The Lovers & Death

Was: Guess what card showed up today? (The Emperor…)

Mhhhh. So today I should study the Emperor? I will of course pay attention to how he manifests himself in my day (a sweet sweet Aries friend & soul buddy of mine sent me a kind kind text (SMS) message and it was the first thing I saw when I woke up… Emperor? - sure, I’m just tying it with the Aries…).

Looking for another card to study, those two friends of mine (Ze Lovers) were at the bottom of the deck.

The 6 of Pentacles (and changes)

I’ve decided to change how I study the cards. Now, I pull 1 card, and with only question I use “What card should I study today?” Why? I get confusing readings, I react… in my usual way… and it fits what I believe I need to learn right now. So today’s card is: The 6 of Pentacles.

The Emperor reigns supreme (poor guy!)

Oh my Emperor… (The Emperor is also associated with Aries a.k.a. tha Rammmmmmm! sorry)

I am a 4 in Numerology (it’s my Life Path number). Thanks to Willow and this post in her blog, I remembered why I had bought the “Tarot for Yourself” book by Mary K. Greer. And according to her, it is my “Personality” and “Soul” Card. That is, it represents aspects of my personality, and it is a fundamental lesson I have to learn in this lifetime. Interestingly (for me), according to my Numerology calculations, I am a 22/4. What that means - to me - is that I feel like the strong need and desire to achieve something great and big in this lifetime (22 is often referred to as the Master Builder - I certainly believe I have no excuse to not build something beautiful for the world and in the world to share, and that would outlast me and positively affect as large a group as I can… PRESSURE PRESSURE PRESSURE!).

Lighten up already! (was: 8 of Cups/The Devil)

Today’s cards:

What do I need to know today: Ace of Pentacles

Why do I need to know this: Judgment

I’m still wondering how this applies partly - although today I have chosen to take a lighter approach. Later on this evening, I felt “judged” although I had spent the day “at peace” (although a strange, still budding sense of peace). I’m not saying I was/am heading in the right direction, but I am saying I am hyper sensitive (I need to change that, really!). Next thing you know, I’m having an anxiety attack or something… I’m playing (read shuffling) with my deck, and I pull out the 7 of Wands. Defensiveness, eh? :eye rolling at myself: I hate arguments, and I hate when I’m aggressive (this said, The Emperor is and remains my shadow. It was my “denial” shadow 3/4 years ago, and still is now… I’ll extrapolate on the shadow on another day… in another post) Hours passed, I walked around…

5 of Cups

I looked at my “Daily Draw Journal” and noticed today (as I once again pulled the card) that I get this card every other reading or something for the past months (since I began steadily journaling: or since I got the VR).

I’m really trying to understand what the 5 of Cups means to me. I’ll post insights (or whatevers) when I figure it out.

Up to now, I tend to have seen this card as clinging to past losses and ignoring what may remain (very very influenced by the Rider Waite Smith obviously). I know that’s my issue with a lot of Tarot related work and working with other decks in general: I tend to automatically compare them to the RWS deck. Interestingly, so far, the Victorian Romantic has been rather spared from this automatic treatment! And this card in this deck is fascinating for me in that, without the cups, I’m rather at loss in terms of interpretations… I’ve noted many details on the card, which I encourage you to look at (if you’re curious) on the VR official site.

Right now I have to go back to work, but I have a feeling I’ll ponder on that one for a little…

Magic Realist Press decks

Please do not be surprised if I deleted some pictures… I had to… I’m trying to understand why in my catalogue it shows porn… when obviously that was not what I uploaded… *fear* I deleted the pictures themselves rather than have someone have a stroke! Sorry to anyone who may have mistakenly fallen on such an image! NOT OF MY DOING!

I’m quite curious: I’m looking forward to the Tarot of Prague, it looks quite vivid as well, and strangely, I’ve found interesting meanings from cards that appear to be using mixed medias - such as the 4 of cups, and than compared to the Queen of Wands.

