On Reading: Eikōn, Essence, and Function

Before proceeding further, it is worth briefly explaining three terms that recur throughout my articles on the Tarot and Petit Lenormand: eikōn, essence, and function. Together, they form the foundation of my approach to cartomancy and interpretation.

Eikōn

The word eikōn is Greek and simply means image. My use of the term, however, owes much to the Christian tradition of iconography.

Growing up with an exposure to Eastern Catholic and Orthodox influences, religious icons were a familiar sight. Over time, I developed a deep appreciation for the Byzantine tradition and the remarkable skill of iconographers. In that tradition, an icon is not merely a picture. It is “written” according to established rubrics in which colours, gestures, posture, clothing, objects, and composition all possess meaning. These individual elements combine to create a living image that communicates a story, truth, or mystery.

When I began studying the Tarot, particularly the Marseille tradition, the similarities struck me immediately. Like an icon, a Tarot card presents a complete image whose meaning emerges through the interaction of its various parts. The image speaks as a whole.

Christ in Majesty. Note the similarities to the Tarot’s Le Monde Card.
Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

What I found less convincing was the dominant deconstructive approach employed in many modern Tarot books, where individual symbols are isolated from their wider context and elevated above the image itself. One reader may focus upon a hat, another upon a shoe, whilst someone else becomes preoccupied with the colour of a sleeve. Valuable insights can certainly arise in this way, but the danger is that the card ceases to function as an integrated image and instead becomes a collection of disconnected details. Meaning becomes increasingly subjective and, ultimately, relativistic.

The gestures of the Juggler mean little outside the context of the entire card. Likewise, the direction in which the Ship sails only acquires significance when considered within the wider image and narrative. The whole must always remain greater than the sum of its parts.

Tiberio of Assisi, St Clare of Assisi, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

Whilst reflecting upon this, I am reminded of Saint Clare of Assisi’s visual approach to prayer, often summarised as gaze, consider, contemplate, and imitate. A visual form of Lectio Divina. It seemed to me that a similar method could be applied to the Tarot. One first observes the image, then reflects upon its meaning, contemplates its deeper significance, and finally applies its lessons to life.

For this reason, I prefer to think of the cards as eikōnes rather than collections of symbols. Each card should be approached as a complete image revealing a story and a principle.

I have deliberately chosen the Greek eikōn rather than the English word icon. Given the mixed reactions many people have towards Christianity, and despite the Tarot’s profoundly Christian origins, the Greek term provides a more neutral expression whilst still preserving the connection with the iconographic tradition from which my thinking developed.

Whilst the cosmological framework used throughout this work owes much to Aristotle and medieval natural philosophy, my approach to interpretation is more heavily influenced by the Christian Neoplatonic tradition. Both viewed the visible world as participating in deeper truths that transcend mere appearances.

The Tarot card is therefore not approached simply as a collection of symbols to be decoded, nor as a puzzle whose meaning is constructed from isolated details. Rather, the eikōn is treated as a unified image revealing an underlying reality. The image points beyond itself without ceasing to be itself. In this respect, the Tarot card functions much like a religious icon, inviting contemplation of the principle it expresses.

The famous Sinai Pantrocrator *reveals* Christ’s Dyophysitism: God and Human.
Saint Catherine Monastery, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Amongst the figures who have most influenced my thinking in this regard are Saint Augustine, St Benedict, Marsilio Ficino, Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, Thomas Merton and Brian Williams. Despite belonging to very different periods, each recognised the importance of contemplation, discernment, and the search for truth beneath appearances. Their writings encouraged me to approach the Tarot less as a collection of signs and more as a series of images revealing enduring principles.

Essence

If the eikōn is the image, the essence is the fundamental principle or mystery expressed by that image. The essence is not a keyword, nor is it a summary of every possible meaning attached to a card. Rather, it is the card’s underlying nature. It answers the question: what is this card?

