October 31, 2024 • 22 mins
Today on CARD TALK, I’ll cover:
-the reality that major arcana cards can feel scary
-why majors show up in our readings
-what majors can offer us in readings
-resources for building relationships with these cards
-questions to ask yourself when majors show up in readings
Recommended resources:
-Archetype Medicine lecture: work with an individual archetype for the kind of support you need, right now
-Next Level Tarot: learn to connect cards together in your readings and spreads
-Devils & Digits (tarot numerology) AND Card Connections (building personal relationships with all 78 tarot cards) through the 3am.tarot conservatory
-devils & fools newsletter: free essays on all 22 majors
For more on Meg, check out 3amtarot.com, and order your copy of Finding the Fool through Bookshop.org or your favorite local bookstore.
Find episode transcripts and more over on the CARD TALK website. And as a special thank you for CARD TALK listeners, click here to download a completely free, exclusive workbook for building your best personal tarot practice.
Love what you’re hearing? Support the pod with a one-time donation or recurring subscription, and please subscribe, review, and share with a friend or two!
CARD TALK is written, edited, and produced by Meg Jones Wall of 3am.tarot. Theme music created by PaulYudin.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:11):
I'm Meg Jones-Wall and this is Card Talk, a mini
podcast for tarot basics andevergreen insights.
I'm here to help you build atarot practice that works for
you.
Glad you're here.
In today's episode, we aregoing to be talking about how to
approach major arcana cardswhen they show up in your tarot
(00:31):
readings.
Last time I offered aintroduction to major arcana
cards, so to speak.
I talked about how they fitinto the tarot as a whole,
different ways to work with themindividually, different ways
that we can understand them on abroad level, and what they can
offer to us as medicine outsideof our readings, in other words,
why it can be valuable to buildrelationships with the major
(00:53):
arcana cards through study.
But in this episode, we'regoing to talk about some
different ways to interpret andwork with major arcana cards
when they show up in yourpersonal tarot readings.
I wanted to start with themajors in this pair of episodes
because I know that when majorarcana cards show up in your
personal tarot readings.
I wanted to start with themajors in this pair of episodes
because I know that when majorarcana cards show up in your
readings, sometimes it can feelreally intense, really emotional
(01:13):
or even really scary, and so Iwanted to have this available to
you as soon as possible so thatif you are someone who pulls a
lot of majors in your readings,or you've been pulling the same
card in your readings, or youjust generally panic when you
see major arcana archetypes, Iwant to offer you some general
support and comfort and advicefor moving through those
(01:33):
readings with a little bit moreease and confidence.
And don't worry, I will bedoing pairs of episodes just
like this for the minor arcanapips as well as the minor arcana
court cards.
Now, because I'm a tarotteacher, I do have a number of
resources that have already beenwritten that are available to
you anytime that can help youunderstand how to work with the
archetypes outside of readingsas well as within readings.
(01:55):
So make sure you check the shownotes, because I'm going to
include links to all of thoseresources right there for easy
access.
First, I want to justacknowledge that majors can feel
really, really scary when theyshow up in your readings.
They can feel big, they canfeel intense, they can feel
overwhelming, and so if this isyou, I just want to affirm and
assure you that you're not weirdor a bad tarot reader or doing
(02:18):
something wrong If flipping amajor arcana card over in your
reading, or even multiple majorarcana cards over in your
reading, makes you kind of panicor worry that you're going to
have to sift through this giantreading.
Now, I think there's a numberof reasons that these cards can
feel so intimidating, and partof it is just the language that
we use to talk about them andlook, I'm guilty of this too.
(02:40):
We call them the major arcana.
That automatically seems tokind of elevate them or separate
them or make them feel distinctfrom the rest of the deck in a
way.
That's really special, and Ithink that that is really
emphasized in the ways that wetalk about these cards as trumps
and as archetypes.
We frame them as hugetransformational events or
(03:01):
moments, as really rare specialcards that indicate a big shift
or a massive change or animportant lesson.
It's a lot to put on thesecards and I'm going to be real
with you.
I do think that the majors arespecial cards.
Okay, I do think that they aresignificant and powerful and
important, but I think that whenthat's, what we focus on is the
bigness of these cards, theoverwhelming intensity of these
(03:24):
cards.
It can create a lot of distancein how we connect with the
cards.
It can make it harder for us tosee ourselves in the cards or
to see the energy of those cardsin our lives, which can make it
harder for us to work with them, especially when they come up
in a reading on something thatfeels important or tender or
really personal.
But if you haven't gone backand listened to the episode that
(03:47):
I released prior to this, theintro to major arcana archetypes
, please go listen to it,because I talk about how these
cards can be teachers andmentors, how they can represent
moments in a story or a broadernarrative, how they can show up
as opportunities or advice, andalso how we can start to work
with them outside of readings asforms of medicine that can
(04:07):
really show up for support.
Part of the reason that I talkso much about having a study
practice besides your readingpractice is for this very reason
, because then, when a majorarcana archetype shows up in
your reading, you have not justthe keywords and definitions
that tarot teachers or yourtarot guidebook might offer.
