Archangel The archangel here is Raguel. He's known for being the angel we can call on when we find ourselves in a challenging situation with another person. He softens the energy and brings about reconciliation and compromise-perfect for Justice! Raguel's halo is pale blue.

Astrology The astrology for this card is Libra, which is usually represented by the scales found on this card. This sign is open-minded, balanced, idealistic, and very focused on what is fair.

The Hermit

This card is very much about mentoring or being mentored, especially with respect to spiritual teachings. We may be called upon to seek out a teacher to help us move forward, or perhaps we've done enough inner exploration that we have great insights to share with others.

The Hermit asks us to go within to pursue self-discovery. He compels us to be quiet and listen to the small, still voice that comes from the depths of our souls.

This card can indicate getting good advice from someone wise, and can also encourage us to take some quiet time to reevaluate our plans.

The Dreamer's Journey Everyone needs an occasional time-out, a moment to be with oneself and reflect. And so it is with The Hermit.

Or is it?

You see, the little-known secret about The Hermit is that he's not nearly as solitary as he appears. He stands at the top of the mountain holding out his lantern for those who are climbing up behind him. Just out of view, his students are rising to join him. He shines his light so that the seekers of truth can find him.

As Dreamers, we find ourselves needing time to a.s.similate all that we've learned up to this point on the journey. We ask ourselves questions such as, "Am I on the right path?" or "Is the effort I'm putting into this endeavor really worth it?" Answers to those questions come from within, or from a spiritual teacher like The Hermit, who can guide us to our own conclusions.

Symbolism The Hermit stands at the top of a mountain to represent that he's risen to new spiritual heights. What better vantage point from which to see the world and our place in it?

He carries a cane for support to show that it's all right to rely on others when necessary.

His lantern symbolizes that he's been enlightened by many of his experiences so far.

From the lantern, fireflies (which represent our inner light) zoom around. They show that this light can fly off to other places and illuminate other souls. Fireflies are also a sign that there's a great deal of magic in the world.

While this card is a.s.sociated with Virgo (see the Astrology section below), The Hermit stands with Saturn behind him. In astrology, a "Saturn return" occurs in our birth charts about every 28 years. During that time, people often feel the need to reflect on their lives to date. If your clients pull this card, they may be in for a time of inner exploration.

Angel Number The number 9 symbolizes humanitarianism, both in traditional numerology and in angel numbers. Just like The Hermit, who is also a humanitarian and working to bring light into the world, there's a certain amount of self-sacrifice a.s.sociated with it. For example, with the number 971, we know right away that numerologically it's going to reduce to 8, the sum of the other two numbers (9 + 7 + 1 = 17, 1 + 7 = 8). The 9 in a sense "sacrifices" itself. That's what makes it the perfect number for The Hermit. But even outside of mathematics, 9 is the number that says "Get to work, Lightworkers! The world needs you to fully commit to your life purpose."

Archangel Our grand old wizard Archangel Raziel has returned, ready to teach us the secrets that he's learned. He has moved past The Magician card that's indicative of the ability to create. Now the question is: Why should we create? How can we help the world with our magical abilities?

Raziel appears to us in rainbow colors.

Astrology This card resonates to the energy of hardworking, diligent, devoted, and nurturing Virgo. Much like our Hermit, this sign is extremely dedicated to helping others, having learned the perfect way to accomplish its goals. As such, it wants to share that information with its apprentices. Virgo is very studious and wants to know the "whys" and "hows" of every situation.

The Wheel

The Wheel is a card of luck. For those of us who know astrology, this card is linked to Jupiter, so our experience with it is that it's most often good luck. It's also a card of renewed movement, so while we may have taken a little time to rest and reflect with The Hermit, we're now back on our path. The pause is over, and delays are a thing of the past.

However, if The Wheel is surrounded by challenging cards, or falls in a position of the past, it can sometimes indicate that our opportunities have become limited. The Wheel does have a certain attachment to karma, so when it spins, it's often because our own actions have set it into motion.

The Dreamer's Journey Well, it's been great spending time with The Hermit. We discovered a new sense of balance as well as the answers we were seeking. However, now it's time to move forward, and sure enough, that's the message of The Wheel. There should be a reward for spending time in a state of spiritual growth, and now we've found a bit of good luck. There may be a "happy accident" that sets us back into action, or perhaps we're just ready to get going. It's true that a wheel turns in both directions, but the forward motion of our journey tends to set us in a positive direction. We are the masters of our own fate, after all.

Symbolism Archangel Michael sits inside a wheel of the zodiac to show us that life is ever-changing. We move through life just like Mother Earth moves through the seasons, and the stars move through the sky.

The four elemental icons-Fire, Water, Earth and Air-are depicted on this card. They were also shown on the belt of The Magician and represent the elements at our disposal to control our own destinies.

While in traditional tarot, this card has a sense of fate about it, we believe that everyone has free will. We can change the direction of our lives if we so desire.

These elements and their attachment to both The Magician and The Wheel cards show that we have the resources necessary to make those changes.

