Cinna Luna's Tarot Readings

Major Arcana? Minor Arcana? What does that mean?

As always, when learning a new thing, you will inevitably find that there is a specific vocabulary attached to it, and if you do not know the meaning of the words, you may get lost very quickly.

Here is a brief explanation of some of those terms

Arcana means “Secrets or Mysteries.” The terms Major and Minor refer to the degree of the secret and the amount of information and weight to give to the interpretation.

The Major Arcana cards are all picture cards that number from 0 to 21. They have names such as “High Priestess, Death, The Hermit, Strength,” and so on. When you see these in a reading, or have ONLY these in a reading, that is generally a sign to pay attention to.

The Minor Arcana cards are all the rest and fall into two separate categories. Court cards and number cards.

Court Cards consist of a King, Queen, Prince, Paige. Sometimes the Paige card is known as the Princess card, and sometimes there are different terms for both the Prince and the Paige cards. Generally, the King and Prince cards indicate a male (or male energy) and the Queen and Paige cards indicate female (or female energy). However, for a lot of readers now a days, the Prince and Paige cards are non-gendered and simply indicate a young person as the King/Queen cards indicate an older one.

The number cards are Ace-10, with (again, this is all up for interpretation) the Ace being the beginning of a specific journey, the 10 being the end or culmination, and the other numbers being challenges and/or rewards along the way.

A “Spread” is how a reader lays out the cards for a reading. The meaning of the cards can change slightly depending on where they fall in the spread. For example, if I have an 8 of wands in a “future” spot, it may indicate that there is an incoming message from the universe (or even a literally incoming message they need to watch for), but if it is in the “Past” spot…it may be one that changed their life, (And if it is reversed, it is either one to watch out for – a false hope thing in the future spot, or something they missed – in the past spot.)

Reader – this is someone, like me, Cinnaluna, who “reads” the cards for other people. To put it simply, I look at the pretty pictures and tell the story they tell me to.

Reverse or Inverted – This is what happens when a card is upside down in the reading. Some people do not use reverse cards. I can honor that. I do, simply because not all upside down cards are bad. For example, A nine of swords can indicate insomnia, but an upside down, or reversed nine of swords can indicate finally getting a good nights sleep.

Suits. There are four suits in the deck (Court and number cards). Most decks use Wands (Fire/Energy) Cups (Water/Love), Swords (Air/Intellect), Pentacles (Earth/Wealth). Now within the Major Arcana, the named cards have different suites they affiliate with, and I will go over that in detail in my Saturday “what does this card mean” series.

That’s about it for now, remember to comment or send me a message if you have a question and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Be good to each other,

CinnaLuna

The Emperor & The Hierophant

Artistic Disclaimer: The cards which are shown are from the Shadowscapes deck, by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. You can see the deck here: https://www.shadowscapes.com/Tarot/cardsmain.php?suit=0 The work Ms. Law does is full of grace and beauty and I cannot recommend her enough as an artist. I was thrilled when she came out with a deck of cards featuring her artwork. Please respect the artist and give credit if you share these or any artwork belonging to anyone.

Meaning Disclaimer: All information below is based on my own practices and interpretations. Everyone can and should come to their own meanings as needed. The given meaning for a card is where you start. Look at the card, look at where it sits in the deck. Is it reversed? Does that mean the opposite of the original meaning, or simply a temperamental change? Does one image suddenly speak to you more than ever? Listen to your gut…and speak your truth.

Emperor – Card number 4

The Emperor is the fifth card in the Major Arcana.

Card Placement in the deck…i.e. : The magician is the second card in the Major Arcana. Card One. The standard meanings are:

UPRIGHT: Authority, establishment, structure, a father figure

REVERSED: Domination, excessive control, lack of discipline, inflexibility

My Meanings:

This is the Alpha male card. STRONG masculine energy. Keep in mind that while men can use feminine energy, so can women use masculine energy. Also keep in mind that I am using the admittedly outdated and sexist western standards of “feminine” and “masculine” only so I have a starting point in the interpretation of the cards. That being said, this card represents the traditional Alpha male…all the good and bad of that stereotype. Generally an upright reading would emphasize the positive aspects of this…such as authority, strength, firm control of ones environment, and leadership. A reversed reading would concentrate on the negatives, such as: inflexibility, hubris, cruelty and unwelcome domination. (Domination by itself is not necessarily a bad thing.)

Image Study of this card:

This Emperor is firmly rooted in the here and now and has a strong grip on his world. Outside influences have to work very hard to disturb or distort his worldview and actions. He, quite simply, IS.

