Week Three, The Minor Arcana, The Tarot Two Cards

Welcome back, the tarot lesson for week three will be the tarot two cards in the Minor Arcana. I think you will really fall in love with the deck I’m using this week, The Animal Wisdom Tarot. The imagery on the cards are just beautiful and the deck comes with a fully illustrated book describing each card. In this deck, wands will be branches, cups are shells, feathers represent swords, and fossils will be pentacles.

Tarot two cards will usually come up for you when you need to make a decision but not sure which direction is the right way to go. Two in both Tarot and Numerology generally have the symbolic meanings of choice, balance, harmony, partnerships and coupling.

While the number two can mean balance, it can also represent conflict and opposition. The tarot two card suit will help to clarify the true meaning. Two is the number associated with yin and yang, and you will often find the symbol on tarot two cards.

Two of Wands (Branches) – Upright

The two of wands is often referred to as the Lord of Dominion. It will represent the properties of Fire, the season of Spring, the direction is South, and Basil is the herb. Basil, besides great for cooking, can be used as an anti-inflammatory, upset stomach, fever, colds and to relieve gas.

Whether this card comes up alone or in a spread, you will find it to be the answer to a question you have been trying to make a decision about. It will be a project where you have earned success, authority and wealth gained through hard work. Projects brought to fruition by strength of will, prosperity, ownership and job related benefits. It can also refer to a good partnership.

The two of wands can also mean a person that is both kind and generous, and signify good things to come for you. It will sometimes mean a short business trip is about to happen.
When this card comes up for you or your client, it’s telling you to take a risk, choose what you really want. However, you will need to weigh the pros and cons and choose wisely. Be patient, your ship will come in soon with good results.

The beautiful imagery of this card really says it all. The little salamander is between two branches trying to decide which path is the best way for him to go. Both paths look equally good, but he will have to pause, consider both options and then use his instincts to make the correct decision.

Two of Wands (Branches) – Reversed

When the tarot two of wands comes up in reverse, either alone or the outcome in a reading, it will mean pride and ambition getting in the way of success of a project. Wealth and authority gained by or used for improper or dishonest means. You have unfocused energy, are disorganized and need to get things back in balance. In a partnership, there will be differences in visions and goals.

Two of Cups (Shells) – Upright

The two of cups is the Lord of Love, with the properties of Water, the season is Summer, directional West and the herb is Uva Ursi or sometimes called bearberry. It is used most often in urinary tract infections.

If you’re doing a love reading, just like the Lovers card, the two of cups is a good card to get. It symbolizes the beginning of a new romance, friendship or partnership. It can mean differences have been resolved and forgiving someone that has hurt or wronged you. That doesn’t mean you have to forget what they’ve done, but may just mean to forgive them for your own peace of mind and to allow you to open your heart for a new relationship. Love, loyalty and respect are three words that can best describe the two of cups.
If you are on a spiritual path, it can signify reaching a good spiritual balance in your life.

Who wouldn’t want to find themselves with this card and the picture of the two dolphins, playing in the ocean, forming a lasting relationship? Take note of the yin and yang symbol at the bottom of the card.

Two of Cups (Shells) – Reversed

The two of cups in the reverse position, of course meaning the opposite of the upright card, will mean quarrels and misunderstandings in your relationships, rather they be love, friends or family. On the love aspect, it will most often tell you that either the love is not being returned, or a separation or divorce may be pending. If the question is in regard to a cheating mate, this card will signify unfaithfulness and cheating. However, it can also appear regarding a business partner that is incompatible or cheating you in some way.

Two of Swords (Feathers) – Upright

The two of swords, the Lord of Peace Restored, has the properties of Air, the season of Autumn, East will be the direction and the herb is Passion Flower. Passion Flower is used as an anti-spasmodic, good for insomnia, and relieves nervousness or stress.

This card will be one that comes up when you are trying to make a difficult decision and you just can’t seem to figure out which way to go that would be best for you. Your indecision may be causing a stalemate. You may need to try to balance patience with your actions but avoid overthinking the situation. However, just because you shouldn’t overthink it, you should be sure you are making an informed decision based on not only your feelings, but actually researching where you need to go with it. Trust your instincts when facing difficult decisions, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is, but getting all the information beforehand can help you make the right decision.

The independent Heron in the picture of the two of feathers is showing us that we alone are capable of making the right decision as long as we remember to trust ourselves, follow our instincts and find the right direction we need to take to come out ahead.

Two of Swords (Feathers) – Reversed

The two of swords reversed may seem like the better answer, moving affairs away from difficulties, but be sure they are not moving you in the wrong direction. You need to use caution and be sure you are not being misguided.

Two of Pentacles (Fossils) – Upright

The two of pentacles is the Lord of Harmonious Change, with the properties of Earth, Winter is the season, North is the direction and Yellow Duck is the herb. Yellow Duck, not to be confused with those cute little bath toys, is an herb containing iron and is good for anemia, to detox the liver and as a mild laxative.

When we get a two of pentacles, either as a stand-alone card or in a reading, its telling you there will be a constant fluctuation and changes in fortune. It advises to budget carefully, avoid overspending, especially on credit. You will need to keep balance in the midst of change. If you are thinking of launching a new project, it may be difficult because of timing or needing to do more research before you jump ahead. You are needing to get things in focus, and learn to live in harmony with all aspects of your life. On a good note, a helpful message can be expected.

The picture for this card is a little monkey trying to juggle two fossils that are surrounded by the figure eight, which is the sign of infinity. This is letting us know the need to keep our lives, especially the financial aspect, in balance. Pentacles are an earth sign, so it reminds us to keep grounded when making decisions.

Two of Pentacles (Fossils) – Reversed

Just as the upright two of pentacles warns us there may be changes in our fortune, the reverse is telling us it is already happening. This can be caused by reckless spending, insufficient effort, debt or the inability to keep a job. If you are out of balance, have too many irons in the fire, your plans may go awry and you could find yourself in quite a mess.

That’s our lesson for this week on the tarot two cards. I hope you are working along with your cards to get a better understanding of each card and remembering to factor in the imagery on the cards to get a good reading. I’ve only touched on a few items in the pictures on the cards, but if you look closely at each card, I’m sure you’ll see a lot of different things that will help you with the card meaning.
Have you already guessed our lesson next week will be on the tarot three cards? I hope you’ll continue working with me and your cards to learn or improve your readings.

Again, if you have your own deck of cards, I would like you to pull a different card each day and without looking up the meaning in a book, write down what you feel when you see the card and if anything you get from studying the picture. I would love for you to let me know through the comment section below or by email, your interpretation of the card you’ve drawn.

Just a reminder, there is a print friendly version of each lesson available by using the print icon at the bottom of the article. You’ll find it in the share icons listed below.

I am a visual person and learn better if I can see it rather than just read it, so I am currently making videos of each lesson. They are available here on my site at the Video page, or you can view them on my YouTube channel.

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As always, I am available for readings. Please remember to correlate the time by using the clock on the right as I am on the West Coast of the USA.

The Animal Wisdom Tarot by Dawn Burke, illustrated by Ola Liola is used with grateful permission. It can be found at Animal Voices or through the publisher at CICO Books.