How To Achieve 2012 Tarot Goals

It's been a few days since the New Year started, and I hope 2012 brings all of us success and prosperity. Today seemed like a good day to plot the direction for my Tarot related resolutions (I prefer to call them promises). They include growing my business which right now is only readings at psychic fairs and online via email or Skype, to include a private Tarot consulting service with office hours, performing corporate gigs and private partes and publishing a tarot related book. But before laying the journey out, I wanted to get some insight and advice from the cards. I asked:

"What are the best ways to achieve my Tarot related goals in 2012?"

Reading For A Skeptic

Today I was hanging out with my friend William. We ran some errands together and later he brought over his super-duper Kirby vacuum so I can shampoo my carpets. We were sitting around the kitchen table when he asked me to do a reading for him. He said he was a skeptic and wanted to understand the art form of Tarot reading. I agreed to read for him.

I asked if he had a specific question. He said no and asked if I couldn't just throw some cards and do a reading. I told him I could do a simple Past, Present & Future spread.

I cleared the energies from the deck and threw three cards:

Past - The Moon
Present - Justice
Future - Emperor

Position - PAST
Card - XVIII The Moon
Description of Card - Two dogs bay at the moon from the base a "lunar machine." The moon sits in a globe like clear sphere atop the machines gears, that have a ying yang quality about them. The moon gazes to the east night sky as two podiums flame on either side. A hermit crab snaps his way up from the depths.
Interpretation - I advised my friend that in his past he often flew off the handle. Relying on gut reactions rather than logic. I also told him I saw a betrayal, or what he defined as a betrayal or disappointment and he blames or judges the person or people to harshly because of it.

Position - PRESENT
Card - XI Justice
Description of Card - A woman dressed in white stands blindfolded in front of a golden scale. Her hands, mimicking the scales hold two sun like orbs that focus rays of energy down to a golden sun symbol. A warm summer sky at orange twilight surrounds the image.
Interpretation - I told my friend that right now in his life he is seeking balance. That he is trying to use a little more logic in his life rather than relying solely on his gut, instinct and emotion. I explained that this emergence of logic seems like a natural progression based upon the Moon in the Past position. I also saw that he was looking to balance his life with a female. I saw the energies coming forth from the hands of the woman and focusing into the emblem of the sun formed a V. This made me think of a vessel or a womb or a vagina. I told him that I though he was looking for a mother figure.

Position - FUTURE
Card - IV The Emperor
Description of Card - A bearded man stands regally in three quarter view wrapped in blue and red silk garments embroidered with sun signals. He wears a golden wreath on his hand. He holds a scepter at the top of which the planetary system revolve. The signs of the zodiac circle him. The scepter in his right hand his left points to the ground. This card reminds me a lot of the Magician in the RWS deck.
Interpretation - My friend was going to be successful in his attempts to find balance between logic and emotion and this was going to help him be successful financially.

Since the Emperor was the only card in the reading to talk about money, I wanted clarification on this and drew three more cards.

Clarifier Cards - Knight of Pentacles, Five of Pentacles (Rx) and Knight of Wands
Interpretation - Seeing these cards come up, I explained to my friend that Knights represented messengers, true believers and/or warriors. To me it felt as if he was going to get a job offer that was not in his profession right now and it was going to take him out of state. This job would be different from what he was currently doing. I explained that the Five of Pentacles represented people who were so consumed with worry they could not see the solution was near them. Since this was reversed I saw that his new job was going to helping people with their challenges or least helping them see that a solution was closer than they thought. This is how he was going to make his money.

My friend and I then discussed how I "got" these meanings. I explained it was intuition, instinct. I looked at the cards and based upon what I knew of the definition of the card, the imagery on the card, the energy I felt around us and my knowledge of him is what formed my reading. He challenged that my friendship with him was more of what I was reading rather than intuiting from the cards and "mystical" abilities. He asked for a second reading to validate the first. Glad for the practice I obliged.

I again cleared the deck and three another PPF spread. The cards I got this time were:

Past - Three of Pentacles (Rx)
Present - Nine of Cups (Rx)
Future - XII The Hanging Man

Position - PAST
Card - Three of Pentacles (Rx)
Description of Card - A worker holds a pentacle he just removed from the kiln high. There is a definite look of pride and satisfaction on his face. Two other pentacles hang, possibly bolted, above the kiln. The kiln is still hot with fire showing there is still work to be done and the pentacle being held is still alight with heat from the kiln it was recently removed from.
Interpretation - I told my friend that in his past he felt there was something he felt was not finished. The Three of Pentacles shows pride in work and also that that work was not finished. Reversed shows me that he feels that there was something he could have done better. Some opportunity that he feels was taken from him prematurely.

Position - PRESENT
Card - Nine of Cups (Rx)
Description of Card - A man welcomes you warmly into his establishment. He raises a cup in your honour while eight other golden chalices sit awaiting to be filled with your desires
Interpretation - I explained that the Nine of Pentacles is the ultimate wish card. It represented whatever you wanted was in your grasp. Reversed, not so much. I told my friend that it seems he has given up on his dreams or that he has been denied what he wanted. That something was taken away from him.

Position - FUTURE
Card - XII The Hanging Man (Rx)
Description of Card - A man hangs upside down in chains. He is dressed in an almost circus like garb. While he may look as if he is caught in the chains. They are in fact very loose and the man can escape anytime he chooses and right himself
Interpretation - I advised my friend that Hanging Man was a card of self discovery and exploration. That he purposely hangs upside so he can gain some new enlightenment from viewing things from a different perspective. I told him that if he wanted to reclaim this dream he was going to have to "think outside the box." To put aside all previous pre-cognitions and think different. I married this back to the first reading with the need for balance between logic and emotion, instead of the poles he tended to swing back and forth from. Reversed I explained meant that I saw him not doing this and missing the opportunity.

