Opening of the Key - inspired self-analysis

I got a great tip from another reader to try a large spread called "the opening of the key". It was developed by the Golden Dawn, an esoteric organisation founded in 1888 and which still today is often called one of the cornerstones of the modern Western Mysticism. The original Golden Dawn branched into different fractions due to internal conflicts, but sprouts of this organisation still exist today.

The full spread would take a number of structured steps and understanding Kabbalah and astrology, so I only stuck with the first stage and diverted from there with my own rules. The original spread also uses a significator (a card that is chosen to represent the seeker; the person who is receiving the reading).

I'm not personally hugely interested in the origins or specifics of esoteric tarot teachings and I'm only superficially familiar with tarot's history. My own interests lie in the everyday functionality of any tarot deck. To me tarot cards are art that can be interpreted through knowing the meanings of the symbols and via one's own intuition and deduction skills (what's happening in the picture). My own reading style is a combination of structure and "organic" intuition, i.e. I do rely on the traditional meanings of the cards but I rather "intuit" the message rather than use any rigid reading system.

However, this simplified spread, which is similar to the first stage of the Opening of the Key, proved to be a mind-opening experience.

Many little nagging issues I haven't been able to accurately pinpoint in my own emotional make-up and psyche were solved in this reading. It uses the whole deck of 78 cards and even this simplified version is fairly complicated for a beginner due to the huge number of cards and lack of positions. If you're already reasonably comfortable with understanding your cards, I strongly recommend trying this.

Alternatively, you can try a "beginner's" version, which I explain later, or hopefully find a skilled tarot reader who could do this spread for you. It really can be an ultimate A-HA! trigger.

This is how I did it - I've bent and abandoned almost all of the original rules, but this is what made sense to me:

The Opening of the Key - inspired spread

or, what is really going on in your life

Shuffle the deck and divide it into four equal-sized piles: divide the deck into two halves at first, and then again, into two halves to end up with four piles next to each other. There are rules how to position these piles but I split the first pile into two, put the upper half on the left and the lower half on the right, and then did the same with both halves.

Now you have four piles to show your air, fire, cups and earth aspects - with plain English, meaning your mental life, your current motivation or energy, your emotional life and your material life, encompassing everything tangible such as your body, finances, work/career and possessions.

Turn over the first pile and fan it out to see what's in there. I organised the cards into groups of four at first, in the order they appeared from left to right. Now look at the whole layout and pick the overall tone. What themes came up? What suits you have the most - Swords (air), Wands (fire), Cups (water) or Pentacles (earth)? How about Major Arcana cards? What life lessons or major themes do the Major Arcana cards show within your mental sphere?

Then, read the cards in groups and finally, as a whole. I understood that my deepest happiness (Ace of Cups and the Sun) come from the possibility to be mentally independent, free, creative and resourceful (Ace of Swords, 9 Pentacles, the Empress) and lead the way; i.e. be influential, clear and trusted in intelligence and knowledge (King of Swords).

The Major Arcana and the rest of the cards told me that I'm currently learning a lesson that I can always study and learn more, and think and find my own truth, no matter what's the external situation and I should stop worrying (Hermit, Hanged Man, 6 Swords etc.). The lesson is that I should never be staring at and blaming for the externalities, when the power to be happy is inside me - my happiness comes from the thirst for knowledge, wisdom and communication.

Lastly, count the cards of each suit to see how they are weighing. I got six Major Arcana, six Swords cards, three Pentacles cards and two cards in Cups and Wands each. This tells that my mental life is very much governed by abstract thoughts, rationalism, analysing, thinking in general, instead of my thoughts being guided by emotions, material concerns etc.

Repeat this procedure of interpretation with each pile.

For Wands (drive, motivation, inner fire, vitality) I got cards telling that I'm very much motivated by material and pragmatic things right now (King and Queen of Pentacles, 3 Pentacles etc.). I want to make a tangible difference in the world together with others, not just think and talk. For example, starting this tarot blog and business is a great motivator for me, because the more blog visitors or tarot clients I get, the more it indicates my vision, ideas and inspiration are being sought after and valued.

This pile of cards also brought up something I've thought a lot lately. Like the majority of people in today's capitalistic world, I used to equate financial success with success in general, whereas I've now realised making money does not necessarily equate mental, emotional or social success.

You can feel empty and useless even if you make a lot of money, and reversely, if you don't earn a penny with what you love, it can still give you the strongest sense of purpose, direction and energy. 

Money can, of course, be one indicator of success, but it most definitely is not the only one and possibly not even the best one. Think wars, drugs, exploiting the nature... they are all money-making machines, but what good they bring to the world? Making money out passion is the ultimate dream, but believing that only money is a measure of success and worth, is simply wrong: that's a pathway to misery, emptiness and purposelessness.

For the Cups and Pentacles piles, I found that I'm in a very balanced and happy position in life emotionally and materially - which was clear without the cards, too, but it's always nice to get affirmation!

Interestingly and encouragingly, the largest number of life lesson cards (Major Arcana) came up in the Pentacles pile and they showed an ending and a beginning of a cycle in life (the World, the Fool), as well as a lot of passion, creativity, communication, studying and learning coming up (Queen of Wands, 8 Wands, Page of Pentacles, Page of Swords) and an overall flair of a big, exciting change being on its way. I'm curious to see what will show up in my life!

If you would like to try this method but feel it's too large, try pulling only one (or up to three) cards for each sector of life: mind, inner drive/motivation, emotions and body/money/career. These questions can help:

What is going on within myself?

Air - what is currently in my mind a lot? 
Wands - what motivates me right now, how does my overall energy level look?
Cups - what am I currently feeling, what is topical emotionally for me right now?
Pentacles - how is my physical wellbeing; what is the most topical thing in my money/career situation?

Interpretation in process, the last pile (Pentacles). I divided the cards into groups of four in the order they were spread out from the fan, but later on I grouped them based on suits and Major Arcana to see the "weight" each suit has in this area of life. My motivation is largely driven by material, tangible matters and vice versa; my material/financial matters are largely driven by what motivates me - I want to work on what inspires me. Hardly a surprise there!

A snapshot from my "tarot parlour". A lovely Tarot Tutoring client gave me this beautiful moon phase calendar as a present - I love it!

How to do timing with tarot - and why is it challenging?

Timing with tarot is one of the most difficult, if not the most difficult particulars to get correct in a reading. A standard tarot deck does not come with cards that tell without doubt how many days, weeks or months (or years) you have to wait to see the predicted event to take place. However, there are different methods existing to figure when exactly is something going to happen.

Why is timing so difficult? 

Firstly, tarot seems to be geared towards personal development and inner workings of a human mind. Tarot is less concerned with the material world and things that actualise in our daily lives; and more focused on what's going on inside our heads and hearts - how we feel about things, what decisions and choices we make, what intentions we set.

Tarot offers frustratingly often answers such as: "the event will happen, once you work on your issues and find a way to be happy". The timing is conditional, subject to our own actions, mindset and behaviour, and hence, a definite timing can't be given because it's all in our own hands! The sooner we fix or implement something, the sooner the queried event can take place, but not before.

One of the most common questions I get is "when will I meet my next partner". And the most common answers are along the lines "when you release the baggage you're still holding from your previous experiences, open yourself to love and embark on a new life stage without hesitation".

This type of an answer is bound to annoy many sitters, because they regard it as evasive and an attempt by the reader to avoid answering - avoid being held accountable. However, that simply is how tarot works and if the cards tell this, it's not always possible nor morally right try and impose a week/month/year timeframe on the cards, if it is not visible on them.

It seems that in the grand scheme of things, "when" is not so much a question about counting days, it's much more about "when step one is complete, step two can take place", i.e. about cause and consequence, and following through plans and intentions. Manifestation, in a way.

Because so many things in life depend on our own actions, lack of action can delay or prevent events. I think this is the main reason why timing is so difficult. The cards can't tell for a fact that you'll get married in April next year if you are not even trying to meet Mr/Ms right by putting yourself out there and being the best version of yourself; or, if you are constantly arguing with your Mr/Ms Right about petty things caused by your own insecurities, thus putting the likelihood of marriage in jeopardy.