The Hierophant – Card number 5

The Hierophant is the sixth card in the Major Arcana

UPRIGHT: Spiritual wisdom, religious beliefs, conformity, tradition, institutions

REVERSED: Personal beliefs, freedom, challenging the status quo

My Meanings:

This is the male companion to the High Priestess, the High Priest if you will (and it is sometimes called that in other decks) This is the spiritual “male” energy…the kindly and traditional priestly figure. Conformity is the byword for this card…not constrictive, but a platform to build upon. Reversed I tend to read as one who goes against the usual flow. An outlier…someone who knows all the standard and traditional forms and rules, but has chosen a path that lies outside the norm. Again, both pathways are valid choices…just different.

Image Study of this card:

This is the way things are. A tree is always rooted in the earth and grows strong. The leaves always turn in the seasons and there is deep wisdom to be found here. A strong and enduring connection with time and history. Always willing to share his knowledge with those who ask. Supplicants come to him for answers, he does not go to them.

Variety is the Spice of Life!

There are SOOOOOOO many decks out there. You WILL find one to suit you. (or 20)

One of the most well-known decks is the Ryder-Waite deck. This came about because Arthur Waite – a British practitioner of the occult and a member of the Order of the Golden Dawn got together with Pamela Coleman Smith to create an inspired and beautiful deck that is still used today. (In fact, some people now call this the Waite-Smith deck) This was the first deck to have images on the minor arcana cards and has led to an abundance of interpretations in the years that followed.

Here is a partial list of some of the decks available now:

8-Bit Tarot

African Tarot

Angel Tarot

Apprentice

Aquarian

Art Nouveau

Cat People

Cat’s Eye

Chrysalis

Cosmic

Crow Tarot

Dragon

English Magic Tarot

Faerie Tarot

Forest Folklore

Goddess

Golden Thread Tarot

Gummy Bear

Medicine Woman

Medieval Cat

Modern Witch

Old Path

Sacred Art

Sacred Rose

Stars Tarot

Starter

Vampire Tarot

As you can see, if you can think of it…there is probably a deck out there focusing on it. I am currently using the Shadowscapes deck by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law. (A favorite artist of mine.) https://www.shadowscapes.com/Tarot/cardsmain.php?suit=0

If you are a beginner, or curious, I would recommend going to a specialty store near you and browsing the tarot selections. See if there is one that speaks to you…and by “Speaks to you” I don’t mean in a mystical sense – although that may happen – I mean one that you find lovely, most decks have a card or two on the outside, see if you can see in the card what the meaning is. When doing a reading, you only START with the classic meaning of the card. Use your intuition and what the card tells you as to what it may mean.

Take a stroll through the cards here: https://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/ and see if one or more decks tickle your fancy.

High Priestess & The Empress

High Priestess – Card Number 2

The High Priestess in the third card in the Major Arcana.

The standard meanings are:

UPRIGHT: Intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind

REVERSED: Secrets, disconnected from intuition, withdrawal and silence

My Meanings:

When she shows up in readings, I tend to pretty much follow the standard meanings…she is the ultimate in female/female energy intuition. When reversed, I generally perceive it as refusing to acknowledge first instincts. While trusting your instincts is not always a good thing, this is an indicator that perhaps you should do so…providing it does no harm.

Image Study of this card:

You see that she has a pomegranate with a bite taken from it…this is to represent Persephone who choose (at least in my mind) to tie herself to Hades for a season. She still has the knowledge of the world above, and moves freely within it, but now she also has the knowledge of the world below…and moves freely within it too. She has the owl – a representative of wisdom, to aid her in understanding the knowledge that she holds. Sometimes an intuitive jump is really just a judicial application of wisdom to knowledge hard earned.

The Empress – Card number 3

The Empress is the fourth card in the Major Arcana.

UPRIGHT: Femininity, beauty, nature, nurturing, abundance

REVERSED: Creative block, dependence on others

My Meanings:

The Empress is the ultimate Mom card. She is known for being a “pregnancy” card. Now here is where I differ somewhat…I do not think this is a literal “pregnant and giving birth” prediction…but rather a symbol of whatever fertility means to you…it could be the beginning of a brand-new business venture, a new house design, heck, a new more efficient route to work. It is a nurturing card, a comforting card. A “sisters are doing it for themselves” card. It can stand alone or graciously accept assistance or whatever tribute is granted to her as is her right.

Image Study of this card:

She is graciously accepting the fruits of the harvest…and enjoying the display of beauty it brings her. She is mother nature at her best. Both directing the outcome of this years harvest while beginning preparations for next year. She is life. Fertility existing.

