Line reading with 7 of Cups

7 of Cups today from CBD Tarot (not shown in image. Image is from Google images, an unidentified deck.)

It's been a rough couple of days. My emotions have been very volatile, explained by hormone fluctuation, the pressures of a house buy and the reality of a mortgage that possibly extends longer than my employability.

7 of Cups is troubled emotion or relationship(s). That pretty much sums it up my last few days. It's been stormy round here, people!

To expand on this card, I drew two more: 2 of Coins and 8 of Swords. Ideas and plans for balancing finances. Yes again.

To read the story of the cards, here are a few different possible interpretations:

--Troubled emotions/relationships caused by overthinking the balance of money.

--Troubled emotions/relationships require schemes for getting to grips with the reality.

--Troubled emotions/relationships find balance (become grounded) through careful analysis.

--A financial partnership is stormy but can be balanced by a rational approach.

No matter how you slice it, the message is clear. Get a grip. This looks like a job for CBT, some research, and some very flexible short term and long term planning. And a bit of faith and trust.

Like a circle in a spiral, like a wheel within a wheel

CBD Tarot, Ben-Dov 2011

Hm, lots of wheels this week, CBD Tarot turns up the 2 of Coins, following on from yesterday's Wheel of Fortune.

Ben-Dov says:

Duality. Two options or two elements. Collaborating while keeping distance. A winding road, advancing in complex ways. Recognition and acknowledgement.

Yesterday I was miffed at my mortgage adviser for sending me a condescending email reply to my asking him to explain why he'd selected a particular insurance provider instead of some of the ones with better reviews on Which? It was uncalled for, to say the least, but I have merely asked again for more information about the product he's chosen. If he remains unwilling to explain himself, I will have to assume his main motivation is lining his pockets with my commission and not helping me understand why I should buy his product,  and I'll just have to select my own cover as most people do -- on the internet. But the Wheel will come back up in my favour again, and it might be that doing my own insurance actually is in my favour.

Some 2 of Coins affirmations:

"I celebrate my growth and power." Angel Paths

"Every problem is just an opportunity waiting for someone." Key-Hypnosis

"I flourish in the tide of change." Machelle Earley

"Act happy." James Ricklef

Those are all very interesting takes on a card that shows balance, movement and exchange in the realm of money, security and the material world.

(Title reference: Windmills of Your Mind song lyric)

5 of Swords in Tarot de Marseille

CBD Tarot, Ben-Dov

An RWS reader sees the 5 of Swords and says, 'Defeat. Loss. Betrayal.' I even used to call it the 'nanner nanner boo boo' card, because the victors look so smug and the defeated look so... defeated. But what's in the Tarot de Marseille image?

Look at the card. Think literally to start with. What do swords do? They cut. We use them to defend and to attack. Sometimes they are ceremonial, where they are used to display power and authority. For any sword card, we would do well to remember what a sword literally is and what it represents. Defend, attack, power, authority. Cut, stab, slice, penetrate.

Think about the colours. Forget 'colour symbolism' and be literal. Red is heat, blood. Pale blue is cold and icy. Yellow is the colour of the sun and of gold.

In this image we see four curved scimitars which might be viewed as a ceremonial array, or it might be a defensive formation, or an offensive 'trap'. (Anyone see 'Game of Thrones' recently?!)  In the centre is a red sword with a gold cross guard, blue grip, red pommel and white peen block, or 'pommel button' (these four parts combine to form the 'hilt'). The blade of this sword is red and it is shorter and wider than any other sword in the suit. It appears to be a substantial weapon, created not for aesthetics but for use. (As opposed to some of the longer, slender blades seen in the swords suit.)

In all of the odd sword cards, we see a single red-bladed sword involved in some way with the pale blue cross-hatching at the top of the card. However, in every other card, we see the sword's blade below, its tip above, but only red diamond shapes in the blue area.  (such as the one seen below the sword). It is only in the 5 of Swords that the actual red blade itself is clearly depicted penetrating the blue at the top of the card. And here is where we get the key word for 5 of Swords: 'Breakthrough'.