Not all answers can contain timing

Some questions can't be answered in terms of "when", because the question assumes the event will happen. What if the fall-out you had with your childhood friend will never be solved due to one or both being too stubborn? The cards can't give you a time then. Nor for "when will I become a doctor", if your grades are not good enough to be accepted to study in the first place. Tarot reflects life like a mirror, it can't show things that are unattainable or unrealistic.

Setting a timeframe with a question

Things are not always hopelessly fluid and there are methods to try and work out the timeframe in calendar terms. The most unambiguous method is to frame the question in a way that also contains a timeframe, such as "what will my love life be like within the next three months?" or "what's my next month like?". This also makes the tracking easy, because after a month or three months you can easily take stock whether the predicted themes took place or not.

Counting the elements on the cards

Possibly the best-known timing methods involve treating the suits as the indicators of days (Wands), weeks (Swords), months (Cups) and years (Pentacles), according to these suits' nature - from fast-consuming fire to slow-moving earth. Minor Arcana cards contain both the element and a number, so 2 Wands could be two days, 2 Swords two weeks and so on.

ATA (American Tarot Association) teaches a slightly more complex but still easy to figure method for 3-4 cards.

First, you need to interpret the cards normally, i.e. what do they mean for the question. The ATA example is "when will a musician overcome the lack of inspiration", so you'd need to relay all the information the cards tell about gaining inspiration, such as listen to your intuition for finding new inspiration. Then for timing, count how many passive or active cards you got: air and fire are active, water and earth passive. With Major Arcana cards, you need to think their nature: is the card active or passive? Waiting or actioning? Thinking or doing? Withdrawing or progressing? Yin or Yang?

• If more than 75% of the cards are active, the timespan is days.
• If between 75% and 50% are active, the timespan is weeks.
• If between 50% and 25% are active, the timespan is months.
• If less than 25% of the cards are active, the timespan is years.

Next, take a look on the numbers. If you have a repeating number, that most likely tells the number of the days/weeks/months/years. Reduce double-digit numbers to one digit (11 is 1+1=2 and so on).

For added clarity, ATA recommends taking into account the astrological correspondences according to the suit element (fire signs that correspond with the Wands suit are Aries, Leo and Sagittarius; meaning 21 March-21 April, 21 July-21 August and 21 November-21 December, and so forth).

Some people associate seasons with the suits, but I don't find it useful. I live in the Southern hemisphere and many of this blog readers and my online clients live in the Northern hemisphere. Whose seasons would I be talking about? My summer or yours? 

Combine events, causes, consequences and "when"

The majority of timing techniques available online seem to rely on variations of the theme outlined above: counting the numbers per suit; or cross-referencing tarot with astrology. However, the method that I've found to be most functional is a hybrid of the "normal" reading, i.e. what will happen, and timing. This method was created by user called Amanda at Aeclectic Tarot Forum and this is how I understand it:

Pull 5 cards upright (don't use reversals) and read them left to right. Major Arcana cards and court cards (Page, Knight, Queen or King) do not tell the timing, but they tell other relevant information you need to know: Major Arcana tell about the events or energies outside of your direct control (major life lessons) and the court cards tell who's involved. Pip cards (number cards) between the middle and the end point of the spread tell the timing, as outlined in the previous system.

Here's an example. I have a number of creative projects underway and I wanted to see if any of them will be successful, my "meal ticket" in the future. I asked: when will I feel like my creative efforts bring me success? and got the following: 

KNIGHT OF SWORDS - 10 SWORDS - ACE OF WANDS - 10 CUPS - 9 SWORDS

This is a prime example of a spread that highlights both the importance of asking the correct question and how tarot answers in a cause-consequence-change your mindset-way.

This reads: you can feel successful fast, if you stop worrying and fretting about this and acknowledge that feeling inspired and energetic - enjoying your own creativity - is everything you need to be blissfully happy. And it's pretty much a perfect answer. 

I didn't ask about when will I earn money, when will I become famous as an artist/writer, when will I be celebrated etc. I asked, when will I feel successful. 

And it's available to me right now, if I change my mindset and stop worrying about success that I currently define in terms of earning money; if people pay me, surely I'm successful, right? But... would I feel like a success emotion- and passion-wise if I only focus on money? What if by creating to earn I feel like I'm selling out my independence and unbridled self-expression?

If we were to dig out calendar-timing, it would work like this: 

The first cards of the spread tell what is the main energy, the core of the issue, and/or what needs to happen before the question can be answered. 

The Knight of Swords is fast-paced communication or action and 10 Swords is about "murdering" one's worries - these pestering thoughts and anxieties can't live further, this is the "rock bottom". So, I must stop fretting about success - the sooner the better - to avoid hindering my creativity. This is also a reminder not to be too impatient and submit unfinished projects (Knight of Swords). 

Ace of Wands - creativity - is the core of the issue, but it's also fickle and quickly burnt out like a match. I must protect this flame by feeding it with happiness, and this inspiration will in turn make me happy. It's a self-strengthening cycle. 

9 Swords closes the sentence by saying "wake up from your anxieties, they are not real, they are all in your head". This could also mean 9 weeks, but given the nature of my projects and if I count success as being acknowledged or earning money, the most realistic answer is in 10 months as indicated by 10 Cups - - - also, I'll be happy when I'll be successful.

For more clarity, according to this method I could also look at the direction where the court cards are facing (what card they are looking at) to see what information, element or energy crucial to the timing, as well as other visual cues such as the colour scheme or repeating numbers.

I'll report back whether or not one of my projects takes off around the end of 2016!

Happy practising! 

What will happen in the future? It depends what action we take and what decisions we make.

Cheat sheet - how to interpret Minor Arcana court cards?

This post relates to the earlier Cheat Sheet - how to interpret Minor Arcana pip cards? 

Because court cards can only be understood and interpreted as a member of their suit (wands, swords, cups or pentacles), please refer to the linked post to check what the suits mean in tarot in case you're not yet familiar with them.

The court cards can be read as energies or concepts but I personally always see them signifying people: either the reader him/herself or someone else influential or connected to the question.

The court cards are a combination of their suit's meaning and the "job title" - the Page, the Knight, the Queen and the King.

With the court cards, it's useful to flex your imagination to figure what each one of these court positions or "titles" meant in history. The court member roles originate from the Medieval era, but they also refer to the archetypal family: the daughter, the son, the mother, the father, and what sort or behaviour or traits could these roles encompass (in a stereotypical way).

When court cards come up, they can mean either different people with the portrayed traits, or different personality aspects or behaviours of the same person. Also, men can come up as Queens (or Pages = daughters) and women as Kings (or Knights = sons), depending on their personality or behaviour.

The Pages

A page in the Medieval period was someone in training to become a knight.

This tells a page is a young person learning something. In tarot, the Page normally means someone who is young or young-at-heart, or behaves in an "childish" manner. Note: childish can mean positive or negative things.

A child can be innocent, curious, keen to learn, open-minded, flexible thinker, not stuck in a rut, happy-go-lucky, willing to try new things and imaginative. On the other hand, a child can be impatient, immature, inexperienced and inconsiderate.

In tarot, Pages are also seen as messengers.

The Pages are sometimes called the Daughter or the Princess of the suit, because Pages are seen as having traits that (in a stereotypical sense) girls/young women have: curiosity, creativity, sensitivity, artistic traits and a wish and skill to connect with other people in an emotional level.

To figure out the meaning of each Page, you'll simply combine the "personality traits" of a Page in general with that particular Page's suit. The Fire Page, Page of Wands, is curious about the world of inner drive, passion, energy and excitement. What could be exciting? Newness, risks and adventure, for example.

The Air Page, Page of Swords, is curious about the world of thought: words, word plays, sense of humour, communication, reading and writing, problem solving. But s/he's only learning, so the result can be great innovative insights or immature blunders.

The Water Page, Page of Cups is drawn to the world of emotions: s/he likes to learn about and test the waters in the area of feelings, including being kind, innocent, sensitive, artistic and having a crush or falling in love.

