Reincarnation – Swimming in the Sea of Time

Tarot Trumps: Justice and Judgement

Major Arcana, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot, Tarot Trump Pairs

Tarot trump XI, Justice, and Tarot trump XX, Judgement, are both Twos, and I have written about them, as twos, in the posts Twos and Elevens, More on Twos and Elevens, and The Number Two in Tarot. Now, I want to look a little more closely at these two particular cards, one (Judgement) “a pure Two”, the other (Justice) an “Eleven equals Two”.

In the physical world, the world of which we are conscious under normal circumstances, justice is the prerogative of the worldly authorities, symbolised by The Emperor in the Tarot pack and by his representatives (such as Pontius Pilate) in this world.

But the justice they dispense, whether or not they wash their hands of it, may not be just in any real sense. In this poem (from The Complete Tarot Poems) it is that this-worldly notion of justice that is being discussed:

XI – Justice

Looks good. But what is it?
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?
A life for a life? Jesus said ‘No’ to that,
‘that’s part of our brutal past,’
and he spoke the truth,
but was he perhaps
a Fool in some ways,
a Fool with his head in the clouds,
talking about what should be
rather than what is?

Sounds good, too. Half the cake
for little Johnny, half for Jane.
One slap for one slap,
two slaps for two. But that way
they will never learn
that life is full of pain
and justice a fairy tale.

A fairy tale,
like Larry the Lamb and Peter Pig
in little Johnny’s book.
Peter Porker and the Larry the Lamb
Chop more like.

Justice? … In
another life perhaps.

In another universe.

However, since I wrote that poem I have come to realise that (unlike Tarot trump IV, The Emperor) Tarot trump XI, Justice, does not relate to this world in that sense. On the contrary. “We are formed by the actions we have taken in the past; we form our future selves by the actions we take now,” says Rachel Pollack, speaking of Tarot trump XI, and that is exactly the point.

This card refers to Karma, something no government, no police force, no court of law, can influence or affect one iota. What goes around, comes around, we see on the card preceding this one, The Wheel of Fortune (the final card in the top row when the trumps are arranged in two rows of eleven cards, the physical, material sequence) but here we go deeper than that. Here we see that all our actions (and inactions) in this life are reflected, mirror-like, in our present and future life and lives. There is nothing anyone or anything can do about that, no divine forgiveness – and anyway this is not a matter of “morals”, of “sin” and “repentance”, for morals are subject to fashion and vary greatly with time and place. No, this is “Fools rush in where angles fear to tread”, and if the Fool steps off the edge of the cliff and plunges to his death no one is surprised or considers it unjust no matter how much they may mourn his passing.

Pilate played the Emperor card. Jesus’ karma was to rise from the dead. And Pilate would discover that “washing his hands of it” did not and never would or could wash away the fruits of his actions.

And speaking of rising from the dead, Tarot trump XX, Judgement, is usually, and quite rightly, interpreted as a call to action.

Actually, “Judgement” is something of a misnomer. Underlying all “pure 2s” (as opposed to 2s which are also 11s) is sense of being doubtful or hesitant about something, or of being unwilling to, or unable to, make a decision, to take action, to DO SOMETHING. It is the sitting-on-a-fence number. Look at these cards:

In trump card XX, we do indeed have a wake-up call:

Come out of your little boxes, the boxes that shelter you from life, and
DO SOMETHING!

Death is Not the End

Reincarnation

The theory that death is the end, after that there is nothing, has never been proved. In fact, it can never be proved, it is incapable of proof. Which means that, scientifically speaking, it is nonsense.

We want theories that are at least in principle capable of proof. And what possible proofs are there? Only one: someone returning from death and telling us..

“And we do, in fact, have many such people, two quite distinct groups of them:-”

Those who have undergone so-called Near-Death Experiences. Which are in fact Death Experiences. They are termed Near-Death Experiences to pull the wool over our eyes, to give the impression that these people had not really died when they had in fact been clinically dead (i.e. brain dead).
People who claim to remember Past Lives, both adults and children.

So while it is true that we don’t know what happens after death, the only scenarios for which we have evidence and which are therefore by far the most likely, are:-

That some if not all people continue to be aware of themselves and their surroundings after they have died.
That some if not all people are born again and live again in another body.

For anything more than that there is no real evidence, only the assertions of various great religious teachers such as Jesus.

