Holding all the Trumps

Dear Satu, Yours Boudica...

2012-03-07T04:34:00.000-08:00

This is my last day with the Housewives as I will switch to a new deck tomorrow. The random generator suggests the following three decks to explore next:

1) Forest Folklore
2) Medieval Scapini
3) Tarot of the Spirit World

I'll take my pick tomorrow. Today I'll conduct a reading for a historical character using the Housewives tarot and then I'll give you a review as to what I think about the deck.

Dear Satu,

My husband used to be king of the Iceni tribe and so far we have had an allegiance with the Romans. In his will, my husband left the kingdom to his daughters and the Roman Emperor. All was well but then my husband died, things changed. Now, while we have always kept our end of the bargain, the Romans went to ignore his will, they raped our daughters, took land from our nobles, called in their loans, plundered, humiliated us - they even had me flogged. Needless to say I am more than pissed off.
I feel responsible for my people. I don't want to see them slaves to the Romans and I don't want to stand idly by as they treat us like dirt - at the same time I don't want to be responsible for my people being butchered.
Still, I feel it is time to put these Romans into their proper place and send them back home. So I am planning to lead an insurrection against them leading my people and the Trinovantes against Camoludunum first and then who knows, maybe take Londinium, too.
My question is: What are our chances of success? Is this a wise move?

Yours Boudica of the Iceni

Dear Boudica,

I'm very sorry to hear what happened to you. I can only imagine how you must feel. I will ask my cards for advice using this pro and con spread I found in a blog and my "Housewives Tarot". I drew the following cards:

1) The Querent - The Tower
2) What to consider when making a decision - 5 of Swords
3) Productive aspect of attacking - The Sun
4) Productive aspect of submission - Seven of Pentacles
5) Contrary aspect of attacking - Justice
6) Contrary aspect of submission - The Wheel of Fortune
7) Best outcome of attacking - Four of Cups
8) Best outcome of submission - Queen of Pentacles

You are characterized here by the Tower which shows a lady whose lower part of the body is a tower made of gelatine and vegetables. This shows the solid basis you relied on was not as solid as it appeared, it was wobbly and when things got heated it was liquefied. Your whole world came crashing down but that also put you in a position to take action and change the course of events.
What you need to consider is Five of Swords, a card showing five pairs of scissors and a dress being cut out. I would read it to mean that you need to be aware that before you can thread things together and make something new, you will have to be willing to cut the cloth. This will be incisive in a number of ways and you will have to be willing to take risks and make sacrifices either way. You cannot just patch up things and go back to business as usual because nothing will be like it was before. No matter what your decision is - it will not work without sacrifice.
Let's look at the pro side first. So if indeed you lead your people against the Romans, what is in it for you and the Iceni/Trinovantes? One major positive aspect is the Sun which for me is no more and no less than a major boost of morale. Your people will feel they are actually doing something, that they have the power to change their fates and that will be uplifting. The negative aspect is that of course every action causes a reaction and the Romans will certainly not give up without a fight. The best outcome here is four cups showing a woman shying away from a drink as there are already three empty glasses. She knows when it is too much. Probably that is the best outcome there is, showing the Romans they crossed a line and that they can't do what they please without facing the consequences.
Now what if you just accepted what they did to you and your people to keep the peace the positive aspect of it is that in the long run things will probably grow back to normal, Seven of Pentacles shows a lady in her garden with a garden hose and a flower basket looking at the beautiful flowers and blossoms. For me this card always points to developments that take a lot of time and effort. So probably in the long run things would be okay for you and your people, perhaps time will solve the problem for you or your peoples will just "mix" and coexist forgetting about the past. The negative aspect is also a card that points to time. The Wheel of Fortune turns and you have no influence on it. So neither you nor your people would be able to influence the course of history, you would just have to wait and see. I'm not sure how well this would sit with your people after what happened to you. Sitting there twiddling their thumbs is probably not exactly what they feel like doing now. The best outcome here is the Queen of Pentacles which shows a working mother leaving her family while she goes and earns money to feed and clothe them. So you would be providing for your people, seeing to it that there basic needs are cared for but it comes at a price. Especially in the 50s and 60s, the time represented in the cards illustrations working mothers had to struggle with a guilty conscience of "not having been there for their families". However, in your situation I would take it to mean trading pride and cultural identity for material and physical safety/security.

To sum up, the safer bet would probably be to sit and wait. Things will calm down after the Romans used their opportunity to demonstrate their power, your lives will go back to (semi-)normal and you and your people will get used to having lost your independence. The problem will probably be morale and pride. I have a sneaking suspicion after what happened your people will not leave you much of a choice. They want to show the Romans that they are not going to accept being treated like their lap dogs and they are probably willing to pay the price. Four of Cups here is not really a success card and Justice too seems to warn you saying that you have to face the consequences of your actions but at least you will have made a point and taken initiative. Many of your subjects are proud warriors who value their freedom and independence more than their physical integrity. So my guess is you don't really have much of a choice.

Wishing you good luck with everything!
Love and Light
Satu

Musings on my muses...

2012-02-27T05:45:00.002-08:00

Housewives Tarot - A Domestic Divination Kit by Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum, Quirk Books.

I just found a "Three Muses" spread here and wanted to give it a try. I'll be using the Housewives again.

Here goes...

1) You - The Emperor
2) The Idea - Knight of Swords
3) The block - Knight of Pentacles
4,5,6) The three muses that can help you get back on track. - Nine of Wands, The Chariot, Eight of Wands

The Emperor - This deck really doesn't bother with being polite methinks. The Emperor card in this deck totally looks like Louis de Funès in this film scene. Also his body is made up only of staple foods with a long shelf-life. So in short, he's a bit of a Nazi, opts for the quick fix instead of something fresh and just isn't too original. Not what you would like to hear about yourself as a writer. But then again I suppose the bitter truth is...it is me. I am holding on to my old ideas too much, I'm a total Nazi about grammar, choice of words, perspective, research on details...so I keep losing myself in editing, researching things like "would it have been possible to cross over to Worm's Head in Rhossili at a particular time of day on a particular date" instead of just giving a f*** about it and having my character cross over there anyway. I mean...who is going to notice if indeed it would not have been possible at that time of day? On the positive side, the Emperor here can rely on a solid basis and good structure - he won't starve but he won't be able to make the most interesting of meals. So on the bright side, I do have the necessary skills and know how to structure my stories, I'll just have to add a little more freshness, improvisation, spice...that sort of thing.

2) Knight of Swords - A Marlon Brando type on a motorcycle wielding a razor blade. The project I'm totally stuck on literally has something to do with a knight. And he's being a bit of a rebel without a cause at the moment as his quest - the way I intended it, just doesn't work out. There are two girls in the background making googly eyes at the Knight on his motorcycle, so I suppose my main characters are at least lovable. It's more the plot that's the problem.

3) Knight of Pentacles - What is the block? Someone mowing the lawn. So surely everyday life and my daily chores get in the way a lot but it also means that I've been allowing grass to grow over my initial idea. I have to cut what's grown too long and let it grow back from the root. I just know I'll have to say goodbye to a few things I had originally intended and planned. I got that in a reading I received in an exchange on Aeclectic Tarot, too.

4,5,6) Nine of Wands seems to tell me to be prepared for all eventualities - wearing my little black dress even when I'm cleaning and using a ladder to reach spots I haven't before with my brooms and mops. That means, I should start thinking outside the box and expect success. The Chariot tells me there is no gain without risk - it says so on the tins one of the women on the card has just bought, so I need to be a bit more daring and Eight of Wands tells me to mount my broom and fly. All in all I need to be a bit more daring and innovative and faster, stop editing, write more, get back to it later to do the fine tuning but get moving. I suppose those are all great tips and I'll try to do that. :)

So far I have to say I like the Housewives better than I thought. They are refreshingly concise and clear - at least that's my impression so far.

Getting to know the Housewives

2012-02-26T12:58:00.002-08:00

Housewives Tarot - A Domestic Divination Kit by Paul Kepple and Jude Buffum, Quirk Books.

Today I'm going to have a closer look at the Housewives Tarot. As much as I like the New Deck Interviews I found on Aeclectic Tarot, I thought I should perhaps invent my own as it could help me to work with my own questions.

Here goes. I'll ask the Housewives the following questions :

1) What adjective do you think describes you best?
2) What will you help me with?
3) What would you rather not be bothered with?
4) What lesson can you teach me?
5) Your message for me?
6) What would you like to ask me?

I'll add a photo tomorrow. Right now I'm in the bedroom and the camera is downstairs. So I'll take a picture tomorrow.

1) Eight of Swords - "limited"
2) Knight of Swords - I'll help you cutting to the chase, giving clear-cut, no nonsense answers and I won't bother sugar coating things for you.
3) King of Pentacles - I don't like to answer job-related questions or anything that concerns finances.
4) Four of Swords - I can teach you where to draw a line and when it becomes "too much". Don't expect me to lose myself in details and ramblings. I'm concise.
5) Six of Swords and Queen of Pentacles jumper - Sometimes it is necessary to walk a path that does not look inviting or particularly risk-free in order to take care of the ones you love.
6) Queen of Wands - When are you going to get up and get started, huh?

What an opinionated yet fun and very straight-forward deck. I found this very surprising. I wouldn't have expected this deck to be so direct and in your face. But there you go.

As for the question the deck asked...I know what you're referring to and I'm going to start tomorrow. I promise.

Blogger's block...

