#tarot interpretations

So how do I interpret one of my spirit guides aparently representing themselves as “The Devil” card?

I mean unless they’re literally demonic/luciferian or are a Capricorn type individual it makes….no sense to me really? Help would be appreciated

Hello and welcome to part two of my series on the tarot court cards. In the introductory post, I discussed the traditional meanings of the cards and suggested an alternate way of viewing them. In this post, I will discuss the Pages in more depth within that alternate view. 

The pages are the novices, the rank beginners in the journey from inexperience to mastery. The page-phase of the learning process begins when the individual encounters the subject or area in which they are to learn and grow. It implies a new awareness or attention brought to this subject; generally, it does not indicate ignorance or denial, merely lack of practical experience and knowledge.   

This may be the spark of interest that inspires someone to learn a new skill, or the moment at which the subject encounters an area of potential growth that has been unexplored or dormant. It comprises the period of time in which the individual ponders this new topic, as well as the process of doing research on it, if applicable. It ends in the moment the subject begins to put the ideas they are encountering into practice. For example, if one were taking up tennis, the Page phase would comprise of the first moment of interest or inclination towards the subject, reading about the best equipment and the best way to learn, watching tutorials, etc. But it would end and become the Knight phase at the moment one bought a racket and went to the tennis court to begin acquiring the physical skills.

Remember that these may be academic or practical skills, but may also refer to spiritual enlightenment or emotional growth. The following breakdown by suit is my take on the kinds of domains represented by them and their associated elements; but depending on the nature of the question and the querent, I may interpret them differently from time to time. For example, I may associate a client’s writing project with a wands card, because wands have to do with creativity. But if the project were a very private spiritual one, it may be more of a cups project. If the client is a professional writer and the rent is due, it might well be a coins project! And anything under revision can fall into the domain of swords.

As always, use your experience and intuition and see if alternate interpretations work for you. The roles of the court cards are not static, because neither are the roles we play in life. The following are just hypothetical scenarios and how I would associate them:

Page of Wands

Wands, which represent the element of fire, are tied up with our passions and our creativity. Although this is traditionally associated with the arts and humanities, anything which excites our interest or requires us to think creatively can fall under the rubric of Wands. Scenarios in which the Page of Wands may appear might be: the querent is flirting with a new idea for a novel, but hasn’t yet put pen to paper; the querent is considering taking up painting and has been reading books but hasn’t yet figured out whether they want to work in oils or watercolorst; the querent is seeking a creative or passionate outlet, but has not yet  decided on one.

Reversed Page of Wands

I usually interpret reversed cards as representing an aspect of the querent’s inner life, and so a Page of Wands rx points to the interior, emotional process of cultivating one’s fire or passion. Scenarios in which the Page of Wands rx may appear might be: The querent is recovering from depression and taking their first steps towards cultivating their zest for life again; the querent is questioning what makes them happy or engaged with life and evaluating what truly “lights them up”; the querent is incubating a wonderful new idea that is not yet ready to be discussed or enacted.

Page of Swords

Swords, which represent the element of air, refer mostly to our cognition and our verbal abilities. They represent our thought patterns, our speech patterns, our ability to delineate and discriminate, and our ability to create our own personal boundaries. Swords activities involve learning a new academic skill or something similarly abstract, but in the broader sense refer to reorganizing outdated thought patterns. Scenarios in which the Page of Swords may represent this process might be: the querent is aware that they need to stand up for themselves more, but has not yet put this into practice; the querent is doing preliminary research of an academic subject; the querent is beginning the study of a new language but is not yet generating spontaneous sentences.

Reversed Page of Swords

When swords represent our inner lives, they very frequently refer to thought patterns; I frequently see reversed swords come up in a reading that deals with the querent’s self-image, destructive thoughts, and negative self-talk. They also appear reversed when interpersonal patterns demand that the querent defend themselves emotionally. Scenarios in which the Page of Swords appears reversed might be: The querent is caught in repetitive negative thoughts but does not know how to get past them; the querent has internalized a great deal of criticism or even verbal abuse and has not yet healed from this.

Page of Cups

Cups represent our emotions, our spirituality, and our relationships in a broad sense. They are the heart or unconscious.  The Page of Cups is one’s first steps of a spiritual or strictly emotional journey, and therefore comes up at times when the querent is about to experience a huge spurt of emotional growth. Scenarios in which the Page of Cups may appear could be: The querent has a crush on someone but hasn’t spent much time with them yet; the querent is interested in spirituality but has not yet chosen a path; the querent is on the brink of a powerful emotional discovery.

Reversed Page of Cups

The cups are already centered on our inner lives, and so when the cups appear reversed in a reading, this often clues me in to examine areas of emotional experience which are unconscious, blocked, or dormant. It can also indicate that the situation needs to be “turned on its head,” that is, a change of perspective is needed. Therefore, scenarios in which the Page of Cups may appear reversed can represent: the querent feels the lack of spirituality in life, but has not yet acknowledged that it should be a priority for them; the querent has a lot of unconscious baggage that must be explored.

Page of Coins/Pentacles

The coins or pentacles traditionally represent our material resources, finances, and tangible things. Situations in which the Page of Coins appears may indicate: the querent is beginning to learn how to manage finances; the querent is looking for a new job; the querent is interested in learning a new craft or skill with a physical component and/or a tangible, material result.

Reversed Page of Coins

The inner component of the material world, represented by the coins, is our values system. When coins are reversed in a reading, we turn our attention not to the literal, material world of finances and matter; rather, it is a call for us to examine our sense of self-worth and our priorities. Situations in which the reversed Page of Coins comes up may indicate: the querent is questioning their self-worth; the querent is considering the ways in which their profession does or does not line up with their values; the querent is becoming aware of how their priorities match, or do not match, those prescribed by society.

Remember that these are just hypothetical examples of the kinds of ways we find ourselves in Page situations in life!  Next time, I will explore my favorite stage: the Knights!  

-Benefica