Future Tarot

Concentrating on the flip of the cards, I make mental notes of the colors, the facial expressions, the attitude of the ones the Universe has chosen fit to show me as I start a new project. Tarot embraces the creative side of seekers, showing us we have unlimited sources for our inspirations. How you choose to express it is as individual as a reading and as unique as the querent. Painting? Writing? Music? All are within the creative scope of Tarot; how can we turn this energy from a reading to a manifestation of art?

I always start with colors. For me, my Gemini yellow stands out immediately in the Knight of Pentacles, Four of Wands and others in my “working” Rider-Waite Deck, demanding my attention. It attracts my eye and I’m drawn to the card to look deeper. The shade of the background color affects the reading, is it vibrant or muted? Is it a pale wash of color or something more sinister? The soft blues depicted in the Three of Cups or the midnight-black of the Devil or Nine of Swords visually invite us to stare into the card and take from it what we can to promote our art. By incorporating these colors into a drawing, we release what we’ve learned from our reading into the world.

If you are starting a new project, use them to determine what is the prevalent mood of the cards. Can they be interpreted as a dark introduction to a piece of music? Are the characters celebrating or despondent? The suits can help to determine the pace of the song: Swords are quick and agile, they lend a sharp, almost aggressive note to the music; Wands seek harmony, a melody is wrapped within its walls; Pentacles show determination and hard work, a perfect accompaniment to a complicated solo and Cups denote joy, love and the mystery of the self.

When writing, take into account the entire spread; weave a story around the beginning, middle and ending inviting the reader to join you on the journey outlined by the cards. The characters within the cards become your heroes and villains, write down their expressions as well to what is embodied in the card to help you develop their background stories. What is their hair color? Manner of dress? Are they alone? What is the most important thing they’re doing in the card: clutching at pentacles (money) or holding the hand of the one they love? By using your spread to map out a story, half the work is done for you, Tarot itself being the ultimate reflection of your own story.

Using Tarot as a tool to delve deep within your natural creativity may open new avenues. Trying journaling about the cards within your spread to see patterns evolve as you learn more about Tarot and how it fits into your life. Take the time to put your reading to work for you as a partner for your imagination as new worlds await. Good luck!

Wynter Moon

Last Wednesday, Miss Michele and Serenity Bly read for Stacey in the Echo of One chat room. Join us Wednesday morning, 10 AM EST for more free readings and Tarot chat.

Stacey wants to know, now that she’s home, what aspects of her career should she focus on?

[Miss Michele] Wow, Stacey… okay I’m using my Rider-Waite Deck.

Serenity Bly is looking forward to the cards.

[Miss Michele] The Hermit in the past shows that you have been in a sort of self-imposed mental exile, learning, planning and plotting.

You achieved some great insights about your self, discovered you want to do something “different” but aren’t quite sure what.

The second card, in the near future, shows you’re very ready to take the leap… it is The Fool. You are very much in the *start* of your journey. Whatever you do, it will be a great departure from what you’ve done in the past.

[Serenity Bly] The Fool is always all about taking risks, Stacey. Don’t be afraid to do a little leaping before you look.

[Miss Michele] It seems that, just as you aren’t sure WHAT you want to do, neither are the cards.

[Serenity Bly] The cards, for those just joining us, are The Hermit in the Past, The Fool in the Present, and Future, MM?

[Miss Michele] The Hermit (past), The Fool (near future), and the Seven of Swords (final outcome). But I’m thinking of drawing a clarification card since that seven isn’t really giving Stacey a definitive answer.

[Stacey] So far you’re right on target

[Miss Michele] The advice from the Tarot would be, be careful of self-deception.

[stacey] LOL– Greeeeeeeeeeeat.

[Miss Michele] Make sure you are going in a direction that is what YOU want… not what is expected of you and if you decide to partner with anyone–be wary.

[Serenity Bly] This moment, and the ones surrounding it have major significance in your life. The Hermit and The Fool being Major Arcana are cards that show your path being mapped. They’re life-changing concepts and the only way to truly accept the direction your life is taking now is to embrace what comes to you. Follow your heart. The Seven Swords of the future insists you also take action. Work at it, set your feet to the ground and start running.

[Miss Michele] Might be a good time to do a personality profile type thing, or simply journal — write down as many things you can think of that you love. That will reveal hints.

[Miss Michele] Yes, Serenity, thank you– I meant to get to that. When I saw the first two majors I was like holy sh–… she’s going through some life-changing stuff.

[Miss Michele] The clarification card is the Two of Cups. Do what you LOVE. Figure out what that is, regardless of how illogical it may seem, and jump in with both feet. Two of Cups is ALL about following your heart–Serenity was typing that before I even revealed the card. She knows.

[Stacey] LOL, very interesting.

