Deck Interview: Joie de Vivre Tarot

First of all, I want to thank Mandy Sue at 78 Whispers In My Ear for giving me the idea of a shorter, 3-card interview to try instead of my usual 6-card deck interview. Here are the three questions I have chosen to ask:

1. What would you like me to understand about you?
2. What would you like me to understand about myself?
3. What strengths and/or weaknesses do we have as a team?

I am starting off this new interview series with the Joie de Vivre Tarot by Paulina Cassidy (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.) To read my review of this deck, click HERE.

In this new series of interviews, the deck chooses the location for the interview. The Joie de Vivre chose a Ferris wheel in the midst of a carnival. With some trepidation I followed her into one of the brightly colored passenger cars. I had not been on a Ferris wheel in a long time, having decided years ago that I prefer for my stomach to remain in its original position.

Nevertheless, the deck assured me that we would have a marvelous time, and the Tarot never lies, right?

(If you look closely at the drawing to your right, you can see us. We're in the red car.)

As our car rose slowly backwards into the air, I asked: "What would you like me to understand about you?"

The KNIGHT OF WANDS (aka Blaze) popped out of the deck to reply: "Whee! This is great fun, isn't it! I would like you to understand that I am eternally energetic and dynamic, driven and fearless. Life is full of new opportunities, and I insist on pursuing as many of them as possible!"

At that point, he leaned way too far out of the car. Had I not grabbed his tail I'm sure he would have plunged to his death!

Our car was now at the highest point on the wheel. I took a deep breath and asked the deck: "What would you like me to understand about myself?"

Who should appear but Trump 20: JUDGMENT (aka Renaissance). He blew his tiny trumpet and declared: "What I would like you to understand about yourself is that you can transform yourself and create the life you want to live. You can rise like a phoenix from the flames. You have the wisdom and experience to make sound judgments." With that, Renaissance handed me the trumpet, flapped his wings, and flew away.

Smart of him to bail out just now, I thought. My stomach lurched. Our car dropped rapidly as the Ferris wheel continued to turn. I swallowed and tried not to look down as I asked: "What strengths and/or weaknesses do we have as a team?"

The ACE OF CUPS (aka Euphoria) stepped out of the deck holding a large cup overflowing with water. I was soon drenched.

"My dear," said Euphoria, "together we live and breathe the spirit of love. We are open to spiritual awakening and messages from within. At times, emotions may be hard to work through. We will need to exercise compassion and reason to avoid deep disappointment. But overall, our relationship will be one of beauty and harmony."

"Beauty and harmony. Beauty and harmony," I repeated, scrunching my eyes shut and clutching the side of the car in a death grip. Whoosh! We swept past the ground and rose into the air again.

"Whee! Whee!" shouted Blaze.

I opened my eyes, blew the tiny trumpet Renaissance had given me, and laughed.

Reading with this deck could be quite a lot of fun after all, I thought.

Cards and Quotes: PAGE OF WANDS

Today's Cards and Quotes features the Page of Wands from the Wizards Tarot by Corrine Kenner, Illustrated by John J. Blumen (Llewellyn Worldwide).

"The mind is not a vessel to be filled but a fire to be kindled."
~ Plutarch - Greek historian, biographer, essayist
(c. 46 – 120 AD)

"Zeal without knowledge is fire without light."
Thomas Fuller - English churchman and historian
(1608 – 1661)

Journey through My Decks: 4 of Swords

In this series of posts, I plan to discuss all of the Tarot cards in order, using a different deck for each card. Today I'm exploring the FOUR OF SWORDS from The Baroque Bohemian Cats' Tarot by Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov (Magic Realist Press).





"Like a graceful vase, a cat, even
when motionless, seems to flow."
~ George Will ~

In this deck, the suit of Swords is "about the higher forms of intellect, the mind and mental force. . . and can refer to conflict, struggles, particularly psychological ones, willpower, pain and anger." (Mahony) The suit emphasizes the importance of incisive, intelligent thinking yet also underscores the need for balance between that quality and a practical or compassionate approach.

On the Four of Swords we see a ginger cat sleeping deeply, "completely oblivious of both the magnificence of the setting and, indeed of the sculpture of a happy dog with lolling tongue that's just below him."

In general, cats are more alert during their waking hours than human beings and also better at napping than humans. Karen Mahony notes that "the average domestic cat is believed, incredibly, to sleep seventeen hours a day).

