Tarot readings

Recently I’ve been doing quite a bit of Tarot reading for friends. With this I’ve also been doing a lot of readings for myself. In the past month and a half all my readings have been pointing towards some kind of event in which I will have to resolve a tension between two aspects of my life. I’ve been wondering about what this is about. Then today I did a reading with the outcome card being the Tower. Needless to say that the whole reading was also pointing towards this need to resolve whatever this situation/condition is. It seems a sharp shock for me may be on the horizon. Lets hope its nothing too painful.

Birthday Tarot reading for a friend…

The following Tarot reading is for my dear friend V. It is a birthday present. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATE!!!

I’ve put this reading online so you can always look at this wherever you are in the world. I am using the tree of life spread, which is comprised of ten cards. In recent times I have been using this spread a lot as it provides a lot of detail. I asked the cards how your life might develop over the next year. The reading is as follows:

Card 1 – Aims and ideals of the Situation: Four of Swords
The card in this position represents what you would like to achieve. The card here, the four of swords, is associated with rest retreat and solace. It is possible that you have just been through quite a difficult time, either with work or with relationships and you are seeking some kind of mental and/or physical space where you can gather yourself. This is suggested because there is a particular emphasis in this card upon spiritual healing. In other words, some form of revitalising ones essence. So I would say that my you are in search of some form of inner healing or recharging.

Card 2 – Influences on the situation: Queen of Pentacles
The queen of pentacles can represent one of two things. If it represents a person then it is a woman who is dark of complexion, but not black haired. She is earthy, worldly, practical and generous. She will enjoy all aspects of the hearth and home. She will be spiritual, but grounded in the world. She will be in her thirties or older. If she is younger then she will have an old head on her shoulders.
If this card does not represent a woman then it is a warning to look after your finances, health and or property. Interestingly, this card may suggest you need to treat yourself to some sensual pleasures. So, like the card before it, there is the suggestion that you need to take care of yourself.

Card 3 – General Nature of Question: Princess of Pentacles
The card in this position defines the nature of the question more completely. The card here is the Princess of pentacles. Because of its position I do not think it represents a person. The princess of pentacles, when not presenting a person, can represent the beginnings of a new period of creativity in your life. This may be thought of, not so much as a new phase but as a transitional period in which one ways up ones past creativity and begins to think about how one would like ones creativity to manifest in the future. It could be that you’ve outgrown the skin your in. Again, this card is very interesting, as it seems to follow on from the logic of the previous cards. This card seems to suggest some kind of personal revaluation of oneself in the world, or ones relationship to the world. Perhaps this is the reason for the need for solace or spiritual revival?

Card 4 – The Key: The Chariot
The card I this position represents the key to the situation. It is normally something that has greater significance than you may have realised, or perhaps something you have not considered at all. The Card in this position is the Chariot. Some people say that this card has to do with controlling oppositional forces in ones life. Yet, I would tend to say that it is about understanding how differing forces may compliment each other, acting as polarities rather than as opposites. The implicit suggestion here is the need to make two aspects of your being, which currently feel out of kilter, work together for you. This does not mean that both aspects needs resolved into one. Rather, the way in which they operate in tandem is what must be sorted out. A positive thing about this card and its position is that it suggests that you have the ability to do this.

Card 5 – Influences of the present: The Star
The card in this position is suggesting the things in your present that you need to take account of to benefit form this reading. The card in this position is The Star. Key words for The Star are Intuition, hope, healing, calm and openness.  The Star seems to very much relate to some of the suggestions made at the start of the reading.  The Star is a very positive card. It suggests inward feelings of positive self-esteem. It can also suggest that you are the recipient of much love (whether you know it or not) at this time in your life. It is also associated with creativity, the drawing up of ideas form the unconscious. This is a very powerful card to have positioned in the present. It suggests that you need to take stock of your own creativity and the love that others have for you. Perhaps, it is a suggestion that it is a time to contemplate ones place in the world through consideration of the aspects of The Star, so focus on the positive aspects of what is important about being alive.

Card 6 – Influences of the Future: Two of Swords
The card in this position represents what one will have to look out for in the future. The card here is the two of swords. Inherent in this card is the suggestion that two things – people, feelings or views – are set in opposition.  This card suggests procrastination. So while you may currently be in or in need of a state of self-reflection, this card suggests that you may not reach a state of resolve for the matters that are troubling you. Alternatively, if you do reach a state of resolve then it will be an uneasy one, which will give way to some form of conflict, which will then clear the air.
The other way to look at this card is to read it as a suggestion that one is to try to avoid reaching a situation of over procrastination, as this will not aid you in your life, rather it will hinder your development.

Card 7 – Effect of the significator: five of Swords
This is the affect that you have on the situation. This card is very telling, as it is the five of swords. This card literally represents playful conflict. The kind that one may have with a work colleague or friend. This card also holds a warning: be aware that what starts in fun can very quickly become serious, earnest conflict. Therefore the card here may suggest that while you have entered into something for fun, that you should be aware of where it may lead. When we enter into conflict for fun, we often assume that other people understand this, but this is not always the case.