You also have your own notesand experiences and emotions.
(04:30):
You already have your own kindof set of information and
knowledge and reflections aroundthis card, which means that it
can be a little bit lessintimidating because you already
have a relationship with thiscard, right.
It means that it's a littleeasier to listen thoughtfully
and openly instead of justdrowning in panic.
But anyway, I promise I'll stoptalking about studying.
(04:51):
This is the episode aboutreading.
I want you to really rememberthat the major arcana is part of
the tarot.
There's 78 cards, the majorsare 22 of them and so, just like
majors are part of the entiredeck, majors are another part of
the language of tarot.
They are just one portion,which means that they are one of
(05:12):
the tools that the cards aregoing to use to communicate with
you.
They are one set of ideas orkeywords or meanings that the
deck is going to use tocommunicate whatever they want
to communicate with you.
Regardless of whether you likethe majors feeling like really
big cards or you'd prefer tomake them feel a little bit more
approachable and manageable, Iwant to emphasize that major
(05:35):
arcana cards showing up in yourpersonal tarot readings do not
mean that the world is ending orthat your entire life is going
to blow up, or that whateveryou're reading about is in for
huge, catastrophic change orhuge, incredible success, right?
Major arcana cards are simplyindicators that there is
substantial energy within oraround the reading or the topic
(05:57):
that you're reading about.
This can mean that there areopportunities for something
major to happen or shift orsettle, but sometimes it can
also just be the cardsacknowledging that you are in a
big, pivotal moment or that youare wrestling with intense
emotions or making a big choiceor moving through a big
crossroads.
Right, sometimes the cards justwant to acknowledge where we
already are rather thanindicating what's going to
(06:20):
happen.
This is also why I talk so muchabout tarot beliefs.
It's important to know what youthink the cards are
communicating with you and wherethat's coming from when you're
reading.
That can also really helpsoothe any frayed nerves or
rough edges when it comes topulling major arcana cards.
All right, let's get into someof the nitty gritty here.
First, let's talk about whymajor arcana cards might be
(06:43):
showing up in your reading.
Okay, why are they there?
What's the point?
Remember that majors canrepresent pretty much anything,
which includes transitionalmoments or new opportunities.
They can indicate that we'rethinking about something
significant or working through abig revelation.
Majors are simply indicatingthat you were in a big moment,
whatever that might mean,whatever that might look like, I
(07:04):
like to think of majors asshowing us that something
matters, or that we're having animpact, or that something is as
big as it might feel that it is.
If it feels like you're making areally big deal out of
something that you thinkshouldn't be a big deal,
sometimes having a major show upin your reading can indicate
hey, this actually gets to beimportant because it's important
(07:25):
to you.
Okay, so this can be a reallyreassuring thing in telling you
that what you're thinking about,what you're working through,
what you're wrestling with, whatyou're looking for clarity
around or looking for advicearound or looking for support
around, gets to be important.
It gets to take up space.
But I also want to acknowledgethat when we're trying to make
something be small, when we wantto just move through it quickly
(07:46):
, when we're trying to getsomething over with or figure
out how to move through adecision or a challenge or a
crossroads as efficiently andquickly as possible, sometimes
majors can indicate that this isa bigger deal than we're
letting it be and that we needto let that take up more space,
which I just want to acknowledgecan be a little bit frustrating
sometimes.
Right, I think majors really doindicate that there is
(08:09):
something happening that isworthy of our energy and
attention.
But I think the other majorreason, I think the other big
reason that majors can show upin our readings is that the
major arcana is often thesimplest, most direct way to
communicate a piece of adviceand insight, a truth or a
warning that the cards want tomake sure we hear, an insight, a
(08:33):
truth or a warning that thecards want to make sure we hear.
I know we'd all love to imaginethat every single tarot reading
we do is deeply magical, thatwe're super tuned in, that we
make it this really beautifulritual experience where we're
deeply in touch with ourintuition and our magic and our
spirit and our flow.
But sometimes we just are likepulling cards in a really
mundane way, in just an everydayway.
Sometimes we might bedistracted when we're pulling
(08:55):
cards, sometimes we might bekind of pissed off when we're
pulling our cards, and so Ithink the major arcana can be
really useful in a way that theykind of wake us up right.
They demand that we look atwhat's going on, they pull our
focus and they kind of snaptheir fingers and wave their
hands in front of our eyes andsay, hey, hey, listen up, I've
got a message for you.
(09:16):
In my own practice, I find thatmajors sometimes come forward
when the cards just want to makesure I'm not missing something,
especially if I'm asking aboutsomething that I have talked
about with my cards before orjust something that's been on my
mind a lot lately, even if Ihaven't brought it to the tarot.
Let me give you an example.
It's possible, of course, thatthe seven of swords could come
(09:37):
up as a card that asks me toconsider my motivations in a
particular situation, that wantsme to slow down, that wants me
to be careful, interrogate whereinformation is coming from, be
critical of what truths arebeing shared with me, pay
attention to my own sense oftruth and purpose, to the
information I'm putting outthere.
