Take a Number: Eight!

I am working my way through the numbers, comparing the ways in which I have used them in Tarot readings with observations and comments from numerologists and occultists. I welcome your comments and observations about this fascinating subject!

Tarot Cards: Strength or Justice, Eights of all suits

EIGHTS

Writing about the occult meaning of numbers, Paul Foster Case gives the following keywords for Eight: "rhythm, alternate cycles of involution and evolution, vibration, flux and reflux, and the like." Case adds that "It represents also the fact that opposite forms of expression (that is, all pairs of opposites) are effects of a single Cause" and that Eight is "pre-eminently the number of magic and of Hermetic Science." (The Tarot: A Key to the Wisdom of the Ages, Macoy Publishing Company)

Rider Tarot

Gary Meister, CTM offers the key phrase "Success Through Hard Work" for the number Eight. He writes: In esoteric numerology, the Number Eight is a higher octave of the number Four (2 X 4 = 8).  Where four represents a solid foundation through reason and practical thinking and planning, Eight represents the successful culmination of this planning."

In his book Numerology: Key to the Tarot  (Whitford Press), Sandor Konraad gives the Keywords "ambitious, successful, self-destructive" for the number Eight.

Quoting from Numerology and The Divine Triangle  by Faith Javane and Dusty Bunker (Whitford Press): "8 will assume power, for it now has achieved control and responsibility in its chosen field. Recognition and financial rewards are bestowed, and expansion and growth in the business world take place. Under 8, karma is king. . ." Keywords: power, responsibility, financial rewards, good judgment, recognition."

The web site Numberquest.com provides the following key words for the number Eight: "achievement, abundance, executive, strength, self-disciplined, power, success, authority, psychology, entrepreneur, intensity, supervisor, provider, grandeur, material manifestor."

Rider Tarot

In Anna Burroughs Cook's Tarot Dynamics system: "[Subject Card] Eight is a card for future renovation. 'Renovation' refers to opportunities and situations that have, or could potentially change your life." Anna Cook also notes, "Like the 8th House in Astrology, our 8s can often provide clues concerning the stability of our future, with anyone or anything that is important to us." (Tarot Dynamics Unleashed / Kima Global Publishers)

Because both STRENGTH and JUSTICE have been called Trump 8 (depending on what system is used in a deck), discussing how the Number Eight relates to both is somewhat complicated.

Konraad, who links Justice with Eight, writes that "The balance held in the left hand of Justice is the lesson of Arcanum VIII. . . The fact that Justice wields a sword in her right hand suggests that the lesson will be a painful one." As for the Minor Arcana Eights, Konraad views them as representing Imbalance in the area of life represented by the suit.

Rider Tarot

For Javane and Bunker, Key 8 is Strength. In this card, the life force is directed through suggestion. They write, "The woman is the subconscious mind controlling body functions and directing the amounts of vital force that the body receives. She also receives and acts upon suggestions from the conscious mind."

Anna Cook also associates Strength with the number Eight, noting that the Personal Strength of this Key is Fortitude and the Personal Weakness is Fear. Her keywords for Strength are Karmic / Renovation.

My keywords for the Number Eight are ambition, achievement, power, magic, and diligence.

I hope you enjoy these quotations I found that include the number Eight:

"It's a shame that the only thing a man can do for eight hours a day is work. He can't eat for eight hours; he can't drink for eight hours; he can't make love for eight hours. The only thing a man can do for eight hours is work." ~ William Faulkner (American Novelist, 1897-1962)

"Right now the thing that I have learned the most is to be grateful that I have finally gotten to a point where I am being paid to make films, after eight years." ~ Jim McKay (American Journalist)

"It took me about eight years to put together the program that I have been living for twenty years." ~  Marilu Henner (American Actress)

"I've been at Liverpool for eight years, and the time has come for us to start achieving." ~ Jamie Redknapp (English Athlete)

"Eight years involved with the nuclear industry have taught me that when nothing can possibly go wrong and every avenue has been covered, then is the time to buy a house on the next continent." ~ Terry Prachett (English Author)

Cards and Quotes: 6 of Pentacles

Today's Cards and Quotes features the SIX OF PENTACLES from the Ghosts and Spirits Tarot  by Lisa Hunt (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Ghosts & Spirits Tarot

"All my experience of the world teaches me  that in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred,  the safe and just side of a question  is the generous and merciful side."
Anna Jameson (1794-1860)
British Writer

Spirit Message Reading from Helen!

