This is copied from my actual bound paper Tarot journal, from my very first full 10-card question reading. For my preliminary work, I am using Joan Bunning’s “Learning the Tarot: A Tarot Book for Beginners” and the previously mentioned “Tarot for Life: Reading the Cards for Everyday Guidance and Growth” by Paul Quinn.
April 22, 2011
5:20 AM
Question Reading #1
Question: “How Might I Pursue an Education in Art and Graphic Design?”
NB: I forgot to ask the question aloud, and perhaps did not have the question held in my mind especially strongly. I am not a hundred percent confident that I did it “right,” but I feel pretty good given it’s my first real reading.
First Impressions:
• Feeling of weight, heaviness. Importance, gravity? Weight (of situation.)
• Magician at Position One. Surprised to see again so soon, and so prominently. (This card also appeared at Position One in my first consultation ever, a general reading.)
• King of Pentacles (reversed) at Position Three. Something to do with poverty or little wealth? “Used to be poor,” maybe?
• Three Major Arcana.
• King of Cups (Hearts) at Position Nine.
• Chariot is at Position Ten; no idea what that card means.
• Heaviness dissipates somewhat.
Spread – Celtic Cross
1 - The Magician
2 - The Hanged Man [R]
3 - King of Pentacles [R]
4 - Ace of Swords
5 - 5 of Wands [R]
6 - 6 of Pentacles
7 - 4 of Wands
8 - Page of Pentacles [R]
9 - King of Cups
10 - The Chariot
Analysis:
Position 1 – THE MAGICIAN
In reading about The Magician again, some key words that jumped out at me were “action,” “realizing your potential,” “carrying out plans,” “using your talents,” “being creative,” and “focusing on a goal.” This position reflects my inner or internal experience of the situation. In addition, the card description says stuff like “the primal forces of creativity” can be harnessed by me, and that it is a “signal to act and act now.” Action seems to be a big theme with this guy.
There is a caveat, though, which is that I should understand what I want and be committed to achieving it. It seems highly fitting that my inner state or the central issue here would be represented by this card, as it is a fairly major action I intend to undertake; namely, changing majors at this potentially late stage of the game from Linguistics to Graphic Design. I’m not entirely sure if this is showing my surrounding environment /external factors, or if this more about me personally and what’s going on inside me, but I suspect the latter.
I also note that The Chariot is listed as a reinforcing card, which appears in pos. 10 in this reading. However, The Hanged Man is listed as a possible opposing card, which brings us to….
Position 2 – THE HANGED MAN [Reversed]
Um. At first I really related to the key concepts described in the books of “changing your mind,” and “overturning old priorities.” Similarly, I recently let go of my goal of going back to Berkeley and finishing my Linguistics B.A., “ending the struggle” so to speak. The description complicates things, though. I am supposed to be reminded that the optimal approach to a problem is not necessarily the most obvious. Also, in seeming total contradiction to The Magician, The Hanged Man tells us that when we most feel like acting is precisely when we should wait. Hm.
Interestingly, though, although the book suggests that I ignore reversed meanings early on, I never intended to disregard those aspects, and this one indeed turned up reversed. Does this mean it’s “blocked” or “restricted,” or maybe that it’s “losing force and power” and energy? The fact that it is crossing The Magician, but reversed, is confusing me. The Hanged Man certainly qualifies as a contrary “source of resistance” to The Magician. Although, come to think of it, it might actually be a reinforcing or supporting factor here in position 2, and a reversed Hanged Man can have the opposite meaning of an upright one. That is, “the waiting is over; it’s time to act.” In which case, this spread is so far two for two on suggesting I take action.
I’m also seeing a potential theme in that the source of The Magician’s creativity is a higher power or energy, the same wellspring that enables The Hanged Man’s enlightenment from his decidedly different vantage point.
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I will keep posting until I have finished the analysis of this reading. It's already, you know, analyzed I just don't want to copy everything over from my journal at once.