The seven of swords has a lotof potential, but those are some
(09:58):
of the most common meetingsthat we see for this card.
But if it's really importantfor me to do that right, if the
tarot really wants me to payattention to my motivations, to
dig into and explore my sense ofpurpose, to honor my intuition
and sense of authenticityinstead of getting caught up in
the noise, there are a couple ofmajor arcana cards they could
(10:19):
give to me instead, right, thepriestess, for example, or the
chariot, or the hermit, or eventhe moon.
Any of those cards could pushme to interrogate what I'm
working towards, how I'mchoosing the path that I want to
take towards that destination,what I'm trusting in, how I
trust myself and what is reallymotivating and inspiring my
(10:40):
efforts.
Any of those cards, includingthe seven of swords, depending
on the question that I'm askingand the context of the reading
and the other cards that comeforward, could push me in that
direction.
But if I'm kind of distracted,if I haven't been really
listening to the cards inprevious readings or my focus is
elsewhere, pulling a major, thecards, giving me one of those
(11:02):
major arcana archetypes, mightbe more likely to get me to set
up and pay attention.
Majors can come up for lots ofdifferent reasons in your
readings, but I find that thoseare two of the most prominent
ones, at least in my ownpractice.
Now, what can the majors offerto us in readings?
I've talked about this a littlebit in the previous episode, but
I want you to remember thatevery archetype has its own
(11:23):
medicine and its own motivations.
That goes for both personalstudy, things that we can really
interrogate when we work with acard one-on-one, but it also
applies to your individualreadings with these cards.
Remember that when we'relooking at the tarot through the
lens of story, especially inthe major arcana, we see every
archetype sitting at aparticular point in the
(11:43):
narrative.
Every one of these cards isliving and breathing in between
two other parts of the journey,and so by thinking critically
about what each archetype isinterested in, what they're
motivated by, what they'retrying to accomplish, what their
purpose is, as well as wherethey're coming from or what
they're reacting to, as well aswhere they're going and how
(12:04):
they're changing or adapting, inthinking about all of those
different things, we can get amuch clearer perspective on why
this archetype cares about, whatthey care about, what matters
to them, and in thinking aboutthat, we can start to understand
why they might be showing up ina particular reading and what
they might be literally tryingto offer to us as medicine.
(12:26):
This story aspect is part of whyI love numerology so much in
working with Tarot, becausenumerology can really help us to
recognize what each card isdirectly trying to accomplish,
as well as where they'resituated in the larger narrative
and cycle, not just of thenumerological cycle of one
through nine, but also thebroader cycles of the major
(12:46):
arcana.
Now, if you're interested inincorporating numerology into
the tarot, digging more into thenarratives of every card in the
deck, check out my monthlymembership, the 3DM Tarot
Conservatory, because it doesinclude my flagship tarot
numerology course, devils inDigits.
It's one of the most belovedthings I've ever made.
It's self-paced, it's reallyaccessible and it's a great way
(13:08):
to anchor into individualarchetypes as well as look at
the entire story of the majorarcana as a whole.
It's incredibly practicallyhelpful for your tarot readings.
Now, another thing that themajor arcana cards can offer to
us in readings is literalcompanionship and teachings.
Remember that these archetypesare figures and energies that
(13:30):
you can actively tap into orexplore or get to know whenever
you want, and so sometimes amajor arcana card might be
emerging in your reading as apath forward or even as like a
hand extended to you.
In terms of care, if you thinkabout these archetypes as being
these scary things that existoutside of you, it might be
(13:51):
really hard to connect with them.
But if you start to learn howto see yourself in each
archetype, or learn how to seethe version of an archetype
within yourself.
By working with them closely,by studying with them, by
building relationships with them, it makes them a lot easier to
get to know and it might meanthat you're even delighted when
they pop up or excited to seethese cards come forward in your
(14:13):
readings.
My best and quickest example isthat I was raised evangelical.
I was raised to fear Satan.
I attended like a fire andbrimstone John Edwards style
church growing up and I wastaught to fear Satan and the
devil.
I was taught that sin was theworst possible thing about me.
I was taught all kinds ofthings that we don't have time
(14:33):
to get into now.
But now, because I've spent somuch time with the tarot and
with the devil archetype inparticular, a figure that used
to be really scary andfrightening and deeply upsetting
, now it feels like an oldfriend.
When I pull the devil out in myreadings, I laugh because it
means so many beautiful thingsto me and I have such a rich and
(14:56):
robust relationship with thisspecific archetype.
Part of the reason I feel sostrongly about working with
archetypes in particular isbecause those kinds of
experiences are really beautifuland really nourishing and if
you want to.
I want you to be able to alsohave those kinds of experiences
with different archetypes, evenif it's not with the devil.
Now you can certainly work witharchetypes in whatever ways you
(15:19):
like on your own, to kind ofget to this place and be able to
more easily hear what themajors might have to offer you
in readings.
But if you'd like support, Ihave a brand new lecture called
archetype medicine that is goingto walk you through my own
process of identifying anarchetype to work with in a
particular moment and learninghow to build a personal practice
around it that really resonateswith you.