Many thanks to Helen Howell for this insightful, inspiring guest post!

--------------------
In March 2011 when I was co-author along with Zanna of this blog, I shared a reading titled Spirit Message.  I thought it would be interesting to revisit that spread. I’m happy to share again this two card spread with you, and I hope if you try it out, you will receive the answer you need right now.

The Gendron Tarot  by Melanie Gendron and published by U.S. Games Systems Inc. called to me. 

Cards lay side by side: 

The Gendron Tarot

Card 1: What message does my guide/s really want to get across to me right now? 

Ace of Wands

All the pink in this card gives me a great sense of love. My guide/s wants me to know that I am loved, that this is now the start of the rest of my journey. I feel from the image what they are saying is this is a new beginning for me, one where my ideas, creativity and innovation can grow and flourish. They seem to want me to know and acknowledge the potential that now exists for me. The child dressed in red, shows that they believe I have the passion, will power and energy to create the future I would like to have.  A bird that sits at the child’s feet is also a message that they want to get over to me - one that says I am free, free to make choices that change my life. My guides want to remind me through this bird that can fly in the sky and move nearer towards the heavens, that I must maintain a link with my higher self and my physical self - together is where the potential lies.  This message they give me is simple: a new beginning awaits me, the potential is there. In order to realise it I must maintain a balance between my spiritual self and my physical self. This is what will help me reach my real potential. 

The Gendron Tarot

Card 2: How do they want me to use this message in my life? 
King of Cups

Well the first thing that jumps out at me from this image is use it to further my creative pursuits, but also keep that balance within my everyday life, so that my emotions stay calm.  I see the bear image coupled with the water behind the King as representing a quiet power.  By practicing in my life that sense of balance, it will give me control over what I do and enable me to be in charge of the direction I choose to take.  The King is number 14 and breaks down to 5 this is a number  of challenge but also an opportunity for change - my guides want me to use their message to bring about the changes I need in my life and to maintain the feeling that I am in control of my own future.

BIT Snapshot: Snow White and the 7 Dwarves

After reading Janet Boyer's Back in Time Tarot Book, I decided to take an in-depth Tarot-centric look at the fairy tale Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. If you are unfamiliar with the story, you can read it HERE.

I am using Sylvia Gainsford's Tarot of the Old Path (AGMuller), one of my oldest decks and one of my favorites as well.

Here we go!

Tarot of the Old Path

Queen of Pentacles: Snow White

I see Snow White in this Queen because Snow White is known for her love of the forest and its creatures. While living with the Seven Dwarves, she cooks and cleans and cares for them as a mother would. In Tarot of the Old Path, the expression on the Queen's face is reflective and a bit sad, which I think is appropriate for Snow White's situation, having been cast out of her rightful home by her stepmother, who wishes her dead.

Tarot of the Old Path

Queen of Swords: Stepmother

For me, this haughty-looking queen captures the pride and cruelty we associate with Snow White's stepmother. Spiteful and malicious, she cannot tolerate someone else being more beautiful than she is.

Tarot of the Old Path

Ten of Swords

Snow White is taken into the forest to be killed. The huntsman who is ordered to do away with Snow White cannot bear to harm her. He lets her go, but brings animal organs to the Queen and tells her they belonged to Snow White. To me, the Ten of Swords often represents a "darkest before the dawn" situation. At first, all seems lost for Snow White, but a new opportunity arises.

