Copyright © 2014

by Sheridan

AdvaitarotGuide

Manual forThe Advaitarot

Sheridan

1st English edition

Contents

Introduction ...................... p. 7

Major Arcana.................... p. 15

Minor Arcana...................... p. 43

Author ................................... p. 110

Introduction

What the Tarot can do for you

The Tarot is a book on Self-recognition in the shape of 78 pictures. This means

that by making contact with the cards, you will gain insight into who you really are, into all that you are not, and into which steps you will have to take to live according to those insights.

Good teaching may last a lifetime. Apply at every moment of your life that which you have learned, and the teaching will start to work for you. This is what the Tarot teaches:

The Tarot is a game. Life is a game. The Tarot reflects life, but cannot replace it.

You go the path of the Major Arcana. You start as The Fool, and in every next card you have an experience of yourself, making you realize all that you are.

You are everything. There is nothing outside of you which is

not also inside of you, and that is why the last card of the Major Arcana is called The Universe. You go past The Star, The Moon and The Sun, and you become as a star, the moon, the sun. In the end you become as spacious as the entire universe.

Every lesson will be tested. These lessons are the 56 cards of the Minor Arcana. The truth you know is supposed to pervade your entire life; your life must become an expression of Truth.

Have fun!

Working with the Tarot

Because the 78 cards of the Tarot contain information about all forces

and situations occurring in a lifetime, the deck can also answer all questions you can imagine. A few things are important in this respect:

The Tarot answers as a poet, mystic or story-teller would. If you let this answer sink in, by looking well at the card you draw and perhaps reading the corresponding text in this manual, you can start to live with the answer.

Reading or interpreting a Tarot card is an art you master intuitively or one you can make yourself familiar with. This art is taught in some courses and books on the Tarot.

Ask an open question. The Tarot will never say Yes or No. Therefore you should not ask

questions such as: “Will I find suitable work?” Instead you may ask: “What can I do to find such work?” or “What is suitable work for me?”

If you are a beginner, start drawing one card at a time. For instance at the start of the day, ask what the day will bring, draw a card, and in the evening, compare the card to your experiences of that day. This is an excellent way to get to know the Tarot.

The Advaitarot

The Advaitarot distills the essence of that which is of all ages and has been the same since the beginning of time

and brings it to the present. The deck was created in order to represent the 78 cards of the Tarot as an expression of that timeless essence. Every state of being, as represented by the Tarot cards, can be experienced by every human being.The cards have also been designed in such a way, that you can, as it were, step into them. You can imagine to find yourself amongst the people and natural elements in the picture. In this way it is possible to experience the archetypal forces of the Tarot while looking at people, animals, plants, the air, etc. In this deck the magic of the Tarot is no different from the magic of nature and of life.

The Advaitarot is also a mirror of this time. Every card is an image consisting of cultural and natural elements as

they can be found now, and this is what makes the Advaitarot easily accessible. At the same time, the deck has been designed in the ancient Tarot tradition. Because of this, the deck is, just like the more traditional decks, an expression of forces at work in the universe and on earth, while they can be experienced in every human being now. In this sense, there is nothing new under the sun, even though we can feel that we live in a time which challenges us in a way typical of this time only. Although this is true, it does not apply to the deeper levels of reality where the archetypal forces of the Major Arcana, the big secrets, are at work.

A final intention of the deck is to liberate the Tarot from the complex symbolism which makes some decks so

inaccessible. The Advaitarot encourages people to have a direct experience of the forces at work in the universe, in a simple way, by opening up to what is visible in the images of the deck.

The basic assumption of the Advaitarot is that God becomes manifest in the life of every human being, and that nothing and no one can change anything about that. The only thing that may be acknowledged is the idea of a separate self which thinks itcan resist the divine life-force. This is the game most people play. The 78 cards of the Advaitarot give a picture of how that game can be played with grace and of the reality beyond it.

Using the Advaitarot

When working with the Advaitarot, I still often look with wonder at the cards, at the magic of the creative process which made cards which I could never have devised or created consciously. I hope that when you use the deck, you will be able to experience that magic for a long time. Every time a card comes up, it can have a greater impact than the time before. Do not be satisfied with a definite meaning or interpretation. Every moment is new. Every situation is different. A free interpretation is important, especially with the cards of the Minor Arcana, the small secrets.

The cards of the Major Arcana, however, have a basic meaning, which is still the same as when the Tarot originated long ago as a book on Self

recognition. If those meanings are clear to you, you are free to use the Tarot as your heart chooses. If not, stick to those basic meanings and the key-words derived from them. And above all, connect the deck to your own life and apply the cards to it.

Major Arcana

Wisdom tells me I am nothing.Love tells me I am Everything.

Between those two my life flows.

Nisargadatta Maharaj

The Major Arcana

There are two ways of looking at the 22 cards of the Major Arcana. The first is to see them as an expression of the steps you have to take in the process of becoming yourself. The 2nd way is to

regard the 22 cards as 22 aspects of the realized state. In the realm of change, you may indeed look upon life as a continuous process of becoming more and more yourself. In the realm of the Absolute there is no such thing as this kind of development, and there are only aspects of God, like the facets of a diamond. The Major Arcana regards development as possible only in the realm of change and duality: you cannot become who you are; you can only be That, here, now.

Looking at it in this way, card number zero of the Major Arcana, The Fool, is an expression of the innocent human being, whose fire still has to be lit. As soon as this has happened, in the first card, The Magician, the only so-called process unfolding itself is an ever deepening relaxation into That which

you are. In that state, and because of the relaxation, all kinds of sensations, feelings and tendencies appear. Every time this has occurred, it is clear that nothing has happened but a deepening of the relaxation into That which is. The infinite finish of that process is The Universe, the 21st card of the Major Arcana.

O. The Fool

Innocence, beginning, jump into the unknown, freedom

Innocence makes it possible to experience Freedom without awareness of that Freedom. For children there may be the experience of that which is ultimately experienced in The Universe, the last card of The Major Arcana. This is the Fool’s strength. It is a blissful state, but in this image, as you start on the path, there is also a sense of the necessity to continue. Once innocence is lost, there is no choice but to move on, experiencing and learning what it takes to achieve the state of card number XXI.

I. The Magician

Will-power, creation, concentration, inspiration

The Magician is God using the body as a perfect instrument for creation and transformation. Looking at the Magician, you see someone with great will-power, but this is not the will separate from the divine Will. There is no one present here who wants something; all there is is Creation.

II. High Priestess

Wisdom, initiation, transmission, intuition, surrender

In the presence of the High Priestess, you experiences the Divine Mystery, the end of space and time, the eternal here and now. In meeting her, you are initiated into something which cannot be spoken or understood. The outer form of this ritual is not important; what counts is the energy transmitted. This experience is infinitely bigger than what you have learned to call yourself. If you have no resistance to receiving what she has to give, it is without limit.

III. The Empress

Nature, naturalness, regeneration, Mother Earth

The Empress is the eternal force which breathes life into everything temporary. She is the hidden force behind the form, a leaf falling from a branch or a tree falling in an autumn storm. She is the cycle of life and death, in which everything is constantly changing into something else. She is the experience of the naturalness and effortlessness of all things. In nature everything which is not natural dissolves and only the rich fullness of the Empress remains. This is

what you are in essence: nature looking at nature through the eyes of a human being.

IV. Emperor

Order, control, structure, authority, co-creator

The Emperor is that force in every human being which can co-operate with nature. He is the creator next to God. He is always subordinate to the Empress, but temporarily he may try to improve on her plan. Eventually her divine chaos will put an end to his illusion of order. The Emperor is the gardener who has his garden on loan from nature in order to grow vegetables, herbs and flowers. If he stops his work, his piece of land

returns to nature, to the wilderness of that which man calls weeds.

V. Hierophant

Spiritual master, teacher, wisdom, understanding

The Hierophant is the enlightened human being, who reveals the light in others. He uses words and silence to give you an experience and an understanding of Truth. He is the spiritual master who helps you become your own master. It is necessary to have the true nature of Reality explained to you at least once. The Hierophant's teaching makes it

possible for you to recognize the fact that you are only searching for your Self.

VI. Lovers

Relationship, connection, love, communion, being in love.

In connecting with another person, someone can break through the illusion of separation. This is the force of The Lovers. Two or more people recognize themselves as being one essentially. You may connect to anyone or anything and recognizes that you have always been one. In essence there is no

separation or connection, and there never has been any.

VII. Chariot

Movement, willpower, creation, purpose, adventure

In the Chariot, the body has become the perfect vehicle for the charioteer, Consciousness. There is no identification with the body, and therefore the body functions perfectly and effortlessly. It is the fire of God which moves the Chariot. Essentially

there is no one doing anything. Everything moves by itself, but without fire there is no motion. The Chariot, the body, moves with the fire. The movement of the Chariot is creation in action.

VIII. Justice

Balance, cause and effect, inevitability, reward, truth, wisdom.

In life, everything needs to be balanced out, constantly. Ideally, you live from moment to moment, never creating anything you need to balance later in

your life. This is living in Justice. In this state of Justice, you as a separate identity disappear. You live your life, walking a thin line between the two sides of duality, but without effort. There is a natural flow bringing you safely through life, and everything happens as it must.

IX. Hermit

Detachment, wisdom, meditation, solitude, stillness.

The Hermit is in this world, but not of this world. He is completely free in the

sense that he does not identify with his body, mind, feelings or actions. He can do anything he likes, do his work in the world, interact with people as an ordinary and average person. And in a way, he is perfectly normal to most people dealing with him. Even so, his perspective on life is radically different from that of anyone else: he leaves everything to God and watches things happen by themselves.

