The Fool
The Fool walks to where the earth is lost in the clouds, the tips of the mountains turn blue, and the rainbow appears. Trust your soul like a puppy would as he accompanies you on your wanderings. Each adventure takes you on a steep climb toward an unknown peak and flying over the valleys; you may not have enough energy, or fear that your wings are not strong enough. Focus on the colorful bridge that connects the everyday world to the spirit world; remember that the journey is more exciting than the destination. In the landscape of the Fool, take time to consider the possibilities; follow the soul who knows both the borders and the breaches to reverse a situation through acting freely. The Fool’s madness is the earth embracing the sky because nothing is ever truly separate. The journey begins without limits. Breathe the air that caresses your thoughts.
POSITIVE imagination, freedom NEGATIVE dispersion, recklessness
The Hierophant
Two chickadees sing and flit around a large oak tree that dominates the scene from a hill. The trunk is vast, and a strange little door could open a path to new, hidden worlds. This is a sacred place to climb to, leaving the city and the fog behind, reconnecting with the same spontaneity as a little spring bird to the fundamental teachings of life, encountering others, embracing family traditions and discovering others, taking root. In the landscape of the Hierophant, you are in the arms of the most authentic masters who can teach you how you are connected to each and every element of life, even when you speak different languages. Learning does not mean blindly obeying but rather touching the limits of all knowledge, taking to heart what is handed down to you without judgment and with care, and finally lifting your roots to walk onward—beyond the human, the tree, the animal and toward brother or sister.
POSITIVE
blessing, sharing knowledge NEGATIVE bigotry, spiritual crisis
The Lovers
Two otters look at each other from opposite banks of the stream; they are ready to dive in and touch each other, hunt together, and love each other. Or they will cross the bridge that joins the village and the wood. In the landscape of the Lovers, everything lives within the possibility of meeting. Sit down by the shore; see how the trees bend toward the humans in their houses, and how the humans go to the woods for food and knowledge. Wait for the otters’ game that will last a lifetime, because that is their destiny. The Lovers serve as a reminder that we always find our partner on the path, like a gift, a promise. Walk your path with trust; do not stand still. Every step is guided by thirst, leading to the deep awareness that nothing is ever truly separate. This landscape shows you the intimate relationships between the creatures and their animal companions, between the forest and the town. Choose every day how to take care of it.
POSITIVE love, choice
NEGATIVE relationship conflict, frivolity
Temperance
In the clearing, a lamb and a wolf drink on two opposite sides of the stream, whose jet splits the rock. They are aware of each other’s presence, but they remain in the truce of thirst, sharing in the goodness available to all the plants, animals, and inhabitants of the forest. They drink the Temperance water, where opposites constantly come together and reinvigorate each other, both necessary for survival of the cosmos. In the landscape of the arcana, you blend the various aspects of your persona to reach peace. The wolf can wear the lamb’s coat, and the lamb can have the heart of a wolf. Neither of the two defeats the other nor escapes them, but they maintain a balance formed of hunting and sacrifice, hunger and respect. Both are children of the planet and grow, taking root in the needs and hopes of the living. Guard the water that quenches them like it is the most valuable of treasures.
The Sun
Everything is joy, warmth, and celebration in the landscape of the Sun. A bright orange sun illuminates a field of sunflowers, while a rabbit plays, jumping among the tall stems of the plants, maybe searching for a mate. It’s sunset on a summer day, when the sunbeams shine warm, embracing the earth, and wild animals come out of their dens to feed and meet up. This light reminds you that there is no precise time to shine; every time of day has its own sun, just as each of us has our own chance to rejoice. Become a sunflower that always knows where to turn to be enlightened. Become a shy animal who is patient until it is the right time to leave. In the arcana of the Sun, there is no fear or shame; you must not strive to appear as anything other than what you are. Live your innocence. Do not hide.
POSITIVE success, well-being
NEGATIVE unhappiness, unattainable expectations
THREE OF Swords
Ice cracks where it should resist. A polar bear wanders across a large slab while the sea turns red with the blood of its prey. Sometimes you have to kill to survive, one life becoming the sustenance for another. All is ferocity and resistance. But how do you deal with the challenges of the climate in a territory that is changing too quickly? Within the landscape of the Three of Swords, pain allows awareness and the chance to reinvent yourself. The bear is still on its feet. The world exists. Suffering is the way to reconciliation.
POSITIVE pain, forgiveness
NEGATIVE repressed emotions, alienation
FOUR OF Swords
A blue lake, formed in the crater of an extinct volcano, is home to some wild ducks. Others fly in the clear skies, and soon they will be joined by their companions. On the slopes of the volcano grows the luxuriant yellow of broom, a plant symbolizing slow but effective resistance. Here in the landscape of the Four of Swords, you can allow yourself a contemplative reprieve. A period of illness or of emotional overload has come to an end, and you can recover your strength while you dream about the future, but there is no rush. Rest now.