THE DWARVES

Tarot of the Old Path

Page of Cauldrons: Bashful  - self-conscious and sensitive
Eight of Pentacles: Doc  - skillful and confident
Page of Rods: Dopey  - full of good intentions but naive
Knight of Rods: Grumpy  - quarrelsome and stubborn
Nine of Cauldrons: Happy  - fat and jolly
Four of Cauldrons: Sleepy  - tired and disinterested
Ten of Rods: Sneezy  - friendly but his allergies are a burden

Tarot of the Old Path

Ten of Cauldrons

Snow White moves in with the Seven Dwarves. They live as a happy family, even though Snow White is lonely and misses her real home.

Tarot of the Old Path

Five of Swords

Snow White's stepmother gives her a poisoned apple and Snow White falls into a deep sleep. It looks like the stepmother has won.

Tarot of the Old Path

Five of Pentacles

The Dwarves mourn the loss of their beloved Snow White. They feel deprived and helpless.

Six of Rods: Prince Charming

I decided to go with this card instead of the more "obvious" Knight or King figures because the man on the 6 of Rods in this deck just looks the part of Prince Charming to me. He triumphs in the end, waking Snow White with a kiss.

Ten of Pentacles

Snow White and Prince Charming live happily ever after together.




This was fun! I welcome your comments.

Cards and Quotes: 8 of Pentacles

Oops, time got away from me! I hope you don't mind revisiting a Cards and Quotes post from last November...

... the EIGHT OF PENTACLES from the Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

The Eight of Pentacles is often considered to refer to an apprentice, someone who is working to hone a skill, hoping to become an expert. On the Crystal Visions card we see a woman at her spinning wheel, paying close attention to what she is doing. The quotation I have chosen to go with this card is under the image of the card.

"Learning is not attained by chance, it must be sought for with

ardor and attended to with diligence."

- Abigail Adams (1744-1818)

Wife of U.S. president John Adams

Self-Esteem and the Enchanted Map

The issue of self-esteem has come up recently in my life due to a situation occurring in my extended family. I decided to seek insight into the health of my own self-esteem by consulting The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards* by Colette Baron-Reid with art by Jena DellaGrottaglia (Hay House).

I am using a Self Esteem Spread designed by Angeles Arrien and published in The Tarot Handbook (Jeremy P. Tarcher/Putnam). The positions are as follows:

(1) Ability to set limits and boundaries
(2) Flexibility and openness
(3) Ability to give and receive love; follow heart
(4) Capacity for staying in one's truth or integrity
(5) Communication skills
(6) Sense of honor and respect about oneself

Before I continue with the reading, I want to say a few words about self-esteem. I think it's a bit tricky. For example, we often speak fondly of someone who has "a delightfully self-deprecating sense of humor." The word self-deprecating  means "tending to undervalue oneself and one's abilities." Sounds like low self-esteem to me. Yet this tendency appears to be praise-worthy.

At the same time, I have, on more than one occasion, been put off by someone who obviously has a high opinion of himself. But doesn't this person have "high self-esteem"? Isn't that a good thing? Then why do I want to get away from him as quickly as possible?

I was raised to believe that pride is a sin, and bragging about oneself is bad manners and/or a sign of arrogance. Humility, I was told, is a highly honorable, desirable trait. I suppose *healthy* self-esteem is somewhere between overly low and overly high self-esteem. I think it can be tricky to hit that happy medium!

The irony of doing a self-esteem reading is that, it seems to me, if I have low self-esteem, I am going to read the cards with a somewhat negative  slant, believing that they reinforce my "self-deprecating" perception of myself. If I have overly high self-esteem, I am probably going to read the same cards with a positive  spin, concluding that they support my high opinion of myself. So can I hit a "happy medium" in which I am fair, honest, and supportive of myself -- without being conceited? 

While shuffling the cards, I asked that only enlightened insight come through for me from the Highest Source, to help me better understand my Self and my Life experiences.

Let's see where The Enchanted Map takes me!

First I am going to give my initial impressions of each card in its position. Then I will consult the guidebook for this deck and see what Colette Baron-Reid's thoughts on the matter might be.

The Enchanted Map Oracle

(1) Ability to set limits and boundaries
INTENTION (22)

First Impression: Well, yes, it is always my *intention* to set limits and boundaries. Intellectually, I *know* I need to do this. Sometimes I succeed. Much of the time I function according to old patterns that I really need to discard.

