How to read Tarot Cards #12

Is three a crowd? Or is three a party? Well, it's complicated. In this post, we explore the world of the "Threes" of the TOTEM Tarot Deck.

As Charles Dickens wrote in his intro to A Tale of Two Cities, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times”, the “Threes” of the tarot hold an intense potential for both positive and negative experiences.

The three cards are considered part of what’s called the Minor Arcana: the non-Major Arcana (the big guys with the Roman numerals) and the non-Court Cards (the cards depicted people with specific titles, like Queen and King). The Minor Arcana tarot cards are split into four suits, much like with playing cards. In tarot, these suits correspond to the four elements: swords (air and thought), wands (fire and spirit), cups (water and emotions), and coins (earth and material reality).

In our TOTEM Tarot Deck, we stripped these suits down to their elemental nature, converting swords into Metals, wands into Trees, cups into Moons, and coins into Crystals.

And while each of the threes in our TOTEM Tarot Deck have their own, unique meaning that varies from reading to reading, there is an overarching theme: a third party has entered the chat.

Now, in business, this third party could be a very, very good thing. Perhaps a coworker introduces you to a new friend or business clients, growing your network and expanding your horizons.

But, in other areas, a third party can spell unmitigated disaster. I mean, as a married woman, I have to admit that discovering a third participant in our relationship would enrage me, and likely get me a spot featured on the local nightly news;)

The overall gist of the Threes? Things are expanding. The container is growing. More people and elements and activities are now involved. And it’s all about finding and maintaining balance as our lives— and networks— grow.

We’ve broken down the specific meanings of the Threes from the TOTEM Tarot Deck, sharing some inside baseball and *secret* information not included in our tarot deck’s booklet: