Lesson Five ~ The Pages

So, we're going to look at the pages first.

Some people like to say that pages are people or messages. Some also can tell people's coloring depending on what court card is pulled.

I am neither of those people. I have a keyword for the courts and I am then guided by intuition. More often than not, for me, the courts are not people, but parts of me that I will be using or need to use.

It may be different for you. All of us connect differently and that's perfectly ok. It is up to you to figure out what the tarot is trying to tell you when you pull a court.

So, what I'm going to do is give you my keywords and some brief descriptions to get you started. But remember, this is what the pages mean to me. They very well can mean something different to you.

For the courts, I'm going to give you links to the court cards from the Robin Wood deck, as I think they are the best courts.

So, let's begin.... I say "so" a lot.... My keywords came from the book The Tarot Court Cards by Kate Warwick-Smith. While I do love Mary Greer, I found her book completely confusing and what I did understand, I didn't agree with. If you need a court book, Kate's is the one I like best. Though I cannot tell you how many books I've read. This is the one I continue to go back to.

The keywords are from Kate's book, the thoughts are mine.

Page of Wands
Keyword - Child

This card fits my nephew to a T, so I always think of him when I pull this card. He is fearless, happy, excited, always "on." He has such energy and is in wonder about everything around him. I am always exhausted after our visits and he challenges me during our homeschooling. He wants to go out and play, catch bugs, play tag, get muddy... all those things that kids do but we have forgotten the fun in them.

When I see this card, I know that I am going to experience a situation where I will need to pull on these qualities in myself. I will need to look at things as a child would, which is so profoundly difficult the older I get. Sometimes, the card means I will see my nephew and have a new experience with him. I recently bought him cotton candy and got to re-experience it with him for the first time. So, if you have kids, you know how powerful and exhausting this card can be.

If you notice, the page in the RW deck has firecrackers on her belt!

Page of Cups
Keyword - Idol

First, let's define the word: any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.

This is the child that loves every thing and every one. The one that will smoosh the bunny to death because it is so cute! There is beauty in everything she sees. Even things that we might think are ugly or ordinary, she finds the beauty in it. And it isn't that she covets it, she just wants to love. She wants to share her love and be loved back.

So, when I pull this card I'm gonna need to look at my situation this way. I have a friend who is remarkable at doing this. She can take any ugly situation, and dreadful person and find something good an beautiful about them. She really does exude love to the world.

In the RW deck, this page has an artist's pallet on her belt.

Page of Swords
Keyword - Student

Here is our thinker! Our bookworm, our nerd. Our most studious young one. I identify with this card the most of all the pages. This is the child that asks "Why?" and when your answer doesn't suffice, she goes off in search of her own "why." And then she will come back and debate you until you give in and let her convince you. The difference between this page and the other two, esp the wands, is her focus. It isn't enough for her to play a game, she craves knowledge. She doesn't care about beauty, she's all about brains.

My mother often tells me that when I was young I always knew things I shouldn't know. She would tell you how we would look outside the window and she would say, "Look at that beautiful red bird." And I would say, "That's a cardinal." I, of course, have no recollection of this. And I do believe that my mother was too busy to notice I was always stuck in books. That's what happens when you give a bored kid a set of encyclopedia.

In the RW, our page has a spyglass in her belt.

Page of Pents
Keyword - Apprentice

There is a small difference between our Swords page and our Pents page. At least, for me there is. This one is also a thinker, but she thinks by doing. This is the kid taking apart the toaster to see how it works and then putting it back together again. So, we have a small distinction, the learning here is for a practical purpose, not just for the sake of knowledge. But knowledge with the purpose of doing something with it.

So, forget about that college degree you worked so hard for but can't find a job! You should have studied in the field, like a carpenter or electrician. There is no deep philosophical thinking going on here. The thinking is grounded and extremely black and white. Either the toaster works or it doesn't.

Our page here, in the RW, has a journal in her belt.

Well, I hope this is a helpful beginning. Feel free to ask questions or add your thoughts.