My own understanding of essence emerged gradually through the study of Tarot and the Petit Lenormand. When I first learnt to read cards, keywords played little or no role. Instead, attention was given to the nature of a card and how it behaved in different circumstances (order, whether it was near or far, et cetera). It was only later, upon reading modern Tarot literature, that I encountered extensive keyword lists.

Whilst keywords can be useful as memory aids, I often found myself struggling to understand why particular words had been selected. Vocabulary is shaped by culture, language, generation, and personal preference. One author’s keyword might differ entirely from another’s, despite both discussing the same card. The result was often a sense of arbitrariness and made more difficult by my dyslexia.

Over time, I began to notice that things possess an underlying nature that makes them what they are. This differs from a purely symbolic approach in which a card merely stands for something else. The Hermit is not a symbol of prudence. The Hermit is prudent. Prudence belongs to his nature and is therefore expressed whenever he appears.

Matfre Ermengaud di Béziers, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

This understanding owes much to the Neoplatonic tradition, particularly as filtered through Saint Augustine and the Renaissance philosopher Marsilio Ficino. Both viewed visible things as participating in deeper realities rather than merely representing them. A thing possesses a nature which allows it to remain itself whilst simultaneously connecting it to broader truths.

In this sense, the essence is not a keyword attached to a card. Nor is it an abstract label. It is the card’s essential self: the underlying principle that unites all of its manifestations and gives coherence to its meanings.

This understanding also emerged naturally from my use of the eikōn. The eikōn reveals the essence. By contemplating the image as a whole, one arrives at the principle that animates it. The image is not merely a collection of symbols; it is the visible expression of an underlying nature.

The Hermit provides a useful example. Prudence is not one meaning of the Hermit amongst many; it is the principle from which the others arise. Whether the Hermit appears as caution, discretion, reflection, solitude, age, experience, patient guidance, or careful planning, prudence remains the common principle linking these manifestations together. Prudence is the Hermit’s essential self. Without prudence, the Hermit would cease to be the Hermit.

Similarly:

Justice is Verity.
The Pope is Wisdom.
The Hound is association.
The Fishes is abundance.

Every subsequent meaning associated with a card should arise from that central principle. The essence prevents the card from becoming a collection of disconnected keywords and instead allows its meanings to remain coherent and rooted in its nature.

In this respect, the essence acts as a thread running through every interpretation. It keeps the card unified, ensuring that however many manifestations it may possess, it remains recognisably itself.

Before proceeding further, I should briefly clarify a point of terminology. I am always pleased to see readers engage with and discuss the concept of essence, especially as it has become a useful part of the vocabulary surrounding this type of work. However, I have occasionally noticed the term being used somewhat differently from how I originally intended it. Essence is sometimes treated as little more than a refined keyword or summary phrase. Whilst this is understandable, it is not quite what I mean. A keyword describes a card; an essence reveals what the card is. It is not simply a convenient label attached to a collection of meanings, but the card’s underlying nature and identity. The essence of the Hermit, for example, is not merely a word chosen to summarise the card. It is the principle that makes the Hermit recognisably itself and from which all of its manifestations proceed. In this respect, essence is less a description than a revelation. It seeks to identify the card’s true nature rather than merely describe its appearances.

Essence should therefore not be understood as the most important keyword attached to a card or a vibe or spirit. Keywords remain descriptive; essence is ontological. It concerns the card’s being rather than its attributes. The question is not “How might this card be described?” but “What must this card be in order to be itself?” The answer to that question is what I mean by essence.

Function

If essence describes a card’s nature, function describes its action.

How does this principle operate?

Where essence is relatively static, function is active. The two are inseparable. A card’s function must arise naturally from its essence rather than being imposed upon it from outside.

If the essence describes a card’s nature, the function describes the activity proper to that nature.

For example:

Justice is verity that balances.
The Pope is wisdom that mediates.
The Hound is association that supports and assists.
The Fishes is abundance that circulates.

The function therefore represents the manner in which the essence expresses itself. Wisdom may manifest in many ways, but it always mediates between ignorance and understanding. Renewal may appear in many forms, but it always guides growth and recovery. Prudence consistently operates through discernment. The essence remains constant; the function explains its activity.

