This is before you (Near future): Trump XV—The Devil (Reversed)

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

Ah, the Devil himself! Traditionally, the Devil has the   connotations of temptation, bondage, materialism, black magic, and the "shadow.” When reversed, the card could mean the same, but to a lesser intensity, or a release from the above.

What immediately leapt to mind when I saw the reversed Devil, was "release from bondage," which I take to mean that my natural optimism is resurfacing: whereas I had been feeling negative, pessimistic and stuck, I can now see the possibility of breaking these bonds to move forward.

Also, in its reversed position the card makes me think of mischief rather than evil, of pranks and poking fun at things that are too serious. The Devil can seem a force of oppression and depression, or a reminder of the ridiculous in life (and how good it can feel to fall for temptation!). I see another hint here of how to regain the balance that I have lost: some fun might be just what I need. Even better: if I could laugh at myself!

My worries and complaints about my writing ability must have been getting on my husband’s nerves. We had been trying to get our bookshelves in order, when he suddenly pounced on what he called the perfect book for me in my current state: Philip K Dick’s Confessions of a crap artist …! Sometimes all you need is a good laugh to break the spell.

A note: One of the most valuable aspects of a Tarot reading is that it can show you what is on your mind.

I don't always respond to the same cards in the same way. Sometimes the Hierophant irritates me with his hidebound outlook; at other times he is a kindly father figure. The Lovers can at times seem more cloying than loving; the Fool can seem a "wise child" or an idiot.

My response to a card--and I'm sure that of other Tarot readers as well--depends on mood and circumstances, and can show me when my mood or attitude has shifted even before I have become conscious if it myself. It could also reflect whatever is on my mind, and can make me aware of attitudes and emotions that have been just below the surface.

To recap: So far in this reading, the stand-out aspect is the lack of balance in my life: the balance between work and rest, and the balance between being committed to a project and not taking things too seriously. Although my current situation appeared very bleak to me, I have discovered pockets of optimism and energy that I can use to get my enthusiasm for the project back.

The motive for doing this spread was to explore my current situation, determine areas of concern, and to formulate a problem statement that can be used in a future spread.

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

This is behind you (Recent past): Page of Swords

Another card to remind me that I am a beginner when it comes to writing books!

This card immediately makes me think that I have not been acting rationally lately, which is perfectly true.

The Swords suit is the suit of the mind, of rational, logical thinking, and of cutting through the waffle to the heart of the matter. Swords also represent communication (in particular when Swords are linked to Air: we need air to make, transmit and hear sounds).

Pages, on the other hand, are about beginnings, enthusiasm, optimism, curiosity … and a-ha, here is something I can use! I have recently lost my enthusiasm for this specific piece of communication! The project began to seem a chore, something I have to do, not something that (as in the past), I approached with enthusiasm and energy.

Another thought about the upside-down Page of Swords: in losing my sense of adventure about this project, I have also “lost my voice” as writer. Instead of sounding as enthusiastic as I (used to) feel, my writing became stilted, forced, and artificial.

So, not only have the Page-energy been reversed, but also my (Swords) ability to communicate efficiently and entertainingly.

The really really really nice thing about doing this series of posts is that I am regaining the enthusiasm that I have mislaid. As I am working on this post, I can feel that old, familiar sense of … what shall I call it? … a mixture of adventure, creativity, amusement, fun, the sparks in my stomach and in my brain … !

Here is an additional layer to the reading of this card: The Page of Swords in the Universal Rider-Waite deck looks like he (or she?) is ready for action; attentive, on guard, prepared. Reversed, the card could be interpreted as “letting your guard down.” In some ways, I have done exactly that. In any big undertaking, it is vital that you take care of yourself; that you keep your need for rest and relaxation in mind. When I am truly enthusiastic about something (which happens very often!), I can work like a maniac, until I collapse.

Now it looks as if I am getting to the heart of the problem! Remember the tentative problem statement about the need for balance?

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

This is below you (The foundation): Page of Pentacles

Court cards are often difficult to read, mostly because 1) they can represent a person, an aspect of your (or someone else’s) personality, an atmosphere, or a type of action or event (“do as I do”), and 2) there seems to be confusion about the people represented by each of these 16 cards.