2012-02-26T12:03:00.000-08:00

Sorry everyone! It's been quite a while without any entries here but things have been pretty chaotic here as at least one of us was always ill. Me, my hubby, the baby, my dad, me, the baby again, my mother, right now it's the baby again. I just about had it. So I didn't get round to writing anything much. Not my book projects, not my blogs...but there you go. Life happens. :)

Inspired by Cat's blog I decided to use the random generator to see which decks he would suggest from my (growing) collection that I should spend some time with and it came up with

Druidcraft Tarot
Rider Waite Coleman Smith (how novel!)
Housewives Tarot

As I have worked a lot with both the RWCS and the Druidcraft the choice was easy. So during the following week I'll do some readings with the Housewives Tarot (starting with a New Deck interview) and then I'll give you my opinion on the deck. So bear with me. It might take some time as the baby has been running a fever and was super clingy. I don't know how much time I'll have to blog. Tuesday I have a dentist's appointment (again! meh!) and I'm treating myself to having my nails done on Wednesday. We'll just see. I'll do my very best.

Weekly Motto Meme

2012-02-01T13:00:00.000-08:00

Don't look back in anger, look ahead with hope.

Dark Angels prompted me to write this...

2012-01-31T11:55:00.000-08:00

I wanted to get something written for IndieInk and Trifecta. The Trifecta prompt was the word "image" as in "a : exact likeness : semblance

b : a person strikingly like another person ".

In addition to the prompts I pulled a card from my latest acquisition, the "Dark Angels Tarot". The Nine of Cups came up.

Read my story HERE.

Problems Commenting?

2012-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

I just had a PM on Aeclectic Tarot because somebody wasn't able to post comments on my blog here. Does anybody else have problems? If so, please contact me: satu.gustafson(at)googlemail.com

Weekly Motto Meme

2012-01-25T12:55:00.001-08:00

Look around and seize the opportunities while they are there!

New Deck Interview: The Circle of Life Tarot

2012-01-22T09:15:00.000-08:00

I have had this deck for a while because at first I thought the idea of a round deck was interesting. I soon discovered that for reasons not really clear to me I don't particularly like round cards. Perhaps because it's difficult to shuffle them and to use them in spreads. Despite that I decided to give this deck a chance and was very surprised to see what it had to tell me in the New Deck Interview. I picked this spread up on Aeclectic Tarot a while ago but can't remember who it was by so forgive me for not giving this person credit here.

1. Tell me about yourself: what is your most important characteristic?

2. What are your strengths as a deck?

3. What are your limitations as a deck?

4. What do you bring to the table: what can you teach me?

5. How can I best learn from you?

6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

1. What is your most important characteristic?

Five of Swords - the card shows a fairy that looks like a wasp (except for the colour). It has a mean-looking sting and carries four swords.

I totally hate wasps. I just find them scary and annoying and they know that, always zooming straight at my face the nasty buggers. Not only do I have a difficult relationship with wasps but I also happen to dislike the Five of Swords very much as for me it is all about being mean and hurting people or taking pleasure in hurting oneself or others. So a deck which is scary, annoying and bent to hurt me? Not for me, no! At least that was my first reaction. And perhaps that is what this tells me. What strikes me the most at first is that for me it's prickly, bristly, difficult to handle and that was actually what it felt like when I had bought it and tried my first readings with it. I just didn't get it.

2. What are your strengths as a deck?

Eight of Pentacles - You can see two fairies sitting on the ground. One of them is painting what looks like wooden beads on a string and the other one holds one of the beads. Some of the beads have legs and wings and look as if they are trying to lift off but they can only hobble as they are being held by the string.

What it instantly made me think of was that if I take the time to really study the cards, learn to "paint" them in my colours perhaps they will give my readings wings and legs and make them come alive and lift off. So I need to get immersed in the imagery and try to give them my personal stamp.

3. What are your limitations as a deck?

King of Wands - The King of Wands for me is all about will-power, energy, self confidence and determination. Once he has set his eyes on a goal, he will work towards achieving it. In this card I found it strange to see the King of Wands with his eyes closed wearing a cap that looks like a falcon's head and wings. He is carrying a staff that curls at the end. There is what I would see as a sceptre shaped like a hand that seems to be functioning as an incense burner here. The background is a reddish brown and cloudy as if the King is flying through smoke.

The falcon as an attribute here let me think of air and the Swords suit, flying with his eyes closed he looked more like a Prince of Cups to me going by instinct and intuition. The falcon's eyes radiate and it made me think the King didn't need his own eyes because his falcon head sees for him.

So the fiery King of Wands has a lot of airy and watery qualities in this deck, which also shows in his staff that is bent and curled, not pointed and straight. For me it means that this deck is probably not the best to use if you would like a straightforward action plan or focus on how best to achieve your goals. It's more on the intuitive side than on the practical perhaps, which is not bad. In my readings I lean towards the systems-based, traditional approach and try to mix it with intuitive reading as I find it rather limiting sometimes. I find it difficult not to quote stuff I read in books but really make a reading work using the imagery.

4. What do you bring to the table: what can you teach me?

Knight of Swords - this knight of swords is half animal, half fairy. Like a centaur, only different. The horns look like those of an ibex (Capricorn) even though the fur looks more like a llama. He is standing on top of a hill or mountain, rearing up on his hind legs wielding what looks like a scimitar. He has long red wavy hair. Again the elementary attributions strike me as odd, Capricorn being earth, Swords being air and I would associate a knight with fire. So this seems to be a good mix of earth (Capricorn), fire (red hair, shaggy fur, yellow colour in the background and the knight) and air (swords). What I don't see here is anything I would associate with water. But that's good as I'm overly emotional anyway. But this deck can help me not being too lofty (airy) and lose my grounding but at the same time be more daring. Not bad. The Knight of Swords always strikes me as a bit of a rebel, so perhaps it's time to kick some inner critic's ass. ;)

5. How can I best learn from you?

The Star - on this a woman is kneeling on a black surface that is bordered with two streams of golden liquid. This makes it look as if the black in the middle could just as well be a river. The woman is holding two chalices from which she pours golden liquid into the two streams running either side of her and her head is poking through a star-shaped golden object. The bottom part of it is hidden by the kneeling figure but I think it looks more like the Star of David than a pentagram. Makes me think of the six directions of space: up, down, north, east, south, west and centre, the woman's head is poking right through the centre.

What it made me think of is a conduit, like she receives messages from her own centre or from "the universe" and pours them out as golden liquid - equally, on either side of her, which I take as an image of how I can read with this deck, trying to become a conduit, let it flow, just pour out what comes into my mind when I see the cards rather than using my systems-based knowledge of what the cards mean.

6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

The Empress - the Empress in this deck is sitting naked on the ground in what appears to be a cave, there is a mirror in front of her and she is touching it with her palm but not looking at it. Her hair appears a dark green and there is red bits in it that look like roses to me. Apart from that everything on the card appears brownish grey. There's a little impish creature lying on top of a rock looking down at the Empress, he blends in completely with his surroundings as does the mirror image of the Empress.

For me this tells me not to focus my attention on the mirror image being what I think I should be like as a tarot reader, move away from my ego or conscious mind that has studied so hard and learned so much from books but at the same time I should not lose touch completely with that side of me. Every thing on the card is brownish-grey except for the Empress, her hair and what appears to be a bundle of brown cloth behind her (perhaps her clothes?). She creates beauty in this barren-looking environment. I know that I tend to overthink and overintellectualize (is that even a word?) which can make my readings a bit grey and too rock-solid like the cave but I need to allow myself to grow and to bloom more and then it can be a very fertile relationship.

I was really amazed at my results here as it seems this is a great deck to help me use my intuition more and make my big head shut up. :)

Tarot and Numerology feat. Robbie Williams

2012-01-21T09:38:00.000-08:00

This is another post I have imported from my old blog. The first version of this was posted on May 4th, 2010. I edited and shortened it slightly.

Today I’m going to explain about the link between numerology, astrology and the Tarot. As an example, I will use Robbie Williams (or Robert Peter Williams).

According to Indian numerology, there are a couple of numbers that determine our lives and our character. For example there is the “psychic number” which is the checksum of the month you were born in and tells you something about the way you see yourself. It shows your talents and your basic character. For Robbie Williams, who was born 13th February, this number would be “2″. Its significance lessens the older you get and the “destiny number” becomes more important. In the Tarot this number would correspond to: II The High Priestess.

The destiny number is calculated by adding the single digits of the day, month and year of your birth. For Robbie Williams that would be:

1+3+2+1+9+7+4= 27 = 2+7 = 9

In the Tarot that would correspond to the card of IX The Hermit

Finally there’s the “name number”. You may have different name numbers as you are called differently by various people. So in the case of Robbie Williams his given name is “Robert Peter Williams” but most people know him as just “Robbie Williams”.

To calculate the name number you match each letter of the name with its value according to the following chart:

A-J-S =1 , B-K-T =2 , C-L-U =3 , D-M-V =4 , E-N-W =5 , F-O-X =6 , G-P-Y =7, H-Q-Z =8 I-R =9

Robert+Peter+WilliamsThen you add the values until you get a single digit number. For “Robert Peter Williams” that would be:

(9+6+2+5+9+2)+(7+5+2+5+9)+(5+9+3+3+9+1+4+1)=96=9+6=15=1+5=6

As there are 22 cards in the Major Arcana of the Tarot, any number between 1 and 22 will be all right, 22 being the fool. So here we get two cards we can attribute to the name: XV The Devil and VI The Lovers.

Astrologically he’s an Aquarius with Leo as his Ascendant and a Scorpio Moon. The sun sign stands for your personality, the Ascendant shows your potential and the way you interact with others. The Moon Sign tells you something about how you deal with emotions.

Aquarius is attributed to the card: XVII The Star. Leo is attributed to the card: XI Strength and Scorpio is attributed to XIII Death.