Quote given for this card in the Guidebook: "Deliberate, clear intentions have the power to change your world." A sentence from the book: "Your objectives will be fulfilled at this time."

The Enchanted Map Oracle

(2) Flexibility and openness
MOONLIGHT (51), Rx

First Impression: What happens when Moonlight is *reversed*? The moon is below instead of above, perhaps suggesting increased potential for darkness, confusion, and deception.

Quote given for this card in the Guidebook: "Your intuition allows you to see beyond the mundane, logical, and analytical. Follow it." A sentence from the Reversed meaning: "Too much analyzing is getting you nowhere."

The Enchanted Map Oracle

(3) Ability to give and receive love; follow heart
COMMITMENT (36)

First Impression: I do have a strong sense of commitment, no matter what area of life is involved. In other words, once I commit to something or someone, I tend to hang on and hang tight for a very long time. I have on many occasions followed my heart, and remained committed in spite of rough waters. For me, the love I give and receive is not about gushy emotional or romantic lovey-dovey behavior. It's about standing by someone, accepting their flaws, appreciating their acceptance of my flaws, and seeking points of commonality rather than focusing on differences.

Quote given for this card in the Guidebook: "A true commitment is a responsibility of the heart, mind, body, and soul. This is a good time to make one." A sentence from the book: "Be clear about the nature of your commitment and your responsibility to it."

The Enchanted Map Oracle

(4) Capacity for staying in one's truth or integrity
ONE-RING CIRCUS (15), Rx

First Impression: Interesting that this is a ONE-ring circus, not a 3-ring circus. It's as if my truth or integrity is focused or singular. But the card is reversed, defying gravity. Perhaps it is difficult or challenging for me to stay in my truth or integrity? Perhaps the reversed position suggests that I am not certain what my truth is, so I obviously would have trouble staying in it.

Quote given for this card in the Guidebook: "You are capable and competent." Sentences from the Reversed meaning: "If you think that the sun won't rise without you, then it's time to change" OR "Someone else may be trying to control you. . . Don't be afraid to set a boundary."

The Enchanted Map Oracle

(5) Communication skills
FOLLOW THE LEADER (40)
First Impression: This sounds kind of like I adjust my communication style to blend in or mimic the leader of whatever group I choose to join. I adopt that person's way of communicating, even their exact phrases or expressions. I know that I do this. I don't see it as a *bad* thing -- but I do think it could be taken to extremes. I try not to do that.

Quote given for this card in the Guidebook: "Every life is a teaching tool for others. Your authenticity and honesty are an example to those around you." A sentence from the book: "You're being called to lead others by example."

How interesting that I automatically thought this applied to me *following* a leader, rather than me *being* a leader. That gives this card in this position a different spin. It is my communication style that will make me a leader that others want to follow -- or not. But I need to acknowledge that possibility.

The Enchanted Map Oracle

(6) Sense of honor and respect about oneself
DRY DESERT (31)

First Impression: Oh dear. If my "sense of honor and respect about myself" is a "dry desert," that can't be good. The cards shows an empty world, void of life, mind numbing in its sameness. In the distance we see large cactuses, suggesting the presence of at least a little bit of water, although it's not readily available to the woman on the card.

Quote given for this card in the Guidebook: "Dig deep for inspiration and truth. Now is the time to become resilient and adaptable." A sentence from the book: "You're being required to conserve your energy -- until, after consistent effort, you reach the oasis you're searching for." Well, that does sound a bit better than what I came up with!

Numerologically Speaking

I find it interesting that the only two reversed cards in the reading are number 51 and number 15. Both numbers reduce to 6. Six suggests harmony, balance, and integration. But the cards are reversed -- which may be alerting me to an imbalance, disharmony, or lack of integration in the areas of "Flexibility and openness" and "Capacity for staying in one's truth or integrity."

Three of these cards have numbers that reduce to 4 (22, 40, and 31). Four suggests a certain amount of stability, structure, and reason -- but also the possibility of stagnation or limitation.

