Tarot of the iPod

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD XI. JUSTICE. When I possessed the keys, read the book and understood the symbols, I was permitted to lift the curtain of the Temple and enter its inner sanctum. And there I beheld a Woman with a crown of gold and a purple mantle. She held a sword in one hand and scales in the other. I trembled with awe at her appearance, which was deep and mysterious, and drew me like an abyss. You see Truth", said the voice. "0n these scales everything is weighed. This sword is always raised to guard justice, and nothing can escape it. "But why do you avert your eyes from the scales and the sword? They will remove the last illusions. How could you live on earth without these illusions? "You wished to see Truth and now you behold it! But remember what happens to the mortal who beholds a Goddess! Read by Kevin Houchin Kevin is a Lawyer, Teacher, Marketer, Graphic Designer, #38; Artist. He has a law degree is from the University of Iowa College of Law and a a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. He is principal of Houchin #38; Associates, PLLC - a copyright, trademark, arts #38; entertainment, business development, and branding firm located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD X. THE WHEEL OF CHANCE. I walked along, absorbed in deep thought, trying to understand the vision of the Angel. And suddenly, as I lifted my head, I saw midway in the sky a huge, revolving circle covered with Kabalistic letters and symbols. The circle turned with terrible velocity, and around it, falling down and flying up, symbolic figures of the serpent and the dog revolved; above it sat an immovable sphinx. In clouds, on the four quarters of heaven, I saw the four apocalyptical beings, one with the face of a lion, another with the race of a bull, the third with a face, of an eagle, and the fourth with the face of a bull. And each of them read an open book. And I heard the voices of Zarathustra's beasts: - "All go, all return,mdash;the wheel of life ever turns. All die, all flourish again,mdash;the year of existence runs eternally. All perish, all live again, the same house of existence is I ever building. All separate, all meet again, the ring of existence is ever true to itself. Existence begins at every moment. Round each 'here' rolls 'there'. The middle is everywhere. The way of eternity is a curve. Read by Graham Glover Graham has been working with Tarot for the last five years. He was first introduced to it through a Wiccan Witch. He has written a command line program in Python to do Tarot readings when at work, and realized the iPhone could be easily adapted to do Tarot readings anywhere at any time. He works in technology, and his real-world business card shows him as a Mathemagician. He lives with his wife, daughter, and guinea pig in Virginia. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD IX. THE HERMIT. After long wanderings over a sandy, waterless desertwhere only serpents lived, I met the Hermit. He was wrapped in a long cloak, a hood thrown over his head. He held a long staff in one hand and in the other a lighted lantern, though it was broad daylight and the sun was shining. "The lantern of Hermes Trismegistus", said the voice, this is higher knowledge, that inner knowledge which illuminates in a new way even what appears to be already clearly known. This lantern lights up the past, the present and the future for the Hermit, and opens the souls of people and the most intimate recesses of their hearts. "The cloak of Apollonius is the faculty of the wise man by which he isolates himself, even amidst a noisy crowd; it is his skill in hiding his mysteries, even while expressing them, his capacity for silence and his power to act in stillness. "The staff of the patriarchs is his inner authority, his power, his self-confidence. The lantern, the cloak and the staff are the three symbols of initiation. They are needed to guide souls past the temptation of illusory fires by the roadside, so that they may go straight to the higher goal. He who receives these three symbols or aspires to obtain them, strives to enrich himself with all he can acquire, not for himself, but, like God, to delight in the joy of giving. "The giving virtue is the basis of an initiate's life. "His soul is transformed into a spoiler of all treasures" so said Zarathustra. Initiation unites the human mind with the higher mind by a chain of analogies. This chain is the ladder leading to heaven, dreamed of by the patriarch." Read by Bonnie Cheovet Bonnie Cehovet (Washington) is a Tarot Educator, a professional Tarot reader with over ten years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer.She currently has articles and reviews appearing in the World Tarot Network newsletter, and reviews appearing on the Meta Arts e-magazine site and on Aeclectic Tarot . Her website is The Crystal Gate - Tarot . tarot.thecrystalgate.com BonnieCehovet.com BonnieCehovet.blogspot.com Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD VIII. POWER. In the midst of a green plain, surrounded by blue hills, I saw a woman with a lion. Girdled with wreaths of roses, a symbol of infinity over her head, the woman calmly and confidently covered the lion's mouth and the lion obediently licked her hand. "This is a picture of power", said the voice. "It has different meanings. First it shows the