Article by Fred Street

The 78 card Tarot deck is based upon an ancient philosophy, which can bring startling insights when applied to the modern world. This article explores these ideas in the context of current global issues such as international politics, global warming, terrorism etc. For anyone interested in world affairs or learning more about the Tarot.

I wanted to write this article to demonstrate how the ancient philosophy behind the Tarot is still relevant to us today, and to show how these ideas can be used to illuminate our modern world. Whether or not the Tarot has any mystical power I believe a lot can be learned from the view that it gives of the universe, which goes back to antiquity. As someone who teaches and practices Tarot I also wanted to create a guide to help people understand the meanings behind each card, by reframing tarot in a modern context which can be related to more easily.

When someone receives a Tarot reading the cards offer meanings that are universal but also personal to the questioner. If one was to carry out a reading for the state of the world, how then could the reader interpret the cards? What are the pressing issues for us all at this time? I asked myself this question and, whilst thumbing through the pack, the meanings became quite obvious and stark to me. Below I have listed these meanings for the 21 Major arcarna or trump cards.

FREEDOM – The Fool

TECHNOLOGY – The Magician

RELIGION – High Priestess HUMAN RIGHTS – The Empress

STATE POWER AND SECURITY – The Emperor

TRADITIONALISTS VS MODERNIZERS – The Hierophant

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS – The Lovers

WAR AND CONFLICT – The Chariot

WORLD POLITICS – Strength

INNER WORLD – The Hermit

INTERNATIONAL LAW – Justice

WORLD POVERTY – Hanged Man

GLOBAL WARMING – Death

THE MISSING ELEMENT – Temperance

TERRORISM – The Devil

GENETIC ENGINEERING – The Tower

INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION – The Star

THE INTERNET AND THE INFORMATION AGE – The Sun

POWER AND CORRUPTION – The Moon

POPULATION – Judgement

THE ENVIRONMENT – The World

Incidentally if you wish to read the complete article alongside images of the cards there is an illustrated version on my website at http://www.tarot-cards-reading.com/about/tarot_world_article.html

FREEDOM – The Fool As card number zero in the pack the Fool represents all that is new, free and innovative. In medieval times the court jester was someone who was not expected to follow the same rules and conventions as everyone else and so was free to be spontaneous and creative. The Major Arcana is often described as a journey through life starting at the childlike simplicity and freedom of the Fool and ending with card number 21 – The World. However, for many in the world, freedom or lack of it, is a big political goal which they need to achieve before they can start their journey.

TECHNOLOGY – The Magician Technology is now the backdrop to all our lives and to those who don’t understand it or haven’t witnessed it before it seems like magic. When people first saw inventions such as moving images or photography some believed it to be witchcraft or some kind of trickery. On the card the Magician shows a powerful figure performing his tricks with us as his audience. He is about to make things happen before our eyes that we never thought possible. The message of this card is that if you know what you are doing and you have the energy of commitment behind you, you can achieve incredible things. This is a valuable lesson for the modern world.

RELIGION – High Priestess The High Priestess is a woman of God who sits in silence and contemplation. She seeks understanding and looks for the greater meaning behind everything. She is an antidote to the dangers of materialism that can stem from the technological ability and energy of the Magician.

HUMAN RIGHTS – The Empress The Empress is a ruler that respects her subjects. She is a motherly figure who believes in nurturing and caring rather than controlling and dictating. It is perhaps an unusual card considering its historical origins. We tend to see this regard for individual human rights as quite a modern enlightened view. The Tarot’s values however are timeless and not subject to fashion.

STATE POWER AND SECURITY – The Emperor The Emperor has a different approach than that of the Empress. He is an old-fashioned ruler who believes in running his empire efficiently and systematically. He believes in looking after the many and not compromising for the needs of individuals. One of the big debates at this time is how much power should the state have? Many argue that with the greater need for security at home and abroad we need a government that is strong and which from time to time is willing to lessen the human rights of a few in order to safeguard the majority. Others disagree, arguing the state has too much power and should behave more like the Empress. This argument will probably never be resolved and so these two cards sit side-by-side in the deck reminding us of this dilemma.

TRADITIONALISTS VS MODERNIZERS – The Hierophant The essence of this card is about doing things in a conventional way and following traditional wisdom. The Heirophant asks ‘The conventional way has been tried and tested and it works, so why try to reinvent the wheel?’ In this age of individualism where people want to do things their own way the message of the Hierophant is not always a popular one. However, he is still worth listening to because there are times when it is better to fit in and go along with the crowd; and sometimes being different is ill-advised.

WORLD PEACE – The LoversTraditionally this card shows a man making a choice between two women and its message is that, like love, most things in life come down to a matter of choice. If we are in a relationship with someone it is because we chose to be with them and we are choosing to stay with them. The same is true for all the relationships we have with people. Also, whether we find ourselves fighting, loving or being distant from others is down to our choosing. If we are to apply this idea to the modern world it seems clear that peace and harmony are not things which just happen but that many active choices need to be made in pursuit of them.

WAR AND CONFLICT – The Chariot This card needs little explanation. There have always been wars and probably always will be. There is therefore no need to put this ancient card into a modern context.

WORLD POLITICS – Strength Although this card often depicts a man wrestling a lion, the strength referred to here is strength of will and courage rather than physical strength: the ability to endure and overcome difficulties. In fact it could be seen as the strength of will and character to resist the temptation to use physical force to solve a problem. For today’s modern world many problems could be solved by a stronger political will and greater courage. Perhaps one day more world leaders will realize that there is something stronger and more enduring than military might.

THE INNER WORLD – The Hermit In trying to write this article about how each of the Tarot cards says something about the state of the world and how we are as a gloabal society, there is one card that seems to shout out against this idea. That is the card of the hermit. The hermit advocates withdrawal from the world, suggesting that the inner world is more instructive for us and within our scope to change. Therefore the hermit stands here to remind us of the limitations of analysing the world as a whole.

WORLD TRADE AND FINANCE – Wheel of Fortune This card reminds us that life can be a bit of a lottery and fortunes can go up as well as down. It often depicts someone partying whilst someone else (or is it the same person later in time?) plummets to his doom. It is a stark reminder and warning of the fragility of life. In the week after the 9/11 attack Wall Street remained closed for several days, and nobody knew what was going to happen. It was clear the markets were going to slump but would they go into free fall? Were the US and world economies to be dragged into a downward spiral of recession? Our modern lives depend on financial markets and world economies. The card is a reminder not to be complacent.

INTERNATIONAL LAW – Justice The meaning is simple: that is the need for justice, judgement and good decision making. The card perfectly illustrates the need for international cooperation over rules and legal matters.

See part 2 for continuation