Who is the Timekeeper?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 06 Feb 2005, and now archived in the Forum Library.

DollieAnna	06 Feb 2005
Who keeps the time in a deck....not how to do a time spread...Which card is "The Timekeeper?" Hermit?

DollieAnna	06 Feb 2005
I did a search. This is the best I can find... Island Dreamer Stella Maris Join Date: 28 Feb 2004 Location: the lost land of Lyonesse Posts: 137 Time Lord -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Hi Sulis, Oddly enough, I also acquired the Merryday tarot this week after hankering after it for some time (thanks ribbitcat!) I don't have many books on tarot and they didn't give much in the way of ideas about the possible significance of the Time Lord in place of Temperance. However, Alfred Douglas offers the following interpretation of Temperance: "The mundane interpretation of Temperance, also known as the Angel of Time, suggests the flowing of time from the past into the future: the continuity of life and its transferences from one bodily existence to another" My first impression of 'Time Lord' was that it was a very 'busy' card with so much going on that it made me quite dizzy to look at. I think it needs careful study to decipher the symbolism. I just need the time *lol* Thanks for posting the book's entry for 'Time Lord', Mimi, it was very helpful. Island Dreamer

Fudugazi	06 Feb 2005
You'r not dumb Dollie Anna - you are right! In the first Tarot decks, what is now the Hermit card was called Time.

souljourney	06 Feb 2005
I don't really have a clue how to do time in a reading either. I was wondering if it had something to do with the astrological correspondences or something (not that I have much of a clue about that either yet). I have heard the Quest Tarot has a system for doing it though. I remember seeing that on the box when I looked at getting that deck.

DollieAnna	06 Feb 2005
Thanks all sometimes, I feel dumb. But I always want to back up my intuition with fact, WHICH IS DUMB!!LOL!!

Fulgour	06 Feb 2005
DollieAnna wrote: Who keeps the time in a deck....not how to do a time spread... Which card is "The Timekeeper?" Hermit? Minutes, hours, days, or eternity? So many choices: "Times Up!" says The Tower, and Judgement "Calls" but maybe it's The Hanged Man, like a pendulum?;)

DollieAnna	06 Feb 2005
YO time is up! Fulgour the game is on!

prudence	06 Feb 2005
Wow, Hermit as Time My husband's soul card is the Hermit, and I have always referred to my hubby as The Keeper Of Time, not knowing the connection of Hermit to time. It's just who he is as a person, he loves clocks and has to know what time it is at any given moment. (he wears a watch always, and there is a clock in evry room of the house!) Thanks for this info, I'm going to interupt the super bowl right now to tell him! :) I think it will be the Patriots, BTW, but that is another thread... Astrid

Thirteen	06 Feb 2005
If I were to pick a card to stand for Timekeeper--I'd go for The Universe (or The World depending on which deck you're using). Why? If we following Rider-Waite astrological associations, the Universe card is Saturn. Saturn is another name for Cronos, Father Time. More than that, however, the Universe Card is the card of teachers, as is Time which teaches all. Regarding the Hanged Man as Time--yes, he does look like a pendulum, but let's remember, he's suspended, outside of Time, if you will. He doesn't go forward or back, he doesn't keep time, if you will. The Hermit certainly resembles Father Time, but he's holding a lantern, symbol of knowledge and the search for knowledge, not an hourglass. (This isn't to say ther Hermit isn't concerned with Time--he's also Virgo; not only do they want every hour accounted for, but they're fascinated with timepieces--just as they are with so many other technologies and sciences). The Dancer of the Universe card is the right-side-up version of the Hanged Man--rather than being outside of time he/she is part of all time. Within her Yoni symbol, he/she is emblematic of Omega (the end of time) and Alpha (the beginning of time). And the world turns behind him/her (remember that saying? "As the World Turns...." that's how we keep time here on Earth, with every turn of the planet. More, our Dancer is surrounded by the stars which turn around her (seen in the astrological signs of Taurus, Leo, Scorpio and Aquarius). These are the way ancient humans watched for changes in seasons, by glancing up at which constillations had appeared. And each of these is the height of a different season (Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter). This card is all about Time. Time keeping, time passing, beginnings, ends, etc. At the center, as if at the point between the two halves of the hourglass, dances the dancer--keeping time to the Universe's own beat.

DollieAnna	10 Feb 2005
You are so very smart thirteen. Thanks, Dollie

firemaiden	10 Feb 2005
(moderator note: I've changed the title of this thread to reflect the subject and make it easier to find later on.) Interesting subject, keep on posting!

ncefafn	10 Feb 2005
When you mentioned "timekeeper," I got this image in my head of an exacting music teacher, keeping the beat you were supposed to be following with his baton. So, my immediate reaction was the King of Wands. And when you get off tempo, he smacks your knuckles with that thin little baton. Ouch!

Thirteen	10 Feb 2005
ncefafn wrote: When you mentioned "timekeeper," I got this image in my head of an exacting music teacher, keeping the beat you were supposed to be following with his baton. So, my immediate reaction was the King of Wands. And when you get off tempo, he smacks your knuckles with that thin little baton. Ouch! Heh. Which deck are you using? In my decks those batons are pretty big. A smack on the knuckle will break the whole hand.

jumptothemoonyea	10 Feb 2005
The Lovers? Without love time stops... ?

Fulgour	17 Feb 2005
DollieAnna wrote: Who keeps the time in a deck.... not how to do a time spread...Which card is "The Timekeeper?" The Fool is the Timekeeper ";)" Since maybe forever! Unnumbered because he is everywhere, and nowhere, at the beginning, and the end - meeting himself there. A hundred years ago some big :confused: wigs decided "Zero" was the right "number" for this card, but they goofed. The laughing Fool wears ZerO as well as twenty-two. Kabbalah dudes can't tell if he's Aleph, Shin, or Tav! They keep running around in circles, but oh well. :) The Fool is like the Jack-in-the-Box who will pop UP when the merry tune has played through once again. But don't expect to be able to set your watch by him. He's usually so late today :eek: he's early for tomorrow!

DollieAnna	17 Feb 2005
Fulgour wrote: The Fool is the Timekeeper ";)" Since maybe forever! Unnumbered because he is everywhere, and nowhere, at the beginning, and the end - meeting himself there. A hundred years ago some big :confused: wigs decided "Zero" was the right "number" for this card, but they goofed. The laughing Fool wears ZerO as well as twenty-two. Kabbalah dudes can't tell if he's Aleph, Shin, or Tav! They keep running around in circles, but oh well. :) The Fool is like the Jack-in-the-Box who will pop UP when the merry tune has played through once again. But don't expect to be able to set your watch by him. He's usually so late today :eek: he's early for tomorrow! Most excellently said, my friend.

cSpaceDiva	20 Feb 2005
In a recent reading, I needed to know when a particular situation would be worked out. The card that came up in that position was The Hermit reversed. As soon as I saw it, I DID get the impression that his lantern was an hourglass that had just been turned over (reversed). The message seemed to be, "Wait it out." If The Hermit is timekeeper, reversed Hermit is Time Stands Still?

The Who is the Timekeeper? thread was originally posted on 06 Feb 2005 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.