Older Tarot books would describe the appearance of each of the cards (“dark eyes and hair,” “blond hair with light-coloured eyes” and so on), but there are several opinions on which descriptions belong to which suit. There are even more divergent opinions on the type of person each court card represents.

One convention is to associate Pages with beginners/beginnings, students and apprentices, and with that kind of mindset: optimistic, enthusiastic, idealistic, young, immature, innocent, curious, and trusting. These aspects are then merged with the general characteristics of the suit. Pentacles are usually seen as grounded, stable, hardworking, reliable, traditional/conservative, the senses (sensuality; being in touch with the body, surroundings and nature), economically minded, practical.

The Page of Pentacles will be eager to learn about the physical world and everything that influences him or her. The least energetic of the Pages (Pentacles has the lowest energy), the Page of Pentacles is, nevertheless, enthusiastic and optimistic, and therefore a good student. He or she will apply themselves to learning and to practical skills.

The “good student” is only one aspect of the Page of Pentacles, but the one I decided to use for this reading.

The “Below you” or “Foundation” position describes the underlying forces in this situation, the root or cause of a problem, or something that the situation is based on. It can also depict a hidden, unconscious influence, especially if you have decided to treat card 3 (the “Crowns you” card) as “conscious, known influences.” According the Waite, the position portrays something that has already come to pass, something the reader or querent has made his or her own; some Tarotists therefore refer to this position as the “deep past,” further back than the “behind you” position, which refers to the recent past.

For this reading, I have taken this position as the basis of the situation.

In the “foundation” position, I see this Page as depicting the hard work that has gone into my study of Tarot, and in writing the book so far. In considering the “wholesome” aspect of the Pentacles suit, I decide that the work I have done so far is something to be proud of. Although there have been many quick insights, flights of imagination and grave analyses (characteristic of the Wands, Cups and Swords suits respectively), overall, I think I have done some solid and “worthy” work.

It seems I am more positive about the project that I realized! This interpretation of the Page of Pentacles seems to fit, so I will be looking to other aspects of the situation to help me formulate the problem statement, which I can then use as the basis of the next spread.

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

In a true divinatory reading, this card will have the alarm bells ringing: the previous card—10 of Cups (reversed)—seems to indicate a troubled family life; the 2 of Cups (reversed) would now appear to reinforce this interpretation. Let’s see where we can go with this card.

A note: Even as a sceptic, I am often startled by the “accuracy” of these pretend-fortunetelling readings. Of course this perceived accuracy can be explained by factors such as hindsight, coincidences, seeing what you expect to see, and self-fulfilling prophecy, but still …

This reading, however, by card 3 out of 10, is so wrong that it is almost as if the cards are saying: “See, we can be used for solving problems, but not for divining situations!”

This crowns you: 2 of Cups (reversed)

The “crowning” position often gives readers trouble: exactly what does it mean? Some take “crown” to mean “head” (which is where a crown usually sits), so that this position indicates something that is known, conscious. One could then take the next card, opposite this one in the “Foundation” position, to point to hidden or unconscious influences.

Waite describes the “Crown” position as “(a) the Querent's aim or ideal in the matter; (b) the best that can be achieved under the circumstances, but that which has not yet been made actual.”

I like to expand on Waite’s description by thinking of “crown” in the sense of “the cherry on top”, and “the top or highest part of anything, as of a hat or a mountain … the highest or most nearly perfect state of anything … an exalting or chief attribute” (from dictionary.com). In this sense then, card 3 could indicate something that “crowns” the situation, almost a blessing.

The 2 of Cups traditionally means a partnership—most often of the soul mate kind—but could also refer to a contract or partnership between two like-minded people. Reversed, it could mean a broken partnership or contract, or—the one I will choose for this reading—a delay. “A book contract? Not yet, baby!”

At least the “energy” of the card is present, even though the card is reversed: this I will take to mean that, although it is too early to start contacting publishers, the prospect is not completely out of the question. This interpretation would fit Waite’s option b, above—the best that can be achieved, but still just an ideal.

Another possibility that I like, is the continuation of the trend started by Temperance and continued by the reversed 10 of Cups: inner (creative and emotional) balance and harmony. The number 2 can indicate both balance and harmony, and the Cups suit represents not only relationships and emotions, but also creativity and the imagination. Note also the appearance of cups and water in the Temperance card. It is almost as if Temperance is emphasising the most important aspects of the balance and harmony it represents.

