Intuitive stimulation is one of the main functions
of carefully examining the cards in a tarot
reading. When asked to pick a detail from a card,
a querent will most often select a large detail.
There is often so much going on in a card
illustration that the tiny details of grass,
leaves and flowers appear almost as an after-
thought. To the well-trained tarotist, the
tiniest item can sometimes provide profound
insight.
The following is a list of sample questions to
keep in mind when the detail of a plant catches
your attention in a reading....
1) Is there a metaphor or saying using this
particular plant/flower that has a message at this
time?
For example - "A bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush" or "A rose by any other name
would smell as sweet."
2) Is there a particular season or time that
this flower/plant blooms which could be of
significance?
3) Is this a flower that opens or shuts with
the rising and setting sun?
4) Are you or your querent allergic to wheat,
grass, grapes, etc.?
5) Does this plant/flower remind you of an
occasion or ceremony?
Here are typical floral images you'll find in the
Rider-Waite-Smith deck and some interpretations:
Iris: wisdom, faith, valor
Yellow Iris: named after the Greek goddess of
the rainbow who accompanied female souls to
the underworld.
Rose: emblem of the Rosicrucians, sacred to
the goddess Venus
(Red Rose) blood, love, passion, beauty
(White Rose) purity, charm, virginity, secrecy,
female genitalia, the soul, sexuality
Lily: purity, perfection, symbol of the
Virgin Mary
Lily of the Valley: renewal, new beginnings,
reward for hard work
Water Lily: innocence, beauty, origins,
roots, heritage and spiritual revelation
Lotus: wholeness, royal power, purity,
enlightenment, spiritual perfection
Sunflower: the passive principle, the sun
god
Grapes: revelry, blood, abundance,
wealth, fertility and pleasure
Pear: effort, abundance and nourishment
Pomegranate: fertility, the sun, menstruation,
integral to Masonic aprons, aphrodisiac,
female genitalia
Pumpkin/Gourds: abundance, fertility,
immortality
Olive: fruitfulness, immortality, victory,
achievement, peace, reconciliation
Wheat: harvest, symbol of the goddess
Demeter, rebirth and resurrection, sacred to the
Egyptian god Osiris
Grass: areas of growth or change,
multiplicity, ideas or thoughts that spring up
Ivy: immortality, growth, vitality
Trees: stages of life, family, a phallic
symbol, object of religious devotion, intellect
Cypress: sometimes represents death but also
feminine energy, sacred to Venus and associated
with Pluto, immortality
Oak: divine presence, strength,
steadfastness, mightiness, protection
Date Palm: masculinity, male fertility
Palm Branch: fruitful and bountiful crops,
suffering
Laurel: symbolizes victory and immortality,
excellence in arts and sciences, awards and
wisdom
Tree of Life: immortality, that which makes
humans god-like, occult knowledge, the Zodiac
Tree of Knowledge: self-awareness, temptation,
good and evil, loss of innocence