X. Fortune

Great events and changes, revolution, the flow of life

Nothing is predictable. Nothing remains the same. Nothing can be

controlled. No one is in control. Fortune is the phase in life when everything is moving and changing and you have no idea what is happening or where life is taking you. All that you have is this moment. All that you are is conscious presence. All you can do is let go of resistance and go where Fortune, the natural flow of life, takes you, even if it is a fast moving current or a cascade. This may be frightening or painful, but whoever lets himself be moved along effortlessly, might end up reborn and unharmed at the bottom of the waterfall.

XI. Lust

Vitality, courage, love, strength, animal passion

True strength lies in living and guiding the animal which is our body. If we can love and enjoy this animal we start to accept our own nature, our humanity. This enjoyment and love liberate all strength and passion belonging to the animal. A passionate life in the fullness of existence may begin.

XII. Hanged One

Suffering, resistance, dead end street, incapacity, crisis, delay, reversal

Suffering is caused by resisting the experience of whatever presents itself in your life. In bearing your cross and accepting even the most extreme circumstances of your life, the part of you that resisted will die. Who you thought you were was not much more than that resistance to life, and now there is nothing left to identify with. What you thought you were, is no longer there. It is possible that God in man becomes visible.

XIII. Death

End, goodbye, defencelessness, loss of ego

This is the condition of not-knowing. Life appears to have lost all solidity, and there is nothing you can call your own anymore. Even the body has no beginning or end: it is merely a number of energy impulses somewhere in space. Nothing is as it was. There is nothing you can do. There is again the promise of the True Self taking over your life, but once again the Sun sets, leaving you with a feeling of meaninglessness. But this time this feeling too is seen for what it is and recognized as being without form or impact. Nothing remains.

XIV. Art

Creativity, new beginning, joy, alchemy, uniting opposites

Something new may be born from emptiness. True creativity starts with an empty canvas, with a blank page, with a formless hump of clay. In this emptiness, there is no resistance, which makes being creative simple. After the old way of living your life has disappeared, Art may also be a first intuitive representation of a new beginning. In this process of creating, there is pure joy, but there is no one who is joyful or creative. Your hands and mouth are the instruments. God is the joyful Creator.

XV. Devil’s Play

Ecstasy, pleasure, play, manipulation, abuse

In Devil’s Play there is the opportunity to use the available divine energy for your own enjoyment and ecstasy. Devil’s Play is pure ecstasy. The energy is divine and natural, and if it enters the body, the body becomes divine and ecstatic. You are not the body or someone experiencing ecstasy. You are ecstatic energy pervading all creation, and potentially all bodies. If you fail to understand this and you identify yourself with the body or a spiritual person, then you have tried to make something very small which is in reality as big as the universe; then you will have a wrong perspective altogether.

XVI. Tower

Perspective, witness, arrogance, liberation, breakthrough, ruin

The misunderstanding has been complete. You have lived too long under the illusion of being a person having all kinds of wonderful experiences, wishing they would continue. You have lost all sense of reality. Once again you will have to see that your body lives and dies with the earth; that your spirit is one with the Great Spirit; that your heart is one with the living heart of the Universe. In Truth there can be no separation. In the Tower you have had a grand perspective, but the witness, the observer of life, has to disappear, must

once again melt with life. There is no way of knowing what will happen if you lose your perspective, but you have no choice. You must come down, one way or another.XVII. Star

Bliss, healing, love, tenderness, peace, trust.

When the illusion of separation is seen for what it really is, when the witness has disappeared, you become one with life, with all existence. In this state of being, there is again a perfect flow, but now so gentle and sweet, that no part of you wants to use it for yourself. It does not even matter to you what happens to the energy or where it goes. There is pure bliss in experiencing the flow of energy. In this energy, you are healed. Others are

healed, the world is healed. Everything is healed, but no one gives a healing. You are pure divine existence.

XVIII. Moon

Deep feelings and emotions, fear, insecurity, losing all grip.

Here you enter an area without bottom or boundaries. From deep within yourself, all kinds of feelings, emotions and sensations rise to the surface. It is like looking into infinite space, feeling the fear of having no grip, having no one and nothing to cling on to. At the same time, this fear is felt and seen for what it is, no more than a collection of bodily sensations and movements in the mind. There is no one who is afraid:

there is fear, only energy in infinite space.

XIX. Sun

Consciousness, enlightenment, happiness, strength, warmth

Fear subsides. Infinite space remains. Once again, we hear the Hierophant's teaching: All dissolves into nothingness. In nothingness comes the realization: We are one, I am the One, the Sun, shedding light on everyone and everything. All things appear and are seen in the light of the Sun, which is who I am.

XX. Revelation

Vision, herald, boundless information, the end of the illusion of time and space.

You receive an ultimate vision of reality. You know where you are headed for, but you are not there yet. It is as if everything is available and appears to you from everywhere and from all time. In Revelation it is clear that nothing you experience is personal. You are part of a collective cycle of infinite energetic movement.

You are here, now, but in that realization, everything from the past and the future and from everywhere comes to you, flooding you with sensations and information. Who you thought you were now disappears completely. Existence remains.