Now what can we conclude about Robbie Williams from this numerological and astrological data and the Tarot cards associated with the numbers?

1. The Psychic Number: 2 “The High Priestess”

This reveals that there is a lot of sensitivity and also a strong feminine personality aspect. Underneath the cool exterior, there is a very vulnerable, sensitive and emotional personality. The High Priestess points to a person who feels that there is more to life than our rational mind can grasp and this person will probably be looking for this “something”, trying to find answers even with unconventional methods. This person would be highly emotional with good instincts and intuitions could be spiritually interested or even have a psychic streak.

2. The Destiny Number: 9 “The Hermit”

Whereas the High Priestess shows the starting point, the influence of the “Hermit” will grow especially from the mid-thirties onwards. It shows that this deep knowledge of there being “more” to life is still driving him. The Hermit stands for a path of transcendence, for someone on a mission. That mission is to find answers and to reveal the truth behind things. So as he grows older it is more likely that he feels discontent with having achieved material success and fame. It is likely that he wants to be taken seriously as an artist and that is more important for him than the actual fame and money. He is likely to take life more seriously as he grows older, to look for meaning and sense in other places than he used to. The Hermit also shows that he can be very solitary and retreat into himself, keeping things bottled up and trying to solve them on his own.

3. Name numbers: XV Devil and VI Lovers

The Devil hints at his tendency to do everything he does excessively and points to his drug and alcohol excesses just as well as to his affairs of the past. The Devil points to a charismatic, magnetic personality who has sex appeal but finds it hard to keep the right measure in what they do. What is behind this is that he needs and wants to be loved for who he really is. It may sound corny but someone with the Lovers as their name card will be very dependent on what other people think of them. They need appreciation. They are also people who are driven more by their emotions than by their rational mind. They find it hard to make choices and decisions because they take them very seriously. Once they choose a path, commit to a cause or a person, they feel the need to stick with it. Therefore they might have a tendency to shy away from commitment until they are really certain it’s the right choice.

4. Astrology: XVII The Star; XI Strength; and XIII Death

The Star representing his sun sign stands for the eternal optimist, a person who believes that things will be all right in the end. It also points to “star qualities” in the literal sense, someone who sparkles and stands out. Strength represents the side he shows in interaction with others: there he is lively, full of energy and power, charismatic, outgoing and extrovert, a real stage hog who is very self-confident and not easily unsettled. These two make up a perfect cover and facade to hide his somewhat gloomy Scorpio moon. Death shows that he finds it difficult to deal with losses and letting go of things. It is not easy to upset or disgruntle someone with an Aquarius sun and Leo Ascendent but once you have managed for this person to hold a grudge against you, the Scorpio moon will cause him to remember that for a long time. With a Scorpio moon you don’t forgive and forget easily. Also there is a tendency for self-hatred and self-destructive behaviour.

On the whole, if you throw all these qualities together, you get a very alluring mix. Someone with a magnetic personality, who is outgoing and lively but who has depth – and some darker qualities that sometimes add to a person’s appeal because a star without scandals and abysses would be boring very easily.

It's very interesting to have a look at what your personality cards are. It can give you some valuable insights.

Working

2012-01-13T02:16:00.000-08:00

My blogging output has not been very prolific these days as I have finally been able to remove large parts of my prolonged writer's block concerning one of my book projects. I got stuck because the plot didn't work somehow and I needed to make it fit the timeline. Now I have sketched all the events and the timeline and it finally works. I only have to write the particular scenes and bits now.

So I have been writing a lot but will return shortly with a "New Deck Interview" and a Review of the "Circle of Life Tarot" (once I have experimented with it some more).

Weekly Motto Meme #2

2012-01-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

It's time to use all creative resources at your disposal: let it flow!

Meeting Mr/Ms Right Spread: Dear Satu, Yours Marianne

2012-01-08T07:20:00.000-08:00

I think the most frequent question I have had as a tarot reader is "When will I meet Mr/Ms Right" or variations on that theme. So I developed a spread that would help me with that particular question. I have always been fond of the "Secret of the High Priestess" spread by Hajo Banzhaf as it involves a card that is only interpreted if it is a Major Arcana, so there's an element of surprise there.

So mine is a 5-card spread the outcome of which is determined by what card you get in position "I". "I" answers the question: "Will I meet Mr/Ms Right within the coming three months?". The four other cards give you further insight.

If "I" is either a court card or one of the "people" cards in the Major Arcana (The Fool, The Magician, The High Priestess, The Empress, The Emperor, The Hierophant, The Hermit or The Devil) it means "Yes, you are going to meet Mr/Ms Right within the coming three months". And the card describes this person's characteristics (you don't have to pay attention to the gender of that card).

If "I" is the Lovers it means "Yes, you will meet Mr/Ms Right and it will hit you like a thunderbolt - love at first sight, across a crowded room...you get the picture".

If "I" is a pip card or one of the other Majors it describes an obstacle (either in your attitude or in external circumstances) to finding a partner

If "I" is a person cards 1-4 are read like this:

1. Where will we meet?

2. Under what circumstances will we meet?

3. What is my first impression of them/my first thought when I meet them?

4. What can I do to help attracting Mr/Ms Right?

If "I" is not a person cards 1-4 are read like this:

1. What past baggage might prevent me from finding a relationship?

2. What present external influence might prevent finding a relationship?

3. What present attitudes might keep me from finding a relationship?

4. What can I do to help attracting Mr/Ms Right?

As an example I used Marianne Dashwood from Jane Austen's "Sense and Sensibility".

Dear Satu,

Recently my sister, my mother and I have run into some bad luck. First our father died, then our half-brother made us leave our home. Even though our father made him promise to look after us and take care of us financially, he left us just enough money to scrape by. We had to relocate to a very humble cottage we can only afford because it belongs to a distant relative of Mother's.

Mother says everything now depends on me and my sister Elinor marrying well. I don't know if I am willing to sacrifice romance and true love only to make a sensible decision and choose a wealthy husband. Please, Satu. Can you tell me if I will meet somebody I can truly love?

Yours Marianne Dashwood

Dear Marianne,

I have used my Baroque Bohemian Cats Tarot and a spread I have recently developed to find out whether you are going to meet Mr Right within the coming three months. Let me begin with the good news. The cards say yes, you are going to meet him. I get the King of Pentacles. This means it will indeed be somebody who is financially independent and rather wealthy, a very down-to-earth, no-nonsense character, probably older than you or at least appearing very mature in his demeanour. He may at first appear somewhat "sedate" as he is realistic and pragmatic but don't let yourself be fooled by appearances, he can be very sensual and caring and a very loyal partner who may not always have his heart on the tip of his tongue but once he loves somebody he is not easily swayed.

As to where you will meet I got the Ace of Wands. From the picture I infer that it will most likely be a stately place, possibly a mansion (there's a stone lion and a big entrance door to be seen). The Ace of Wands could point to there being somebody strong-willed, enthusiastic or bossy, too.

The next card showing the circumstances under which you will meet is the Eight of Swords which shows that there will be initial difficulties, some kind of obstacle. Something holds you back or incapacitates you or him, I see inhibition or faltering.

The third card shows your first impression. It's the Nine of Pentacles. You will probably just see him as being "well off", perhaps you will even think him snobbish.

Card number four shows what attitude or insight will help you attracting Mr Right. The World shows that there is a cycle to be completed first, you need to find out where you're headed in life and where you would like to stand. The World says there is probably some growing up to do and perhaps you need to revise your view of the world. However, the World promises there will be a happy ending for you after you have been through a "journey of initiation".

I hope I could help you with your question and this reading makes sense to you. All the best for you and your King of Pentacles.

Love and Light

Satu

---

The funny thing about this is that I got the King of Pentacles here. It really made me laugh as it instantly made me think Colonel Brandon - not Willoughby. So the cards clearly tell her who her Mr Right will be but they also say that there will be initial difficulties and something "holding her back", some lesson to learn before she can finally arrive at "The World", her own personal happy ending. The Ace of Wands would have made me think of Willoughby but as the card is supposed to show a place where they would meet, I went by the picture.

Later I thought I should have used my Jane Austen Tarot for this reading and just for fun I reconstructed the spread with the cards from the Jane Austen deck and nearly keeled over backwards when I saw the King of Pentacles. I thought now clearly everybody will think I made this reading up to fit the story. The King of Pentacles in the Jane Austen deck looks a lot like my beloved Alan Rickman - Colonel Brandon in the movie by Ang Lee and Emma Thompson. Then the Eight of Swords shows a woman playing harp and a man standing there watching her in a very formal posture. In the movie version of Sense and Sensibility Marianne meets Colonel Brandon for the first time when he walks in while she is playing the piano. I don't remember under what circumstances they meet in the book as it's so long ago that I read it but it must have been at Barton Park, too. The Nine Pentacles in this deck show a wealthy old man - which is basically what Marianne at first sees in Colonel Brandon. The Jane Austen deck version of the card fits so well it's uncanny. The final card shows the happy ending, the wedding, so it is also very fitting.

When I saw the Jane Austen version of the spread laid out on my table it really made me laugh just how accurate it was.

Swan Song - Trifecta Writing Challenge

2012-01-08T02:43:00.000-08:00

The Five of Swords left me no rest, I kept thinking about the card and the emotions I connect with it trying to work it into a story. So I came up with another piece for the Trifecta challenge using the word "cutting" as in "inclined or likely to wound the feelings of others especially because of a ruthless incisiveness ".

Swan Song

“Do you have any idea just how ridiculous you look?“

He had drawn blood.

We had known worse insults in the ten years of wielding this razorblade relationship.

