arcana

1  the magician
mover and shaker,
shaper or sharper---
either way, he makes you see things.

2  the high priestess
veiled mystery, she
coolly calls it as she sees it,
with enviable clarity.

3  the empress
green velvet and a full goblet,
lobed, globed, a pomegranate,
richly rounding fertility.

4  the emperor
all angles and hard certainties
carved in stone.
he'll have his day.

5  the hierophant
rules the ruler, pointing skyward,
guidance and restraint.
beneath his robes, feet of clay.

6  the lovers
choices, choices...
all souls seek a mirror.
who are you at night, in the garden?

7  the chariot
a path chosen: onward, forward,
but only by yoking the self.
you must be prisoner, jail, and warden.

8  strength
lady and lion contend,
the jaws of ego closing,
gentled to a purr.

9  the hermit
time passes.
go within
to learn what will endure.

10  the wheel of fortune
the only constant in life
is---you saw it coming---change.
take the chance.

11  justice
we want things to come out right.
and so, an attempt to redress
what offends the balance.

12  the hanged man
arrested development,
the suspense is killing him...
betrayer or betrayed, we wait.

13  death
scythe-bearer on a pale horse,
the inescapable: what lives, dies,
game over, a final checkmate.

14  temperance
divine mixologist,
holding a cup of moderation
to the seeking lip.

15  the devil
all excesses burn.
soul-stealer, yes, but
your own hand holds the whip.

16  the tower
uneasy lies the head that wears a crown.
evolve or die.
if not evolution, then revolution.

17  the star
lucky lady, renewing
the springs of hope
with an inspired solution.

18  the moon
all is not what it seems...
don't swear by it.
use the inner eye to see the light.

19  the sun
shine on, golden child---
for now, we bask,
and know the world is right.

20  judgement
now is the rest before fruition.
sleep, and trust to wake again,
perfected soul.

21  the world
know yourself and take your place
in the great harmony.
here all is gathered, known and whole.

0  the fool
lets go of certainty and falls.
the carnival carousel begins to turn,
he picks his horse and eyes the golden ring.