The Fifth Tarot

Restoring the Fifth Element: Fire, Water, Air, Earth ... and Ether

Teressena and Martien Bakens

As we enter the Aquarian Age of Peace, new tarot imagery and symbols are called for that reinforce our oneness with the natural world. The Fifth Tarot introduces images of nature to represent the elements for each of the suits—fire, shells, feathers, stones, and lotuses.

The Fifth Tarot incorporates an additional suit to represent the element ether. Without ether, there is no life. The fifth suit specifically addresses the higher vibrational gifts emerging with the shift of energy occurring through the activation of our DNA codes, our evolving crystalline structures, and our awakening as multi-dimensional beings. The fifth suit brings forth such concepts as telepathy, spontaneous healing, inter-dimensional travel, and transcendence, to name a few.

The Major Arcana cards of The Fifth Tarot are attuned to the new archetypes emerging in our consciousness and are aligned with the higher aspects of the divine feminine, the divine masculine, and sacred union. Meditating upon the images assists one in accessing their divine blueprint.

The Fifth Tarot court cards reflect a progression of knowledge and understanding in the mastery of the suit and, as such, are designated as Seeker, Initiate, Apprentice, and Elementor. Each card has its own frequency and creates a powerful energetic vibration to help access one's inner wisdom.

The Fifth Tarot is a tool that offers transformative insights into our multi-dimensional gifts and possibilities. It is the tarot deck most relevant for the changing times in which we live.

"Finally, a tarot deck that represents and reflects the harmonics and vibration of the now. The Fifth Tarot deck is incredibly beautiful and inspires hope, personal empowerment and a consciousness that can help humanity create a harmonious personal existence with the worlds around them. A must-have deck for anyone looking to move forward, embracing the current new energy and beyond." Deborah Deuel, NHC, managing director and author of www.innersoulutions.org

"Teresena is an intuitive, visionary artist. As a clear channel of the divine feminine, her paintings convey love, warmth, compassion and truth, through the symbology of our collective consciousness. Teressena's talent draws from a life long pursuit of artistic exploration and metaphysical understanding. Enjoy!" Gary Fleck, Inner Earth

"The energy from your beautiful deck of cards is truly a higher vibration--and what the two of you bring with it--epitomizes what this ascension process is about. I could definitely feel my own ascension process--stretching and expanding--all afternoon. I'm always looking for something that will take my readings to the next level for my clients and also for myself. I believe you have created a wonderful tool that will help me do that, and I can't wait to receive my deck." Rev. Martha Quinn, Tarot Reader/Ascension Coach, Academy of the Five Winds

"I recently had the privilege of being exposed to The Fifth Tarot deck by Teressena & Martien, and I was instantly enchanted by the images and the energy of this deck. I have been on a deep spiritual journey for most of my life, and while I have been exposed to Tarot many times over the years, I never felt any pull or attraction to the energies of the decks available up until now. When they explained to us that the traditional Tarot decks were written in a different era, and do not speak to us in the language of our evolving consciousness, it made perfect sense to me why I never had in interest in the older model, but could not wait to get my hands on this extraordinary deck. We had the opportunity to do a group reading using this deck that was so spot on, it electrified all of us with its power & energy. I encourage everyone to experience this deck for themselves and use it as another tool to assist us in this time of awakening and transformation." Monica Goos, Quantum Shift Facilitator

"I have been a tarot reader for twenty years and have never run across such a unique and intuitive tarot deck as The Fifth Tarot. I read exclusively with The Fifth Tarot and the last psychic fair I attended, three other readers enthusiastically purchased the deck when they saw mine. This deck has been pivotal and transformational both for my journey and the journeys of my clients. I am someone who likes to place stones and crystals on my tarot deck to charge it and have found that The Fifth Tarot deck actually charges my stones! I have performed readings of every type--both mundane and spiritual--with astonishing accuracy due to the vision of this remarkable divinatory tool. Meditations with the cards have produced journal-worthy insights and I have a journal reserved especially for that purpose. When I purchase a deck, the accompanying book usually ends up on a shelf without more than a quick glance. The Fifth Tarot book was incredibly informative and I read it cover to cover. Then I read it a second time. Your workshops provide invaluable information and insight into giving spiritual readings--combining both intuition and integrity to provide the greatest service a reader can possibly offer. I hope you will continue to provide creative seminars to serve greater numbers of people as that service would be incredibly inspiring to all in these times of upheaval and change. Thank you for your art and inspiration." Jules Bowen