Card 8 – Effect of the Environment: Four of Cups
This card not only represents the affects of the physical environment but also the affects of the general conditions of ones life upon the situation. The card here is the four of cups. This card is associated with a period of stagnation. It suggests that you may currently be feeling like you life has somehow got stuck. This card suggests that it may now be time to lie fallow for a period. To let ones creative juices slowly revitalise. Like the cards at the beginning of the reading, this card also suggests that it is time for you to have some kind of spiritual healing. There is the suggestion of the use of some form of ritual for this. There is also the suggestion that you need to reconnect with nature. If water cannot flow it becomes stagnant. Ergo you need to connect to the spring that fuels you.
Another reading of this card is that it is a warning to not ignore gifts or opportunities through laziness.

Card 9 – Hopes and Fears: Seven of Wands
The card in this position represents the things you either hope or fear will happen. The card here is the Seven of wands, which again is a card associated with conflict. This card suggests that you are involved in a struggle that either challenges your supremacy, leadership or more over, your judgement. Yet there is also a suggestion here that you will find this struggle exhilarating. A positive aspect of the conflict noted by this card is that you will be able to find some vantage point form which to survey the problem. So your decisions in relation to it will not be entirely blind or knee jerk.

Card 10 – The final Outcome: Nine of Cups
The car din this position represents the final outcome of the situation. This is not set in stone as it were, but should rather be treated as a signpost to what might be, depending on how you navigate the situation.
The card in this position is the nine of cups. This card is quite favourable in this position. All the nines are associated with a move towards completion in some way. The completion tends to have more relevance spiritually than physically. The nine of cups suggests that you may have realised a dream or a wish that you have held for a very long time. This card suggests a full and rewarding emotional life. It suggests that although you may have faced difficulties in the past, but now you are surrounded by close relationships and social warmth. It suggests a healthy connection to your creativity and to nature. Life is treating you well is the message in this card.
Yet one other aspect of this card which I feel you would want to know is that it also contains a question: In all the success and warmth that this card brings you, are you forgetting anyone who should be celebrating with you, or who may also deserve some thanks or praise?

All in all these cards suggest that you are currently in a period of great contemplation and are seeking some form of vantage point from which to consider a situation. It also suggests that you are in need of some form of spiritual healing in order to arrive at this vantage point. I don’t know why, but I have the feeling that this situation may only be internal, but may also involve another person. Ultimately though, these cards suggest that this situation will have a successful outcome.

Assessment of Tarot reading July – October 2008

AS anyone who has been following this blog will know, I did a Tarot reading at the beginning of the year and I’ve been trying to keep track of how accurate it has been. the last time I did a check on it, it was June. As I haven’t passed comment on this reading in some time I thought I’d like to do so now.

The readings for July, August and September were as follows:

July: Queen of Pentacles
This card may represent a woman who is generous patient and pragmatic. If it doesn’t represent a woman then it could represent a situation the need to take care of my body, finances or possessions. It could also symbolise something to do with my relationship, or that I need to give some attention to my need for bodily fulfilment. Stranger and stranger is all I can say.

August: The Wheel
What a card and at what a point! In straight up honesty I am hoping to hand my PhD in either during or at the end of August, so the wheel in this position is a very promising sign: This card is associated with the completion of cycles and the beginning of new ones. Hopefully this is a sign that I will finish up on time.

September: Princess of Pentacles
Now, this is a strange card to have here. This card is normally associated with the beginning of new undertakings in the world. So then again, following the last card maybe it’s not so strange at all. Academic years normally begin in September so perhaps it is the sign that I will get or begin a new job working for a University during this month.

October: Seven of Swords
Now this card ca be read in two distinct way. The first reading suggests that the intellectual and agile quality of the swords combined with the mystical characteristics of the number seven combine in this card to herald a new and exciting atmosphere that will totally refresh me. The other reading suggests that I may be proposing some bold and daring idea that is challenging to someone or something. Perhaps this card is a sign that my PhD viva may take place in October.

NOW The first thing I have to say about this reading is that I didn’t hand my PhD in August as I thought I might. However, I did get a full draft completed by August. SO in a funny way the card and my reading of iy are correct. The card for July, The Princess of Pentacles does make sense in the reading also, although not in the way I thought it would. I submitted my PhD in September and since then I’ve been spending some time giving thought to many different aspects of my life and have been taking my first few steps along the road to shapping things in my life into the shape I want them. A kind of Life after PhD state of being. The reading for October also makes sense. My PhD viva is scheduled for November, and during October my examiners will be reading my thesis, so this is the bold proposal to the world that this card suggests.

