Tarot Images
Craig Keene
"Tarot Images" is a series that presents the symbolism of Tarot cards through mental images. Try to guess which card the image represents before your read the answer. Use the feelings you get from the image to help you interpret cards in your readings. These images can help you get past the blocks which written interpretations sometimes create.
Read the following scene without adding your own details or removing something that you don't like. The goal is to make the image as vivid as possible without altering it. Try to achieve a pure impression, without conscious examination. This will create an archetypal image that can symbolize the Tarot card.
Picture a neighborhood street, not too wide, with the occasional overhanging oak or willow. Straight, level sidewalks border flowers and lawns. The houses have pleasant, straightforward designs. They are clean and painted in light tones. Children play noisily about.
A sports car pulls into a driveway. The car is red and looks quite fast. A blond man steps out and his wife and daughter greet him. He hugs them both in a sweeping embrace, bringing giggles from the daughter and laughter from the woman and man. He smiles as his daughter struggles to carry his briefcase into the house. The man and woman talk about inconsequential things as they follow the little girl—the subject is less important than the sound of the words.
There is a yell from down the street and the man turns to see what has happened. He steps away from his wife—to remove the distraction of her touch—and he sees several boys engaged in a fight a few houses down the street. Without looking back at his wife, he runs toward the fight. Three or four boys have collapsed into a seething pile of arms and legs; arms and legs which are punching and kicking someone at the bottom of the pile. Other boys stand in a loose circle—to judge and witness. There is much shouting from those involved, but those around are silent.
The man runs fast enough to reach the group of boys before the one on the bottom is seriously harmed. He shouts at them to stop. The witnesses recognize a greater authority and scatter. The man reaches into the pile and begins to pull apart the combatants. Their anger fades to sullen shame as they face him.
The man finds that it was three attacking one. He questions but they answer little. Even the victim offers nothing. The man threatens to inform their parents and still gets nowhere. Threats, bribes, sincerity and support all receive silence. Failure is obvious on his face. Though it both infuriates and disappoints him, the boys do not react and they keep their secret.
Since the boys have not actually harmed one another, he releases them once his patience gives out. Before they go, he forces them to promise to work around his yard as punishment for fighting and payment for his time. They leave in different directions and he slowly walks back to his house.
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Tarot Images
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The man will think about this incident for many days, but he will never understand his failure and this bothers him the most.
Welcome back to the world of conflicting truths and shades of grey. Take a moment to think of the cards that might fit this archetypical image.
If you chose any court card (king, queen, knight, page), you did well. If you chose a king, then, better still. The King of Wands is right on target. The King of Pentacles is close. If you thought of punching a couple of the kids, then consider a refresher course.
The court cards often symbolize people. While they do occasionally symbolize qualities, these are actually traits from people we know and can recognize. There is a feeling that goes along with a person we know. We might say, for example, "there goes Zelda. She's a neat person, so pleasant and agreeable." The same is true of the court cards.
The problem is that we often don't know the person that the card in question represents. Once we "meet" the person in the card, then we can more easily recognize him in the future. An easy way to do this is to look for real people in your life who fit the descriptions of each court card. This is a good exercise because it provides a ready reference point. Unfortunately, you may have difficulty finding a representative of a particular card. If you do find someone, be careful not to confuse the card with the person.
Play with the images. They are easier to remember than fixed interpretations and much more flexible. You may find that people you know have aspects of many cards in their personalities. You may even come to discover the Knight of Cups within yourself.
Regnabo, Regno, Regnavi, Sum sine regno | 
