Romantic Tarot - a deep look

 After feeling out of sorts, bringing myself into realignment ...  Today I wanted to pick up The Romantic Tarot .. A deck  That speaks of relationships on many different levels..  I feel the Title of  the deck Romantic tarot does not encompass the versatility of this deck,   Romantic Tarot  without looking at the images may at first appear to speak only of the positive aspects of love  but as you dive deeper into the cards you realize there are many aspects to Romance that  can feel like challenges, obstacles, problems,  and issues  that need answers for.. These cards do just that  on many levels.. The Major Arcana  from The Fool's journey from the  Magician to the The World.   Then through The Four Countries within Europe for the Minor Arcana.  Chalices - Venice, Swords-Vienna, Pentacles-Rome, Wands-Paris.   

This I will explore further over the weeks ahead. 

Let us Begin with the Major Arcana ..  Thinking in context of Romance, Love , Relationships.  

0 The Fool 

Here we see this Man wearing a pink suit, standing on one foot with his left hand on his hip and the right hand holding a top hat. Over his arm is a cane.  A flower bouquet on his head.  He is standing on what appears to be up in the sky surrounded by birds...  This can speak of trying to balance one's path ahead in a relationship.  He is smiling so we see joy, happiness and someone full of fun within his journey.  He needs to be cautious even though he appears not to be really aware of his environment.. He is taking a risk on some level.  

I The Magician .. 

The Image shows a Magician standing on a stage  dressed in a suit .  He Holds a wand with his left hand above his head  as he holds with his right hand a sword as he pulls it out of a top hat, behind him is  large chalice, beside him a large coin ..A large curtain behind with decorations above his head , in front of the curtain.   He find a sense of an illusionist, someone who appears to tricks others .. We only see what he wishes to show.. And to understand the trick one must look beyond his sleight of hand...Look beyond the surface to see the truth of the relationship.. using the skills and the abilities to create a version of your own truth.  

II The High Priestess 

We find a lady dressed in blue dress and a decorated hat , sitting in a decorated throne, holding what appears as large book does she sit in front of a cloth between two pillars, one black and one white ... I feel this woman speaks of learning, studying to discover knowledge of the past in regards to romantic issues, challenges and problems that may arise.  Secrets may come from studying, learning, looking at things from looking within.   

III  The Empress 

A Woman walks down a staircase wearing a white dress, a large dog with a couple of smaller dogs behind her.. The staircase as a green carpet down the center of the staircase.  There does appear to be a family crest at the bottom of the staircase. Yellow trim  and a yellow line down the centre .  The Empress talks about bringing things into fruition..  a sense of kindness and generosity within the relationship ...  Comes from this seduction she shows within her own beauty.. Motherhood, Mother figure . 

IV The Emperor 

A man stands with his left hand his hip, a right hand leaning on a  a ledge, barrier that separates him from  what lies behind him at this time . He wears a black, grey suit with a red cloak, a monocle,  a crown upon his head.  A lamp with four lights  are on both sides of what could be a doorway. This card speaks of leadership, authority, fatherhood, a provider on some level to those around him. 

V Hierophant 

Here a Pope type figure  stands upon a  balcony above his congregation.. He holds a flower in his right hand. A stone carving balcony is very intricate. A window behind him. One of Tradition. One of faith, spiritual beliefs. He teaches and shares his knowledge. 

VI The Lovers 

a Young couple kissing in a gondola, the hat of the woman appears to be falling into the water.. a bridge above them joining the different paths from around the city The canals go through the centre of the city.  This card to me speaks of choices but yet here we see romance, love .. action has been taken to show the love between two people. a man, The gondolier is watching as he pushes ahead .  so maybe he feels a bit of an outsider to the relationship of others.. 

VII The Chariot 

A farmer with  a cart full of hay tethered to two bulls  (horned ox maybe)(  one black, one white. A woman sits upon the hay.. It is driven through the night. flower wreaths upon the heads of the bull.   To me this feels as though this card speaks of being harvested, carried  into the future.. moving ahead, driven with a purpose.. the black and white of the bulls to me reminds me even though it can appear as  everything could be black and white , there are grey areas at times that need to be explored.  To be successful  comes from being focused on the direction you want to take.  

VIII Strength 

A man is holding with all of his might on a rope wrapped around a statue of a woman with a lion , in the background is a Strength card from a Tarot de Marseille painting on the wall.. we are continually reminded that strength does not come with brute force but a gentleness that allows endurance, stamina to achieve desired results. 

IX The Hermit , 

a Man holds a lantern in his right hand and a cane in his left as he looks upon a desk filled with books , a photo and what appears as a journal.. a slightly open draw .. For me this card shows a darkened sky through the window.  To me this card can relate to one's knowledge gained in solitary. There understanding a light out of a darkness. a feeling of isolation. 