Angel Number The number 10 carries with it a sense of good luck. It's a 1 (which can be a beginning), coupled with the G.o.d number of 0. It often means a change of luck in our favor. Because 1 + 0 still equals 1, it's very important to see the changes that the wheel brings as positive and designed for our benefit. After all, perception becomes reality.

Archangel Archangel Michael returns in this card. As the archangel who helps us with life-purpose issues, he can a.s.sist us in making the changes we desire, especially if we feel that our lives have stopped moving forward and we need help to get going again.

His colors are deep royal blue and gold.

Astrology As we mentioned, the astrology of this card is lucky old Jupiter. It's expansive, positive, and optimistic. That is why we usually find that this card indicates good luck. Jupiter has only the best intentions for us and wants us to learn, grow, and be all that we can be.

Strength

The Strength card is about exercising the desires of our will in a way where no one is harmed. This card is named for the type of firm resolve where we go within and find that our baser instincts have been tamed. And with that taming, we become stronger.

Often for true kindness to come forth, we must find it within ourselves to forgive. We're asked to let go of any judgment of ourselves or others, and view those around us with forgiveness and tolerance.

As we mentioned in Chapter 2, Strength was Card 11 in tarot for centuries until the Rider-Waite deck flipped its position with the Justice card in 1909. In order to keep the intended flow of The Dreamer's Journey intact, we chose to return it to its original position in the Angel Tarot Cards.

The Dreamer's Journey In our journey as The Dreamer, we learned all about the power of control and sheer will with The Chariot. However, the time we spent with The Hermit has put us in touch with our more spiritual side. We've discovered that there's another way to power our dream besides pure determination. We can do it with kindness. The exercising of compa.s.sion is a critical aspect on our journey of enlightenment. With the Strength card, we discover a very beautiful woman working in concert with a tiger-one of nature's most powerful animals. Her kindness toward the tiger has brought her cooperation that she could never have attained with brute force.

Doves of peace fly ahead of this duo as they move farther along in their adventure. The lady and the tiger will need patience, since they're only halfway through their journey.

Symbolism Archangel Ariel rides a tiger, a symbol of great strength and courage. However, the tiger is her ally, not her servant.

Tigers are known for their great power, yet this one is content to work with Archangel Ariel due to her love of nature. Beauty and angelic wisdom move in concert with the power and soulfulness of the animal kingdom.

Behind Ariel a city glows, although they're clearly moving out into the forest. In this card, the comforts of civilization live in harmony with the wilds of nature.

Archangel Ariel carries a shield that has a dove with the symbol of infinity in its beak, while other doves fly about. Doves represent peace, and the infinity sign tells us that there's no end to the peace we can create.

The doves paired with the tiger also tell us that true strength is wielded in peace.

The flowers are Stars of Bethlehem and are said to bring hope. They're also sometimes given to someone as a way to say "I'm sorry."

Angel Number Strength is Card 11, and is considered a "master number." Due to this number's deep connection with inner wisdom, it's able to manifest amazing things, thus bringing with it an obligation to remain in a positive and uplifting energy. This number is also connected with great spiritual insights and often implies a sense of responsibility that encourages acting in ways that display a purity of conscience.

Archangel Archangel Ariel's name means "lioness of G.o.d." She's also the archangel most closely a.s.sociated with nature and animals. She works in tandem with Archangel Raphael in the healing of animals and is a favorite of environmentalists. She's known for her ability to manifest the material needs of those who call upon her.

Her color is pale pink.

Astrology Astrologically, this card is Leo, a sign that is loving, ambitious, powerful, and loyal. And, of course, Leo has a flair for the dramatic (like taking a ride on a tiger). Leo is also very idealistic and broad-minded, which allows this sign to see others without feeling the need to judge their path. Leo is very humane in its viewpoint of the world, which is in line with Archangel Ariel and the way she sees planet Earth and all its inhabitants.

Awakening

When this card shows up, there may be a temporary pause in the action while we reflect on where we wish to go next, but it's only that ... temporary. The action picks back up once we've had our Awakening. In the meantime, this is a good time to review our plans to make sure that what we've learned to date hasn't created a need to change our strategies for success.

Awakening could be said to be a quirky card-an archangel flying upside down with a trumpet in hand. But there's a reason for this imagery, and it's to celebrate our own uniqueness. When the Awakening card comes into a reading, look for aspects in which clients may be trying to "fit in" with those around them. The truth is, their purpose would be better served if they just let that idea go and showed the world who they really are. (Even if that's pretty quirky, too!) The Dreamer's Journey As we move forward on the journey of our lives, invariably our viewpoints adapt and change to match our experiences. We come to see the world differently (and the world certainly looks very different to us when we're upside down!). Perhaps we come to see that we don't like things the way they are, so we choose to change the way we're living. Those changes may be unexpected, and our solutions to the challenges they create can be quite unusual with this card, as it also asks us to express our uniqueness and to be as eclectic and original as we can be. We may be called upon to spring into action, or perhaps we find that we're just going to have to wait patiently for Heaven's plans for us to unfold.

