Tarot Blog Hop- Union of Opposites
PREVIOUS POST | MASTER LIST | NEXT POST Welcome to The Willow Path Tarot to everyone on the Tarot Blog Hop! This season's hop is about The Union of Opposites which come together beautifully at this fresh and fertile time of year at Beltane. Spring is announcing itself loud and clear in the northern hemisphere (even though it may be only 45F here in Boston! Eek!), with luscious flowers and budding tree leaves. The great blue heron was back on the river today when I walked to work, which must be the first true blessing of May Day.
The very nature of our existence revolves around opposites. We have no way of defining something without an equal definition of that thing's opposite. Try to understand what night time is without having any knowledge of daylight, and you will see what I mean. One must exist for the other to exist. This is true of all opposites, making it easy for us to see how wonderful the creative union of these opposites can be.
The major arcana of the tarot explores the truly grand oppositions of our lives. An example of this is The Moon as night, and The Sun as day, representing an archetypal oppositions around which our entire Earth revolves. More major arcana oppositions can be seen in The Empress as the archetype of the feminine while The Emperor represents the masculine. The Hermit can signify inward exploration while The World is indicative of outer exploration. The Lovers, the tarot card of Beltane, is the essence of the union of opposites in just one card. There are many ways to show these necessary and beautiful oppositions because the major arcana cards are guiding forces in our lives.
The minor arcana, being a mirror to reflect our daily lives, is naturally created out of oppositions as well. The tarot can help us explores these everyday challenges in helpful and productive ways. Often oppositions will present themselves in a reading, showing you the two sides of your question or issue. Sometimes just one side of an issue will pop up and it can be helpful to then think to yourself- ok, now what is the opposite of this situation? What do I want to bring into my life more, and what needs to back off a bit to create a happy union of these opposites? Opposing cards are helpful for delving into the multifaceted lives that we live. Here are a few opposing minor arcana pairs that I noticed while going through the deck for this blog post:
V of Wands: Fighting for what you want and need, getting what you deserve
as opposed to
VIII of Cups: Walking away from what you don't need, leaving behind what doesn't serve you
Union of Opposites: Recognizing what you should fight for and what you should walk away from, finding a healthy balance between your physical and emotional needs.
VII of Swords: Being a lonewolf, acting out of your own self interest, being fiercely independent
as opposed to
III of Pentacles: Working as a group, doing what's best for everyone, combining efforts
Union of Opposites: Knowing when to work alone and when to consult the group, integrating your own personal freedom with the needs of the group.
VI of Pentacles: Charitable giving, giving freely of materials possessions to those in need
as opposed to
IV of Pentacles: Miserliness, holding tightly to materials possessions all for oneself
Union of Opposites: Balancing out how much you receive and how much you give, knowing when to hold on tight and when to release.
VII of Wands: Spirited action, effort and movement, passion and attack
as opposed to
IV of Swords: Spirited inaction, rest and relaxation, meditation and healing
Union of Opposites: Finding the strength to carry on by giving yourself space and time to relax and heal, knowing when to go full speed ahead and when to stop and contemplate.
III of Cups: Celebration with friends, harmony and acceptance, community
as opposed to
IX of Swords: Dread and misery alone at night, anxieties and fears, isolation
Union of Opposites: Recognizing the dual pitfalls of carefree partying as well as losing yourself in worry and anxiety, finding a healthy balance between alone and social time.
This is just the very tip of the iceberg on oppositions that are represented in the minor arcana of the tarot. Exploring these opposites and how they explain and facilitate their opposing cards through an intrinsic union can be revelatory and inspiring. I hope you enjoyed this post in the Tarot Blog Hop and stay to check out more of my blog or return in the future! Don't forget to explore your own tarot deck to find the meaningful union of opposites between those cards that most sing to you!
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