XXI. Universe

Realization, perfection, fulfilment, culmination, non-duality.

After the ultimate vision, the revelation of reality, you return to your so-called everyday life. With both feet on the ground you live your life. There is still a lot happening, in fact more than ever, but nothing changes who you are or your experience of that. You are That;

you are everything. You are unchangingly, undeniably yourself. There is no way that you could ever again mistake yourself for anything else. And life lives itself.

Minor Arcana

All that lives is sacred.

William Blake

The Minor Arcana in the Advaitarot

The 56 cards of the Minor Arcana refer to the forces at work in your life, the challenges you face and the initiations you pass through. This is the realm of change and duality. The Minor Arcana

may be of help in gaining insight into how the laws of the universe are at work in your life.

In the Advaitarot the four elements are not represented by Wands, Pentacles, Swords and Cups as in traditional Tarot decks. In our age of abundant spiritual knowledge, it is no longer necessary to veil that which has long since been unveiled. Therefore in the Advaitarot the four elements are directly named: Fire, Earth, Air, Water. This made it also possible to give a direct representation in the images of the elements as they exist in nature.In the Advaitarot there is a direct correspondence between the cards of the Minor Arcana and those of the Major Arcana. All Aces reflect the first card of the Major Arcana: the Magician. All twos correspond with the

2nd card of the Major Arcana, the High Priestess, etc. In this way, the card 7 of Fire, Purpose is an expression of the fire element in the 7th card of the Major Arcana, the Chariot. This direct correspondence is present in the 40 cards from Ace to Ten.

In the Advaitarot, the 16 court- or family-cards are divided into Child, Man, Woman, Master. The Child is the innocent expression of the element, seeking experience, as it is first represented in its purest form in the Ace. The Man is the expression of the active force in a human being, directed at the conscious expression and expansion of the element in the world. The Woman is the expression of the force which seeks to integrate the quality of the element and express it unconsciously. The Master is the

human being who has mastered the element and has perfected it in himself and in the world. The potential strength of the element as it is represented in the Ace, has found its perfect form in him.

Major Arcana Fire Earth

I. Magician Spirit Kingdom

II. High Priestess Integrity Stillness III. Empress Joy

Peace IV. Emperor Aspiration

Interference V. Hierophant Ruin Decay VI. Lovers Communion CommunityVII. Chariot Purpose WaitingVIII. Justice Symphony Change IX. Hermit Initiation Sanctuary X. Fortune Ecstasy Fulfilment

Innocence Play Purity Tradition

Metamorphosis Gift Ceremony Guidance

Air Water Minor Arcana

Light Heart Ace Mist Solitude

Two Imagination Soundness

Three

Perspective Attempt Four

Contemplation Pause Five Intuition Synergy

Six Risk Threat

Seven Inspiration Balance

Eight Expedition Healing Nine Vision Disaster

Ten

Discovery Experience Child

Invocation Celebration Woman Freedom Involvement Man Destination Devotion Master

I. Magician

Ace of Fire: Spirit

Initiation, inspiration, enlightenment, illumination

It is a master of fire who is able to light a flame into the hearts of people. How the fire is lit, is a mystery. There may be music or dancing involved, but sometimes looking into the master’s eyes is sufficient. The fire may be small, but can also become like wildfire. Eventually, if you take good care of the flame and let it grow, the fire will take care of you, and you will be able to light the fire for someone else.

Ace of Earth: Kingdom

Abundance, harmony, beauty, naturalness

We are nature in a human form, and our bodies live and die with the earth. If this is what we truly understand and live, we share in the intrinsic beauty and magic of nature. In this understanding we are able to go into ourselves when we go into nature. The natural world can be the entrance to an experience of our own abundance and beauty. In this state we can work together with nature, to create harmony and peace.

Ace of Air: Light

Brilliance, openness, spaciousness, power of the mind

The mind which has come to rest is spacious, open and as clear as a diamond. This mind is available for all thoughts that really want to inspire and guide you. The Magician is fully aware of the fact that thoughts may come and go, but do not really have anything to say about who we are. Because of this insight he is able to make good use of the mind and of all thoughts coming to him from whatever source. The

spaciousness, which is his mind, remains intact no matter what.

Ace of Water: Heart

Tenderness, receptivity, openness, intuition, vulnerability

The greatest treasure on earth lies in the secret cave which is your heart. The open heart, experiencing joy, excitement and love is the Holy Grail. With an open heart, as innocent as a child, life becomes full of wonder and possibilities. Being vulnerable is the price you pay for happiness, ecstasy and bliss. Yet by being open to life,

eventually you become one with a way of living where everything happens effortlessly by itself.

II. High Priestess

Two of Fire: Integrity

Strength in solitude, purity, honesty, isolation

At times it is necessary to be alone to experience once again the strength and the purity of the flame in your heart. In this solitude everything may burn away

which is not real or your own. You will be able to experience yourself and existence in all honesty. From that honesty you can return to the world and everyday life with all its demands and challenges.