power of love. Love alone can conquer wrath. Hatred feeds hatred. Remember what Zarathustra said: "Let man be freed from vengeance; this is a bridge for me which leads to higher hope and a rainbow in heaven after long storms." "Then it shows power of unity. These wreaths of roses suggest a magic chain. Unity of desires, unity of aspirations creates such power that every wild, uncontrolled, unconscious force is subdued. Even two desires, if united, are able to conquer almost the whole world. "The picture also shows the power of infinity, that sphere of mysteries. For a consciousness that perceives the symbol of infinity above it, knows no obstacles and cannot be withstood." Read by Susan Gold Susan Gold holds an M.A. in Creative Writing and is a published poet. She has taught writing and literature courses at the college level and currently teaches advanced high school courses in English and Mythology. She reads at parties and events and especially enjoys teaching tarot workshops in collaboration with Evelyn Pine and Carole Pierce. Susan is also a certified hypnotherapist and is exploring ways to combine her interests in tarot, writing, teaching, and hypnotherapy. Check out her website at www.magicians-table.com and also her blog and podcasts at tarot-table-talk.com. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD V. THE CHARIOT. I saw a chariot drawn by two sphinxes, one white. the other black. Four pillars supported a blue canopy, on which were scattered five-pointed stars. The Conqueror, clad in steel armour, stood under this canopy guiding the sphinxes. He held a sceptre, on the end of which were a globe, a triangle and a square. A golden pentagram sparkled in his crown. On the front of the chariot there was represented a winged sphere and beneath that the symbol of the mystical lingam, signifying the union of two principles. "Everything in this picture has a significance. Look and try to understand", said the voice. "This is Will armed with Knowledge. We see here, however, the wish to achieve, rather than achievement itself. The man in the chariot thought himself a conqueror before he had really conquered, and he believes that victory must come to the conqueror. There are true possibilities in this beautiful conception, but also many false ones. Illusory fires and numerous dangers are hidden here. He controls the sphinxes by the power of a magic word, but the tension of his Will may fail and then the magic word will lose its power and he may be devoured by the sphinxes. This is indeed the Conqueror, but only for the moment; he has not yet conquered Time, and the succeeding moment is unknown to him. This is the Conqueror, not by love, but by fire and the sword,mdash;a conqueror against whom the conquered may arise. Do you see behind him the towers of the conquered city? Perhaps the flame of uprising burns already there. And he is unaware that the city vanquished by means of fire and the sword is the city within his own consciousness, that the magic chariot is in himself and that the blood-thirsty sphynxes, also a state of consciousness within, watch his every movement. He has externalized all these phases of his mind and sees them only outside himself. This is his fundamental error. He entered the outer court of the Temple of knowledge, but thinks he has been in the Temple itself. He regarded the rituals of the first tests as initiation, and he mistook for the goddess, the priestess who guarded the threshold. Because of this misconception great perils await him. Nevertheless it may be that even in his errors and perils the Great Conception lies concealed. He seeks to know and, perhaps, in order to attain, mistakes, dangers and even failures are necessary. Read by Roger Tobin Roger Tobin is a Professional Tarot Reader from Portland, Oregon. He was introduced to the Tarot in the late 1980s but started serious study and practice in 2002 after encouragement from his family. He is a member of The American Tarot Association and reads for both of their Networks. Roger is also a Mentor for new readers as well as an active community volunteer. He enjoys both studying and teaching of topics in Tarot, and helps lead the Portland Tarot Study group. You can find out more about his reading practice at his website Sylvan Creek Tarot. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD VI. THE LOVERS. I saw a blooming garden in a green valley, surrounded by soft blue hills. In the garden I saw a Man and a Woman naked and beautiful. They loved each other and their Love was their service to the Great Conception, a prayer and a sacrifice; through It they communed with God, through It they received the highest revelations; in Its light the deepest truths came to them; the magic world opened its gate; elves, undines, sylphs and gnomes came openly to them; the three kingdoms of nature, the mineral, plant and animal, and the four elementsmdash;fire, water, air and earthmdash;served them. Through their Love they saw the mystery of the world's equilibrium, and that they themselves were a symbol and expression of this balance. Two triangles united in them into a six-pointed star. Two magnets melted into an ellipsis. They were two. The third was the Unknown Future. The three made One. I saw the woman looking out upon the world as though enraptured with its beauty. And from the tree on which ripened golden fruit I saw a serpent