POSITIVE truce, energy restoration NEGATIVE mental overload, stress
SEVEN OF Wands
A block of ice is the peak from which a penguin observes the awesome wonder of a solar eclipse. His enemies are down there in the sea— leopard seals, killer whales, sharks—but for now, they can’t reach him. More invisible enemies threaten his land, but under the black sun, the penguin recognizes that the world dies only to regenerate itself. In the landscape of the Seven of Wands, you defend yourself from whatever wants to hurt or repress you; you rise above adversity. Your armor is your personal truth.
POSITIVE defense, rising above hardships NEGATIVE giving up, not believing in yourself
EIGHT OF Wands
Fireworks explode in the night sky. They are pulsating flowers and stars that, for brief moments, illuminate everything in color. A chameleon observes them; the animal, an expert in mimicry and rapid adaptation, might one day copy their shades on her body. The landscape of the Eight of Wands offers you a propitious opportunity that should be exploited immediately. A message is delivered to you; a new way opens up for your dreams. Everything you had hoped for comes true suddenly, like a festive explosion, a powerful beat of the heart. Seize the moment.
POSITIVE rapid evolution, opportunity NEGATIVE lateness, being unprepared
ACE OF Cups
In an overgrown field, the clouds traveling over the sky are reflected in a pool. Or is it the pool that is reflected in the sky? It is the heart that watches through the eye, filling the world with imaginative and emotional sense. In the landscape of the Ace of Cups, you immerse yourself in emotional life, know things through feeling, and attribute importance to every reality, however fragile and temporary, like a cloud. Pictures take refuge in the pool of the soul and find dignity. Believe in your feelings.
POSITIVE emotional life, spirituality
NEGATIVE lack of affection, rejected love
TWO OF Cups
Two underground streams wind their way up into the light that filters magically between stalactites and stalagmites. They meet in a fresh and clear pool to quench the thirst of the best-known mythical creature in the world: a white unicorn. This is the landscape of the Two of Cups, a mystical and intimate place you can access by mixing yourself with another’s water. The biggest spell happens daily and embodies the surprise of love. It generates wonder. In the Two of Cups, join together with whoever is with you, be it a friend, a lover, or a secret part of your own being.
POSITIVE falling in love, union NEGATIVE emotional delusion, coldness
SEVEN OF Cups
On the bottom of the ocean, a formidable wealth unfolds: pulsating anemones, colorful corals, and a special webbed octopus that rides on a jellyfish and looks for its mate, who is said to be much bigger than him! Within the landscape of the Seven of Cups, every presence requires attention, distraction, and wonder, and calls: I am one in this place. You can free your imagination for pure pleasure; enjoy the ride on its irregular waves. Inside the visions, evaluate all possibilities and recognize true dreams so they may accompany you for a long time.
POSITIVE imagination, multiple possibilities NEGATIVE false illusions, confusion
EIGHT OF Cups
The railroad track runs between poppies, fields, and bushes, carrying with it the memories of the passengers and the hope of new destinations. You never know what landscape will be revealed around the bend. A heron in flight leads the way, indicating that each journey is a return to an internal or external place. Within the Eight of Cups, you can leave behind what is no longer needed, prepare your backpack or purse, and start a new, more sincere— albeit tiring—journey. And now, it’s time to go.
POSITIVE search for truth, letting go NEGATIVE indecision, stagnation
PAGE OF Pentacles
Ancient and patient, the rock comes alive and lifts its head from the shell, transforming into a large tortoise. It is the Page of Pentacles, an ageless creature, who invites you to root yourself, body and spirit, within the territory you live. He has the understanding of time on his side, which has nothing to do with rushing or achieving goals, but rather the constant attention you keep for an idea or a dream. Meeting him means entering the dimension of study and special learning fatigue that cultivates the beauty of life. Learn to follow his rhythm.
POSITIVE apprenticeship, coherence
NEGATIVE immaturity, wasted possibilities
KNIGHT OF Pentacles
As the sun prepares to set, an elephant drinks in the African savanna. Memory of species and foresight constitute his most precious reserves, together with the water that sustains him physically. He moves to an ancient, primordial place and embodies it with the apparent slowness of his large body. In the landscape of the Knight of Pentacles, everything moves with care and meekness; the elements along the path are more important than the goal to be achieved. Calmly observe the beauty of the details, and carry out the work you have been given with dedication. Understand the place you live in and feel part of it.
POSITIVE patience, conservation NEGATIVE laziness, irresponsibility