Two of Earth: Stillness

Seclusion, refuge, space, standstill

Nature knows no ego or boundaries. Therefore it is good to place yourself into the solitude and stillness of the forests or mountains, to be able to see yourself too once again as limitless. In nature you may lose all grip on who you think you are and what you think

you should do. At first this may be frightening, but after a while it will become clear to you that everything you worry about in everyday life has no foundation in reality. Stillness will become a part of you, and you will be as this stillness.

Two of Air: Mist

Transition, threshold, indecision, vagueness

Absence of clarity may be a good starting-point for creativity and transformation. The thinking mind loses its grip when things remain

undefined and vague. Because of this you may gain access to a realm quite different from the one you think you are in in everyday life. A bridge is built between two dimensions of being, and you will experience a new way of seeing things. Once you come out of the mist again, the world will have a new shine and clarity to you.

Two of Water: Solitude

Loneliness, connection, centre, contact

If you have developed a strong sensitivity and if you really take

yourself as the measure of all things, you will find out that everything you can say about yourself is also true for the greater whole. It is always your own feelings you experience, but it is exactly by being in contact with these feelings that you are able to say something about others or about collective trends. In your deepest solitude you can experience yourself as one with others.

III Empress

Three of Fire: Joy

Warmth, glow, expression, compassion

If you let yourself be connected to the natural rhythms of the Empress, you may be touched by grace. You will experience that everything is good, effortless and full of love, exactly as it is. In this state of joy you are natural and free to express the loving nature of the Empress. Your movements become full of grace, and how you relate to other people becomes as natural as the rays of the sun. The fire of your heart becomes a warm glow, warming the hearts of others.

Three of Earth: Peace

Rest, stillness, soundness, harmony

Peace is the intact naturalness of life on earth. In nature the glory of the Empress is fully present in water, the air, the trees, the plants, the animals. If you are in touch with nature, you can be healed by touching a tree or an animal. In consciousness you are one with them, because you too are part of nature. In that unity you can experience perfect peace.

Three of Air: Imagination

Fantasy, creativity, free mind, ingenuity

Imagination is your ability to create the things you dream of. When your head is empty, thoughts and images coming from anywhere take over the mind. True creativity may then choose a form. Everything comes in a natural flow, without any tendency to block, claim or stimulate whatever comes up in the mind. Your imagination will then be infinitely rich and without limits.

Three of Water: Soundness

Healing, perfection, rest, naturalness

The soundness and healing qualities of water are a reflection of your heart as it beats with the heart of another living creature. Your heart is strong and in essence whole, vibrating and with a capacity to heal. Your heart is one with the living heart of the Empress. Here is the perfection you can always return to if you are willing to let go of the illusion of separation. Eventually you can always be one again with the heart of the Empress.

IV. Emperor

Four of Fire: Aspiration

Ambition, attention, purpose

You are driven by an inner fire you do not understand but have to honour and follow anyway. It is not the goal you aim for which is important, but the movement, the journey towards the goal. By following the fire, you will eventually get to the exact place where you need to be.

Four of Earth: Interference

Disturbance, intervention, violence, boundaries

Sometimes you may feel that things have gone too far, and you have to intervene. If you remain in contact with the fact that you are always subordinate to the natural course of things and that all you can do is try to make an occasional adjustment, you may do some good. Still, it is exactly this power to intervene which may start leading a life of its own. In that case you may start imagining that it is you who causes, determines and

changes things, and you will become cut off from nature.

Four of Air: Perspective

Judgment, direction, logic, change

At times you need a new perspective on your life before you can take a different course. The path you are taking may be a blind alley or it may lead you where you do not want to go. The mind free of conditioning can have a rare acuteness, which can give you the perspective to see what needs to be done and act accordingly.

Four of Water: Attempt

Uncertainty, focus, faith, surrender

It takes courage to make the decision to move with the fast moving currents of life. Forces are at work far more powerful than what you are capable of doing yourself, and you are faced with your own insignificance. Yet if you move with these currents, and not against them, you may be successful and eventually find yourself safe at the end of your adventure.

V. Hierophant

Five of Fire: Ruin

Demolition, self-destruction, purification, regeneration

Sometimes it is necessary for all that is superfluous or artificial in your life to burn away, before something new can come. If you have the wisdom of the Hierophant, you will create or invite the necessary circumstances to bring

this about. If you lack that wisdom, it will seem as if you have been struck by disaster. It will then take a while for you to see that you are dealing here with a blessing in disguise. You are the person carrying the flame-thrower in order to burn down all identifications with that which you are not. You are also the man mourning for everything he has lost. And you are the child watching, perhaps saying: “That was a great fire. Now let’s start playing again.” Your biggest loss may turn out to be your liberation.

