arts and is a creative person. He was a motivator in those projects and brought a lot of energy to them. Partner, Present, Card 5, Ten of Cups He is enjoying his role as head of the family. Things are going pretty well for all of us, at least at the moment! Partner, Future, Card 6, VI The Lovers Kat Black

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Hmmm! I hope this means that our marriage will become even more meaningful to him in the future. I’d rather not consider other possibilities! c) Pasts compared, obstacles considered. Cards 1 and 4, King of Cups and Ace of Wands, with card 7, XXI The World I’m seeing The World here as the births of our kids. My somewhat misguided sense of “responsibility” conflicted with his more youthful ideas (I should mention that I’m a little older) when it came time to raise our children. I felt like we had to do things by the book, and he often had other ideas. d) Pasts compared, assets considered. Cards 1 and 4, King of Cups and Ace of Wands, with card 8, the Six of Wands The Six of Wands is the Victory card to me, especially a victory achieved with some difficulty by working together with others. So we were able to overcome those issues and although it made our relationship somewhat difficult, it ultimately created a solid basis for the family. e) Presents compared, obstacles considered. Cards 2 and 5, XIX The Sun and Ten of Cups, with card 7, XXI The World Here The World seems to me to be about achievement in the world. In some ways, our present relationship is the opposite of the past. I feel like I’m now more interested in looking at our situation in new ways, and he is more 194

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interested in settling into a comfortable domesticity. This difference may be due to the fact that he has a more successful career, and I am still feeling like I haven’t figured out my true niche (even though I’m in my fifties). f) Presents compared, obstacles should be assets. Cards 2 and 5, XIX The Sun and Ten of Cups, with card 8, Six of Wands Just as in the earlier step, if we can work through this difference, it could make our relationship stronger. He provides stability and I like to think I am helping to provide some new energy and perhaps a way to move us forward. g) Futures compared, obstacles considered, Cards 3 and 6, Ace of Cups and VI The Lovers, with card 7, XXI The World Here I’m seeing The World as our next stage, maybe as empty nesters. The future looks pretty lovey-dovey, but obstacles could arise, again, from our different views of how to manage this new stage of our lives. h) Futures compared, assets considered. Cards 3 and 6, Ace of Cups and VI The Lovers, with card 8, Six of Wands I guess I see the Six of Wands pretty much the same way throughout the reading. So, once again, if we can work through our differences of outlook, we will be able to enjoy this next phase of our lives. Kat Black

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About Kat Black Kat Black has been an artist and performer for over twenty years using a wide variety of media. She exhibited as a painter before moving into digital art forms. Her main art forms are currently video performance (VJing) and digital collage. Technology and tarot have had a long association for Kat. She began making her first digital tarot deck with Deluxe Paint on an Amiga in the early 1990s, although with only thirty-two colors available, it didn’t look very sophisticated. As technology improved, so did the quality of work Kat could do by “pushing pixels.” Her first commercial tarot deck, Golden Tarot, was released in 2004. It was a work of digital collage. Unlike many collagists, Kat’s style is to try to integrate the elements as seamlessly as possible, to make the works look whole. Golden Tarot achieved this to some degree, but in Touchstone, Kat’s technique has developed to the point that only those familiar with the original source artworks are likely to realise that the card designs are composites. Kat particularly enjoys bringing relatively obscure artwork to a new audience by rearranging and contextualising it to fit in with traditional Tarot archetypes. Kat was born and now lives in Perth, Australia but has lived in both the US and the UK. She is married to Jasper Cook. Kat Black

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Provocative. Bold. Controversial.

A Must For Your Collection Quantum Tarot A Tarot of New Physics. n Kay Stopforth. Illustrated by Chris Butler

The Quantum Tarot combines the revolutionary theories of 20th century physics with the traditional Tarot Card archetypes in a 78-card deck. Quantum mechanics, Einstein’s theories of relativity and modern superstring theory offer new and wonderful ways to visualize Tarot themes. The Quantum Tarot shows how New Age wisdom meshes tightly with New Age science. US$ 26.95 | 208-page book plus 78 gilt-edged cards Book and cards: 2.8”x5.06” Elegant cigar-box to permanently store cards and book ISBN 9781601641694 Av a i l a bl e a t yo u r f a v o r i te b o ok s e l l e rs

KÜNATI Provocative. Bold. Controversial.