Tarot Reading

Today was rainy and dreary so in order to entertain myself a little I dragged out the old deck of Tarot cards that a past co-worker (Melissa) picked out for me: Legend — The Arthurian Tarot by Anna-Marie Ferguson. This beautiful deck is based on King Arthur of the Dark Age and his fabled court.

Let’s begin Tarot 101, shall we?

There are 78 cards in the tarot deck – 22 major arcana (or trumps) and 56 minor arcana. Put simply, the major arcana are the most powerful and fatalistic while the minor arcana, which are categorized in 4 suits much like common playing cards, are believed to reflect on events and/or circumstances that are more easily controlled by the person being read for. The 4 suits of The Arthurian Tarot’s minor arcana are Spears (ideas), Swords (actions), Cups (emotions) and Shields (the material world).

The first thing I do before I read my cards is concentrate on what I need guidance on or am curious about while shuffling. Please note that while concentrating on a question or issue, one is essentially trying to will the cards to address that question. It is believed that the cards will address whatever needs the most guidance and sometimes it has nothing to do with what one is willing them to tell about.

Today I was focusing on my upcoming trip to visit a dear, old friend in British Columbia. I’m very excited to see her and looking forward to having a whole lot of fun. Unfortunately, I’m also a bit concerned about a few unlikeables that have been causing my friend excessive stress.

Then I cut the deck 3 times.

Next I lay a card out in the middle of the table. This is the Significator card, which basically symbolizes the person seeking insight. In this case I’m reading for myself so the Significator represents me.  Lastly, I lay 7 cards out in the classic horseshoe spread around the Significator.

The 7 cards in the horseshoe can be simply represented as the following:

Card 1:    Past Conditions
Card 2:    Present Question/Issue
Card 3:    Future Outlook
Card 4:    Best Approach to the Situation
Card 5:    The Attitudes of Others
Card 6:    Challenges to be Faced
Card 7:   Final Outcome 

The first thing I do after laying out all 8 cards is take a look at the overall picture. Is one suit dominating the reading? Is one suit absent? How many cards are reversed? How many major arcana have appeared? Remember, there are only 22 major arcana compared to 56 minor – even one major arcana appearing in an 8-card reading is powerful.

Before I reveal my cards I feel it important to mention that my reading made perfect sense to me. I couldn’t have picked these cards better, though I swear I didn’t. This isn’t always the case. Sometimes a reading makes no sense at all and doesn’t become clear until you look back on it at a later date.

The first thing I noticed when looking at the overall picture of this particular reading was that I had 5 major arcana – pretty powerful. I also noted that I had two Swords (actions) and that Cups (emotions) and Shields (the material world) didn’t appear at all.

To interpret each card I refer to my guide. After reading what the guide has to say, I think about the card and try to feel what is being presented to come up with my own interpretation.

Here’s what the Tarot gave me on April 13, 2010 and each card’s interpretation:

Significator – Two of Swords (Reversed)
Bailin strains to see what fate awaits him on the island.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Misrepresentation. Vulnerability. Dishonour.
Jenny’s Interpretation: I’m waiting for the cards to fall.

Card 1 (Past Conditions): 18. The Moon
Morgan le Fay (chief priestess of the sisterhood of Avalon and feminine counterpart to Merlin): Fostered by the magic of the moon, Morgan travels the threshold of unchartered realms.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Unconscious activity. Strong emotions. Illusion. Disorientation. The powers and wisdom of the subconscious impacting waking life. Introspection. A period of emotionally charged dreams. Sensitivity and a heightened imagination.
Jenny’s Interpretation: I’m just hoping this means my crazy-ass nightmares are finally a thing of the past. I don’t want to take a deeper look at them. I don’t care how or why they came to be. Just make ‘em gone! Thank you very much.

Card 2 (Present Question/Issue): 8. Strength
Percivale’s Vision: The physical strength and energy of the lion and maid unite with the intelligence and experience of crone and serpent.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Strength, courage and vitality. Intelligence, reason and experience, united with enthusiasm and energy. Drawing on inner strength to resist temptation and distraction. Self-discipline and satisfaction.
Jenny’s Interpretation: Am I strong enough?

Card 3 (Future Outlook): 15. The Horned One – Cernunnos (Reversed)
Cernunnos: The Lord and protector of beasts rests in the wild.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Being driven by impulses or the dangerous repression of the instinctual nature. Indulgence. Self-destructive behaviour.
Jenny’s Interpretation: I’m in trouble.

Card 4 (Best Approach): Ace of Swords (Reversed)
The marvellous Sword of David awaits its destined master.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Striking out at others without due cause. Entanglements. Sterility. Indulgence.
Jenny’s Interpretation: Somebody’s getting kicked in the face…or the balls!

Card 5 (Attitudes of Others): 1. The Magician — Merlin (Reversed)
Merlin: The famed magician retreats into the wilds.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Deception. Loss of direction. Dampened senses. Delays. The negative use of power.
Jenny’s Interpretation: Somebody thinks I’m evil.

Card 6 (Challenges): 19. The Sun – Lleu
The increasing strength of the sun lends its warmth to Lleu.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Joy, success and satisfaction. Enjoying the pleasures of life. Accomplishment and friendship. Renewed appreciation of life. Good health and high spirits. Can indicate a commitment, engagement or happy marriage.
Jenny’s Interpretation: Agreed. Commitment issues are a challenge. Next!

Card 7 (Final Outcome): Nine of Spears – Wind Harps of War
Giant wind harps are erected upon the cliffs, where their fearful drone will greet the enemy.
Literal Meaning (Anna-Marie Ferguson): Anticipating hostility. Preparing for turbulence and conflict. Foresight. Sensing unrest. Putting affairs in order. Planning a defense.
Jenny’s Interpretation: I’m-a get it done!