The Number Seven In Tarot

Major Arcana, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot

The Seventh Seal, written and directed by Ingmar Bergman

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. (Rev 8:1)

Providence has ordained that I should be the greatest liberator of humanity. I am freeing man from the restraints of an intelligence that has taken charge, from the dirty and degrading self-mortification of a false vision called conscience and morality, and from the demands of a freedom and independence which only a very few can bear. (Adolf Hitler)

In an earlier post talking about Name Numbers, I characterised the Number Seven thus: The Number of Mystery and Mysticism. A dreamer. May be a deep thinker, spiritually inclined; but just as likely to be materialistic and acquisitive, the dreams being of fame, glory and wealth; may be completely out of touch with reality.

And it is true, the number Seven has always been associated with the spiritual quest, the deep thinker, the seeker. But what do we find in the Tarot?

SEVENS

Wands – defensiveness
Cups – dreams of wealth and glory

Swords – stealing
Pentacles – dissatisfaction

The number Seven is the number of unworldliness, but these cards are all materialistic and worldly. Why?

Before we try to answer this question let’s look at the cards from the Major Arcana with the numerical value of 7.

The Chariot – dreaming of conquest? This too seems very materialistic to me

The Tower – the end of worldliness – based on the myth of the Tower of Babel? Note that the Tower, 16, is also 2 x 2 x 2 x 2 – very much also part of what we called the 2 group.

So what is happening here? Is the unworldliness of a negative sort? An inability to accept reality, things as they actually are, as opposed to things as they seem to be or things as they should be (in the view of the person in question).

The 7 of Wands is paranoid.

The 7 of Cups is living in a world of day-dreams.

The 7 of Swords is attempting to get himself the life he believes he has a right to.

The 7 of Pentacles is never satisfied: the grass is always greener on the other side of the hill.

All of these are summed up in the Chariot, number VII. He may well be paranoid, he is certainly living in a world of dreams, he is in quest of something he feels he has a right to, and he is definitely not satisfied with things as they are here on this side of the hill.

In XVI, the Tower, the Moment of Truth, all this nonsense is shown up for what it is.

Thomas Henry Huxley on Reincarnation

Reincarnation

None but very hasty thinkers will reject it on the grounds of inherent absurdity. Like the doctrine of evolution itself, that of transmigration has its roots in the world of reality. (Thomas Henry Huxley)

Zoologist Thomas Henry Huxley was Charles Darwin’s right-hand man in the 19th-century struggle to get the doctrine of evolution accepted. In fact, he was the front man, Darwin himself being rather shy and retiring.

Incidentally, Huxley was also the man who coined the term “agnostic” – so much more sensible a word than “atheist”.

The Number Four In Tarot

Major Arcana, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot

Two of the greatest Scottish writers both happened to be Fours.

“Everyone, at some time or another, sits down to a banquet of consequences.”
Robert Louis Stevenson

Four is the first number to produce a solid figure, a tetrahedron, as opposed to a plane figure. It is therefore the number of solidity, of earth. But is also made up of two twos, making it also, at least on occasion, a number of evil and ill-luck. Simply put, it represents not only the completion but also the consequences of the activiities, processes, actions, symbolised in the 1s, 2s and the decisions made in the 3s.

FOURS

Wands – marriage; marriages can break up
Cups – mission accomplished; there’s always another mission

Swords – life completed; the next generation seek revenge
Pentacles – we’re rich; markets crash (and anyway, you can’t take it with you!)

QUEENS

All the Queens are mothers of grown-up children. All are mature and wise and firm in their purpose. But they are far from finished: in each case there are hidden fires that could break out at any time in their respective elements, seasons and spheres of interest.

Now the cards of the Major Arcana which have the numerical value of four.

The Emperor – He has achieved everything. Now what?

Death – This is the Emperor’s “Now what”. Nowhere to go but death, rebirth, reincarnation.

Notice that there is a strong affinity with 2 here, a feeling of helplessness in the hands of Fate. A 4 (and even a Queen!) may indicate a Past Life and Past Life memories that will crop up in dreams and when exercising the creative imagination.

The Number Two in Tarot

Major Arcana, Numerology, Reading and Readings, Reincarnation, Tarot

Two very typical Twos are Marilyn Monroe and Kate Moss. Another is British Prime Minister Harold Wilson.