[Miss Michele] Remember, with the Two and the Fool and the Hermit–it’s the beginning stages. Don’t expect immediate results, although the Seven of Swords does point toward some measure of success right away. But don’t listen to naysayers.

[Serenity Bly] I want to just also mention that since no Pentacles or money cards came up whatever path you choose probably won’t be the one that appears to be more financially rewarding than other opportunities. Part of the risk taking you need to do as The Fool is to accept what might be less financially rewarding because it will be more emotionally and mentally rewarding.

[Stacey] I was JUST working on opening up a new Tarot business while still writing. I have a talent for doing what I love instead of doing what is $$ rewarding. I love the cards you’ve drawn, they’re right on the money. Thank you!

Repeat customer Deb jumped on one of Miss Michele’s new “Alphabet spreads” after receiving some news about her career. Miss Michele is happy to report that, even in these difficult times, Deb’s career will experience a revitalization shortly. Hang in there, Deb!

Come visit us, if you’d like, this morning at 10:00 AM for Future-Tarot chat, too. Many of us who attend are WAHMs and we discuss tarot readings, brainstorm business ideas, and generally bask in creativity bolstered by the inspiration we derive from the tarot. (Please scroll down for Deb’s career reading…)

Don’t forget to join us at 9.30pm EST over at The Echo of One. We’re doing free three-card readings and talking Tarot. Everyone is welcome!

Deb’s C-for-Career Spread

Overview: Deb: I’m happy to bring you good news across the board regarding your career. While you’re facing some challenges right now in regard to less-than-trustworthy business associates and perhaps even a boss who was taking your colleagues’ side, the changes in your current work environment are paving the way to better things down the line for you, including greater fulfillment in your career.
I don’t get the impression that the “news” you received was a lay-off, but perhaps a bad review, a change in job responsibilities or some other situation that, on the surface seems negative, but will actually be a positive step forward for you. 
Pentacles along with cups in the spread show your new career path will be financially lucrative as well as spiritually and emotionally fulfilling.

Your Past Experience in your Career: Nine of Wands: You had it all, as shown by the Nine of Wands, the “Victory” card. Well-respected, organized, and financially successful, “Employee of the Month” didn’t even begin to describe your success! You were on top of the world.

Your Current Job Experience: Five of Wands/King of Swords: Spiteful, petty co-workers, however, had to see you fall. Gossip and deceit came into play in your workplace, represented by the Five of Wands. This card describes a battle you can’t possibly win, because it’s guerrilla warfare and you’re just not all that sneaky by nature. (That’s a good thing, sweetie—don’t stoop to their level).
Combine these forces with a mercurial boss, represented by the King of Swords, and you have a recipe for discontent. If his astrological sign is *not* Gemini, he contains the traits of one… that is to say, “the twins” in their most negative representation; he is two-faced and changes his mind on a whim. He’s taking “their” side on things, perhaps because birds of a feather and all.

SerenityBly adds: I always get the impression 5s in every suit are about fighting against the wind. An enemy you cannot see or who doesn’t exist. Senseless battles. Wands represent a battle of the mind rather than physical, emotional, or financial.

What You Want From a Job: Two of Pentacles: On the surface, this doesn’t sound like a lofty goal, but in reality, Deb seeks balance, as well as the opportunity to excel in a multitude of tasks and maintain a variety of duties on her plate. She’s a champion multi-tasker and wants a job that will keep her engaged by permitting her to use these talents.

What You NEED From a Job: The Magician: Supporting her “wants” in a job, the Magician shows Deb’s desire to have a job that allows her to use her talents to her maximum abilities, as well as a desire for spiritual growth within her career path. This Major Arcana, representing her needs, is her “wants,” amplified, showing that she is strongly in touch with her desires. I wouldn’t be surprised if Deb journals and/or uses the Law of Attraction to manifest her desires.

What you have to offer – Your Greatest Strengths: The 8 of Pentacles: A great card to have in the “strengths” slot of this spread, the 8 of Pentacles shows Deb is a hard worker, and an independent worker who is highly-skilled. She doesn’t need special training or a boss looking over her shoulder to get the job done. However, she needs someone to trust her to get the job done, something severely lacking in her current, but passing, situation.

Your Career Future – Your Action Plan: The Ace of Cups: This “new beginning” card in this position presents a new job opportunity for Deb, one that will be emotionally fulfilling as well as financially lucrative. The new position will permit Deb to showcase her strengths in a supportive environment, while stepping away from co-workers who are only bringing her down.

A clarification card in this slot, Strength, tells me the new position will permit Deb to use all her feminine strengths and abilities; her dreams for an emotionally and financially fulfilling career will manifest as a result of her inner strength. With two Major Arcanas in this spread, including one in the outcome slot, keep an eye out for BIG things in your future!

