How the various tarot decks evolved from their original form to that of the common deck of playing cards is one of the best stories in history, but let us take a look at some of the most well known cards that make up the old-fashioned tarot deck.
Remember, however, that many different tarot decks contain different cards from one another.
Especially in the case of the minor arcana, the suits can change from deck to deck. There is not any consensus right deck, they all have their own powers to help a trained reader divine the future.
1) The Fool
One of the best known cards in the tarot deck, the fool can symbolize many different things based on the question asked before the reading.
In most cases, the fool brings about such descriptions as immaturity, adventure, boldness, freedom and inexperience.
In history, the Fool has the special distinction of usually having the number zero. While that designation is not a uniform assignment across all decks, the Fool is usually seen as either the final trump card, the first trump card or even a completely separate card apart from the other trumps.
Modern interpretations of the fool vary from the context in which the card fits into the question asked and the reader, but in most cases, the fool is interpreted as standing for folly and inexperience.
It does not necessarily have to have a negative connotation, but it is interpreted that way in most cases.
2) Death
One of the most dreaded cards in the tarot deck, but also one of the most misunderstood.
The card is only interpreted by the most literal readers as meaning physical death. In almost all cases, the card stands for a change; usually a deep and through change in your life.
For some, the death card can be a positive if the change interpreted is the death of something negative. The number assigned to the card is 13, of course, an unlucky number in most Western cultures.
In modern decks of playing cards, the ace of spades is considered to be the descendant of the death card, and is still referred to as such by many card players.
3) The Devil
Card fifteen is also one of the most well known tarot cards. The devil, in most cases, stands for animal lust and vice. It can also be interpreted as a lack of morality and hedonism over other more moderate choices in life.
Most readers believe that the Devil card represents a lack of growth or the inability to stop behavior that harms oneself. The card, in most cases, is considered negative, but there is also a large amount of flexibility in the Devil card.
The subject receiving the reading may be caught in a particular behavior, but that behavior can change and the impact of the devil can be removed.
4) The Moon
Card eighteen of the tarot deck is the Moon. The card is usually associated with the ideas of tension, deception, confusion and anxiety.
The Moon is also thought to be associated with doubt, worry, unrealistic ideas and illusion. Most readers interpret the Moon as a lack of vision or purpose in the life of a person.
A need to find the right path back to goals and meaning is needed before all is lost. It can also mean that an adventure awaits and to be brave when facing unknown circumstances. In most cases, the Moon has a negative connotation, but not in all.
5) The Lovers
Card six in the tarot deck is The Lovers. The card is usually interpreted to mean union, passion and sexuality, as well as bonding, romance and heart.
The card is seen almost universally as a positive, a sign that the subject has a positive, warm and healthy relationship in their life.
There is a modicum of sacrifice with the Lovers card, the idea that the bachelor life will need to be jettisoned in favor of a caring and fulfilling relationship. The card is considered a positive building block when it comes up during a reading, a sign of good things to come.
6) Wheel of Fortune
Card ten is the Wheel of Fortune. It is thought to stand for opportunities, possibilities and destiny, as well as fate, activity and life cycles.
There is a strong karmic connection with the Wheel of Fortune card. The idea of what comes around, goes around is widely believed to exist within the Wheel of Fortune.
The card also represents random chance, with the Wheel most likely standing for all the choices one makes and their positive and negative outcomes.
7) Judgment
Card twenty in the tarot deck is Judgment. This is an almost universally positive card that most readers interpret to stand for hope, renewal, redemption and absolution.
Even though with Judgment, there is a positive and negative side, this card is almost always thought to be a positive.
The tarot deck is filled with dozens of interesting stories and interpretations. The cards listed here can mean many different things based on the question asked, the interpretation and if the card is reversed or not.
The energy and magic of tarot is eternal and it awaits your questions today.
Astrology in Judaism Speculum Vol Iv- the Medieval Period
Wednesday, April 29th, 2009Shabbethai Donalo Doctor and Astrologer (913-970) was borne in south Italy. At the age og 12 he was coptured (925) by an Arabic Batalion, his relatives had redeem him by paying for him a large amount of money.
At first he educated him self by the medicine discipline, since in those days a part of the diagnosis was done by astrology matters, he thought himself all that were known in this period in his soundings. How ever he decided to widen his knowledge by studying the Greek, Babylonian, and Indian Astrology.