I’m at my best in a messy, middle-of-the-road muddle. (Harold Wilson)

I was definitely living fast. I was working, traveling a lot, playing. I didn’t stop. It all became unbalanced. So one day I just said, “I can’t do this anymore. I’ve had enough. (Kate Moss)

It’s often just enough to be with someone. I don’t need to touch them. Not even talk. A feeling passes between you both. You’re not alone. (Marilyn Monroe)

As we saw, the number 1 stands for perfection. The number 2, destroys that unity, that perfection. It is (or at least was, in classical and medieval times!) considered a bad and female number. It is still considered the number of ill omen, but we shall have more to say about that.

It would probably be helpful at this point to refer back to my earlier post on the Name Numbers Two and Eleven.

In this post we are dealing with the 2s of each suit, the Pages of each suit – 11: 1+1=2 , the High Priestess (Number 2), Justice (Number 11) (1+1=2), and Judgement (Number 20) (2+0=2).

Having looked at the way Aces relate to 10s (HERE), we must now consider how 2s relate to Pages (11s). In all the cards with the value of 2, there is a sense of being in the hands of Fate, but whereas in the 2s themselves there is an element of passivity, of helplessness, the Pages (11s) are not passive; though they know they are in the hands of Fate, they are asserting themselves.

WANDS

2 – Dreaming, or planning?
Page (11) – Setting out on new spiritual paths

CUPS

2 – Who knows what marriage will bring?
Page (11) – New emotional paths, a new relationship

SWORDS

2 – Sitting blindfolded awaiting – what? One’s fate?
Page (11) – (S)he needs two hands to hold up that one sword, but that’s not stopping her/him.

PENTACLES

2 – Like the sea, they will go on for ever, he cannot stop them
Page (11) – a new way of earning money, of living

The 2s are PUT-UP-WITH-IT cards

The Pages (11s) are GET-UP-AND-GO cards

As I remarked above when discussing name-numbers, all the 2s (with one or two possible and unfortunate exceptions) are also 11s; it is by virtue of being 11s that they are classified as 2s. So whether you are are a 2 or an 11, whether your future is that of a 2 or an 11, is entirely up to you. (And the rest of the spread with give some indication of the likely outcome.)

Now let’s have a look at the cards of the Major Arcana that have the numerical value of 2.

The High Priestess (2)

Before her, we are indeed helpless. We are laypeople, petitioners, while she has the Fates in her pocket. There is nothing we can do. This is a real TWO card, with no hint of the Eleven about it.

Justice (11)

This is different. Justice does not have her eyes covered (like the 2 of Swords) but intends that justice shall be done and be seen to be done. Now we will get a level playing field and a chance to win. This is the authentic 11 = 2.

Judgement (20)

If we look on Judgement as a 2 pure and simple – for there is nothing of the 11 in 2+0=2 – then this is not so much “Wake up now! Do something!” as “You have given up in this life – died, metaphorically – so rise from the dead and try again!” Yes, you are still in the hands of Fate, but for once Fate is doing something to encourage you to be more assertive. But as we have seen, the number 20 may have features in common with the 5s – something lacking in your life, but now for a change Lady Luck is smiling on you!

Or, of course, in a Past Life (Karmic) Tarot Reading, this will represent rebirth, coming back, as such.

Tarot and the Gemini Moon

Good and Evil, Major Arcana, Moon Signs, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot

Gemini is a Mutable Air Sign, its number is 6, its planetary ruler is Mercury, and its opposite Sign is Sagittarius: wherever it is a factor in the horoscope it will always involve curiosity, talkativeness and indecisiveness.

The main distinguishing characteristic of people born when the Moon is in Gemini (whether they are male or female) is a childlike inability to be serious, to be grown-up; they remain children at heart, fickle, charming and flirty but (probably due to traumatic experiences in previous lives) profoundly unwilling – indeed unable – to trust their emotions and make a commitment.

The key phrases here are: Peter Pan; Can’t sit still; and Let’s discuss it and analyse it.

No, they can’t sit still for two minutes. They are hyperactive, rushing around, worrying and chattering – though probably not actually doing anything at all. What they really want to do is talk about doing it.

Which brings us to their desperate need to verbalise their thoughts and feelings and then, if the listener agrees and after talking it to death, to present the opposite point of view at even greater length and with apparently equal sincerity. So no one knows what they really think. They probably don’t themselves, but they will certainly believe it is what they are thinking and saying at that moment.