"I am pleased to offer my sincerest endorsement for The Fifth Tarot by Teressena and Martien Bakens. This deck, with book, is a major contribution to the tarot community. The Baken’s collective efforts have created a profoundly intelligent deck with the addition of the fifth suit of ether. Ether not only completes the elements, but brings the energy of spirit to the deck. Images of the sacred lotus have been used for the fifth suit representing enlightenment and cosmic harmony. Those looking for more spiritual insight will be thrilled with the richness of the fifth suit. It is truly a treasure chest of images to interpret as well as carrying one to the essence of the spirit within. With extensive knowledge of the ancients, especially the Mayans, the Bakens have woven multidimensional levels of information and insight for interpretation into the deck. These layers unfold beautifully to the reader as no other deck. It is perfectly attuned with today’s world and those of us seeking higher levels of consciousness. In addition to the set, Martien has created a scent for each card of the major arcana. These aromatic jewels are matched to the energy of each card and can be used to enrich one’s journey into the true essence of individual cards. This deck is a welcome addition to any tarot collection and a must for the contemporary reader." Margaret Letzkus, Tarot reader and instructor

"Teressena’s intuitive illustrations combined with Martien’s intuitive writing as well as his scents, developed for each of the major arcana, meld into a meaningful experience on a deep level. Having attended both their presentation and their workshop, I highly recommend anyone interested in the tarot to attend. In presenting their deck, both Teressena and Martien were enthusiastic and presented the material so as to be easily understood by advanced readers as well as the novice. Their passion for their work was obvious and contagious to all attendees. The workshop took the attendees to the heart of The Fifth Tarot which, to me, is the desire for higher attainment of spirit and higher consciousness. The multidimensional levels of the deck were explored through sight, touch, meditation, sound, and imagination with each participant connecting to individual cards. Attendees were left with renewed spirit and a shared deep connection to the deck. Margaret Letzkus, Tarot reader and instructor

Review by Robert Hahn

A very unique new deck has appeared on the Tarot market, The Fifth Tarot. What makes it unique is the addition of a fifth suit, the element of ether. The extra suit (called Lotus) brings the number of cards to 92. All of the suits are depicted with symbols from nature: fire, shells, feathers, stones, and lotuses. This is very much a deck for the 21st century, attuned as it is to the earth and to our awakening consciousness. It is a strong, yet gentle, spiritual deck, yet can shed insight on more mundane issues in our lives.

Created by Martien and Teressena Bakens, The Fifth Tarot is a beautiful book and deck package, published by Blue Dolphin Publishing. Measuring 3.5 by 5 inches, the cards are laminated and sturdy, with a reversible back, depicting four interlocking squares called a quincunx. Teressena’s art is detailed, colorful, soft and inspiring. The illustrations are unique to this deck and its purpose, and it is not a Rider Waite Smith clone. It is an uplifting, forward-looking deck, perfect for meditation as well as divination. The traditional court cards are renamed Seeker, Initiate, Apprentice and Elementor.

The companion book, The Fifth Tarot: Restoring the Fifth Element, is an excellent guide to this wonderful deck. It is fully illustrated with a black and white image of each card. Detailed descriptions and explantions of the symbolism appearing on each card help guide the reader through the imagery. The borders of the Major Arcana include four symbols: a planetry or astrological glyph, a star symbol (representing spirtual and universal laws of the universe) a Mayan glyph and a sacred symbol of MU. All of these are explained in an appendix. All card descriptions include a section on divinatory meanings as well as practical applications to bring the energy of each card into our daily lives.

I recommend this deck for anyone interested in Tarot. It is new, fresh and offers a unique way of seeing and working with the Tarot. It is a deck that will reward study and meditation. The Bakens’ also offer an experiential workshop to introduce people to The Fifth Tarot. I was lucky to have participated in the workshop when the Bakens came to town. The workshop was a feast for all five senses, incorporating the use of movement and essential oils created specifically for the deck. Guided mediations and discussion of imagery and meaning rounded the out the evening. It was an incredible spiritually uplifting experience. Martien and Teressena are powerful, spiritual, and gentle presenters whose approach allows attendees to tap into the magical energy that is The Fifth Tarot.

This is a deck that you will want to play and work with!