In the city of Baghdad Donalo found a wise man in the name of Bagdsh who was a great scholar in mathematics and astrology, his (Donalo) conclusion about astrology was that the real basics of astrology are written by an Hebrew Talmudic Rabbi by the name of Rabbi D’Shemuel in an essay named Berayita D’rbbi Sehmuel.
Donalo settle dawn in the city named Modina in Italy serving as M.D for forty years, there Donalo wrote books on medicine, medication and astrology among other books he wrote a commentry on the astrology of the Book of Creation “Sefer H’Yetzirah” which by Hebrew tradition was written By Abraham the ancient Hebrew forefather
“ I went to explore the wisdom of the Greeks, the Arabs, the Acadian’s and the Indian’s, I did not rest until I was skilled in all nation astrology wisdom, and I compeard them with the Israelies Astrological knowledge and wisdom, and I find them all equal in there knowledge, Itookup on me to transleate all thoes books, and all my conclusion I wrote in my book “Chckmoni”which is the my commentry on “Sefer hyetzira” See: Shabbethai Donalo,the introduction in “The book Chokmoni”
Iben Ezra
Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1164 C.E. Spain) Ibn Ezra was born in Tudela Sapin. He led Spain in 1140,for the next three decades he wandered through Europe, spending time in Rome, Lucca, Rouen, London, and Béziers, Israel.
Ibn Ezra’s literary legacy consists of short and extremely popular handbooks in a wide variety of fields: grammar and poetics, astrology and arithmetic, astronomy and religious speculations, as well as both short and lengthier biblical commentaries.Ibn Ezra wrote following astrological treatises, the most important are:
Beginning of Wisdom.
The Book of Reasons.
The Book of Nativities.
The Book of Elections.
The Book of Lights.
The Book of the world
The Treatise od the AstrolabeAn itroduction the the Book of Muhammed Ibn Al-matani, translated by Ibn Ezra.
A Translation from Arabic into Hebrew of a book by Masha’ allah on the Eclipes of the sun and the Moon
See : The Book of Reasons . translaed by Meira Epstein.
Astrology was one of Ibn Ezra’s major interests, and it plays an important role in his thought ,the central place of astrology in Ibn Ezra’s thought promothed and strnghnd the legitimacy of astrology, in the jewish community, scholars and layman.
There is no difference between Jews and non-Jews with regard to astral governance, in his astrological writings, the Jews are no different from other peoples, in that they too are associated with certain planets and signs; this point was not lost upon his super-commentators. Ibn Ezra’s astrology, like his philosophy overall, is humanist and universal, not Jewish and particularist.
While we are going to assess Ibn Ezra writings, we should bear in mind that Ibn Ezra is not exposing to the reader all his knowledge, on the contrary, the reader is getting the impressing that Ibn Ezra is hiding his knowledge, and revealing bits hear and there, mostly regarding Astrological Astral Magic.
Maimonides
Moshe ben Maimon or Moses Maimonides- The Rambam (March 30, 1135 – December 13, 1204). Maimonides was a Rabbi, Physician, and Philosopher,
he was borne in Spain and died in Israel. Maimonides conducted his work in Spain Moroccoand Egypt and israel.
On face of it, Momonides concept and approach towards, astrology was negative namely, once should not exercises astrology. Maimonides answered an inquiry concerning astrology, addressed to him from Marseille. In this answer to inquiries from scholars of southern France, Maimonides exposes foibles and fallacies of astrology, while touching upon such questions as the sources of knowledge, creation of the world, divine providence and free will, and the Messiah. Inasmuch as this letter was intended for general circulation, with no pretense to esotericism.
Maimonides responded that man should believe only what can be supported either by rational proof, by the evidence of the senses, or by trustworthy authority. He affirms that he had studied astrology, and that it does not deserve to be described as a science. He ridicules the supposition that the fate of a man could be dependent upon the constellations; he argues that such a theory would rob life of purpose, and would make man a slave of destiny.
