Tarot
and Your Daily Life: The Duality of Two
by James Ricklef
Our understanding of a Tarot card can be
enhanced by a consideration of its numerological and elemental
associations along with the illustration on its face. We will
explore this process here through an examination of the four “Two” cards
in the Rider Waite Smith deck, beginning with a consideration
of these cards using a general numerological approach.
These cards have a Yin / Yang aspect that comments on the duality of existence.
When we are presented with two things (like options, people, or forces) we may
have a choice to make, a conflict to resolve, or a balance to strike, and these
cards relate to such issues. Similarly, Twos may be about comparisons and contrasts,
as well as unions and partnerships. So now let’s turn to the individual
cards and see what messages they hold for our daily lives.
The Two of Wands depicts a man standing on a parapet, holding a globe as he gazes
out at the world beyond. This card implies making a comparison between the reality
of the world around us and our plans for it or our conceptual model of it. It
also says that to manifest the reality that we envision, we need more than just
inspiration; we need the drive to go out into the world and make it happen. A
bit of advice here is to compare your plans to the actual situation, then decide
how to bring those two into alignment.
In the Two of Cups, a man and a woman face each other, each grasping a golden
cup, and an easy conclusion to draw is that this card depicts a relationship.
But then we notice the curious inclusion of a caduceus (a symbol of healing)
rising between them, so we may see this card as suggesting the need to heal a
relationship too.
Unfortunately, we often view a relationship in a competitive light -- i.e., as “me” versus “you” or
as a problem to be solved. However, the gentle spirit infusing this card suggests
that we might view a relationship as a cooperative venture, or even as a spiritual
journey to explore together. Truly, we find our heart and soul in the act of
loving one another. When we realize this, we begin to appreciate all of our relationships
-- not just the romantic ones and not just the easy ones -- and we discover that
they can heal us.
Arms crossed over her heart and a sword held aloft in each hand, a blindfolded
woman sits on a stone bench, her back to a lake. This is the strangely ethereal
scene depicted on the Two of Swords. The image of two swords held in precarious
balance suggests themes such as decision and compromise, while the additional
element of the woman’s blindfold deepens our consideration of these issues.
One message here is that peace and compromise
may require that we overlook some faults of the other person
or some flaws remaining in the situation. On the other hand,
the blindfold may indicate that impartiality is necessary to
make a balanced decision or to find a compromise. This card also
may indicate a person who is avoiding a hard decision, perhaps
by refusing to face painful facts or difficult arguments. Such
avoidance may arise from not wanting to take responsibility for
making a decision that might be wrong, but it is important to
realize that not making a choice is itself a decision with consequences
of its own.
The Two of Pentacles is rather unique for its air of fun and whimsy. In it, a
man wearing a silly hat dances as he juggles two pentacles, which are joined
by the symbol for infinity. Although the other cards we just looked at have a
great deal to do with making a choice or a decision, this one addresses the theme
of duality differently.
In its inexorable movement from one state to another, life often makes choices
for us, and this card advises us to make the best of whatever befalls us. Indeed,
the best way to ride out our changing fortunes is to be flexible and adaptive,
and to remain balanced within, which (as we see in this card’s illustration)
may require a sense of humor. In addition, we often don’t have a choice
between two things, such as a job and our family, and we have to juggle them
instead. In that case, we need to prioritize our responsibilities and balance
our needs against those of others, and that is a never-ending juggling act in
itself since conditions around us constantly change.
James Ricklef is a Tarot reader, teacher,
and writer. His new book, Tarot Get the Whole Story explains how
to read Tarot cards through various spreads, giving ideas for inventing
your own spreads. For more information about his work, see his
website: http://home.att.net~jwricklef/
e-mail: knighthawk111@hotmail.com