The Earth Page, Page of Pentacles is the learner of all things material: a new job, studies, apprenticeship; finding ways to earn money or come up with tentative business ideas; find new directions to invest money or source an income; or being creative for practical purposes.

The Knights

A knight in the Medieval times was the soldier, the guard, the protector and the champion of the royal family.

Accordingly, the traits that Knights have in tarot are for example to: fight, protect, and explore/expand (the territories of their suit). The Knights are often portrayed as horsemen to indicate movement and pace: the Page walks by foot, so s/he can't go very far with his or her explorations. But the Knight can come and go as s/he pleases and cover vast distances - not just take tentative steps in the suit's energy but explore it.

Knights are sometimes called the Sons or Princes of the suit because their traits are seen to be (the stereotypical) traits of boys and young men: adventurous, bold, keen to explore and conquer and/or protect. Depending on the suit, the Knights can be reliable or unreliable (dependable or rash), valiant, courageous or hot-headed like real life sons.

The Knight of Wands is the explorer and fighter of the Fire suit, so s/he can be impatient, flighty, rash, fast, passionate and unreliable.

The Knight of Swords is the soldier of the Air suit, so words and thoughts are his/her weapons: this knight can be quick to attack or defend him/herself, charge into action, dive into debates and act or speak before thinking.

The Knight of Cups is the explorer and protector of the world of emotions: the charming prince, the white knight, the artist, poet, musician, the romantic...

The Knight of Pentacles is the dutiful soldier of earthly matters: reliable and diligent worker, caretaker of finances, the accountant, and the ever-dependable - but maybe a bit dull - person who will not leave a duty undone.

The Queens

A queen in the Medieval times was the spouse of the king and not as high in authority (although some powerful queens exist in history, like Elizabeth I of England in the 1500s). However, the queens have always had indirect power as ruler-partners who advise and influence the king and inspire and nurture their people - they set an example for behaviour as the Mother of the Nation.

Queens represent the archetypal personalities of women: wives, mothers, sisters, friends, home-makers, carers, nurturers; but also independent, powerful (business)women of today. The Queens represent the archetypal feminine energy or outlook in life combined with their suit's energy.

The Queens also relate to emotions:

Queen of Wands experiences and expresses life with passion, drive and creativity - she also knows how to express and enjoy her sexuality.

Queen of Swords experiences and expresses thoughts and feelings by rationalising them, operating at the level of logic and analytical thought.

Queen of Cups experiences and expresses her feelings at a purely emotional level, dwelling in them, showering them around, being the most (stereotypically) feminine of the Queens.

Queen of Pentacles experiences and expresses her feelings from a pragmatic, down-to-earth point of view, by taking care of her family, home and business efficiently, but always with a warm touch.

A highly informative, deeper post about the Queens is available here, Truly Teach Me Tarot.

My favourite Queens, the Queen of Wands of the Witches Tarot deck and the Guardian of Air (Queen of Swords) of the Gaian Tarot deck. The fire queen above looks content, confident and relaxed surrounded by her favourite things and energising colours. The air queen below is a tribal wise woman with generations' worth of knowledge; a sought-after adviser for clarity and direction.

The Kings

A king in the Medieval times was the ultimate ruler, the head of the nation (the suit). Kings have full authority over their own actions and can influence or order other people, too.

In tarot, the King is someone who has mastered the energy of the suit and can use its power externally: the King is able to use the suit's energy for his/her own benefit but also for the benefit of others to influence and empower - to rule in the world's fullest sense. The kings are also the archetypal representations of masculine traits: the protector, the ruler, the boss, the provider, the decision-maker.

King of Wands is an energetic, enthusiastic and excited leader who is able to live his/her truth, be authentic, and inspire and influence others to be their best selves. This King is also passionate and sexual, as per his fire suit.

King of Swords is the master of analytical thought: think of a mindset of an engineer or an analyst. He'll cut through any confusion and will find and present the core of the issue with absolute clarity. He is also convincing and logical in communication. He makes decisions based on rational thought and will not be swayed by emotions.

King of Cups is the master of his own and others' emotions: he's mature and wise, and he's an excellent counsellor. He knows how to be quietly and warmly supportive as a friend, boss, spouse or a relative.

King of Pentacles is sometimes dubbed the "husband" card in the archetypal sense: he's the caretaker, provider, traditional leader who relies on common sense and good money management. He's pragmatic, organised and steady.

Again, a handy intro to the Kings is presented at Truly Teach Me Tarot. And, again, both men and women can come up as Queens or Kings: the cards show personality traits and behaviour, not solely or always the physical gender of the person.

My favourite Kings: the Grail King (King of Cups) of the Arthurian Tarot deck, and the King of Wands of the Joie de Vivre deck. The water king above captures the maturity and wisdom of the King of Cups (a respected shaman in tune with nature, spirits and human nature) and the fire king below is having fun, being fully and unapologetically himself. I always see this card as the King and Queen of Wands having a laugh and play around - passionate and enthusiastic as they are - but according to Pauline Cassidy, the creator of the deck, the King is riding on his trustworthy steed. 

Reversed court cards

If the court card pops out reversed (upside down), it can mean that the personality traits associated with the card are from the negative end of the spectrum. Instead of curious and open-minded, the Pages can be childish and bickering. Instead of bold and strong, the Knights can be inconsiderate and unreliable. Instead of supportive and emotionally confident, the Queens can be manipulative or bitchy. Instead of showing true leadership, the Kings can be repressing and controlling.

However, nothing in tarot is black and white, so always take into consideration the question, the surrounding cards and your own intuitive hunches of the matter at hand.
I hope this helps!

Why and how to improve your intuition?

Learning tarot is not just about memorising the card meanings. It's mostly about letting your intuition guide your rational mind instead of the - usual - other way around. And this is much more difficult to many/most people than expected!

As a tarot teacher, I've learned that the biggest obstacle in the way of a successful reading is the lack of trust in your own intuition and imagination; not letting that part of yourself come to light and direct your rational mind.

I grew up surrounded by stories and artwork. My home was not particularly artistic, but my parents believed in teaching kids to read young and we had bookshelves full of story and picture books. I learned all the traditional fairytales before the school age and I loved the weekly trips to the library to borrow more picture books. I also loved drawing, so I was deep in the world of stories, pictures and symbols for the best part of my childhood - and I still miss that incredible feeling of immersion only a child can achieve.

Now, how this relates to tarot, intuition or teaching it?

I had never realised before I started using and teaching tarot cards that not everyone is equally comfortable with letting their imagination soar.

We are taught from early on to be practical, rational and sensible. "Stop daydreaming and get on with your homework/studies/work" is one of the most common instructions we all get from our parents, teachers, bosses and ourselves. And this is a shame, I think, because imagination and intuition are different sides of the same coin and we can't use our intuition effectively without imagination.

Tarot is not about voodoo, superstition or hocus pocus. Tarot is about accessing your own intuition for a clearer decision making in life.

If you know what your drivers are - the deeply held fears, hopes and aspirations - you're bound to make more informed choices in life, and can access and build deeper and longer-lasting happiness and satisfaction.

This is not marketing hype, it's something I've seen happening for myself and countless of other people who have learned to listen to and trust their intuition - either with or without the cards.

Tarot cards are useful in practising the use of intuition, because they bring the elusive and ambivalent emotions, hopes and fears visible by showing them in a picture form instead of one having to scope them in the "dark", only by sensing and observing one's inner workings.

Tarot is not the only pathway available to your inner world. Paying attention to dreams and gut feelings work, too, as well as meditation.

I've recently started this practice of "checking up" with my intuition to see what's going on in my life and what direction my subconscious sees or expects/prompts me to take. It's probably a form of meditation but I like to think it as a check up, taking a look on my subconscious. If you believe in clairvoyancy (by telepathy or accessing the collective subconscious), this can also be used to read for other people.

How to improve intuition and imagination - 
through meditation

Find a quiet spot in your house and preferably try this in the morning before all the hassle of the day. I've found that within an hour of waking up the mind is still close to the dreaming state and more receptive to images, and you're not overburdened by the stress and chores of the day.

Sit down, close your eyes and try to not think. No talking to oneself, no questioning, no planning or remembering, just let your mind be.

