This article continues my series examining the trumps of the Tarot de Marseille, adapted from my unpublished manuscript, Tarot de Marseille: The Picturebook of Fate.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 Threes: The Empress, the Hanged Man and the World

Let us now consider a different style of reading.

This example uses the tirage en ligne, or linear draw, a common feature of the French cartomantic tradition. Unlike the previous examples, there are no fixed positions. Instead, the cards are read sequentially, each developing the story told by the previous card.

The reading was conducted for Patricia. Her husband, Kevin, was a self-employed carpenter who had begun to experience difficulties obtaining sufficient work. As both were now in their early sixties, Patricia was understandably concerned that a prolonged decline in business could affect their retirement plans.

Her question was:

“What can be done to increase the business?”

The cards drawn were:

The Hermit – The Juggler – The Empress

The Hermit describes Kevin’s current approach. Like the Hermit, he relies upon experience, reputation, and the quality of his work. There is a sense of prudence and discretion here. Existing customers value his skills, but the card also suggests a reluctance to promote himself or adapt to changing circumstances. The Hermit carries a lantern rather than a banner. He seeks to be discovered rather than noticed.

The Juggler introduces the necessary change. Whereas the Hermit is discreet, the Juggler actively attracts attention. He understands presentation, visibility, and differentiation. The card suggests that Kevin must identify what distinguishes him from the many other carpenters operating in the area. What particular skills, services, or experience set him apart? The Juggler asks him to define his unique selling point and make it visible to potential customers.

For example, Kevin may possess specialist knowledge in restoration work, bespoke cabinetry, traditional joinery, or some other area in which he excels. Such expertise has considerable value, but only if potential customers are aware of it. The cards suggest that he should stop marketing himself merely as a carpenter and begin promoting whatever makes his business distinctive.

Having identified those strengths, the Empress shows how they should be used. The Empress is a communicator and network builder. She spreads information, makes introductions, and ensures that people know what is available. The card therefore advises greater emphasis upon marketing, referrals, networking, local advertising, social media, and recommendations from satisfied customers. It is not enough to possess expertise; others must know that expertise exists.

The three cards form a natural sequence. The Hermit possesses knowledge and experience. The Juggler packages that experience into something distinctive and memorable. The Empress then communicates it to the wider world. The problem is not a lack of skill, but the failure to move through the latter two stages.

It is also worth noting that the reading begins with the Hermit and concludes with the Empress. Symbolically, this is a movement from privacy towards visibility. Kevin’s experience remains his greatest asset, but the cards indicate that he has become too discreet. The knowledge that serves him well must now be brought into the public eye.

My conclusion was that Kevin’s difficulty did not arise from a lack of ability or experience. The opposite was true. The Hermit suggested that he possessed valuable skills developed over many years. The problem was visibility. Those skills first needed to be defined and differentiated by the Juggler, and then communicated by the Empress. In short, Kevin did not need to become a better carpenter; he needed to become better known.

This example illustrates an important principle of the tirage en ligne: each card develops the action of the previous one. The cards do not merely provide three separate answers. Together, they tell a story.

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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])

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 Threes: The Empress, the Hanged Man and the World

Trump XXI, Le Monde, or the World, is one of the most recognisable cards in the Tarot. Does it signify the integration of opposites and the harmonising of the anima and animus? Is it merely a card of completion and success? Or does it speak of travel, the wider world, and horizons broadened by experience? Whilst each of these interpretations contains an element of truth, the Marseille World speaks above all of attainment, fulfilment, and wholeness.

The essence of the World is totality; its function is to elevate. Here we encounter a state in which something has reached its proper fulfilment and been raised to its highest condition. The card therefore signifies completion, accomplishment, and the realisation of a long-sought objective.

