Reflections on Swords in the Negative - 8 of Swords

"You are truly in prison if you lock yourself up"

Keywords for this card are:

• Imprisonment
• Confusion
• Blindness
• Restriction
• Lost
• Being victimised
• Self-hate
• Passivity
• Isolation

 

Now this is the accepted Rider-Waite image, many decks are based on this, and I have been sticking with the traditional meaning. In depth though, and in the negative, I would say that I have always felt that this is a card about self sabotaging. 

You are really your worst enemy.

You can see that the Swords are not completely around her, that the bandages are loose, but rather than taking a risk, breaking the bandages and running off, she chooses not to see this and play victim.

Yes, I said that, play victim. Because, beside the original cause for this "hiccup", "delay", "obstacle", there is absolutely no reason for her not to escape. Except that either she is unwilling to or is waiting for someone else to do it for her.

If you also think that after the 8, the 9 of Swords is even more of a "oh please pity me" card, this sets you up nicely.

 

This is self imposed isolation, hoping that the solution would drop on her lap (or bandages). Which is not going to happen until this state of mind reaches its peak with the 10 of Swords. Bottom is reached, up you go and buy some plasters on the way.

In a mental state term I would say that this would not correspond with being depressed. But being self loathing, having low self esteem, being passive rather than active. The self harm here is not physical, it is in the mind. Believing that there is no way out, when there is a door open, but of course it's not open, she cannot see it because of the blindfold, which she would not be wearing if she took the time to loosen her bandages.

And so it is a vicious circle of cause and effect. Doing nothing produces nothing. By the time one reaches the 9 then depression and self deprecation sets in. However, things move forward even if we do not, so eventually she won't have 8 Swords around and a way out if she takes it, but 10 Swords through her back.

Really it is all about choice.

What choices we make and actions we take will always produce a counteractive effect.

Antidote for this? Well, it depends from the reading of course. It could be a temporary state of things or it could be that this person may need some counselling to help perhaps. Especially with the 9 of  Swords.

But of course I am talking about the card only here, the meanings and shades can be infinite depending on the reading. But the underlying energy is one of passivity, victim mode, fear and self loathing.

Priestess Tarot - A helpful Tarot spread

I met Louise many years ago (gosh) through TABI (Tarot Association of the British Isles). Over the years and thanks to that wonderful thing that is social media, I got to know her even better and see what a caring, wonderful person she is and also a very accurate and compassionate Tarot reader (yes I can confirm this as she has read for me too!). We finally met in person a couple of years ago for the UK Tarot conference and planning another one this year, yay!

Below is her contribution to this blog for me, I have enclosed the link to her website at the end of this blog post should you wish to know more. I am very grateful for her contribution, love ya Louise ;). Enjoy!

When It Hurts : What To Do About It.
Love & life can hurt when it heads south in spectacular fashion. Even if it were done quietly, it’ll hurt.  Situations ending or people leaving our lives often lead us to wonder what the heck happened. We often turn to friends & family to lend us some insight, someone to talk to, verify our thoughts with.
Often, Tarot Readers are approached and often we’re asked: Will X come back? Often, the answer back from the Tarot isn’t the one that people want to hear.
Asking the Tarot such a closed question often isn’t great. The Tarot for me is the tool used to explore feelings, emotions and personal thoughts. 
I asked the Tarot: I’m hurting. What can I do about it?

 Note how the question is phrased: I state what / who I am, then ask what can *I* do about it.  Not what can YOU do about ME feeling bad, but what can *I* do about it. The power is mine to wield, I just need some direction as what are woods & what are the trees, so I can find my path & myself again.
So, the spread I created for this was simple:

1/ Where am I now? 5 of Cups
2/ What negative aspect do I need to explore & heal? Major 4 - Emperor
3/ What positive aspect can I take forwards? Knight of Swords