So, the partner must be super-attentive and above all a good listener!

The archetype for Gemini Moons is the young, quick-witted person who enjoys life but will not, cannot, tolerate any restrictions on his/her freedom – and will not, cannot, commit himself/herself fully to anything or anyone – which is what they should be doing. But I’ll come back to that.

The Moon Signs and compatibility: Gemini is an Air Sign and while it would be compatible with one of the other Air Signs (a Libra or Aquarius), it would not be a good match with another Gemini. Gemini Suns are best with people born when the Sun was in one of the Fire Signs (Aries, Leo, or Gemini’s opposite, Sagittarius), but this does not apply to Gemini Moons, who need the balancing (and dancing-together) effect of one of the Water Signs – someone born when the Moon was in Cancer or Scorpio or Pisces.

Health and diet for different Moon Signs. Understanding the peculiarities of your particular Moon Sign can help you decide on what constitutes a good diet for you. Remember, ONE MAN’S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN’S POISON, and generalisations about what constitutes “healthy food” for everyone are not only unhelpful but downright dangerous.

For those born when the Moon was in Gemini, diet is not usually a problem, but they should drink plenty of water – and I mean a lot, not just a sip when they feel thirsty! And they should make a point of stopping, stopping moving, stopping talking, and simply doing nothing, sometimes; meditation would be a very good idea!

What to avoid? They should avoid bottling up their emotions – let it out, talk about it. Yes, I know I seem to be contradicting myself here, but a talkative Gemini Moon (and most of them are!) must stop sometimes, while a Gemini who doesn’t talk about it, who bottles it up, is doing something far more harmful to his/her health.

The Tarot Trump which represents and symbolises this Moon sign is The Devil:

.
In numerology, 15 is seen as 1+5, which of course equals 6 – the number of Gemini. The Trump Card for The Sun in Gemini is number 6:The Lovers. Compare the two cards:

This poem, from The Complete Tarot Poems, sums it up:

XV – The Devil

Are these two slaves The Lovers?
Did they believe the lies,
and eat of the Tree of Knowledge
and grow out of Paradise?

Are these two slaves the know-it-alls
who lay beneath the Tree
and laughed at the Fool who knew nothing?
The Fool who knows nothing is free.

Better a Fool who knows nothing
and is happy with what he has got,
than be chained like a slave to the things of this world
and think you know the lot.

The Six (VI = 6) has a strong affinity with Threes and Twos. Indeed, 6 is the only number from 1 to 9 which is divisible by both 2 (2, 4, 6 and 8) and 3 (3, 6 and 9), which explains its main significance when it comes to Tarot: There are two ways of looking at everything.

Just look at the Sixes:

Wands – Victory is someone else’s defeat; also winning a battle is not winning a war; also the war between Good and Evil is never over: that’s what Good and Evil are, the opposite sides in a never-ending conflict.

Cups – the magic of the past. It did not, could not, last

Swords – Now marks the end of the Past; it also marks the beginning of the Future

Pentacles – Is it more blessed to be poor than to be rich? And how do you rate what he is doing?

Now look back at The Lovers. Is what is happening there Good or Bad? It all depends, doesn’t it? Let’s do a Gemini, and talk about it – without, of course, ever coming to any conclusion. Though we might extend the discussion and ask whether the Biblical “Fall” – which this certainly seems to represent – was a Fall down (the loss of Innocence) or a Fall up (the leaving behind of Childhood)? – again without coming to any conclusion!

However, we are not concerned with Gemini Suns here, but with Gemini Moons, and The Devil. In the Tarot card image, we see two people who were perhaps Geminis in a previous incarnation, but now night has fallen and the sunlit garden of their childhood is a distant memory. Yet they are not grown up. They are caught in a kind of Goth teenage limbo. The bondage is voluntary (they can throw off those collars and chains any time), as is the worship of Mammon, the god of this world.

But let’s be quite clear about this. It is not just a matter of making (or not making) money the be-all and end-all of your life – your god, in effect. Look at this next picture. Would you believe me if I told you I know these two, and the one on the right, the one who looks as if she just stepped out of Trump Card 15 -The Devil, is actually a much kinder person, a much more human person, than the the rather sanctimonious one on the left; and that if I ever needed a helping hand, it would be her I turned to. Yes, you know that might well be true.

As I said before, the number six (and remember, in numerology 15 reduces to 6) always signifies the universal truth that There are two ways of looking at everything.