Dancing barefoot on the cullet – each piece a fractured “I love you”, we laughed and kissed and made love on the broken glass unscarred.

It was the cutting acidity with which he had spat out the words now lying on the floor between us edge up.

Recoiling at the thought of blatant self-mutilation, I beat down the urge to step forward and throw my arms around him.

We both knew there was nothing left.

Comfort zone

2012-01-07T12:20:00.001-08:00

I like this rendition of the Four of Wands as it helped me understand the card a bit better. Crowley calls his card "Completion", which seems to be a contrast to the card image here because the castle in the background is in ruins and there is what looks like a tornado on the horizon. The man on the picture looks exhausted, the way his right arm is hanging down and he stares off into the distance, like he has been through some trouble or excitement.

But he has loosened his tie, his cuffs are unbuttoned. The woman snuggles into his lap. The trouble seems to lie behind them, like they just returned from a hectic work day.

They seem untouched by the storm outside and the ruined castle. The couch is their safe haven, their comfort zone. They feel at home and protected here - in this place they have built for themselves as a result of their efforts.

Four indicates stability and security. Wands as the suit of the fire element stand for passion, desire, dynamic force, growth, vitality, action, movement, ambition, creativity, will-power and leadership. You are now securing what you have achieved through your passion, drive and will-power enjoying a moment of peace. This can be a reason to celebrate, too - the RWCS rendition of the card shows a celebration - but mainly this is about completing a cycle, striking a balance of forces, having created something stable.

So this card invites you to unwind, enjoy what you have achieved so far and forget about the raging storms outside for a moment - you can take care of those some other time. Whether you share this moment with friends, a special somebody or on your own, enjoy it - you deserved it.

Who's afraid of the big bad Tarot?

2012-01-06T12:08:00.000-08:00

On Tarot Sojourns - one of the blogs I follow - I found an interesting YouTube video by Paul Hughes Barlow. He talks about how fear of the tarot destroys spirituality.

Tarot Cards - Death Hosted by infoeditors.com

When they find out I am interested in tarot, people are often sceptic and some even afraid. Some people think you are involved in a satanic cult or at the very least a lunatic. This I think is mostly due to the image they have of tarot reading. Most people take their ideas from literature, films or television. They have some kind of vague idea of a shady old woman wearing flowing gowns in bright colours, too much make-up and jewellery staring sullenly at the Death Card on the table mumbling something about you having the evil eye on you. You are in luck - for only a hundred euros the old crone will remove the curse.

This is not what tarot is all about if you take it seriously - at least not in our modern day and age. As I wrote in the "About Tarot" section of this page, tarot is a very versatile tool. Tarot is fun, insightful, creative, innovative, pragmatic, helpful - it is a lot of things. Just not scary.

Some people are scared that the Death card will appear in their reading. There is, however, absolutely nothing to be scared of. Death in the tarot stands for all sorts of natural endings, it shows that you need to let go of something old in order to welcome something new into your life. This can point to a great opportunity. Finally you are getting rid of your rusty old car and buying the BMW you had an eye on. Good news, at last you will get over that awful breakup and open yourself to the possibility of finding a new love. Of course saying goodbye to something or somebody that we grew accustomed to always involves a bit of sadness, mourning or regrets. And the Death card may stand for a time where you find it difficult to let go of something.

Each single card in the 78-card deck has both positive and negative aspects, contains lessons and/or warnings. Life is not always great, we all know that. The question is: how do we react to mistakes we make, to misfortune and setbacks?

Do we choose to be scared? Of course fear has a function - if we didn't feel fear we'd probably do some very stupid things. Fear is a natural warning system that tells us when it is time to run for cover. There are situations when fear makes sense biologically but not when you are looking at a piece of cardboard with an image on it. The cards and their images are a projection screen you can use to gain access to your subconscious. If you are scared of a certain card it is well worth asking yourself: Why am I afraid of this card? What inner fear does it reflect?

If you face your fears, take them seriously, acknowledge and explore them, sometimes the things you are scared of seem a lot less scary. Saying that, there is actually a card expressing just that: The Moon. Sometimes you need to go through unpleasant experiences in order to bring forth something new/better or in order to release something. Like giving birth. Anything but pleasant to go through but still an experience that changes you and results in something wonderful. It would be the end of the human race if women let fear keep them from going through that experience.

Life can be pretty scary at times but there are ways of dealing with and coping with fears. Tarot is actually just the tool to show you how.

Tarot Nano Fiction #5

2012-01-06T11:51:00.000-08:00

Watching the sunrise, trees coming into leaf, snowdrops, a hare. Feeling the brittle texture of bone under her fingers. A perfect circle.
— Satu Gustafson (@SGTarot) January 6, 2012

Taming the Beast

2012-01-06T10:58:00.000-08:00

Funny coincidence (if you believe there is any such thing) that I just had a reading done stating Strength to be my card for the year. I usually follow the "old" numbering of the trumps so I took Justice and the Star to be my cards for the year (17 = 1+7 = 8). I suppose both hold some validity and lo and behold, today I drew Strength as card of the day.

Bohemian Gothic Tarot. by Alex Ukolov & Karen Mahony. © 2007, Magic Realist Press. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher. Card images are protected intellectual property and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

As is the case with most renditions of the card, the Strength card from the Bohemian Gothic Tarot shows a lion and a woman in peaceful companionship. This card reminds us of our origins, our animal nature. We all have instincts and urges, mostly considered uncivilized and therefore suppressed. This card reminds us, however, that they are part of us (you can see a chain on this picture, so the lion is chained to the lady and vice versa) and that we need to acknowledge them and make friends with our inner beast. If we do - like the lady on the card - we may find the beast is all cuddly and purry and serves us. By ignoring or suppressing our animal nature it could happen that we are not able to handle our "inner beast" once it emerges. But it can only be tamed with gentleness and kindness. You must not chastise or hate yourself for those times when your inner beast rears its head. If you accept it as part of your nature it is a lot easier to handle and to make use of its energy because it has a lot of strength, passion, will-power and joy to offer to spice up your life and help you in your endeavours.

Interesting though - on the Bohemian Gothic card I find the lion looking a lot cuddlier and friendlier than the lady. Or is that just my perception?

A good day to fall in love

2012-01-05T12:23:00.000-08:00

Legacy of the Divine Tarot. by Ciro Marchetti. © 2009, Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher. Card images are protected intellectual property and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

Pages are the "children" of their suit, the potential - unspoiled but inexperienced. They are similar to the aces since their full potential has not yet unfolded but whereas the aces could point to the beginnings of new projects, ideas, convictions, attitudes, building, learning or acquiring new goods the pages clearly refer to people. They can actually stand for people in the querent's life (the page would usually be a child or teenager or somebody behaving childishly) or they can stand for the querent's state of mind, an aspect of their personality.

The Cups court rules the water element. The page - or Prince - is all water energy, full of creative potential, driven mainly by his emotions he experiences. He is able to go from enraptured to devastated in the shortest time, everything he experiences, he takes to heart. His emotions just bubble up and he doesn't really make an effort hiding them - wearing his heart on his sleeve. While the King rules the water element, the page is ruled by it.

The page of cups as card of the day means that you are open to all sorts of emotional experiences. You have put out your feelers and are open to receiving messages on an emotional level. You are sensitive and susceptible, spontaneous and/or full of creative ideas. It could mean you are oversensitive and bound to be too emotional in a conflict. However, it also means it is the perfect day to fall in love - with somebody else, with yourself, with a new project you started or with the world outside. If you get swept off your feet, do enjoy it but be careful. The page is also a reminder not to get caught in an emotional maelstrom - he gets easily carried away or when angry overreacts.

Tarot Answering Machines

2012-01-05T05:58:00.000-08:00

World Spirit Tarot by Jessica Godino & Lauren O'Leary. © 2001/2006, Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive. Woodbury, MN 55125. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher. Card images are protected intellectual property, and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

This is a fun exercise which doesn't take a lot of time and is great for recording it in your tarot journal.

Imagine you could call your tarot card. Unfortunately your card is not home.

What would you hear on its answering machine?

1. Draw a card
2. Think of a message the card would give you

Example: Four of Cups - World Spirit Tarot

"Hello. You have reached the Four of Cups. I'm awfully busy moping and brooding. So no matter why you are calling - whether you have found the true meaning of life or you are calling to tell me I've won the lottery - please don't bother leaving a message, I don't feel like listening."

Learning Tarot: Exercises

2012-01-05T05:54:00.001-08:00

When you are learning how to read the tarot it is very helpful to play around with the cards and their meanings in order to be able to use them more intuitively and to be more flexible in creating a "synthesis" of LWB (little white book/companion book) meanings that fits the particular context in a reading.

In this category of my blog you will find suggestions and ideas. Some I have found in books, on blogs, in forums and some I have developed myself. I don't always remember where I got the idea from. So if I "nicked" it off somebody, please let me know so I can give you credit.

Weekly Tarot Motto Meme - Week 1

2012-01-05T05:28:00.000-08:00

I totally forgot to post this yesterday because our new day nanny was here and I finally had some time to clean and tidy and get some writing done. I was so excited I forgot to post. Anyway, here's this week's card.

In your opinion, what motto does this card express for this week? If you would like to participate, post the motto in your blog or on your website and link it up clicking the Froggy button below. A link back to this blog would be nice but not essential. :)

My motto: Try (re)building a bridge every day of this week.

Facing my "Enemies" #2: The Hierophant

2012-01-04T13:17:00.000-08:00

1st version of this article published on my old blog August 2010 - edited and shortened

I made a point before of how cards you don't like can give you some valuable insights. One of my pet peeves in readings has always been The Hierophant. He just wasn't "my type" and the card meant very little to me.

