How seemingly paradoxical this card is, the 8th card of the Tarot deck, in its display of an obviously gentle and sensitive woman taming and controlling the raw animal and bestial nature of the fiercest member of the animal kingdom. With just the slightest caress and gentle pressure, she is able to mystically calm and transform its raging reactive hostility into obedient, subservient and loving admiration.

There is magic here, the magic of mind over matter, will over passion. The entire characterization of this card was an attempt on the part of the ancients to demonstrate just how each of us can and must take complete and total charge of our passions, appetites, emotions, animal urges and physical desires. If we allow these impulses to run rampant within us, forcing us into situations engineered just to satisfy or satiate the needs of the appetites, emotions and material demands of the body, then we will be totally missing the mark and the entire objective of our spiritual evolution.

Throughout the entire Major Arcana (the first 22 Trump Cards of the Tarot) our Ancient teachers are constantly trying to impress upon each of us the need to transform and change our destructive habits and emotions into those that will enhance and promote healthier bodies and more spiritual minds. They are endeavoring to illustrate the working relationship that exists between our self-conscious and subconscious minds.

Many of us are unaware that we have these two separate minds within us. Our subconscious is that mind which operates the bodily processes, regulates breathing, manages the heartbeat, supplies nutrients to the cells and acts as a power station to receive and distribute the cosmic electricities absorbed into our bodies daily from the Sun, the Moon and certain celestial planetary substations. We all live and move within a sea of radiant light particles that emanate from outer space and are responsible for electrifying and energizing our cells.

Our self-conscious mind neither originates nor manages that cosmic source power; it's merely our self-conscious mind factor (thinking apparatus) that enables us to observe life and make choices (that seem appropriate to our needs). Interestingly, the self-conscious thinks that it's in charge and running the show, but in reality, is presently just a small player in the total picture.

Every card of the tarot deck, in its own way and through its own separate message, is trying to show you that until you stop making poor and unhealthy self-conscious choices, your spiritual evolution and growth are at risk. Hence, this 8th card was created to remind you that in order for you to reach this goal, you must develop and express gentleness and become one who, through the Law of Love (demonstrated by the Lemniscate or power of the Infinite Universe shown above the woman's head), is able to subdue and control the wild, bestial passions and emotions of the body. The Lion in the picture is the physical body and the woman is our subconscious mind.

When god initially designed our human natures, it was intended that our rational reasoning self-conscious minds should instruct the subconscious mind, giving it the proper guidance and blueprinting it requires to produce positive effects bodily and constructive events/involvements in the world around us. The subconscious is compared to the crew or staff of a manufacturing plant; the self-conscious is the executive who makes the decisions and creates their production orders from his comfortable boardroom. The two minds are separate, but must work together in order to produce a perfected final product. Usually management has little knowledge of or cares to learn of the needs of the workers… however, until both sides evolve and recognizes their mutual goal, disharmony is the result.

Through our countless incarnations, each of us has consistently supplied our subconscious minds (our workers) with certain thoughts, emotions and workorders that have been aimed at one thing… satisfaction of the emotional/physical demands of our cravings and appetites. As a result, our subconscious minds have sullied (a poorly motivated workforce), resulting in the formation of defective "old tapes" that continue to replicate and produce the same old problems and repeated dysfunctions that each of us continue to face in our daily lives.

According to Carl Jung, the message of this card is strong and clear. He states that this is a picture of your future potential. He teaches that the woman clad in white (representing purity) is your "future" transformed subconscious mind. The lion represents the newly tamed passions of your body stripped of its former animalistic nature. The sign of Infinity (the Lemniscate) above her head indicates that in her newly perfected state of being, she has been given access to the powers of the Universe (including all of the knowledge needed to regenerate and transform your bodily cells.

The woman (your subconscious) reached this state of perfection, because at some point you finally became aware and convinced of the need to begin making choices that were constructive and not degenerative. You succeeded in slaying your inner demons and dragons and quarantining their souls forever.

Through your continued meditation and repeated persistent, but gentle, positive suggestions to the subconscious (that it must reprogram its old tapes) your transformation became a reality. These suggestions were able to convince her (she detected your sincerity) to regenerate your physical nature, which subsequently created and replaced (layer after layer) all of the toxic cells throughout your body. The key to mastery through this card is your use of long and enduring patience, determination, sacrifice, self-denial and gentle understanding of your own divinity, (in order to achieve your highest STRENGTH).

A whole New World begins to unfold for each of us after the transformation of our subconscious minds. The subconscious then sets out to develop and acquire new powers that will enhance and enlarge both your physical and spiritual consciousness. From the foods you eat, the subconscious begins to extract certain chemicals that before were insignificant and ignored, but now vital to your newly forming powers. In the next card, THE HERMIT, these new powers will be discussed. Your goal is complete transformation of body, mind and spirit. These new powers will open that pathway and support your ultimate goal… SPIRITUAL PERFECTION.

copyright 2003-2004, Joe Ivory, all rights reserved