(15:41):
So again, if this is ofinterest of you, check out the
show notes.
It's available for downloadright now.
Now the last thing I want tocover in this little mini
episode is how to interpretmajor arcana cards when they
show up in your readings.
The first thing I want you todo when you're doing a reading
and a major arcana card comes upis take a breath and slow down.
It's just a card.
(16:03):
It's not here to hurt you.
It's actively here to help you,to offer you something.
So resist the urge to panic andinstead give yourself a beat to
note that the card is there andstart learning to listen Now,
just as a general note, with allreadings I find it helpful to
start just by sitting quietlyand observing what comes forward
(16:23):
for me immediately andinstinctively when I see the
cards I've pulled.
But I find this an especiallyhelpful practice when there's a
major arcana card or multiplemajor arcana cards present in
the reading, asking what'scoming up for me immediately
when I see this card.
This isn't about like rattlingoff every keyword or meaning you
could name.
It's actually about reallylistening to the card, looking
(16:46):
at the imagery and payingattention to the insights and
definitions and understandingsthat bubble up within you first.
Now, we're all different, soit's okay If, looking at the
card, you feel nothing, yourmind goes blank, you're nothing
but panic, blue screen of death,whatever.
That's completely fine.
But I always like to give mygut a chance to speak before I
(17:07):
start actively, like working myway through the reading in a
more deliberate way, after kindof taking that initial pause.
Pay attention to the context andremember the context of your
reading.
Remember that you asked aquestion and this card is
showing up as the answer or aspart of the answer.
So what did you ask, your cardsand how does this card is
showing up as the answer or aspart of the answer.
So what did you ask your cardsand how does this card serve as
(17:28):
a response?
If you're using a spread, howdoes this card address the
prompt for this particularposition?
How does it fit into thebroader reading?
Additionally, if you pulledother cards along with this
archetype, what are they andwhat are the relationships
between the archetype and thesecards?
How are they all connected?
I also like to explore if themajor arcana card that shows up
(17:51):
is highlighting themes that showup in the other cards, really
emphasizing an idea or aquestion that's been coming up
in your life or in the arena ofyour question specifically.
Sometimes the majors can bereally forcing you to think
about something that you've beenavoiding or have been afraid to
think about or admit or address.
So is that something that feelsrelevant?
Another thing to think aboutwhen you're interpreting a major
(18:13):
arcana card in your reading iswhat is your personal
relationship with this archetype?
When has this card shown up foryou in readings in the past and
how might those readings berelevant or those experiences or
lessons be relevant?
Remember always that yourexperience with the tarot, and
with these cards specifically isjust as important as any
(18:34):
definition you're going to findin a book or in a course, or the
things that you hear teacherslike me sharing.
Okay, what do you think aboutthis card?
What is your relationship withthis card?
What is your understanding ofthis card?
How does this card matter toyou?
Now, I know those are a lot ofquestions to work through in
terms of interpreting a card ina reading and, honestly, there
(18:54):
are a million other questions Icould rattle off here, but I
think that this is a good placeto start Now.
Some of those questions aregoing to feel more relevant or
useful for you in general thanothers, and some questions might
be more helpful in somereadings than others, but I
really do believe that lettingyourself slow down and really
process and listen to thesearchetypes, especially in a
(19:15):
really personal way, can helpthem feel a lot less
overwhelming when they show upin your readings.
I always like to end theseepisodes with a little tip or a
trick, and this one might notcome as a surprise, but this
process of not panicking whenmajor arcana archetypes show up
in your readings it really doestake time.
Okay, the major arcana cardsfeel big because they are big.
(19:36):
They are big but they don'thave to be everything and they
don't have to derail yourreadings or be the only cards
that you pay attention to inyour readings.
The major arcana archetypesshould not be eclipsing every
other card that shows up.
They are part of your readings,they are not the entire reading
.
I really encourage you to workwith your cards in a way that
(19:57):
helps you.
Maybe this is a weird way tosay it, but, like build up your
tolerance for the majors orbuild a relationship with the
majors that doesn't feelcombative or panicky.
Okay, if you find in your workthat specific cards are
consistently bringing up reallyintense reactions for you, I
want to encourage you togenerally just give yourself
extra space and compassion inall of your readings, but also,
(20:21):
to you know, take a lap or walkaway from a reading If you pull
up a card that feels reallyintense and you're panicking or
really struggling to process it.
Terror readings don't have tohappen with a stopwatch in your
head.
There's no rush and it's not arace and really sometimes
readings take a while to clarifyor click into place.
So don't rush this process andtry not to get too impatient
(20:42):
with yourself, especially ifpanic is present.
And, of course, I did mention anumber of resources throughout
this episode that you canutilize if you want to have some
resources to help you beintentional about spending time
studying and bonding with thesearchetypes.
But whether you choose to usethese resources or not, you can
certainly do self-study andbuild relationships with these
(21:04):
cards on your own.
I really do recommend beingintentional about spending time
with these cards outside of yourreadings.
I promise you it's going tomake such a difference and
really help these cards feelless intimidating when they do
show up with a specific messagefor you.