Foreword
Acknowledgments

A Short History of Tarot

Introduction to The Fifth Tarot

Introduction to the Major Arcana

Card Attributes Diagram
Major Arcana

Introduction to the Suit Cards

Numerology Reference for the Suit Cards
Suit of Fire
Suit of Shells
Suit of Feathers
Suit of Stones
Suit of Lotus

Introduction to the Court Cards

Court Cards

Introduction to Tarot Readings

Moon, Earth, Sun Spread
The Fifth Spread
The Double Pentacle Spread or the Perfect Fifth
13 Moon Spread
Collective Consciousness Spread

Appendices

A. Qabalah / Tree of Life
B. Border Symbols
C. Planetary & Astrological Signs
D. Star Symbols
E . Sacred Symbols of MU
F. Mayan Glyphs
G . Suit Attributes

Reference List

About the artist and author

The Fifth Tarot makes a significant contribution to the world of tarot by incorporating a fifth suit which represents the element, ether. Traditional decks have four suits corresponding to the elements of fire, water, air and earth. But without ether, there is no life, no prana. Similar to the Bible, where books were removed during various councils in history, the fifth suit is like these lost books. It is our opinion that in its original form tarot decks did have this fifth suit. It would seem remiss by ancient alchemists if ether were absent from the grouping of elements. Adding or returning the fifth element, ether, to The Fifth Tarot, makes for a more whole, more complete presentation of working with and mastering the elements through tarot.

The significance of the five elements is evidenced in many symbols of sacred geometry. One such illustration are the five platonic solids. These shapes were considered by ancient mathematicians and alchemists, like Pythagoras, to be the pinnacle of sacred geometry and esoteric knowledge. Whereas the sphere represents the void, the platonic solids represent the elements as the building blocks of the universe. Each has equal edges, with every face of the solid the same perfect polygon. Every point is the same distance from the center.

The five-pointed star or pentagram is another symbol that depicts the five elements. The lower four points represent fire, water, air and earth, while the fifth point surmounting the others represents the fifth element, ether. When the pentagram is placed within a circle it is a symbol of unity and wholeness signifying our connection with the universe as a whole. The template of organic life in this planet is based on the pentagram. You will find the fractal mathematical design of DNA contains the pentagram pattern within the helix formation.

Another symbol to further the importance of the fifth element is the quincunx—the symbol depicted on the back of the cards. The quincunx is a series of interlocking squares within a square, symbolizing our ability to cross from four to five aspects of our being—meaning we all possess the four elements (represented by the squares in the position of the four directions) but without the fifth element (ether, in the position of the center square) there is no life force. As an ancient symbol of alchemy, the interlocking symbol of the quincunx represents the whole being more than the sum of its parts. It is a symbol of oneness coming from source. With so many references pointing to five elements and wholeness, it makes sense then that there would be five rather than four suits.

The symbols for the suits in The Fifth Tarot are objects of nature rather than the traditional imagery of man-made objects and symbols of weaponry. (No swords or spears here!) Fire, shells, feathers, stones and lotuses, the images of nature chosen for the suit cards, reinforce our oneness with the natural world and support the Age of Peace. The fifth suit of Lotuses specifically addresses the higher vibrational gifts emerging with the shift through the activation of our DNA codes, our evolving crystalline structures and the awakening of our multidimensional beingness. In addition to the qualities and aspects found in the other four suits, The Fifth Tarot brings forth such concepts as telepathy, spontaneous healing, inter-dimensional travel, and transcendence, to name a few. Many of the ideas presented have been accepted for ages; others are surfacing for the first time in our consciousness.

The Fifth Tarot also reframes the focus of hierarchy and gender typically found in the court cards. The court cards are intended to represent levels of mastery of the element represented by each suit. With this in mind the court cards of The Fifth Tarot are designated as Seeker, Initiate, Apprentice, and Elementor.

Traditional tarot decks have seventy-eight cards comprised of twenty-two major arcana, forty suit cards and sixteen court cards. With the addition of the fifth suit, we have ten extra suit cards plus four extra court cards. Thus, The Fifth Tarot deck is comprised of ninety-two cards.

The accompanying text for the cards includes an explanation and Divinatory Meaning followed by an Applications. The explanation describes in detail the imagery and symbolism depicted in the card. This allows one to reflect and meditate on the image to access the sacred mysteries and esoteric wisdom contained in each. The Divinatory Meaning suggests, in general, what the card may mean when it shows up in a reading. It may also suggest what it might be saying to you in particular. The Applications section offers ways to work with the messages or energies of that particular card, for example, what crystals or oils might assist in developing certain qualities or a meditation to expand one’s awareness of the message contained in the card.

The Fifth Tarot is a bridge that shatters the illusion of the third-dimensional paradigm and creates a gateway for the new story evolving in our fifth-dimensional reality. It offers transformative insights into our multi-dimensional gifts and possibilities. It incorporates the fifth element creating a greater understanding of alchemy and the Spiritual Laws of the Universe. The Fifth Tarot contains evolutionary archetypal imagery and text relevant to the re-emergence of the divine feminine, the divine masculine and sacred union. It is the tarot deck most relevant for the changing times in which we live.

Blue Dolphin Publishing, 2008

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