So I started exploring the card trying to find out why I just couldn't become friends with it. First of all it's the Rider-Waite rendition of it, this yellow-faced guy on the throne whose mask-like face doesn't betray any emotion, the kneeling priests with their tonsure. He looked fake and waxen. To me this Hierophant just spells "bigot" and "hypocrite". The formalized posture, presiding over his disciples, not looking at them. And in a way that pretty much sums up my personal associations with what I would call "organized religion". Scholars and priests who appear non-human, stern, joyless and out of touch with everyday life. Formal gestures and ritualistic behaviour seemingly counting more than genuine devotion.

It tells me a lot about my approach to religiousness. I value above all genuine emotion and passion, faith springing from the heart. For me believing and being religious means actually feeling the presence of God, being able to touch, smell, feel, see, dance, taste, love "God". Religion needs to touch my heart. So I am very averse to the idea of strict rules, structures, dogmata.

On the other hand, I am and always have been a sceptic, a thinker, someone who lives inside their head a lot. If the Hierophant is Mulder, I'm Scully. He's the believer, I'm the one looking for rational explanations for the unfathomable. This also shows in my approach to tarot which is rather scientific.

A card you dislike may reveal something about character traits, talents, fears, desires that you repress and do not like dealing with for reasons of past experience, education or moral principles. The Hierophant reveals I am highly suspicious of "believers". I am a dyed-in-the-wool sceptic. I tend to overthink, second-guess, mistrust. It bugs me if there's anything I do not know. I value knowledge, education, curiosity, an enquiring mind, proper research. In that light of course subconsciously I think of "merely believing" as an inferior quality. Knowing is better than believing or hoping.

The Hierophant teaches that sometimes you just have to have faith and trust in a "higher power, some higher reasoning". And trust is something I find very hard - having been disappointed so often by people I trusted.

Another aspect of the Hierophant is that of the teacher. Jokingly I always say how I hate teachers - the problem being that I AM one. I suppose I have had one too many bad teachers - dictatorial, judgemental, unfair, the complete opposite of what I'm trying to be as a teacher with the result that I'm often too lenient. I have had very good teachers, too and perhaps I should look at the Hierophant more as a representation of them.

If I look at the reasons for my dislike of the Hierophant I must admit I have a very biased conception of him. Time to change my view and think about what qualities in the Hierophant I admire:

I am in awe of his ability to believe in something so deeply and trust in it so completely that probably not even all evidence to the contrary could sway him. I don't like dogmata and believe that spirituality and religion should free you and empower you, not chain you. On the other hand, I admire people who have a strong faith because it gives them guidance and a solid framework to fall back on. Personally I find it very hard to communicate with my "guides" and to receive any clear messages because my inner critic and censor is very strong.

In that sense the Hierophant could teach me a lesson or two in believing and accepting higher forces.

Sunken City

2012-01-04T06:41:00.000-08:00

This time an idea sprang to mind before I could draw a card to use as a prompt. This week's word is "cutting" in the following sense: inclined or likely to wound the feelings of others especially because of a ruthless incisiveness

But I thought I'd try and find a card that I can associate with the word "cutting" in that sense and came up with the Five of Swords. It has that quality of taking pleasure in hurting somebody (or oneself) and it got me in the mood for this piece.

SUNKEN CITY

God, I hated London! This restless, noisy moloch. I hated the Tube, its endless labyrinth of escalators and subways in which there was the same stuffy humidity all year round. I hated its eerie sounds, the scampering rats between the tracks. People ducking behind walls of newspaper which they wore like a piece of armour when they were swallowed by the damp, mouldy entrails of the city, rattling along towards their work, shrouded in deafening noise. In the flickering light of the speeding train cars, their paper walls provided protection from unwanted social contact.

Yet, without this subterranean network of veins pumping vital workforce in and out of the city, chaos would have reigned in the streets.

What was I thinking when I moved here? Aeons ago when I had found Richard’s cutting sarcasm endearing, his mannerisms charming.

The train had slowed down and I stared out of the window into the blackness of the tunnel which seemed to widen. For an instant there was a streak of white flashing past. Tiles. A ghost station! I had heard there were a number of those scattered under the city. Given up, discarded, some still intact whereas of others – like this one – merely faint traces remained. They all bore the tragedy of sunken ships, long lost witnesses of human civilisation. Forgotten, haunted places. Like clean sheets, no longer infused with the sweat of passion. A lover’s eyes that lost their hunger. Shrieking, the train came to a halt. I just knew we were past all hope.

78 Sentences

2012-01-03T13:17:00.000-08:00

I have been working on a book about Tarot and Creative Writing. I know there's "Tarot for Writers" by Corrinne Kenner and Arwen's blog, which are both very helpful but as far as I know there is nothing available in German so far. I have written a rough first draft which now has 102 pages but somehow I'm not quite happy with it and I don't find the time to work on it right now.

I tried different methods suggested in Corrine's book and my own ideas and love the narrative qualities of the Tarot. Picking up on an idea Corrinne mentions in her book, I went through my entire deck of World Spirit Tarot cards and spontaneously wrote down the first sentence that came to mind when turning over the card. It's a fun thing to do and definitely something that can get you out of writer's block. If I remember correctly, Corrinne suggested writing a story from the 78 lines that you get. I would find that very difficult with my 78 sentences. However, I think some are maybe worth exploring further.

This might be a great exercise for a tarot journal. Shuffle, turn over card by card, jot down a sentence for each single card. Try not to think about it, just write. It doesn't need to sound good or be very original.

You get a list of 78 sentences to go with your current deck. Rather neat as I find some of them very revealing and most of them have little or nothing to do with the LWB meaning/interpretation of the card. Very helpful if you would like to go for a more intuitive approach. I quite liked it as it gives me some surprising insights into some of the cards. Moreover, I now have 78 sentences that I might try and use in stories.

Let me just give you a few examples of my sentences. Of course I'll have to translate as I wrote them in German.

Ace of Pentacles: "Dang, Aunt Getrud will be visiting. Where's the stupid plate she gave me".

Nine of Swords: "No! Go away! Just leave me alone!".

Dare you to write a story using the following sentences:

I can't believe it! I think we just struck oil! (Seeker of Cups)

I wonder what's keeping him so long, she thought (Nine of Pentacles).

She hadn't noticed that ring on his left hand before. (Seven of Wands)

The night was lit up by countless torches (Nine of Wands)

What an unbearably arrogant git! (Seer of Swords)

Images from:

The World Spirit Tarot. by Jessica Godino and Lauren O'Leary. © 2001, Llewellyn Worldwide, Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive. Woodbury, MN 55125. All rights reserved. Used by permission of the publisher. Card images are protected intellectual property, and may not be recopied or reused in any manner without written permission from the publisher.

The Seven Sword Itch

2012-01-03T12:51:00.001-08:00

1st version of this article published April 2010 on my old blog - edited and shortened

Cards by permission of Baba Studio, copyright Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov http://www.baba-store.com

Today I drew the Seven of Swords from my Victorian Romantic Tarot. The card shows a man who is dressed like a soldier walking away from a settlement which can be seen in the background. He is carrying three swords and a wooden chest tucked under his arm. He is looking back over his shoulder as if to check if anyone is following him. The sky looks as if it could be either dusk or dawn, most probably dawn.

There is a sense of doing something forbidden here, the notion of feeling guilty and of not wanting to be detected.

Here are some questions that pop into my head when I look at the card:

1. Why is the man looking over his shoulder?

2. Has he stolen the chest and the swords? If so - why?

3. Who did he take the chest and the swords from?

4. Where is he going?

5. What is he hoping to do with the chest and the swords?

6. What will happen in the village?

1. I think his looking over the shoulder is a clear sign of a guilty conscience. He is aware of the fact that what he is doing is not entirely ethical in one way or another. He travels alone and he travels at the break of dawn, suggesting he does not want to be seen or be asked any questions.

2. His clothes don't look as if he would have to steal to get by. One of the swords he is carrying is in a sheath at his side suggesting it is his own sword. The others are probably not his. If he got attacked, they would not be much use to him. He would have to drop them to draw his own sword. Obviously he has no need for them as he has his own sword. He only has two hands, so he could only wield two swords at best. Why take three? He could be preparing for a battle or is he preventing the villagers from using the swords? We do not know what the chest may contain but I would assume it is something valuable. Perhaps he didn't steal the chest but has been carrying it all along and is trying to protect it.

3. Who then are the villagers? Are they his enemies? Are they friends? Did they offer him shelter for the night and he thanked them by taking French leave? The card does not give us any clues about that but it is a valuable question one might ask in a reading if the card pops up. Is the querent probably running away from someone or something, trying to sneak out of a situation? Could the chest contain a burning issue that they know the should tackle?

4. Where is he headed? From his attire one could assume that he is a soldier and he could be coming from a raid in the enemy's village sneaking weapons and a chest of gold (or provisions) to his camp.

5. That would mean he outwitted the enemy, managed to trick them and gain an advantage for his own troops. So this card can also point to someone cunning or sly who knows all the tricks.

6. What happens when the sleeping village awakens and the villagers notice the chest and the swords are gone. Are they going to follow him? Will they try to take revenge and punish him or will he get away with it?

The card's positive side could clearly be seen in the image of the soldier who manages to sneak into the enemy's village to steal provisions and weapons. It suggests cleverness, wit, cunning and being able to cover one's tracks. However that is always risky business and a bit of a gamble apart from the ethical questions it could raise.