That's all I have for you today,but, as always, thank you so
much for spending this time withme.
I really hope you've gotten alot out of these episodes so far
(21:27):
, and there are many more tocome, so I will see you soon for
another episode of Card Talk.
Card Talk episodes are alwaysfree for everyone to enjoy, so
if you love what you hear,please consider supporting the
podcast by subscribing,recommending Card Talk to a
friend or two or donating tohelp with production costs.
You can find episodetranscripts, learn more about me
(21:49):
and join my signature TarotConservatory membership program
through my website, 3amtarotcom.
Thanks for listening and seeyou next time.
I'm Meg Jones-Wall and this is Card Talk, a mini
podcast for tarot basics andevergreen insights.
I'm here to help you build atarot practice that works for
you.
Glad you're here.
In today's episode, we aregoing to be talking about how to
approach major arcana cardswhen they show up in your tarot
(00:31):
readings.
Last time I offered aintroduction to major arcana
cards, so to speak.
I talked about how they fitinto the tarot as a whole,
different ways to work with themindividually, different ways
that we can understand them on abroad level, and what they can
offer to us as medicine outsideof our readings, in other words,
why it can be valuable to buildrelationships with the major
(00:53):
arcana cards through study.
But in this episode, we'regoing to talk about some
different ways to interpret andwork with major arcana cards
when they show up in yourpersonal tarot readings.
I wanted to start with themajors in this pair of episodes
because I know that when majorarcana cards show up in your
personal tarot readings.
I wanted to start with themajors in this pair of episodes
because I know that when majorarcana cards show up in your
readings, sometimes it can feelreally intense, really emotional
(01:13):
or even really scary, and so Iwanted to have this available to
you as soon as possible so thatif you are someone who pulls a
lot of majors in your readings,or you've been pulling the same
card in your readings, or youjust generally panic when you
see major arcana archetypes, Iwant to offer you some general
support and comfort and advicefor moving through those
(01:33):
readings with a little bit moreease and confidence.
And don't worry, I will bedoing pairs of episodes just
like this for the minor arcanapips as well as the minor arcana
court cards.
Now, because I'm a tarotteacher, I do have a number of
resources that have already beenwritten that are available to
you anytime that can help youunderstand how to work with the
archetypes outside of readingsas well as within readings.
(01:55):
So make sure you check the shownotes, because I'm going to
include links to all of thoseresources right there for easy
access.
First, I want to justacknowledge that majors can feel
really, really scary when theyshow up in your readings.
They can feel big, they canfeel intense, they can feel
overwhelming, and so if this isyou, I just want to affirm and
assure you that you're not weirdor a bad tarot reader or doing
(02:18):
something wrong If flipping amajor arcana card over in your
reading, or even multiple majorarcana cards over in your
reading, makes you kind of panicor worry that you're going to
have to sift through this giantreading.
Now, I think there's a numberof reasons that these cards can
feel so intimidating, and partof it is just the language that
we use to talk about them andlook, I'm guilty of this too.
(02:40):
We call them the major arcana.
That automatically seems tokind of elevate them or separate
them or make them feel distinctfrom the rest of the deck in a
way.
That's really special, and Ithink that that is really
emphasized in the ways that wetalk about these cards as trumps
and as archetypes.
We frame them as hugetransformational events or
(03:01):
moments, as really rare specialcards that indicate a big shift
or a massive change or animportant lesson.
It's a lot to put on thesecards and I'm going to be real
with you.
I do think that the majors arespecial cards.
Okay, I do think that they aresignificant and powerful and
important, but I think that whenthat's, what we focus on is the
bigness of these cards, theoverwhelming intensity of these
(03:24):
cards.
It can create a lot of distancein how we connect with the
cards.
It can make it harder for us tosee ourselves in the cards or
to see the energy of those cardsin our lives, which can make it
harder for us to work with them, especially when they come up
in a reading on something thatfeels important or tender or
really personal.
But if you haven't gone backand listened to the episode that
(03:47):
I released prior to this, theintro to major arcana archetypes
, please go listen to it,because I talk about how these
cards can be teachers andmentors, how they can represent
moments in a story or a broadernarrative, how they can show up
as opportunities or advice, andalso how we can start to work
with them outside of readings asforms of medicine that can
(04:07):
really show up for support.
Part of the reason that I talkso much about having a study
practice besides your readingpractice is for this very reason
, because then, when a majorarcana archetype shows up in
your reading, you have not justthe keywords and definitions
that tarot teachers or yourtarot guidebook might offer.
You also have your own notesand experiences and emotions.
(04:30):
You already have your own kindof set of information and
knowledge and reflections aroundthis card, which means that it
can be a little bit lessintimidating because you already
have a relationship with thiscard, right.
It means that it's a littleeasier to listen thoughtfully
and openly instead of justdrowning in panic.
But anyway, I promise I'll stoptalking about studying.
(04:51):
This is the episode aboutreading.
I want you to really rememberthat the major arcana is part of
the tarot.
There's 78 cards, the majorsare 22 of them and so, just like
majors are part of the entiredeck, majors are another part of
the language of tarot.