Five of Swords is the only card that shows a red blade with a red pommel. All of the swords have red blades with pale blue grips, showing the swords consist of strong feelings wielded with detachment -- sans merci? But this is the only one with a red pommel. The pommel of a sword is not there for decoration. It is essential to the construction of the sword. Its purpose is to fasten the blade into the hilt, act as a counterbalance to the weight of the blade, and support the hand. This one is red, and is somewhat larger than other pommels in the sword suit. This blade of passions or strongly held beliefs or determination or bloody-mindedness, or whatever you wish to read into the colour red, is anchored in more of the same. Wielded with a detachment that suggests lack of mercy. And unlike other sword cards, the 5 of Swords clearly shows the main blade penetrating blockages created by the other swords in the card.

The interpretation given in The Open Reading by Yoav Ben-Dov:

'An initiative to push forward and go beyond present limitations. Perseverance in a tight situation brings success. Going your own way regardless of disturbance by others. Imposing your will on adversaries who are weaker.'

We've put an offer on that second house that turned up in a recent reading. Perhaps today will be the 'breakthrough'. We're still waiting to hear from the vendor with a response to our offer.

What breakthroughs are you hoping to make today?

7 Card 'Dumb Reading' with CBD Tarot

CBD Tarot by Yoav Ben-Dov

Yesterday my negotiations on the house were handed over to a woman who works in my mortgage broker's office. He told me she was 'very good at these sort of conversations', and I spoke to her on the phone for about 30 minutes. I like her. She is firm and resolute. We are going to meet with her on Monday for further discussion. For today, I thought there's no harm in just flat-out asking, 'What will be the outcome of this negotiation?' and trying a 'dumb reading' (as described by Enrique Enriquez) using 7 cards to string together a story from the images.

This, then is the story of this line: 

A financial situation exists involving a lot of money. A woman holds up a coin toward the situation. Her sceptre and demeanour display an easy and regal confidence. A youth rides up and stops to look at the coin. He's facing away from the woman; she is not part of his experience of this coin, just the coin. It appears much smaller to him than it did to the woman who held it out. It's so light it floats, to him, whereas in her hand it looks more hefty and substantial.  The youth eyes the coin and seems inclined to hit it with his bat. He's certainly not reaching out for it. He is moving toward an older man holding a cup. His gaze now also appears to be passing the coin and moving toward the man in the next card. The older man has a posture of easy confidence, and appears to be guiding the youth toward the 6 of Wands. The youth most likely rides past the floating coin and with the help of the wiser man, a collaboration is created. A good feeling emerges. A financial balance results.

To break it down a little more:

The story begins with 9 of Coins, a lot of money. ('One is a little. Ten is a lot,' as Camelia Elias says in her book The Marseille Tarot: Towards the Art of Reading.) Buying a house is the biggest purchase most people ever make. So, yes, a lot of money. The coin in the middle is me, and the other coins are people trying to get money out of me. It's the cost of the house and also the situation I'm in, doing my best to protect myself from a costly mistake. 

The Queen of Coins faces me. She is on my side. She also faces the financial situation and not the the subsequent cards. For her, the financial aspect is the only important thing. She holds a coin out to the 9 of Coins. She makes an offer to those who want my money.  She is probably our negotiator. 

The Knight of Coins examines the offer. He holds a club and looks as if he intends to bat the coin away. He is moving away from the offer. Perhaps the offer is rejected by the vendor. But perhaps the vendor will be guided a bit in this...

The King of Cups looks away from the Knight of Coins toward 6 of Wands. The King of Cups has experience in dealing with emotional situations, and his eyes are on collaboration. Perhaps he is the estate agent or other advisor of the Knight of Coins who might counsel for cooperation. It is after all in the interest of the estate agent to make a sale, and a few thousand here or there is not going to affect his commission that much. His gaze is to the right of the spread, the future. He will want progress to be made. 