In many ways, function can be understood through a simple analogy. We understand a knife not merely by what it is, but by what it is for. The proper activity of a knife is to cut. Likewise, we understand a Tarot card more fully when we know both its nature and its operation.

Knowing what a card is allows us to identify it; knowing what it does allows us to interpret it.
Function becomes particularly important when we arrive at what I call the Progressed Meaning.

The progressed meaning is the practical interpretation that emerges during a reading. It is not the essence alone, nor the function alone, but the essence functioning within a specific context.

In other words:

Progressed Meaning = essence functioning in context

or, if one prefers:

Progressed Meaning = essence + function + context

Consider the Hermit. His essence is Prudence and his function is to Discern.

When interpreted in a love reading, we do not suddenly abandon prudence and begin inventing entirely new meanings. Rather, we ask how prudence functions through discernment within that context. The progressed meaning becomes caution, taking time to know another person, exercising discretion, or carefully evaluating a relationship before making commitments.

Likewise, in a business reading, the Hermit may advise reviewing evidence carefully before investing. In a health reading, he may indicate the need to seek additional information before proceeding with treatment. The manifestations differ, but the underlying principle remains unchanged. Prudence continues to operate through discernment.

The same process applies to every card.

Consider the Star. Its essence is Renewal and its function is to Guide. In health, it may indicate recovery and convalescence. In finances, gradual improvement. In relationships, reconciliation and rebuilding trust. In each case, renewal continues to guide circumstances towards restoration.

Death provides another useful example. Death is Demise that Terminates. In a relationship, this may indicate separation. In employment, redundancy. In health, the conclusion of a course of treatment. In each case, the progressed meaning arises from the same essential principle operating within different circumstances.

This leads to an important rule:

The progressed meaning should never contradict the essence.

The manifestation may vary, but the essence remains constant.

Death should never suddenly signify growth. The Devil should never become liberation. Justice should never become deceit. The circumstances may alter how the card appears, but they cannot alter the card’s nature.

Function therefore provides the bridge between a card’s nature and its practical interpretation. Without it, readings become little more than collections of disconnected keywords. With it, meanings develop naturally from the card itself.

The task of the reader is not merely to memorise interpretations, but to understand how the essence functions within the circumstances presented by the question. That process is what produces the progressed meaning.

The essence anchors the card, the function sets it in motion, and the context determines where that motion is directed. Together they produce the progressed meaning encountered in actual divination. When properly understood, the progressed meaning is not an arbitrary interpretation, but the natural consequence of the card’s nature operating within a particular situation.

The reader may therefore notice two distinct influences throughout this article. The structure of the cosmos, the elements, and the temperaments derive largely from the Aristotelian worldview. The method of interpretation, however, owes more to the Christian Neoplatonic tradition of Augustine and Ficino, in which visible images reveal deeper realities. The two approaches are not in opposition.

Indeed, Renaissance thinkers frequently employed both, seeing them as complementary ways of understanding the same creation.

Images:

Featured Image: Stadtbibliothek Trier (Wissenschaftliche Bibliothek der Stadt Trier), CC BY-SA 4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

References:

Augustine and Pine-Coffin, R.S. (2003) Confessions. London, England: Penguin Books.
Saint Augustine of Hippo and Bettenson, H. (2004) City of God. Penguin Books.
Carvalho, H.A. de and Ribeiro, L. (2010) On the heavenly spheres: A treatise on traditional astrology. Tempe, AZ: American Federation of Astrologers.
Benedict et al. (1981) RB 1980: The Rule of St. Benedict. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press.
Farley, H. (2009) A cultural history of Tarot: From entertainment to esotericism. London: I.B. Tauris.
Frawley, J. (2001) The Real Astrology. London: Apprentice.
Guite, M. (2022) Lifting the Veil: Imagination and the Kingdom of God
Hankey, W.J. (2016) Aquinas’s Neoplatonism in the Summa Theologiae on God. St Augustine’s Press.
Nees, L. (2002) Early Medieval Art. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Nouwen, H.J.M. (2007) Behold the beauty of the lord: Praying with icons. Notre Dame, Ind: Ave Maria Press.
O#Meara, D.J. (1981). Neoplatonism and Christian Thought
Ptolemaeus, C. and Robbins, F.E. (2001) Tetrabiblos. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Univ. Press.
Silvestre, C.H. (1987) ABC des Tarots. Paris: Marabout.
Thomas (2018) Summa Theologica: Complete in a Single Volume. Claremont, CA: Coyote Canyon Press.
Valens, V. and Riley, M.T. (2022) The Anthology. Denver, CO: Amor Fati Publications.
Williams, B. (2003) A Renaissance Tarot: A Guide to the Renaissance Tarot. U.S. Games Systems.