According to Maimonides the Heberw Astrological wisdome was lost and forgotten during the years in the long past,overviewing cearfully Mimodidas writings we cam learn about the Mimonides duality apparoch , in one aspect the Mimonides sees in Astrology the top of sciences, and on the other hand his stand is against Astrology,
See Shlomo Sela “ Astrology and Biblical Exegesis in Abraham Ibn Ezra’s Thought”
Iben Tzarza and his friends could not assimilate Mimonides opposition to astrology. Looking in to his work they came to the conclusion that so to speak, the Mimonides take a stand against Astrology,but this was only when he was referring to the crowd, to mass of people, however when the Mimonides was speaking to his peoples or to the Intellectual Jewish elite, his views were entirely different.
See : Dov Schwarrtz “Amulets,Properties and rationalism in Medieval Jewish Thoght”
Trachtenberg is another scholar who is supporting this view namely Maimonides was not opposing astrology, his opinion is that Mimonides was accepting the Astrology discipline regarding the Medical use, (in those days every Medicine Doctor was skilled in the astrology discipline) which means Maimonides give his blessing to use astrology for Medical proposes.
See: Trachtenberg, J ‘ “Jewish Magic and Superstition”
Thus Maimonides concept towards Astrology was ambivalent and dual. Maimonides had one concept for the esotericism group of scholars, and another concept for the common layman, which means, only the intellectual elite should exercises Astrology, al the others should stay away from it, because thy wont understand the discipline and material, moreover there is a danger that the common layman will believe in determinism, which will led him a way from the Jewish belief, the Jewish belief is saying:” Everything is Foreseen, but the Permit is Given. This is an Anti-thesis to determinism.
Nahmanides
Nahmanides – Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi -Ramban (1194-1270) was a Biblical commentator, Kabbalist, Philosopher and Physician.
Nahmanides studied medicine which he practiced as a means of livelihood; he also studied philosophy In his writings Nahmanides reveals a conservative tendency that distinguished his later works — an unbounded respect for the earlier authorities.In the view of Nahmanides, the wisdom of the rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud, as well as the Geonim (rabbis of the early medieval era) was unquestionable.
Nahmanides was an adversary of Rabbi Abraham Ib Ezra. Nahmanides disagrees with him; especially with regard to Kabballa (Jewish mysticism), which is considered part of the normative Jewish tradition. Notwithstanding, he had tremendous respect for ibn Ezra, as is evidenced in his introduction to his commentary on the Five books of Moses.
Nahmanides formed part of the Spanish school of Cabalists. He was intruded into the Gnostic type of mysticism that had hitherto reigned in Jewish mysticism. This Gnostic mysticism had originated in a rabbinic gnosis of the 1st and 2d centuries A.D.The Neoplatonic trend of Nahmanides’s mysticism centered on the sefirot, or “soul” or “inner life,” of the hidden transcendent God. On this basis Nahmanides formed his mystical theory of history
Nahmanides was a key figur in Kabblistic esoteric persona in Spanish 13th century.Regarding his astrological atettude Nahmanides wrote a stating that while one may not ask an astrologer for a prediction, astrology itself is real. He states rules that one must ultimately trust in God, and not in any lesser force. As such, he concludes that one is forbidden to ask an astrologer for a prediction, but one may act on the words of an astrologer if advice is freely given. Ultimately he holds that while the stars give a person certain inclinations, people have the ability to overcome their own inclinations, and thus maintains free will.
Thus it is adviseble to emphesiss that the persons who were infulensive of Nahmanides concepet were Ibn Ezra and Yhuda Halevy
Monius I.Khoschen -Klein
Monius.ikk@gmail.com
www.monius-astro-site.com
Tags: abraham ibn ezra, acadian, ancient hebrew, arabs, association, astrologer, astrologers, astrological, astrology, astronomy, babylonian, book, centuries, city, city of baghdad, commentry, communicators, concept, constellations, dawn in the city, determinant, divination, diviner, divinities, divinity, fate, free, frees, god, hebrew tradition, indian astrology, inner, israelies, knowledge and wisdom, life, literary legacy, magic, matters, mind, mystics, norm, opinion, people, personal, personalities, personality, philosophy, planets, poetics, popularity, practice, rationality, reader, sapin, science, senses, signs, soundings, soundness, source, south italy, study, sun, talmudic, thoughts, three decades, time, time in rome, ultimate, understanding, universe, wisdom, wise man, work, yetzirah
Posted in love horoscopes | No Comments »