Where Am I Now? 5 of Cups:  Well, the cards say you’ve had enough emotional nonsense, bereavement & emotional turmoil to do you for quite some time. There’s still hope, you’ve not exhausted all the options before you, but you’ve probably exhausted all the ones that appealed to you.
What negative aspects do I need to explore & heal? The Emperor. One of the strongest cardinal cards in the deck comes out to say: You need to reset your boundaries & work on your control factors. Either you or the significant other got too controlling or took the other for granted. As you can tell, it wasn’t wise but hindsight is 20/20. This is something within you that you need to address. Your Emperor came out and he wasn’t very nice. It’s time to round off his sharp edges a little. Well, okay, a lot!
What positive aspect can I take forwards? Knight of Swords.  The positive thing you can take forwards here is that you can give yourself a good talking to, sort your head out & get on with it. You won’t wallow in the 5 of Cups situation for too long & your Emperor will shrink back with this Knight giving him a piece of his mind. That will work only because the Emperor knows (in this case) that the Knight is right. If you were to swap these two around, you’d have a slightly different interpretation.
Conclusion: The three of these basically suggest that that you build a bridge away from the hurt by addressing the over-controlling aspect that was on display. It’s time to redress the communication balance whilst keeping the Emperor on a short leash.  In a relationship, there has to be two people & the Knight must ensure that both get chance to be heard & listened to.

PRIESTESS TAROT WEBSITE

Reflections on Swords in the Negative - 3 of Swords: SORROW

At first glance, in most traditional decks, this card is represented by 3 swords piercing through a heart. The imagery is very direct, although I have picked a different image here (from the Wild Unknown deck) as to me it represents better the energy of the 3 of Swords,

Most people go "argh" when seeing this because, let's face it, it is painful. But I have always given it  a bit of a positive spin. It's a 3 and so it is a stage that will resolve itself and heal. In this image the pain is so tight, there is the need for release.
The sorrow felt from the 3 of Swords is sudden and painful, and it is not a cut finger or a bad fall. Like most Swords it is about internal hurt, mental anguish and heartache (literally).
Look how tight those bonds are, what are we afraid to release? What would happen if we let go? Well, we would heal. But not until we have used an entire box of plasters, tons of painkillers and used 10 boxes of tissues from crying.
Release is the key for this card. Release in order to regenerate. Think of when you cut yourself, you bleed right? As soon as the cut is made your wonderful blood is going into survival mode and starts sending its own soldiers to the wound, and it starts to coagulate. In order to then form a scab that will stop the bleeding. Think of the scab as a shield.
The tight bond that is keeping the pain inside needs to be released, in order to form a shield that will allow us to restore our energies and heal.
In terms of a mental state this could be impulsive, like someone not wanting to release the pain, hence hurting themselves even more. The start of a depressive state, mood swings. But it will be temporary.

"No one ever told me that grief felt so like fear."

(C.S Lewis)

Reflections on Swords in the Negative - 5 of Swords - DEFEAT

Next card I am going to look at (I have decided I am not going to go in an orderly fashion, rules are meant to be broken...) is the 5 of Swords. The 5's in Tarot are notoriously "difficult", they are all various stages of conflict: Loss (Cups), Defeat (Swords), Misery (Pentacles), Aggression (Wands).
Keeping in mind that Swords are Air and that we look at conflict in the mind here, I always have found the 5 of Swords a bit of a difficult card.
The Lord of Defeat is a bit uncertain.
What to do? Are the Swords left, stolen or dropped?

Do I follow them? Kill them? Stab them in the back? Go off on my own merry way? Have they stabbed me in the back?
I find this card slightly neurotic. There is the aggressiveness of the main character, he does not trust people. But then he probably does not trust himself either.
This is the opposite of being depressed or self destructive. This is the want to fight and argue your way until you get the last word (or Sword) in. The mental confusion stems from not knowing which way to go and so just acting out of ego and anger.Not caring if you are acting honestly or dishonestly. You might get retaliation but hey, you got what you wanted right?
In readings (of course also depending on the other cards) it could point to a deceitful lover, a liar and a cheat. A partner in business that is perhaps being deceitful or stealing. A mugger or someone being aggressive.
This guy does not know what to do, stay or go, move or stay still. We know the 6 of Swords is then about moving forward but how do you get from this 5 to the 6?
Well, I tell you, you would have probably stolen the boat. But hey, you're getting on the other side right?
Oh, and be careful not to be so arrogant to let yourself be caught uh?