OK, I said I wouldn’t be looking at themes and patterns, but this one was too good to miss! It also fits in with the “problem statement” that is slowly taking shape: a problem statement that I will be able to use as the question for a subsequent reading.

So far, this tentative problem statement incorporates “the ideal circumstances in which to continue the book project would be to attain an inner and outer state of balance, harmony, creative achievement and moderation” (formulated in Part 3 of this series, and reinforced in the reading of the current card).

What I would like to achieve in this reading, is a more focused definition of “inner and outer state of balance and harmony”, as well as some ideas on how to achieve this.

Sometimes a Tarot reading can demand a true creative effort! This card, for example, gave me a hard time.

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

This crosses you (Obstacle): Ten of Cups (Reversed)

The card in the previous position--Temperance--is a major arcana card, which points to an inexorable force, a major influence on the querent’s circumstances. The “crossing” or “obstacle” card should therefore have less power, but is an aspect to take note of.

What could the Ten of Cups—reversed—mean in this position?

The book meanings for this card reversed include the loss of a relationship and family quarrels, neither of which would fit my situation.

Taken literally, the two cards would indicate balance and harmony, which is threatened by quarrels, betrayals and lost friendship or family relationships. Since the 10 of Cups (as a minor arcana card) have less impact than Temperance, the overall balance and harmony represented by Temperance is not seriously threatened, but could be compromised. This interpretation could fit, but does not feel right.

Reading reversals is always tricky. There are numerous ways to interpret a reversed card, but one way that the books I used have not covered is the more internal, private reading of a card when it is reversed. Upright, the card points to the achievement of happiness and success, and harmonious relationships. Reversed, the card could therefore point to inner harmony, a good relationship with my inner creative self (the Cups suit can indicate creativity), and a feeling of contentment and attainment. But how can these positive aspects be a challenge?

So far with this interpretation, the 10 of Cups reinforces the balance and harmony indicated by Temperance, with a warning that some of this harmony is being compromised by (too much?) inner harmony. This sounds like creative complacency? And again, this seems to be the ideal situation, not current reality: ideal even with the ‘threat’ of creative complacency.

So again, I’m going to take this card as referring to the ideal situation, taking due note of how large the gap is between the ideal and the real. The two cards—situation and challenge—therefore indicate that balance, harmony, moderation, a good use of resources (Temperance) also refers to the inner world (10 of Cups reversed).

The question now becomes: how to attain this happy state of affairs? To break it down: the ideal circumstances in which to continue the book project would be to attain an inner and outer state of balance, harmony, creative achievement and moderation. The problem situation has become much clearer, as the reading suggests areas that I can specifically focus on.

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I want to emphasis that, as a sceptic, I do not believe in any external, supernatural forces informing this reading, or that I am uncovering ‘hidden’ information about my situation. My personal belief is that, in focusing on the situation with these cards as prompts, my mind is being stimulated to consider the problem and come up with suggestions. Although I have no quarrel with anyone believing differently, I do want to draw your attention to how the cards can be used purely as a tool for creative thinking.

This post continues the reading started in Part 1: The setup.

The reading is one using “traditional” meanings (gleaned from authors such as Arthur Edward Waite, Eden Gray, and Leanna Greenaway), in a “predictive” (or fortunetelling) reading. The purpose of this reading is not fortunetelling, but to demonstrate how a predictive reading can be used to stimulate the creative imagination and as an aid in problem solving. (See Part 1 of this series for the reasoning behind the exercise.)

This covers you (Situation): Trump XIV—Temperance 
According to the books I used, this card can mean economy (that is, good use of resources), moderation, balance, harmony, and adaptation.

If only this were true! I have not been feeling in the least balanced or moderate about this book lately; I have experienced neither inner (or outer, for that matter) harmony nor an ability to adapt to any of my circumstances. In fact, I have (temporarily) lost my writer’s voice, a phase which we promptly dubbed “writer’s laryngitis”! Things are looking a bit better today, but not Temperance-y at all.