They are just one portion,which means that they are one of
(05:12):
the tools that the cards aregoing to use to communicate with
you.
They are one set of ideas orkeywords or meanings that the
deck is going to use tocommunicate whatever they want
to communicate with you.
Regardless of whether you likethe majors feeling like really
big cards or you'd prefer tomake them feel a little bit more
approachable and manageable, Iwant to emphasize that major
(05:35):
arcana cards showing up in yourpersonal tarot readings do not
mean that the world is ending orthat your entire life is going
to blow up, or that whateveryou're reading about is in for
huge, catastrophic change orhuge, incredible success, right?
Major arcana cards are simplyindicators that there is
substantial energy within oraround the reading or the topic
(05:57):
that you're reading about.
This can mean that there areopportunities for something
major to happen or shift orsettle, but sometimes it can
also just be the cardsacknowledging that you are in a
big, pivotal moment or that youare wrestling with intense
emotions or making a big choiceor moving through a big
crossroads.
Right, sometimes the cards justwant to acknowledge where we
already are rather thanindicating what's going to
(06:20):
happen.
This is also why I talk so muchabout tarot beliefs.
It's important to know what youthink the cards are
communicating with you and wherethat's coming from when you're
reading.
That can also really helpsoothe any frayed nerves or
rough edges when it comes topulling major arcana cards.
All right, let's get into someof the nitty gritty here.
First, let's talk about whymajor arcana cards might be
(06:43):
showing up in your reading.
Okay, why are they there?
What's the point?
Remember that majors canrepresent pretty much anything,
which includes transitionalmoments or new opportunities.
They can indicate that we'rethinking about something
significant or working through abig revelation.
Majors are simply indicatingthat you were in a big moment,
whatever that might mean,whatever that might look like, I
(07:04):
like to think of majors asshowing us that something
matters, or that we're having animpact, or that something is as
big as it might feel that it is.
If it feels like you're making areally big deal out of
something that you thinkshouldn't be a big deal,
sometimes having a major show upin your reading can indicate
hey, this actually gets to beimportant because it's important
(07:25):
to you.
Okay, so this can be a reallyreassuring thing in telling you
that what you're thinking about,what you're working through,
what you're wrestling with, whatyou're looking for clarity
around or looking for advicearound or looking for support
around, gets to be important.
It gets to take up space.
But I also want to acknowledgethat when we're trying to make
something be small, when we wantto just move through it quickly
(07:46):
, when we're trying to getsomething over with or figure
out how to move through adecision or a challenge or a
crossroads as efficiently andquickly as possible, sometimes
majors can indicate that this isa bigger deal than we're
letting it be and that we needto let that take up more space,
which I just want to acknowledgecan be a little bit frustrating
sometimes.
Right, I think majors really doindicate that there is
(08:09):
something happening that isworthy of our energy and
attention.
But I think the other majorreason, I think the other big
reason that majors can show upin our readings is that the
major arcana is often thesimplest, most direct way to
communicate a piece of adviceand insight, a truth or a
warning that the cards want tomake sure we hear, an insight, a
(08:33):
truth or a warning that thecards want to make sure we hear.
I know we'd all love to imaginethat every single tarot reading
we do is deeply magical, thatwe're super tuned in, that we
make it this really beautifulritual experience where we're
deeply in touch with ourintuition and our magic and our
spirit and our flow.
But sometimes we just are likepulling cards in a really
mundane way, in just an everydayway.
Sometimes we might bedistracted when we're pulling
(08:55):
cards, sometimes we might bekind of pissed off when we're
pulling our cards, and so Ithink the major arcana can be
really useful in a way that theykind of wake us up right.
They demand that we look atwhat's going on, they pull our
focus and they kind of snaptheir fingers and wave their
hands in front of our eyes andsay, hey, hey, listen up, I've
got a message for you.
(09:16):
In my own practice, I find thatmajors sometimes come forward
when the cards just want to makesure I'm not missing something,
especially if I'm asking aboutsomething that I have talked
about with my cards before orjust something that's been on my
mind a lot lately, even if Ihaven't brought it to the tarot.
Let me give you an example.
It's possible, of course, thatthe seven of swords could come
(09:37):
up as a card that asks me toconsider my motivations in a
particular situation, that wantsme to slow down, that wants me
to be careful, interrogate whereinformation is coming from, be
critical of what truths arebeing shared with me, pay
attention to my own sense oftruth and purpose, to the
information I'm putting outthere.
The seven of swords has a lotof potential, but those are some
(09:58):
of the most common meetingsthat we see for this card.
But if it's really importantfor me to do that right, if the
tarot really wants me to payattention to my motivations, to
dig into and explore my sense ofpurpose, to honor my intuition
and sense of authenticityinstead of getting caught up in
the noise, there are a couple ofmajor arcana cards they could
(10:19):
give to me instead, right, thepriestess, for example, or the
chariot, or the hermit, or eventhe moon.
Any of those cards could pushme to interrogate what I'm
working towards, how I'mchoosing the path that I want to
take towards that destination,what I'm trusting in, how I
trust myself and what is reallymotivating and inspiring my
(10:40):
efforts.