Comments on Tarot prediction for June

We’re only just in July now. I thought I’d have a look at my tarot prediction for June and see if it matched up to my experiences. for June I said the following

June: Four of Pentacles
As has been said Pentacles are associated with the more material aspects of life. The symbol of the pentacle in ritual magick relates to the element of earth. The number four is also associated with the physical world and so the idea of earth is doubly emphasised in this card. Therefore this card may refer to some very worldly undertaking such as creating a business or political plan or giving some heavy consideration to the advancement of my finances. Implicit in this card is also a slight warning against too strong a preoccupation with empire building or excessive accumulation. Such behaviour would lead to loss of compassion, greed and general miserliness. This card is very interesting given the card for the previous month.

Again this card is quite accurate. I have to hold my hands up and say that I’ve still be weighing up the issue of money in relation to my wider life. I guess the main thing driving this has been the knowledge that I’m coming up to the end of my PhD study. so It is a time for these kinds of thoughts, although I have to say I’m not feeling overly misery about things, so that’s a good sign at least.

Comments on Tarot reading for May

Thinking about what happened in May, I think my Tarot cards were spookily correct. In my Yearly forecast, I read May in the following way…

This is a very interesting card to find here in my spread. This card is associated with material success in the world and therefore also the good things in life. This card may suggest that I will receive a windfall or some other form of unearned income, it suggests that I will have reached a stage where I no longer need to work to earn a living. Some how I doubt this, but then again you never know. An alternative reading of this card would go like this: Pentacles are associated with the material things in life. Nines suggested the deepening of experience. Therefore we could say that this card suggests that in May I am going to come into a deeper understanding of the realities of what it takes to make the world tick in the material sense. So this is as much about marrying any of my idealism to the material realities of the world. It’s an interesting card to have here. I wonder what exactly it’s about?

The major thing that happened in terms of money and materiality in May was that a gallery approached me about the possibility of representing my artwork. Now this caused a whole series of thoughts in me regarding why I make art and also how my desires to create have to be married up to real life needs of having an income. I still haven’t resolved the issues this request sparked in me, but one thing is for sure, it has really made me think hard about what/how/why/where I do what I do.

Comment on Tarot reading for April

My Card for April was the Hermit. To recal my original reading of it:

An Interesting card to appear here. April is the month of my Birthday, and often I get very contemplative and introspective around this time. That’s not be confused with feeling morbid, but rather I always take some time to take stock of myself and what I’ve done since my last birthday. I don’t really do big birthday parties anymore. Last year I went to an Island with my girlfriend and watched sea lions do yoga on a beach. So, the idea of hearing an ‘inner call’, which is often associated with the hermit is pretty apt in this month.

Basically I spent the whole of this month with a broken leg, so I was literraly a hermit, sitting on my arse all the time on my own at home thinking a lot about different things in my life…

Comment on my Tarot reading for March

If you read my previous blog on Tarot you’ll know that I did a reading to try and gain an insight into what this coming year would be like. The reading for March was as follows:

March: Princess of Cups
This card, if not referring to a person, is associated with the beginning of some kind of artistic endeavour. Such a card is no surprise in any reading about me. but what would the project be? Last night Gerard, Paul and I were discussing forming a noise band. Maybe it’s referring to that? this card can also refer too the birth of a child, or the beginning of a new relationship. It may also signify that I have some urge to enter into a deeper exploration of my own motivations and emotions. It’s pretty open.

We’ll it’s now nearing the end of March and I feel the need to examine this reading and see how it is holding up. Oddly enough this month has seen me enter into a new artistic endeavour, one which is remarkable beyond my normal activities and one which is based on a collaborative relationship with someone else. At the Invitation of Curator Judit Bodor-Hunter I am beginning a collaboration with the Writer and Artist Stewart Home on what will probably be a short film, we will shoot in May in Devon. I’m very excited about this as I’ve been a fan of Stewart’s work for some time and although we’ve met several times in the past when we have been participating in the same event, we have never actually collaborated on anything before. So this should be a very interesting project. I think this card is quite spot on for this month, as aside from the other work I’ve been doing on my PhD and the article I’m working on For Circa Magazine, this is probably the occurrence this month that has excited me the most.

Tarot for 2008

Since the Beginning of the year I have been meaning to do a Tarot reading for each month of 2008. I wanted to do this as a kind of experiment to see how accurate my readings may be. Now, in the middle of February, I’ve decided to actually do this. So this morning I got out my deck of Tarot cards and drew one for each month of the year. The results were as follows:

January: Princess of wands
The Princess of wands, when not referring to a person, can refer to the initiation of new projects or just a general quickening of the pace of life. I think it’s fair to say that January was a bit like this. We were in the stages of preparing the SPART Action Winter Games and it was the first time we had worked with some of the new people involved. So there were both new projects and new relationships on thew boil.