Then, whatever thought or image, no matter how faint, appears - let it come and watch it with your mind's eye.

When doing this, I don't see as clear images as in a dream, but I do get hunches, physical sensations (warmth, sounds, smells) and "see" or experience images or even "videos" with my minds eye. It's difficult to explain because it's not as clear as a full-on (lucid) dream, but it's clear enough to pick the message.

The main thing is to allow and trust what comes and simply observe. Don't try to guess whether the image is relevant, or whether it's "correct". Try not to direct the images or the story, just sit and watch.

Absolutely don't try to guess where the story will go, otherwise you're letting your rational mind take the lead and the whole purpose of this exercise is to let your intuition lead the way.

I usually watch the images or the "video" for maybe 30 -60 seconds after they start; then I pause to write it down. Longer periods (even up to an hour - how long you feel you can do it without falling asleep ;) ) are fine too, but I personally prefer to take breaks to take notes. For me this pace works because it allows me to just sit and observe without thinking or trying to memorise or analyse, and I can still remember the images to write them down and start analysing afterwards.

Don't be put off if you don't get anything sensible, or anything at all for the first few minutes. It's possible nothing comes (or you don't  know how to spot it) for the first few attempts. It's a skill that needs to be practiced. Intuition and imagination are like muscles - everyone has them, but the ones you don't use, tend to get weak and when you start exercising, they feel utterly useless at first!

I tend to see symbolical images - people in historical dresses and in all sorts of landscapes, and I interpret it later. The message doesn't have to be a photographic presentation of your everyday life to be meaningful. After all, this is akin to watching dreams fully conscious and also interpreting them on the go. And dreams are not necessarily straightforward representations of your life - yet they are relevant to understanding your own inner workings, beliefs, fears, motifs etc.

I've found that for any sort of intuitive practice, be it dreams, tarot or meditation / check ups / clairvoyancy, it helps to be acquainted with symbols, fairytales, folklore and legends to fine tune your intuition and "vocabulary". I'm an art historian and it helps me immensely with seeing and understanding coded messages. But you can find your own meanings and interpretations, too.

If you find meditation or clairvoyancy difficult to start with, try cloud watching. Just let your mind see patterns, images and symbols to get into the practice of letting your intuition direct your mind instead of the other way around. Don't disregard anything as silly, just keep watching and imagining - it will bear fruit eventually with improved clarity and self-knowledge!

Where will your intuition lead you, if you let it take the lead for a change? Photo via Kaboompics.

Cards don't match my life - are they wrong?

I've done more than thousand readings for other people and probably the double number for myself by now. I've also actively followed how other people read on online forums. Based on this experience, I've concluded that there are three major reasons where the reading can go wrong, meaning that the cards and the real life events don't seem to match.

The top three reasons why the events that happen don't match your cards:

1. you ask when will someone else or the universe in general fix your problems.
2. you assume that feelings will cause actions.
3. you retrospectively change the question to fit the cards or read what you want to see. 

#1 - When will my luck change?

In my experience, this is the most common type of question to ask from tarot, and I've done it often - too often - as well.

Will X contact me or fall in love with me? Will X approach me after the fall out and make everything right? Will employer X soon tell me I got the job? Will I go for the trip I'm planning? Will I move house like I'm planning? Will my luck change soon? Will my life change soon? Will everything be better soon?

Of course, it's understandable to be curious about what will come. We can't always ask directly from people around us, so we turn to the cards to get some visibility and perhaps reassurance.

However, more often than not this seems to cause frustration instead of clarity. The cards might tell that X will not take any action, or not such action that would benefit or please us, which is bound to disappoint. Or, the cards do tell that things will change, so you just sit back and wait for the change - which never comes due to the lack of required action from your part!

The main pitfall is that if you ask what will X do about this situation, you're bound to get an answer that's outside of your control. And usually there's a 50-50% chance that the card is not positive. Because X is probably equally scared/hesitant/offended/shy to be the first person to take action, declare love, send a date invite, offer an olive branch or confess that s/he was wrong!

To feel more empowered and in control, it's always better to ask action-oriented questions, such as "what can I do to make this situation progress as I'd like?"

I like to use a simple 4-card spread for situation - challenge - advice - outcome to scope, what is going on, what is working against me or is difficult for me right now, what is the best course of action, and what is the likely outcome with the advice. That way I at least know what is within my control and what is not, and I have a chance to do everything I can to initiate the change I want.

#2 - If X likes me, surely s/he'll ask me out?

It's incredibly common to see people ask questions about feelings, get positive cards, and then get disappointed by the lack of following action. If person X likes me, surely s/he'll ask me out, right?

Nope. Having feelings for someone and actually acting on those feelings are two completely different scenarios. I personally believe that if you like someone and get hints about being liked back - and your cards are confirming this - then why not go ahead and make the first move yourself?

I've always been the one to initiate dates, because I'm so afraid of losing a perfect opportunity just because the other person might be too shy and afraid of rejection. Yes, I have been rejected. And I lived to tell the tale. Personally I find fretting about someone's feelings much worse than getting clarity, even with the risk of rejection. At least it's settled then, and I can move on.

If you're one of those people who think that your romantic interest should prove their worthiness by being the first one to make the move, then... why exactly is the other person the only one having to prove themselves and risk rejection? Surely you're not the King or Queen of Saba, who can't interact with mere mortals, eh? ;)

Seriously folks. If you like someone, make a move. Don't draw cards night after night after night. Same applies, if you've fallen out with someone, or need to make amends. Extend the hand, send the ball to the other side of the court by taking action. You'll feel much better afterwards, in the grand scheme of things, even if the answer is no.

#3 - What's going on in his/her life? Oh, we'll get married!

This is simultaneously the most baffling and the most understandable "reading mistake" to make.

You check how things are going for your ex and pull, say, 10 Cups - bliss, happiness, joy, family. Suddenly the reading looks like a promise for you to finally get back together. Or, you ask: when will I hear about the job I applied for and get 4 Wands - happy home, completion of a project. Wow, this looks like the job is yours! But wait...

Notice what happened there? The first question was about "what is going on in X's life", not "what will happen to X and me together in the future?". The second question was about "when will I hear...", not "what are my chances with this job" or "what is the result of this application process for me", or something along those lines.

So, the first card can mean that your ex is indeed doing fine, but the card does not include you, unless you specifically ask. The second card can mean: you'll hear the outcome in four days or four weeks (depending on how you time with tarot), but it doesn't necessarily say you'll get it, even though it is more positive than negative looking card.

I'm most surprised by many people's (understandable) tendency to interpret negative cards positively in relationship readings, in particular regarding ex-partners or romantic interests.

I've seen dozens of readings where a person asks: what does X feel for me? and the answer is, for example, 8 Cups - moving on, loss -, or 5 Pentacles - being without, lacking something. And these cards are then interpreted as signs of great longing and love: X is feeling lost and cold without me. Errr, what if it means: "X couldn't give a toss about you", which is my instinctive take on these.

I'm sorry if this sounds cynical, but I think it's better to acknowledge the truth, in particular if the "doesn't care" card is also reinforced by action or rather, lack of action by the said ex or romantic interest. There's no point in fooling oneself to see great love and longing in "walking away towards the new shores" type of cards; there's only heartbreak in store for that, unfortunately.

However, this same phenomenon works the other way too, and I've seen many readings where the person won't acknowledge the positive message when it's slamming them in the face.

The most important skill of a tarot reader is the ability to detach. From the question and from the outcome.

Whatever comes up, try to remember (or better yet, write down) the exact wording of the question and then examine the cards as objectively as possible in relation to that particular question. If the cards still don't make sense, record the reading and sleep on it - check back later to see if you'll figure something new out. As a last straw, ask another, more carefully worded question and maybe consider a positioned reading, where each card answers a particular question.

Cards don't match the question? Are you sure you remember the question you asked and are not trying to push a square block through a round hole?

Cheat sheet - how to interpret Minor Arcana pip cards

I haven't written a lot about card meanings, because there are plenty of tarot tutorials online already. But I realised it might be a good thing to have at least a bit of a cheat sheet available here, too. So let's explore the Minor Arcana pip cards and court cards to open up their symbols. Another cheat sheet for interpreting Minor Arcana court cards and the Major Arcana cards are coming up soon.

