Archive for the ‘tarot readings’ Category
Here’s one that just sprung out of my head: On a scale of 1-10, how much energy do I have? After shuffling and cutting the deck, draw until you draw a Major Arcana card. Count how many card it took to draw to get your “number.” The card itself will reflect the type of energy you possess at the moment. Reversals count as negative numbers, so watch out!
Ready? Here goes nothing, with my cherished Deviant Moon 
*drumroll please*
I didn’t even get a chance to draw, the World XXI leaped from my deck! The Mermaid doing the Mamba, is always my first impression of this beautifully strange card. Two fish frame the top of the card, possibly the same two featured in the Fool card. The traditional wreath is replaced by a snake eating its tail, emulating the circular nature of life, death, and rebirth. The mutated lion and goat lay at the bottom, with snarling grins. The snake serves as a frame, a gateway between the barren wasteland background featured on many of the cards, and the industrial world within.
I am finally back online (hooray!) and, indeed, ready to take on the world. While my energy levels are a tad low today, thanks to my cold and the greyness of winter settling in, I am well on my way to whipping around her duel wands. She is beautiful, with flowing blue hair and a simple crown adorned with pearls. I am always drawn by her beauty, as if she were withholding some great secret. The truth of the matter is, there is no way to express what the world encompasses, but she lives it openly.
I couldn’t imagine a better card to express how I feel today. Everything in my life has built up to this moment, living my dreams and providing for my family and myself. (“All roads lead to Rome,” as they say, is my favorite catch phrase in life.) All the successes and failures add up to this very moment, where I am older, wiser, and ready to begin anew.
Give this a try, and let me know how your personal energy gauge turns out! This little exercise was far more insightful than I even suspected. The tarot cards never cease to surprise me.
~Kim
P.S. For a little fun, try the Tarot Jigsaw Puzzles I found a little while ago. Too much fun, and helps you pay attention to the tiniest details of the cards.
My Spiritual Work Tarot Reading
Posted on: November 18, 2009
I have been feeling a strong spiritual call lately, especially considering my renewed focus on the tarot cards. I personally use them for meditation and self-improvement, and wanted to see where I am right now, and which direction I should go in. So I consulted my Fenestra 
My Question: “What are the best steps for my spiritual growth and development?”
1. Inner (being): Four of Pentacles – I have been very guarded about my spiritual path and progression. Believing that others would not understand the path I have chosen, I keep it very close to myself. I am at least partially reluctant to share it with others, especially those with more traditional spiritual experiences (such as mom and co-workers).
2. Outer (doing): Two of Cups – I am choosing to share my cup of knowledge with others anyway, despite my misgivings. I’ve started the tarot blog, and am going to renew my activity at the tarot forums. I also need to email my mentor, and again pursue the path to certification. Also, I am sharing this personal journey with my beloved, who is in a completely different area of his development. Yet he supports me fully and is willing to cultivate an interest in tarot and my spiritual lessons.
3. Past Experience: The Tower XVI Rx – My religious experiences were rocky to begin with, and only got worse from there! I grew up in a partially Seventh-Day Adventist home, and shook my fist at God when I was thirteen. I began my occult studies then, as a spiritual alternative. Yet I could not reconcile that I knew both the Bible was true and my studies of tarot and astrology were true. After a fallout with my beloved about spirituality, I left and ended up getting married to a man willing to live “by the Book” and go to church. That was a spectacular disaster, yet after reuniting with my beloved, I finally had the wisdom to resolve my inner conflict, and therefore did not need another Tower experience!
4. Expectations: The Star XVII – I truly want my spiritual development to be filled with hope, truth, and love. (Hey, I always wanted to be a hippie when I grew up!) While I expect there to be real, hard work to be done, I don’t foresee a lot of problems cropping up. I have reached a level of spirituality that is both comfortable and thrilling at the same time. I continue to learn and grow daily, and yet the work is easy, the burden is light!
5. Work: Seven of Pentacles – Time to review, assess, and learn from the progress I’ve made so far. If the Four of Swords is meditation, the Seven of Pentacles is meditative work, going beyond the basics and delving into the inner workings of the soul and its impressions over the world. A time of renewed growth, and knowing when to harvest and when to let things be. I need to learn from the past and move forward with the fruits of experience.
6. Work: The Wheel of Fortune X Rx – Time to take control of the wheel and make destiny work for me. Not satisfied with the way life buffers me about, I am to find my place and break out of the mundane cycles. Possibly pursuing a degree, or my own personal spiritual studies? Diving into the mind and psychology, mythology and occult spirituality. Letting my thoughts take center stage and allowing myself to write about the hidden things in my mind that I feared for so long would be ridiculed. To become a modern philosopher and record the spiritual truths still present but hidden in our self-made secular world.
