Future Tarot

So my man is going to the dentist, to have his teeth pulled today. It’s much needed, but I know he will be in a lot of pain. So I asked the Deviant Moon Tarot what I can do to be supportive of him as he recovers. I chose a simple three card spread, with no positions, to get an overall view of the coming days and weeks. Hopefully he’ll bounce back quickly, but we will see.

Knight of Swords – The Devil – Seven of Swords

Knight of Swords: It’s time for me to swoop in and save the day! This knight is ready to charge, with his horse reared back, teeth bared. Under the knight’s armour he is dressed in red and gold, empowered to take on any adversary. He stands outside the castle walls, which gives the appearance of defense, although a good offense is a great defense. My goal here is to make sure that I am doing everything I can to support my man, and defend him from any attacks. Possibly watching closely for signs of infection, and making sure he eats properly! Well, as much as you can after having your teeth pulled, anyway.

The Devil: This cartoonish figure creeps along in a menacing, yet happy stance. He has metallic wings, and his skin is all red, just as you would imagine an idealized devil would be. He walks on a meteor with volcanic openings spewing smoke. In this reading, it does suggest that I indulge him in his wants and needs, and not become cross with him even when his requests seem strange. He is the only one who will know what he can handle, and I need to be supportive.

Seven of Swords: This poor sword eater has seemingly failed a number of times. He has five swords laying about him, as he lays on the ground. His legs are in the air, and he has one sword balanced along his feet, tied to another he is trying to insert into his mouth. It does remind me of the dentist! This one suggests that while the goal is the elimination of tooth pain, it is going to take more pain to get there. A small sacrifice now leads to greater rewards in the future. When the going gets tough, both of us would do well to remember this fact.

Overall, it seems like everything should go as well as planned. Nothing too unexpected here, so we can continue on with our plans without much disruption. I will be his champion, and supporter throughout this difficult time. Wish us luck, as we’re heading out the door very shortly!

In  the first of our readings since the official launch of www.future-tarot.com (with all proceeds going to “Supporting Simon,”) visitor Erin wants to know what the future will hold for her business.

Miss Michele used the Hanson-Roberts deck to  draw five cards, and came up with some unusual findings for a career spread. The lack of any Pentacles would indicate that Erin’s business is largely a labor of love. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t have the potential to make vast amounts of money, merely that Erin launched it to follow her passion.

Card by card…

The Fool in the past shows that Erin may have recently launched a new business endeavor or changed her focus in her current business. While she may have done research and preparation, a large part of this change was a “leap of faith” as she entered uncharted territory. It also shows this may be the cause of any challenges—whether Erin is truly unprepared or merely feels that way.  (And Miss Michele suspects the latter.)

The Ace of Cups, again, supports the launching of a new business endeavor, showing the present… Erin began with an open mind and unfettered optimism. Her business is truly a labor of love—her true passion. Miss Michele commends Erin for following that passion!

However, Erin’s fears manifest themselves in the Unseen Factors of the third card, the Six of Cups…she may be thinking things were better before, or that she should take a few steps back, re-think her path, maybe even go back to her previous career.

The Strength card, however, a Major Arcana showing Erin’s best course of action, advises her to plow on. Yes, go back and re-think some of your tactics, perhaps re-write your business plan or, if you don’t have one, put one together in order to solidify your goals. While the carefree optimism of the Fool gave Erin what she needed to launch her business, a lack of Pentacles in a business/career spread shows a need to focus on the “nuts and bolts” now. Without proper preparation, the business faces some risks, shown in the Final Outcome card, the Seven of Swords…

The Seven of Swords indicates trickery and deception, along with competitors who may not play by the rules. Someone who is less than trustworthy could sweep in, under the guise of trying to help. Again, be STRONG and rely on past experience and knowledge to resist the urge to work with them. In this case, Erin would be better off going it alone than taking help that is a wolf disguised in sheep’s clothing.

The lack of Pentacles in this reading makes Miss Michele wonder if there are not other factors on your mind—new beginnings—that are holding back Erin’s business from the amount of growth it could be experiencing.

AJ writes:

I have nothing specific other than “what does this year hold for me?” I have to add that the latter half of last year sucked, though not as hard as some years I’ve had. Life has been hard up until four years ago.

Overview: In spite of your proclamation to Miss Michele that acclaim is what brings you satisfaction, the cards show a huge emphasis on emotions, and seeking “parent figures,” mentors. Although Miss Michele hates to say it, based on the placement of the cards, your parents *may* be returning into your life, leaving you with a difficult choice to make. Let’s go month by month and see what the Tarot has to say.