The difference between Major and Minor Arcana

The standard tarot deck has 78 cards, of which 22 are Major Arcana (cards for major life lessons and profound or underlying situations more or less out of the querent's control); and 56 are Minor Arcana representing faster-changing energies, such as everyday feelings, actions and behaviours.

Minor Arcana are divided into suits, like a standard playing card deck. The suits are actually the same as in the playing card decks, just under different names. In tarot:

Clubs are Wands (or Batons, Rods etc.) representing fire.
Spades are Swords (or Spears, Pens etc.) representing air.
Hearts are Cups (or Chalices, Hearts, etc.) representing water.
Diamonds are Pentacles (or Disks, Rocks etc.) representing earth.

What do the suits mean?

The element of Fire - Wands - speaks about the inner drive, the inner fire of people: energy, excitement, passion, inspiration, motivation.

The element of Air - Swords - deals with the world of thought: words, communication, rational thinking, thoughts that can either cut through the clouds of confusion, bring clarity, or hurt if they are too sharp or said at the wrong time.

The element of Water - Cups - is about the whole range of emotions and feelings we humans can experience, from love to joy to sadness to disappointment to contentment to overflowing bliss, and everything in between.

The element of Earth - pentacles - is about all things material: the physical body, the physical world, material possessions and belongings, work and money, but also nature around us.

What do the pip numbers mean?

Minor Arcana pips actually work very logically and the meaning consists of both the suit element and the number of the pip. There are 10 pip (or number) cards in Minor Arcana, and four court cards per each suit, the royal family. I'll discuss the court cards in a separate blog post.

It's practical to know some numerology for interpreting cards, but it's not necessary. Often the meaning of the number can be figured out with a bit of logic, intuition and deduction skills. It also helps to think what the previous number meant, and what could follow if you add +1 to it.

Like this:

#1 - this is obviously the start, the first number. So, it can mean a beginning, first step, seed that can grow, an opportunity or potential, birth of something (like a new idea or new feelings). When you combine the number and the element, you'll be able to figure the basic meaning of what the card is about:

Ace (#1) of Wands is the spark that sets something on fire, meaning passion, motivation, energy... it can be anything from a creative idea to sex. Ace of Cups is a birth of feelings, so it can be about falling in love or experiencing something fresh and overflowing. Ace of Swords is a birth of a new idea, the absolute clarity or truth. Ace of Pentacles is the first seed, the opportunity that can grow into something steady and valuable.

#2 - what can follow from 1+1? Options. Now there are two instead of one. It can be about a need to choose, balance, discard something in favour of the other, or grow this idea/energy further, to three and beyond. Or, it can be about split focus and inability to concentrate before a choice is made.

There can also be literal two bodies: 2 Wands is about choice but it can also mean two passionate people; 2 Cups is about two hearts connecting, 2 Pentacles can be two people who have been brought together by circumstances, and 2 Swords is the inability to choose (possibly between two people).

#3 - when two becomes three, what's going on? Growth, expansion, more. Three as a number can be promising or destabilising. It can indicate a team or a family, or a group of friends. But, sometimes three is a crowd.

3 Wands means growing your burst of an idea/passion/motivation, planning ahead. 3 Cups is three hearts coming together in joy: friendship and reunions (or a love triangle sometimes). 3 Swords is about words that hurt (after the indecision or deliberate blindfolding of 2 Swords, there is clarity but it's not always pleasant) and 3 Pentacles is about teamwork, coming together to build something valuable (add the third brick on top of two and it's a beginning of a building, symbolically).

#4 - four legs of a chair makes it stable, and four corners of a house keep it standing. Four is about stability, steadiness, culmination, the first possible stage of completion of something.

4 Wands is steadily-burning, contained fire, like a home hearth or a relationship that has settled down beautifully. 4 Swords is about calming down restless thoughts, making them steady through rest. 4 Cups can mean steady feelings, but what do you get when feelings don't change at all? Complacency and boredom. 4 Pentacles is about steady material matters, but again, it can mean settling for too little due to not wanting to risk a thing.

#5 - add one to four and things become unstable again. There is something shaky, shady or wobbly going on now.

5 Wands is about unstable passion: frustrations, energy flare ups, competition, each wand (motivation/passion/person) trying to come out on top. 5 Swords, too, is about competition, but in an underhanded way. Words and thoughts are used to destabilise the other, to gain steadier ground for oneself with any means necessary. 5 Cups is about instability in emotions: something is not lasting or something was not gained. And 5 Pentacles is about shaky finances or physical matters (health, shelter): 5 is half way to the completion of 10 so 5 Pentacles is about not having enough and worrying about it.

#6 - now we have the first number that's closer to completion (10) than the beginning (1). At this stage the number symbolism becomes a bit more abstract, but it's still followable. The main theme is: having enough.

6 Wands is about victory, praise and acclaim (you've showed enough drive to be recognised); 6 Swords is about moving away from distress and turmoil (having had enough of stress); 6 Cups is about fond memories and enjoying sweet little things in life (having enough emotions to cherish them); and 6 Pentacles is about having enough to give out - help out - in terms of money, resources, time, support, advice...

#7 - things grow shakier again when an odd number is introduced. Number 7 is very much about taking a risk: the "enough" of 6 was not enough forever, now it's time to stand up and go after more.

7 Wands is about taking a stand for what you believe in, try to win against the odds, achieve the almost-impossible. 7 Swords is about wanting more thoughts/info/knowledge for your own gain: strategising, taking other people's thoughts (as in; doing research but also as in: spying), running with your own agenda. 7 Cups is the emotional risk that follows from dreaming up options, making wishes, building cloud castles; and 7 Pentacles is about assessing risk by patiently waiting for uncertain rewards.

#8 - we're getting closer to 10 and 8 is about the suit's energy aligning to form a perfect set: but what builds up is not always what you wanted, after all.

8 Wands is the smooth alignment of passion and inspiration: whatever action, thought or plan you have, it's flowing fast-paced: news are coming in, things are happening fast. 8 Swords is about too many similar thoughts forming a wall: you feel trapped, but it's all in your head. Stepping away from these thoughts, or thinking different thoughts will set you free. 8 Cups is about feelings growing old and stale: what you have turns out or proves to be unsatisfying, it's not enough or the right kind. 8 Pentacles is about hard, repetitive work: practising something day after day, keen to reach the completion - mastery or financial success.

#9 - The culmination and completion of 10 is just around the corner, so the theme of 9 is: almost there - either this is nicely enough, or it's not enough, depending on the perspective.

9 Wands is about fire that has to be kept burning for one reason or another: stand your ground, persevere, don't give up. 9 Swords is about thoughts filling your head, their sharp blades hurting: rationalising or trying to solve something has not worked and now the thoughts keep you up at night. 9 Cups is about satisfaction and contentment: whatever you have, makes you feel good. 9 Pentacles is about enjoying confidence and independence of having enough in material sense, be it resources, money, possessions, health, and the following happiness.

#10 is the end of the number journey: it's about perfection, completion and culmination. However, 10 can be about "having all you can dream of" or "having too much and can't bear it".

10 Wands is "too much" passion: the projects and ideas you've picked up have now turned into heavy obligations and you must let something go before you collapse. 10 Swords is about thinking something too much, obsessing: there's no clarity, just the torture of the blades. It must and will end: your mind will grow tired of this topic and will let go even if it hurts. 10 Cups is about the happy bliss, the perfect moment of joy and satisfaction; and 10 Pentacles is about being satisfied with your material circumstances and/or financial stability. 10 Pentacles can also speak about the extended family and heritage/traditions/roots/comfort zone.

This is not an exhaustive list of what the cards can mean in readings, but hopefully it gives food for thought for how to work out meanings even from the cards you are not that familiar with yet!

I first got the 4 Wands, happy home and completion of a project, for a question "what will my next job be?" a year ago. And now I work from home (in addition to my full-time office job) as a tarot reader and teacher. What can you say: I do love my pretty home and this nice home-based job :)

How to use tarot for healthier, fitter life?

