Easy as STU…

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. 

For PQR, click HERE. 

Background image by Daniel Albany from Pixabay

S is for SIBYL. 

Well, why not? In Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery, The High Priestess is portrayed as the ancient pagan prophetess Sybil. Her open scroll “displays the symbol for consciousness in the center of the seven-pointed star and the circular anagram relating the words TAROT, ROTA, and ATOR.” In this case, “S” can also stand for Symbolism,  and the number Seven: for the Seven Virtues of Temperance, Strength, Justice, Prudence, Faith, Hope, and Charity.

T is for TYPHON.

Typhon is the character descending the wheel in the Thoth Tarot representation of the Wheel of Fortune card. According to Greek mythology, Typhon was a Titan (another “T”!), a terrifying, huge monster who had nothing but serpents below the waist. When the card is reversed, Typhon ascends to the top of the wheel, a representation of dark times and bad luck. We might also say “T” is for TEN, as seen in the ten-spoked wheel on this card. “T” might also represent “TIME,” as the position of the wheel changes, and Typhon rises and falls, with time.

U is for UNDERTAKING. 

The Ace of Wands is often seen as representing creation, a beginning, or the start of an undertaking. This card has appeared before in the ABC series, representing the letter P for “Potential.” This time we are using the Universal Waite Tarot. Synonyms for “undertaking” include enterprise, venture, project, campaign, scheme, plan, operation, endeavor, effort, task, assignment, charge, activity, pursuit, exploit, job, business, affair, procedure, proceeding, process, and transaction.

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S: The Tarot of the Sevenfold Mystery by Robert M. Place  (Hermes Publications)
T: Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)
U: Universal Waite Tarot with drawings by Pamela Colman Smith and coloring by Mary Hanson-Roberts (U.S. Games Systems, Inc.)

Does my partner of 15 years still love me?

A sample reading using 

Tarot of the Old Path

created by Sylvia Gainsford and Howard Rodway

(AGMuller)

QUESTION

“Does my partner of 15 years still love me?”

ANSWER

I don't want to disappoint you, but I cannot read your partner’s mind or tell you what they are feeling or thinking. What I can do is ask the cards for insight into the energy currently surrounding this relationship. Using Tarot of the Old Path, I drew three cards to represent the Situation, Challenge, and Opportunity. Below are the cards I drew into those positions and my interpretations.

Position 1. Situation: THE STAR

On this card, a woman pours nourishing ambrosia onto the land (conscious awareness) and into an estuary flowing forth to the sea (intuitive unconscious). In the foreground we see an iris, symbol of hope and power. This is a very encouraging card to draw in this position. It conveys a sense of harmony, balance, success, inspiration, satisfaction, and a bright future.

Position 2. Challenge: SEVEN OF SWORDS

On this card, a man dressed in protective leather clothing and gloves clutches four swords and glances back over his shoulder with a grin. He appears to have stolen these weapons. As he darts quickly away, he leaves three swords standing in the background. The challenge that faces this relationship appears to involve someone not telling another person everything he or she needs to know. The "theft" shown on the card is in the area of the mind and communication. Concealed information is likely to cause conflict and insecurity.

Position 3. Opportunity: TWO OF CAULDRONS, reversed

On this card, a man and woman stand facing each other. They hold small cauldrons towards the other's lips in a gesture of love and union. Cauldrons is the suit of Water, representing emotions. Reversed, this card warns of separation, disillusion, and a troubled romance. However, in this position (Opportunity), I see this as an indication that you have an opportunity to avoid these things by heeding the messages of the other cards. Open communication and frankness is needed to restore emotional balance and allow all the positive potential indicated by The Star to shine forth.

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.

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.