January – Five of Cups – Not surprisingly, the Five of Cups starts off the year. This shows a certain emptiness in your life, perhaps still recovering from years of hurt or just starting to show these feelings. Whatever happened in the latter half of the year that “sucked” continues.

February – the Fool – February will bring you out of your doldrums in a *big* way. I see the last half of the year’s events letting go to bring you into a new phase, in which you really let your ‘inner teenager’ out, but with positive consequences, rather than having people view you as immature. Your thoughts and words will be put into action, and you may even see some opportunities, as a direct result of your personality, pop up.

March – The Six of Cups – often described as the “good old days” card. AJ admitted himself that he missed out on “fun” teenage years. February and March will blur into one adventure of fun and immaturity, but with little danger of negative consequences.

April – The Three of Rods further reinforces the Fool, urging you to take action on the opportunities offered. You won’t plunge blindly, but will take time to consider how best to proceed and will do so with knowledge, perhaps taking on a leadership role in your chosen community, be it the blogosphere or the office.

May – The Empress reveals that a female mentor may step up to help you in this role… She will, additionally, help you confront your own feelings about your mother, and your very definition of the word as you perceive it. Very appropriate, in the month of Mother’s Day. Additionally, you will be enjoying the bounty that the opportunities in April have presented you. The two consecutive Threes in this reading show your ability to enjoy life, and the Spring will give you the means to do so…everything will come together as you begin to enjoy the fruits of your labor. It’s going to be a good Spring!

June – King of Pentacles - June brings us a curious card, a father figure/mentor card in the Court Card, King of Pentacles. So funny that the exact cards you wished not to see appeared in this throw. That which we think about manifests… in the positive or negative. When you say, “I don’t want to see my parents,” the Universe hears “parents” and acts accordingly… giving you lots of parent substitutes and cards that leave Miss Michele shouting, “mother and father!”

The King of Pentacles follows our theme of grasping opportunities and seeing them through to completion to bring you wealth, satisfaction and career success. Oddly, once again, June is Father’s Day. This card could indicate a male mentor who assists you on your quest. You are ready and eager to learn all that he can teach.

July – July brings us the Lovers, another major arcane indicating a choice must be made. The scenario as I see it: your parents come back into your life, you make a choice to either repair or not repair the damage done. (Too much information often clouds the interpretation… )
Alternately, you may have a decision to make about this opportunity… in either event, the decision leaves you…

August – Feeling lonely in August, as the Four of Cups surfaces. Far from your gregarious self this month, you have retreated for careful contemplation. The decision in July has left you closing your emotions off again. However, this contemplation is opening the door for a better future. The up-turned, yet empty, cups shown on the card show a willingness to receive love and acceptance once you release the hurt you’re feeling.

September – Seven of Swords – The Seven of Swords indicates a lack of trust. You opened yourself up in the spring and summer, only to find yourself alone and more cynical come the fall. Be wary of a depression that will cloud your thoughts, creativity and abilities to work creatively.

October – Six of Pentacles – October brings you out of your doldrums, where you find yourself repaying a karmic debt. After the help given to you in the Spring, you decide to “give back” by helping others in a similar way and will feel fulfilled by it. You realize there is more to life than just yourself and what you can get from others, and learn the beauty in giving and sharing, mentoring others with your own wealth of knowledge. Or you don’t. That’s your choice. But the Tarot advises that fulfillment awaits if you do.

November – Seven of Cups – November finds you with your head in the clouds a bit, with big dreams and visions but not sure how to put them into place.

December – Knight of Swords – It becomes clear in December, when you employ logic to fulfill your pie-in-the-sky visions. After a turbulent “emo” year of letting your emotions get the best of you, you take positive action. The danger is in become too serious and focus on facts.

Overall, the year’s focus is represented in the Queen of Pentacles. This will be a pivotal year for you in terms of learning how to give and take—tangible objects, advice and information, as well as love and acceptance. You’ll be more sensible in business manners—earning enough to pay that killer mortgage and then some, but will learn the rules of “the Secret,” you give back what you put out to the Universe.
I see you in the ‘middle phase” of your learning experience with the universe. No high-number cards have come up, but you started with “zero” in the fool and worked up to a seven, with ideas in the intangible thoughts phase. This is supported by the cups in the reading.

Please come back often, and tell us how the year is progressing for you!

Another AW member has found their way to Miss Michele’s Tarot Blog and wants to know what path their career should take…

Looking for Peace writes: I have a HUGE decision to make and it’s wearing me down. I want to leave my soul-sucking (but well compensated) corporate communications job and try my hand at freelance writing, but I worry if this is the right move for me/my family. Financially we’ll be ok for a year, but frankly, I’m scared/worried that I’ll fail miserably and end up looking for another corporate job – and I won’t find one that pays as well as the one I’m thinking of leaving. Staying part-time isn’t an option – it’s all or nothing. I’ll be more at peace once my decision’s made. What do the cards show?

