Reading #1: “How Might I Pursue an Education in Art and Graphic Design?” (Part 1)

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.

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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.

Tarot for Life and the Upside Down Fool

I've been coming to the Tarot in a number of ways, and have been pleasantly surprised at how many people who are in my life are familiar with or have used the cards with an open mind.  Friends, friends of friends, friends of relatives, neon signs in windows, my interest in cross-cultural symbols, metaphors, and archetypes: these things and more have gently allowed me to come to the point in my life where I am now actively pursuing an education in Tarot.  Just look at the previous post on this very same blog.

Yesterday, I purchased a book called "Tarot for Life," by a man named Paul Quinn, whose website can be found at http://www.thespiritedlife.com.  On page 4 of the introduction, the author suggests that the reader perform a simple Tarot reading, randomly pulling one card from a shuffled deck of just the Major Arcana.  I followed the instructions and asked the provided question, basically trying to figure out what I might expect to learn more about through use of the book (aside from the obvious "reading Tarot cards" angle).

What I neglected to do on the first go, though, was to focus only on the "dignified" or upright aspect of the card, for--as I've learned--if a card is upside down or "reversed," it can have a rather significant impact on its meaning and interpretation.  Appropriately enough, and with a last-second feeling that I was going to do so, I turned over an upside down card: The Fool, or number 0 of the Major Arcana.  A good friend with some knowledge of the relevant details tells me this is fitting.

The Universal Waite Deck's "The Fool" as I pulled it

Being somewhat nonplussed, I decided to conduct the exercise again, but with the caveat that this would be for other aspects I might expect to learn about, and specifically intended that only the upright position would be considered.  The second pull produced Major Arcana card 1, The Magician.  I have been told this makes sense, too, but beyond an initial impression I am unclear on possible significances this card may have.

The Second Card I Pulled

Taken together, I have yet to assign any major meanings to the sequence, the numbers, the cards, or their names.  As explained above, I have only yesterday purchased a guide to the Tarot and only received my deck early Sunday morning.  

I look forward to meditating on the meaning these two cards may have in store for me in the days and weeks to come.