February: Two of Pentacles
This card again relates to the concept of play, but also to balance. Pentacles are concerned with the more material aspects of life and therefore this card could be seen as framing the significance of the need to balance the desire for play with the economic realities of such play. This card again is true as the Winter games was mostly financed by my own pocket.

March: Princess of Cups
This card, if not referring to a person, is associated with the beginning of some kind of artistic endeavour. Such a card is no surprise in any reading about me. but what would the project be? Last night Gerard, Paul and I were discussing forming a noise band. Maybe it’s referring to that? this card can also refer too the birth of a child, or the beginning of a new relationship. It may also signify that I have some urge to enter into a deeper exploration of my own motivations and emotions. It’s pretty open.

April: The Hermit
An Interesting card to appear here. April is the month of my Birthday, and often I get very contemplative and introspective around this time. That’s not be confused with feeling morbid, but rather I always take some time to take stock of myself and what I’ve done since my last birthday. I don’t really do big birthday parties anymore. Last year I went to an Island with my girlfriend and watched sea lions do yoga on a beach. So, the idea of hearing an ‘inner call’, which is often associated with the hermit is pretty apt in this month.

May: Nine of Pentacles
This is a very interesting card to find here in my spread. This card is associated with material success in the world and therefore also the good things in life. This card may suggest that I will receive a windfall or some other form of unearned income, it suggests that I will have reached a stage where I no longer need to work to earn a living. Some how I doubt this, but then again you never know. An alternative reading of this card would go like this: Pentacles are associated with the material things in life. Nines suggested the deepening of experience. Therefore we could say that this card suggests that in May I am going to come into a deeper understanding of the realities of what it takes to make the world tick in the material sense. So this is as much about marrying any of my idealism to the material realities of the world. It’s an interesting card to have here. I wonder what exactly it’s about?

June: Four of Pentacles
As has been said Pentacles are associated with the more material aspects of life. The symbol of the pentacle in ritual magick relates to the element of earth. The number four is also associated with the physical world and so the idea of earth is doubly emphasised in this card. Therefore this card may refer to some very worldly undertaking such as creating a business or political plan or giving some heavy consideration to the advancement of my finances. Implicit in this card is also a slight warning against too strong a preoccupation with empire building or excessive accumulation. Such behaviour would lead to loss of compassion, greed and general miserliness. This card is very interesting given the card for the previous month.

July: Queen of Pentacles
This card may represent a woman who is generous patient and pragmatic. If it doesn’t represent a woman then it could represent a situation the need to take care of my body, finances or possessions. It could also symbolise something to do with my relationship, or that I need to give some attention to my need for bodily fulfilment. Stranger and stranger is all I can say.

August: The Wheel
What a card and at what a point! In straight up honesty I am hoping to hand my PhD in either during or at the end of August, so the wheel in this position is a very promising sign: This card is associated with the completion of cycles and the beginning of new ones. Hopefully this is a sign that I will finish up on time.

September: Princess of Pentacles
Now, this is a strange card to have here. This card is normally associated with the beginning of new undertakings in the world. So then again, following the last card maybe it’s not so strange at all. Academic years normally begin in September so perhaps it is the sign that I will get or begin a new job working for a University during this month.

October: Seven of Swords
Now this card ca be read in two distinct way. The first reading suggests that the intellectual and agile quality of the swords combined with the mystical characteristics of the number seven combine in this card to herald a new and exciting atmosphere that will totally refresh me. The other reading suggests that I may be proposing some bold and daring idea that is challenging to someone or something. Perhaps this card is a sign that my PhD viva may take place in October.

November: Three of Pentacles
This card suggests that my work will flourish as I build on my previous efforts. This card essentially signifies an increase in my skills during November. I am guessing this card refers to my academic skills. On another note, it might suggest that I will be doing a bit of renovating to my home.

December: The High Priestess
What a card to finish the year on. The High Priestess signifies that I am reaching a time to enter into stillness. A period of time which is for the deepening of my intuition. Hence, I will need to be still to hear my inner voice. December is often like this for me. but lets see, if this is truly what is in the cards.

Tarot Reading for LB

This Tarot Reading is being performed for a Friend. I will not mention him by name, but will refer to him as L.B. Instead of the usual Celtic cross spread I normally use I have instead this time opted to try a new spread: the Romany Spread. The Romany spread is an old spread that provides a more general over view than the Celtic cross spread. It used more cards, but gives less specific information.
There are four houses in the Romany Spread. Each house contains three cards. The Spread is laid out sort of like an X. The three houses are:

What the person I am enquiring brings to the situation (cards 7, 11 & 15)
The recent Past (Cards 14, 10 & 6)
Near Future (Cards 3, 1 & 2)
The Natural Future (Cards 4, 8 & 12)
The Alternative Future (Cards 13, 9, 5)

I will deal with each house in turn and try to make some reading of it. The question I asked was: Can you give me a general overview of the progression of L.B’s life.

