Sexuality and the Major Arcanas

[BLFO]

Thanks for your response, Hanged Man. To be honest I was shocked by your post and my response was merely incredulous. I don’t apologise for that at all.



The above is a fairly categorical statement, not really modified by your later comments. I don’t think it is a good idea to try to make such categorical correspondences of sexual preference with the cards. In fact, I think it is quite dangerous. Rightly or wrongly it does bring up associations of labeling. Perhaps you consider this comment as a serious criticism. It is indeed that.

Your idea is not original. If you do searches here you will no doubt find some related discussions.

My own approach is that every major card can reflect aspects of who we are at any time. I’m one who does not believe in labeling particular cards as corresponding to sexual preference or other particular choices or types of behaviour.

No apologies for that either.

For me, the cards have meaning only in the context of a particular situation (such as in a daily reading) or in the context of a whole reading. Clearly we might have some differences there as well.

I don't think he did a bad thing. It might come in handy his point of view.

Let's say you are giving a reading to a woman who believes that her husband is cheating on her with another woman. She feels that trying to be the better woman would stop her husband from eyeing other women, but the tarotist pulls out a Priest card. This gives her warning that her husband is not seeing another woman but a man sexually. So she might need to know that her husband is not a cheating heterosexual but a cheating bisexual! Surprise, surprise. This could be the same husband that says that he hate gays but is in the closet himself.

I see nothing offensive. It his/her interpretation of Priestess, Priest, Empress and Emperor could be quite useful depending.

Now what we need to know is what card says bisexual. Magician? He/she will sleep with all "suits". [laughs] While the Fool can be try-sexual and experimentor like someone has said earlier.

Now if you get the Death card. Oh my! Just keep that person from the coffins. They might be interested in seducing the dead. [laughs]

 

[Sophie]

I think the High Priestess just chooses not to have sex, like a nun or priest. I think they choose the things of the spirit rather than the carnal, as they see it. I don't see it that she's a prude at all. I guess she could be seen that way, though, by someone who didn't appreciate her true motives and values.

The High Priestess is one of the most sexual cards in the tarot. But she chooses if and when to have sex. She has sex because she likes it and because she loves someone, but not because she needs a partner. She is anything but timid, she is fascinating and alluring - and mysterious. A part of her is femme fatale. She is Carmen, who can take or leave a man (or woman). She is also St Teresa, with her sexual visions of making love with Christ.

Her sexuality is her own business. I happen to think she is a natural bisexual, but she will choose her partners according to her own inner knowledge, not because she is supposed to be one thing or the other.

She can go a long time without sex. And she can be ravenous sexually - but again, it's her choice. She is not led by the physical. She is a lady in public, however, whatever she is in the bedroom.

And the bedroom can be her temple. And once you are invited in, you might not get out for a looooonnng time...

(and what happens there is strictly confidential).

 

[firecatpickles]

If the major arcana are reflective of the human experience, and all of our personal journeys as "the Fool," wouldn't it make sense to assume that each major arcana has the potential to relfect some sort of sexual energy on some level, if we look hard enough? After all, the power of the tarot does not come from the cards themselves but from the reader.

[...snip]

kk

 

[BLFO]

If the major arcana are reflective of the human experience, and all of our personal journeys as "the Fool," wouldn't it make sense to assume that each major arcana has the potential to relfect some sort of sexual energy on some level, if we look hard enough? After all, the power of the tarot does not come from the cards themselves but from the reader.

And why would one need to limit; or even need to discern, for that matter; issues of sexuality in a reading? Hmmm, this sounds very familiar. This is a discussion we come back to again and again. Whose business is it but our own, how our personal sexuality impacts our own lives?

I question the motive behind such a thread. Sounds like an privacy and thus ethical issue.

kk

Tarot itself is a privacy and thus ethical issue. Seriously, when people come in here asking for interpretation for cards, how do we know they are asking interpretation on other people instead of themselves? People can lie about why they are using tarot and on whom. We will never know the truth on why people are using or learning tarot in general. Frankly, I do not care. I am here to learn how to interprete cards. Now if I indirectly help to interprete cards for someone who is invading someone else's privacy or someone doing something unethical...frankly that has absolutely nothing to do with me. Nor do I care to investigate motives of every individual who comes up in here. If I get all concerned about who does what up in here then I should not be on a board talking to anonymous people in the first place. That is the general risk you take when you interact with strangers...period.

Now can we please stay on subject. Some of us are having fun sharing ideas and interpretations.

 

[Simone]

Moderator Note:

As far as we understood the spirit of the initial post of this thread, it was about finding out how people thought of the sexual side of the individual cards, not about sticking just one label on the card.

Questioning the goal of the question or the ethics of reading are off-topic and meta-discussion, and personal attacks and rude remarks are uncalled for and against Aeclectic Tarot Forum rules and guidelines.

We ask you to keep your posts respectful and on topic - or edit them to be so.

In case this reveals itself to be impossible, we unfortunately will have to lock this thread from further discussions, which we'd rather not be forced to do.

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.

Simone and Moonbow*
co-Moderators

 

[firecatpickles]

I have edited my above post.

If anyone want to start off with their experiences with the Major Arcanas, state so in this thread.

And I have always identified myself with the Fool. Being a gay man, this seems like the most approriate card for me.

 

[Aulruna]

I've followed this thread with much interest, but it still leaves me confused as to the levels of interpretation.

My first undertsanding of BLFO's initial question was gaining insight about the Major Arcana in a reading.

Later posts seemd to suggest it was about the kind of sex the Majors would have if they were persons.

For me, these things are quite different. As a reader, I tend to be very "contextual", and every card tends to counsel in a specific way. And in most of the readings, the sexual orientation of the "card persona" would not tie into this - nor would the sexual orientation of the card persona and the querent even correlate.

Examples:
The Empress would tell you "As long as something fruitful comes out of this, go ahead and enjoy youself." She would probably choose a massage over a quickie, but wouldn't recommend a specific person (or gender).
The Emperor would tell you "If you have control over the situation, keep your power and gain something from it." His advice would be the same regardless of your gender and preferences.

Of course, this is largely due to my own view of sexuality. In a similar thread (can't remember which one it was, unfortunately) an AT member described sexuality as a continuum. This is my conception as well. Also, getting back to being "contextual", sexuality evaluates differently in different circumstances.


Example:
The Hierophant's essence for me is someone who puts his spirituality over everything else, and he also tends to convey traditional views. This would mean for the card persona's sexuality that he will try to follow whatever are the "ethical standards" in his community. He would not break those rules (e.g. calling for celibacy) easily - unless ill aspected/reversed.
So in the reading about the potentially cheating husband, my conclusion would be that he likes the idea of a conventional wife. Probably he is even happy in the marriage and would not want to jeopardize it.
To explore why the wife feels their sexuality is lacking, I would then suggest additional cards, concentrating on her.

So, I'm still not sure what the thread really is about - how would the card themselves have sex? Or what would they portray in a reading?

 

[Moonbow]

Moderator Note.

Opportunity has been given for members to take responsibility for their own posts and edit out any remarks of a personal nature, and comments which are off topic. As this has not happened this thread is now locked and will be removed later. We are disappointed at having to make this decision.

Thank you.