New Moon Progression Tarot Spread

Well, since it is New Moon in Gemini today I believe, (sometimes I do lose track as I have the attention span of a midget for what regards keeping track of cycles and things...) I thought why not create a spread for advice in moving forward.
When I put "Prison" I was actually thinking of the Monopoly game and getting a get out free ticket and of creating a MANY cards spread....but then worked out that doing a spread that way would have simply taken too long, so I lost attention again of course...But I left "prison" because we so many times cage ourselves up (like in the 8 or 2 of Swords) where all our issues (or mostly) are actually of our own doing.
What do you want to progress with? What are you blocking yourself with? (yes you ;) ) What do you want to be released from and free to let better energies in?
This could also be about your spiritual path and how to progress. However you want to use it I hope it will be of guidance for you :).
And Happy New Moon of course :)

Feedback on how it has worked for you is always welcome :)

The inevitability of Death

Death (as those closer to me know quite well) is one of my favourite cards in the Tarot deck. While there are other cards that can lead to change, sudden transformation and upheaval (Tower, 10 of Swords for example) Death is inevitable. We can change the outcome in general or shape things to suit us better even in the middle of a crisis. But with Death as an outcome (or in a very significant position in the spread), we know that it will happen, eventually.
And yet many of us (including myself) choose to either ignore it or think we can change/avoid it.

A year ago I had a great reading done at the London Tarot Festival, my question was a personal one and the reader had no idea of my situation. I watched her pull the cards out and, one by one, answer a totally different question I did not ask. I was about to make a huge work decision, but I knew that! And the outcome was Death.
She was very kind and apologised (lol) but proceeded to do a lovely and accurate reading, the cards were telling me to focus on work, that what I asked was not relevant and not important at the time. I chose to ignore Death, I gave it a fanciful meaning that I was about to make big changes anyway.
But you see, Death does not manifest quickly, it creeps up slowly and then Wham! You're dead and transformed.
I watched a year go by and every single card manifesting in that reading. I cringed a little with every month passing (it wasn't bad but a hard and difficult path). And then, Death. And I knew that, even though I have given many talks on this card, I still was missing the main point: We cannot run from Death, whatever the situation, it will catch up with us. The Grim Reaper may take a break every now and then but then will follow.
So, if this card manifests for you, pay attention. There may be some changes you still need to make and, a bit like Judgement, if you do not listen they will catch up with you and you may end up losing control and being forced to change and begin again.
Don't get me wrong, I do not think that it is a negative card at all. But, sometimes, in order for something to begin again, something else will need to die. The energies from this Death lending momentum to the new start.
And so it begins.

Full Moon Manifestation Tarot spread

Since tomorrow is Full Moon I thought...why not make up an easy spread for manifesting. You could use this spread also as part of a Tarot manifestation spell. Simply leave it out with anything else you have used for the ritual.
Candles are always nice to use in this case, depending on what you want to manifest, you would need:

Green: Finances
Red: Love/Passion
Pink: Romance
Black: Clearing/Banishing
Yellow: Career/Creativity

Not dipped candles by the way, but solid colour ones. 

I have added a Lenormand card at the end for extra advice just for fun. If you are not familiar with the Lenormand system feel free to ignore it (or learn it..)

So here goes:

I used my Morgan Greer deck to draw this spread about finances for myself (gulp...)

 1) Knight of Swords - Fast energies, quite likely I need to act on them and be very proactive, but positive forward movement.

2) 3 of Wands - Keep making plans, again I am feeling here the message is don't stop, keep going (stopping?? Who ya kidding?)

3) The Empress - Keep within yourself, taking care of myself and be positive. Putting my needs before others for a little while.

4) The Hanged Man - Be patient (ah well one can always hope...). Planning and reasoning without rushing will win in the end.

Lenormand advice: The Mountain - Blockages are in the way, they will need to be conquered first.

...shuffles off to pay some bills...

A dream, painful needles and the 9 of Swords

I had quite a convoluted and unsettling dream last night. It sounds upsetting but, if you consider that the previous night I dreamed about being tortured and flogged until flesh was coming off my bones, this was a walk in the park I guess :P. So here goes:

"My mum took me to the doctor and it turned out that I needed to go and see a surgeon because there was something wrong with one of my eyes.The surgeon was nice and tells me that I need an operation in order to have full sight again. So my mum then takes me to hospital. But then we leave and go for a walk and my nan (she passed a long time ago) steps up to me to take me back in. I am not happy about the operation because it involves inserting long needles into my right eye and all the way into my brain. Mum takes me to the operating table. Then she texted my dad to let him know. I ask the surgeon for anaesthetic and he says that he cannot give me any as I need to be awake for the procedure. I get strapped onto the operating table. He takes out these loooooong needles and then proceeds to insert them, one by one, into my eye. I felt no pain just some discomfort as I felt like something was poking inside my brain. Afterwards as I get up I can see again." 

