“The monarch was the entity who granted rights for certain people (nobility) to make profits and occupy the land” (Marmolejo 141)

“They aim to gain respect power, and prestige bestowed by others by setting themselves apart from others with their accomplishments” (Marmolejo 141)

“As history reminds us, Emperors aim to claim our private bodies and our interpersonal land as their own. The Emperor asks for personal sacrifice to fulfill imaginary obligations to a community, nation, or kingdom they took by force or inherited by change.”

Because patriarchy is institutionalized, the masculine is authoritative (Marmolejo 146).

Upright: A powerful, grounded protector but rigid and stubborn. Signifies  the dominance of logic over emotion and of the mind over the heart. It signifies concentration, structure, stability and focus is required to make your ideas and dreams a reality. It can also represent fatherhood.(The Tarot Guide)

Reverse: Abuse of power, excessively controlling, paternity issues. In reverse is can indicate that you are letting your heart overrule your head and need to balance your mind with your emotions. It shows that you may be lacking in self-control and need to get more structure in your life. (The Tarot Guide

Faith feathers our freedom. Trust feathers salvation so that when the body is bound by doubt, it is grace that perceives the wings of our spirit” (Marmolejo 148)

"Temperance reconstitutes the spirit, blending and joining diverse elements of existence into unforeseen relationality. Temperance offers something secret, subtle, and yet substantial as it marks a moment of transcendence." (Marmolejo 148)

"Teaches the skills of switching between conceptual frameworks, finding what the reader needs to access transition." (Marmolejo 149)

"Temperance is a card often ascribed to people who are two-spirit, trans, androgynous, or genderqueer. They are both male and female, or neither male nor female. It places them at the center and in balance, encompassing both genders and all beings” (Marmolejo 150).

Upright: Signifies balance, peace, patience and moderation. It is a sign that your life is harmonious and you have learned not to allow yourself to be dragged into other people’s conflict or to let minor issues knock you off balance. You have found peace and tranquility and you are feeling content. 

Reverse: In reverse, Temperance signifies imbalance and overindulgence. It may be telling you that you have lost touch with your own inner calm and tranquility. It also may be a lack of harmony with the people around you. Take a step back and look how you are behaving and examine the root causes to resolve them. 

“For the distance you might have traveled to see it. We came all this way. There’s no preparation for its physical bigness or science-fictional brightness” (Marmolejo 253)

"The Chariot pushes beyond the impasse of the present through an acute sensitivity to rhythms." (Marmolejo 153)

The Chariot bridges the gap between reality and the vast space of possibility when finding the right vehicle or vessel for the intention’s successful manifestation. The more spaces opened by the Chariot, the more empathy is experienced. 

Upright: Represents overcoming obstacles through determination, focus, and willpower. Through this card, you will be feeling motivated, ambitious and in control. The Chariot represents finding the balance between the heart and mind. 

Reverse: In reverse, it can indicate that you feel powerless and are lacking direction. It is a sign to regain your drive and determination. Be clear about what time or resources you are prepared to dedicate to others. Set your boundaries and stick to them. 

The water bearer pours sound that propagates as waves, rippling long and wide across space-time to bring the body back online… Water is a paradox of privacy… There is no direction to go, there is only immersion, there is only love. (Marmolejo (259)

“The star is irrigating love. With no ostensible direction or self to discern, love circulates in all dimensions, calling for a surrender to the intensity of sensitivity.” (Marmolejo 259)

"The Star does not falter. The Star is easily and immediately felt as a force of ecstatic time. Hope is brave. It is pure power. The Star opens perceptive relation to alternative temporal and spatial maps. The Star is the technology of divination, an ancient listening to the future worlds within worlds that diverge from the mundane and mainstream to encompass the fantastic” ( Marmolejo 261)

Upright: The star indicates hope for the future, inspiration and contentment. It is a feeling of positivity, motivation, and freedom. The Star indicates that you have come through your tough times with a renewed sense of yourself and the world around you, you are full of calm, well-balanced energy. It also indicates creativity and artistic flair. 

Reverse: In reverse, it means that you are feeling hopeless. There may be a difficult situation you have been through and signifies that you need to take responsibility for yourself and your attitude to life. The Star is telling you that it's time to heal the past and draw a line under it and move forward. 

The Rider-Waite Smith deck features a soldier on their deathbed, almost on display, with swords around him. The Four of Swords depicts funerary traditions of adorning tombs of righteous people, similar to today's funerals. This depiction portrays feelings of honor towards the person on display. Most Tarot decks will have images of someone lying or meditating to symbolize the reflection and self-restoration occurring. Next World Tarot deck features a man in a cluttered room writing on a typewriter. The guidebook says that he has found peace in his cluttered workspace as his favorite tools frame his workspace. The deck urges people to “Find peace in your search for stability and power in isolation” (Next World Tarot). The Neo Tarot deck explains that self-reflection is the intentional rest and self-care one takes. 

Each deck and interpretation has different symbolism and explanations of the depictions; however, they all decide on self-reflection and respite as the main points. The Four of Swords is a card that depicts taking a step back and letting yourself heal. It is about rest and relaxation once in a stressful situation.