The negative aspects are of course betrayal, stealth and lies, trying to hide something, to escape unnoticed. It does not necessarily mean someone is cheating on you or stealing from you if this card turns up in a reading. It could be that you are trying to avoid unpleasant business or that you are not taking the direct path. It could also mean that you are not honest with yourself. Swords being the suit (that among other things) represents thought and communication there is likely to be some form of miscommunication or lack of communication. Rather than confronting the villagers, our soldier here sneaks out at dawn, he is looking for the easy way out of a situation.

In a reading you could ask: who are you in the card? Are you the sleeping villager - unaware of the covert activity (or turning a blind eye to it)? Or are you the thief stealing away? Or maybe both?

When the Seven of Swords turns up, it raises the question: is there anything that needs to be communicated or tackled that the querent or somebody in their life is avoiding? Why are they trying to "sneak around" an issue? What is their worst case scenario if they let the cat out of the bag?

Facing my "Enemies" #1 "Temperance"

2012-01-03T11:55:00.000-08:00

1st version of this article published March 2010 on my old blog - shortened and edited

There are cards that always put a smile on my face when they come up in a reading, there are cards I feel I can instantly say something about, know how to read them. And then there are cards that I would euphemistically call "unwieldy".

Cards you don't like say a lot about yourself. Therefore, I will take a closer look at the number XIV of the Major Arcana: Temperance (sometimes called Art or Alchemy). It is one of my pet hates because I find it quite vague. Let's see if I can come up with some pearls of wisdom.

The RWCS version shows an angel standing at the bank of a river. There is a setting sun in the background. The angel has one foot on the ground, one foot in the water. The symbol on his chest is the symbol of the fire element. Waite seems to have identified this card with either the Archangel Michael or Gabriel. Numerological 14=1+4=5 points to the sefira "gevurah" (or "geburah") on the kabbalah tree of life. Ths sefira is also associated with the archangel Gabriel. He is the angel of annunciation and the one who records and executes God's judgement.

In the cycle of the Major Arcana the card falls between Death and the Devil, the idea of judgement definitely makes sense there. This card belongs to the "night cycle" or "underworld cycle" in the Major Arcana. The association with the Underworld and Judgement is strengthened by the lilies you can see growing at the bank. It could be the river Styx, the one you have to cross in order to get into the Underworld, the lilies being the food for those souls who were judged to be neither good nor evil (Fields of Asphodel).

It's one of those cards that have an introspective quality. What will remain if our ego dies? In the tarot the Sun is associated with the self. The setting of the sun can also be found on the Death card which directly precedes Temperance. It suggests that these two cards lead us away from our conscious selves into the realm of shadows and the subconscious, into what Jung termed our "Self" (as opposed to our conscious side, the "ego").

The angel is holding two chalices and is pouring water from one into the other. They are like scales measuring the souls that enter the underworld. It also stands for finding the right measure between ego and self, integrating the shadow parts of ourselves to make our personality whole. In this sense, the card points to the need of healing - in a physical, psychological or spiritual sense. We need to align our centre and find the right balance. The idea of balance can also be found in the Victorian Romantic version of the card where the angel can be seen balancing on a barge. Generally the card is associated with the need for moderation in one or more areas of our lives.

In the Thoth deck the card is called "Art". Maybe Crowley shared my distaste for the idea of "moderation" - given that his lifestyle was anything but moderate. Somehow the card feels "lukewarm". It seems to say: "Be humble and moderate." I'm born on the cusp but I'm still a Leo and I think Leos don't do moderate very well. I like to think in extremes and go to extremes in my emotions. So this card just feels "squishy" to me.

Looking at the angel I want to say to him, "Who are you, Monk? Trying to get the exact same amount of water in either cup? Geez...I hate persnicketiness. What happened to good old 'give or take a bit' and 'rule of thumb'? Not good enough for you? And what's with those feet? Couldn't make up your mind whether you want to stand on solid ground or in the water? Didn't want to get your feet wet, eh?"

He would get me very impatient, this angel with his careful, deliberate pouring...again and again and again...until he gets it juuuuuust right.

Maybe that is exactly what he is there to teach me, "Haste makes waste. Think before you act." When you want to create something worthwhile you need to know exactly what you are doing. Crowleys idea of "Art" points to a creative act that has to come from within our own selves. Balancing opposites, mixing, gauging, weighing until you get it just right. Crowley links the card closely to the idea of alchemy as does Haindl.

But what is the reward for all the trouble? Alchemy is the process of transmuting lesser metals into gold, the process of creating a panacea or the elixir of life, a remedy which is supposed to cure all diseases and which makes you immortal. Not such a bad reward after all. Julia, a very gifted tarot reader I know closely links this card to therapy: the idea of regaining (mental) balance and harmony, reconciling conflicting emotions or aspects of your self and (re)integrating them. Therefore creating something better, more valuable: a whole, healthy personality. And it needs a lot of good judgement, patience and fine-tuning to achieve that.

To sum it up this card is the gateway to our inner self. It gets you prepped to face your inner demons (represented by the Devil which is the next card in the cycle). The Devil is the exact opposite of that, he is excess and exorbitance.

Temperance is creative, not in the way that the Empress is creative - her creative force stemming from necessity and natural urges. Not in the way that the Moon is creative either - painfully giving birth to something from deep within, a creative frenzy or rush. In a way, Temperance is the true artist, combining handicraft and skill with inner 'genius'.

As you know I'm very much into Tarot and Creative Writing. If I try to see Temperance as a writer, it would be the one who is able to combine original ideas and a wild imagination with knowledge about the 'craft' (e.g. how to create and use a 'round' character, how to construct a plot that is able to capture the reader) in such a way that the workmanship does not show and the fiction seems "effortless".

No James Joyce or Kafka...more of a Stephen King perhaps or a Theodor Fontane.

I will try to embrace this card as it does have a lot to teach an impatient hotspur like me and it contains valuable lessons for any kind of creative process.

Importing Articles from my old blog

2012-01-03T11:46:00.001-08:00

Over the coming weeks I'll be browsing my old tarot blog for articles I think are keepers. I will then post them here, maybe edit or update a bit. So if you know my old blog (Satu's Tarot Diary) and you think "I have read this before somewhere...." it's because I'm moving my old stuff here.

It's a bit of a pest maintaining two blogs but as the old one was more about Second Life and my tarot classes there, it's a bit outdated as I'm only on SL every once in a Blue Moon. :)

Anyway, those of you who don't know my old blog might enjoy some of my old articles.

Tarot Nano Fiction #4

2012-01-03T05:39:00.001-08:00

Outmanned. They wouldn't capture him. He would die a warrior. Sword raised, he dashed off. Leaping over the abyss he slid out of the saddle.
— Satu Gustafson (@SGTarot) January 3, 2012

New Year's Competition

2012-01-02T05:58:00.001-08:00

Win a free New Year's tarot reading by me (done via E-Mail or if you prefer in Second Life). All you have to do to enter is send me an email: satu.gustafson@googlemail.com. At the end of the month I'll put all names on a list, number them and draw a number. :)

PS: Of course you can also leave a comment here that includes your email address.

Tarot Nano Fiction #3

2012-01-02T02:36:00.000-08:00

This time based on the Ace of Pentacles (Druidcraft):

Dazed, hungry, blinded by the fierce brightness he crawled out of the dark he had been confined to - greeting spring's opulence with a roar.
— Satu Gustafson (@SGTarot) January 2, 2012

Tarot Nano Fiction #2

2012-01-01T05:56:00.001-08:00

Posted another Twitter flash fiction inspired by the "Star" card from the Druidcraft. Find it HERE.

In the flashest of flashes: Tarot Nano Fiction #1

2011-12-31T11:33:00.000-08:00

Just twittered my first "Tarot Nano Fiction" on the Eight of Wands in the Druidcraft Tarot. Basically it's an attempt at tarot flash fiction that fits the 140 character limit of Twitter AND uses a tarot card as a prompt.

Five of Pentacles

2011-12-31T01:20:00.000-08:00

When a poor person dies of hunger, it has not happened because God did not take care of him or her. It has happened because neither you nor I wanted to give that person what he or she needed.

(Mother Teresa)

Trifecta Writing Challenge Tarot Style #1: Waking Eyes

2011-12-30T12:51:00.000-08:00

I'm a huge fan of writing challenges and I have just stumbled across one that is a real challenge for me as a non-native speaker of English. It will probably help me broaden my vocabulary horizon a great deal and it sounds like great fun.

You are given a word and have to use it in your story but not in its most commonly used meaning, you have to use it in the third meaning found in the Merriam Webster's Online Dictionary.

This week's word was "skirt" used as a verb in the sense "to go or pass around or about; specifically: to go around or to keep away from in order to avoid danger or discovery".

Find the rules HERE.

In order to add a little tarot spice to the challenge I thought I'd draw a card to get some inspiration. I used the card I came up with in the "Sacred Days of Yule" daily draw on Aeclectic Tarot.

Waking Eyes

Annie knew his family would insist on an open casket. Was she ready for this? In an attempt to avoid the images surfacing in her mind, she kept herself busy emptying out his side of the closet piling the clothes on the now empty side of the bed. The house was unnaturally quiet. Annie stopped and caught her breath, listening to the unfamiliar silence for a few seconds. Like being lost in space – this vast empty place devoid all sound except for her own blood rushing in her ears. Brushing aside the thoughts and memories, she went back to work.

The service seemed to last an eternity. Annie couldn’t take her eyes of the casket. Why did it bother her so? Her heart was hammering. What did she expect to happen?