7. Work: The Sun XIX – Does it count if my breakout experience occurred just now, as I was writing out my thoughts on the previous cards? I am to experience life freely, with no concern with what others think of me and my beliefs. To experience both joy and pain as a willing subject, so that I may learn deeper lessons and therefore have more knowledge to impart. To use the Sun’s radiant energy to rise above my inner blocks and seek higher levels of experience and knowledge.
8. Outcome: Five of Wands Rx – A more competitive, harder struggle than it first appears to be. More opposition, from unrecognized sources. Perhaps I will find unhappy readers of my blog who discount what I have to say. Or life will throw harder challenges at me, which will benefit my wisdom in the long run, yet will feel much more difficult than anything I have felt before. Of course, my inner blocks may loom larger than before, as I uncover more of my mind and what else is truly holding me back. Although it may be tough going, I will come out on top in time, with fierce determination and the will to fight for the truth.
9. Result: Ten of Wands – An overwhelming burden, which appears to be more than I can handle. They say that all knowledge is more than one person can contain. All of the inner truths can become jumbled up when held and interpreted by human hands, and may not clear up for quite a long time. I may grow weary from the fight, yet I know that this is my path, the one that I am meant to do.
While the work part of the spread (the middle three cards of the line) were particularly encouraging, I was still looking for more information about the Outcome and Result cards, both being difficult Wands cards. So I did decide to further the spread and add a second line.
Part Two: “What further information do I need to know about my spiritual path?”
3. Past Experience: The World XXI Rx: While I’ve always had a deep desire to know spiritual truths, I often shirk the necessary work to get it done. Difficult experiences cause me to halt immediately, and look for easier paths. Without turning the World over and going full speed ahead, I will not make any further progress.
4. Expectations: Queen of Wands Rx: I tend to second guess myself considerably, and have an inner fear that whatever truths I uncover will turn out to be false. I do not want to lead others down the wrong path, and I do not want to be mislead. The fear of my immortal soul is still one of the few things that hang over me from my Christian roots. I also fear that I won’t have the strength or energy to continue to pursue my studies, and will falter once again.
5. Work: The Hierophant V – I am to be a spiritual guide to others, showing them the way and helping them find their own path. While humans are wont to make mistakes, it is not something I need to worry about. As long as I am being honest and forthright with others, and living my truths, all will be well. An act to help others will be rewarded, even if something goes awry.
6. Work: Ace of Cups – I am being given a gift of emotional growth, sympathy, and intuition. I am to treat it reverently, and with respect. I am to trust my emotions, and do what I know is right. To share in other people’s joys and sorrows, and be compassionate and caring. I am to allow the spirit to enter my life, and expand to all the corners of the world.
7. Work: Eight of Cups Rx – I am not to run when trouble comes. Personal fulfillment can only come through meaningful pursuits, and not leaving when apparent fulfillment has come. There is always more to learn, more to discover, and I am to plumb the depths of emotional and spiritual wisdom, even when times get tough.
8. Outcome: The Hanged Man XII – I will find a new spiritual perspective, one that requires personal sacrifice and choice. Perhaps my entire life will change as I grow spiritually. I will have new challenges to meet, ones that only I can take care of. While others may wish to help, only I can be the initiate and earn the scars that will take me deeper into the esoteric truths.
9. Result: Queen of Cups – My card! I will find great personal satisfaction in this creative endeavor, and have more wisdom about my emotions and spirituality. I will be able to create the life I want to live, while helping others and improving myself. I will find the freedom to look back on my past with sensitivity, and look forward to the challenges of the future.
The second line helped me considerably, to see where the potential struggles and burdens of the Wands cards might lie. The World reversed and Queen of Wands reversed show me that I have to push past my insecurities and pursue my spiritual studies no matter how uncomfortable I feel. The Eight of Cups reversed and Hanged Man indicate that I cannot run when trouble comes, but go through the whole process to reach greater spiritual heights.
How do you see your spiritual progress? Is there a particular Major card that you feel attuned with, or have you consulted the cards to see their opinion?
~Kim
Six of Pentacles Revisited
Posted on: November 16, 2009
The Six of Pentacles is not one of my favorite cards. Whenever I draw this card, whether reversed or upright, I know I’m facing a difficult day! Finances are out of whack, and I spend much of the time trying to make ends meet. I’m trying to strike a balance in my life, which always seems precariously out of reach. It is very frustrating!