I will begin the reading with what the Querent brings to the situation:

What the person I am enquiring about brings to the situation
The cards in this house represent some of the innate characteristics of the person. It can also reveal factors from childhood and the like which continue to influence the peron’s being. The cards in this house are as follows:
Ten of Pentacles
King of Cups
Justice
The Ten of cups is a card associated with blessings, prosperity and also legacy. In a reading this card may indicate that you are either in receipt of a legacy or else you are trying to create one, either for your family or a wider community of people. So in terms of the cards position in this reading, the card may indicate someone who is very giving but gives with a sense of purpose: i.e. to create something lasting.
The King of Cups represents either someone involved in the arts, or else artistic accomplishment. If this card does not represent a person then it may represent either a spiritual group, or a group of people concerned with some kind of ritual, therapeutic of cultural project. It can also signify involvements in the arts. If the card represents a person then it represents someone of fair complexion who is wise, compassionate and possesses artistic sensibility. It represents someone who has directed their creativity towards socially responsible goals. It represents someone who as mastered their feelings and places responsibility before his own personal need for self-expression. This may create conflict in the person’s life because the life he has built around himself may keep him away form the source of his creative inspiration, which is emotional involvement in the world.
Justice Is denoted by the words: discrimination, balance, poise, choice, decision, judgement, clarity, fairness & action born of understanding. I think this says it all really.
These three cards all lean in the same direction in terms of meaning. Together they can be read to suggest that the L.B. is someone one who has an innate sense of purpose. They are a giving person, but someone who gives in a measured way i.e. to enhance the world around them rather than simply for the fact of giving. It also suggests that they are ruled by their mind although the have a very deep and rich emotional quality which is less often seen.

The recent Past (Cards 14, 10 & 6)
The next set of cards deals with the recent past. The cards in this house are:
Three of wands
Seven of Pentacles
The Fferyllt
The three of wands is a card associated with Enterprise and confidence. It denotes realising a project or achieving goals. This card can also denote favourable financial returns and the ability to realise long terms goals if you have just embarked on a long-term project. The card can also suggest that L.B. is looking for an overview of a situation and that this might involve travel to initiate a new venture. As this is the recent past, I think, from my knowledge, this card is quite apt.
The Seven of Pentacles can be read in two ways. At its root is the idea of harvesting. It can be read to be either suggesting that if you have been working hard that you can now begin to take a break and being to enjoy the fruits of your labour, just as a farmer would take joy in bringing in his harvest. The other meaning with this card is that of clearing away unnecessary clutter from your life, or to take stock of a situation before moving forward.
The Ffyerllt is essentially a druidic alchemist. This is a card of the major arcana and in more traditional decks this card is represented by Temperance. The concept of temperance should not necessarily be associated with refraining from pleasures, but rather is it about control. The word temperance stems from the Latin temperare, which means to blend and harmonise opposing factors. This card essentially denotes harmony and successful creative endeavour. It also urges the many different aspects of ones being to cease being separate and become instead one alchemical entity.
These three cards together in the house of the recent past suggest that L.B. was in recent times seeking to move beyond somewhere or something. He felt the need to clear the brushwood from his life and find a vantage point on some aspect of his life. The Card of the Fferyllt in this respect can also be seen in another aspect here. For the major arcane can be seen as containing a series of three cycles. The Fferyllt is the final card of the second cycle of the major arcana. In this respect the card can be seen to symbolise here, not only an alchemy of our being but also some form of submission to the spirit. In this sense the card represents the completion of some aspect of an inner struggle or cycle of life and in so doing represents a move towards a new phase of being in ones life.

Near Future (Cards 3, 1 & 2)
The cards of the near future usually represent events that will transpire within the next three months or so. They are:
The three of Pentacles
The high Priest
The eight of Cups
The three of pentacles is associated with some form of monetary gain, normally through some form of skilled labour. It also represents some form of appreciation or recognition for ones endeavours. This card is essentially about increase, about building upon the foundations of what has been done before, it is this aspect of the card that we draw the idea of craft from. The card can also be associated with repairs to housing. You might be thinking about either decorating or renovating where you are currently living.
The High Priest is another card of the major arcana. It is the counter part of The high Priestess. The high priest is sometimes associated with marriage. However, if he is, it is normally the legal and outward ceremonial affairs surrounding the marriage that he is symbolising rather than the union itself. The card may also signify a yearning for some form of spiritual marriage i.e. between the physical and spiritual worlds. In this sense the card can also represent either an established spiritual order or individual that can guide or advise the searcher on his quest for spiritual union. In this sense the card may represent a person who will make himself known to the L.B. in the next three months or so. The card can also represent the wider world of formal knowledge, education and academic establishments. So it might also represent a quest for this rather than spiritual knowledge. Again it may represent some form of mentor who may appear in L.B’s life in the coming months.
The Either of Cups suggests that either a project or a relationship has fulfilled its purpose and it’s time to move on. Yet moving away from something is not necessarily negative, it is not about rejection but choosing what we embrace. This card can be read to mean that the goals you are working towards no longer satisfy you and so it can even suggest that you are looking for something more meaningful to fill your life. This card again hints at the idea of some form of mystical union of marriage and can be read to suggest that you may require either a retreat or holiday in which to recharge yourself and perhaps even rededicate your sense of purpose.
All in all these cards altogether bode well. They represent progression, achievement, recognition and perhaps even guidance in the near future. They also suggest self-evaluation, which is something that was sought in the cards of the recent past, so in some way it suggests that the near future will fulfil past desires.

