This post is part of the Tarot Blog Hop series for Ostara. Each post looks to answer the topic “Ostara: Paint a journey with new life.” If you are following this thread you will have gotten here from from a post by Amanda at 78 Whispers. The link to the next post in this series can be found at the end of this post. Please take a moment to subscribe to my blog while you are here via email.

Whenever I see a rainbow I think of it as a promise of renewal and rebirth. It is the light of hope after the storm. Probably due to the years I spent studying Qabala, but I also cannot think of rainbows without thinking of the Rainbow of Promise. The promise of the rainbow in this context is the freeing of the self from the mundane world and awakening to the life of spirit. In this awakening we can find both our true selves, balance in our lives and the ability to see the real nature of creation. QShTh the hebrew word for this idea can be correlated to three cards in the tarot: The Moon, The World, and The Final Judgement. The promise made here is that if we follow the map of these three cards we can achieve the benefits of a renewed and rejuvenated life.

The unmarked path of the Moon.

First we need to walk the path of the Moon. We have to set our course out of the land of shadows and night to find our place where everything is clear in the bright light of the sun.

The Moon is a card of mystery. It is associated with Pisces and the 12th house where our unconscious and the collective unconscious live. The twin pillars or towers in this card mark the gateway to the garden of Eden and paradise. Yet there is a long road through the darkness to get there. This road is all the more difficult to walk because it is unmarked.

When I was in Rajasthan, in India, I spend a night camping in the desert. At night in the desert there is nothing to see. The landscape is flat and even, without geographical detail. At night the stars are bright, but unless you speak their language they cannot help you navigate. I was frequently woken up by dung beetles, other animals, and insects running over me as I tried to sleep. This is a good metaphor for life. We are born without clear maps and are often constantly interrupted by unknown and unsettling experiences.

In the Moon card in the Thoth deck we find Kephra carrying the Sun through this maze of darkness. It is only through connecting with our inner guide that we can navigate in the otherwise confounding labyrinth of life. Others can’t help us. Chances are at best they will only try and set us on their path and at worst encourage us to give up seeking understanding and renewal.

The awakening of the dead, or sleeping, to a new spiritual awareness.

The second card we need to look at is the Judgement card. Symbolically this card is the passage between the towers shown in the Moon card. Here we have an awakening to life beyond the material world. Our eyes are opened and we can see things in a new way. Judgement is a word that is often looked down on these days. Discernment can be a handy substitute. To me the words can shift, but the essence of waking up and seeing beyond the veil of the material world to perceive the true machinery of the universe is what is important. Facing the reality of our lives and our actions is the first step towards rebirth.

The Judgement card is usually linked to the Hebrew letter Shin and the idea of both spirit and fire. When this card shows up in a reading it brings about a fiery kind of change that can be uncomfortable. It is not the instant destruction of the Tower, but it can bring as complete a transformation over time. Once we open our eyes to what is real it can be hard and painful to live with lies in ourselves or others. We end up having to set limits, change our behaviour and ultimately let go of those who are not in alignment with our growing understanding of our true purpose in life.

The new order. Balanced by the elements. ALigned with spirit. Heaven on Earth.

Finally, we find ourselves in the World card. The culmination of the our journey not just through the rainbow of promise we are talking about here, but also through all the trumps. I see in this card the delivery of the rainbows promise. Have we freed ourselves and achieved enlightenment? No. We have however freed ourselves from the limits that prevented us from seeing the true nature of the universe and we have learned discernment. We have learned balance and created order in our lives to sustain further growth. With our eyes open we are able to understand and deal with challenges on the material plane.

The World card often includes four animals, one in each corner of the card. These animals are the living application of the tools found in the Magician card. Once we have found this balance we have to sustain it. It is through the integration and balancing of these elements that we can live in this paradise. Now that we have learned and grown into this place we have no one but ourselves to blame if we let it slide away.

Navigating the Rainbow of Promise

1. The Moon. What do I need to find my inner light so I can navigate the dessert of my life?
2. Judgement. What in my life do I need to be more discerning about?
3. Judgement. What in myself do I need to be more discerning about?
4. The World Card. What do I need to stay living the promise of the rainbow?

Keep in mind that although I talk about this journey as a quick journey through these three cards it is usually more a cycle of ever deeper embodiment of the benefits of this process. Don’t be discouraged it your don’t find perfection the first time through – just revisit this reading periodically to continue on your path.

What is the Tarot Blog Hop? This sprung up out of an offhand remark made by Stephanie Arwen Lynch on her Facebook page. The Tarot Blog Hop is when a group of bloggers all blog on the same question/topic and link to the blogger before them and the blogger after them to create a Tarot Train.

The Hermit’s Lamp is the blog of Andrew McGregor – Toronto Tarot reader, artist and teacher. The Hermit’s Lamp is also a storefront in Toronto selling metaphysical and spiritual supplies. Please visit The Hermit’s Lamp website for more information on readings and classes both online and in Toronto. You can also listen to the Hermit’s Lamp Podcast here.