creep. It whispered in the woman's ear, and I saw her listening, smiling at first suspiciously, then with curiosity which merged into joy. Then I saw her speak to the man. I noticed that he seemed to admire only her and smiled with an expression of joy and sympathy at all she told him. "This picture you see, is a picture of temptation and fall", said the voice. "What constitutes the Fall? Do you understand its nature? "Life is so good", I said, "and the world so beautiful, and this man and woman wanted to believe in the reality of the world and of themselves. They wanted to forget service and take from the world what it can give. So they made a distinction between themselves and the world. They said, "We are here, the world is there." And the world separated from them and became hostile. "Yes", said the Voice, this is true. "The everlasting mistake with men is that they see the fall in love. But Love is not a fall, it is a soaring above an abyss. And the higher the flight, the more beautiful and alluring appears the earth. But that wisdom, which crawls on earth, advises belief in the earth and in the present. This is the Temptation. And the man and woman yielded to it. They dropped from the eternal realms and submitted to time and death. The balance was disturbed. The fairyland was closed upon them. The elves, undines, sylphs and gnomes became invisible. Read by Ginny Hunt Ginny Hunt is a Professional Tarot Reader from Virginia. Her interest in the spiritual and metaphysical has been a lifelong passion. She has been a practicing counselor, both professionally with adolescents and para-professionally as a volunteer with abused women. She offers professional reading services through 78 Notes to Self and reads professionally through and reads professionally through Kasamba.com. Download or Listen to the Card #160;

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD VII. THE HIEROPHANT. I saw the great Master in the Temple. He was siting on a golden throne set upon a purple platform, and he wore the robe of a high priest with a golden tiara. He held a golden eight-pointed cross, and lying at his feet were two crossed keys. Two initiates bowed before him and to them he spoke:-mdash; "Seek the Path, do not seek attainment, Seek for the Path within yourself. "Do not expect to hear the truth from others, nor to see it, or read it in books. Look for the truth in yourself,not without yourself. "Aspire only after the impossible and inaccessible. Expect only that which shall not be. "Do not hope for Me, mdash; do not look for Me,mdash;do not believemdash;that I am outside yourself. "Within your soul build a lofty tower by which you may ascend to Heaven. Do not believe in external miracles, expect miracles only within you. Beware of believing in a mystery of the earth, in a mystery guarded by men; for treasuries which must be guarded are empty. Do not search for a mystery that can be hidden by men. Seek the Mystery within yourself. "Above all, avoid those towers built in order to preserve the mysteries and to make an ascent to Heaven by stone stairways. And remember that as soon as men build such a tower they begin to dispute about the summit. "The Path is in yourself, and Truth is in yourself and Mystery is in yourself. Read by Kevin Houchin Kevin is a Lawyer, Teacher, Marketer, Graphic Designer, #38; Artist. He has a law degree is from the University of Iowa College of Law and a a Bachelor of Fine Art degree in Graphic Design from Iowa State University. He is principal of Houchin #38; Associates, PLLC - a copyright, trademark, arts #38; entertainment, business development, and branding firm located in Fort Collins, Colorado. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD IV. THE EMPEROR. After I learned the first three numbers I was given to understand the Great Law of Fourmdash;the alpha and omega of all. I saw the Emperor on a lofty stone throne, ornamented by four rams' heads. On his forehead shone a golden helmet. His white beard fell over a purple mantle. In one hand he held a sphere, the symbol of his possession, and in the other, a sceptre in the form of an Egyptian crossmdash; the sign of his power over birth. "I am The Great Law," the Emperor said. "I am the name of God. The four letters of his name are in me and I am in all. "I am in the four principles. I am in the four elements. I am in the four seasons. I am in the four cardinal points I am in the four signs of the Tarot. "I am the beginning; I am action; I am completion I am the result." "For him who knows how to see me there are no mysteries on earth." "I am the great Pentacle. "As the earth encloses in itself fire, water and air; as the fourth letter of the Name encloses in itself the first three and becomes itself the first, so my sceptre encloses the complete triangle and bears in itself the seed of a new triangle. "I am the Logos in the full aspect and the beginning of a new Logos." And while the Emperor spoke, his helmet shone brighter and brighter, and his golden armour gleamed beneath his mantle. I could not bear his glory and I lowered my eyes. When I tried to lift them again a vivid light of radiant fire was before me, and I prostrated myself and made obeisance to the Fiery Word. Read by Paul Paul is a Forensics Scientist. He brought meditation training to the Oregon prison systems. He is the director of the Portland Shambhala Meditation Center.