The Natural Future (Cards 4, 8 & 12)
Now we move too the natural future. These cards represent the future, as it is most likely to transpire if we continue on as we are doing. The cards in this house are:
The Ten of Swords
The five of Wands
The Princess of Swords
The Ten of Swords is a card I always think of as being a down right nasty. This card represents nadir. Usually through some form of betrayal or slander. It can also indicate that you are the subject of unmerited hatred or malicious acts. It can suggest that a long-term situation may have come to an end. Be it either in terms of a relationship, business arrangement, career, job etc. Yet these is some positive aspect of this card as it represents the lowest point you can reach, so after what may transpire you will be in the beginning of a new phase on the road upwards. The card can also be read to represent not so much a situation as the way one may react in the world to a situation. I.e. it may represent a rather immature reaction to the ending of a situation, through which you bring about your own moment of nadir. As such the card could be read as a warning against such a reaction in the future.
The five of Wands is a card of conflict. However this conflict tends to be playful and creative rather than threatening, at present anyway. This card suggests that you are either involved in some kind of playful competition either with colleagues or friends, or that you are involved in a battle of wits with someone. Wands are creative, generous, fiery cards, yet they can also be combative. So there is a warning here not to let whatever the situation is escalate from play to something more serious. In a sexual relationship this card can also represent passion and wild exploits.
The princess of cups, if representing a person represents a woman who tends to take a detached view of life. While this can be helpful as if provides her with objectivity that allows for clarity and discrimination, it can also work against her as others may perceive her as being aloof or distant. This card may represent someone you know or someone you are communicating with especially via electronic media such as phone or Internet. Who ever it is they may well excel at communication skills and verbal diplomacy. They will be bright and agile and enjoy intellectual challenges and team sports. If this card does not represent a person then it indicates a new phase in our intellectual life. A new impulse to learn or a fresh viewpoint on your being that is just dawning.
Read together these card could be seen to suggest that you need to be aware of your relationship with either the person or business situation represented by the Princess of Swords, because, if left on checked, it may escalate into the situation suggested by the Ten of Swords. The answer may not necessarily be to brake communication or relations with this person or situation. Rather some advice may be offered with the final cards.

The Alternative Future (Cards 13, 9, 5)
The Cards of the alternative future do not necessarily represent a different reality that may occur, but more what one may bring into the development of the future so as to avoid any mishaps that may be projected by the previous cards. The cards in the house of the alternative future are:
Nine of Cups
Rebirth
Prince of Wands
The nine of cups suggests that you have realised a dream of fulfilled a long held wish. You may be experiencing a period of great happiness and emotional satisfaction. Yet with all this, the card suggests that you may either have forgotten someone or are feeling strangely alone even despite the prosperous situation. In general though the card suggests a rewarding and emotional life. The card also warns against complacency in such situations and therefore may have some bearing on the card in the previous house.
Rebirth is a very powerful symbol. It is tied up in the mysteries of birth and death, regeneration, redemption, renewal and reaping. In traditional Tarot decks this card is known as Judgement. The key to this card lies in the symbol of the trumpet. This card suggests that you have heard the call of your vocation, your mission in life, the spiritual path you are seeking or simply the call of a new direction you know you must take. Essentially the card is a call to change to some form of being that is more your own and more fully at one with your existence. It also indicates that the change is already underway, that you are in the process of being reborn. But is can also indicate that a decision must be taken. You may have come to a crossroads and the cards may indicate that you are called to make a decision about the future. In light of the previous house this card may again be warning for you to act with clarity in your decisions, to follow your inner voice.
The Prince of wands if representing as person, represents someone who is passionate, eager and rebellious. It tends to represent someone who is either in the later teens to mid twenties who takes much joy in initiating situations but is not so fond of fine detail. As such this person can make a passionate but uncommitted lover. If this card does not represent a person then it may indicate challenges, travel moving house, putting ideas in action or meeting interesting people. It is hard to place this card in a reading. It may suggest someone you either know or are yet to meet. The person may either be an aid to you in your future situation or the cause of the disruption suggested by the previous house. It is hard to tell. If it does not represent a person then it represents a phase of interesting times for you.
All three cards together seem to suggest a period or exciting renewal and comfort in ones life. If these cards are read in relation to the previous house then one might see them as suggesting against complacency in ones being either towards situations at hand or ones own inner calling to self-realisation.