Five of Earth: Decay

Death, end, new beginning, natural process

Eventually all that lives, returns to the earth. Every being eats and is eaten, and everything enriches the soil by its death. We live our lives, and eventually our bodies decay, but our experiences have enriched the earth. An understanding of this natural process, combined with the courage to face it, can enrich our lives beyond measure.

Five of Air: Contemplation

Meditation, concentration, focus, seclusion

If you reduce your everyday activities and worries, the mind may come to rest, and you can reflect on your life. During contemplation you plant in the stillness of the mind a theme

concerning yourself or what you are doing. Usually that is all which needs to be done. All activity of the thinking mind interferes with receiving real clarity concerning yourself and the circumstances of your life. In the mind which has come to rest each theme creates its own clarity.

Five of Water: Pause

Standstill, rest, doing nothing, vacation

If you stop setting yourself tasks and you refrain from your usual activities, you will come to rest to such an extent

that your old way of living becomes less important. Like a child loitering on the beach, picking pebbles, you can learn again to be in the moment, in the natural flow of life. In this blissful period of doing nothing, you may be inspired to start living in a new way.

VI. Lovers

Six of Fire: Communion

Blessing, being together, holy communion, ritual

It is the fire in you, the fire which you are, which makes up the sacredness of all of existence. Everything that lives, exists because of this fire, which encompasses and fills everything. Communion is a ritual burning away the illusion that all the little flames of all that lives are separate. In reality all of creation is one great blazing fire. In communion you are separate from nothing and no one.

Six of Earth: Community

Being together, family, home, gathering

In a family or small community it is possible to feel a connection with the other members of the group. Still, there is something stronger than this feeling of connection. We all share the same consciousness, and this is what we truly are. It is the Lovers’ ability to go beyond all duality. Because of this, people can be together in love and brotherhood.

Six of Air: Intuition

Message, foreknowledge, prophecy, openness

A part of you is in contact with a wider perspective than that which you are used to. You are capable of having a notion of events before they take place ,or of how life will continue. This intuitive part of you understands the universal laws at the basis of the life you are leading. Life itself is communicating to you constantly what is going on, and by being really present right now, you may be put in a position to see into the future.

Six of Water: Synergy

Co-operation, being in tune, harmony

If you move past the illusion of being separate from the other person, you are able to really be and work together. You will have developed intuition on the level of feelings. It is your ability to feel what is right, what is going on and who the other person really is. Being open, sensitive and connected with other people is your natural state of being. You will find that you will be more joyful and successful then when you do things on your own.

VII. Chariot

Seven of Fire: Purpose

Directness, clearness, target, will, idealism

If you are without doubt and you let yourself be led by nothing but your passion, you will be invincible and you shall reach your goal. The arrow-like precision of the will causes you to be driven by the fire of your desire and makes you immune to fear. Nothing or no one can stop you.

Seven of Earth: Waiting

End, goodbye, conclusion, transition

There is a right time for everything, and usually it is good to wait until that time has come. We can prepare ourselves for a new turn of events, because in the end it is important that we have changed when the times are ripe for change. True change lies within us, and it is good to wait until we are able to allow it to take place.

Seven of Air: Risk

Challenge, courage, bravado, impetuosity

Sometimes it is good to take a risk, and at other times it is good to be careful. It is always risky to undertake something new. Make sure you consider well what to do. Trust your intuition and do not listen to the voice advising you to do things in the old familiar way. If you do something in the old way, you will get the old result. Make sure you face the new situation with an openness for what life has to

offer you now. And once you have decided what to do, do it.

Seven of Water: Threat

Danger, anxiety, fear, alarm, urgency

At times in your life you can feel threatened. The threat may be real or imaginary, but your feelings tell you to wake up immediately to the possible danger, have a very close look at what is going on, and act quickly if necessary.

VII. Justice

Eight of Fire: Symphony

Co-operation, enthusiasm, harmony, creativity

You are able to create in co-operation with others, if you are able to forget that which keeps you separate and let yourself be completely absorbed by

the whole. You are subordinate to whatever wants to happen, and beauty and harmony arise from that.

Eight of Earth: Change

New possibilities, transformation, end and beginning, new impulse

Change has come. All that is no longer of any use can now fall away. New things and people will come; new events will take place. All you need to do is move with this change and avoid

all acts which can hinder it. It takes courage to do this, but now is the time to let everything happen as it wants to.

Eight of Air: Inspiration

Guidance, creativity, creation, art

If your mind is empty and receptive to something new, it is possible to be a clear channel for the energy, the inspiration available at every moment. If you are fully aware of the fact that

you do not have to do anything, but that life works through you, something beautiful and powerful may be created.

Eight of Water: Balance

Harmony, going with the flow, equilibrium

It is important to find a balance between being completely alert and going easily with the flow of life, between concentration and meditation.

In this inner balance, you will eventually find that life becomes effortless. You are neither active nor passive. There is no longer any conflict in you. You no longer offer resistance to any aspect of your life.

