Hellenic Tarot

Design of the Deck

The cards of this deck do not use the standard symbolism common to the Rider-Waite-Smith and to the many decks modeled after it, but these cards do share their meanings. Each card takes the traditional Rider-Waite-Smith interpretation and expresses that meaning through a character from Greek mythology whose essence or story or personality at their core matches the card best. Almost all beings of geek lore will have countless versions and variations of their stories, and most will have many stories in which they appear; but the moments representing them on these cards – I believe – encapsulate each of their overarching themes and archetypal presence that resonates through all of their tales.

All of the cards of the Major Arcana depict Theoi – the gods and goddesses of the Greek tradition, while for the most part the four suits all feature heroes and heroines, with the Court Cards (Princess, Knight, Queen, and King) all showing persons important in the cycle of myths surrounding the Trojan War. The cards of each suit that are not of mortals are the Aces and Threes (Triads).

The Ace cards depict various Protogenoi, these are primordial first born beings that existed at the dawn of time, they are the very fabric of the cosmos itself – Gaia is not so much as the goddess of the earth as she is the very Earth Itself, Aether is the pure upper air of the heavens, Hemera is Day itself and Eros is the force of Love that binds together all things. The Triad cards each show a set of three goddesses such as the three Fates or the three Graces. Lastly, the Pair cards each depict a set of male heroes who are inextricably linked together in myth and legend.

The Suit of Disks

Ace of Disks – Gaia

The beings of Greek Myth were often placed into (very fluid) categories – god, naiad, daemon, titan, etc… Gaia (and the three other aces) is in the class called Protogenoi – The Firstborn. The Firstborn are the beings that appeared at the very dawn of creation to form what we know of as the universe. In most versions of the Greek creation myth, Gaia sprung forth self-generated out of Khaos (the great 'yawning', or gap that existed before anything existed; including existence). Gaia is the physical matter of the universe. She is the Earth, and She is the consciousness of what we call Mother Nature. Gaia is the mother of all life – both mortal life and divine.

On the Ace of Disks the form of Gaia rises out of the ground as she was often depicted in ancient Greek art. This card carries a meaning of spiritual aid resonating in the physical world. This is the card of abundance and of the birth of new projects. The card also represents success (how can one fail with the aid of such a goddess?!), an increase in money (the suit of Disks – or pentacles, or coins, or diamonds, is the suit of physical wealth), and the support, shelter and protection of the material realm.

Pair of Disks – Herakles and Iolaos

Here the greatest hero of Greek myth and his nephew fight the Lernaean Hydra – a great chthonic beast which re-grew two heads for every one cut off. Herakles, in effort to fulfill the second of his Labours enlisted Iolaos’ aid in destroying the beast by having him cauterize each neck after decapitation.

The two of disks signifies constant change, the facing of a challenge and that great effort is required to handle and juggle more than one thing at a time - like the ever sprouting Hydra heads. The card also gives the advice to ask, like the great hero did from Iolaos, for aid.

Disk Triad – The Moirai

Born of Primeval Night, the Moirai (Fates) are the goddesses who control the fates of both humanity and of the gods themselves. Named Klotho, Lakhesis, and Atropos, these maidens spin, measure, and cut the thread of every individuals life- recording all that is and shall be a persons existence.

The Three of Disks speaks of the need to focus your whole being upon the task at hand and tells one of rewards to come if one uses well the gifts fate has bestowed. The card also reminds one of the need for forethought and the attention to detail as well as the importance of working with others as one

Four of Disks – Midas

A Phrygian king who was gifted (or cursed) with the ability to turn all he touched to gold and discovered the adage ‘be careful what you wish for’ when he learned that all he touched he turned to gold. This card denotes the love of power or money over all else, a stingy, greedy personality, and also of material security which must not be taken for granted.

Five of Disks - Io

A priestess of Hera seduced by Zeus and hidden from the goddess in the form of a heifer who wandered over Greece and even into Egypt trying to escape Hera’s jealousy. It was in Egypt that she returned to mortal form and became a queen (and in some version became the goddess Isis) but before her elevation she wandered lost and alone, harassed and tormented by a stinging gadfly sent by the jealous Hera.

The Five of Disks is a card of loneliness, poverty, struggles, ill health, and hard times. It speaks of a loss of faith and the need to seek guidance, and of unexpected troubles and anxiety.

Six of Disks - Kheiron

The wisest and greatest of all Kentaurs Kheiron fostered, taught, and mentored Iason, Akhilles, and countless other heroes. He was a teacher of philosophy, weaponry, strategy, medicine and music.

This card denotes generosity, management, success, prosperity and most importantly – learning used; the card speaks of the differences that having and not having these resources can make in ones life.

Seven of Disks - Pygmalion

The king of Kypros (Cyprus) was under pressure by his subjects to wed but he claimed to love no one and so would not marry. In his frustration he carved his perfect mate, - and proceeded to fall in love with it; Aphrodite hearing his prayers transformed it into the living woman Galatea.

This card represents of the act of working towards a tangible goal, of being committed to one's dreams, and speaks of the reward one can find in partaking a difficult task for the sake of the experience alone.movement

Eight of Disks - Daedalus

The craftsman of Knossos who created the Labyrinth which imprisoned the Minotaur is here trapped deep within his own creation and builds wings from wax and scavenged feathers in an escape attempt to fly to freedom.