Tarot is a great tool for self-exploration and self-development, as last discussed in the Meet your shadow self - post.

In my view, tarot cards are a great help because they make feelings, emotions, thoughts and concepts visible, almost tangible. Being able to analyse - to look at with your own eyes - an invisible, mental or emotional matter makes it much easier to comprehend. But how well does tarot work with everyday guidance or with more physical matters?

I've always been sporty - maybe due to my energetic fire sign nature - but in particular over the holiday period it's so very easy to overindulgence: there's chocolate, wine, heavy meals, cheese... and less time and interest for exercise. So I asked myself: how could tarot help with crafting a healthier, fitter life - or getting back on track with your momentarily slipped healthy life?

This theme is also a great opportunity to discuss the different methods for interpreting cards.

Cards can be read in as many ways as there are readers, but the most used and useful methods in my opinion are: the book meanings, the cues from pictures, and your own personal interpretations.

The book meanings are where it all starts. All cards have meanings, set by their creator and the tradition the specific deck relies on. Learning the book meanings is pretty much the same as learning words of a new language from a dictionary. It might feel like hard work, but eventually the words and meanings will stick; and nobody would expect to learn a new language without ever having to check the dictionary or ask from a native speaker, wouldn't they?

The visual cues in the image is where you start using your own intuition mixed with the book meaning, which is depicted by the image. This step is like learning the language on the go, partly relying on the dictionary, partly trying to figure from the speech. What is happening in the card? Who is in it? What is the person/people doing? What do they feel, think, plan, experience? How does that fit into your question? What is the connection of this specific picture and your life or question? What objects are present? What colours come up and how they make you feel? Is there something missing - say, you asked about an emotional question but won't get any cups = feelings?

Your personal, unique meanings are what wrap things up. This is like learning a slang or being able to create word plays in a new language. These interpretations can be based on your own understanding or intuition on what the image means, no matter what the book says. Your take might be a different angle or an additional meaning only you know through experience: the card has come to mean something specific for you, or you see the picture differently than the books.

I think that every reading is a combination of these three traits, but I've noticed through experience that when discussing physical matters (such as: where is the item I lost, how does such and such person/object look) the image often has a more literal meaning, whereas for the mental/emotional/spiritual plane the visual cues are more symbolic.

Healthier, fitter me - spread

     6

    4 - 5

    1 - 2 - 3

1. What would be the best goal for me in search of healthier/fitter life?

2. How can I best achieve this goal?

3. What new activity or exercise I should try?

4. How to best achieve/maintain my ideal weight?

5. What will motivate me with my weight/fitness goal?

6. The best advice for me to be healthier?

And here's an example reading.

1. Goal - ACE OF WANDS. The goal should be to feel more energised, enthusiastic and inspired, get an energy boost out of exercising and healthy eating, which then radiates to all areas of my life.

2. How to - MAGICIAN. Trust your own skills, willpower and talents. Explore and have fun with creating the life you like; the new, fitter, healthier me. It's all within your reach, it's a matter of turning intention into action, not just dreaming or mulling it over in your head.

3. New thing to try - 2 WANDS. There are options available, it's up to you to decide which one feels the most energising and exciting. It could also be about literal wands, such as skiing (ski poles) or Scandinavian walking: power walking with ski poles. Hiking with hiking poles could also work! 

For some reason I get gymnastics from this picture, in particular parallel bars, so maybe it's time to revive my childhood hobby! It could also be about balance and finding the ability to focus, so yoga would work perfectly - I already do yoga but it's more of a physical exercise than a mind-training method for me, whereas yoga could enable crystal-clear focus, staying in the zone. 

4. Ideal weight - HIGH PRIESTESS. Listen to your body and learn to know it's secrets better. I think I should be more mindful about how I'm not always hungry when I want to eat: it can be about boredom, frustration, for reward, just to finish the plate because I took too much... The Priestess is a reminder to be more mindful about how, why and what I eat. Also, the Priestess holds a pomegranate and there are more at the background, so it's quite a clear prompt to eat more fruit and veggies to keep it fresh and light. 

5. Motivation - 7 CUPS. Dreams, wishes and aspirations. Well, obviously many of my clothes will fit better and look nicer if I keep myself fit, and I've had this dream of once in my life having visible abs! Not necessarily a six-pack, but at least a fit-looking midriff. I'm short so any excess weigh shows quickly, and it tends to pack around me as a spare tyre if I'm not careful. 

6. Best advice - 4 SWORDS. Rest more, take power naps, ensure good quality sleep, take breaks, withdraw from the daily hassle. I haven't slept enough for some time now, just because I feel so energised by many recent life changes (one of them is this blog) so I often wake up ridiculously early because I feel I have so many things to do. I need to remember to take time to rest and recover, too. Meditation and quiet contemplation, letting my mind rest, is essential here. 

Happy searching for your healthier and fitter version!

Listen to your body and eat more fresh produce, reminds the High Priestess.

Keep fighting or give up? Tarot's perspective

One of the most prominent lessons in my own life has been: how to draw a line between "don't give up now" and "give up now". After all, most things in life don't just land on us or if they do, sustaining them require more or less work. Be it a relationship, friendship, job, family, achieving a dream.

When things flow easily, there's no need to consider should the flow continue or not. Of course it should. But when going gets tough... how many weeks, months or years are we supposed to keep fighting for something that is - or once was - important? I'm sure all of us have heard instructions to "try harder, you'll make it at the end if you just believe in yourself" and "don't bang your head against the wall, surely you can see it's not going anywhere". How to tell the difference?

Tarot, once again, is a great tool. I see tarot as a mirror that shows what's inside us, what's invisible to the naked eye. And like a mirror, the message is an exact replica of the real feeling, it can't be faked, buried or ignored.

When is an ending really the end?

Tarot contains a lot of cards for a periodic trouble that can be annoying, disappointing, shocking or even heartbreaking, but are, after all, fleeting. But tarot also contains cards that indicate final closure. Something's ran it's course and it won't revive, no matter how much we kick and scream and try to give CPR. Some endings are sudden, surprising or ground-shaking, some are slow fizzles to death, fading to nothingness one day at a time.

None of the tarot cards has a fixed, single meaning and the meaning gets different shades depending on the question.

But usually, I'd say that cards like 5 Cups (disappointment), 3 Swords (heartache), 5 Pentacles (physical or mental hardship), 9 Swords (anxieties and nightmares), 5 Swords (arguments and dishonesty) and 5 Wands (conflicts, frustrations) fall into the category of momentary shocks.

The "full-stop" endings usually are Death (painful transformation), 10 Swords (sudden, complete ending), 8 Cups (abandoning something to go seek fulfilment elsewhere) and World (end of a cycle or chapter). Also 6 Swords (leaving worries behind) can come up as a final ending rather than a temporary refuge. Tower, the card of crumbling beliefs and expectations, can mean either type of an ending. Note: the keywords above are not exhaustive, just indicative.

Both ending types can be equally distressing, but with both types, it's difficult to tell, whether this really is the end. With a shock end, the very shock itself makes it hard to believe something's really over. With a fading end, the slow pace makes it difficult to recognise when the day has come a friendship, love, passion or interest doesn't exist anymore.

If you're going through something difficult and do a reading, try and scope which type of ending cards you get (if any, it's not necessarily even close to the end!): is the potential ending a pause or a semicolon, or a full stop?

If there's another person involved (in a relationship or friendship questions), what type of ending cards - if  any - show up for the other person? Are you on the same page - is this a momentary obstacle, or is the other person or you already in the mindset of wrapping it up for good and heading to the greener pastures?

I want to emphasise how important it is to remember that ending is always followed by a new beginning, of something new or something different. Seeing ending cards in a reading can be daunting, but nothing new in life can emerge and grow if nothing never ends. Some endings, like the World, 6 Swords, 8 Cups or Death can actually be a huge relief, welcomed news or a reason to celebrate afterwards, even if they are painful and sad when in process.

Well, how do you know if things should still be fought for?

The simplest and very workable spread is 4 cards: situation - challenge - advice - outcome.

