Today's Tarot for Niccolo Machiavelli
| The Cross and Triangle spread is a powerful means of understanding complex situations, developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This spread is rich in occult and mystical symbolism, and one of our favorites here at Facade. The Renaissance Tarot is a modern deck, with symbolism drawn from the heroic age and rendered in renaissance style. This deck is an excellent choice for exploring questions of passion, mastery, and the inner workings of human reason. If you would like your own copy of the Renaissance Tarot, you can buy it now! |
 | The first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. The High Priestess, when reversed: Obfuscation. Mumbo jumbo. Heresy. |
 | The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. Two of Cups (Love): The flower of first love, of love at first sight. The bond between two people, invisible but formidable. |
 | The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. King of Staves: A renaissance man, practical and imaginative, active and contemplative, forceful and chivalrous. Appreciation of the lessons and pleasures of life. Worldliness in the best sense. An intellectual, an artist or an inventor. |
 | The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. Page of Swords: A Passionate young person given to seeking out the heart of the matter, even to the point of spying. Vigilance and quiet intensity. |
 | The fifth card, placed to the left of the significator represents Earth. It describes your physical presence, position in life, and the influence of the material world. Queen of Coins, when reversed: A cornucopia emptied. A heart of stone. Crystalline coldness. A field barren and gone to seed. Preoccupation of wealth and security that stifles enjoyment of both. |
 | At this point the cross is complete and the triangle is formed. The sixth card, placed on the bottom left of the triangle represents one of two opposing forces. Eight of Cups (Indolence), when reversed: Awareness. Perseverance. Optimism. |
 | The seventh card, placed on the bottom right of the triangle represents the force that opposes the bottom left card. These forces may be external, but they are frequently one's own inner archetypes in conflict. The World: Completion and perfection. Focus. Synthesis. Interweaving. The vast design of nature. The interconnecting patterns of experience. Fulfillment and success. |
 | The eighth card, the reconciler, is placed below the cross in the third vertex of the triangle. This is the force that will resolve the conflict between the bottom left and bottom right cards. By meditating on this force and bringing more of it into your life, you can bring the matter at hand to a swifter conclusion than would naturally occur. Wheel of Fortune: The intrusion of chance into affairs. Unlikely coincidence. "What goes up, must come down." The intercession of good fortune in life. A sudden opportunity that must be exploited deftly and promptly; according to Machiavelli, in The Prince, Fortune is "bald behind", that is, once she runs past, it will be too late to grab her, and so she must be seized as she approaches, "by the forelock". |
 | The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. The Hanged Man: Sacrifice. Vigilance. Martyrlike forbearance. Suspension or paralysis of the soul. A mind divided and undecided. Stasis and constraint. |
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