Wibbly Wobbly Timey Wimey Time stuff

With apologies to Dr. Who, sometimes you just don’t know about time. It was with every good intent of posting twice a week that I created this site…but then real life got in the way. I won’t apologies for not posting, because to be honest, it will probably happen again and I do not want to get into the habit of apologizing for things over which I have little to no control.

That being said, I have some thoughts on time. We are all time travelers, in the sense that we move travel through time. (Generally in one direction of course) But there are occasions when time feels…elastic. I remember it taking 50 years to get from the start of the school year to Christmas vacation…now it seems like a blink and miss it thing. The time you are waiting for a call back (for a job, a friend, a love, heck even a food delivery) can seem to stretch to endless limits. Waiting for a vacation takes forever and them BAM! Vacation is over and you have no idea where the time went!

If you are interested in a fun book about time, check out “Einstein’s Dreams” by Alan Lightman. It is a book of short stories using time rather…elastically.

To bring this around to the tarot…which is of course the reason for this blog in the first place….can Tarot predict time? Influence it? In a nutshell, I doubt it. I cannot say no, because I am the sort of person who when asked if there is an elephant in the room will respond with “I don’t see one.” But honestly? Probably not. As I have said before, there is a danger in thinking Tarot is the end all know all of existence. It is a guide. Nothing more, nothing less. Your choices govern where you end up and what happens along the way.

I tend to think of life as a combination of pre-ordained fate and freewill. You are born HERE and you end up THERE…and there are an endless number of ways you can get from HERE to THERE.

The choices you make every day are the ones that you have control over. Do I sleep an extra five minutes…and miss the news report on the freeway closure thus making me 20 min late to work…which is my final warning and presto, no job? Or do I get up a half an hour early, and be the one IN the freeway closure which makes me miss work for a month? Which would you prefer? (Ill be honest again, there have been times in my life when I would have welcomed an enforced “vacation”…even one at a hospital.)

But again, the choice is yours to make. I am back for the foreseeable future (see what I did there?) with Wednesday “anything” blogs and Saturday being specific tarot blogs.

Until next time, be good to each other.

-CinnaLuna

History of Tarot

Figuring out where tarot first came from is a bit tricky. There are historians who will swear they came from the Romani first, or the Egyptians, others who believe the Italians invented it. People have been using various things to “tell the future” since the dawn of time. A break in the clouds indicated that hunting would be good that day. If you can peel an apple in one string, the peeling will fall to reveal a hidden truth. Things like that and so much more. But we are talking specifically about the Tarot.

Tarot started as a simple set of playing cards…or rather, not so simple since most of them were hand painted. These would be used for the many reasons people use cards, and then…someone started using them tell a future. There is an appeal to the idea that a random draw of the deck will give insight that might otherwise be lacking. Some of those readers were highly intuitive and could predict vaguely enough that the skill caught on. Now a days, you can find a tarot deck in any theme or style you choose to do so. (and yes, I will be writing about that in a later post.)

Those first decks did not have what is known as the Major Arcana, the “Face” cards generally known by name and numbering 22. Regular playing cards, what we think of now anyway, were what was used. Ace through 10 and Jack/Queen/King. Tarot decks are still used in Europe for regular card games.

During the rise Christianity, there was an accompanying increase of interest in all forms of the occult. From table turning to tarot reading. Interested households had a special deck of cards that they would claim were only for recreational use, while using them on the side as a divination tool. Now you can purchase almost any deck online or in your local bookstore. I would suggest however, if you are interested in the tarot and want your own deck, please patronize your local “new age” store. Most of these are owned by small business owners and they need all of our support.

Our current cards are a dream to read. Chock full of rich symbolism…and usually accompanied by a little book to assist you in interpretations. Think of how it must have been for those using a deck of playing cards. Turning over an 8 of diamonds doesn’t have the same psychological effect of turning over an 8 of staffs and seeing (usually) 8 brightly colored staffs flying past to indicate a message or messenger coming soon.

The next post will concentrate on some of the most popular decks.

I have some links below that may lead to further interest in the history of tarot. Use the links at your own discretion, I am neither endorsing or recommending these links.

https://www.learnreligions.com/a-brief-history-of-tarot-2562770

https://www.tarot.com/tarot/history-of-tarot

Tarot History

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarot – not that I am saying Wikipedia is the best resource, but if you follow the references, you will get a LOT of historical information.

The Fool & The Magician

The Fool – Card 0

The fool is the first card in the Major Arcana. Card Zero. The standard meanings are:

Upright: When the Fool card is upright in a Tarot reading, it symbolizes new beginnings, new adventures, new opportunities, unlimited possibilities, pleasure, passion, thoughtlessness, and rashness. The warning associated with this card could be that you need to stop daydreaming, and you should watch where you are going or you could fall and seem like a fool.