Any of those cards, includingthe seven of swords, depending
on the question that I'm askingand the context of the reading
and the other cards that comeforward, could push me in that
direction.
But if I'm kind of distracted,if I haven't been really
listening to the cards inprevious readings or my focus is
elsewhere, pulling a major, thecards, giving me one of those
(11:02):
major arcana archetypes, mightbe more likely to get me to set
up and pay attention.
Majors can come up for lots ofdifferent reasons in your
readings, but I find that thoseare two of the most prominent
ones, at least in my ownpractice.
Now, what can the majors offerto us in readings?
I've talked about this a littlebit in the previous episode, but
I want you to remember thatevery archetype has its own
(11:23):
medicine and its own motivations.
That goes for both personalstudy, things that we can really
interrogate when we work with acard one-on-one, but it also
applies to your individualreadings with these cards.
Remember that when we'relooking at the tarot through the
lens of story, especially inthe major arcana, we see every
archetype sitting at aparticular point in the
(11:43):
narrative.
Every one of these cards isliving and breathing in between
two other parts of the journey,and so by thinking critically
about what each archetype isinterested in, what they're
motivated by, what they'retrying to accomplish, what their
purpose is, as well as wherethey're coming from or what
they're reacting to, as well aswhere they're going and how
(12:04):
they're changing or adapting, inthinking about all of those
different things, we can get amuch clearer perspective on why
this archetype cares about, whatthey care about, what matters
to them, and in thinking aboutthat, we can start to understand
why they might be showing up ina particular reading and what
they might be literally tryingto offer to us as medicine.
(12:26):
This story aspect is part of whyI love numerology so much in
working with Tarot, becausenumerology can really help us to
recognize what each card isdirectly trying to accomplish,
as well as where they'resituated in the larger narrative
and cycle, not just of thenumerological cycle of one
through nine, but also thebroader cycles of the major
(12:46):
arcana.
Now, if you're interested inincorporating numerology into
the tarot, digging more into thenarratives of every card in the
deck, check out my monthlymembership, the 3DM Tarot
Conservatory, because it doesinclude my flagship tarot
numerology course, devils inDigits.
It's one of the most belovedthings I've ever made.
It's self-paced, it's reallyaccessible and it's a great way
(13:08):
to anchor into individualarchetypes as well as look at
the entire story of the majorarcana as a whole.
It's incredibly practicallyhelpful for your tarot readings.
Now, another thing that themajor arcana cards can offer to
us in readings is literalcompanionship and teachings.
Remember that these archetypesare figures and energies that
(13:30):
you can actively tap into orexplore or get to know whenever
you want, and so sometimes amajor arcana card might be
emerging in your reading as apath forward or even as like a
hand extended to you.
In terms of care, if you thinkabout these archetypes as being
these scary things that existoutside of you, it might be
(13:51):
really hard to connect with them.
But if you start to learn howto see yourself in each
archetype, or learn how to seethe version of an archetype
within yourself.
By working with them closely,by studying with them, by
building relationships with them, it makes them a lot easier to
get to know and it might meanthat you're even delighted when
they pop up or excited to seethese cards come forward in your
(14:13):
readings.
My best and quickest example isthat I was raised evangelical.
I was raised to fear Satan.
I attended like a fire andbrimstone John Edwards style
church growing up and I wastaught to fear Satan and the
devil.
I was taught that sin was theworst possible thing about me.
I was taught all kinds ofthings that we don't have time
(14:33):
to get into now.
But now, because I've spent somuch time with the tarot and
with the devil archetype inparticular, a figure that used
to be really scary andfrightening and deeply upsetting
, now it feels like an oldfriend.
When I pull the devil out in myreadings, I laugh because it
means so many beautiful thingsto me and I have such a rich and
(14:56):
robust relationship with thisspecific archetype.
Part of the reason I feel sostrongly about working with
archetypes in particular isbecause those kinds of
experiences are really beautifuland really nourishing and if
you want to.
I want you to be able to alsohave those kinds of experiences
with different archetypes, evenif it's not with the devil.
Now you can certainly work witharchetypes in whatever ways you
(15:19):
like on your own, to kind ofget to this place and be able to
more easily hear what themajors might have to offer you
in readings.
But if you'd like support, Ihave a brand new lecture called
archetype medicine that is goingto walk you through my own
process of identifying anarchetype to work with in a
particular moment and learninghow to build a personal practice
around it that really resonateswith you.
(15:41):
So again, if this is ofinterest of you, check out the
show notes.
It's available for downloadright now.
Now the last thing I want tocover in this little mini
episode is how to interpretmajor arcana cards when they
show up in your readings.
The first thing I want you todo when you're doing a reading
and a major arcana card comes upis take a breath and slow down.
It's just a card.
(16:03):
It's not here to hurt you.
It's actively here to help you,to offer you something.
So resist the urge to panic andinstead give yourself a beat to
note that the card is there andstart learning to listen Now,
just as a general note, with allreadings I find it helpful to
start just by sitting quietlyand observing what comes forward
(16:23):
for me immediately andinstinctively when I see the
cards I've pulled.