Card 36 -- Commitment -- reduces to 9, suggesting the end of a cycle, basis for completion, growth, and transformation. I like that when I think in terms of "ability to give and receive love; follow heart."

I am getting a lot to contemplate from these cards! From a numerological standpoint, I think I am being advised to consider my level of self-esteem as potentially threatened by imbalance, disharmony, or lack of integration. I am also being encouraged to think about how my self-esteem may be in "stable condition" but also limited. Finally, My ability to give and receive love, to follow my heart, is ripe for transformation and growth. Individually, the cards offer much to explore.


* To read my review of The Enchanted Map Oracle Cards, click HERE.

REVIEW: The Back in Time Tarot Book

R E V I E W

The Back in Time Tarot Book
Picture the Past, Experience the Cards, Understand the Present
by Janet Boyer
Paperback: 272 pages
Hampton Roads Pub Co (October 17, 2008)
ISBN-10: 1571745874
ISBN-13: 978-1571745873
Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 7 x 1 inches

 TOP LINE (formerly Bottom Line)

Janet Boyer has a well-earned reputation for translating original, unusual ideas into print and ebook form. The Back in Time Tarot Book is another illustration of this. My favorite part of the book is Chapter 3: Personal Experiences, in which Boyer and other Tarot celebrities (Mary K. Greer, Lon Milo DuQuette, Joan Bunning, Zach Wong, and Boyer herself, to name just a few) explore a situation or event from their past using the Back In Time (BIT) method.

What I like most about the BIT method is that we are choosing or drawing cards to represent past experiences or well-known stories or historical events -- situations to which we already know the ending. We move away from the "fortune telling" aspect of reading the cards, where we interpret a reading as best we can and then have to wait to see if we are "accurate." Instead, with the BIT method, we are remembering something from the past and choosing cards that remind us of various aspects of that situation, including the outcome, which we already know. As a beneficial byproduct, we gain insight into how we might interpret certain cards in future readings.

As someone who collects and uses a vast multitude of decks, I am probably going to find it more difficult than some to create a BIT snapshot, simply because I flit about from deck to deck, and have not memorized or internalized all of the images on all of the cards in any one deck. Having said that, I think perhaps I can do a successful BIT snapshot using the Rider-Waite-Smith, which is the foundation for many of the decks I use. Or I might even work from a broader perspective, as did Teresa Michelsen in the snapshot she wrote for this book.

I like that Boyer offers an alternative to her "standard" BIT method. She writes: "I have a spin on the BIT Method called retro-divination, where cards are selected facedown, at random, rather than consciously. You formulate the components of your snapshot using the BIT Method, but leave it up to the Universe to select the cards for you." I'm looking forward to trying that!

In my opinion, Tarot readers at any level of competence can enjoy this book. Even if you do nothing but read it, it's worth the price to get a sneak peek into the thoughts and feelings of some of the world's most respected tarot readers and psychics. The book becomes even more valuable if you actually use the BIT Method to examine incidents or familiar stories from your own life.

THE PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

"Using her BIT (Back in Time) Tarot method of working with the Tarot, Janet Boyer helps readers gain insight and understanding of their present--and ultimately their futures--by exploring their past. Gone are arcane and hard-to-understand explanations of Tarot symbols. Instead, Boyer offers an intuitive approach that allows readers to "feel the truth" of the cards as they relate to the specific parts of their lives. In a nutshell, the BIT Method:

•    Asks readers to think about a specific memory, story, news item, book, movie, etc.
•    Break up that memory or incident into components
•    Connect the components of the memory/experience with specific, consciously chosen Tarot cards

Janet Boyer

Boyer presents Back in Time (BIT) Snapshots from her colleagues, some of Tarot's best-known writers and deck artists who relate their own experiences with the BIT Method that range from comical to mysterious to sobering."


THE AUTHOR

Janet Boyer is a professional Tarot reader, teacher, expert, and deck creator as well as an author, reviewer, blogger and aspiring novelist. Visit her at her website -- http://JanetBoyer.com -- featuring over 900 pages of free content, including articles and reviews.

