Eight of Cups
Mutable water: confusion, hidden meanings, the moon, intuition
In this card, the figure doesn't notice the moon, and doesn't seem aware of how its guiding force is helping them on their way. The moon in the Eight of Cups is at once a sliver of waxing crescent moon and a full moon, or perhaps it is an eclipse.
The Hermit
Mutable earth: protection, spaciousness, sacred boundaries
The card in this deck offers so much comfort through that connection, modelling a form of self-knowledge that is formed through consultation of existing traditions, nurtured through understanding our place in a lineage, and strengthened through community.
Nine of Pentacles
Mutable earth: late summer, sexuality, harvest
Her serenity is apparent, the bird sitting peacefully on her head, the armful of produce, her calm view of the field, and a gentle hand on the pentacles, as though she isn’t too attached to them, doesn’t need to control them. There is plenty, she seems to tell us, there will be enough.
The Tower
Cardinal fire: heat, fire opals, intensity
A story is about the moment of unstoppable inevitability of knowledge or action: think of Greek tragedies, folk tales, revolutions, mysteries. Humans are wired to be hungry for these kinds of stories, because they help us to understand a chaotic and sometimes brutal world.
The Hanged One
Mutable water: surrender, liminality, balance, suspension
When we are used to experiencing adrenaline, or the effects of trauma, rest and relaxation can feel counterintuitive: allowing our muscles to relax can give a stronger sensation than our familiar contractions.
Four of Wands
Fixed earth: homecoming, celebration, safety
Fours tend to represent stability and support, in the Modern Witch deck, the four wands have been made into a shelter, gateway, or portal decked with festive foliage.
Three of Cups
Cardinal water: spiritual awakening, coven, love, community
We are already in profound communion with all other humans, and each one of us is capable of the same range of dark and light behaviours, it is a matter of circumstance and context that determines the outcomes.
Ten of Swords
Mutable air: passing thoughts, delusions, fleeting fears
Tens represent the culmination of the energy of each suit, and the Ten of Swords is the associated with the intellect, and with air.
The Page of Cups
Cardinal water: queer mermaids, watery dreams, emotions, rain
Of all the court cards, the page is the youngest and has the most raw and childlike relationship with their suit. Cups are the symbol of emotion, and the Page of Cups has an unfiltered relationship with their intuition.
Writing as SpellWork
Cardinal fire: will, magic, ritual.
Casting a spell is a combination of ritual and will. The ritual supports the magic, and that is why it is necessary to use specific herbs, objects, incantations, tools, and so on. But without the concentrated force of will, the spell will be hollow and ineffective.
Writing as Sigil
Cardinal earth: initiating a sensory practice, intentions
A sigil is a powerful symbolic representation of your magical will.
Cosmic Messaging
Mutable air: cosmic messaging, spiritual frequencies, intuition
Intuition and divination are key to practical magic. The individual magician’s intuition will dictate the results of their magic, even if they follow precisely the same rituals as someone else.