X Wheel of Fortune  ... 

A Ferris Wheel in the background looms into the sky, above the trees  as a couple sitting on  bench cuddling and kissing.. a cane leans against the bench .. this can speak of being stagnant in this moment., a decision needing to be made so one can move ahead.  Understanding life's ups and downs, fate and destiny .. do we take action or do we let things happen as they will ?  

XI Justice.. 

A woman walks down the staircase , is she blinded or able to see through the cloth, wearing a red flowing dress, holding scales, a A top hat on one side and flowers on the other.. are they truly balanced?  a large fabric flies in the background from the woman . Justice, legalities  within relationships may be of importance at this time. Consequences by actions taken.  trying to find balance, equilibrium within the path... 

XII The Hanged Man ...

a man chained hanging upside down in an archway, a garden appears behind  him  .. IN this card the thoughts of being chained to your actions that have been taken. Unable to see other options to your path.. You are being asked to relook at the situation through new perspectives.  What have you sacrificed of yourself to find yourself in this position?  Are you hanging around because you feel tortured ? 

XIII Death 

Here we find a woman dressed in black in what appears as a dusk sky standing in front of a gravestone in a cemetery a bare tress stands behind her ...  She grieves for the loss of someone close to her.. Her life  has transformed into something new.  There appears to miles of gravestones. the death of many ..  It appears to be over hills away from the main city.   There are endings to what was bringing in the possibility of what could be.. there could be moments of darkness before the light begins to show.   

XIV Temperance 

a woman behind a bar overfills the chalice with liquid . a man stands waiting for his drink, watching what is happening at this moment ..  This card does speak of moderation.. being aware of temptation, an excess of  what is needed in that moment.   

XV  The Devil ..

The woman elaborately dressed on a stage , she is chained in that moment .. to her addictions, to the past.. is she chained to the moment?  Has she over indulged in a moment .. Is she unable to move ahead, break free from  those addictions, repeated patterns, bad habits? 

XVI The Tower.. 

a tower hit by lightening appears to be crumbling, falling down , reminding us of the way may seem doom and gloom, our world crumbling around us.. the ability to reach understanding that we can rebuild the path we desire... Our life may at times be shaky and wobbly yet we can move ahead to better things.. 

XVII  The Star..

Here we see in the ground a compass showing The directions available to us.. At times we may find we wish to travel North  or south , East or West ... The shadows of a couple holding us showing in this relationship we move ahead together, there is light, a sense of hope, a wish of what is possible ... 

XVIII The Moon 

Here is what appears as Paris  is the Eifel Tower illuminated  by a Full Moon ... a young couple standing in a framed window .. he behind her with his arms around her.. the moment of dreams coming true.. together they face any unknown fears,  They acknowledge the phase, the stage of the cycle of their relationship.. Are they ready to take it too the next stage even though they may be afraid to what may lie ahead... ? 

XIX  The Sun 

A large lion sun  shows the aspect of strength coming from an internal roar ...  a couple separated but yet together, arms reaching towards each other...  underneath a winged creature with an  open book , showing an opening of new chapters in one's life..  The Sun speaks of joy and happiness in one's relationships.. a feeling of contentment, satisfaction...  an opening of one's personality to another.. reaching out to others openly.  

XX Judgement 

This looks like a performance being given.. A woman dressed as an Angel blowing a trumpet , with the crowds underneath cheering the performer on .. hats being thrown in the air, everyone looking up with happiness, a willingness to surrender to this moment .. A judgement on the performance may be thought of within and shared with others... This can symbolize a need to surrender to the relationship,  maybe a sense of blowing one's own trumpet in the moment ... an awakening to one's own belief... 

XXI The World ..

Here we have what appears as a mother and a father holding up a large bronze coloured sphere where a young boy sits cross-legged looking upon the city ... This an achievement on the parents as they hold this up...   Maybe it is the boy's own achievement the parents celebrate ...  he may be moving into a new cycle as he leaves behind the old ... there may be shift on some level . It feels as though he is on top of the world ready for something new and exciting to arrive...  

That has taken some time to look at the Major Arcana  ...  for today   that is enough to look at and get a deeper understanding of these cards...  let me take a moment to assimilate what I have discovered about these cards...  See you soon .. Take care  ... 

I did a quick catch up video which is now on YouTube _Click here for the Video ..

Then I did a Spread with the Major Arcana  looking at Relationship with self  

Which I found very interesting  ... 

5 cards ....  see the video for details  about the Spread. 

Working with The Major Arcana I want to begin further exploration by working with the Show Me Cards by Justine  (Hand Me That Pencil ) 

Here we begin that journey ... 

Video #1 

Video #2 

Wands ..