Symbolism Archangel Gabriel swoops down from Heaven with her trumpet. She's a.s.sociated with this instrument due to her history as a communicator of important announcements. A trumpet has long been a symbol for waking people up from their sleep or daydreams.

Beyond Gabriel, the view is hazy. It's difficult to see what's around her, which signifies that we may not be seeing things clearly when we draw this card.

Like the traditional imagery for this card, Gabriel's upside-down vantage point offers a new perspective on what's happening.

On her dress, Gabriel wears the symbol of Neptune, the astrological a.s.sociation for this card.

Angel Number The number 12 is quite magical. There are 12 astrological signs, 12 houses of the zodiac, and 12 months of the year. There are many references in spirituality and religion to the number 12. The Awakening card brings with it revelation and inspiration. Indeed, its message tries to make us aware that our path may need to take a new turn, and the way we perceive our situation will have a powerful effect on how it unfolds.

Archangel This is the second appearance of beautiful Archangel Gabriel, dressed in her color of copper. Since she's known for being the angel of messages, we thought it perfectly appropriate that if someone were to sound a trumpet blast of epiphany, it should be Gabriel!

Astrology Astrologically, this card is Neptune, a very dreamy sign with an amazing imagination. It's easy to fall asleep to our situation within the energy of Neptune, as it's also very sensitive. When it's time to become more aware of the way we live, and to envision something new, Neptune is the perfect energy.

Release

Perhaps the most misunderstood card of the Major Arcana, Release was traditionally called Death in tarot. And yet, it didn't refer to a physical death at all, but rather, an ending. A reading with Release in the spread indicates that clients are in a situation that's no longer serving them, and it's time to move on.

With Release, it's best to take our time moving through the changes that are before us. Reaching out to friends or family is a wise way to deal with what may feel like a loss. It's also an excellent time to face our fears so that we can be in complete control of our future.

The Release card often brings with it great spiritual insights and personal transformation.

The Dreamer's Journey As a result of our time with the Awakening card, we've become more aware of changes that need to be made. Those changes may very well mean initiating some endings in order to complete the current cycle. There may be transitions that we welcome and have brought about of our own free will, and we may even be relieved. Or there may be sadness in the completion that we have to work through.

Now, of course, with endings come new beginnings, and so it is with the Release card. What makes Release different from other cards in tarot that refer to endings is that we're asked to stand in the moment and experience it. In order to grow, we mustn't just rush past this situation. There's great emotional and spiritual enlightenment to be had, as long as we take the time to smell those white roses along the path.

Symbolism Archangel Azrael stands with arms outstretched, ready to embrace us.

On his robe is a phoenix, the bird that is forever reborn, as we will be reborn from our challenges.

He walks through a field of white roses, symbolizing purity of intention, but they're also a symbol of rebirth.

In the background, a white horse comforts her young. Horses have many symbolic meanings, but among them is the freedom to move on to other places.

The two towers in the background connect this card to both The High Priestess and The Moon to indicate that in this time of release, all has been revealed. The spiritual insights and meditations of The High Priestess helped put us on the path that led us to where we are now. Later on, we'll see how The Moon card brings further revelations.

Angel Number The number 13 is considered a karmic number. Many view it as unlucky, but that's simply not true. What is more often the case is that this number brings with it a time of change and transformation in our lives. It's a number that's also a.s.sociated with ascended masters, such as Jesus, Quan-Yin, and Buddha, who are willing to guide us to a new and much happier life.

Archangel Azrael is the most elegant and tender of all the archangels. He comes with the power of the grace of G.o.d to comfort us and walk with us through any challenging times. His name means "whom G.o.d helps," and his color is creamy white.

Astrology Astrologically, this card is connected to Scorpio, a sign that is very adept at new beginnings and embracing endings. It's also the sign of the zodiac most closely a.s.sociated with deep inner exploration and evaluation.

Balance

Balance was traditionally called Temperance in tarot. This is a word that means to meld or combine. We felt that renaming the card Balance made it much easier to understand for both reader and client. Balance refers to a time of cooperation with others, and may ask us to be willing to compromise our plans just a bit so that everyone can be successful. The blending of ideas is sure to bring about greater success.

This card asks us for patience; if things aren't working the way we're hoping, it may just be an issue of timing. When we contemplate major changes in our lives, this card asks us to take it slow and easy and to think things through carefully. This is not a time for acting impulsively!

The Dreamer's Journey Once we come to the Balance card, we've moved through a time of revelation and change. Now we must integrate those epiphanies into our lives. We have the opportunity to rise to a higher consciousness and are moving forward down the path to enlightenment. However, that path is more of a stroll than a race. Clearly, the archangel on the card is not in any hurry.

Life is a constant mixing and balancing of experiences that affect our future. We never stop learning, but we may have to repeat certain types of events in our lives if we forget to pause and understand their meaning.