As a total over view the cards suggest a pretty steady progression from your innate character, through the recent past and into the close future. There does seem to be some suggestion of potential disruption over the next year or so in your coming future. This may relate to a woman and/or man the first of dark complexion and the second of fair complexion. Other than this disruption, which is potentially avoidable through consideration of the alternative future cards, there seems to be a pretty clear progression from past desires to future fulfilment. All in all this is quite a positive reading.

Tarot Reading for Jill McDermid

Not long after starting this project I got a request from American Performance Artist Jill McDermid asking me if I would do a Tarot reading fro her. I decided that I might as well make this my next Tarot reading. As Jill did not ask me to read on the subject of anything specific, I decided that I would just perform a general reading. For this reading I am going to use the Celtic cross spread. I used this spread for the last reading I did and posted here. Again, I have to say I do no several other spreads, but this one is a good one for general questions. Anyway, here goes with Jill’s reading:

Question: What are the general influences at work in Jill’s life at present and where might they lead her?

1. What covers Strength
2. What crosses The Sun
3. What crowns Six of Swords
4. What is beneath Ten of Swords
5. What is behind Cernunnos (the Devil)
6. What is before Ace of Swords
7. What is feared Nine of Swords
8. What others feel The World
9. What is wished Three of Swords
10. What may come Nine of Pentacles

My interpretation of the cards
On first looking at this spread, it seems quite odd to me. But then I don’t know Jill so well, so this reading could go either way.