BUT ONE OF THEM IS ALWAYS THE BETTER WAY

Don’t forget that Jesus was accused by his detractors of finding tax-collectors and sinners more congenial company than the priests and pharisees of his day, whom he dismissed as white-washed sepulchres, beautiful on the outside but full of filth on the inside. Prostitutes, he said, would get into the Kingdom of God before them.

Growing up, and recognising real goodness when you see it, and making a choice, a commitment, is what the Gemini Moon is all about.

Tarot and the Taurus Moon

Astrology, Major Arcana, Moon Signs, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot, The Past

Taurus is a Fixed Earth Sign, its number is 5, it is associated with the planet Venus, and its opposite Sign is Scorpio: wherever it is a factor in the horoscope it will always involve steadiness and an appreciation of physical sensations.

People born when the Moon was in Taurus all suffer from harrowing feelings of insecurity, they are all extremely sensual, possessive, and doggedly tenacious. They react slowly to any experience, and feel secure in predictable situations.

The three key words here are: Insecurity, Sensuality, Stubbornness.

People born under this Moon Sign worry about the future and have a tendency (stemming no doubt from past life experiences) to attribute too much importance to house and job, money and status: the material as opposed to the spiritual. Though they are occasionally extravagant (they are by nature aquisitive), they are predictably good at managing money.

They also tend to feel insecure in their personal relationships, with a great need for stability and constancy and unwavering affection in their love life, demanding and giving loyalty and trust – though that does not necessarily mean they will always be one hundred percent faithful themselves as they secretly satisfy their sexual needs. But then they tend to separate love and sex in their minds, perhaps because of that innate feeling of insecurity. They love and live with the person they feel safe with.

They prefer a life-style which, if not outright luxurious, at least reflects their love of beauty. They have impeccable taste and will, so far as possible, surround themselves with beautiful things. They love beautiful clothes, adornments and perfumes (on themselves or on their partner) and they enjoy cordon bleu cuisine. This love of, and need of, beauty extends to the world around them and their way of attaining inner contentment is through spending time in natural surroundings – sea coasts, forests, hills – wherever there are trees and flowers and beautiful scenery.

They are slow to anger, it is true, but they are even slower to forgive and forget – all part of the famous stubbornness and resistance to change that you also find in those born when the Sun was in Taurus, along with a tendency to blame everyone else when they find themselves stuck in a rut. Actually, they find it so hard to forgive and forget that grudges and resentment are even carried over from other lives – along with chips on the shoulder!

People born when the Moon is in Taurus are not usually ambitious in a conventional sense but their need to prove themselves does sometimes shoot them into the spotlight. They are sometimes healers, or psychic – given to meaningful dreams or premonitions, or good with Tarot cards or whatever. In fact, they all have this talent but tend to repress it because anything that smacks of the occult makes them nervous. Which is a pity: if you are reading this then you were quite likely born when the Moon was in Taurus, so ask yourself if this is true of you, because in their past lives Taurus Moons will at various times have been just that: the shaman, the psychic, the sorcerer, the witch, the wizard. They “know” without knowing how they know, and dismiss this knowing as “gut feelings”, animal instinct, but it is in fact part of their ability to access their Superconscious, their Higher Self, and also to channel (healing) energy down to Earth. Mostly now though, in this life, they are too worried about their material security to allow this fundamental part of themselves to come to the fore – which is what they should be doing. But I’ll come back to that.

The Moon Signs and compatibility
Taurus is an Earth Sign and while it would be compatible with another Earth Sign (another Taurus, or a Virgo or Capricorn), Taurus Moons match best with people born when the Moon was in one of the Water Signs – Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces. However, Taurus Moons have a negative effect on people born when the Moon was in one of the Fire Signs (Aries, Leo and Sagittarius); like the effect of the Water Signs, they quite simply put the Fire out!

Health and diet for different Moon Signs
Understanding the peculiarities of your particular Moon Sign can help you decide on what constitutes a good diet for you. Remember, ONE MAN’S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN’S POISON, and generalisations about what constitutes “healthy food” for everyone are not only unhelpful but downright dangerous.

For those born when the Moon was in Taurus, diet is not usually a problem. They can eat almost anything. However, they do tend to indulge in comfort eating when they feel either the body or the soul lacking something they need – most commonly, affection. However, their concern with bodily fitness and beauty means that this will normally be only a passing phase that they soon snap out of. It also encourages them to buy good quality beauty products.