Serenity Bly adds: My intuition tells me that she wasn’t finding the position she was in fulfilling on a personal level. It was a paycheck, one that created a lot of headaches because of the unfriendly work environment. She’s being given an opportunity to step back…
It’s a new start and a chance to create new relationships in the workplace. Ultimately, what she’s coming into is an opportunity to build a career path doing what she loves around supportive people.

The other night while doing a spread for a reader, my daughter, a six-month old Libra, selected a card of her own. I managed to grab it and interpret it before it went in her mouth.

Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be the perfect card to describe her, right now: The Ace of Swords. I’m not sure what card I would have selected on my own to represent my daughter if you had asked me. For myself, I heavily identify with the Queen of Pentacles.

But she selected the Ace of Swords for herself and I’m not going to argue – it’s not smart to argue with anyone holding a sword

Swords represent intellect, while an Ace in this situation represents as-yet-untapped potential. Without going off on a boastful “my daughter is so advanced” tangent, (because doesn’t every parent feel that way?) let me just say I definitely see the untapped intellect in her eyes. The Ace of Swords is double-edged, however; she can use her power for good or evil and at some point she will have to make that decision.

The Ace of Swords is about balancing sharp intellect without cutting yourself off emotionally. Libras, represented by scales, should be masters of balance but, instead, often struggle with it.

Libras are very open-minded, mainly because they want to see and weigh all sides of a situation before making the decision. This can make them great diplomats, but also easily swayed by “the next big thing.” The Ace of Swords shows my daughter won’t be as easily swayed as many Libras by folly.

In fact, she’ll have the knack for condescending to people she knows are wrong to avoid an argument if it is in her best interests to do so. She will have the potential to easily manipulate others; whether or not she chooses to do so may depend largely on her upbringing. It is my job to sharpen this sword to a fine edge but not so sharp it cuts anyone who approaches. Definitely a challenge.

Then again, the question exists: This is what I see in her, but will I help this personality to manifest merely by foreseeing it? Remember, the tarot guides us but we always make our own future and, in some cases, the future of those around us. How many times have people met your expectations? Were you simply right about them, or did their actions manifest from your thoughts?

But I digress: Readers, what card do you use to represent yourself? Please post a comment to tell us which card and why!

Overview: A troubled time has brought Deb to Miss Michele seeking advice in love. A rough divorce or heart-rending break-up is going on right now, but as soon as Deb lets go of what isn’t working, she’ll make room for something new and much, much better. The Tower and Ten of Cups both appearing in this reading show that Deb’s romantic life will run the gamut from nearly unbearable to absolutely divine in the near future.

Your past experience in love: Queen of Swords: The Queen of Swords, representing Deb in her past romances, shows that she was, in fact, afraid to love. Perhaps based on events from her childhood, she had a hard time opening up to show love to anyone. While the Queen of Swords in the Robin Wood deck wears butterflies on her gown, her visage is stern, her features harsh. She holds out a hand, as if she is making her point, using reason above all else. The Queen of Swords is afraid to show kindness and that describes Deb in the past.

Your current experience in love: The Tower. This tumultuous Major Arcana, the Tower, shows that Deb is either in the midst of a bad break-up or a very negative relationship. The good news here, however, is she is escaping. Sometimes, our situation must crumble around us in order to pave the way for something better.

What you want from a love relationship: Six of Swords: Not surprisingly, what Deb wants right now is to get away from it all. She would view a new, better relationship as an escape from her past, the past in which she was afraid to love.

What you need from a love relationship: Ten of Cups: Intelligent woman that she is, Deb will settle for nothing less than “everything,” in a love relationship, characterized by the Ten of Cups. She wants all her dreams fulfilled—the perfect family, a man who is her match intellectually, physically and emotionally, and, most of all, someone who will make her want to open up and love him. Tens represent the end of a cycle; the Tarot is telling Deb the best is yet to come.

What you have to give your lover: King of Pentacles: Deb may have been the Queen of Swords in the past, but the King of Pentacles exemplifies her potential. This king is happy, loving, generous, strong, powerful. The presence of a king in this spot shows that Deb will be perfectly happy wearing the pants in the family, taking charge, taking care of business. But the King of Pentacles has his own soft side, too. Most importantly, Deb seeks—and will offer—stability in a relationship.

Possible future experience in love: The Fool: This Major Arcana combines with the Six of Swords to tell us that a new relationship is around the corner, as soon as Deb is ready to embrace it. Her lover will make her feel young again, and perhaps sweep her away on that journey she longs for. Pack light, however, and buy what you need along the way. The Fool doesn’t believe in being prepared for every contingency—he’d rather wing it. Exciting adventures await when it comes to romantic prospects.

Miss Michele used her Robin Wood tarot deck for this reading.