King of Bats
My card this morning was the King of Bats.
I’ve been bats all week this week. I guess I’m living in my head these days.
I don’t know whether this card reflected my day, or is admonishing me about my day. I do know I did a lot of planning, but I don’t feel that I really made much headway with all my plans. It’s as though I made tons of lists in my head, that all seemed perfectly reasonable and necessary, and then simply tossed them all away and made a fairy necklace. I took a walk. I chatted with the ladies in the bead store. Then I bought some beads I really can’t afford, and bought some candy that my body definitely Does Not Need.
So much for behaving logically.
Maybe the King is yelling at me. My husband often comes up in readings as the King of Swords. And he does his share of ‘yelling’ at me to get organized and Get Things Done. He of the logical brain, and me with my head in the clouds.
Okay my husband does not really yell at me. He’s very sweet about it actually, and tries to encourage me in the efficiency department. And I feel bad, and feel like I’ve let him down, when I can’t seem to get my act together. And to be honest, the King does not look like he yells at anybody either. I think maybe he just wants folks to get on with things. Straighten up and fly right and all that. Doesn’t he seem that way sometimes?
Still, I made a very pretty necklace today. Maybe the King can let me off the hook this time. Just this once…
Page of Bats
I had to consult the Halloween Tarot book to learn that those are x-ray specs that she is holding in this artwork.
This one is a trooper. She is ready with her spy gear, her boots on and her scarf against the evening chill. She is on a journey of discovery.
Whenever I see this card in any deck, the illustration from the Robin Wood Tarot always springs to mind. There you see a young woman running fast, sword at the ready and spyglass on her hip. Her eyes fixed on the horizon, she is determined to get to the bottom of things and will let nothing stand in her way.
The Halloween art is not quite so dramatic. Still the message is clear. I should have been more attentive, and perhaps would not have wasted the day trying to force creativity in my workshop, and simply read the book that I have been trying to finish. Some days, you simply cannot compel yourself to do what you think you should be doing. I know I have a lot of work ahead to fill my jewelry store with new designs, and therefore sat myself down at my table and struggled. I accomplished nothing, and felt bitter afterward. Meanwhile, a wonderful book about magic that I have been reading was left on my night table for another day. When I went to bed I saw it there and regretted that I didn’t make time to read it. Sometimes the cards are telling us that we need to do something different than we had planned. I did not pull the Eight of Pentacles (or pumpkins in this case) to encourage me to work with my hands that day. I pulled a card that told me it was time to seek answers, to gather information and knowledge and let nothing stand in my way. A missed opportunity and a wasted energy.
Three of Bats
Yesterday I pulled the Three of Bats as my daily card.
The overall tone and mood of this artwork reflects the artwork of the standard Three of Swords. In the Halloween Tarot, Bats are the ‘Swords’ of the deck and related to mental things and many of the challenges that we face in our lives. The standard artwork of the Three of Swords is very similar. Both cards show a heart suspended in a rainstorm. The feeling is one of gloom and, when the swords are seen piercing the heart, also pain. The ever-present black cat in the Halloween deck is crouching beneath the stormy night sky, glaring balefully out at the reader, conveying discomfort and looking depressed. The bats are holding and surrounding the heart in the sky.
The Card a Day exercise does not usually deal with larger issues, but by it’s very nature, the small mundane events of the ‘every day’. (Unless the card you pull is one of the Major Arcanas, in which case it may portend a life-changing event on a small scale). Yesterday for me was a series of physical ills… headaches, cramps and general irritation at my body. Even though Swords represent the element of air and thought, this card conveys discomforts and pains, which is basically how I felt for the entire day.
When I read, Threes represent the divine, personal power and first foundations. So generally this card doesn’t mean major pains, sadness or illness. It’s bumps and bruises, not broken bones or death. It’s aches and pains, not hospital visits. This aptly described my day, where I was spending more time tending my aching, complaining body than completing the work I had planned.