When the second reading was through. My friend told me he now understood the art form better and there was some validity to both Tarot in general and what I told him specifically. He then told me he wanted to run a help and rescue shelter for dogs and he actually was starting to train seeing eyes dogs in his mid twenties but stopped at 28 when he moved. He told me he was thinking about moving to Georgia, getting some land and starting to train dogs again.

As we were talking, I casually cut the deck and pulled the Four of Pentacles. I smiled as I explained to my friend that Four of Pentacles represents a man who has achieved success in business but must be careful of holding to tightly to that success lest it comes to define him and he misses out on other parts of life. At this point my friend started bugging out and yelling, "That's just like my dream! That's just like my dream!"

William explained to me that a few nights ago he had a dream that he was successful in business but lost his family because of his single minded focus.

I guess he's not a skeptic anymore ;)

Interview With My New Gilded Tarot - PDR #1

I received some Tarot decks and books as gifts for Channukah this year. One deck was the Original RWS I wanted because it the standard. Wherever I go on the web to get knowledge or to learn, the sites always refer to the RWS or RWS "style" decks so I figured I needed to get one. The other deck was The Gilded Tarot. I felt an attachment for this deck when I first spied it on AT. I was drawn to the art work. When I opened the deck I was not disappointed. The artwork took my breath away. It is simply gorgeous. It doesn't just speak to me it sings!!

The deck was a part of a set with a Learn To Read Tarot book called, "Easy Tarot." I have been reading Tarot on and off for 10 years with my Merlin Deck, so after cracking open the deck and drooling I decided to do a reading. I threw a Interview Spread to see what kind of personality my new Gilded had. Only after the reading did I open the companion book and found Rule #1:

Rule #1
Do not rush right in and do a reading by throwing a spread and looking up the meanings of the cards.

OOPS!

Oh well. I decided that I wanted to learn Tarot properly and so I now approach the deck as a total newbie. One of the learning techniques the author shares is to keep a journal (this site) and to write down your thoughts of each card in your journal. Not the book definition but your own thoughts and feelings on the card. I will share this information, as well as any readings I do on a weekly basis (sometimes more often, sometimes less).

So to start 2009 off right we will start with the Interview with my Gilded Tarot:


Interview With The Gilded Tarot - January 1, 2009

Question 1 - Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic?
Card - Judgement
Description of Card - A helmeted female messenger is about to sound a Golden Horn. Judgement day has arrived. Around the horn are beautifully drawn humans that seem to be dancing (at least in ballet/dance poses). The woman gazes down on the horn and/or the humans.
Interpretation - You will reap what you sow. Whatever you put into getting to know me I will give you back. We are partners in this journey so do not expect me to do all the work.

Question 2 - What are your strengths as a deck?
Card - Six of Wands
Description of Card - A gentleman sits atop a horse parading through an adoring crowd. He sits proudly with a wreathed wand in one of his hands. Banners wave behind him as he is honored for his accomplishments.
Interpretations - I will reward your hard work to get to know me.

Question 3 - What are your limits as a deck?
Card - Three of Cups
Description of Card - Three young ladies dance with streamers in their hands. The are dressed in colors that represent the other three elements (fire, air and earth). Below them two cups pour water into a third cup which is overflowing and creating a body of water below it which the third cup sits on top of.
Interpretations - I am a pragmatic tool that can help you increase your understandings. I will not help celebrate your successes. I am not your friend. I really do not care about affairs of the heart.

Question 4 - What do you bring to the table? What are you here to teach me?
Card - Seven of Swords
Description of Card - A man holding five swords is exiting a dwelling. Two more swords lay on the floor. The man is looking back, as if making sure he is not spotted. Clearly this man is up to no good and is stealing the swords. A cat watches the thief with apathy as he leaves.
Interpretations - I will teach you how to deal with disappoint and loss. All is not rosy and you will need how to learn to deal with these situations if you are to find peace and contentment.

Question 5 - How can I best learn from and collaborate with you?
Card - Four of Pentacles
Description of Card - A well dressed merchant stands in a room, possibly a balcony, clutching four pentacles to his chest. He is garbed in a lush purple gown with rings on his fingers. His hands are clasped around the pentacles.
Interpretations - The best way you can learn from me is hard work. Nose to the grindstone, shoulder to boulder. Be serious in your studies and your desires to learn and grow and I will reward you. Paradoxically, let go of a results oriented goal system. For that is not me and not the nature of Tarot.

Question 6 - What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?
Card - Page of Wands
Description of Card - A page strolls confidently across a checkered floor of the balcony. He holds a wand in front as a trophy he is entitled to. Orange trees grow in the background. My but he is full of himself!!
Interpretation - You will be able to receive messages and understand the vibrations around you. You will grow to feel comfortable with your gifts that have been developed with my help. You will find new directions to apply your skills.

Overall Feelings
Wow!! I think my deck is a haughty, confident little bugger!! It is a no nonsense, pragmatic partner that will very often "coach me up." It is more likely to kick me in my ass than console and commiserate with me when things take a down turn. It is very full of itself. I don't know if that is arrogance or confidence. The presence of the Page would leave me to say arrogance.

If my deck was a person I don't think we would be good friends. In fact, from this reading, I get the very distinct feeling that we will not. It will be a successful relationship but my deck will never let me forget it is above me. It will always remain aloof.

Haughty is the perfect word.

As far as the deck. The artwork is full. The deck sits comfortably in the hand and shuffles well. Despite my decks full opinion of itself, I still look forward to working with it.