One of the issues with the Rider/Waite/Smith deck is that it is over one hundred years old. That does not diminish its beauty or effectiveness but a lot has happened in the last century that may change the way we view images and words. For example, the word temperance is often used to suggest a need for curbing a negative habit, like overindulgence. When I look at this beautiful card, that word is a distraction. We have the Archangel Michael glorious with outstretched wings pouring from one cup to another. There is something illuminated rising behind him – a light perhaps or a crown. He has one foot in the water and one on dry land. These symbols and the rest in the card suggest a need for balance and good judgment. Today’s Journey Tarot chose to symbolize this concept with a costumed acrobat walking a tightrope. We call the card Discernment. Walking a tightrope requires focus, balance of course, and very good judgment. She must put one foot in front of the other as we all do in life, but retain the qualities to maintain harmony. Her discernment keeps her balanced and safe. We indulged in a bit more symbolism in this card with the owl costume (wisdom) and the two toned balance bar (the esoteric and the mundane which she must also keep in balance).

Teresa Sue McAdams, co-creator of “Today’s Journey Tarot”, co-author of “Today’s Journey Tarot, A Traveler’s Guide”, co-author of “Tarot Meditations, A Journal for Self Discovery”, and author of “Lessons, The Wisdom Within Each Moment”

www.todaysjourneytarot.com

 The Death card is a very scary card. Most people I read for gasp when it falls in a reading. I quickly explain that the card does not mean death but change and transformation, but I suspect many people still fear that impending doom is imminent. Besides its title, the images on the Rider/Waite/Smith card are also scary and confusing. The main symbol is a skeleton dressed in armor and riding a white horse. He holds a black banner. The horse appears to be stepping over the body of a fallen king. There is also a priest, child and maiden, and a sun rising/setting between two pillars. When these images are studied and understood the meaning of the card becomes clear but Expanding Dimensions, the creators of Today’s Journey Tarot, chose to demystify the symbols and depict an image that would not instantly invoke fear. We call our card Transition and it shows a beautiful golden bridge surrounded by clouds. It still conveys the idea that changes are occurring and that transformation takes place as we cross from one idea, place, cycle, or whatever is occurring in our lives. Does it ever express physical death? Death is definitely a transition. But in Key 13, Transition leads to a renewal of the spirit, not a dark and scary place.

The Hanged Man is one of the most recognizable of all Tarot cards but the image alone without the symbolic interpretation is difficult to understand. We have a man hanging upside down from a tree limb. His hands are behind his back, forming one triangle and one leg is crossed behind the other forming another triangle. His head is illuminated. The Hanged Man suggests looking at something from a new point of view – changing our perspective. There is also surrender in this card – surrender to a higher power perhaps or just to things the way they are. It is accepting or grasping that there is a bigger picture and we are only part of the whole. Until we can accept and adapt, we are suspended from evolving to greater understanding. Today’s Journey Tarot brought these ideas into the modern world. When we think of standing still in our society most of us can identify with a traffic jam. We’ve all been there at least once and for some it is an everyday occurrence. The Choice is whether we want to stay where we are and hope that things will eventually get better – and in due time it will – or take a chance and exit onto an unknown, which could transform our lives. The “Quantum” sign suggests that there are unlimited possibilities if we make that change. What we cannot change is the deadlocked traffic.

Teresa Sue McAdams, co-creator of “Today’s Journey Tarot”, co-author of “Today’s Journey Tarot, A Traveler’s Guide”, co-author of “Tarot Meditations, A Journal for Self Discovery”, and author of “Lessons, The Wisdom Within Each Moment”