The Eight of Disks symbolizes craftsmanship, employment, commission, patience, handiwork, gain through hard work, and the need to carefully manage resources in order to prosper. It also represents a person displaying their skill in their chosen craft.

Nine of Disks - Orpheus

Son of the Muse Kalliope, Orpheus chose to live alone in the wilderness after the death of his beloved wife, the nymph Euridike. The music he created was beautiful enough to charm all wild beasts and make the very trees and stones move closer to hear.

The Nine of disks represent an achievement made in solitude, it speaks of rewards from hard work and practice and success through your own individual, special talents. It also is a card of independence, self reliance, and rest.

Ten of Disks - Kirke

The daughter of the sun, Kirke, is a powerful sorceress who rules over her decadent island kingdom of Aiaia.

Kirke in her great mansion graces the Ten of Disks, a card which speaks of security and refinement, of great riches, affluence and opulence, and of great material wealth at your disposal.

Princess of Disks - Iphigeneia

The daughter of Klytemnestra and Agamemnon walks towards the alter at which she thinks she will celebrate her wedding when in fact she is to be killed by her father as the sacrifice which will open the Trojan war (though later myths would have her replaced by divine grace at the last moment with a fawn).

Iphigeneia, as the Princess of Disks represents one who is practical, responsible and trustworthy; a quiet, shy youth, one who does not face conflict well; it can indicate being on the threshold of a major change in status and can represent physical beginnings.

Knight of Disks - Patroklus

As he steals the armor of his beloved and comrade in arms, Akhilles, Patroklus plots to fight disguised as the Greek's greatest hero in order act as a rallying symbol for the his comrades in the morale-lacking army.

The knight of Disks is capable and diligent; he is a dedicated individual, faithful and does not allow faithlessness in others. He is one who is set in his ways and stands his ground. The card can be a message to take responsibility for your everyday actions – or face the consequences if someone else does.

Queen of Disks - Hekabe

The queen of Troy and daughter of the River Sangarios is the wife of Priam and mother of Hektor, Paris, and Kassandra (and many others). While pregnant with Paris she dreamed that she carried a fire that swept through and destroyed the great walled city of Troy.

The Queen of Disks is intelligent, sensual, cultured, mature, and elegant, and a lover of luxury. She is a mother figure whose attention is on the family and home, one who puts others first and finds great joy in taking care of those she loves.

King of Disks - Nestor

Nestor, the king of Pylos (a great city of Bronze Age Greece), was known for his wisdom and advice during the Trojan War and was the eldest Greek who accompanied the great army to Troy. Nestor's age and experience garnered him great respect from soldiers and kings alike.

The King of Disks is a shrewd and established individual, sensible and down to earth. He is one who works hard to have control all his surroundings. Through the use of his practical wisdom he excels at diplomacy and holds great influence over those around him.

The Suit of Staves

Ace of Staves - Hemera

The sister-wife of Aether, Hemera is the Protogenos of ‘Daytime Light’- that which enables us to see and perceive the world around us.

The Ace of staves denotes the beginning of work, power, positivity, creativity, a turn for the better, and cutting through confusion to find the light

Pair of Staves - Kastor and Polydeukes

The Dioskori are the twin sons of Leda and Zeus (who was in the form of a swan when they were conceived). They are wild youths- cattle rustlers and great adventurers; though only one was immortal and so survived their escapades. Distraught without his twin, Kastor shared his immortality so that the brothers jointly spent one day in Olympus and one in Haides over and over for eternity.

The mischievous youths embody the meaning of this card – achievement, anxiety, goals, gain, finding a course to power, partnership, creative and strong personalities, bold and original ideas; the ability to create and adapt plans spontaneously… and a smattering of luck in reaching ones goals.

Stave Triad - The Horai

The Horai or ‘Hours’ are the three daughters of Zeus and Themis, who rule over the seasons and the orderly passage of life and of the proper way to live your life day to day. Here they wander through the market place. Their names mean order, peace and justice.

This card represents group activities, partnership, long term success, trade, commerce, and adventure, but it also instructs one to take the long view of a problem or situation. The Horai rule over passage of time and the turn of the seasons - this card represents the mystery of what is to come but also having forethought and experience to gauge and prepare for it.

Four of Staves – Erikhthonos

The part-serpent king of Athens was the child of Athena and in some ways Hephaistos and also Gaia and was one of the most beloved rulers of the city. He taught the customs of marriage, the yoking of horses, how to smelt silver, how to plow, and the use of chariots (which some say he invented to hide his snake like extremities).

The meaning of the Four of Staves reflects Erikhthonos' reign - financial and familial prosperity and peace, prosperity, satisfaction and completion, the achieving of goals, freedom and harmony.

Five of Staves – Atalanta

Exposed at birth to die in the wild, Atalanta instead survived – she was suckled by wild bears and was found and raised by woodsmen. She was a great huntress (it was her spear that scored first blood against the monstrous Kalydonain Boar) and refused to marry anyone who could not beat her in a footrace.