What to avoid? As far as diet is concerned, nothing in particular stands out. However, Taurus Moons should certainly avoid too much sitting around. A sedentary life-style is not for them.

And so finally we come to:

The Tarot Trump which represents and symbolises this Moon sign:-

First, though, let’s look at the number – 5 – which in numerology indicates the odd, the discordant, or the insecure, and at the same time signifies the attempt to control, to overcome, the odd and discordant, or to make safe and secure; which is what we find in The Pope (the number 5 Trump Card of Taurus Suns) and also here in Trump Card number XIV (14 = 5) Temperance.

The Pope represents the attempt by organised religion, the Church, Orthodoxy, to bring the mystical and the psychic and the magical to heel.

And that is very similar to what Taurus Moons do. In a series of Past Lives they have been seers, sorcerers, witches, or whatever, and have been hounded by the established religion in different epochs and various parts of the world. Then, perhaps in their last life, they were born when the Sun was in Taurus, and joined the establishment in search of security and stability. Now, in this current life, that fear of their innate psychic abilities is a Moon feature, subconscious, but always there, and it horrifies them to see those psychic abilities emerging once again. But their search for security needs to move beyond the material and the tangible (house, money, status and lip service to the prevalent organised religion) and open up to the spiritual, the eternal soul, the Self that exists beyond physical death.

The angel in Trump Card No. XIV, Temperance, is the angel of safety, one foot in the water one on land while diluting the wine of life, but behind his back, ignored, lies the path that leads to the golden crown – a path where the wine is not watered.

That is what the Taurus Moon is all about.

Tarot and the Aries Moon

Astrology, Major Arcana, Moon Signs, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot, The Past

Aries is a Cardinal Fire Sign, its number is 4, it is associated with the planet Mars, and its opposite Sign is Libra: wherever it is a factor in the horoscope it will always involve the urge for self-assertion and for immediate action, for focussing energy on the new experience.

People born when the Sun is in Aries radiate confidence and vitality. In Aries Moons, this confidence and vitality tends to take on a more negative colour; they are born with an inflated ego. They also lack patience, with situations, with people, and even with themselves, and this inability to tolerate frustration, can come over as childish, especially to other people who are anxious about something and find themselves faced with bad-tempered Aries Moons who have absolutely no patience with them and their concerns.

Indeed, the three Key Words here are Emotion, Passion and (Bad) Temper.

But though outbursts of passion, and indeed of filthy temper, are characteristic of those born under this Moon Sign, they soon get over it. They just can’t repress their feelings.

As one might expect, they fall in love (passionately, of course!) at first sight, but need a partner who reciprocates on the same level, otherwise they quickly become disillusioned.

They are strong under pressure, they are brave, and they are loyal, so at their best they make good partners and good friends, but they continuously antagonise those who do not know and understand them.

As they are impatient with anyone slower or more cautious than themselves (which means most people!) and have no sympathy with normal preoccupations and anxieties, they do not make good bosses. Or good subordinates – they need to feel in control.

Ideally, then, they should be their own boss, but as they are impatient with details they need a partner or manager to handle that side of things for them while they do the dramatic bit – performing as singers or actors on stage or as surgeons in the operating theatre, for example.

The archetype for Aries Moons is the hero, the knight errant, riding off to right another wrong, for there is always a new wrong to be righted. And in their past lives, too, they will at various times have done just that, as a warrior, a soldier, a crusader, a defender of the defenceless and the disinherited. But for this and their other achievements, they demand recognition and admiration – a weakness which frequently results in them lapping up flattery like thirsty sponges.

This dependence on ego-boosting relationships, along with the desire for immediate gratification of every emotional need, is something those born under this Moon Sign need to grow out of and leave behind them during this present life – or failing that, during a future one. But more on that below, when we come to the Tarot Trump card for this Moon Sign.

The Moon Signs and compatibility

Aries is a Fire Sign and is hot with another Aries Moon, or one of the other two Fire Moons, Leo or Sagittarius, but there is a risk of burn-out. Many early marriages followed by divorces are the result of two Fire Moons getting together. In the long run, an Aries Moon gets on best with an Air Moon – Virgo or Aquarius, or even Gemini, though a Gemini Moon might try what little patience the Aries Moon possesses.