6 of Wands. An alliance. We may find a way to meet our goals. 

Ace of Cups. The agreement apparently is quite acceptable to both parties. 

2 of Coins. Both parties have their financial goals reached by working together. A balance is found.

The Queen of Coins keeps her back to the proceedings after her initial offer. This suggests that any compromises to her offer will probably not be considered by her to be the best case scenario.Her back to proceedings suggests her initial offer is not the one that happens in the end. However, the Ace of Cups suggests good feeling, and coupled with the 2 of Coins, suggests good feeling between financial collaborators.

(On the other hand, the 6 of Wands may indicate that both of us have found an ally that makes us feel protected, and we have a good feeling about the outcomes, which is that we both have protected our own financial interest by keeping barriers up between us (see how the two coins are kept apart), ie, we don't complete the sale, but we feel good about it. However, the two coins are linked together, though also kept separate, so chances are this points to a collaboration of two sides of the coin. Either we amicably agree to disagree, or we manage to reach a mutually satisfactory contract, but either way, it would appear that this will not be an all-out war full of ugliness!)

ETA: A reader friend of mine suggested that the King of Cups could be another potential buyer! So it could be that collaboration and agreement happen with a different buyer, not us. I didn't even see that. So that is an alternative outcome. :)

Page of Swords copes with anxiety...

CBD Tarot by Yoav Ben-Dov

'The future is perceived as a menace, but this can be put right with a change of approach.'
                                                                     - Yoav Ben-Dov

That card hits the nail on the head. Today we are meeting with our independent surveyor to discuss the condition of the house we are in the process of buying (or not), with particular attention to works that were carried out on it some four years ago. His advice will largely determine whether we proceed or walk away, and quite rightly as that is the purpose of a building survey.

This Page of Swords holds his weapon ineffectively on his shoulder, blocking his view of the future and turning his face away from it. I myself have been feeling quite anxious, my mind whirling with the 'what-ifs' of the future -- what if we pay too much, what if something goes wrong with the house that we should have seen or known about, what if we lose our jobs and can't make the payments, and all that sort of thing.

'The weapon may symbolise not a weapon, but a barrier or hindrance, such as negative thoughts,' Ben-Dov writes in The Open Reading. 'The feet pointing both directions indicate indecision.' Do they ever! But hopefully today, they will be set on the right path for our greatest good.

'Hindering factors can be used as useful tools or weapons.' Well, the survey itself has been a trigger for a lot of my anxiety -- and this is apparently quite a common response to a building survey, which makes your little dream home look like a house of horrors! But I can see how it can be used as a tool to point out where improvements need to be made so there are no nasty surprises (or fewer at least) after we move in, and can be used perhaps not as a 'weapon', but let's say 'leverage' in renegotiating price to reflect true value of the structure and property.

I'll be so glad when this stage of the game is done.

Colours in Le Diable: Cheeky Freaky and the Grinning Imps

CBD Tarot 

Well this is an interesting chap to pop up on a regular old Friday. This isn't your Christian Devil as depicted in some RWS decks, looking menacing and tormenting his victims. This figure looks like Cheeky Freaky and the Grinning Imps.

This is the only card in the deck that shows 'full frontal nudity', and it is directly in the center of the card. The two imps' line of sight is aimed straight at the red tip of the penis.

Let's look at the colour symbolism in this card. The basic colour meanings are listed on pages 63-64 of Ben-Dov's book, The Open Reading. I'm going to try to apply them to Le Diable...