My first thought upon waking is that the dream is subconsciously telling me that there is something I am not seeing, and it is close to me. I half expected to draw the 4 of Cups as a daily card. But no, I drew the 9 of Swords. This is about worry, repeated thoughts and of course can also be be about being so focused on something that we lose sight of everything else. My sight is restored so this is temporary. I have to say I am over tired so perhaps this was a factor in it too. A friend suggested this is about perspective, what we see (or do not see) with our own eyes is not necessarily how it is.

So I did a reading on it as in:

• What do I need to know about this dream?
• What is the message it tries to convey?
• What action do I need to take? 

 1) The Lovers 

It is telling me that this is about choice, I can choose to see or not to see. I am not blind, I just need help. A little twist of the needle and the sight is restored. I have a feeling that this is literally telling me to love myself and understand beauty around me.

2) Justice

A Karmic card, this of course is a subconscious message about balance. Right and Left, Above and Below, the message is to restore this balance to the right level. Perhaps also to try and analyze the symbols in a logic manner.

3) Ace of Swords

Well what more of an action could be a card that is itself the start of an action? This is clarity, again I am seeing the suggestion to analyze the dream from a logic point of view. Not an emotional one. Thinking of it the needle itself could be the Ace of Swords, injecting clarity in what was once confusion.


I also feel this was bringing up issues from the past, with all my family present. But, to be honest, I'll probably get some more insights as the days go by :). 
(deck used: Morgan Greer)

When Tarot goes on strike...

Yeah, you know, Tarot has not got a Union as such but it does go on strike. Have you ever experienced this? It is like losing a trusted friend, someone you turn to every day for advice and that all of a sudden says: nope, no more I ain't talking to you and if I do I won't make any sense.
Oh wait, may be I'll actually frustrate you even more and tell you, repeatedly, what you already know.
I have had a few questions/messages about this in the last few days and it seems that there is a common denominator here. The cards seem to do this when you are either really worried about something or you are asking repeated questions, or not asking the right question.
It's like they are turning around and revolting.
So why is this? Well, here's my take on it:

1. You are obsessing over something;
2. You are not getting the answer you want, therefore rinse and repeat;
3. You are asking the wrong question;
4. Your wish or question is not for your highest good;
5. You need a break and a clearer head.

In 30 years of experience I know when I need to simply throw my hands up in the air, put the deck down (or throw it in the air too), go get a glass of wine or go for a walk. Tarot is an honest friend that can sometimes be blunt. The cards won't tell you simply what you want to know, no matter how many times your try. Most of the times you already know the answer anyway but simply won't acknowledge it. You will get an honest answer, and if you ask again you will be probably told to get lost and take a break.
I would say that, no matter what the challenge is, use the Tarot for what it is. A great tool for guidance and advice when in need of clarity. Nothing is set in stone and things can always be changed, actions cause re-actions and consequences too. Remember that you have free will. Because if you set limitations for yourself based on what the cards tell you, you are simply doing that - limiting yourself -, and why do that when everything is possible?

(deck: Gloria Jean's Infinite Visions)

Hacking the Celtic Cross spread (Because life is short...)

Those that already know me would know that I have no patience for long and convoluted, over complicated spreads. In fact I like it short and sweet and 3 cards is my spread of choice, naming positions of course.
Clarifiers can always be drawn if needed but, generally, I never end up with a massive amount of cards.

So, you want a quick answer but don't usually do short spreads...but life is hectic, the children need to be fed (and so does the poor dog) and...you still need an answer.
So why not hack away and take what you need from the spread? This is the first of my ideas for #tarothacks.
I have other spreads that I want to work with this way and many other ideas too, but I am starting with the Celtic Cross because it is the one I dislike the most, I hardly ever use it and it seems to be that, if you do not use it or know it, you are not a worthy Tarot reader.
Let's look at the general CC positions:

1. Covers you;
2. Crosses you;
3. Root of the matter;
4. Past;
5. Possible outcome (near future);
6. Future;
7. Your influence in the situation;
8. Environment and family;
9. Hopes and fears;
10. Outcome.

