2 --> 3

noby

I was thinking about the Two and Three of Wands the other day. And to me, it seems that the Two represents an initial condition, a tension, which sparks the reaction depicted in the Three. And upon pondering it further, it seemed like the transition from the Twos to the Threes in each suit could be seen this way.

:T2W -> :T3W: In the Two of Wands, the man we see is rich and powerful beyond belief. The entire kingdom below him, the mountains and the sea, are in his scope. But his majestic castle begins to feel like a prison, and he begins to feel he is not free at all. He realizes that his love of worldly power has caged him in, and goes on to cast off his regal garments for the patchwork rags seen in the Three. Without walls, the person on the Three of Wands sees freedom and possibility dawning all around him, and feels a very different sort of power. (Of course, Waite's note that the ships are "his ships" gets in the way of this, but this post is intended to express my interpretation, rather than the intent of the original designers of the cards.)

:T2P -> :T3P: In the Two of Pentacles, the man encounters the state of flux that defines the world, which tosses us all about on the waves of uncertainty. Of course, he seems to dance with it with grace, but he still ponders what he could do to develop a stable base which will keep him from having to be so constantly exhausted by this dance. So in the Three, we see the building of a solid foundation and support system. Just as a building's foundation and support structure hold it steady in the face of powerful forces, so we gain strength by building a solid base for ourselves.

:T2S -> :T3S: In the Two of Swords, we see a woman (I think maybe it's meant to be a man, but I usually see it as a woman) holding two swords crossed at her chest. She has reacted to the pain and sorrow of the world by blocking her emotions to keep her from feeling so raw and vulnerable, to keep her from having to feel so much hurt. But she begins to feel how the rigidity and tension of this keep her from really living. In the Three, she has let the swords of life's suffering pierce her through to the very core, no longer resisting her experience.

:T2C -> :T3C: I had more trouble interpreting these two cards according to the schematic I used for the other three suits, and this one doesn't feel as natural as the others, but here's what I came up with. In the Two of Cups, we see two people encountering each other. They want to unite completely, but in the realization that they each have individual cups and lives, there is also the realization of the impenetrable distance between them, as there is between all people. Even in the experience of new love, we are brought to the realization of our fundamental separation.

So in the Three, we see people who are not trying to unite completely as in the Two, but people who appreciate friendship by giving and sharing of themselves, but who also appreciate it by understanding boundaries. By recognizing their differences and embracing them, these three actually appear to be closer and more intertwined than the couple of the Two. They embrace their fundamental separation as a source of fascination and strength, rather than something to struggle against, and as such, actually draw closer to one another.
 

WhiteRaven

This is a very good observation Noby!
Thank you for posting it. It is quite helpful in many ways.

:)
 

Fulgour

a humorous aside

On the 3 of Cups it could be his old flames celebrating
the end of Johnny Romantic's wild teenage party days.
 

KathleenC

Or the two of cups the engagement and the three of cups the wedding.
 

Arnnaria

To expand, I've always seen the Ace as what the Magician has given you. The High Priestess [or II] is able to manifest to you what can become of the Ace. Finally, the III and IV are the two different ways to cope with that Ace. These are the "mother" [Empress III] and "father" [Emperoror IV] ways of dealing with things. For example...


***

Swords

Magician - Challenge, difficulty to be overcome that will make you stronger.

[II] High Priestess - Presentation of the challenge. Becoming aware of your blindfold and your stalemate.

[III] Empress - How does a mother deal with it? Unblock your heart and uncross those swords. Realize you have been hurt. My mom always told me "it's okay to cry when you feel sad." This is how the Empress responds to the High Priestess's evaluation of the III of Swords

[IV] Emperor - "Now get some sleep." Can't you hear your dad telling you that? Don't hide your emotions, per se, but its time to get some rest. Wake up and face the new day.


***

Chalices

Magician - A gift of romance, emotion, and love.

[II] High Priestess - What can be done with this? A truce, an attraction, a coming together of sorts.