So, in an effort to see what message the Six of Pentacles holds for me, I’m going to do a Celtic Cross spread with the Fenestra
1. You: The High Priestess II – I have been letting life happen to me, completely open and passive towards everything that has happened. Not being an active force, commanding the situation or making positive changes. Just simply reflecting and accepting what happens without doing anything about it.
2. Crossing: Six of Cups – I have been acting as a child, not fully responsible for my actions and reactions to life. Depending on my parents and outside help. Not standing on my own two feet, and instead wishing that I had an escape to a life of ease and unrestrained freedom. Still seeing myself as a dependent child, instead of a confident adult.
3. Foundation: Nine of Swords Rx – I have experienced many worry-filled nights, since I was a child, as my parents’ finances were never terribly stable. Mom was an expert at stretching bills and getting things covered by the skin of her teeth. I am not as adept at this, and am struggling much more than they did. This shadow of experiential knowledge has not served me well, and I would do better by learning a new way to manage my finances. I also harbor an internal shame, at the fact that I do not come from a wealthier start, and I always struggle to make things better. Yet my internal blocks keep pulling me back from following through on my noble efforts. Yet the fear of losing it all is very real, and my bills will not go away by ignoring them!
4. Past: Knight of Wands – I have pursued different avenues of breaking out of my current situation, with all the initial enthusiasm of the Knight of Wands. Yet the first sign of opposition, and I fall to pieces. Being blocked does not inspire me to push on, rather I give up and try another avenue. All of these false starts add up to a very dissatisfying situation, with a lot of wasted resources.
5. Present: Seven of Cups – The sheer amount of options available to me are overwhelming. A new or additional job, a new place to live, selling off old items I no longer need, or simply waiting for things to change. Making a budget, tracking my expenses, or playing it by ear. That’s seven right there, and I’m sure I could come up with more! Not knowing the best path drives me crazy, and yet without choosing one, I surely will not succeed.
6. Future: The Moon XVIII Rx – I am not facing the realities of my situation. If that continues, I will lose sight of my intuition, and the truth about everything. I will continue to create busywork and false starts, and become closed off from what I know is right. Ignoring the dark instead of embracing it will only lead to more chaos and confusion.
7. Self: The Fool 0 – It feels like I keep jumping off of cliffs, one after another, and I’m getting nowhere! The fool here is more reckless and wild, jumping for the sheer thrill of a new avenue, and not accomplishing much. More false starts, without tying up the loose ends of previous endeavors. I am starting over again, and need to follow through with my good intentions.
8. Environment: The Tower XVI Rx – A very oppressive environment, where things are shook up yet without a release in sight. While impossible to ignore, I’m trying to shelter myself from the chaos, and not meeting with much success. I’m still holding on, just barely, and not embracing the change.
9. Hopes and Fears: Two of Swords – One part of me wants to keep the balance in check, and maintain what I already have. Not losing any bit of it, no matter how unfulfilling it is. The other part is afraid of what would happen if I did let go, and try to find a new situation entirely. The stalemate is unfulfilling, yet it is all I know. Escape from my comfort zone is both exhilarating and terrifying.
10. Outcome: Ten of Wands Rx – The sheer weight of the burdens I carry will be released soon. One way or the other, something is going to give. It is up to me whether I maintain the status quo, or break out into a new life, with more fulfillment, stability, and joy. The burden is heavy, but it is one that I carry willingly, with great love for my family. Every action I take is for the betterment of my household, and whether that means carrying the wands further, or seeking a new path, I will do what it takes to survive.
Now this is an interesting spread, considering not a single Pentacle popped up to meet the Six of Pentacles energy. This means that, while my problems appear in the material world, their roots are deep within me instead.
The High Priestess is the difference between the card upright and reversed, at least in my life. Upright, I passively accept the situation, while reversed, I take a more active approach like the Knight of Wands, scrambling to set things right. The Six of Cups is a very appropriate card, although it doesn’t appear so at first glance. Until I make up my mind to be a responsible adult and stop looking to the past for answers (Nine of Swords Rx), I won’t find the proper balance within the Six of Pentacles. The Moon shows that I must make up my mind (Seven of Cups) to deliberately seek out and trust my intuition, or else I will lose that ability, and things will fall apart. The Tower reversed almost feels like a bubbling volcano, getting ready to let loose its fury. The stuckness of the Six of Pentacles cannot last forever, and it is up to me to know when to leap (The Fool) and when to stay put (Two of Swords). The choice is mine, but I have no choice but to choose, as it will not be long before I collapse from the weight of my burdens (Ten of Wands Rx).
I find that doing tarot readings on complex cards, or on cards that are appearing very frequently in my life, can unlock new layers of meaning. Have you found any unexpected insights from taking a card and making it the focus of a new spread?