The card represents a challenge, competition, struggle, a difference of opinions or a clash of personality with the status quo.

Six of Staves - Penelope

Penelope is the devoted and faithful wife of Odysseus who fended off her suitors who tried to force her to remarry while she waited for the return of her husband by insisting that she finish her father in law’s death shroud first. This took a while as all the work she did by day would she would unraveled at night.

The card stands for triumph, victory through intelligence and diplomacy, also pride (especially in ones self) and the establishing or maintaining of a stable pattern of life, even in the face of challenge. 

 

Seven of Staves - Hippolyta

Here Hippolyta - the Queen of the Amazons dresses for battle, placing on lastly the sacred Girdle of the Amazons the symbol of her rule (and an object of one of Herakles’ Labours).

The seven of staves tells us that mental and physical strength is needed, one must be defiant and stand up against what is wrong. The need to be aggressive and to form and stick to your convictions. This is a card of coping, resistance, perseverance, and strength.

Eight of Staves – Ino

Ino was the aunt and foster mother of Dionysus who was tormented and driven mad in punishment for this by Hera. Here Ino leaps from the high cliffs height into the sea only to be saved from death and madness and transformed into the goddess Leoukothea.

The card represents a positive change of mind, hasty action, flight, a new journey or ideas, positive energy or a reward for facing a challenge

Nine of Staves - Perseus

The son of Zeus and Danae is here shining his shield to mirror brightness so that he may use it’s reflection to safely kill the gorgon Medousa.

The nine of staves represents preparedness, order, stability and defense, inner strength, discipline, and courage in the face of adversity

Ten of Staves - Iason

Iason is the leader of the Argonauts who went in the search for the golden fleece, but late in his life, after abandoning his wife and loosing his children and kingdom he died, struck by a piece of his own ship - the rotting Argo.

This is an unhappy card denoting depression caused by too much pressure and burdens, too may worries, being overextended; it signifies the need to move on and let go or else wallow in sorrow

Princess of Staves – Polyxena

Knowing her fate, Polyxena walks willingly towards her murder/sacrifice to balance the scales of fate

The Princess of Staves is charismatic, ambitious, blunt, edgy, progressive, enthusiastic and very sure of herself ad filled with drive and power. She does not tolerate injustice and will express herself by force if necessary.

Knight of Staves - Akhilles

The greatest warrior of the Hellenic people at Troy was Akhilles, invincible save for the back of his ankle.

Akhilles, like the Knight of Staves is energetic, restless, impulsive and charming yet superficial and foolhardy. He is a dangerous man, well educated, and who thinks and moves at intense speed, one who deals with a great deal of inner turmoil. The card represents travel, progress, and action before you realize what you’re doing.

Queen of Staves - Helen

Helen of Sparta… Helen of Troy is the most beautiful woman in the world, she is the daughter of Leda and Zeus; it was her abduction/flight from her husband Menelaus which began the Trojan War.

The Queen of Staves is attractive and energetic; she is an experienced woman who has felt the highs and lows of emotional life and who relies on basic instinct who takes every step with assurance.

King of Staves - Agamemnon

The king of Staves is an intelligent authority figure, insightful, a forceful natural leader and yet arrogant and ruthless in order to achieve his ends.

The Suit of Cups

Ace of Cups - Eros

Not to be confused with the Younger Eros the son of Aphrodite and Ares, this Eros is the bigendered Protogenos of the power of love and the force that brings creatures together to reproduce. In some creation myths they were the first being to emerge into being.

The suit of cups is the suit of emotions, The Ace of Cups represents the beginnings of love, joy, blessings, success, desires and/or enlightenment; it signifies the start of an emotional journey.

Pair of Cups - Theseus and Perithous

Theseus, an Athenian hero and king was the son of Poseidon and Perithous his life-long companion once made a rash boast that they would abduct daughters of Zeus to be their wives. Theseus set sights on Helen but Perithous aimed for the goddess Persephone. The two are shown here about to enter the gates of Haides to begin that quest.

The Two of Cups is a card of union, commitment, duality coming together as one, and of mutual love. Theseus and Perithous embody the cards idea of true friendship, and are a perfect balance of skills and abilities.

Cups Triad - The Kharities

Three lovely goddesses who rule over merriment and adornment and beautification and celebrate enjoyment for it's own sake.

The Three of cups is an immensely happy card, one of joy and group celebration and abundance; it is the experience of true, pure, unconditional love and the coming together of friends.

Four of Cup - Narkisos

Narkisos represents the Four of Cups, a card that represents being self absorbed, sacrificing ones self for a poor cause, being apathetic, going within

Five of Cups- Deineira

The wife of Herakles caused his death through fear and jealousy; believing her husband would leave her, she coated his robe in what she thought was a love potion but was in fact a painful and fatal poison; upon discovery of what she had done, she leapt into the sea.

The Five of Cups is a card of loss, guilt, misfortune and regrets and of unfulfilled expectations and the failure to see what good is left after a tragedy.

Six of Cups - Pandora

Pandora was the first woman, crafted by the gods she was is a symbol of the golden age. Here, pain and decay and suffering have yet to be released from the jar to plague mankind

The Six of Cups is a card of innocence and of nostalgia, of the return to 'better times' and can denote the receiving of a gift.