As Mahony points out, Arthur Waite's commentary on this card has dark associations, among them "exile, tomb and coffin." He describes the Four of Swords as "a bad card, but if reversed a qualified success may be expected by wise administration of affairs" (The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite, WeiserBooks). However, more modern interpretations of the card often center around "a respectful stillness, peace and meditation."

Divinatory Meanings provided by Mahony: "Time out from the fray, rest and recuperation, mental silence and stillness, a pause to retreat and reflect." Reversed, the Four of Swords can suggest: "A return to the world, being awakened and brought back to real life, cautiously emerging from retreat."

The cat on this card is a stray photographed at the Prague Cat Rescue Home. The stained glass window is from the St. Vitus Cathedral at Prague Castle. The stone slab is based on part of a carving on the wall of the Jesuit Clementinum.

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About the deck: Following in the footsteps of Louis Wain, the English Victorian cat artist, Karen Mahony and Alex Ukolov created a Tarot deck in which each card features a well-dressed feline or two. The background scenes are from the city of Prague. Their aim was to "produce a tool as well as a piece of art" and to offer "not only one of the most attractive but also one of the most readable cat tarots to date."

First Qtr Moon in Gemini: Tarot Dynamics Unleashed

In Issue 4 of Anna Burroughs Cook's Tarot Dynamics Unleashed newsletter we learn about using the Tarot Card of the Week -- the 8 of Swords -- to explore the potential and possibilities for the week ahead. I encourage you to read the newsletter! Click on the link ("Issue 4" above). Do it now! (LOL)

As Anna explains in the newsletter, the 8 of Swords (Card 62 in the TD system) is linked astrologically with the first decan of Gemini (0 to 10 degrees). Today, we have a first quarter Moon at 10 degrees Gemini, which is why the 8 of Swords is considered to be the Tarot Card of the Week (TCOW).

Quoting Anna:

"With the 8 of Swords as this week’s TCOW, whether directly, (through your own goals, health and/or employer) or indirectly, (through the goals of your significant other, their employer, family, friends, or their health and well-being ) everyone, all over the world will be thinking a bit more, or a bit more seriously about where they want to go in life from here, and how to get there!

The Eight of Swords is NOT predicting a nasty week. Although it DOES warn of some extra work or news coming our way that could upset our day or pre-empt our agenda..."

The newsletter provides a simple spread that can be used to further explore how this first quarter Moon placement might affect our week.

For my reading, I am using the Crystal Visions Tarot by Jennifer Galasso (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

I place the 8 of Swords card face up to represent me and the general mood or tone of the week ahead.

Next I shuffle the remainder of the deck and choose a card to cover the 8 of Swords. As per the TDU system, this card represents "whether it's likely to prove a little easier or a bit more challenging for me to deal with people and matters this week."






And I pulled . . . (drum roll please) . . . 3 of Cups (Card 43)!

In Issue 4 of the TDU newsletter, Anna graciously provides a detailed discussion of how we might interpret various cards that appear as Card 2 in the reading. Here's what she says about Subject Card 3:

"The 2, 3, and 4 of EVERY SUIT indicates an upcoming opportunity, setback or new phase of awareness that will arouse the Seeker’s enthusiasm and confidence, or their selfishness and impatience."

In general, the 3 of Cups comes across as a "positive" card, one that suggests cooperation, sharing, and "Emotional / Thinking, Networking" (from Tarot Dynamics by Anna Burroughs Cook, Kima Global Publishers). With the elemental dignity system I use, Air (Swords) and Water (Cups) are somewhat friendly or neutral toward each other. There can be moderate stress, irritation, or annoyance -- but not outright antagonism.

When I put the 8 of Swords and 3 of Cups together, I get a sense that my thoughts about where I want to go in life from here and how to get there could veer in the direction of cooperative projects or collaboration with another person or persons. Since Swords and Cups are not always 100 percent super-friendly (and because the 8 of Swords warns of "some extra work or news coming our way that could upset our day or pre-empt our agenda"), I need to be aware that a partner or potential partner may not be 100 percent reliable, supportive, and forthright.

Consider the contrasting images on these two cards: an individual bound and blindfolded vs. three people celebrating, dancing, and displaying their emotions. Constraint vs freedom. Tight vs loose. Somber vs festive.

I actually spend a lot of time collaborating with others in several areas on a daily basis, so this is interesting, useful information! The suit of Cups may also refer to family relationships, and some sort conflict or snag related to "getting along with" family members in a specific situation. I tend to be the "sober, serious one" in my family, while my siblings are more carefree.