The Four of Wands is all about unity and coming together. The Rider-Waite Smith deck depicts two people in a ceremonial trellis made of wands. The wands are connected with a garland to deepen the coming together and unity meaning. In the card, it looks like the two people are celebrating coming together as one. I notice only one castle in the background, showing unity. Marmolejo in Red Tarot takes on a meaning from the card: “Struggle of establishing solidarity, the challenge of translating across disparate political imaginations, in a manner that appreciates difference.” The Next World tarot deck features someone playing an accordion next to a fence with 4 posts. The deck says, “Hold onto your breath of enthusiasm and use it to both offer and embody inspiration.” Neo Tarot takes a similar viewpoint and says that the card is about the celebration of unity. We need to celebrate when we come together as a whole. 

All three of these decks showcase the unity that comes together throughout their individual interpretations. Each deck uniquely highlights the common theme of Harmony throughout the imagery and inner connections. 

The Four of Cups is seen as a separation and loneliness. There is a deeper meaning that Marmolejo dives into in the book called Red Tarot. Marmolejo says that it is an anxiety based on separation from the mother. The attention is fixed on absence. However, this is not a bad thing. In this absence, we can see things more clearly and do some self-care. The Four of Cups is a lunar card that focuses on finding a safe place for soul retrieval—a safe place to reflect and find oneself. The Rider-Waite Smith deck and the Neo Tarot deck have similar art depictions in which a person sits by themselves, and a cup is being extended to them. This cup is not seen by the person deep in thought. Sometimes, taking time to relax and fixate on the absence of things leads us to miss out on others. The Next World Tarot deck takes on a different approach with someone sitting on a dock in a robe. This deck says we must question our exhaustion and transform it into self-care. 

The Four of Cups has many interpretations but, they come back to the idea of internalizing absence. By reevaluating our stressors and thinking about a few things, we may miss out on a few things, but in the long run, it benefits our well-being.

The Four of Pentacles in the Rider-Waite Smith deck is someone sitting, looking forward, and holding tightly onto 4 coins. This symbolizes holding tightly onto the present. The card is seen to be holding onto the present with concern for the future and the past. It is holding tightly onto the resources and not giving or receiving anything; it is just stuck in the preserving stage. This lack of openness has left the person in survival mode. To which Marmolejo says, “We pull this card as an opportunity to renew our commitment to the body, to place and community.” This card lets us be in the space we are in for a moment. We can hold onto those community values and let them guide us on our next adventures. In the Next World Tarot deck, the Four of Pentacles holds onto knowledge as it guides the person through life. “Change and growth are vital, yet useless without agency” (Next World Tarot). The deck leaves the reader with the statement to question “home” but to trust what you rely on. Question the world around you, but trust that you know what you are talking about and you have learned the things that you know. Neo Tarot takes on yet another interpretation of the card. The deck focuses on the main point that happiness and wealth don’t necessarily go hand in hand. Happiness is a mindset, not a given. Somebody could be the richest person in the world and still not be happy. In that sense, we need to find happiness, preserve what we have, and share it. Mike Bernstein & Matt Pittman conducted an experiment that proved that showing gratitude and generosity made people exponentially happier. This card reminds us that we can sit in the moment now, but eventually, we need to share the moment and not be stuck in survival mode.

The King of Swords is a figure seated on a throne staring straight ahead, holding a sword pointing upwards. The world behind them appears smaller or farther away from them. 

Upright, the King of Swords is a card that has connotations of power and authority. It is often associated with ideas of intelligence and wisdom, they are highly logical. The King of Swords is an advocate for knowledge and a guide for those searching for truth.

 Reversed, the king of swords can represent a need to turn a critical eye internally, or the tendency to make some harsh judgments. It can also be associated with brutality and oppression. 

The King of Wands is a figure seated on a throne turned facing away, they are wearing a cloak that features the same pattern as the throne behind them and have a small lizard at their feet. They are holding a wand in their hand and wearing a crown. This king seems to have a little smile on their face. 

Upright, the King of Wands is associated with warmth and vitality, they are a cheerleader who promotes honesty above all else and are an encouraging force for change. The King of Wands is full of fiery passion, and in their role as a leader, works to share it. 

Reversed, the King of Wands is more austere. Still passionate and honest, but not as encouraging or nurturing.

The King of Cups is a figure seated on a throne angled away from the viewer. They hold a cup and a scepter, and the sea is in the background. The King wears a golden fish around their neck, and there are fish in the background jumping out of the water.

Upright, the King of Cups usually represents balance and leadership in difficult situations. The King is able to stay calm amid turbulent waters, pointing to an ability to either remove oneself or stay afloat in times of hardship. The King of Cups is the king of freedom and liberation, and this card has strong meanings of empathy and emotion, as well as fluidity and creation.

Reversed, the King of Cups represents the need to get past a difficult situation or period of time, or a struggle to control one’s emotions. It can represent being overwhelmed, and feeling out of control.