In this deck, you can see the Bats as the mind overcoming the pains and stresses. Today I see the bats are gathering around the heart in an attempt to shelter it till the storm has passed. Our thoughts have a profound effect on our reality. While we may not be able to eliminate the pains and stresses, we can remain positive and we can think our way through any situation. We can use our mind to overcome small pains (and sometimes larger ones), and to overcome a tendency toward depression or sadness. These bats are the power of the mind protecting and supporting the tender heart from the elements that threaten it.
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Today is a new day. This morning I have pulled the Page of Bats, and we shall see later how this card relates to the coming day.
A Card a Day
Since it seems to be a matter of some difficulty for me to write here lately, I have decided to begin an exercise to not only require me to write on a daily basis, but also to refresh and renew my skills in reading the cards and reacquaint myself with some of my lesser-used decks. I’m hoping also to help to teach others how to learn to interpret the Tarot (and any other Cartomancy system) for themselves.
One of the most basic ways to learn to read Tarot is to pull a card a day, and then review how it relates to the events of that day. Starting today, I am going to pull a card every day from one of my decks, post it here, and then in the evening (or the next day if necessary) write about how it related to my day. Also I will include any insights discovered in a particular card and pretty much anything else that pops into my head. After all, isn’t that the way we learn to read intuitively?
So, today I pulled the Three of Bats (Three of Swords) from my Halloween Tarot. Later today I will post my comments on the day as it relates to this card. Those of you who are regular readers here will probably know that wrote about this card in my Dreaded Card series. There are certainly ways of finding a positive spin on any card, no matter how dire it may appear at first encounter. I may or may not apply those ideas here. It depends on what all happens today.
Whatever else you can say about it, it’s an interesting concept. See you later this evening with my thoughts on the Three of Bats.
Updates and Musings
First, I have put the Tarot of the Carnival on hiatus again for now. There have been a couple of entries over the past few weeks, but always just one for any given Carnival. Most weeks I’ve had no entries at all. I’m just not getting enough interest to keep it going right now.
Second, I want to express how grateful I am to my friends and readers whose words of encouragement have helped me get through the tough times I’ve been having lately.
Third, I am thankful that I have my cards to guide and encourage me as well.
I won’t go into the gory details. But the good news is, my financial situation has finally begun to improve. We actually have a bit of money left over each month now, and are beginning to accumulate a meager savings. It’s nice to have a bit of money left in the bank after taking care of necessities for a change.
There is still a personal situation that is giving me trouble. But there is a solution to this problem, as there always is, but it will take time to accomplish what needs to be done to remedy it. But in about about four months things should improve considerably.
I asked the cards about this today. I used the French Spread from the book Power Tarot, and using my trusty Gummy Bear Tarot.
The card positions in the French Spread are:
- Things happening now
- Hopes and dreams
- Strength and security
- Support or opposition
- Something in the future that may surprise you
Card One is The Chariot. This pertains to this current difficulty with someone. In fact, every time I’ve done a reading about this situation, this is the card that shows to represent them. It fits them perfectly.
Card Two is The Moon. I’ve felt sharply separated from my inner quiet and meditative self since this problem has started. In fact, I’ve been unable to meditate for any length of time or with any real feeling of peace since this problem started. I hope to restore my inner peace and reconnect with my subconscious again soon.
Card Three is Seven of Swords. This is the one I’m not sure about. For me, this card usually means to be secretive or to get away with something. I haven’t yet been able to discern how this can be my strength and security. It will take more thought.
Card Four is Ten of Cups. My support. My family. The love that my husband has for me and I for him. He is always my strongest supporter. Without him I don’t know how I’d have coped through all the stress lately.
Card Five is Four of Wands. I will have reason to rejoice soon. A happy home, stability in my life. Opportunity for growth and new challenges. The future looks good, I am happy to say.
All in all, it’s a very encouraging reading. It has put a positive spin on my day today. This is one of the primary reasons I read the Tarot. I find hope, encouragement and new ideas in the cards.
Here’s to the future!
Seeking Clarification in a Spread
What do you do if a spread just doesn’t make sense, or seem to relate to the question you asked?
There are a few schools of thought in this matter. One is that you should never draw a second spread if the original doesn’t make sense. Some feel it is wrong to ask a second time.
