Grand Etteilla 1857 · Tarot Card 14
Grand Etteilla Tarot Card 14 — Higher Power / Lesser Power
The card describes hierarchy and dependence, not an automatic metaphysical verdict. Ask who can act and who is constrained.
What is shown on the card?
A horned winged figure stands on a pedestal while two smaller figures are bound at its sides.
Printed meanings in the 1857 edition
Higher Power
“Higher Power” denotes the stronger side of a power relation; the phrase alone does not make that power good or evil.
Lesser Power
“Lesser Power” denotes the weaker position within the same relation of forces.
The printed pair and the book’s sentence-building method are historical evidence. Love, work and daily applications are explicitly marked TarotCards24 editorial commentary.
Commentary and difference from RWS
There is no direct RWS equivalent: card 14 must not be replaced by the Rider–Waite–Smith card carrying the same number.
The Etteilla sequence has its own numbering and meaning structure. Similar motifs or names do not establish a direct RWS equivalence.
Alternative reading: In an inner question, the imbalance may represent a dominant impulse and a weaker counterforce; this is modern application.
Practical interpretation
Love: In relationships, it exposes unequal control, dependence or missing bargaining power.
Work: At work, it concerns hierarchy, resources, pressure and the real reach of one’s decisions.
As a person: It describes a highly influential person or someone whose freedom to act is sharply limited.
If this is your card today: Name the real power imbalance and secure one concrete choice for the weaker side.
Continue exploring Grand Etteilla 1857 Tarot
Frequently asked questions
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot Card 14 — Higher Power / Lesser Power mean in the first position?
“Higher Power” denotes the stronger side of a power relation; the phrase alone does not make that power good or evil.
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot Card 14 — Higher Power / Lesser Power mean in the second position?
“Lesser Power” denotes the weaker position within the same relation of forces.
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot Card 14 — Higher Power / Lesser Power mean in love?
In relationships, it exposes unequal control, dependence or missing bargaining power.
What does Grand Etteilla Tarot Card 14 — Higher Power / Lesser Power mean at work?
At work, it concerns hierarchy, resources, pressure and the real reach of one’s decisions.
What kind of person does Grand Etteilla Tarot Card 14 — Higher Power / Lesser Power describe?
It describes a highly influential person or someone whose freedom to act is sharply limited.