The Cyclic Rhythm of the Tarot

The Cyclic Rhythm of the Tarot

Everything in life has a cycle, consisting of a beginning and an end. Sometimes there can be a rebirth within the middle of the cycle which will lead to a new beginning, thus initiating a new cycle altogether. The Tarot was designed to represent the entire cyclic rhythm of our lives, with the Major Arcana incrementing twenty two stages in the more meaningful implications of our lives, while each suit of the Minor Arcana contains ten stages and four lesser stages, totaling fourteen.

When we are in the middle of a cycle, it need not progress in a linear fashion, but can go backward, forward, and even sidestep stages to encompass separate but related issues. Because the cycles we encounter sometimes seem to have no net pattern, it can be difficult to ascertain the beginning and end of each one. Each person who enters into a cycle does so with a different level of awareness and will progress through the cycle at his own pace. 

Therefore, two people who enter a cycle at the same time, place, and emotional level may not necessary complete the cycle via the same routes, thus why many people choose to end relationships simply because they have grown apart and find that they no longer have anything in common. A person can travel many pathways to complete a cycle, and the Tarot attempts to depict many such avenues. 

Every cycle we enter into must be completed, and we cannot jump out of the cycle in the middle of an evolutionary process merely because we do not like what is occurring. These are necessary to our development and must be completed before we can move into other spiritual levels.