After a long period of
deliberately not acquiring new decks, I treated myself to Elemental Power Tarot
by Melinda Lee Holm (Cico Books, 2020). I was intrigued by this deck because
there are no people on the cards. The deck’s creator explains that this is “because
you are the people. Each card is designed to invite you in and give you a
starring role in your reading.”
This seems like an excellent deck to use for a situation I am currently experiencing.
This situation is, in many ways, not of my making and not under my control. It’s big. Very big. My Sagittarius Sun wants to take action NOW. Do something NOW. My Virgo Ascendant prefers to analyze the options, partly to determine whether doing something or taking action NOW is likely to have a positive effect – or any effect at all – and at what risk?
To address this, I designed a four-card reading, as follows:
The Request: Please offer some options for me to consider when deciding what I might do about this difficult situation.
1) Option 1
2) Option 2
3) Option 3
4) Something to keep in mind when making a decision about this situation
1) THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE: “Time moves at multiple rates simultaneously. The one you are experiencing was chosen by the Universe just for you.”
Associated with the planet Jupiter (ruler of my Sun Sign, Sagittarius), this card indicates that one option is for me to trust that the Universe will reveal to me my appropriate role in this situation. I find these words from the guidebook to be particularly meaningful to me: “Whether you feel pushed too quickly or held back needlessly, know that what is happening at this moment is being presented to you because the Universe has deemed this the correct time. Maybe you need to feel pushed to prove to yourself how capable you are under pressure, or maybe you need to wait to receive information that will alter your feelings about your situation.”
From my personal experience with the cards, I also feel that The Wheel of Fortune is pointing out that “What goes around, comes around.” In other words, nothing remains the same forever. Things change, and will continue to change.
2) THE HIEROPHANT: “Your Divine nature is reaching out for guidance. Heed the call and step into the Universal flow of wisdom.”
This card is associated with the zodiac sign Taurus, which happens to be my Moon Sign. Meaningful comments from the guidebook: “A tradition, institution, book, or person is calling you. . . Be open to learning, stretching your thinking, and trying new ways of approaching your conception of and connection with the Divine.”
My connection with the Divine – or perhaps I should say my perception of that connection -- has undergone dramatic changes over the years. Some of the “social structures” typically represented by this card (notably organized religion) do not mean the same thing to me that they once did. This option encourages me to examine my spiritual state and inclinations as they relate to the situation I face.
3) PAGE OF CUPS: “Earth of Water, the Novice of Emotion.”
This option seems to me to stand in contrast to the “heavy hitters” who appeared as the first two options. There is a lightness here (to me) represented by the Page of Cups, an invitation to be emotionally “open” and “unjaded,” to build or rebuild trust in myself, others, and the Universe. As the guidebook points out, this doesn’t mean ignoring my instincts or ceasing rational thought. I need to keep my eyes open, but also allow my heart to become more open in this situation. The guidebook advises, “Take small steps and remind yourself that you are safe.”
4) EIGHT OF CUPS: “Overcoming doubt in Elemental Water”
This card was drawn to represent “Something to keep in mind when making a decision about this situation.” As with the Page of Cups in Option 3, my attention is directed towards my emotions. The guidebook urges me to “take an honest inventory of how you act and react emotionally in your life...” In this difficult situation, I may find myself losing emotional stability or letting emotions overwhelm me. As the guidebook points out, “It can be difficult to accept our ability to shape our emotional reactions to the world around us.”
In looking at this version of the Eight of Cups, I see an opportunity to reach up and take the Cup in the upper right corner or to stoop down and grasp the upside Cup in the lower left corner, perhaps turning it right-side up. An equal number of upright and overturned Cups on the card does speak of balance and stability.
In summary, I want to
first say that I do not see the options presented in this reading as “either/or”
or “all or nothing” options. In other words, I can choose a combination of the
options presented, depending on which one(s) resonated most strongly with me. At
the heart of this (and of myself), emotional balance is key.