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD III. THE EMPRESS. I felt the breath of the spring, and accompanying the fragrance of violets and lilies-of-the-valley I heard the tender singing of elves. Rivulets murmured, the tree-tops rustled, the grasses whispered, innumerable birds sang in choruses and bees hummed; everywhere I felt the breathing of joyful, living Nature. The sun shone tenderly and softly and a little white cloud hung over the woods. In the midst of a green meadow where primroses bloomed, I saw the Empress seated on a throne covered with ivy and lilacs. A green wreath adorned her golden hair and, above her head, shone twelve stars. Behind her rose two snowy wings and in her hands she held a sceptre. All around, beneath the sweet smile of the Empress, flowers and buds opened their dewy, green leaves. Her whole dress was covered with them as though each newly opened flower were reflected in it or had engraved itself thereon and thus become part of her garment. The sign of Venus, the goddess of love, was chiselled on her marble throne. "Queen of life," I said, "why is it so bright and joyful all about you? Do you not know of the grey weary autumn, of the cold, white winter? Do you not know of death and graveyards with black graves, damp and cold? How can you smile so joyfully on the opening flowers, when everything is destined to death, even that which has not yet been born?" For answer the Empress looked on me still smiling and, under the influence of that smile, I suddenly felt a flower of some clear understanding open in my heart. Read by Graham Glover Graham has been working with Tarot for the last five years. He was first introduced to it through a Wiccan Witch. He has written a command line program in Python to do Tarot readings when at work, and realized the iPhone could be easily adapted to do Tarot readings anywhere at any time. He works in technology, and his real-world business card shows him as a Mathemagician. He lives with his wife, daughter, and guinea pig in Virginia. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot CARD II. THE HIGH PRIESTESS. When I lifted the first veil and entered the outer court of the Temple of Initiation, I saw in half darkness the figure of a woman sitting on a high throne between two pillars of the temple, one white, and one black. Mystery emanated from her and was about her. Sacred symbols shone on her green dress; on her head was a golden tiara surmounted by a two-horned moon; on her knees she held two crossed keys and an open book. Between the two pillars behind the woman hung another veil all embroidered with green leaves and fruit of pomegranate. And a voice said: "To enter the Temple one must lift the second veil and pass between the two pillars. And to pass thus, one must obtain possession of the keys, read the book and understand the symbols. Are you able to do this?" I would like to be able, " I said. Then the woman turned her face to me and looked into my eyes without speaking. And through me passed a thrill, mysterious and penetrating like a golden wave; tones vibrated in my brain, a flame was in my heart, and I understood that she spoke to me, saying without words: "This is the Hall of Wisdom. No one can reveal it no one can hide it. Like a flower it must grow and bloom in thy soul. If thou wouldst plant the seed of this flower in thy soul mdash;learn to discern the real from false. Listen only to the Voice that is soundless... Look only on that which is invisible, and remember that in thee thyself, is the Temple and the gate to it and the mystery, and the initiation." Read by Dena DeCastro A professional astrologer in the Portland area for several years, Dena has appeared on local radio shows, taught workshops, and given lectures on topics in Evolutionary Astrology. The evolutionary perspective is that our souls progress from lifetime to lifetime. The focus of Denarsquo;s readings is upon your chart as the dynamic representation of your highest potential, and the guide toward achieving it. Dena hosts the podcast Evolutions of Astrology featuring interviews with astrologers and other readers, as well as discussing various topics of astrology and chart interpretation. To subscribe to ldquo;Evolutions of Astrologyrdquo; via iTunes, click here. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky CARD I. THE MAGICIAN. I Saw the Man. His figure reached from earth to heaven and was clad in a purple mantle. He stood deep in foliage and flowers and his head, on which was the head-band of an initiate, seemed to disappear mysteriously in infinity. Before him on a cube-shaped altar were four symbols of magicmdash;the sceptre, the cup, the sword and the pentacle. His right hand pointed to heaven, his left to earth. Under his mantle he wore a white tunic girded with a serpent swallowing its tail. His face was luminous and serene, and, when his eyes met mine, I felt that he saw most intimate recesses of my soul. I saw myself reflected in him as in a mirror and in his eyes I seemed to look upon myself. And I heard a voice saying: mdash; "Look, this is the Great Magician!" With his hands he unites heaven and earth, and the four elements that form the world are controlled by him. The four symbols before him are the four letters of the name of God, the signs of the four elements, fire, water, air, earth. Itrembled before the depth of the mysteries I touched... The words I heard seemed to be uttered by the Great Magician himself, and it was as though he spoke in me. I was in deep trepidation and at moments I felt there was nothing before me except the blue sky; but within me a window opened through which I could see unearthly things and hear unearthly words. Read by Brad Thomsen Brad Thomsen has enjoyed expressing himself creatively in both musical and theatrical pursuits. A graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, he has also been a part of several theater projects. He now resides in Portland, OR. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot by P. D. Ouspensky Card 0. The Fool. And I saw another man. Tired and lame he dragged himself along the dusty road, across the deserted plain under the scorching rays of the sun. He glanced sidelong with foolish, staring eyes, a half smile, half leer on his face; he knew not where he went, but was absorbed in his chimerical dreams which ran constantly in the same circle. His fool's cap was put on wrong side front, his garments were torn in the back; a wild lynx with glowing eyes sprang upon him from behind a rock and buried her teeth in his flesh. He stumbled, nearly fell, but continued to drag himself along, all the time holding on his shoulder a bag containing useless things, which he, in his stupidity, carried wherever he went. Before him a crevice crossed the road and a deep precipice awaited the foolish wanderer. Then a huge crocodile with open mouth crawled out of the precipice. And I heard the voice say:mdash; "Look! This is the same man." I felt my head whirl. "What has he in the bag?" I inquired, not knowing why I asked. And after a long silence the voice replied "The four magic symbols, the sceptre, the cup, the sword and the pentacle. The fool always carries them although he has long since forgotten what they mean Nevertheless they belong to him, even though he does not know their use. The symbols have not lost their power, they retain it in themselves. Read by Leisa ReFalo Leisa ReFalo combines her background in software engineering with a deep and abiding interest in all things Tarot. She is the author of two Tarot decks: the Tarot of Color (an attribution deck that shows the depth of correspondences), and the Kaleidoscope Tarot (an abstract deck where a card is represented by a single color and symbol), and behind the programing for: English Qabalah Calculators Birth Card Calculator Tarot of Color Readings Leisa is a professional Tarot reader, and co-founder of the Portland Tarot Society. Her work can be seen at: www.tarotconnection.net, www.tarotjourney.net, www.tarotofcolor.com, and www.portlandtarot.org. Download or Listen to the Card

Symbolism of the Tarot (1913) by Peter .D. Ouspensky, Russian philosopher #38; mystic, who lived from 1878 ndash; 1947. From the introductory Chapter: What is Tarot? No study of occult philosophy is possible without an acquaintance with symbolism, for if the words occultism and symbolism are correctly used, they mean almost one and the same thing. Symbolism cannot be learned as one learns to build bridges or speak a foreign language, and for the interpretation of symbols a special cast of mind is necessary; in addition to knowledge, special faculties, the power of creative thought and a developed imagination are required. One who understands the use of symbolism in the arts, knows, in a general way, what is meant by occult symbolism. But even then a special training of the mind is necessary, in order to comprehend the "language of the Initiates", and to express in this language the intuitions as they arise.