BASIC INFORMATION / APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY / ART

In The Back in Time Tarot Book, Hampton Roads Publishing Company has produced a quality 272-page paperback that is well organized and easy to read. The Foreword (by Monte Farber) is followed by a Preface, Acknowledgments, and Introduction.

Part I: Getting Started contains a chapter on Getting to Know the Tarot and one on How To Use The BIT Method. In Part II, we are given Personal Experiences (Chapter 3); Literature, TV, and Movies (Chapter 4); Headlines and History (Chapter 5); and Odds and Ends (Chapter 6).

The Appendix contains the cards of the Universal Waite Tarot in black and white, followed by an extensive Bibliography, Additional Recommended Books, Tarot Decks Referenced in This Book, information about contributing authors and artists, and an Index.

DETAILS / COMMENTS

Each personalized BIT snapshot in the book is followed by a Commentary written by Boyer in which she discusses the snapshot, the cards referenced, and her own thoughts on the reading.  In these commentaries, she also cites additional sources such as Jung and Tarot by Sallie Nichols (Weiser Books) and the DruidCraft Tarot companion book by Philip and Stephanie Carr-Gomm (St. Martin's Press).

After each Commentary, Boyer provides a section titled "Your Turn" in which she uses the snapshot as a springboard to suggest possible BIT snapshots we might want to write. For example, in connection with Lisa Hunt's contribution on Overcoming Writer's/Artist's Block, Boyer makes the following suggestions:

• "Consider a time when you were at point A of a project or circumstance, but you longed to get to Z. Select cards to represent your thoughts, feelings, and actions along the way.
• Think of a surprising event when a person, team, or animal surmounted an incredible challenge. Illustrate what happened using the cards of your choice.
• Recall a famous artist, writer, or musician. Which cards would you pick to represent their style, impact, and body of work?"

Contributors use various different decks for their snapshots. For example, Lisa Hunt uses the Fantastical Creatures Tarot (U.S. Games), which she illustrated. Riccardo Minetti uses the Etruscan Tarot (Lo Scarabeo). Mary K. Greer uses the Rider-Waite Tarot (U.S. Games). Teresa Michelsen did not have a particular deck in mind when she created her BIT snapshot.

In the Odds and Ends chapter, Boyer offers Tarot card associations for

• U.S. States (Missouri = Knight of Pentacles)
• Songs from the 1980s (The Emperor = "Everybody Wants to Rule the World" by Tears for Fears)
• Holidays, Dates, and Celebrations (The Star = Christmas).

In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.

Cards and Quotes: Brigid

Today's Cards and Quotes features BRIGID from Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish (Blue Angel Gallery).

Oracle of the Dragonfae by Lucy Cavendish

"It is in our faults and failings,
not in our virtues,  that we touch each other, and find sympathy.  It is in our follies that we are one."
Jerome K Jerome (1859–1927)
English writer and humorist

Exploring The Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck

In addition to my 75 Tarot decks, I own a great many oracle decks. I love these decks, but don't use them as often as I would like. Every now and then, I am going to share a card from one of these oracle decks here on the blog. I hope people will enjoy seeing cards from various decks and will gain something from the interpretations of the cards!

For this episode of oracle card exploration I am using The Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck by Ana Cortez and C.J. Freeman (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Our card for today is the ACE OF DIAMONDS.

The Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck

Aces represent the number one, the lowest number. However, in the many card games I have learned to play over the years, the Ace of any suit is very often the top card a player can hold. Numerology helps us understand the importance of the number one, as we can see in my "Take a Number" series on this blog.

In The Playing Card Oracles deck, the Ace of Diamonds is titled "Ignita," which is the feminine form of the masculine ignito in Latin. The word can mean (1) heated, lit, (2) flaming, bright, or (3) impetuous, ardent. As I'm sure you can tell, the English word "ignite" comes from this.

Ana Cortez asks us to notice that "the large red diamond in the center looks more like a gem than a traditional suit sign." When we gaze deep into the middle of that diamond, we can see "a figure silhouetted within its core." To me, it looks like an embryo, which would certainly make sense given that this is an Ace, representing "a beginning".