The Queen of Wands is strangely en relief - addendum on the 26 June: I say strangely because I didn’t like the effect at first, but I feel now it means something like: when this woman is in a room, you know it/can’t miss her! she’s shapely in her personality… uh… I mean she’s fully present… you know? -, the lamb at her feet looks odd, but in a weird nice way… The relief effect makes it really alive for me, really there, in my face, this lady looking all dash, into “her own thing”, and enjoying it too (nearly annoying… *chuckle*) which fits my idea of the Queen of Wands. - addendum on the 26 June: I’m seeing a lamb (but I can see how it could also be a lion). The lamb thing fits my idea of her as a leader (hence followed by the lamb), but the leo/lion image fits my idea of her proud nature - The 4 of Cups, on the other hand, looks nearly covered with a thin blue film, sort of nostalgic… The guy’s good overall, he could be just having a stroll, then he got to think of something, to have a certain train of thoughts… And he’s all… spaced out. He isn’t enjoying the now, whatever is going on, he’s me when I’m in my own little cloud… I’m not “sharing”. This one woman once said on a forum (I’ll post when I remember) that this card reminded her of people sitting at a table and not talking, not sharing.

The Answer Deck

This deck is strange for me. I both like it and am frustrated by it. The three cards I have shown are perfect examples.The one on the left, Ending, for example.

Weird Reading: Weird dream last night

So I’m trying to figure this out. Reading for myself has so far meant taking a really cynical approach at any message: I hate reading good when that’s not what is implied. As such what I see here is:

A very nostalgic look at the past (kind of not willing to let go). The Ace here really gives me the feeling of “head in the clouds”, ultra-dreamy and romantic… Yet the Aces often speak of opportunities for me. This means an emotional opportunity. Due to the very watery beginning (5 & Ace of Cups), the predominant blue tones, there’s this idea that this is a feeling more than something rooted in reality. There are, after all, no Earth cards. The Ace is in conflict (Water vs. Fire, The Sun) with the Sun, a card which, in this reading, I interpret as a more concrete (albeit maybe simpler) joy. This is the “joy with the simple things” card for me. She looked a bit stoned to me today too, which is kind of odd. Maybe too stoned from her dreams…? (dreams can lead to illusions if taken more seriously than they should be). The Ace is stunted by the Sun here as far as I see… Sort of the facade I put up for others keeps the Ace from manifesting… Mhhh. I look too happy - too “I’m fine right now. I need nothing else.” - for anything else to be offered…

Thoughts to ponder on. I’ll try to see how I can be content yet allow for other things to come into my life simultaneously. Maybe, also, I need the time to move on (5 of Cups) from what isn’t to what could still be (in the larger sense)… I certainly want to move on! I want more fire in my life!

(images copyright of Magic Realist Press)

I should be getting 3-4 decks today!!!!!

And I don’t even know what 2-3 are out of the 4 (one is the Ancient Egyptian for sure)… Yippie! (more later!).

Update from the next next day:

• Ancient Egyptian Tarot (French Edition)
• Original Riders Waite Smith Tarot (Purple box)
• Revelations Tarot/which I’ll later refer to as the Adflatus Tarot since that was the original name.

My Structure

Please understand that I partly share this to, basically, share with others, but also because I think it is important to define them for myself. I don’t think you need to apply any of my logic if you study or use the Tarot. My use is my use. I say this particularly because although I do base most of my understanding on what I’ve read, on older accepted structures and principles, I have modified them to make them my own, and although I see their ties with the works I inspired myself from, I hardly can say if they are accepted as such. This said, I do believe that anything, any tool (Tarot being one that is possible), is what you make of it!

The way I structure my current understanding of the Tarot is as follows, and represents the basic ideas, the concepts more than the way I’d interpret the cards in a reading per say. Also note that this page may be modified with time as I modify my own understanding of these!