Now if you choose to do this, you can make note of the cards you pulled, wait to see what happens in the matter you inquired about, and then check back to see if the cards relate to what happened. In this way you may gain some new insights into the cards you pulled. You would, of course, want to journal this and possibly add the new perspectives to your meanings for these cards.
Another idea is let the spread ‘steep’. You can leave it out for a time, and come back to it later. If you can’t leave the cards out, you can note the cards and their positions, sketch them or even take a snapshot. This way you can recreate the layout for future contemplation. Some will do this for a few days. But you may certainly benefit from ‘sleeping on it’ and find a new perspective in the morning. This may be an opportunity incorporate dream journaling in your interpretation, as often your dreams will access your unconscious for you and help you solve the puzzle of a tricky layout.
My belief is that there is nothing wrong with drawing more than one spread of cards for a given question. The only caveat I have is that you should not do so simply because you don’t like what you see in the spread, and you are trying to get a different answer. A good practice is to ‘reset’ the deck by putting all the cards in order. My usual order is Majors first – Fool to World – followed by Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles – Ace to King. But any way you are comfortable with ordering your deck is fine. There is no ‘right’ way to do it. If you are using an Oracle deck that does not lend itself to any particular order, you can simply begin making piles of your cards that relate to one another in meaning, color, symbolism or anything you choose. If nothing else, simply sitting quietly and shuffling them for a time, while keeping your thoughts clear and calm can reset the deck quite well.
You can always choose a different deck if you have one, especially one that you have not used in a while. This tactic can have amazing results for giving you a fresh perspective on any reading.
If all else fails, it may simply mean that the information is not available for you at this time. It may also mean that it is best for you not to know. If you are reading for someone else, it may be difficult for them to understand that, but sometimes that is the plain and simple truth. Acceptance is always a good path when all else fails. Meditation, prayer, hope and faith are recommended ways of following that path well.
The Rules
Before reading the Tarot, you must always ground and center. Light a candle, and while gazing into the flame, ask your higher self to guide you in your reading. Envision a white light descending from above to surround you. When you are finished, gaze into the candle and give thanks for the gift of insight you were given. Blow out the candle, and then drink a glass of water to ground yourself again.
You may have heard instructions similar to these. They are a compilation of things I was told by someone I met in a bookstore and things I read on the web, when I first set out to learn to read the Tarot. Being a novice, I took them to heart as The Rules. I was very careful to ground and center, light a candle and ask for guidance (not sure who I was asking, but just asked anyway). The candle seemed really important to the person who told me I Must Light One, so I never read without a flame burning. There were also instructions involving a spread cloth, what sort of fabric it must consist of, how to shuffle and cut, and how to return the cards to their bag and box. You needed both, and they had to be silk and pine respectively.
It got to the point where I didn’t even want to get the cards out to read. Reading for someone else was out of the question. I cringed at the thought of trotting out all the paraphernalia I needed to do a simple reading. It became a chore, and I gave it up. I simply pulled a card from the deck to study, meditate and journal about. I felt like I was being sneaky, but the cards didn’t seem to mind, and nothing bad happened. Eventually I became bold enough to start reading with them without the ‘floor show’, as I came to think of it. One morning I got the bright idea to ask the cards if I really needed to do all that stuff. They assured me that none of it was actually necessary.
Now the only thing I really do is make a cup of tea and take a moment to quiet my thoughts. The tea has become almost essential and I find I can’t settle down to read without it. That is the extent of my ritual these days.
Please don’t think I’m criticizing those who do any or all of those things when they read the cards. I’m certainly not. Rituals are very important to those who observe them, and everyone needs different rituals for different activities. Mine has simply been reduced to applying boiling water to herbs in a mug, and perhaps adding milk or lemon. Personally I love having a reading done for me with all the pomp and circumstance. Perhaps that is why many readers have practiced and refined these rituals over the years. I think maybe they benefit a certain type of querent.
But truly, all you need to do is focus and shuffle and then open your mind. Everything else is ambiance. If you love using rituals, create your own. A ritual created by another may not necessarily work for you. So don’t ever feel you need to follow someone else’s instructions.
