Easy as PQR…

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click HERE. 

For DEF, click HERE. 

For GHI, click HERE. 

For JKL, click HERE. 

For MNO, click HERE. 

Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

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P is for POTENTIAL. 

On the Ace of Wands from the Tarot of Pagan Cats, we see an orange tabby perched in a tree. Out of a weathered, dead tree trunk, a new trunk and multiple sprouting branches grow, representing an opportunity to take a fresh, new, exciting action.

Q is for QUERY. 

I do not have a Tarot deck beginning with Q, so I decided to use The Quest Tarot, which I accessed on line. The Eight of Stones, titled “Knowledge” seems to me to fit well with the idea of a “query,” which usually involves an attempt to learn or understand something. With Tarot readings, the person asking the question(s) is often referred to as the "querent."

R is for RECOGNITION. 

Like many other decks, the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg presents the Ace of Swords as a card of ambition, initiative, triumph, and determination. Like all Aces, it represents a beginning. With Swords being the suit of mental clarity, we can easily see the Ace of Swords as representing recognition – an awareness or understanding of something, perhaps for the first time, leading us in a new direction.

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P: Tarot of Pagan Cats by Magdelina Messine with artwork by Lola Airaghi (Lo Scarabeo)
Q: The Quest Tarot by Joseph Earnest Martin (Llewellyn Worldwide)
R: Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg, illustrated by Yury Shakov (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

How can I get out of this funk?

A sample reading using

the Haindl Tarot

by Hermann Haindl

(U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

QUESTION 

"I'm feeling like I"m in a funk at the moment and

I want to know what is going on and what I can do to get myself out of it."

ANSWER

For your 1-card reading I am using the Haindl Tarot. Your card is the TWO OF WANDS (Dominion).

Haindl Tarot

On this card we see a ruined church with a staircase that leads upward to an opening that reveals the sky. We see two crossed spears in front of the entrance. The ruins of the church symbolize the power of the soul. The stairway represents a spiritual ascent. The spears symbolize both power and pacification.

Wands is the suit of Fire, representing passion, action, will, confidence, creativity, and brightness, but also battles and struggles. The number Two commonly suggests balancing dualities, tension, or choice.

You mentioned that you feel like you are in a funk. The Two of Wands seems to suggest that there is a decision or choice you need to make, and that you need to then take action based on that decision or choice. The title of this card is "Dominion" and its imagery conveys the spiritual power and strength available to you. The church is in ruins on the card, which makes me think that something in your life may no longer serve the purpose for you that it once did. It still has meaning for you, but has ceased to be what you need it to be.

You can overcome your feeling of being in a funk by starting something new in some area of your life, by choosing to move forward, to follow through on something you have been thinking about. This is a time when it pays to be ambitious, to discover and claim your personal power instead of giving away that power to others. The Two of Wands doesn't guarantee that your path will be completely smooth or easy, but it suggests that you have the stamina and energy to make your way in the world.

My goal in providing this reading is to help you feel empowered to make practical, life-affirming decisions or changes. Always remember that your future lies in your hands.

Am I With the Right Man? Will We Be Married?

A sample reading using

the Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg

by YuryShakov

(U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

QUESTIONS 

“Am I with the right man for me?”
"Will we be married after this separation due to him being in jail?" 

LAYOUT

1....2....3

ANSWER

I don’t want to disappoint you, but I do not predict the future or "tell fortunes." Your future is not predetermined. You and the other people in your life have free will, and are constantly making decisions and choices that affect your future.

A Tarot reading is like a snapshot of your life at the time of the reading. The cards can give you a picture of unseen influences, patterns of behavior, obstacles, and strengths. From this, you can sometimes determine the likelihood of an event or circumstance occurring. However, if just one factor changes, the projected outcome can also change. It’s a bit like forecasting the weather — and we all know what can happen with weather forecasts.

For your 3-card reading I am using The Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg.

Your cards are:

THE LOVERS (reversed)

EIGHT OF SWORDS (reversed)

THE CHARIOT

The presence of two Major Arcana cards (The Lovers and The Chariot) tells me that this issue is of great significance in your life. It is not "just any relationship" but one that is likely to have a profound effect on you.

The Lovers (reversed) depicts obstacles this relationship is facing because of poor choices or the triumph of passion over wisdom. The Eight of Swords (reversed) often indicates incarceration. In this deck, it is subtitled "Captivity." The fact that it is reversed suggested that the captivity is temporary. The Chariot supplies a positive note in this reading - - a strong, clear note that tells of victory, success, and force of will that triumphs in spite of conflict and opposition.

Because we have such an accurate portrayal of current circumstances in these cards, I am encouraged by the appearance of The Chariot, upright. This is a card about readiness to make changes, about being in control of one's life. There seems to be positive support for leaving the old ways behind and moving on to a brighter future. Note, however, that this requires a deliberate effort, and there are challenges to overcome. It's not going to happen automatically.

With freedom comes responsibility and acceptance of the knowledge that you create your own destiny. Thus, the decisions and choices the two of you make will shape your future. Only you can tell if this is the right man for you. Marriage is a possibility, but you may want to see how things go in general before you embark on that particular journey, which carries its own challenges.

It is my hope that the insight gained through this reading will help you make decisions and take action in line with your best interests. Always remember that your future lies in your hands.

Easy As MNO...

In this Tarot Notes series, I will be pulling a card for each letter of the alphabet. Each card will be from a different deck. To add to the cleverness, of course, the name of the deck will begin with the letter being used, if at all possible. (Deck attributions are provided at the end of this post.)

To read the blog post for the letters ABC, click HERE. 

For DEF, click HERE.

For GHI, click HERE.

For JKL, click HERE.

Image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

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M is for MASTERY. 

On the Eight of Pentacles from the Mystic Dreamer Tarot, we see a woman working in a studio. At the moment, she is an apprentice, still learning her craft, but her goal is mastery of that skill. Why else would she work long hours and devote endless energy to her work? Mastery may require tedious repetition and practice, but if we are passionate about our goal, we can be enthusiastic about the process.

N is for NATURE.

The Strength card typically represents interaction between our higher and lower natures, and how our higher nature can overcome or subdue the lower nature in a calm, gentle manner. In Tarot of Northern Shadows (one of my oldest and dearest decks), the beautiful giantess Grid is poised to take on strong, negative emotions that threaten to overcome us. We might use the term “gentle giant” to suggest the approach taken by the higher nature in dealing with the lower nature.

O is for ORDEAL. 

With the Ten of Swords in the Otherworld Tarot and many other decks, we are often looking at “rock bottom” when things can’t get any worse. We may not have much hope for the future or may feel beaten down or overwhelmed. The good news is that this last card in the suit of Swords often points to the start of something bright and new, better times after a period of darkness. Nowhere to go but up!


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M: Mystic Dreamer Tarot by Heidi Darras (Llewellyn Publications)
N: Tarot of Northern Shadows by Sylvia Gainsford and Howard Rodway (AGMuller)
O: Otherworld Tarot by Alison Williams, Artwork by Sarah Howell (Schiffer)