When the last chords of the organ had ended all eyes were on her. She knew they all expected her to go first. After all, she had been his wife. There was no way she could skirt this duty. Her heart thumping madly in her chest, she got up, knees shaking and walked to the front of the chapel.
Nervously her eyes scanned the body, finding his face. Peaceful – as if he was just asleep. Of course. They had closed his eyes. She nearly had to laugh. What had she expected? When she had imagined this moment, somehow she had always imagined them open, staring at her. Those big, round, dumb eyes, staring at her.

He had never seen it coming.

The Story of the Pentacles

2011-12-29T11:23:00.000-08:00

I have started some in-depth study with the help of Mary Greer's "21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card" again and got started on writing my own story of the Pentacles suit yesterday. Here's what I came up with:

When they arrived, Claire had been leaning over the railing trying to catch a glimpse of her new home, this country that was so full of promise. There it was - their chance at a better life. She remembered the stories of people who had "made it" over there. People like her and her family who had arrived with next to nothing. But with the right idea and the will to work hard you could become a wealthy person and lead a worry-free life. And it had all been right there before her. (Ace of Pentacles)

Reality proved just a little harder than that. Of course the Nolans were not the only family who had come full of hopes, full of dreams and despite their willingness to work, they barely scraped by. Claire had found a job at a clothes factory where she learned how to sew so she could contribute a little to sustain the family. One day on her way home she found a ring lying there in the street. Being an honest girl, she took it to the Lost and Found but when after a while nobody had come to claim it, she was allowed to keep it. She went to the jeweller's for an evaluation and sold it for a decent sum of money. She hadn't told a soul yet as she didn't want them to get all excited yet. It was fun thinking about the many ways she could spend the money, all the things she could buy. She could pay a couple of months' worth of the rent in advance and still buy some food. She could buy some new clothes for herself and her family. Niamh was in desperate need of some new winter shoes. Or she could buy them all a really nice dinner and take them to the theatre. But maybe it was wiser to invest the money. Phew! What a difficult choice. (2 of Pentacles)

In the end, Claire had decided to rent a little shop and buy her own sewing machine. Her own little dressmaking and alteration shop. It was hard work and she really applied herself to it. So much to learn but she was very talented and soon had earned herself a reputation. (Three Pentacles)

After a while she had made enough money to feed her family and employ a help but she made sure to set some money aside for bad times. She took it all to the bank where it would be safe. (Four of Pentacles)

Little did she know that they would be hit by an economic crisis a few years later. She was right where she had started again, having just enough money to scrape by. She almost thought she would lose it all. The family was very lucky that the landlord was a generous man and never threatened to kick them out when they were behind in their payments. (Five of Pentacles)

Finally the economy recovered and Claire's shop was running smoothly again. she had learned how important it is to help each other when times are tough. She repaid her landlord not forgetting to include generous interest and never forget to donate some of her wealth to the less fortunate. (Six of Pentacles)

Over the years Claire's little shop expanded slowly and steadily. When people said she needed to invest in marketing and advertising, she laughed and said, "Only weeds grow fast!". She knew it would take time and didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. However, it seemed she was right. Things were going just great. (7 of Pentacles)

After a while she felt she was ready to take on a new challenge and took up designing her own clothes. This was something completely new for her and she had to learn a lot. She studied magazines, watched films, went to museums for ideas and kept trying and trying. (8 of Pentacles)

Claire's clothes line became very popular and her little dressmaker's shop had grown into a well-known company with branches all over the country. Claire and her family moved to a big, handsome house in the country with a big garden. Whenever her time allowed, Claire would go there to relax. (9 of Pentacles)

How time flies! Claire looked at her lined face in the mirror. Sometimes it was hard to believe that her daughter Aislin was already in her thirties and had children of her own and little Stevie had just turned 25. Claire was hoping that one day Aislin would take over the family business. She had a knack for it. Her husband would be a great help, too. Or maybe Steve would develop an interest in the business after all. Either way, Claire was sure her company would stay in the family. (10 of Pentacles)

Our Baby Spread

2011-12-29T01:59:00.000-08:00

As you may or may not know I have just had a son in April and I thought it might be interesting to do a reading for him concerning the gifts and possible "baggage" he received from me and my hubby.

The positions are as follows:

1 - The greatest gift you got from your mother

2 - The greatest weakness you received from her

3 - The greatest gift you got from your father

4 - The greatest weakness you received from him

5 - What you need from your parents the most right now

I thought it would be more interesting for my readers if I used a fictional character again instead of our own son as then you have the benefit of hind (or rather foresight) and see how accurate the results are.

Dear Satu.

My second wife Anne and I just had a baby daughter, Elizabeth. I was rather disappointed that is was no son as I'm in desperate need of an heir but maybe next time we'll get lucky.

Anyway, I was wondering what will become of little Elizabeth and whether she will take after her father.

Henry the Eighth, by the Grace of God, King of England, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith and of the Church of England and also of Ireland in Earth Supreme Head.

Your Majesty.

I feel very honoured as I haven't read for royalty yet. I used my "Our Baby" spread and my Druidcraft tarot cards. The cards I drew for you and your wife were:

1 - The Moon

2 - Five of Cups

3 - Judgement

4 - Queen of Swords

5 - King of Wands

1 - The best quality Elizabeth received from her mother Anne is represented by "The Moon". She will be able to connect very well to her subconscious, her inner visions and dreams. She will be deeply emotional, creative and very good at conquering her own deepest fears, which makes her brave and bold in her endeavours.

2 - The greatest weakness she received from her mother is a tendency to get sad or depressed, feel regrets or yearn for "the good old times". Setbacks will not be easy for her to deal with emotionally.

3 - The best quality she received from her father is represented by "Judgement". She is somebody who has great vision and therefore is not afraid of change and transformation, even if it means breaking with long-standing traditions. She has the ability to create something entirely new from what seemed a lost cause. Given that she is of royal descent, this could mean she will usher in a new era sometime in the future.

4 - The greatest weakness she received from her father is something I would see as a bit of a blessing/curse thing. The Queen of Swords shows that she has a sharp wit, is very clever, eloquent and independent in her thinking. She is a keen judge and very consequent in taking decisions. Very clear-cut. Anyone who stands in the way of her and her vision, might get better acquainted with the Queen's sword. So in that sense she could appear cold-blooded and harsh at times.

5 - The King of Wands is a passionate, strong-willed leader and in this case I would take the card quite obviously to refer to Your Majesty. What Elizabeth needs most right now is her father. Your recognition and approval will be important to her. She needs a male identification figure, someone she can trust and look up to and she needs reassurance. You said you were disappointed that you didn't have a son. The cards advise you not to show your disappointment and support and guide your daughter.

I hope I could help you with this reading.

Light and Love

Satu

In case you would like to read up on her:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elizabeth_I_of_England

PWG7Y6H3PMQM

Weekly Motto #1

2011-12-28T17:08:00.001-08:00

I thought I could start a weekly draw exercise here. In this I will draw a card and write down a sentence that could serve as the week's motto.

If your heart's not in it - don't do it!

What tarot card are you?

2011-12-28T17:01:00.000-08:00

I couldn't resist and took the quiz. If I calculate my Birth Card numerologically it is VI, the Lovers.

You are The Moon

Hope, expectation, Bright promises.

The Moon is a card of magic and mystery - when prominent you know that nothing is as it seems, particularly when it concerns relationships. All logic is thrown out the window.

The Moon is all about visions and illusions, madness, genius and poetry. This is a card that has to do with sleep, and so with both dreams and nightmares. It is a scary card in that it warns that there might be hidden enemies, tricks and falsehoods. But it should also be remembered that this is a card of great creativity, of powerful magic, primal feelings and intuition. You may be going through a time of emotional and mental trial; if you have any past mental problems, you must be vigilant in taking your medication but avoid drugs or alcohol, as abuse of either will cause them irreparable damage. This time however, can also result in great creativity, psychic powers, visions and insight. You can and should trust your intuition.

What Tarot Card are You?
Take the Test to Find Out.

New Year's resolutions reading Satu style (Homer Simpson)

2011-12-27T12:32:00.000-08:00

I have seen that there are a lot of New Year's spreads around but I wanted to create one of my own hoping it would help me keep my resolutions. :)

Here's what I came up with:

First you choose three cards from the deck to represent your top three New Year's resolutions and line them up at the top of the spread. Then you cover them with the cards 1-3. They stand for possible blocks or difficulties. Cards 4-6 show what will help you with the respective resolution under which they lie. Card 7 shows what you will gain if you see things through.

Now the three covering cards 1-3 have different meanings depending on what "mode" of card they are:

Major Arcana: self-sabotage - you are most likely to sabotage this resolution yourself and this card tells you more about why and how

Courts: sabotage by other people - people that may get in the way or "seduce" you

Minor Arcana: everyday life obstacles - chores, work, parties...what ever gets in the way

Practice reading with the New Year's resolution spread:

Dear Satu.

Recently I have heard that a lot of people are interested in our family life and it was said that people are laughing about me because they think I'm fat, lazy and stupid.

Now I would like to change my life. I decided to lose weight, be nicer to my neighbour Flanders and show a bit more effort at work. Could you tell me what chances I have of keeping these resolutions for the New Year?

Yours Homer J. Simpson

Dear Homer.

I used the Crystal Tarot and I have chosen the following three cards to represent your three resolutions. Losing weight: 7 of Pentacles; being nicer to Flanders: 2 of Cups; better work ethics: 3 of Pentacles.

1: 8 of Swords

2: Queen of Pentacles

3: Queen of Swords

4: Knave of Swords

5: Ace of Cups

6: Ace of Wands

7: Knight of Swords

What will most likely get in the way of your losing weight is that there is so many distractions, things getting in the way, you will have to fight on many fronts at the same time, lots of external influences in everyday life that could possibly get you off track. What will help you is the energy of the Knave of Swords, a cool, slightly rebellious character with a keen, sharp wit and logic. He is rational and critical and can be quite radical in his decisions. What it means for you is that you need to be less emotional and less malleable. You tend to go with the flow, your spontaneous ideas and impulses and think later (if at all).