I often use this, because it gives a quick, concise overview of what exactly is the core of the matter, is there anything to be done and what's the likely outcome.

If it's about a relationship, examining both partners' (or friends' / colleagues') views is useful. The simplest reading I know is the 7 cards relationship spread:

2        5

3   1   6

4        7

card positions:

1 - the relationship

2 - how you see the relationship

3 - how you feel in the relationship

4 - your instinctive hopes or fears

5 - how the other sees the relationship

6 - how the other feels in the relationship

7 - the other's instinctive hopes or fears

In my experience, instead of clarifiers ("I don't understand this card, I'll pull another in hopes that I understand that one better), it's clearer and more useful to ask proper questions and pull a card per question, for instance:

What does X most want or need from me?
What do I most want or need from X?
What will s/he most likely do in this situation?
What will I most likely do?
If I do [insert action], how will I feel?
What would be my best course of action? (this requires 1-3 cards)

However, no card can tell you for a certain fact that now it's time to give up. A combination of conscious deliberation (have I made any progress in six months or is any progress likely in next six months), gut feeling and cards will help the most.

Hope this brings clarity for decision making!

A detail of 6 Swords card, Mystic Dreamer tarot, Heidi Darras & Barbara Moore.

What if X hates me? What to do - ask tarot

During my time here on earth I've come to a conclusion that  most problems are caused by misunderstandings and assumptions. People of all ages, cultures and genders are dizzyingly fast to jump into conclusions, classify and categorise people and make judgements that are hit and miss. Sometimes those assumptions are close to truth, sometimes they are as far as they can land.

Of course there also are people who seek to exploit and I, too, have crossed paths with a narcissist: then, dislike was not caused by a misunderstanding but me realising I was being taken advantage of, and the narcissist realising I wasn't willing to cooperate despite their best manipulation efforts. But that's a story for another day :)

Tarot is an incredibly useful tool for clearing out any assumptions and understanding the other person's view. However, this is a difficult area for a reader because it requires a) staying 100% objective and calm, no matter what comes up, b) being willing to explore and change one's own view about others, the situation and oneself, and c) ability to take on board feedback, constructively, even when it  hurts.

A story from my own life...

A couple of weeks ago, I asked one card for "what's the main energy in my life right now" just to check what's coming on my way. I got the Tower: destruction of beliefs, shock to the system.

I was highly sceptical about this card, because nothing in my life was even close to a shock - I couldn't see where it could come from. The clarifying cards told me it relates to a certain relative, so I expected to get some mildly concerning news, such as the person having lost their job. I also got clarifiers telling me to stay calm and understand that this is a learning opportunity, not the end of the world. In particular, I should not behave like the Queen of Wands reversed: defend myself with fiery passion and attack the other person with hysteric blows (which I sometimes do, thanks tarot for revealing it to everyone).

Well, what do you know: on the same night, the Tower turned out to predict a full-blown fight with this particular relative, based on a bundle of accumulated misunderstandings and wildly exaggerated assumptions from the past three years. The person had been penting them up and blew them up now, triggered by ongoing major changes in their own life. A number of decisions and actions I had taken during the past three years had got a completely tainted, skewed colour in this person's head, based on their own fears and disappointments in life.

It took a couple of weeks for the Tower's aftermath to cool off (for the person and other family members involved, not for me, I was cool from the beginning because I had gotten the prior warning). If I had not gotten the Tower, I would have been dragged into this fight, felt the need to justify or defend myself and I would have felt attacked, unfairly treated and misjudged - and horribly offended and angry. And most definitely I had unreleased the Queen of Wands, reversed...

After the Tower situation, I did readings to ask: what's really going on, what does this person feel about me and why, what do I feel about them and why and what should I do.

I learned that the person's view was based on immature thinking and lack of life experience due to younger age, I had caused a big unintended change in their life in a roundabout way by showing that life can't be an eternal, hedonistic party but it's quite a bit about responsibilities and planning ahead.

Cards showed that this situation was a development chance for all of the people involved. I was prompted to keep my cool, not get emotional nor defensive, and stay detached - it wasn't about me, even though I had been the trigger. It was about the others involved to explore their emotions, assumptions and beliefs.

I think one of the most consuming thoughts people have is: "what does so and so think of me?", be it a lover, love interest, prospective employer or an "enemy" (someone we don't get along with or have had a falling out with).

The truth is, all of us only have a limited chance to affect this. If people like us, they'll like us even after blunders, arguments or misunderstandings. If they decidedly don't like us, they won't love us even after a number of good will gestures, exaggerated friendliness, or all the good deeds in the world. If they are mature enough, they might grow more affectionate by time - but until that, each one of us can just keep living our lives, not try to please or impress.

In particular with spiteful or negative people we can only try to understand what they feel and why, and of course clear any misunderstandings, but there's absolutely no point in trying to bend over backwards to change their view. It's a huge energy drain and waste of time. It's better to be yourself and find the people who appreciate you for who you really are, than try to please everyone (or not offend anyone) and become a diluted version or a shadow of yourself.

This, however, doesn't mean that anyone can behave in any way they please and mask it under "this is who I am, take it or leave it". Being oneself doesn't mean: be a jerk.

My point in a nutshell is: whatever someone else thinks of you, is always coloured by their own perception, it's not the truth about who you are and shouldn't cause you sleepless nights.

How to use tarot for dealing with people who dislike you:

I personally prefer one card (or max. three cards) readings, with questions like:

• What am I to X?
• What would X like/want me to be? (just to see what would be the "ideal" for them, not to turn into this)
• What is X to me?
• What would I like X to be?
• What can I learn from this?
• What is X learning from this?
• What should I do/what action to take with X?
• What will future be like with X? (to prepare for better or worse)
• What should I remember when dealing with X?
• What will help me with dealing with X (internal or external resource)

I also have three basic rules to interpret the cards:

1. Be as objective as you can, try to detach from any personal wants or dislikes.
2. Try to see the answer from a place of loving understanding (instead of "hah, I knew it! That snake hates my guts because s/he's a spiteful dragon / immature jerk!"), and
3. Keep healthy boundaries: be polite and willing to try to cooperate, but not more. 

It needs to be an equal effort to get along, not up to one person to please at any cost. Best of luck!

Sometimes the words that pierce our heart carry wisdom which needs to be taken on board. But sometimes - maybe more often - they are born from misunderstandings, negativity or spitefulness and should be ignored. There's no point in bleeding for someone's skewed perception. 3 Swords by Antonella Platano & Maria Carati, Wheel of the Year Tarot.

Tarot readings for New Year

Happy New Year! 

May your year be full of happiness, love and prosperity.

What would be a better time to set intentions and start manifesting than the turn of the year?

To be honest, I'm a newbie in this manifesting business and I've been a hardcore sceptic about the whole concept. However, the more I read about the nature of reality (quantum physics, neuroscience and different philosophical takes included), the more I start to - if not 100% believe, at least suspect, that thoughts affect our lives much more than previously acknowledged. So why not imagine and visualise the best possible outcome - the effect can only be positive or neutral, after all.

To know where you want to get, you most often need to learn where you've been and where you're at right now. Another important aspect is knowing why a particular goal is important to you. After all, people want to be in a relationship, change jobs etc. for a myriad of different reasons and no life path is the same for two persons. So, let's explore.

This blog is about sharing knowledge but also recording my own thoughts, practice and progress, so it's quite natural to share readings here to show what interpretations cards can get.

Here are a couple of very handy and topical spreads for the New Year...

The Bridge from the Little Red Tarot - where have you come from and where are you heading. Lay the cards horizontally in a semi-arch to form a bridge, the highest point being card #4.

1. What you have left behind; KING OF SWORDS. This King is the embodiment of rational, logical, analytical thinking, and a "thought authority", such as a work supervisor in a very mental field. I work in a legal/engineering/commercial field and this card often comes up relating to my job. Personally, it also means that I've left behind the mindset that only relies on conventional natural sciences: the measurable and verifiable. I'm moving towards a more intuition- and experience-based world view that also acknowledges the value of emotions and unverifiable: the mystic side of life.

