Aces - Help?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 Jul 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

BoPeep	05 Jul 2004
I am having a hard time wrapping my head around the aces.. well there are LOTS of cards I have a tough time with, but for now the aces. I just don't seem to get them. I have read lots of stuff about them, and I cognitively understand them, but that other level.. you know the one I mean ... I just don't get them. Help? Bo.

NeXoRiouS	05 Jul 2004
Aces are the beginning, the spark of all things(At least most). When you look at Aces, think of Magician(1). Both marks how raw they are. The potential and possibilities. Does not mean that everything is going to be smooth. It just signifies the probability of going in for it. Ace of Wands Can you see the fiery passion deep beneath it? The drive to pursue one's interest. The familiarity it seeks. Ace of Cups Water is without shape. It fits into every corner it can slips into. It is shaky and very unstable. Relate this to emotions. Ace of Swords What does the air reminds you of? Something you can't see? What can't be seen? Can words be seen? Air has no shape nor form. You can't hold it. However it's around you. It follows you where ever you go. Ace of Pentacles Look at this as earth. What does earth reminds you of? What are the very basic essentials related to earth? Let what's material be with this. Lets hope it helps. I'm just trying to get you to visualise the cards. You don't have to depend on meanings written by others. Let your intuition intrepret it. Feel the card you hold in your hand. What's it trying to tell you?

Thirteen	05 Jul 2004
Good explaination, NeXorious. Here's another way to think of the Aces, Bo: *The sparks of the fire, but no flame. *The well-spring of the water, but no river. *A breath of air, but no breeze. *Fertile ground unplowed, unseeded. Each one of these things has the potential to become something more--a blazing fire, a raging river, a whirlwind, a field of ripe crops. Or they might become a candleflame, a quiet pond, a summer breeze or a garden of flowers. It all depends on what direction the querent decides to take their Ace takes and whether or not they nurtured it to maturity. For now, however, these Aces are, as NeXorious said, merely the essence. And--here's the important part--there's an equal chance that this essence will die out rather than become...whatever it could become. So, if a querent were to come to you and say, "I'm interested in this guy. What's between us?" and you got the Ace of Wands, you might say, "There's the potential here for a fiery passion. There are sparks. But you need to fuel that fire or else it's going to die out before you even get started."

BoPeep	06 Jul 2004
Thanks both of you. That helps. Thanks again BoPeep.

Fulgour	07 Jul 2004
Aces may represent a revolutionary attitude, in that the individual One is greater than the monarchial King, if considering the order of the cards can be seen as: Ace King Queen Knight Page 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 My keywords for Aces include: Dignity and Selfhood.

Rusty Neon	07 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Fulgour Ace King Queen Knight Page 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Fulgour, I was wondering what the rationale for placing the court cards between the Ace and the rest of the numeral cards is.

Fulgour	07 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Rusty Neon I was wondering what the rationale for placing the court cards between the Ace and the rest of the numeral cards is. Relative "value." For some reason, most decks get put into the order of: Ace 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Page Knight Queen King or seen the other way King Queen Knight Page 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 Ace yet to me this does not feel like their relative value. Aces have always been kind of magical, and the old BlackJack twist of "01-11" reflects that energy. I've started a thread on suit ordering, and look forward to your comments if you'd like to explore this more.

Rusty Neon	07 Jul 2004
I recall now that, in poker, Aces are high and so the order would be as you suggest. http://www.geocities.com/cartedatrionfi/Fragments/1540-1739.html#1701 For some reason, though, the Aces are low in tarot, perhaps because the French and Italians didn't play poker? In any event, for me, the 'standard' ordering Ace (low), 2, ...., 9, 10, Page (Princess), Knight (Prince), Queen, King seems to 'fit' for tarot. But that's just my personal view. Interestingly, Jodorowsky ranks the courts Page, Queen, King, Knight in terms of energy, though, even for him, rank remains the traditional Page, Knight, Queen, King.

smleite	07 Jul 2004
For me, Aces are like a vision, a promise, a curtain that is lifted by an invisible hand, allowing you to see your aim, your destination, what you really want or long for in a certain situation. Receiving an Ace doesn’t mean you are there, and you may never get there, but you are on the right way to achieve your goal. Silvia

Ace	07 Jul 2004
I agree with you, Silvia. Aces for me (not a poker player!) have always been new beginnings. A starting place. ONE. Match them to the Magician in the Major A, (NOT the Fool). You have all the tools on the table in the Magician. In an Ace, here is one tool. Pick it up and wield it! barb

Sillanza	08 Jul 2004
I usually start with the same idea that Thirteen put forth: potential. Here are a few other things I've often gotten with the aces: Cups - a favor will be handed to you; can you receive assistance? Wands - an opportunity to excel; work, not glamour Swords - new intellectual stimulus; it may necessitate carving your interest out of another area Pentacles - you'll get what you need, maybe not what you want!

Rusty Neon	08 Jul 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Sillanza [b] I usually start with the same idea that Thirteen put forth: potential. I look at the Aces as potential or the pure expression of the energy of the suit. To my mind, you can't start or end a suit series with the Twos. Twos imply that there is a One and that One is, IMHO, the Ace.

BoPeep	15 Jul 2004
Ironically, or perhaps not so ironically :) more and more aces have been coming out in my readings. Forcing me to understand the durned things... craziest things those cards. Bo

The Aces - Help? thread was originally posted on 05 Jul 2004 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.