Seven of Cups - Salmoneus

Salmoneus was a king of Ellis who committed hubris against Zeus by demanding that his subjects worship him as the god; he even rode in his chariot making the sound of thunder and throwing fake lightening bolts.

The Seven of Cups speaks of wishful thinking, illusions and confusion, of overdoing it and living in a fantasy world.

Eight of Cups - Iphis

Iphis, born female, raised male, prayed to the goddess Leto to change their form and make them fully male so that they could marry their love Ianthe

This card stands for the abandoning of things not emotionally fulfilling, the turning away from what is existing now, the embracing a truer meaning, and of the need to let go in order to search for rebirth and renewal.

Nine of Cups - Kadmos

A Phoenician prince who, while wandering the earth in search for his lost sister Europa, founded the city of Thebes and its royal family by taking the advice of an oracle and settled where the cow he was instructed to follow first laid down.

This card represents an assured future, well-being, self-satisfaction, fulfillment and wish-fulfilling and periods of great achievement.

Ten of Cups - Europa

A Phoenician princess and later queen of Krete was abducted by Zeus (in the form of a bull) and by him mothered three children including Minos (whose own wife would also become enamored with a bull).

The Ten of Cups is a happy card, contentment, communion with ones higher power, joy in the home, idyllic success, and lasting peace.

Princess of Cups – Kassandra

Kassandra was a princess of Troy and great prophetess though cursed by Apollon as retaliation for her denying his advances so that none would believe her prophesiesThe Princess of cups is youthful, gentle, sweet nurtured youth, she is sensitive and kind; a compassionate romantic, she shares emotional truths that may be hard to accept. The card can denote a change in emotional life.

Knight of Cups - Paris

Paris, a womanizing dreamer was raised as a shepherd and suddenly told he was a prince; it was his abduction/seduction of Helen that began the Trojan War.

Paris, like the knight of cups is a dreamer, he is convincing and easy to convince; a contradictory man, sweet and kind and yet moody and bitter. The card may represent emotional ups and downs.

 

 Queen of Cups - Andromakhe

A tragic and touching character in the Iliad; Andromakhe knows what her fate will be if her husband (Hektor) falls in battle and her pleading with him to stay at home remains one of the most heartbreaking scene of myth.

She, like the Queen of Cups is spiritual, gentle and good natured. A pure, kind, and loving, peaceful woman. She exudes pure motherly love and loyalty and yet she has an emotional frailty about her.

King of Cups - Priam

Priam was the king of Troy during the Trojan War, he ruled over the city of the high walls for the ten years of the war, trying to always do what was best for his people.

The King of cups is complex and responsible, a mature man who finds power in balance; he is strong, generous and demands respect. It is a card of diplomacy over power.

Suit of Swords

Ace of Swords - Aither

Aither is the Protogenos of the clear, bright, light ‘upper air of heaven’, the atmosphere of the archetypal realm of the gods and not the air we 'mere mortals' breathe. In the Orphic Mysteries he is called the soul of the world from which all life emanates.

This card represents aspects of communication and ideas. The ace is a card of new beginning and new thoughts, of growth and ambition, it is seeing situations with with a clear, bright perspective and being objective and open to the truth.

Pair of Swords - Akrisios & Proteus

Twin brothers who quarreled even in the womb. Akrisios expelled Proetus from his inheritance; but, supported by his father-in-law, Proetus returned, and Akrisios was compelled to share his kingdom with his brother by giving Tiryns to him, while he retained Argos for himself.

The pair of swords speaks of coming face to face with your fears. It can also signify being torn between two loyalties, relationships, situations, offers or people. It represents being caught in the middle of an argument

Swords Triad – Erinyes

Born of the blood of the castrated Kronos, the three Erinyes are the divine punishers of those who break the natural laws. One of their favorite punishments is to inflict madness upon the transgressor.

This card is one that represents disappointment, depression, separation, shattered emotions, loss and sorrow especially of the mind, unexpected changes, ill mental health and self doubt.

Four of Swords - Oedipus

The unlucky king of Thebes who inadvertently killed his father and married his mother here leaves his kingdom of Thebes to try to find a way to heal and recover from the horrible truths he discovered about his family.

This card speaks of truce (though not necessarily peace); of exile, solitude, and the breakdown of a relationship. It can show a need for rest and recovery from past events.

Five of Swords - Niobe

The daughter of Tantalos boasted she was more worthy of worship than the titanis Leto because she had more children; Niobe's hubris brought the death of all her children, save one, and Niobe herself was turned into a weeping rock that forever mourns her children.

The Five of Swords tells of an empty victory and over confidence. It is the realization that your plans will not come to fruition; it is sorrow, failure, acting in ones’ own self interest, dishonor, nd the beliefe that you have won when you have lost.

Six of Swords - Psykhe

Psykhe was a mortal of such beauty that Aphrodite herself became jealous; fated to wed what she thought was a monster she fell in love with Aphrodite’s son Eros passed through several tests to prove her worth and love.

Here she walks the road to Haides in her last trial. This card represents traveling through danger, peace, and a changing perception. It speaks of passing through a time of sorrow to joy and union, seeing things more clearly, making choices that will lead one through darkness to happiness.