In the last place we lived, I was reading for people at a Wiccan shop in town. I employed a candle, and on one occasion incense (although that was more due a funky smell in the room than ritual), and usually had a moment of ‘silent meditation’ before the reading. That was mainly to give me a chance to clear my mind of the usual chatter, and focus on the person in front of me to feel whatever energies and vibrations they radiating. Most of the clients were quite happy with the sessions.
But the only really important thing for me during that time was the cup of tea on the table beside my chair.
Ten of Swords
Few cards are more dreaded than the Ten of Swords. The one shown here is from the Waite Smith deck.
It graphically illustrates a man on the ground, in a spreading pool of blood, with ten swords sticking out of his back from haunch to neck. Unarguably the most gruesome of the Seventy-Eight. At least, in this deck. Even understanding the nuances of the image, I still tend to cringe when you see it, especially as an ‘outcome’ card.
But what does it mean; endings, finality, complete annihilation? Yes, it does. But it can also mean ‘relief’. It can mean ‘overkill’. Imagine you are in an intolerable situation and you are at wits end regarding how to end it. When you see this card as the ‘outcome’ or ‘answer’ in a spread, you might think that you are simply going to die from the stress. But what if the card is telling you that the situation is coming to an end? Relief. This situation has run it’s course, and will be ending soon. Or what if this is a case of you brewing a tempest in a teapot, and the card is telling you to stop worrying yourself sick about something over which you have no control? Overkill. Sometimes we are our own worst enemy, making matters far worse than they need to be.
We tend to identify with the figure being pinned to the ground by many blades. But what if the figure represents something that is causing pain, suffering, trouble or anxiety? If that is the case, then this card is a welcome sight.
I know that many of us, myself included, tend to think the worst when reading for ourselves. It’s overcompensation in and effort not to sugar-coat a reading by seeing only what you want to see in the cards. So it is important to remember what you would tell a client when this card appears. And yes, sometimes this card is indicating negative things. But you would try and explore ways in which this card could be a positive message for your client before assuming otherwise, so why not do so for yourself? And even if the message is one of failure or disappointment, there is almost always a silver lining. After death comes rebirth or resurrection. There are no truly final endings, not as long as Time continues to flow.
As with the other ‘dreaded cards’ there are always positive ideas to be found in their seemingly negative meanings. It’s just a matter of being open to them.
Genius Loci
Atmosphere is always important. But it’s often an essential tool of the Tarot reader. What sort of small gods do you invite into you reading space? They can have an interesting influence on your readings.
This post in the Cabinet of Wonders offers some thoughtful insights into the general spirit of a place, how it can affect those in it, and how it can be encouraged to change for the better.
In any case, I think the current craze for small fountains and hidden benches in tiny urban gardens is an attempt, albeit unconscious, by the residents to invite, gently and hesitantly, some sprite or minor god to come and settle, to sit and stay awhile. … In the end, if you’re lucky, you’ll make the place comfortable enough and beautiful enough that one of those vanquished spirits might, with a little coaxing, consent to stay. They need us as much as we need them.
What sort of space do you routinely read in? Do you create an atmosphere? Sometimes it isn’t possible to control the ambiance of an impromptu reading. How do you manage that? What works for you?
Strength
Strength Spread with Vanessa Tarot.
- Your greatest strength
- How you can enhance this strength
- How you can apply it to a relationship, project or event
- What this strength brings you
My greatest strength? Seven of Wands. I’m Xena! Woo hoo! I guess I’m pretty determined and good in a fight. Not a physical fight though. These are Wands. I’m determined spiritually, and I’m very good in a fight if it involves something I believe in or doing something my way.
Eight of Pentacles. I can enhance this strength by perfecting my current skills. I need to determine what I do well, and practice it so I can do it even better.
Six of Wands. I can show what I do to others and receive their praise and encouragement to continue.
The Chariot. This will bring me self-confidence to pursue my goals and find success.
Sometimes a reading doesn’t hold any secrets and contains no surprises. It can be very straight-forward and to the point.
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Strength Spread from Power Tarot: More Than 100 Spreads That Give Specific Answers to Your Most Important Question