Health and diet for different Moon Signs

Aries Moons tend to suffer from tension headaches when under pressure (and especially when the moon is currently in Aries, as it is, of course, for two and a half days each month) but they can get relief by means of vigorous exercise or brisk walking – letting off steam is, for them, the only way to relax. (People born under this Sign were definitely not born to be yogis!)

Understanding the peculiarities of your particular Moon Sign can help you decide on what constitutes a good diet for you. Remember, ONE MAN’S MEAT IS ANOTHER MAN’S POISON, and generalisations about what constitutes “healthy food” for everyone are not only unhelpful but downright dangerous.

For those born when the Moon was in Aries, colorful, live foods such as beets and carrots will purify the blood, and foods rich in protein such as fish, and rich in folic acid and Vitamin B12 such as (wholegrain) bread and rice, suit them best. Spices are good when they feel low but they should steer clear of spicy foods when they are emotionally disturbed.

What to avoid? One thing stands out: caffeine – in coffee, black tea, coke and chocolate.

And so finally we come to:

The Tarot Trump which represents and symbolises this Moon sign

Why that card? you might ask, shocked. Well, first, let’s look at the number: XIII – that is to say 13, which, OK, traditionally is an omen of ill luck but in numerology reduces to the number 4. Four, the number of Aries, is the first number to produce a solid figure, a tatrahedron, and is therefore the number of solidity, of earth. But is also made up of two twos, making it a double dither and, at least on occasion, a number of evil and ill-luck.

Look at the other Fours – things go wrong, things change, there is always something new:

Wands – Marriage; marriages can and very often do break up

Cups – Cup drunk, mission accomplished; there’s always another cup to be drunk, another mission to be accomplished

Swords –Life completed, death comes; the next generation takes over the mission – or takes revenge

Pentacles – We’re rich. Markets crash – and anyway, you can’t take it with you

And look at the Queens (the number of the Queen cards is also 13 (=4)):

In life things go wrong: Death comes, literally or metaphorically. It is incumbent upon Aries Moons in this life to recognise their inflated ego, their self-importance, for what it is: not their real Self but something they must leave behind, either before they die (and that should be their aim in this life) or, unavoidably, when they do. Otherwise they will live their lives with a greater horror and dread of death than those born under any other Moon Sign.

The Fool

Major Arcana, Numerology, Reincarnation, Tarot, Tarot Trumps Individually

Let’s start with this – surely one of the most memorable of all tarot cards. I mean – Ouch! What man could ever forget that image? The Fool here is the classical Buffoon – the one the dogs chase and the kids throw stones at. In modern idiom, the one who gets his ass kicked – repeatedly and regularly.

A Buffoon, and a Vagrant. This what happened to vagrants in England until fairly recently: They are to be tied to the cart-tail and whipped until the blood streams from their bodies, then they are to swear on oath to go back to their birthplace or to serve where they have lived the last three years and to ‘put themselves to labour’. For the second arrest for vagabondage the whipping is to be repeated and half the ear sliced off; but for the third relapse the offender is to be executed as a hardened criminal and enemy of the common weal.”^[11]

That third one is my favourite. And notice the continuing presence of the bag/burden which represents Karma, the baggage we all bring into the world with us. Is it these poor fools’ Karma tp be a Buffoon/ a Vagabond in this life? Maybe. But we all bring a certain baggage from our past lives with us when we step out in all innocence into this world.

John Bunyan would, I believe, have called the burden that his pilgrim was lumbered with “Original Sin”, but it comes to the same thing. Here is William Blake’s illustration for “Pilgrim’s Progress”:

Or this. That is quite some load of bad karma!

I’ve been looking at some female Fools to see what artists have made of the notion of female folly. I didn’t find any female buffoons. Rightly not. That is a male prerogative. Mostly they seem to depict little more than youthful silliness – not far removed from the rather androgynous figure in the standard Waite-Smith card above.

But what I really want to get into is the significance of the number (or non-number) nought/zero. There are lots of ones, twos, threes, fours, etc, and on up to the nines, in the tarot pack. (Remember that all the numbers reduce to 1 – 9, so for instance the 13s (Death and the four Queens) all reduce to 4 (1+3=4). But there is only one “0” – The Fool. It is unique. And what does that mean?

The number zero means literally “nothing”, the absence of anything, the opposite of something. But can there be nothing without there being something?