Seven of Swords - Autolykles

Atolokles, son of Hermes, grandfather of Odysseus, and the King of Thieves graces the Seven of Swords.

This card represents betrayal, theft without guilt, secret plans, running away, fear of taking responsibility, and taking the easy way out. One of the key words for this card is ‘lone wolf’ which is also the meaning of the name Atolokles.

Eight of Swords - Semele

The daughter of Kadmus and the goddess Harmonia was the mother of Dionysus by Zeus, a fact for which Hera to punished her by whispering doubts and fears to Semele about the true identity of her lover and in doing so caused Semele’s death.

The eight of Swords tells of a lack of confidence, indecision; feeling restricted, confused and powerless; interference with the proper order of the cycles of nature and life, a difficult time of sorrow and loss. The card warns you're damned if you do or don't; change or die - the longer you remain the same the worse it gets.

Nine of Swords - Bellephrontes

The slayer of the Khimera and the tamer of Pegasos. After becoming such a great hero Bellephrontes felt that that there was no place for him now on earth and his greatness made his rightful place among the gods. His attempt to reach the height of Mt. Olympos on the back of Pegasos was thwarted by Zeus who sent a gadfly to sting the steed and sent the hero falling towards earth.

This card echoes Bellephrontes’ feelings of depression and being unfulfilled and useless; This card speaks of Bellephrontes' worry and a lack of compassion; the card is one of a lack of empathy, spite and malice.

Ten of Swords - Polynikes

Polynikes was a son of Oedipus; he fought his brother Eteokles for the rule of Thebes. Cursed by Oedipus over their bickering for the throne, both fell in battle.

The Ten of Swords indicates failure, pain, tears, ruin, victim, martyrdom. It can represent a painful event, emotional anguish, or failing to understand the true message of an action

Princess of Swords - Laodike

Princess of Troy, Laodice feared she might become one of the captive women and prayed to the gods. She was swallowed up in a chasm that opened on the earth, like her card, she is sure in her sense of right and wrong and is willing to defend her beliefs; her observations and council allows her to keep her head in dangerous times.

Knight of Swords- Hektor

The Prince of Troy and the greatest warrior of that kingdom, Hektor was a great leader and symbol of hope during a time of darkness.

The Knight of swords like Hector is direct, authoritative, knowledgeable and logical, if a bit fanatic. He is an energetic, friendly and moral person with a positive outlook in life. The card represents the scattering of ones enemies and the courage to leaf your allies.

Queen of Swords – Klytemnestra
Cursed by Apollon to see and speak the future but never to be believed, the Queen of Swords is honest, astute, witty, and forthright; she is a true survivor and is loyal though she can be domineering.

King of Swords - Odysseus

Odysseus, king of Ithika and celebrated for his wit and intelligence was said to have concocted the idea of the Trojan horse in order to breach the walls of Troy. The King of Swords is educated analytical, and articulate but can also be manipulative, ruthless, and tyrannical

The Major Arcana

0 Fool - Hermes

The Olympian god of boundaries, travel, and luck represents the Fool: new beginnings, innocence, and endless possibilities, the spark that sets things to motion, the Divine breath, the force that inspires towards fulfillment and growth. The Fool begins the vital first steps, he is the cause behind effect; he does what is comfortable for himself and has total faith in himself (well placed or not). The classic image of the Fool shows him about to step off a cliff, here Hermes is about to step off the proverbial cliff to tell Apollon he did not (!) steal his sacred cattle(!!) He’s just a new-born, how could Apollon think such a thing (!!!)….(Those sacrificed cows over there? Ya…. Just ignore them).

Hermes is the son of Zeus, the king of the gods and of the oldest of the Pleiades, the nymph Maia. After his birth, his exhausted mother slept and the infant Hermes crawled from his cave and wandered over the mountainside. Coming across a herd of cattle he took them as his own not knowing or caring that they were the property of his half brother Apollon, the god of light and prophesy. After a brief confrontation between the two, for Apollon's forgiveness, Hermes trades the instrument (the lyre) he just invented from the horns and sinew of the sacrificed cattle and the shell of a tortoise. Hermes is the god of travelers and of thieves, of gamblers, of messengers, and of commerce, and roads.

Hermes is the god of boundaries (and especially the breaking of them), he personifies the concept of the Fool as the willing wanderer who walks into a situation with full confidence of their ability to master it (whether the confidence is warranted or not is another matter). Hermes is the god who says with total faith that all will turn out well - “yeah, sure, what the hell!”

1 Magician - Hephaistos

The Olympian god of the forge, metalwork, smith craft and artisans serves as the Magician - the card which symbolizes creation, will power and revelation. Hephaistos is in some myths the child of Hera and Zeus and in others the child of Hera alone. Thrown from the heights of Mount Olympous for either the ''crime'' of being born deformed or for siding with his mother against Zeus, the smith god was crippled and maimed and scared and therefore shunned among the perfect beauty of the gods… that is until they witnessed the beauty that he could create with his hands and mind.

The Magician is a creator, he is a highly skilled, powerful and dynamic being who builds the world around him that he wishes (consciously or unconsciously) to exist through the mastery of the four elements that symbolically make up reality. The magician represents the harnessing of power to change events according to our Will… even if that change is not necessarily in our best interest.