What gets in the way of you being friendlier to Flanders is the Queen of Pentacles, a wealthy, pragmatic woman who can be narrow-minded or square so I am guessing it could stand for Maude Flanders and you feeling responsible for her death. That will make things difficult for you. What will help you is the Ace of Cups which stands for forgiveness, healing and love.

As for your third resolution what is most likely to get in the way or make things difficult for you is a woman who is very clever and eloquent, a critical judge of herself and everyone around her. I think it refers to your daughter Lisa. Most likely she often criticizes you, rolls her eyes at what you say and you get the feeling she doesn't really believe in you. It seems her opinion is more important to you than you'd think. What helps you in this respect is activating your passions, becoming active, showing her what's in you (Ace of Wands). You need to activate your creative potential.

What you will gain in all this is becoming more flexible and faster in your thinking, it seems you have intellectual potential that you will be able to tap into. You will be less predictable and probably a lot less naive. However you will also be less easy to please as you will be more critical.

I hope I could help you with this.

Love and Light

Satu

Dear Satu - Yours Eve

2011-12-24T13:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Satu.

Somebody in my neighbourhood has just made me an offer that seems to good to pass up. I am definitely more than tempted. However, it involves breaking a rule I have been set by my boss.

I thought, maybe I am ready to take more responsibility. Perhaps it is time to emancipate myself, take charge, be my own boss and the person who made the offer suggested my boss was just keeping things from me that would help me become more independent.

I am curious. What would happen if I take the offer and what would happen if I just ignore it?

Eve

Dear Eve.

I used my Crystal Tarot and the "Decision Making Spread" in order to help you. Here are the cards that I drew:

1 - The Significator: The Fool

2-3 What will happen if you take the offer: The Tower - The World - 3 of Pentacles

4-6 What will happen if you don't: Queen of Pentacles - Knave of Wands - Knight of Wands

What this is about is curiosity and the beginning of something completely new. The Fool is naive and trusting, he curiously ventures out into the world without worrying too much about possible dangers and consequences. He is chaos but he is still whole, infinite, he hasn't decided his fate yet. So far you have trusted your boss but now you think, he could be keeping something from you and you are looking for adventure and independence.

First let's look at what could happen if you take the offer. The Tower indicates sudden events that bring a drastic change. Something that will turn your convictions and/or your life upside down. The World shows that you will find the place where you belong, your "vocation", something that makes you feel at home. As you said it was a question of emancipating yourself from your boss and taking responsibility for your own life, The World seems to say just that. Three Pentacles shows that it will, however, be hard work and you will have to show what is in you and prove yourself. However, threes are dynamic, they show progress and advancement to a higher level. In that sense you will definitely become more independent and responsible but you might lose the trusting naiveté of The Fool card.

If you ignore the offer and decide to stay where you are, you will make yourself at home where you are. You will live in abundance, being safe and comfortable. The Queen of Pentacles could also indicate starting a family. However, there is still this urge to take initiative, to have adventures, to take charge and become active that I see in the Knave of Wands. A passion that becomes stronger in you, you might become restless and impatient. The Knave becomes the Knight. Somehow I have the feeling you have long taken a decision in your heart. Could that be?

I hope I could shed some light on the matter for you.

Love and Light

Satu

I feel the need to comment on this a bit as I couldn't believe my eyes when I pulled the cards from the deck. This practice reading helped me understand some things about the "Fool", "World" and "Tower". The Fool beautifully describes Eve's state before taking the apple. Trusting, naive, curious about the world, full of potential, innocent and unaware of dangers and consequences of her actions. Pretty much like a child. The Tower shows a "shock to the system", something happening suddenly that brings about a drastic change. I don't know any other card in the deck that could describe the moment of expulsion from the Garden Eden as well as the Tower. It seems the whole world around Eve (and her hubby Adam) crumbles, everything they had believed was secure, everything they had taken for granted was destroyed as a consequence of one single action - quite a Tower situation I would say. I like that after that the "World" came up. Not only does the card literally show "the World", the domain in which Adam and Eve now live their lives and have to work (Three of Pentacles) to sustain themselves, it also has the quality of going from foolchild to independent individual with responsibilities. For me the Fool is the traveller through the 21 cards of the Major Arcana and "The World" is his destination that becomes the start of a new cycle. So that card, too fits beautifully.

When I did the "What if I don't listen to the snake and don't take the apple" first I was a bit astonished to see the Queen of Pentacles as she is a very worldly, pragmatic and earthy figure but then I thought it made sense because she is queen in her domain, which provides all material needs. Usually you see her sitting or standing in some kind of lush garden or a nice palace. But the two wands courts here say it all. She wouldn't have been content. There would have been this drive to know more, see more, take charge, become active that there is in the fire element: the human inquisitive mind and exploratory urge.

For me it revealed something about the whole Fall from Grace thing that I knew before but it never became this evident. It was meant to happen, it was supposed to, Adam and Eve were made that way. It is said in the Bible that man was created "in God's image". I have long wondered about what it meant. Of course you could write whole books about that but part of it just means that humans were endowed with a creative mind, the means to build and shape their own world, become "little Gods" in their own domain. The catch is...with this kind of power comes responsibility. Humans were no longer the innocent "Fools" who could rely on God's wisdom. Now they had to face the consequences of their actions.

If you look at nature you will see that everything that God created makes sense and is balanced out nicely. Even if at first glance it seems strange or cruel, everything has its place and function in this masterplan. It is a little different with the things that we create as we lack that kind of vision and wisdom. Still, no matter what is being said about "original sin" and all that - it was a necessary process, all part of the plan. The lesson in all this is we should stop acting like toddlers in their terrible twos or irresponsible teenagers and strive to come a little closer to the image in which we were created, which means using our great gifts more wisely and more responsibly, preserving the natural balance.

Now, I am not really a Christian and don't believe in God in that sense or the Bible, for me God is a very abstract concept, a creative force in the universe. In my opinion, religions are merely our means of grasping the divine, giving it a face so that it's easier to deal with. if you look closely at the world religions - just the core of them, not what people made of it - most of them seem to convey the same ideas. They show us ways to use our creative mind wisely and responsibly and how to coexist more or less peacefully (I'm saying more or less because not all of them follow a completely non-violent approach).

Still, I greatly enjoyed the outcome of this reading. It had a bit of a wow effect for me.

Dear Satu - Yours Voldemort

2011-12-23T01:27:00.001-08:00

Dear Satu.

Here I am trying to become the most powerful wizard this world has ever seen but unfortunately there is something that stands between me and true greatness - that damn mortality.

Recently I have discovered a way of possibly making myself immortal and I would just like to know what my chances of success are. Is it a good plan or should I

keep looking for other options?

Yours Lord Voldemort

Dear Lord Voldemort.

Thank you for coming to me with your question. I have used my Röhrig Tarot deck to do a "SWOT" analysis for you on this matter. It is a spread that shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of a course of action. Here is the cards I drew for you:

S - The Magician

W - Four of Pentacles

O - The Star

T - Justice

Let me start with the pros here. So the strong point of your plan obviously is that it seems to involve very advanced magic. The Magician shows that you have great potential and putting this plan into practice means you would show everyone what you are capable of. As it is your desire to become the world's and history's most powerful wizard this is certainly a way of showing them what's in you.

The Star reveals that this plan promises success and longevity. The Star stands for hope in dark and desperate times so it seems this plan can give you new hope. On a more literal level I would take the "Star" to mean just that. It would make you a star of your domain. I assume this plan is something daring that nobody has ever tried before? So it is likely that everyone will know your name once you have actually accomplished what you are trying to do.

On the whole that seems quite positive so far but let me point out the weaknesses of the plan, possible pitfalls and drawbacks. One major weakness of the plan is that power can make you feel too confident and proud. The Four of Pentacles here shows somebody sitting on a throne surrounded by light and four shiny orbs, his gaze is directed straight ahead, the back of the throne seems stable and sturdy, so he feels protected and invulnerable there. In his confidence he may forget to watch his back. Another aspect of the four of pentacles is the wish for safety, security and power can leave you inflexible and single-minded. So any fortresses you build around yourself at the same time always are corsets and prisons.

What could become a threat to your plan and to you in the end is expressed here in the card of Justice. The theme is that of "reaping what you sow" and karmic retribution or poetic justice. With power comes responsibility. So you will have to question yourself whether you will use your power wisely and in a way that will not bring harm to others. If you cause hurt, it may in the end come back to you. That is the lesson of this card.

The quintessence I calculated is 6. The sixth trump is The Lovers. So the cards advise you to do what you do with all your heart and with love. Then you will be able to do almost anything.

I hope I could help you with your decision.

Love and Light

Satu

Sample Readings for fictional characters or historical figures

2011-12-23T01:06:00.001-08:00

I started out doing a blog where I would do readings for celebrities and people of public life about current events etc. Then somebody alerted me to the fact that - despite the very low chances of them ever ending up reading my blog and so much dribble being written about them anyway - the celebrities might not want to have the cards read for them.

What I liked about the celebrity readings was that you would have an authentic situation with an authentic querent rather than inventing one, which I frequently do in order to do practice readings. Now I had real people in real life situations having real life questions and problems.

So I thought I would try out using fictional and/or historical characters, which would have the same benefits without possibly hurting anyone as the people in question either merely exist in fiction or are long dead and gone.