2. The hardest lesson you learned: 3 WANDS. This card traditionally means planning for the future, but I've come to realise it also means: being able to be fully oneself. It's the moment when plans align with passions - things start to fall in place because you believed in your vision and were willing to take a chance to make it happen. I've left behind my home country, my family and relatives, my established social circles and a career along with my native tongue, culture and (ex-)husband in order to find the true me. And now I've successfully arrived - into myself, at the other side of the world.

3. Something that helped you: 8 WANDS. This card is about fast-paced communication, action, swift movement, travel and internet. Yes, all of those helped me. It's now easy to keep in touch with the loved ones via technology, and I also love chatting and blogging. I travel as much as I can, also to my home country, and in general I love fast-paced action and newness. Thank you for your help, 8 Wands!

4. The high point – where you are right now, looking back and looking forward: 3 CUPS. Friendships, close connections, gettogethers, reunions, loving the company you have and having fun. Yes, my life feels now fulfilling in terms of social life and even though I've left behind some loved ones, I've gained a lot of new friends and also online connections - I frequent at the Aeclectic Tarot forum for the interesting, intelligent people who interact there.

5. The next step: QUEEN OF WANDS. This Queen is all about fire, energy, passion and drive. She's fun-loving, enthusiastic, inspiring and creative go-getter. Queens in general mean the energy of the suit turned inward, experienced internally: Queen of Wands deals with her emotions in the field of passion and creativity. Kings in turn are mentors, authorities, leaders of others, and expand and empower the energy of the suit in others. However, the Queen of Wands is also an inspirer. I'm more than happy to see her pop up - and me becoming her, my favourite Queen!

6. Something that will help you: KNIGHT OF PENTACLES. Hard work, slow approach, willingness to complete a task after task, being dutiful and loyal. So clearly I don't get to be the Queen just like that, there's some tedious, slow work ahead. Maybe it's about this blog: Rome was not built in a day and neither is a successful, popular teaching tool. This Knight is a reminder to stay patient, bow your head and just keep ploughing it.

7. Your destination: the new shore: 6 WANDS. Well well well, that's what the doctor ordered. The card of success, celebration, acknowledgement, recognition, acclaim. I don't know in which area of life I'll prove to be popular and successful, but I'd take this card in any area, s'il vous plait. Maybe it's my tarot readings, maybe it's something else, but this is probably one of the most welcome cards for a New Year's reading. Great to end on a high note!

A similar spread can also be used for setting intentions for the coming year.

Lay the cards like you'd do for the Bridge, but the positions in this spread are:

1. Where are you now?

2. What should you leave behind to achieve the goal?

3. What is the most important element for you in this goal (a lesson to learn, an emotion you want to feel etc. to pinpoint, why this particular goal is important to you)

4. The best advice regarding this goal?

5. Help available for you to achieve the goal? (can be internal or external resource).

6. Your special strength/skill to achieve this goal?

7. Where you'll be by the end of the year regarding the goal?

Best of luck with the plan!

Happy readings and celebrations! Photo Stocksnap.io

Find your passion with tarot

We all must have heard this advice thousands of times when considering a career move: follow your passion. But what does it mean exactly?

Firstly, not everyone has a clearly defined passion. In fact, I suspect most people don't have a single defined passion or a handful of passions to follow; or if they do, they are not consciously aware of these. Secondly, even if you have a passion - say, collecting stamps - how to turn it into a career?

One of my passions is learning. I absolutely love reading all kinds of books from fact to fiction and my most cherished childhood memories are about trips to the local library to borrow more books from this miraculous Wonderland of Stories. But, who on earth would pay me for reading books? Or hire me to be a life-long student just for my own interests' sake? Sadly, no one (or I simply haven't figured the right path yet...).

But does this mean passion has no place in work life? Nope. It just means that passion needs to be redefined.

I've come to realise that passion is not an action or pastime as such. Passion is created by the feeling that the action gives. One of the greatest career advice I've read and tested about finding a passion goes like this:

• List all the jobs you've ever done, including student jobs and summer jobs (if you don't have at least five jobs, list also volunteering gigs or jobs you'd like to do).
• Pick a top 5 list of your jobs based on which ones you enjoyed the most (or at least to some extent).
• Put the five jobs in order, from the most enjoyable to least enjoyable.
• Dig out what exactly in each job made you like it. Was it the work environment, the job content, the chances to learn, chances to interact with customers, flexibility with hours, what?
• Then dig one step deeper. List why exactly you liked the said positives? How did they make you feel? Which positives made you feel the best? Why? For example: if you liked interacting with customers, was it because you felt you made a difference in someone's life?
• When you write down a positive emotional element that makes you feel elated, or your spine shiver (or in the strongest scenario, makes you cry), you've hit the nail in the head. That's what you yearn - that's what to get more in your life.

The purpose of this exercise is to identify the exact emotional element of life (and work) that makes you feel alive, driven and happy. As mentioned, passion is not so much about doing a certain activity or engaging in a pastime but what that activity evokes: what emotion it triggers and nurtures. And ta-dah, because passion is not an undertaking but a feeling, it can be integrated in the work life, too!

Now, let's bring tarot into the equation to explore the idea of passion a bit more. Joie de Vivre deck by Paulina Cassidy comes with a spread called Spread the Joy and its purpose is to identify what brings you joy.

Joy and passion are, if not interchangeable, at least closely related to each other. What brings you constant joy usually is your passion, i.e. a pastime that you enjoy and do even when no money is earned.

Here's my reading as an example. Card positions are:

     2

1 - 0 (crossed by 5) - 3

     4

0 - What is joy to me?
1 - Where to find joy the easiest?
2 - Where must I work to find joy?
3 - What am I allowing to block the joy?
4 - Who or what could teach me to experience more joy?
5 - Universe's gift to experience joy?

Spread the Joy, Paulina Cassidy, Joie de Vivre. Published under permission.

0 - what brings me joy is KING OF SWORDS. This is no surprise, as the King is the master of thought, logic and intelligence, and also an authority and mentor in these areas. My joy is deeply seated in my feeling of mastering logic and thought, understanding issues (as a reward of learning), and spreading my thoughts and ideas via this blog, for example.

1 - where to find joy is 7 PENTACLES. My joy comes from all sorts of learning and communication projects, big and small, in various stages of completion. I thrive on recognition and reward, so an occasional reward apple dropping from that pentacle tree keeps me going. And I always have to have a project of some sort going, I love the feeling of seeing where things can go and working towards a goal. Completion in itself is not the reward, but having these projects underway is.

2 - where I should work to find joy: PAGE OF WANDS. Explore creativity and newness, embrace adventure. Yes, please :) That most definitely is the area where I find joy: exploration, both physical and mental. I love travelling both in my head (to different worlds of books) and in real life. And I love brainstorming new ideas, even though only 10% of them actually lead to somewhere!

3 - what am I allowing to block the joy: 6 WANDS REVERSED. As mentioned, I thrive on recognition, and lack of recognition is the biggest turn-off for me. Why am I doing this if nobody notices, my ego yells. I should learn to remember that nobody needs outsider validation for their passion: passion is a passion because it brings inner joy, not publicity or fame.

4 - what could teach me to experience more joy? TEMPERANCE REVERSED. This is a cryptic card in this context at a first sight. Less compromise, less balance, less mixing things that don't mix easily? I take it to mean that I should align my life all and all in a direction that allows me to experience more joy, without having to compromise so much. My current bill-paying job is far from my passion and I'm only free to explore my passion out of office  hours. Point taken.

5 - gift from the Universe? ACE OF SWORDS REVERSED. This card at a first sight is not the most uplifting. I've been toying with a new business idea and this card seems to slam it to the ground: will not work.

However, as I strongly believe in my idea (and my previously consulted cards also support its success), I'm inclined to take this card to mean something else: possibly my husband and his razor sharp yet playful wit and intellect, because this card sometimes comes up as him. Reversed cards in my readings often mean: not you, someone else, i.e. this is not my bright idea, but his. It could also mean that the idea I have now is not yet mature, but it will be with time - the reversed card "wants" to turn upright. I'll stay tuned for even better ideas than my current one then!