Of course there are plenty of versions but, generally, I would say this is a standard one.
Let's hack it. You can do this with 3 cards, I have chosen 5, 6, and 10 like so:

Say for example the question here was you wanting to know how a job interview went, 5/6/10 could happily give you the whole answer with the outcome.
And, of course, you could shuffle the 3 cards for more insight, asking which one is the most important?
Use the positions in the original spread that are the most apt for the questions you are asking. The Cross is very general but other spreads are much more specific in their positioning.
Now I am off and leave you with this...happy hacking :)

Solar Return Tarot Spread

Since it is my birthday next week I have decided to create a  Tarot spread for myself. I have tried others but, since a good friend of mine recently showed me and interpreted for me my Solar Returns since 2011, I decided I wanted to create one as an insight on what is to come and what needs to be left behind.

Of course, as usual, nothing is set in stone so you can always draw more cards to clarify or use 2 different decks, or even a Tarot deck and an Oracle deck. 

Enjoy, and feedback is always appreciated if you do try it :).

 

Valentine Blues

So, Valentine day is approaching once more. May be you want a date, or a relationship. Or may be neither. You are kind of stuck in that middle ground where you are damned if you want and damned if you want not.
At times either we are giving off the wrong energy about us and end up attracting the wrong people, or simply we are in the wrong place for wanting a relationship. It can be a bit like an addiction, if you 'need' it then, most likely, it is not going to be healthy for you.
Empower and love yourself first, therefore enabling others to see you for who you are and also love you for who you are. Tarot of course can help you with the usual straightforward and wise advice. So here is a short spread for you to get going,  a happy Valentine to yourself first!.

 

The dilemma of The Hanged Man

Ah this poor soul, hanging upside down with a permanent headache. But I have always felt that while this is seen by many a stagnant and perhaps unmoving card, it is quite the contrary. I feel that this is a slow moving card yes, but one that calls for reflection rather than action.
Take The Fool for example. He is not afraid of stepping off that cliff, no matter in which way he lands.
Now think that this could be The Fool that has landed on his head. Ouch. May be next time he needs to think before he jumps. And so he swings to and fro there as the Hanged Man.
Mostly his face (at least in Rider Waite style decks) is depicted as serene, he is ok with it and with stilling himself a bit. But he also knows that eventually he is going to have to make the decision to move forward.
I tend to disagree with some of the views that see him a bit as a victim, perhaps he consciously chooses to still himself because he knows that this is no time for rushing,  he knows that this situation calls for reflection.
He is looking at everything upside down, he is willing to see a different perspective or to try and take a different approach.

The Hanged Man is about letting go of the need to act impulsively. Because in fact what is after this card is Death, the changes are starting to occur, and he is ready to set them in motion.
In readings (and of course depending on the surrounding cards), this could ask you to take a different approach, take a step back and reassess a situation. You may be are going to need to examine all angles before making a decision.
But know that, eventually, you are going to have to come off that tree.

The Fool and the Treadmill

The Fool stopped running. "Oh my God!" he thought, the bridge has collapsed! But wait. What is it that I can see under that tree? A treadmill? What would a treadmill be doing under a tree?
The Fool walked over to the treadmill and realized that it was not just an ordinary one. Nope. It was quivering. Wait. It was moving, sideways. And then it lifted off! The Fool did not think twice, a magic treadmill! And it could fly, like a magic carpet!
The Fool jumped on it quickly and the magic treadmill flew him to the other side of the ravine, landing him safely.

The Fool in Tarot can be incredibly careless and risk taking, but the point in the above is that, if we do not take risks sometimes, we may never reach "the other side". We may never see what is ahead and we may never enjoy something new or different. As improbable as it is to find a flying treadmill under a tree, life is also always reminding us that opportunities are always around the corner. And they won't come back twice.

Like in this wonderful rendition from Ciro Marchetti The Fool can  balance on more than one thing at once. And if he falls, well, there is always next time. The Magician is just around the corner and has plenty of tricks up his sleeve.

When you draw The Fool in a reading perhaps the advice is to let go of your own fears and inhibitions. Take a risk, do something that you would not normally do, carpe diem.

'A fool thinks himself to be wise, but a wise man knows himself to be a fool.'

William Shakespeare