IX. Hermit

Nine of Fire: Initiation

Ritual, trance, disciple, devotion

During an initiation, you will be brought into contact with the deeper, true nature of things and of yourself. In a ritual you are released from who you thought you are. You come into contact with a dimension of life filled with silence and strength, which is in essence available always and everywhere. It is up to the Priest or Priestess to guide you through the different dimensions.

Nine of Earth: Sanctuary

Meditation, contemplation, seclusion, sacred spot

In order to come into contact with what is really important to you, it can be necessary at times to be alone and forget all the identities you are associated with. In being by yourself, it is possible to let the person you are supposed to be tire itself out and dissolve. Then it will be possible to come into contact with who you are at a deeper level.

Nine of Air: Expedition

Journey, challenge, enterprise, alternative

Only if you are in motion, you are able to give direction to your life. It is also important not to start moving until you feel the impulse from deep within. Every expedition undertaken in this way, directs you to greater freedom, self-knowledge and understanding. The goal is not what matters. It is the expedition itself which enriches you.

Nine of Water: Healing

Retreat, silence, meditation

At times you may have to retreat from all the responsibilities in your life in order to once again find peace and strength in your heart. The stillness of nature and the wildness of mountains or the ocean will bring you healing. If it is not possible for you to go away too far, sometimes retreating to a silent place in your home will do. Eventually you will find the true sanctuary which is your heart.

X. Fortune

Ten of Fire: Ecstasy

Exuberance, trance, joy, pleasure, enthusiasm

If you can surrender to the moment, to where you are and what you are doing, ecstasy will be yours to experience. Your enthusiasm is the fire which makes you creative, and in that fire, who you thought you were burns up completely. What remains is ecstasy itself, the fiery energy which you are.

Ten of Earth: Fulfilment

Harvest, completion, success, conclusion

If you go through all the phases of creation, eventually you will harvest what you have sown. This is the outcome of hard work and is in no way separate from everything preceding it. All you have to do now, is to enjoy whatever comes to you. Pick the fruits of your work, and express gratitude for everything and everyone directly or indirectly involved.

Ten of Air: Vision

Perception, delusion, mirage, prophecy

If you wish to learn to fly, you must first be able to get off the ground. If you want to let yourself be guided by your wishes and visions, it is necessary to first make yourself independent in your mind of everything that could stop or limit you. Moving from dream to realization may take weeks, months or years of hard labour, but if you do not dare to dream, you will never be able to create anything of worth.

Ten of Water: Disaster

Destruction, end, doom, catastrophe

It is important to know you are not the circumstances of your life, no matter what they may be. That which you truly are is unchanging and not impressed whatever the events may be. There is stillness in the centre of a tornado. Confronted with overpowering events, the mind cannot function in the old way, and you lose your grip in an emptiness and stillness beyond everything you can imagine. From that

situation something completely new can arise.

Children

Child of Fire: Innocence

Irresponsibility, ecstasy, play, consequence

The Child of Fire is an expression of The Fool living out the fire within, without any reticence or hesitation. In this experience, you will be filled with enthusiasm and joy, but the outcome may be disastrous. You have no choice

but to follow the inner fire, yet you also have to pick up the pieces when you are finished. If you do so, in every phase of this process, you remain innocent.

Child of Earth: Play

Playfulness, pleasure, innocence, carelessness

The Child of Earth is an expression of the Fool living in innocence without a sense of time or limitation. Everything in life is a play, and in playing he learns about life. The Child of Earth acts from pure joy, and his energy is boundless.

If as an adult you are capable of seeing life as a play, you will move effortlessly from one rich experience to another, and your life will be filled with joy.

Child of Air: Discovery

Curiosity, the unexpected, playful learning, innocence

If you go off the beaten track, you may stumble upon the unexpected. If you remain as open and curious as a child, every moment is new, and that which seemed familiar may be seen in a new

way. It is a beginner's mind which may eventually come up with a completely new solution to old problems, or a new way of doing something long hidden by tradition or routine.

Child of Water: Experience

Feeling, day-dreaming, innocence surrender

The Child of Water learns about life by feeling it. He is completely open to all the impulses he experiences from his surroundings and the people he meets

in his life. At times all these impressions are a bit too much for him, and then it is important that he retreats, for instance in nature or in his own dream-world. In this way he is able to remain open.

Women

Woman of Fire: Purity

Magic, ritual, integrity, passion

The Woman of Fire lives passionately and has an open connection to everything in every moment of her life. She lives the fire and is the fiery witness of that fire. She inspires everyone she meets who is open to her uncompromising way of living. At crucial moments she is capable of taking charge of what needs to be done at the deepest level. Through her presence others can experience the sacredness of life. She radiates natural authority, which will not be called into question easily.

Woman of Earth: Tradition

Nurturing, connection, naturalness, applied art

The Woman of Earth is in contact with the power of tradition, handed on from generation to generation. She preserves the old knowledge by putting it into practice and making it productive. In every situation asking for a practical solution, she will do what needs to be done, without using many words. If people are hungry, she will provide food. If a situation is threatening to those dear to her, she will make sure they are safe. She is deeply connected with the earth, and therefore she knows instinctively what to do.