As a writer, Miss Michele would recommend testing the freelance waters while working full-time. Put in a few hours a week after work or on weekends and try to line up some clients. As a corporate communications writer, you have experience and presumably, some clips, so you’ll have a leg up on others just getting started. Before you consider working from home, ask yourself: are you self-motivated, disciplined, or are you overly social (ie, will working from home, with a lot less person-to-person interaction, drive you crazy, or do you thrive in a quiet environment?)

But that’s just Miss Michele’s two cents. Let’s see what the tarot have to say about your chances of success in freelance writing…

Two deception cards came up in this reading, however, with two Knights present, a new career opportunity is certainly in the off-ing. I want to say that those at your current job will “connive” or bribe or promise you things to get you to stay.

Card by Card:

The >Seven of Swords is the card of stealth and deception. Showing a man slinking away with five swords, while the other two are firmly embedded in the ground, it indicates using cunning to get what you want—or that someone is using this against you. You’ve admitted that your current company is soul-sucking… they are, quite literally, slinking away with the best of you!

The Knight of Wands in the Near Future shows an escape from difficulty. Change is in the air and things will work out well. Even if you do wind up taking a lower paying job after trying freelancing (which I don’t think will be the case), you’ll be happier in the long run.

The Knight of Cups in the outcome came out, but reversed. While upright it symbolizes a new relationship or career, it shows deception when it is reversed. Don’t be passive—follow your heart and stand up for yourself, regardless of what your current employers offer. If you want to leave, do it. But don’t let this company keep getting the best of you. Things will work out whatever your choice.

In spite of having a ton to do and a mini-meltdown yesterday that my friends at AW witnessed, when Miss Michele found this e-mail in her inbox today, she had to provide a prompt reading. This is why Miss Michele is here. This is her means of reaching out and helping.

It’s never easy being alone or lonely for the holidays–whether that loneliness is caused by the loss of a few significant people, although you are still surrounded by other family and friends–or you are truly alone, with no family and friends nearby. That is Shenie’s situation, and, in this difficult time, she’s asking for guidance from the tarot. Shenie understands how the tarot works and that she is in control of her fate, so no disclaimer beyond the standard seems necessary.

Shenie asks:

I’m going through a really difficult time in my life right now. I know many people say they’re alone in the world, but in my case, it’s really true. No real family, no friends nearby.

There’s a guy I really love but he just did something that really broke my heart (no, he didn’t cheat). On one hand, I’m not sure I can forgive him, and on the other, I was so sure he was the one. In spite of everything, he was my hope of a real family with somebody I truly love.

So I guess my question is… is he my future? I know nothing is predetermined, but right now I don’t know what to do. I want to run away and never see him again, and I want to stay and try to get past this and build a future together. But if somehow he’s the wrong person, then maybe I should try to survive this alone and move on.

Miss Michele has a friend who often makes ultimatum statements. “If he ever does this, it’s over…” But the fact is, you never know what a deal-breaker is until you encounter the situation. *Most* problems, if you love the person, are worth working through. Let’s see if that’s the case with Shenie.

The Five of Pentacles in the past shows the issue was/is financial or relates to the purchase of goods. The lack of cups in this reading shows, too, it wasn’t in the realm of emotion, although the result was Shenie feeling deceived. It also shows Shenie’s loneliness this time of year. I was hoping for more insight into what he did, but the tarot doesn’t see to want to reveal it. I guess it isn’t important for this reader to know.

The Five of Swords in the present shows the empty victory Shenie has achieved by ending the relationship because of her lover’s transgression. Someone Shenie knows may be acting in a self-destructive matter– this points to drug or alcohol abuse, which ties in to the “hidden purchases” indicated in the Five of Pentacles. Most importantly, the Five of Swords warns Shenie not to cut off her nose to spite her face. Do not listen to others–do what you, Shenie, feel is right.

All three cards in this reading are Minor Arcana, showing that YOU are in control of this situation. He will happily come back if you allow him but you, too, have the sole power to end this relationship. The presence of two swords indicates violent activity and turmoil. Leave or stay, it will not be a clean break or a clean reconciliation. But isn’t everything good worth fighting for?

The Seven of Swords, in the outcome slot, warns AGAINST running away or escaping a bad situation. Only by facing problems head-on will the desirable outcome emerge. However, be aware, still, of deception. Only you are there–only you know if you can trust him again. Miss Michele is reminded of another old adage: “Trust your neighbor, but always cut the cards.”

The cards seem to be saying give this another chance, but be cautious.
Best of luck, Shenie, and please do come back and tell us how things are going!