7 August, 202631 July, 2026

Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate: The Fives Part 3

This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate. As throughout this series, the emphasis is placed upon the traditional eikōn of the card, its historical context, and the practical significations I have found useful through divinatory practice. The interpretations presented here reflect my own experience of working with the Tarot de Marseille and should be understood as a working method rather than a definitive authority.

The Fives: The Pope and Temperance

Let us now turn to another example and, in doing so, introduce a new spread.

The tirage en croix, or cross spread, is perhaps the most popular layout in continental cartomancy. One of the principal reasons for its enduring popularity is its capacity to provide a clear and decisive response to a question—indeed, where appropriate, it may even yield a simple affirmative or negative answer. Several variations exist, and the one presented here is simply the version I utilise most often.

The twenty-one trumps and the Madman or Fool are shuffled and cut, after which four cards are dealt in the form of a cross.

03
01 – 05 – 02
04

Card 1 (Left): The querent and their manner of approaching the situation.
Card 2 (Right): The situation itself, including external influences, whether favourable or adverse.
Card 3 (Above): Advice and guidance.
Card 4 (Below): The outcome.
Card 5 (Centre): The synthesis.

Unlike the first four cards, the fifth is not drawn but calculated. One adds together the numerical values of the four cards already laid, using the numbering of the Major Arcana, and reduces the result to a number not exceeding twenty-two.

For example, should one draw the Madman (0), Justice (8), the Lover (6), and the Sun (19), the calculation is as follows:

0 + 8 + 6 + 19 = 33

As this exceeds twenty-two, one reduces it further:

3 + 3 = 6

The resulting number corresponds to the Lover, which serves as the synthesis.

It should be evident that this synthesis card is not to be read as an additional outcome; that function is already fulfilled by the fourth card. Rather, the synthesis reveals the underlying dynamics of the matter—the deeper currents and governing principles operating behind the question.

A brief note should be made regarding the Madman. When it appears amongst the first four cards, it is assigned the numerical value of zero for the purposes of calculation. However, the matter is treated somewhat differently in the case of the synthesis. Should the final total reduce to twenty-two, the Madman itself becomes the synthesis card.

Michelle was a gregarious, witty, and gifted amateur artist and jewellery maker who was difficult to overlook. Sadly, she lost her job during lockdown and struggled to find similar employment thereafter. When she secured an interview for a receptionist role, she wanted to know whether she would be successful.

The cards were:

Position 1: The Sun
Position 2: The Hermit
Position 3: The Pope
Position 4: The Star
Position 5 (Synthesis): The Pope

The reading begins with the Sun in the position of the querent. This card described Michelle remarkably well. She was warm, engaging, enthusiastic, and impossible to ignore. The Sun is open, honest, and direct. It illuminates everything around it and has little interest in concealment or reserve. Michelle’s natural inclination was therefore to approach the interview with confidence, sincerity, and considerable personal charm.

The situation itself was represented by the Hermit. Here we immediately encounter a contrast. Whereas the Sun shines brightly, the Hermit carries only a small lantern. The position Michelle sought required discretion, patience, and good judgement rather than exuberance and visibility.