1. What covers: The card in this position represents the inner state of the situation or individual about which I am enquiring. The card that has fallen in this position is Strength. Strength is represented by a woman in her late twenties/early thirties. Beside her stands a wild boar, which she has tamed and lying near her is a sword, which is unused. Keywords for this card are: unconditional love, courage, faith and compassion. This card resonates with the union of nature and civilisation. It suggests a deep sense of trust in this relationship. In terms of the question I would read this to suggest that Jill embodies these aspects within her being. It seems to make sense, as the card suggests a strong woman in control of her own energies involved in a deep relationship with both her natural and civilised aspects.
The other odd thing about this card, which I have to mention, is that it has a subtext of sexuality. It has a relationship to the card of Cernunnos (the Devil). Yet where one aspect of Cernunnos is a kind of wild sexuality, the card of Strength embodies this same wild sexuality, yet in a more mature personification: it is now controlled and channelled. It is for this reason that this card is sometimes associated with female energy. It is typical of men to attempt to master the life energy, but what is feminine is to learn instead how to direct its flow in a creative and life giving way. This is a quite a positive card to have as an indicator of Jill’s internal condition, although the sexual reference is quite odd, given some of the other card.
2. What Crosses: This card represents the external situation of the individual or condition I am enquiring about. It can also represent conditions of conflict within the person’s life. The card that has fallen in this position is the Sun. Key words associated with this card are: Happiness, contentment, success, energy, Wonder, Freedom, Joy, creative expression. This card is quite obvious in meaning; it suggests Jill inhabits a creative joyful exterior environment. Yet, also, on the basis of its placement in the reading, it also suggests that this creative environment could also be the source of some conflict. But this is only a very minor aspect of this card in this position.
3. What Crowns: The card in this position represents the prevailing goal, principle or ideal that guides Jill in her current situation. The Card in this position is the six of swords. The sixes are typically about harmonising. Aspects of the six of swords include journeying and healing. The card suggests that conditions of conflict are either ceasing OR are calming down so that possibilities are beginning to open up that allows one a path to solace, comfort and/or self-renewal. This card in this position in the reading would suggest that the desire to resolve conflicts (both inner and outer) is the cohesive ideal in Jill’s current life situation.
Within the context of spirituality the journeying aspect of this card is also significant. In traditions such as Shamanism, and also some of the Celtic traditions taking a journey through ones own mind, normally through some form of ritual, is a means employed for resolving inner conflicts. So the card in this position can also be an indication of the individuals desire for such self-reflexive practices.
4. What is Beneath: The card in this position represents the foundation or basis for the situation the individual now finds themselves in. The card that has fallen in this position is the ten of swords. This card has quite a dark image. On it is the representation of a man, lying face down with ten swords stuck in his back. The swords are the darkest of all the families, but they are not necessarily bad. Having said that the ten of swords is associated with betrayal and unmerited hatred. It represents a period of personal darkness, when our powers are at their weakest. It suggests that Jill may have been slandered or betrayed or that she is the subject of unwarranted hatred or acts.
This card in this position suggests that at the root of Jill’s current life situation is desire to either escape or recover from such as situation as has been described above. This card is in keeping with the ideals represented by the crowning card.
5. What is behind: This card represents influences or situations that have or are passing. The card in this position is Cernunnos (the devil). It must be stressed that this card does not represent evil, but rather the raw power of nature that is one aspect of our human nature. Keywords associated with this card are: Liberation, abundance, life-force, awakening of responsibility, obsession and materialism. The card represents a call to awaken to some form of responsibility. On a spiritual plane it would represent the call to awaken to the power and responsibility of the life-force that moves through us. Yet this is the challenge here, for the danger of such an awakening is that one may very easily become obsessed with this power. Such an obsession will necessarily lead to an imbalance and therefore some form of misdirection of energy such as the urge to personify this new found quest outwardly rather than dwell within it inwardly.
The other aspect of this is the cards link to sexuality, or at least to sexual energies. It possesses the aspect of hedonism. In the foreground of the image on the card lie the lovers. The are tied loosely to Cernunnos, suggesting that they are caught by him, but that their capture is of their own making: The are captured by the spell of their own illusions and attachments.
The card in this position is interesting because it is in the position of the past. It represents a situation that is leaving Jill. Given that this card has a strong relationship to the card of Strength, which fell in the position of ‘what covers’, it suggests that Jill is currently leaving a situation in which she has been ensnared by some incarnation of these energies. But that inwardly she has already started to be come and to some extent function outwardly as the person personified by the card of strength.
6. What is before: The card in this position represents events that may lie before the person I am enquiring about in the near future. The card in this position is the ace of swords. Keywords for this card are Clarity, success and a clean break. This card perhaps represents a clean break for Jill in the nature future form whatever situations are being suggested by the dynamics of the previous cards. This card is also associated with academic work. It can suggest the undertaking of academic of legal processes.
Given all these things, the card in this position represents a new resolute undertaking in the very near future.
7. What is feared: this card represents what the person I am enquiring about may fear. The card in this position is the Nine of swords and it represents mental anguish, suffering and emotional sorrow. This card represents not so much an event but rather out experience of it. It can be associated with the breakdown of a relationship that we had invested much emotion in. This may be with a person or with some form of social project that was very close to your heart. There is good news with this card. For just as all the nines represent some form of intensity, they also represent completion and closure.
So the card in this position would suggest that what is feared is some form of mental anguish or that, mental anguish is being caused by fears generated by the social conditions so far described earlier in this reading.
8. What others feel: the card in this position represents the opinions of those around us. It may shed some light on how the influences of others upon you in your life. The card in this position is The World. Keywords with this card are: Completion, fulfilment, success, abundance, achievement, ecstasy, and the union of inner and outer life. This card reflects the satisfaction and the personal enlightenment that comes with the ending of a project or phase in ones life, but it also denotes the beginning of a new cycle. The image of The World is presented by a hermaphrodite figure dancing with joy. S/he is surrounded by all the symbols of magick and has a halo of illumination around the head, suggesting not holiness or saintliness but clarity.
This card in this position would suggest that other around you view you to be moving into a new cycle in your life, having just completed one.
9. What is Wished: The card in this position may represent either what is desired or what is influencing your current desires and dreams. The card in this position is the three of swords. This card is associated with the feeling of heartache. It also represents gaining wisdom through suffering and again through this the potential for transformation. This card could be seen to depict either a love triangle and the suffering that is caused as it unravels or temporary separation in a relationship that eventually creates an improvement.
This card in this position would seem to suggest that some form of emotional suffering associated with love is influencing the current situation.
10. What may come: the card in this position represents the potential outcome of the current situation. It is not so much a prediction but an indicator the potential contained within the future. The card that has fallen in this position is the nine of pentacles. This card is typically associated with living out your ideals, pleasure and gain. This card represents a productive, active and settled life which although possesses material comfort also possesses some form of personal spiritual wealth. Another curious aspect of this card is its suggestion that the person I am enquiring about may have received some form of financial windfall or some other form of unearned income. It may also suggest that they are approaching a stage in their life where they will no longer need to work for money.
What is interesting about this card is that it is represented by a woman, who is holding an eagle in her hand. She looks like the young female depicted in the card of Strength, but she is older now, more mature and more relaxed in her demeanour.

Some other comments on this reading
As I said at the beginning I found this spread of cards quite odd. One reason was the presence of a suggestion of a situation emanating out of some kind of sexual abandon. The other was the continual presence of the suggestion of a breaking down, dysfunctional or ending relationship. The reason I found these things odd in this reading is because the whole spread is lacking in any representation of a male figure, who Jill may have had a relationship with. For this reason I have treated the presence of this sexual energy in the reading as a signal, not of sexual abandon, but of a very female energy seeking to realise itself in the world. I have treated the relationship that seems to be problematic and shifting in a similar way. It seems to me that this relationship is either work related, or else is concerned with some family relationship. The concept of a family relationship is hinted at by the presence of the child in the depiction of The Sun and also the metaphor of the journey, which is depicted as a woman in her early twenties in the company of an older man in the card of the six of swords. What is for certain in the cards is that what is being hinted it is a process of maturation.