The traditional eikōn of the World is both familiar and strangely abstract. At its centre stands a figure balanced upon one leg and enclosed within a mandorla. In the four corners appear an angel, a lion, a bull, and an eagle. Whilst later traditions have offered a variety of interpretations, the image is clearly indebted to the medieval Maiestas Domini, or Christ in Glory. In such images, Christ is depicted enthroned within a mandorla and accompanied by the symbols of the four Evangelists: Saint Matthew, Saint Mark, Saint Luke, and Saint John. The Tarot omits Christ Himself, replacing Him with a more ambiguous figure that may be understood as the Soul, Wisdom, or perfected humanity.

The significance of the image lies in its attainment of the highest possible condition. The World represents the fulfilment of a desire that has long motivated effort and aspiration. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote that the human heart remains restless until it rests in God¹. Saint Thomas Aquinas developed this idea through his teaching on the Beatific Vision, in which the soul finally beholds and enjoys its Creator directly. Likewise, the life of Saint Francis demonstrates the profound joy that comes from orientating oneself wholly towards the highest good — Deus meus et omnia². Whether one interprets the card in explicitly religious terms or not, the underlying principle remains the same: the attainment of that which has been sought above all else.

For this reason, the World signifies the fulfilment of the soul’s desire. It is not merely success, nor simply the completion of a project. Rather, it is the moment at which striving gives way to attainment and aspiration to satisfaction. The journey has reached its proper conclusion and the goal stands before us.

In divination, the World is one of the most welcome cards. It often indicates that a venture, phase of life, or long-term undertaking is nearing its successful completion. One graduates from university, receives the long-desired promotion, purchases a dream home, or meets the person one will marry. Whatever the matter under consideration, the card brings a sense of having arrived. The destination has been reached and the effort justified.

The fulfilment promised by the World differs subtly from that of the Sun. The Sun is characterised by shared happiness, warmth, and mutuality; the World by personal attainment and individual accomplishment. It is worth remembering that the central figure stands alone. Others may celebrate our success, but the achievement itself belongs to us. The World therefore represents the satisfaction that comes from accomplishing something meaningful through our own efforts.

The World also possesses strong associations with travel, foreign countries, and a cosmopolitan outlook. The horizons of the querent are broadened and the limits of the familiar surpassed. Whether through travel, education, or experience, the individual is elevated beyond their previous condition. Thus the World signifies not merely an end, but the successful completion of one stage of life and the threshold of another.

General: A sense of personal gratification and triumph with the outcome or the realisation of a personal goal. Matters reaching their natural conclusion and synthesis. Travel and at times emigration or relocating.

Love: If a prominent position the World often shows a relationship entering a milestone be it going steady, to celebrating an important anniversary. The relationship is a source of pride and pleasure, with a sense of belonging. People looking for love will often find opportunities to meet new people, especially during travel or visiting new places.

Career: The card does point towards the travel sector especially roles which involves travelling (pilot, cabin crew, travel representative) as well as translators, interpreters and anthropologists. It can indicate a promotion especially if it involves the need for relocation or moving work premises.

Finances: Incomes are stable, and a sense of material stability and independence is felt. In times of hardship the World often indicates opportunities and assistance are available to turn things around.

Health: The World card pertains to viruses and infections that are transmitted between people or through the environment. This includes influenza and herpes simplex.

Essence: Totality.
Function: Elevate.
Polarity: Neutral.
Astrological Association: None.
Timing: None.

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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])

1. For thou hast made us for thyself and restless is our heart until it comes to rest in thee. Confessions, Book I: Chapter I ↩︎
2. My God and My All ↩︎

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 Threes: The Empress, the Hanged Man and the World

Trump XII, Le Pendu, or the Hanged Man, is both an intriguing and unsettling card. Does it signify self-sacrifice and the promise of future rewards? Is it merely a card of stasis and stagnation? Or does it ask us to view the world from a different perspective? Whilst such themes are often associated with the card, they do not fully explain its peculiar image. The Marseille Hanged Man is less concerned with enlightenment than with disgrace, exclusion, and the consequences of damaged reputation.