A receptionist often acts as the public face of an organisation whilst simultaneously serving as a gatekeeper. Sensitive information may pass through their hands and they are required to deal with people tactfully and professionally. Consequently, the role demanded qualities that did not come as naturally to Michelle as the Sun’s warmth and openness.

The Hermit did not suggest that she suppress her personality altogether. Rather, it advised moderation. Michelle would need to turn down the brightness of the Sun somewhat and demonstrate a more thoughtful, careful, and measured side of herself.

In the position of advice appeared the Pope. This card proved crucial to the interpretation, and its significance became even more apparent when it later reappeared as the synthesis.

The Pope advised Michelle to combine confidence with empathy, strength of character with perceptiveness, and communication with understanding. Reception work is fundamentally a mediating role. One must listen carefully, assess situations quickly, and respond appropriately to a wide variety of people. The Pope therefore encouraged Michelle to demonstrate not merely competence, but wisdom in the application of that competence.

The card also suggested that she would benefit from learning as much as possible about the organisation beforehand. Speaking with someone familiar with the establishment, researching its culture, or gaining a clearer understanding of what the employer valued would allow her to present herself more effectively and show how her skills could benefit the organisation.

The outcome was represented by the Star, a highly encouraging card. The Star signifies renewal, hope, and guidance, all of which pointed towards a favourable result.

More importantly, the card highlighted adaptability. Just as the maiden directs water from her two pitchers, Michelle possessed the ability to apply her talents in different ways according to the needs of the situation. The Star suggested that she had the natural qualities required for the role and, crucially, the ability to adapt those qualities appropriately.

The synthesis was calculated as the Pope, reinforcing the importance of that card. Whenever a card appears both within the spread and as the synthesis, it deserves particular attention. Such repetition indicates that the principles symbolised by the card form the very heart of the matter.

The Pope revealed that the interview was not fundamentally about experience or qualifications. It was about demonstrating wisdom, tact, empathy, intuition, and sound judgement. Michelle already possessed the confidence and charisma represented by the Sun. Her challenge was to temper those qualities with the maturity, discernment, and understanding represented by the Pope.

True strength, the Pope reminds us, is not merely confidence. It is confidence guided by wisdom. Likewise, intuition is not guesswork, but perception informed by experience and understanding. The Pope therefore represented both the advice and the solution.

My conclusion was that Michelle had every chance of obtaining the position. Success depended less upon dazzling the interview panel and more upon convincing them that she possessed the judgement and interpersonal skills required for the role. If she could combine the warmth of the Sun with the wisdom of the Pope, the Star strongly suggested that the opportunity would be hers.

And so, it was! Michelle was successful and is still in post four years on.

This example illustrates another important principle of the tirage en croix. Repeated cards and recurring themes frequently reveal the true heart of a reading. Here, the Pope appeared twice, emphasising that genuine strength lay not in confidence alone, but in the wisdom to know how, when, and where that confidence should be applied.

Tarot Cards: Jean Dodal Tarot via Wikipedia Commons. Public Domain.

Featured Image: Ancient Tarot Major Arcana © BP Grimaud/John Waddington Ltd, Leeds & London, Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Noblet, 1650 © Editions «letarot.com» (2001 [hand stencilled trumps]). Les Tarot de Marseille Jean Dodal, 1701 et 1715 © Editions «letarot.com» (2002 [hand stencilled trumps])

6 August, 202624 July, 2026

Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate: The Fives Part 2

The Fives: The Pope and Temperance

Trump XIV, Tempérance, is a card whose meaning is often taken for granted. Is it simply a card of moderation? Does it advocate abstinence and self-denial? Why have some occult authors referred to it as the Angel of Time? Whilst these interpretations touch upon aspects of the card, they often overlook its central principle. Temperance is concerned not with abstaining from life, but with measuring it correctly.

The traditional eikōn of Temperance is remarkably consistent. We see a winged celestial being pouring liquid from one vessel into another. The action appears simple, yet it requires care, precision, and judgement. Too much or too little would spoil the operation. The angel therefore embodies the principle of measured action, continually adjusting and correcting to achieve the desired result.

