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”

The traditional meaning for the Justice card is the idea that justice will always be done. That means that it might not go your way all the time but it will always balance out to be fair for all. The Rider/Waite/Smith Justice card shows a woman sitting between two pillars. She is wearing a crown with a square stone, holding a sword upright in her right hand and balanced scales in her left hand. Her robe, her foot peeking out from beneath it, and the square stone at her throat all have symbolic significance. When Expanding Dimensions began to discuss this card, the modern representation was obvious although it is an ancient principle. We called it Karma. Today’s Journey Tarot Key 11 shows a man and a woman engaged in the “dance of life”. They are polar opposites of each other, illuminated by the symbol of yin and yang. In fact their body positions mimic this pattern as well. They represent the complimentary aspects of the law of balance throughout the Universe – cause and effect. They not only compliment each other, they support one another. One cannot exist without the other. What does all this mean? It means that everything balances eventually. This is an absolute.

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”

The Wheel of Fortune represents the endless cycle of life and the ups and downs of life. The Rider/Waite/Smith deck’s Wheel is an exercise in symbolism. The Wheel itself has three circles, symbols and letters. There are creatures adorning the wheel and at each corner of the card. At first glance this card is very difficult to decipher. You have to understand at least part of the symbolism or memorize the meaning of the card, which is what I believe most people do. In Today’s Journey Tarot, this most difficult card has been replaced with Key 10 Life – which is what all the symbolism basically boils down to. The image is a roller coaster. It aptly depicts the ups and downs of life as well as the cyclic nature of our existence. The riders on the roller coaster have no way off the ride so they are destined to continue traveling the loop and dealing with the twists and turns along the way.

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”

In Key 9 Guidance, Today’s Journey Tarot portrays a very different image from the traditional Rider/Waite/Smith cards. The Hermit shows an aged and bearded man standing on a snowy mountain top. He is holding a staff and a lighted lantern. The Hermit is looking down. This card, like the others in the deck, is full of symbolism. But to the uninitiated it is difficult to sort all of that out. Plus the name of the card is somewhat deceiving. The Hermit guides. He shows the way to truth and wisdom. In considering this basic meaning the creators of Today’s Journey Tarot, Expanding Dimensions, asked ourselves what guides us? In our modern world information is at our fingertips like never before. We seek answers in books, on the web and tablets, and from our connection to our higher selves. So Key 9, which we call Guidance, is set in a library where all of these resources can be found. Besides the library’s resources, our seeker also has available to him the light from the merkaba shaped lamps that illuminate each table – the same star that lights the Hermit’s lantern. It represents the ethereal sources which are also available. True, this symbolism is also not apparent to the uninitiated, but the most important element here is seeking and receiving guidance, wisdom, inner strength and knowledge.

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”