Reversed: When the Fool card is reversed in a Tarot reading, it symbolizes a bad decision, indecision, apathy, hesitation, and a faulty choice. It can be a new beginning you’re not thrilled about.

My meanings: As I said, this is where you begin. I tend to see this card as full of joy and innocence. The saying is “God protects fools and children” and while sadly this is not always true, I apply that to this card. There is a good hearted yearning towards the new, the unknown. It is a feeling of wanting to fly and not being held down by your own expectations. This is a brand new start.

When I read it reversed, I tend to see this as a need to MAKE a new start, to find a way to recapture the childhood joy of waking up on a summer morning with the whole day ahead of you and nothing to do but play. (or read if you were me.)

Image study of this card: As you look at this card, you see person enjoying the wind, enjoying the freedom. She is unafraid to be on her precipice, she doesn’t even see the risk. Her companions are happy to be with her, the fox is content and safe, the birds, the bees, and the butterflies are representative of the freedom of going where the wind takes you. She is happy and content, and at the same time raring to go. She has a star (or sun) on her foot, she carries her wishes with her wherever she goes. She stands above beauty and love and has a view of all of creation. She is ready for the next step, be it small or grand.

The Magician – Card 1

The magician is the second card in the Major Arcana. Card One. The standard meanings are:

Upright: When the Magician card is upright in a Tarot reading, it symbolizes originality, creativity, skill, self-confidence, and dexterity. The card means you will be given an idea, a solution to a problem, an ambitious career, a love life, or a job. You must trust in your big brain to help you find what you need and let the world open up to you.

Reversed: When the Magician card is reversed in a Tarot reading, it symbolizes weakness of will, insecurity, delay, and lack of imagination. You also need to be on the lookout for major opportunities and take care to not let them pass you by. Keep those eyes peeled. You also want to be wary of people in your life who might be untrustworthy and try to avoid them. Say no to snakes in the grass. Embrace your bright future.

My Meanings: When I do a reading, this card generally symbolizes the need to trust oneself. You have the skills, although they may be more esoteric than you usually use. You can do this. Utilize your creativity and your instincts…but do so thoughtfully. Don’t just dive into things, that is what the fool would do. Be sure you are right, then go ahead.

When reversed, I read it as a warning that you do not have all the information you need to proceed apace. You may be just fine, but it would be a really good idea to do more research and make sure. It may seem strange that a card focusing on Magic is one I emphasis thinking or knowledge on, but the two are not mutually exclusive. There is a time for instinct alone. This is not it.

Image Study of this card:

While he is also on a precipice, he does not have the foolhardy confidence as his predecessor. He is balanced to a very specific point. He is, however, very much in control of his environment. He commands air (the wings) but rarely chooses to use that skill. Instead, he relies on what he can conjure for his enlightenment. And he is good at conjuring. He does not ignore, per say, the beauty around him, but he does not let it effect him in any specific way. He acknowledges it, then moves on. His skill is in taking in knowledge and applying instinct to find an answer or way to proceed.

So there you have it. The first Saturday card post. (A little early, but still…close enough.)

Hi There!

Hello there! In this, my first blog post, I will begin to let you know who I am and what I do. The short answer is: I go by CinnaLuna, and I read Tarot cards. The long answer gets more…complicated.

A lot of this is going to be in the “about me” so feel free to read that first. I have been reading Tarot off and on for about 20 years now. I started reading for fun with friends, then was asked to do readings at charity fundraisers, and now I am doing them here. My philosophy about the cards is that they are strictly for entertainment purposes.

Now that does not mean that you cannot glean an answer or a direction from them, but my purpose in doing the reading is to entertain. I do not do video readings. If you are in the San Francisco Bay Area and wish to hire me for parties (or something like the above stated fundraising.) shoot me an email through my contact page and I will get back to you schedule permitting.

Why do I read cards? Well, because for one reason or another I am able to “tune into” people. It is one reason I prefer to work “blind.” Blind tarot readings mean that I do not answer specific questions. You can have something specific in mind, but I do request you not send me questions. If, at some point, you choose to tell me the question or situation you wanted clarification on, feel free to do so….after the reading.

If you are looking for a specific spread that I do not have posted…or want a more detailed reading, again, just shoot me an email and I’ll work with you.

I work from home and am assisted and deterred in turns by my kitty. If there is a paw in the picture of your reading, that is why.

I may be posting pictures of her later…oh heck, here is one now.

I should be posting on this blog on Wednesdays about Tarot and other random things, and I will have a post on Saturday focusing on specific cards.

Be good to each other,

CinnaLuna