[III] Empress - You found the one? Let's celebrate! Can I meet them? What is his/her sign? How old are they? DETAILS!!!!

[IV] Emperor - "Are you sure you know what you're getting into?" Think things through before you fall for this person. Look before you leap.


***

Wands

Magician - A gift of power, charisma, and passion.

[II] High Priestess - With this you can do whatever your heart desires! Explore your options. You have the whole world in your hands .... literally.

[III] Empress - "Follow your heart. Do what is best for you." This card is warm and loving, very yellow and magical. The Empress suggests to use other yellow cards in your decision - Strength, The Fool, etcetera.

[IV] Emperor - "Enjoy it while it lasts. Eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!" The Emperor, while this may be a tad more hedonistic for some people, suggests to do what is right in the moment. Unlike the chalice which he can't understand [chalices are feminine, Emperor is masculine], he knows a good things in the fire suit when he sees it. Commit and you'll be happy.

***

Pentacles

Magician - A gift of money, material goods, or even physical pleasures.

[II] High Priestess - The possibilities are endless, but your resources are not. The II of Pentacles is about making your gift last infinitley - something that's very hard to do with a finite amount of resources.

[III] Empress - "Invest in others and in turn you'll invest in yourself." The man in this picture might be donating his time in money to the church he attends. Or he might be doing the work pro bono. Either way, he's helping a religious/spiritual couple who might not be able to pay him as much as a rich man or woman. His reward is the archway he has built though - a stable area for others to feel secure.

[IV] Emperor - "Others? HA! Keep it all to yourself! You are the only one that matters." Again, the Emperor can't truly understand a feminine suit.


***

I've tried to extend these to the Hierophant, but I don't think that works. Once we get to the Hierophant we are leaving the four areas that the Tarot is built on.
 

KathleenC

Thanks guys, this thread has given me a new perspective on learning the tarot. I was struggling to remember individual meanings. This makes it make sense.
 

AmyV

Noby, if you ever write a book on Tarot I'll be the first to buy it!

And wow, Arnnaria, that's a really great and thought-provoking way of seeing it!

It makes really good sense in relation to the symbology and associated meanings of the minor cards, and though I do feel that the minors are in some way based on their numerically associated major cards, I've never actually sat down for long enough to ponder it properly because I'm just too damn unorganised - so Thank You for such an enlightened/enlightening interpretation!
 

Arnnaria

Hehe. Not enlightened in any of the least. I like organizing things by category...and then destroying those categories and reorganizing. It helps me think.
 

AmyV

Well, my metaphorical hat goes off to you, I usually don't even get as far as the first round of organisings never mind the second, though I must say it sounds like a pretty good system. This site is full of such inspiring ideas and they're all on my mental list of Good and Funky Stuff To Do - - one day, one sweet day I'll actually get around to doing them...

Meanwhile thanks to everyone for the inspiration!
 

rainwolf

I think i can extend it to the Hierophant...but it wont by as good as Noby's ;)

For a keyword, ill give the hierophant "others" and "beliefs". "Others" refers to society, and ''beliefs'' refers to institutions, and well, duh-beliefs (it'll become more apparent).

Wands:
When "others" have powers and try to combine, powers collide and disruption takes place. Or, you ''believe'' in your power so much that you become dictorial and unwilling to consider the ideas of "others". This in itself can lead to many meanings.

Cups:
When "others" have your emotions, you become obsessed and at the mercy of their will. You ''believe'' in love, and only love. Nothing else matters and it soon leads to disheartenment.

Swords:
When ''others'' have your problems or know your plans, motives and actions become pety and hurtful, causing all involved to suffer. You ''believe'' in problems and they become your only concern. Desperation and avoidancy kick in and irrational behavior come out.

Pentacles:
When "others'' have your money, you dont have any! Again, desperation and feeling left out in the cold. When you ''believe'' in money, it becomes your god and you are spiritually impoverished and insecure.

I hope that was ok, Noby-feel free to add your thoughts

Amnaria said:
I like organizing things by category...and then destroying those categories and reorganizing. It helps me think.

I completely understand that amnaria!