Oh yes, and there's a dragon -- a fire lizard, to be precise. He is not a cutesy cartoon dragon, but a fairly intimidating one. He guards the stone "Philosophicus" which is depicted as holding the secrets of the element Fire.

Like all elements, Fire can be helpful or harmful, depending on how it is used. Among the positive aspects listed by Ana Cortez are "the creative ability to will our dreams into reality as well as attract money and resources." Undesirable qualities include "greed, egotism, and insensitivity." In his story "The Diamond Ace," C.J. Freeman writes: "The fire lizard, Philosophicus, can be a deadly, unstable force that rampantly destroys everything it touches. However, as the ancients also deduced, this is a divine agent that can benefit those who have wisdom and are prepared for its effects."

To read my review of The Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck, click HERE.

Cards and Quotes: 3 of Cups

Today's Cards and Quotes features the THREE OF CAULDRONS from Tarot of the Old Path by Sylvia Gainsford (AGMuller).

Tarot of the Old Path

  “Life is a festival only to the wise.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)
American Poet, Lecturer and Essayist

How Can I Help?

My sister is going through a difficult time right now, so I thought I would ask the cards what I can do to help her. I am also wondering what the cards can tell me about the situation itself. Using a spread I created, I drew five cards as follows:



..............5...............
..............4...............
2............................3
...............1................

(1) Energy currently surrounding the situation
(2) Something I can do to help
(3) Something I should avoid doing
(4) Something special I can offer as her sister
(5) Outlook

For this reading I am using Tarot of the Old Path by Sylvia Gainsford (AGMuller). Here are the cards that came forward:

Tarot of the Old Path

(1) Energy currently surrounding the situation

KING OF CAULDRONS

Without going into detail, the cards clearly recognize that the energy surrounding this situation is largely that of an individual who is involved. This is a mature man born under the sign Scorpio -- actually, in the Libra-Scorpio cusp. In the Golden Dawn system, the King of Cups rules from 20 degrees Libra to 20 degrees Scorpio. My eyebrows really went up when I saw the level of accuracy demonstrated by the cards in this case. Out of all the cards, a court card appears. And out of all the court cards, it's the one that exactly matches this person's natal chart.

(2) Something I can do to help

THE FOOL, reversed

My initial reaction to this card in this position is that I can help my sister by not reacting thoughtlessly. This is not the time to step forth into unknown territory without careful consideration. I should not shoot from the hip or blurt things out. If I advise her, I need to make sure my evaluations are sound and sensible, not off the top of my head. It is interesting that the Golden Dawn associates The Fool with the planet Uranus, which rules my sister's Sun sign, Aquarius. It may be that I can also help her by not letting her be overly analytical or fearful of taking the next step(s) in this situation.

(3) Something I should avoid doing

THREE OF SWORDS, reversed

I feel that I need to avoid getting caught up in my sister's confusion or alienation from this other person. She is hurting, and for good reason, but I need to remain on an even keel and not internalize her distress.

(4) Something special I can offer as her sister

FOUR OF CAULDRONS, reversed

As her sister, I can help lift her out of her disappointment, weariness, or resentment so that these conditions do not overwhelm her or control her life at this time. I can help make sure she does not sink into apathy or depression.

(5) Outlook

PAGE OF SWORDS

I like youthful nature of this card, which suggests a flexibility and willingness to adjust and adapt, to learn new ways of thinking and communicating. If the people involved in this situation can do this, good things are likely to happen. However, this Page of Swords does look a bit distrustful, as if he suspects someone or something might do him harm. Even if the most injurious elements of this situation are overcome, there may still be a residue of uncertainty or wariness among those involved. Things will probably never be the same as they were.

Visually, this reading is blue at the top and bottom and largely yellow in the middle. All of the cards are either Water or Air. As I mentioned before, emotion and intellect, heart and mind, feelings and thoughts, are at the center of this situation. Those are the areas where healing and change are needed.