But I find this an especiallyhelpful practice when there's a
major arcana card or multiplemajor arcana cards present in
the reading, asking what'scoming up for me immediately
when I see this card.
This isn't about like rattlingoff every keyword or meaning you
could name.
It's actually about reallylistening to the card, looking
(16:46):
at the imagery and payingattention to the insights and
definitions and understandingsthat bubble up within you first.
Now, we're all different, soit's okay If, looking at the
card, you feel nothing, yourmind goes blank, you're nothing
but panic, blue screen of death,whatever.
That's completely fine.
But I always like to give mygut a chance to speak before I
(17:07):
start actively, like working myway through the reading in a
more deliberate way, after kindof taking that initial pause.
Pay attention to the context andremember the context of your
reading.
Remember that you asked aquestion and this card is
showing up as the answer or aspart of the answer.
So what did you ask, your cardsand how does this card is
showing up as the answer or aspart of the answer.
So what did you ask your cardsand how does this card serve as
(17:28):
a response?
If you're using a spread, howdoes this card address the
prompt for this particularposition?
How does it fit into thebroader reading?
Additionally, if you pulledother cards along with this
archetype, what are they andwhat are the relationships
between the archetype and thesecards?
How are they all connected?
I also like to explore if themajor arcana card that shows up
(17:51):
is highlighting themes that showup in the other cards, really
emphasizing an idea or aquestion that's been coming up
in your life or in the arena ofyour question specifically.
Sometimes the majors can bereally forcing you to think
about something that you've beenavoiding or have been afraid to
think about or admit or address.
So is that something that feelsrelevant?
Another thing to think aboutwhen you're interpreting a major
(18:13):
arcana card in your reading iswhat is your personal
relationship with this archetype?
When has this card shown up foryou in readings in the past and
how might those readings berelevant or those experiences or
lessons be relevant?
Remember always that yourexperience with the tarot, and
with these cards specifically isjust as important as any
(18:34):
definition you're going to findin a book or in a course, or the
things that you hear teacherslike me sharing.
Okay, what do you think aboutthis card?
What is your relationship withthis card?
What is your understanding ofthis card?
How does this card matter toyou?
Now, I know those are a lot ofquestions to work through in
terms of interpreting a card ina reading and, honestly, there
(18:54):
are a million other questions Icould rattle off here, but I
think that this is a good placeto start Now.
Some of those questions aregoing to feel more relevant or
useful for you in general thanothers, and some questions might
be more helpful in somereadings than others, but I
really do believe that lettingyourself slow down and really
process and listen to thesearchetypes, especially in a
(19:15):
really personal way, can helpthem feel a lot less
overwhelming when they show upin your readings.
I always like to end theseepisodes with a little tip or a
trick, and this one might notcome as a surprise, but this
process of not panicking whenmajor arcana archetypes show up
in your readings it really doestake time.
Okay, the major arcana cardsfeel big because they are big.
(19:36):
They are big but they don'thave to be everything and they
don't have to derail yourreadings or be the only cards
that you pay attention to inyour readings.
The major arcana archetypesshould not be eclipsing every
other card that shows up.
They are part of your readings,they are not the entire reading
.
I really encourage you to workwith your cards in a way that
(19:57):
helps you.
Maybe this is a weird way tosay it, but, like build up your
tolerance for the majors orbuild a relationship with the
majors that doesn't feelcombative or panicky.
Okay, if you find in your workthat specific cards are
consistently bringing up reallyintense reactions for you, I
want to encourage you togenerally just give yourself
extra space and compassion inall of your readings, but also,
(20:21):
to you know, take a lap or walkaway from a reading If you pull
up a card that feels reallyintense and you're panicking or
really struggling to process it.
Terror readings don't have tohappen with a stopwatch in your
head.
There's no rush and it's not arace and really sometimes
readings take a while to clarifyor click into place.
So don't rush this process andtry not to get too impatient
(20:42):
with yourself, especially ifpanic is present.
And, of course, I did mention anumber of resources throughout
this episode that you canutilize if you want to have some
resources to help you beintentional about spending time
studying and bonding with thesearchetypes.
But whether you choose to usethese resources or not, you can
certainly do self-study andbuild relationships with these
(21:04):
cards on your own.
I really do recommend beingintentional about spending time
with these cards outside of yourreadings.
I promise you it's going tomake such a difference and
really help these cards feelless intimidating when they do
show up with a specific messagefor you.
That's all I have for you today,but, as always, thank you so
much for spending this time withme.
I really hope you've gotten alot out of these episodes so far
(21:27):
, and there are many more tocome, so I will see you soon for
another episode of Card Talk.
Card Talk episodes are alwaysfree for everyone to enjoy, so
if you love what you hear,please consider supporting the
podcast by subscribing,recommending Card Talk to a
friend or two or donating tohelp with production costs.
You can find episodetranscripts, learn more about me
(21:49):
and join my signature TarotConservatory membership program
through my website, 3amtarotcom.
Thanks for listening and seeyou next time.
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