Among the ancient peoples the blacksmith was often viewed as a powerful magician of sorts, an outsider who held great knowledge and power necessary to the survival of the people - they created the tools by which civilization was created, maintained, and defended. Among the realm of Olympus, Hephaistos was a magician who brightened beauty and gilded perfection in the heavens of the gods.

The card shows the Smith-God at his forge; his deformed bulk being harnessed by his keen mind to create the most magnificent expressions of beauty and physical creation. The symbols of the magician, the symbols of the suits of the Minor Arcana and thus the symbol of the four elements of the universe adorn his workshop showing his mastery over their use and making.

2 High Priestess - The Mousai

The Nine Muses are the goddesses of inspiration and the arts, here serving as the High Priestess - the card of knowledge, mystery, and the unconscious. There were actually several groups of Muses in Greek myth, though by far the most famous and widespread were the nine daughters of Zeus and Mnemosyne (the titaness of memory). Though they varied in name and their spheres of confluence they are most commonly called Kalliope who was the eldest and chief of the muses was goddess of Epic poetry, Klio (history), Euterpe (music), Melpomene (tragedy), Polyhymnia (hymns) Terpsikhore (dance), Thalia (comedy), and Ourania (astronomy).

The High Priestess represents the taking of the raw skills and abilities of the Fool and adding insight and focus. She is the complimentary partner of The Magician working more subtly and subconsciously within reality. The High Priestess allows us to explore the deeper secrets of existence; she is the bridge between our subconscious and consciousness. She represents our dreams and our most inner desires. The Mousai are spirits of inspiration, they poke and prod (and poke and poke and poke and poke and poke) at the subconscious and drive the artist to create. They take the raw skill of the Magician and instill a never-ending need to make, make, make. A need to discover the depths of human existence and find ways to express those discoveries in ways that maybe, just maybe, another person will look at and grasp and thus share that understanding.

In this card Kalliope sits in the traditional position of the High Priestess, flanked by two pillars – black and white. These pillars are here her sisters, the spirits of insight who whisper into the subconscious minds of mortals and gods alike; the moon, symbol of the subconscious floats high over head.

3 Empress - Demeter

The Olympian goddess of the fertility of the earth and all growing things, Demeter, is the Empress. This is the card of creation, of making real the insubstantial, and of abundance. The Empress represents half of a perfect balance, the receptive aspect of nature which reflects the equal but different active aspect of nature personified by the Emperor. The Empress is the power of nature - nurturing, unquenchable and generous. She is the symbol of fertility and growth of purity and of unconditional love.

Demeter is the Earth Mother, she is the daughter of the Titans Rhea and Kronos and sister to Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, Haides, and Hestia.

She is the force behind the growth and survival of all growing things, in her grief all things wither and die in winter’s harsh chill, and with her joy life blooms and bursts forth again. Here Demeter’s gentle nature shelters and protects a field of new grain, one of the primary tools that lead to civilization

 

4 Emperor - Zeus

Olympian ruler of the gods, Zeus, father of mankind, and king of sky and of storms sits enthroned atop Mount Olympus, the heavenly abode of the immortals. Zeus was the last born of Kronos and Rhea, the Titan rulers of the cosmos. Kronos, frightened of succession devoured his children upon their birth, or else Rhea hid them scattered around the earth. Only Zeus was able to defeat his father and in doing was raised as ruler over all things; patriarch over all existence. He is the Emperor, a card representing energy, enthusiasm, authority and structure. The Emperor is a man who is Worthy, he is born to rule and has proven himself capable of doing just that; he is the universal Father: Protector and Provider. He is the fertile, active force of nature balancing the receptivity of the Empress.

5 Hierophant - Poseidon

The Olympian god of the seas, but the god was worshiped before that as the lord of earthquakes and horses. Brother of the king of the gods, there is evidence that he had greater importance than Zeus in the worship of the pre-Olympian pantheon of the Mykaneans where he was joined with ‘the two queens’ (Persephone and Demeter?) in a very important triad. It is this that this card reflects – not rulership, but Old Tradition, things remembered, becoming so engrained that even a monumental shift of thought retains hints of it in symbols and in mysteries and remaining in stories. The Hierophant is the teacher, the imparter of wisdom and of Tradition, he is one who has experienced life and who uses their knowledge to help guide others.

6 Lovers - Dionysus and Ariadne

The Lovers card is a representation of impulse, desire, beliefs, harmony, trust and honour. The Lovers represents the perfect union, the blending of qualities seen separate so far in the previous cards. They are the embodiment of the ‘Other’ – that which is equal but different – balancing together to make a whole greater than the sum of its parts. Dionysus & Ariadne, the Olympian god of wine and spiritual ecstasy and his once-mortal wife, the Queen of the Mysteries embody the spirit of the Lovers card. The union of the Lovers and the union of Dionysus and Ariadne is the union of the active and receptive powers of reality, together making all existence possible.