The essence of Temperance is measurement; its function is to measure. This distinction is important. Contrary to popular belief, Temperance has little to do with abstinence and cannot be reduced to the simple maxim that everything is good in moderation. True temperance is the exercise of reason and faith to regulate desire. It is the ability to determine not merely whether something should be done, but how much, how often, and under what circumstances.

Human beings rarely achieve such balance naturally. In our fallen state, our appetites, passions, and desires frequently exceed what is good for us, whilst fear, indifference, or weakness may lead us to do too little. Earlier generations understood this imbalance through the theory of the humours, whereby an excess of choler, phlegm, melancholy, or sanguinity could distort not only bodily health but temperament itself. A person dominated by choler becomes rash, aggressive, and impatient, and feverish; one overwhelmed by phlegm passive, inert, and unwilling to act and easily becomes overweight. In either case, reason ceases to govern properly and the individual falls out of balance.

Temperance therefore seeks neither suppression nor indulgence, but right order. It is the virtue by which competing impulses are brought into proper proportion and directed towards the good. The challenge is that the correct measure is never universal. What is appropriate for one person may be excessive for another. What is suitable today may be unsuitable tomorrow. Temperance is therefore not static but dynamic. The angel does not simply divide the contents of the vessels equally; she transfers precisely the amount required.

When Temperance appears in a reading, it frequently indicates that a situation must be reassessed before progress can be made. The querent may need to balance enthusiasm with caution, emotion with reason, or ambition with practicality. Success will not be achieved through force, impulse, or wishful thinking, but through the correct application of effort, resources, and restraint. Vitality and passion must be married to intelligence and good judgement. The desired outcome is attained through the proper balance of skill, timing, and perseverance.

Some esoteric traditions have referred to this trump as the Angel of Time¹, a title which at first appears curious. For many years I struggled to see its relevance to the Marseille tradition. Yet time itself is a form of measurement. Days, months, seasons, and years are all ordered according to measure. In this sense, the association is entirely appropriate. Temperance often poses a simple but important question: is this the right time? The answer may not always accord with our wishes. Sometimes the card advises action; at others, patience. In either case, its lesson remains the same: the desired outcome is achieved not by forcing events, but by finding the correct measure and acting accordingly.

General: The careful and correct application of resources, effort, and judgement. Progress comes through adaptability and recognising what circumstances require. Temperance signifies balance, co-operation, and the ability to adjust to changing conditions without losing sight of the desired outcome. The card also has a strong association with timing, particularly knowing when to act and when to wait.

Love: Relationships characterised by mutual respect, patience, and a willingness to accommodate differences. Each partner recognises the strengths and weaknesses of the other and works towards shared goals. Temperance is an excellent card for reconciliation, compromise, and restoring harmony following disagreements. For those seeking love, the card frequently points towards friendship developing gradually into something deeper. The emphasis is upon steady growth rather than passionate intensity.

Career: Temperance is associated with the hospitality industry, including food, drink, accommodation, tourism, and recreation. It may also signify professions concerned with balance, regulation, and quality control, such as food science, environmental health, and similar specialist fields. In career matters, the card generally indicates stability and security, though advancement may be gradual. Temperance advises patience, as lasting success is achieved through steady progress rather than sudden opportunity.

Finance: Temperance signifies a healthy balance between income and expenditure. Whilst significant financial gains are seldom indicated, the card provides reassurance that resources are being managed appropriately. Major purchases should be approached carefully and viewed as long-term commitments. The key question is not whether something can be afforded, but whether it is necessary, appropriate, and proportionate.

Health: Temperance is generally a favourable indicator of both physical and mental wellbeing. The card emphasises balance, moderation, and sensible lifestyle choices, particularly with regard to diet, exercise, rest, and stress management. It advocates neither deprivation nor excess. Anatomically, Temperance is associated with the circulatory system, legs and ankles and the body’s capacity to maintain equilibrium.

Essence: Measurement.
Function: Measure.
Polarity: Positive.
Astrological Association: Aquarius.
Timing: February.

See work of Levi and Lind ↩︎