THE TAROT STUDIES GLOSSARY · A–Z
The Letter V
Explore Tarot terms beginning with V, including veils, Venus, visual cues and narratives, visualization, voice, vessels, and the informal idea of a card’s vibe.
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Veil
A curtain, screen, or covering that separates one space or state from another. In Tarot imagery, a veil may suggest mystery, privacy, sacred boundaries, hidden knowledge, or the threshold between conscious and unconscious awareness.
Subject: Symbols and Imagery
Related terms: threshold, hidden knowledge, liminal space
Venus
A planet associated in astrology with attraction, relationship, pleasure, beauty, harmony, values, and receptivity. Tarot correspondence systems connect Venus with selected cards and zodiacal relationships, adding a relational or value-centered layer to interpretation.
Subject: Correspondences
Related terms: astrology, relationships, planetary correspondence
Vertical Axis
An up-and-down line within a card or spread. Readers may use the vertical relationship to compare higher and lower positions, ideals and practical reality, conscious and unconscious material, or movement between spiritual and earthly concerns.
Subject: Symbols and Imagery
Related terms: direction, spread layout, polarity
Vessel
A container such as a cup, bowl, cauldron, or jar. In Tarot symbolism, vessels may suggest receptivity, containment, nourishment, emotion, transformation, or the capacity to hold an experience.
Subject: Symbols and Imagery
Related terms: Cups, container, receptivity
Vibe
An informal word for the immediate mood or overall feeling a reader senses from a card or spread. The impression can be a useful starting point, but it becomes stronger when connected to visible details, context, and card relationships.
Subject: Reading Language
Related terms: energy and mood, first impression, intuition
Visual Cue
A detail that directs attention or suggests how an image should be read, such as a pointing hand, repeated color, line of sight, pathway, contrast, or object placed near a figure.
Subject: Symbols and Imagery
Related terms: observation, focal point, direction
Visualization
The intentional creation of a mental image or imagined scene. In Tarot practice, visualization may involve entering a card, meeting a figure, following a path, or rehearsing an intention. It is commonly used in meditation and pathworking.
Subject: Tarot Foundations
Related terms: pathworking, meditation, active imagination
Visual Narrative
The story created by the figures, actions, settings, and directional relationships within one card or across several cards. Reading the visual narrative helps move interpretation beyond isolated keywords.
Subject: Symbols and Imagery
Related terms: storytelling method, imagery, card relationships
Voice
The tone or perspective through which a Tarot message is expressed. A reader may notice whether a card feels encouraging, demanding, cautious, curious, or detached, or may write from the imagined voice of a figure as a study exercise.
Subject: Reading Language
Related terms: tone, character exploration, dialogue
Void-of-Course Moon
An astrological timing term for a period when the Moon will make no further major aspects before changing signs. Some practitioners avoid beginning important work during this period, while others use it for rest or routine tasks. Its use in Tarot is optional.
Subject: Correspondences
Related terms: astrology, lunar timing, Moon