7 Chariot - Ares

Olympian god of battle and slaughter here serves as the model for the Chariot, the card representing battle, conquest and willpower. The Chariot represents the harnessing of our Will, our true Self and all the power that entails in order to fight for and push towards a set goal. Ares is the god of war and battle; unlike Athene who represents the ordered, cold and detached aspects of warfare Ares is the sheer instinct to survive, blood-soaked, scarred warrior at the center of the fray reveling in the power of the kill, and the glory of life bending to ones desires. Here Ares harnesses His army- His chariot- to achieve His ends, just as we must harness together the various aspects of our lives and personalities in order to steer them towards our goal.

8 Strength - Athena

She stands here in the position of the Athene Parthenos, the Warrior Virgin, whose statue was once counted among the great Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. Athene, Olympian goddess of wisdom, strategy, war and invention is the symbol of the Strength card, the card representing discipline, control and pride. Unlike the rash power of Ares, Athene is the cold, detached strength that we all must draw upon when hard decisions and difficult tasks must be faced. The Strength card teaches the importance of doing and saying the right thing and facing, without shame or fear, the consequences of our actions and choices.

9 Hermit - Apollon

Apollon is so often thought of as the god of the sun, and though he was certainly seen as this in later myth, it was not what was meant when he was called the Lord of Light. Apollon is the Olympian god of poetry, medicine, prophesy and music, all those aspects which makes a culture civilized. He is also the god of shepherds, seen so often in bucolic art as being rustic philosophers, staring dreamy-eyed into the noon sky. Apollon, who’s commandment was “Know Thyself” is the Hermit who, though contemplation, has found insight and clarity into the great Mysteries of life. Content to be alone, the Hermit relies on his own inner recourse while constantly searching for further wisdom and insight.

10 Wheel of Fortune - Tykhe

An Okeanid (a type of water nymph born of primordial ocean) and a goddess of luck and fortune, named Fortuna by the Romans; Tykhe represents the same qualities as that of the Wheel of Fortune card - change, the turning point and destiny. Fortune is not luck, good or bad, instead it both and more - is how the luck is used. Fortune is the path of life that we walk upon, we are free to take whatever turns and twists that come upon us. Here Tykhe sits upon a well, whether the ‘well runs dry’ or the ‘cup runeth over’- that is up to Her.

11 Justice - Themis

The Titanis (one of the offspring of Gaia and Ouranos, beings who ruled before the coming of the Theoi- the Gods) of divine law and the natural order of life. Themis goes beyond justice as simply ‘right and wrong, good and evil’; she is the word and the spirit and the fabric of Order that makes up reality. She is akin to the Khemetic (Egyptian) understanding of the goddess Ma’at. The Justice card represents honesty, rationality and logic and the need to keep balance in all things.

12 Hanged Man - Prometheus

The Hanged man is a symbol of sacrifice; he is the offerer as well as the offering, the one who faces willingly and with total acceptance the consequences of what he has chosen. Here the hanged Man is Prometheus, the Titan of forethought and crafty council; creator and friend of Man and Giver of Fire and who, because of his gift of (stolen) fire, faces the wrath of Zeus. Perpetually strung up on the Caucasus Mountains, his immortal liver an eternal meal for the eagle of Zeus, he serves as an example of once who faces loss and sacrifice in order to uphold the greater good.

13 Death - Thanatos

Haides may be the god of the dead, but Thanatos is Death itself; here he is bound in his own shackles by King Sisyphos who sought to cheat death - twice. The tarot represents cycles and transformation – the death card is endings, but it is not necessarily The End; and it is always, always, the beginning of something else. Change will always come; if we resist it, then it will cause great upheaval in our lives (as it did to Sisyphos) but with acceptance, change can bring new life and great vigor into our existence.

14 Temperance - Asklepios

The son of Apollon and a mortal woman, Asklepios was a healer that could bring the very dead back to life – for which Zeus struck him down, but he was raised up to godhood as the god of medicine and healing; He gave to those in need the answers to their ills in their dreams. The temperance card represents balance, health and recovery; it is the balance that all life seeks and it is the seeking of that balance. The card signifies the need for stability in life and the need to be receptive and let things happen as they may and as they must.

15 Devil - Aphrodite

The Devil is not an evil card, it represents physicality, and our bondage to the material existence that we live in; there is nothing evil about any of these things, the negativity appears with the subjugation of the spirit to these things instead of the spiritual and the physical working together in balanced unison. Born of the severed genitals of Ouranos and the frothy foam of the sea, Aphrodite is the goddess of beauty and love and lust. Aphrodite appears in many guises, Ourania is the heavenly Aphrodite who personifies love in its purest spiritual form, in the Devil card, Aphrodite Porne sits, embodying the state of dependence to physicality and all the dangers that this brings.

16 Tower - Pan

The Tower is a card of upheaval and cataclysmic disorder that destroys all of the illusions that we have built up around our lives and forces us to view the truth. It is catastrophe, change and downfall and panic, and so there is no deity better to demonstrate this than Pan, from whom the very word panic is derived. Pan is the god of flocks and of shepherds but more importantly he is the ruler of The Wild Places, the place where sounds stop and predators stare from the bushes instilling a sense of dread and fear in you, taking the patina of civilization that you once believed you possessed and stripping it away until you are nothing but sensation and instinct.

17 Star - Persephone

The daughter of Earth and Sky, Persephone is the goddess of renewal and the queen of the underworld and serves as the Star card, the card of regeneration, renewal, healing and hope. Yearly, Persephone enters the underworld to take her throne and the earth falls into winter with the mourning of her mother, Demeter. With her return, life too returns to the earth and living things once again provide beauty and sustenance for humanity. The star is a symbol of hope and peace, and the promise of new life. The Star is the promise of aid in our effort.

18 Moon - Haides

The moon reminds us of the cycles of life and the healing and renewal that the proper following of these will bring to us. The moon is mystery and the unknown; it is unconscious, dreams and fears and the desire to see that which is unseeable. In the Moon card, Haides sits upon his throne. His brothers rule over sea and sky; for Haides, the unknown, hidden, secret places under the earth and all the treasures and horrors encased within. He wears the Helm of Invisibility, for none may truly look upon the face of the greatest mystery before their time.

19 Sun - Artemis

As Apollon was in late antiquity called the god of the sun, his sister was in time seen to be the goddess of the moon, but before this she represented the wild and free spirit of nature; the pure innocence and happiness of one living their life in the fashion meant to be. Artemis is the Olympian goddess of animals, the hunt and young girls, she is a spirit of enlightenment found innocence and freedom. The moon showed us our most hidden desires the sun is our happiness at having achieved them; the card represents joy, blessedness and the happiness ones receives from being exactly who and what they are supposed to be.

20 Judgment - Hera

Hera is the Olympian goddess of women and marriage and Queen of the Gods and Queen of Heaven. Yearly she travels to her childhood home of Euboea and in a sacred spring renews her virginity; yearly Zeus comes to her through the Sacred Marriage, renews his Right of Rule. The judgment card symbolizes decisions, rebirth and absolution: will Hera take Zeus and her king and mate, will order be upheld or will she turn her back and throw succession into chaos? The judgment card teaches us that we are responsible for the effects of the choices that we make.

21 World - Hestia

Goddess of the hearth and home, in fact, she is the hearth itself. Called the First and the Last (she was the firstborn of Rhea and Kronos, but the last of the five children to be regurgitated after Zeus tricked the Titan to release those he had swallowed in fear of loosing the rule of heaven) she symbolizes the World card, the card of completeness, integration and fulfillment. Hestia has no myths or temples of her own, but every hearth is her shrine and she tended the great hearths of Olympus and of Delphi – the center of the spiritual and physical universes. This is a card of achievement and satisfaction, of reaching goals and relaxing; basking in the warm glow around the fire at the end of a long day. The world is the end of the Fool’s journey, the understanding that the gifts found in the major arcana are found within ourselves. (Oh, and cats don’t show up in Greek myth, but I’ve always imagined Hestia as being surrounded by the spirits of cats who have died sleeping in the warmth of her hearth).

The Choice - Eris

Once upon a time, there was a wedding between a king, Kadmus, and Harmonia, the daughter of Aphrodite and Ares. All the gods were invited, all save Eris the Goddess of spite. She showed up anyways, and threw down the golden apple that started the Trojan War. I’m normally not a fan of the tarot decks that create their own cards and insert them into the deck. The tarot is a journey, with set steps; there are many characters that I wanted to fit into the deck but couldn’t: Medea, Medousa, Pasiphae, Scylla, Hekate, Ekhidna… and Eris. As much as I tried, I couldn’t get Eris to fit in as any of the regular cards but at the same time I could not leave her out? And so: the Choice Card. I use this card to represent the Querent, but if you use it in readings it can brings a warning to take extra note, to pay special attention to your life and to think very, very carefully about choices you are offered and decisions you are asked to make

The Card Backs - Ananke and Khronos

On the back of each card, in their eternal embrace, are Ananke and Khronos (not to be confuses with the Titan Kronos). These two beings are older than that which is the oldest of all things; they as far beyond the gods as the gods are beyond mortals. They are Time and Necessity (or as I see them Time and Being, or looked at another way – spacetime). If beings such as Gaia and Ouranos are the fabric of the cosmos, if Gaia is the earth itself, if Ouranos is the sky itself – then Ananke and Khronos are reality itself, they are the very essence of being. In the Orphic creation myth it was the writhing and twisting of their entwined serpentine bodies that crush ed the World Egg and let free, in one big bang, all that exists within existence.

The Card Borders

Each suit is traditionally associated with one of the four elements. Cups represent water as Disks (sometimes called Pentacles, Shields, or Coins) is the suit of earth. There is some debate over the associations of Staves (Wands, Spears) and Swords – which to assign fire and which air. For the sole reason that in the Rider-Waite deck air is linked with swords and fire with Staves those pairings are represented in this deck as well. The borders for each suit represent the colours associated with each element – Orange for fire and thus Staves (though red is more commonly used I reserved red for a very singular card), yellow for air and Swords, green for Disks and earth, and blue for water and the suit of Cups. The two shades that purple (the colour of magic for many) split into - indigo and violet borders the Major Arcana (indigo) and the reverse of each card (violet). The final colour, red, serves to frame Eris, the only card of this deck that does not appear in the traditional tarot. Together, all the colours of the rainbow, of white light refracted into its individual parts, are represented.