The essence of the Hanged Man is dishonour; its function is to suspend. Although these concepts may initially seem severe, they provide the key to understanding the card’s operation in a reading. The Hanged Man does not move freely within the world. Something has happened which prevents progress. Whether deserved or not, his ability to act has been curtailed, his position compromised, and his affairs placed on hold.

The traditional eikōn is both striking and historically grounded. We see a man suspended by one ankle, hanging upside down from a wooden frame. To modern eyes the image appears strange, yet it derives from a genuine early modern practice known as pitture infamanti or defaming portraits. Such images were displayed upon public buildings in order to shame individuals accused of fraud, bankruptcy, debt, treason, or other offences against the community. The subjects were often prominent figures whose standing and reputation were essential to their influence. Public dishonour became a means of public punishment.

The image is reinforced by long-standing associations between hanging and disgrace. Through its connection with Judas Iscariot, hanging came to be regarded as a particularly dishonourable end. The Hanged Man therefore depicts not simply punishment, but the loss of standing, credibility, and trust.

From this, the card’s function becomes clear. The purpose of defamation is not merely to embarrass, but to undermine. A damaged reputation limits opportunities, erodes confidence, and impedes action. In short, it suspends. The principle remains recognisable today. Rumours, gossip, false allegations, public scandal, and social ostracism all operate in much the same way. Whether justified or unjustified, the result is often that a person’s progress grinds to a halt.

When the Hanged Man appears in a reading, it frequently indicates that the past is hindering the present. A previous mistake, poor financial history, unfavourable references, damaged relationships, or an unfortunate reputation may be creating obstacles. Sometimes these concerns are real; at other times they arise from perception rather than reality. The surrounding cards will usually reveal whether the difficulties are justified, exaggerated, or entirely unfounded.

In practical divination, the Hanged Man is frequently a sign of delay, frustration, and suspended progress. Aspirations are postponed, plans encounter obstacles, and forward movement becomes difficult. It often marks a downward turn in fortune, not necessarily permanent, but sufficient to require patience whilst circumstances run their course. Before progress can resume, the matter causing the suspension must first be addressed.

General: The arrival of a difficult period marked by delays, setbacks, and frustration. Plans may be suspended, opportunities withdrawn, and progress slowed by circumstances beyond the querent’s control. The card frequently signifies defamation, gossip, scandal, or modern forms of public shaming. Past mistakes, whether real or alleged, may return with unwelcome consequences. The Hanged Man reminds us that reputation, once damaged, can be difficult to restore.

Love: The Hanged Man is seldom a welcome sight in matters of the heart. For those who are single, it often signifies a lack of meaningful opportunities or the pursuit of relationships that are unlikely to endure. The querent may be misled, kept waiting, or investing in someone who cannot offer a genuine commitment. In established relationships, previous mistakes, old grievances, or unresolved issues may resurface and place the partnership under considerable strain. Progress becomes difficult until these matters are confronted directly.

Career: The Hanged Man is associated with prisons, probation services, and occupations connected with punishment, rehabilitation, and social reintegration. It may also signify charitable work, particularly involving disadvantaged individuals, vulnerable groups, or young people. In career matters more generally, the card often points towards obstacles to employment, promotion, or advancement arising from past mistakes, poor references, financial difficulties, or a damaged reputation.

Finance: Delays, restrictions, or setbacks affecting financial affairs. Previous decisions may have consequences that limit present opportunities. Credit difficulties, unpaid debts, or problems arising from reputation may feature prominently. Bankruptcy.

Health: Anatomically, the Hanged Man is associated with the knees and the legs. More generally, the card frequently signifies delayed recovery, prolonged treatment, or conditions that restrict movement and activity. Progress may be slower than desired, requiring patience and perseverance.

Essence: Dishonour.
Function: Suspend.
Polarity: Negative.
Astrological Association: Capricorn.
Timing: January.

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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])