A Reading with the Ghost Tarot

The Ghost Tarot (Lo Scarabeo), with artwork by Davide Corsi, called to me from amongst my collection of decks, so I thought I’d spend some time with these delightful cards.

The Little White Book (LWB) that comes with the deck provides a spread that seems perfect to me. It was not given a name in the LWB, but it is a variation on the Past-Present-Future idea:

(1) Collective memories and those of our ancestors
(2) The present and the challenges we are experiencing
(3) The obstacle and the “ghosts of the past”
(4) The invisible allies, virtues and great talents that we have and that we must exploit
(5) The future, what probably awaits us, but that we can improve upon or worsen depending on how we relate with the forces represented by the other cards.

Let’s see what the ghosts want to tell me!

(1) Collective memories and those of our ancestors

JUSTICE (Trump 11) – Fairness and Firmness

The LWB (written by Pierluca Zizzi) states: “Justice, even when imperfect, is the foundation of human society.” That seems like a very appropriate statement with regard to collective memories and those of our ancestors. Over the course of human existence, people have carried out much justice and injustice in various names and for various reasons. Only recently have we begun to acknowledge some of the injustices committed by our ancestors. Memories can be selective, and only a truly “collective” memory (representing everyone involved) can hope to determine what is just.

(2) The present and the challenges we are experiencing

SIX OF WANDS – “Willpower can achieve the impossible, and can remain strong when everything else has collapsed” (LWB). The suit of Wands in this deck represents Fire, with the “passions and energy that bring man to life.” The key is to use my willpower, passion, and energy constructively to overcome challenges and move onward or upward. Fire can be destructive, and using it in that manner will not help my cause in the long run.

(3) The obstacle and the “ghosts of the past”

THE HIEROPHANT – The Sustenance of Faith

Well, yes, my long-time struggle to explore, understand, and describe the roots or source of my “faith” (spirituality) continues to haunt me. Ultimately, I have had to reject the sort of mindless faith I tried to embrace in my younger years – a faith that seemed to exclude rather than include and to punish rather than reward, a faith that somehow believes there is a God who is intimately and directly involved with every single activity and event in this world. I was brought up a certain way, and that upbringing prompted me to take a path that turned out to be a very wrong one for me. In my Tarot journey, The Hierophant has always been “off putting” to me, probably because the image on the card so often reminds me of the religious institution(s) in which I mistakenly immersed myself.

(4) The invisible allies, virtues and great talents that we have and that we must exploit

THE LOVERS – An Embrace that Unites

What a lovely card to see here. Unity with other spirits and within myself can help foster wise decisions and choices when faced with a fork in the road.

(5) The future, what probably awaits us, but that we can improve upon or worsen depending on how we relate with the forces represented by the other cards.

TWO OF CHALICES – “Love is for always.” (LWB) This card echoes the message and imagery of The Lovers while incorporating a reference to human emotions: “Emotions are born of the soul and to the soul they return, an eternal mystery of human nature.” (LWB) Certainly this is a future I can happily embrace, so I need to be alert and aware of how my relationship with the forces represented by the other cards might affect that desired future.