However, Eden Gray uses one phrase with which I could identify: “the use of successful combinations.” If divination means ‘the uncovering of occult (hidden) information,’ then a predictive reading would be telling me that at least I’m on the right track with this book, which attempts to explain how Tarot and creative thinking can be combined. Creative thinking also often relies on combining unrelated ideas or items, so maybe this “alchemist” (one of the archetypes associated with Trump XIV) has found the right ingredients which, combined, will transform words on paper into gold. Whoo-hoo!

So how would this interpretation serve as stimulus for problem solving?

One of the steps in problem solving is the actual identification of a problem. If there is something “off” but you’re not sure what, one way to identify the problem is to create an ideal situation, then to see where reality and ideal are too far from each other.

This is a cinch in Tarot reading: all you need is a spread that explores your situation from various angles. You don’t need a specific question (indeed, if you had a specific question, you wouldn’t need to identify any problems—you would already know exactly what you want to ask), but you should probably identify a problem area first, such as finances, career, creative activities, spirituality or relationships.

The Celtic Cross does a superb job at giving you an overview of your current circumstances: it looks at challenges you face, the root or foundation of the situation, what is good about the situation, which influences from the past are at work, which future influences you need to take into account, how you see your role in this situation, how your external environment is influencing you, your feelings in the matter, and where this could all be leading to.

You could also design your own spread, of course, incorporating card positions for anything you can think of, or exploring an aspect in more depth (for example looking at the type of influences you could be facing—positive, negative, unconscious and so on). Or you could draw clarifying cards for specific cards in the Celtic Cross, if you wish.

The one thing you will not find in the Celtic Cross spread is specific advice. You can add a card position called “Advice,” but since I simply wanted a broad overview of the book project, I used the Celtic Cross as Waite described it.

This card highlights a huge gap between the ideal and reality: the lack of balance, harmony and moderation.

I have decided to use this lack as a problem I can work with; a second aspect that I want to keep in mind is to keep focusing on the main theme of the book: the combination of creative thinking and Tarot.

The best way to read the “Covers you” card is in combination with the second position: “Crosses you.” These two cards give you insight into the heart of the situation.

I have been having fun the last few days while (trying to) write the book*. I want to add sample readings using various techniques and “mind-sets” as illustrations of how to use the cards for creative thinking; one of these is a “predictive” reading, i.e. a good old-fashioned fortunetelling reading. Even a sceptic can “use” a fortunetelling reading to stimulate the creative juices. If you want to know how, read on!

My first type of reading is a straightforward and simple predictive reading, using set keywords or phrases. For the card meanings, I have used Arthur Edward Waite’s Pictorial key to the Tarot, Eden Gray’s The Tarot revealed: A modern guide to reading the Tarot cards, and Leanna Greenaway’s Simply Tarot.

To do this kind of reading, all you need is the little white book (LWB) that comes with the deck, or a book that provides you with meanings for all the cards. You don’t need to understand where any of these meanings comes from, and you do not need to do any deep soul searching. (Of course you can do these things, but for this type of reading you don’t have to.)

Future posts will discuss readings involving the more advanced techniques; these will include readings that use “book meanings,” as well as those that are purely intuitive or use free association exclusively (i.e. no books are consulted to interpret the cards).

The “predictive” reading, or pure fortunetelling reading, is not as popular as it once was. Most Tarot readers today prefer a more self-exploratory, psychological approach, and will point out that as we create the future with the choices we make every day, there is hardly any point in relying too much on predicting it.

I did not worry about looking too deeply for patterns and themes that may emerge, or work with dignities, card proximities, esoteric meanings or any other technique that Tarot readers use to enhance their readings. I wanted to keep this reading as simple as possible.

I also did not use a significator (a card that represents the querent or the person for whom the reading is done, or one that represents the situation you are exploring). Significators are usually drawn from the court cards or major arcana cards, and can depend on aspects such as your appearance, sex, age, or the type of problem you face. Some people draw a random card to serve as significator.

I used the Rider-Waite deck, and the Celtic Cross spread (as “traditional” as I could get!).

My reading did not involved a specific question, but was headed “Writing the book.”

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* The book has had many titles so far, but describes the ways a sceptic (specifically one who does not believe in any supernatural forces or psychic senses at work during a Tarot reading) can use Tarot cards. And of course, why one should wish to do so in the first place, as a sceptic! It also involves problem solving and other aspects of creative thinking.