Still your unruly thoughts and don't respond in a preconditioned way. Be impartial, unprejudiced and nonjudgmental. You could discover a new way of relating that allows you to see through the eyes of others.

Traditionally, representing the energy of a King, this masculine energy form is the Adjudicator, the wise judge or mediator. He helps parties in conflict discover common ground and build upon it, and guides societies to see their greater good. His archetype is Solomon, ancient lawgiver and philosopher of the Old Testament. Sometimes appearing cool and detached, he can be misunderstood as not caring.

But emotional displays are just not his medium, nor is he moved by appeals to sympathy or pity. With the philosophical overview that comes from long experience, he listens deeply, watches closely and speaks last. In the end, his even-handedness and objectivity earn him the respect he receives from his community, and those who cannot work out their problems come to him voluntarily for advice.

Occasionally this man is subtly detailed to imply that he is a woman in male armor. If you notice this theme in your deck, it is a reference to Joan of Arc, the Maid of Orleans, archetype of a devout and inspired woman warrior, who was mystically led to abandon her social role to defend what she saw as the greater good. Although she was martyred young, her model crystallizes the message that sometimes the good of the whole is more important than the good of the individual, and in that case, even if you lose, you win just for being there.

This could be an upsetting day. Remain calm in the face of unexpected changes or challenges and listen to the inner voice that assures you that everything is going to be all right.

In practically all renditions of the Tower card, disaster is striking or has just struck. The demons of madness and despair are released from ancient hiding places, and nature conspires with human failings to destabilize a society. The upheaval is collective and impersonal. Let us remember these images were created for the educated nobles and clergy -- reminding them that they have the most to lose if the hierarchy is toppled.

Lightning is a fitting karmic payback for the guilt of those whose fortunes come from the exploitation or abuse of others. A modern subtitle might be "Revolution," indicating that through drastic social change oppressed people can find renewed hope of better times. The Tower experience comes like a flash of lightning to topple the hierarchy of the old order, after which everyone can have a fresh start on a more equal footing.

You're going to have invisible help in your work or affairs but agents or go-betweens may prove to be disappointing. Use your charm and you'll attract gifts, favors, romance and advantages.

May unconditional love be within you. Traditionally, representing the energy of a Queen, this card traditionally portrays a sensitive, vulnerable, omniscient woman who offers unconditional love. She is supremely empathic -- sometimes to a fault. Her caring nature exposes her to everybody else's emotions and needs.

This person sometimes has difficulty identifying her own best interests in the midst of her responsiveness to others. As a result, she sometimes appears slightly unfocused or perhaps overwhelmed, filled as she is with "spirits". She represents the Grail Queen, as well as the Goddess of the Family.

Progress that's suddenly stymied could catch you off guard. Worry, anxiety or suffering caused by another is also likely. Bide your time and you will have a new state of consciousness and a revised experience.

The Nine of this suit has a special resonance with the Middle Ages, because it figures the plight of a woman who is alone in the world, during the centuries when women had no personal rights, no ability to inherit property or use the law in their own defense. We generally see her sitting up in bed weeping, grieving and in fear of abandonment because of her vulnerability, wondering what will happen to her now that her protector (father, brother, husband, or son) is gone.

The swords above her head may indicate that the loss has come through some cruel conflict, the outcome of which has left her behind as chattel, the spoils of war. Really what we are looking at is the price of pride, which creates losers as a side effect of glorifying winners. The woman in the picture represents the concerns of the heart, the damage to the soul and to vulnerable ones, when the ego-mind becomes so invested in control and domination that it does not count the human costs. A sensitive, subtle, heartfelt approach to nature (the "feminine") is trampled and thrown aside in service to a "winner takes all" mentality.

Someone may give you a gift or a token of love or money could come in a letter. Your affairs will still be unsettled but you'll move into a happier atmosphere. Be willing to defer instant gratification.

This suit, most often named "Coins" or "Pentacles," is a symbol for a magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit represents something supportive that is available to you -- whether it be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.

The Six of this suit is the card of patronage -- generosity with strings attached. The picture shows a rich man giving alms, his reputation enhanced from his giving, but without having helped anybody really better him or herself. Sometimes there is an inference that the giver will be expecting something back for his giving, perhaps sexual favors.

Sometimes this card is interpreted as referring to some kind of patron or benefactor who rescues a talented person from oblivion, but then wants to dictate what the artist works on as his fame grows. Inequality of power is generally a factor in this card, and the person being helped needs to be careful not to trade off heart and soul for a short cut to fame or fortune. Each player in this scenario needs to examine the possibility they are taking one side or the other in an unbalanced power struggle.

You will experience a regeneration of mind or spirit which will be directed toward new ideas, new areas and new beginnings. Accept what is going to be offered... it could change your life.

This suit, most often named "Coins" or "Pentacles," is a symbol for a magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit represents something supportive that is available to you -- whether it be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.

The Six of this suit is the card of patronage -- generosity with strings attached. The picture shows a rich man giving alms, his reputation enhanced from his giving, but without having helped anybody really better him or herself. Sometimes there is an inference that the giver will be expecting something back for his giving, perhaps sexual favors.

Sometimes this card is interpreted as referring to some kind of patron or benefactor who rescues a talented person from oblivion, but then wants to dictate what the artist works on as his fame grows. Inequality of power is generally a factor in this card, and the person being helped needs to be careful not to trade off heart and soul for a short cut to fame or fortune. Each player in this scenario needs to examine the possibility they are taking one side or the other in an unbalanced power struggle.

Luck will be with you in finding an emotional outlet that will resolve tension, ease your mind or soothe your soul. Heed your feelings and not your intellect and you'll be moving in the right direction.

Traditionally entitled "Empress," this major arcana or "trump" card portrays the energy of the Great Mother. She is Nature, around us but also within us, the ever-unfolding Source of life-giving power. She is often pictured as a pre-Christian Goddess, as the one whom the High Priestess is channeling down to earth for the rest of us.

In medieval Europe, the Empress card was painted to represent whatever Queen currently ruled the land, probably to satisfy the Inquisitors. But the scholars of the Renaissance and beyond had no doubt of her true identity, although she could not be fully revealed on Tarot cards as the "woman clothed with the sun" until after the French Revolution.

This supreme archetype of femininity also symbolizes fertility. It is She who provides us nourishment and security. She is also sometimes seen as delighting us with flowers and fruit. A potentially terrifying aspect of this archetype manifests itself whenever karmic mood swings wipe out our plans, like a storm that has come upon us. Whatever happens, the Empress is the Source of our Embodiment and of Natural Law. She might even be called "the Great Recycler. "