~Kim
I decided to take a look at the past week’s most prevalent tarot influences, and create my own spread with them. This is one of the cases where keeping a tarot journal is very important and useful, so you can see your overall trends for any period of time. I keep mine on the computer, for easy updating and review. (Plus my handwriting isn’t the best, so I’m actually able to read my notes on the computer!)
The cards that came up most often (three times this week) form the top triangle of the Ace of Cups Rx, The High Priestess II, and The Tower XVI. Now, the Tower (along with a few other cards) came up both upright and reversed, so I put them sideways (or Sw) as a reminder to consider both interpretations.
The base of the triangle is formed by the cards that came up pretty frequently (twice this week). The Fool 0 and the Three of Pentacles appear here, as well as the Seven of Cups Sw and Two of Swords Sw.
To form the pentagram around the triangle, I looked at the overall trend of the tarot cards that I drew this week. I drew thirteen majors, so I used the corresponding card for the Spirit position, Death XIII. The other elements I put in order according to the amount of cards I drew this week, counterclockwise. For the Cups, the amount of cards added up to eleven, so I assigned the Page of Cups to it. You could also reduce the eleven down to two, or add up the numbers of each card and reduce it from there, if you would like to. I did not assign any reversals to these underlying influences, but you could come up with your own methods of assigning reversals as well.
The emotional upset I’ve been feeling (Ace of Cups Rx) is a direct result of my passivity (High Priestess)regarding potential disruptions and changes (The Tower Sw). While part of me craves new beginnings (Fool), especially in regards to my career (Three of Pentacles), I am easily overwhelmed by my options (Seven of Cups Sw). Also, the thought of upsetting the balance I’ve gained so far makes me anxious, and holds me back considerably (Two of Swords Sw).
Death reminds me that not all changes are life-shattering. Some things are the result of natural progression, and should be embraced. I need to cultivate an innocent enjoyment of life, like the Page of Cups. The Eight of Pentacles shows that the success I crave in my career will only result from hard work, hard choices, and sacrifices. The Seven of Wands shows that I do have the strength to defend my current position while striving for better things. And the Six of Swords shows that my journey in life is as much an internal, spiritual journey as it is a literal one. Until I face my inner struggles, I will not find the joy and success I crave in my outer life.
You could create this spread in any pattern you would like, depending on the number of cards that come up frequently for you. Do you have your own ways of reviewing your tarot progress? Share your ideas here.
~Kim
November 2009 Tarot Trends
Posted on: November 9, 2009
Here’s a quick overview of my month, as detailed by the Gilded
Week 1: Wheel of Fortune Rx
One of my most powerful cards lately! Instead of blindly clinging to the Wheel, I will be in a position to take control of my own destiny. I’ll grasp life by the horns, and make my life work for me. What a way to start the month! I’ll be taking responsibility for what happens to me and my family, and doing things to improve our situation. Thriving instead of just surviving is a fantastic feeling, one I hope to be enjoying soon.
Week 2: Six of Swords
A difficult transition, coming to terms with what has happened in the past and where I will go from here. I see this as a lonely path, one outside the normal flow of life. “Strangers and pilgrims in this world,” — observing life from the outside and realizing that my journey is vitally different than everyone else’s. I will be pursuing a new situation, one outside of the rat race and the realm of so-called “normalcy.” This may be a lonely path, yet it is one that I feel comfortable with, as I have felt like an outsider my entire life. Reconnecting with the flow of my soul, and following its call.
Week 3: Ten of Cups
A time of familial abundance and support, where I can relax and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. My family is always supportive of me in all my endeavors, and at this point I will be able to reconnect and appreciate all they do for me. My writing at home is a key point here, as my man is making sacrifices to make sure that I have enough time to go to the library and post my blogs. Also a time of personal and group fulfillment, as the connections I make with others during this time will bring me great satisfaction. Probably a good time to delve deeper into the online tarot community, and invite them to share in my writings here.
Week 4: Two of Swords
Striking a balance between all of the conflicting areas of my life. While the less pleasant aspects of stalemates and blocks may very well crop up, my first impression was more of a quiet point in my life. Making sure that all areas of my life are in the proper balance, and are being attended to. Also, the build up of pressure from opposing sides, and the need for me to make a permanent decision. Which path will I choose for my life? Will I be able to follow it through? Making that kind of commitment can be tough, and sometimes the Two of Swords energy is needed to give ample time and space to work through the pros and cons of such a decision.
It looks like November is going to be an exhilarating month for me! So far, I have been finding my place on the Wheel, and enjoying the ride, as tiring as it has been. What energies do you feel aligning for you this month?
~Kim
Kim's Tarot Blog 