Woman of Air: Invocation

Magic spell, ritual, invitation, prayer

The Woman of Air makes connection with the life force and with a state of being beyond everyday reality. In that connection she can ask for anything, and that connection is the fulfilment of the prayer. The invocation must be prepared by means of a ritual, which may include music, dancing, singing, being silent or prayer. What is important, is that the thinking mind falls silent and that you can open up to spaciousness. In that openness, you may place a word, a sound, a spell, a prayer or a song.

Woman of Water: Celebration

Ecstasy, bliss, openness, joy, happiness

The Woman of Water lives with an open heart for everything in existence and is pure feeling. Because of this, she does not experience any separation, and at any moment she may be plunged into the ecstasy of existence. She is the other; she is every living creature she meets. She is capable of completely feeling and experiencing the other, and she is a source of love and compassion for other people. No experience can trouble her. She is existence celebrating itself.

Men

Man of Fire: Metamorphosis

Transformation, role-playing, shape-shift, influence

The Man of Fire is the actor who can play any role, because he knows that not a single role has anything to do with who he really is. He can do whatever he wants to do and achieve in the world all he strives for. He is truly free and independent of what others think of him. This makes him elusive, and he may rage through the lives of others like wildfire. His strength stems

from having learned to live by who he really is.

Man of Earth: Gift

Talent, authority, work, leadership

The Man of Earth has developed his talents and gives them back to the world. He is capable of working together with others, because he simply does what he feels he must do and encourages others to do the same. He is down-to-earth as far as reaching his goals is concerned, and he will not stray easily from his way of doing things. His strength is his willingness

to bear responsibility for everything dear to him.

Man of Air: Freedom

Objectivity, observation, distance, focus

If your thoughts are no longer a burden to you, it is possible to be free in every situation of your life. You are either a master or a slave of the thinking mind, and this determines whether you experience the freshness of every moment, or live over and over again

the routines of your life. If you can watch the mind at play, you will be free to play with the mind.

Man of Water: Involvement

Concentration, control, vulnerability, passion

The Man of Water is passionately involved with his surroundings and able to react strongly to everyone he meets and everything that is happening. Because of the openness to the people around him, he is also very

vulnerable. In first instance this may be noticeable as a tendency to organize things according to his need for feeling safe. Because of this he may give the impression that he wants to control or even dominate his surroundings. But his appearance of control is in essence the result of having surrendered to the world of feelings and emotions.

Masters

Master of Fire: Ceremony

Invocation, spell, trance, prophecy

The Master of Fire lets his heart be a raging fire, and is able to lift any

situation to pure magic. He may make a provocative and otherworldly impression, but he is completely himself and knows his true place in the world better than anyone else. He is fully aware of the sacredness of all that lives. Every moment of his life is illuminated by the fire of his inspiration.

Master of Earth: Guidance

Oracle, direction, connection, synchronicity

The Master of Earth is so completely one with the earth, that every small plant or bird is to him an expression of the divine. Everything speaks with him, and he is able to read trends in the world and in life from movements in nature. To him all things are connected, and therefore he is able to make predictions from a flight of geese, the cawing of a crow or a leaf falling from a tree. He may lead an almost inconspicuous life, but deep inside he is filled with ecstasy, which springs from his connection with nature and all existence.

Master of Air: Destination

Arrival, search, liberation, insight, completion

The Master of air has found what he was looking for. He has recognized that which he is, and he simply does what he has to do. He is not a seeker anymore; all he needs to do is to let everything he has found become a part of him. Because of the clarity he has found, people will come looking for him with their questions about themselves and their lives. He has a tendency to take more distance from things than others, and people may find him aloof. Still, his insight is profound.

Master of Water: Devotion

Worship, respect, surrender, prayer

The Master of Water lives in complete surrender to existence. In the end she vanished and only God was left. All resistance to the natural course of life has dissolved in her, and all that is left now is her willingness to be of help. To her every moment is a gate to more openness in her life and a possibility to give happiness and love to everyone she meets. Her devotion is to all living creatures. Her worship is close to ecstasy.

The Author: Sheridan (1956) I was an English teacher by profession, but it was not my vocation. I worked as a teacher, interpreter and translator for a couple of years. Later I felt more at ease, being a tourist guide, and working with the mentally handicapped. At the moment I work as a gardener.In 1987 I first came into contact with the Tarot, and it was love at first sight. In 1990 I started giving Tarot readings, and in 1996 started teaching the Tarot. For me the cards have always been a tool for making contact with the deeper levels of my own life. It was also a pleasant game to play, and it helped making certain choices clearer, for me and for others. In 1998 my experience with the Tarot got a new form of expression when the first photo-collages for the Nature Tarot deck came into being. By the end of 1999 the deck was finished. Soon after finishing

the Nature Tarot, I got the urge to create collages that were more realistic. Out of this desire came the Advaitarot.

September 2016