Starting from the bottom, a layer of black. The foundation of the Devil card is dark depths, dark layers of the soul. The Devil either stands on or hovers slightly above (I see him as standing on) a platform made of red then green -- passions plus nature -- so he emerges from our dark subconscious passions and natural desires. The Devil's body of legs and torso is pale blue, which Ben-Dov says symbolises 'clarity, transparency, a combination of matter and spirituality, coldness or detachment.' The body is somewhat neutral, then, with the exception of the red around the breasts and pelvis and tip of the penis, the 'passion zones'. Then notice that the face, arms and hands, and the pubis, testicles and penis are the beige 'flesh colour' used in the deck. The face, hands and genitals are the way we make connections with other human beings and interact with our environment. Communication and the work we do for survival comes from the head, face, arms, and hands, and a profound and intimate means of interaction and bonding as well as getting of more human beings to join in this social congress comes from the genitals. Ben-Dov adds that the flesh tone symbolises 'something which is part of the querent's identity or personality'. It is surely the case that much of our identity lies the work of our hands, the way we interact with others (faces), and our gender identity/sexuality. The imps are also flesh coloured, and their tethers are flesh coloured -- are they are our natural children? Our habits? The products of our 'natural' activities? They don't look miserable...so the ties that bind them are not trapping them, and they're not being tormented. They're just attached. Why do they have their hands behind their backs? That's an interesting question!

The red continues as the inner cap beneath the Devil's crown, and the tip of the flaming torch. Notice the torch is green and red -- nature and passion. The 'temptations' of the Devil and the foundation he stands on are our very natures and drives. Notice he's got a green collar, so his face is framed by red and green -- and if his face is the centre of communication, then all his communications are framed in the context of nature and passion. Yep. (Wow, I'm on a roll).

The colour yellow is said to represent material success and plenty, the element earth, 'intelligence applied to practical needs' and 'a warm and optimistic feeling'! The Devil and his imps are crowned with yellow, the Devil's platform has a halo of yellow, and his wings are yellow. Of course, the Devil's playground is material things and earthly pleasures. Why do you think his wings are yellow? What's it saying about wealth, material things, the pleasures of this world, and the Devil?

The Devil card contains a paradox: 'This is the inherent paradox of desire: acting on it can be perceived as liberation from inhibiting norms, but also as a bondage-like addiction to pleasure and satisfaction.' We can get addicted to and become enslaved to fulfilling all these natural passions and drives.

The Devil card is not about Satan. It's about us.

Mettre de l'eau dans son vin -- Temperance in Tarot de Marseille

CBD Tarot 

As the French say, 'Mettre de l'eau dans son vin,' which means something like 'put some water in the wine'. This is the essence of Temperance.

We see the figure in the card literally mixing two liquids; they could well be water and wine. To 'temper' is to act as a neutralising or counterbalancing force. Obviously if we put water into wine, this will dilute it, neutralising or counterbalancing its strength.

When the French say 'put some water in your wine,' they mean something like 'chill out' or 'take it down a notch'.  This could be in a positive way, like being more tolerant or being willing to compromise, or in a not so good way, like lowering one's standards or 'selling out'. Usually, though, it's considered the best thing to have done in the situation. Going to extremes is almost never the best course of action.

If you put some water in the wine (or Scotch or bourbon), you make it milder and easier to drink. If you put some water in your wine metaphorically, you make yourself milder and more palatable. :)

In fact, being able to 'put water in one's wine' is clearly a blessed ability, resulting in seeming miracles, because the figure in this card appears to be some sort of angel, having wings and a flower on her forehead (third eye? crown chakra?), and performing the impossible by pouring liquid horizontally. That's a pretty neat trick!

The neat trick of 'putting water in one's wine' is a completely internal process, as seen in the card. The lone figure stands completely enrobed, her garments are heavy and cover her completely. The liquid she pours goes from one vessel to the other, all her own; it is not poured out onto the ground or into a stream or bowl that others might access. As Yoav Ben-Dov points out in The Open Reading, she is 'rooted to the ground, and the raised elbows may be fending off other people from invading [her] personal space.' He goes on to say, 'This can indicate excessive preoccupation with oneself and with one's own inner processes, which leaves no place for practical advancement or close contact with others.' Which is kind of interesting -- can Temperance itself be intemperate?? I guess that's its shadow side! 'Going back and forth without making real progress,' as Ben-Dov puts it. I never thought of that as in interpretation of the pouring back and forth action of Temperance!

How could you be more temperate today? Do you need to put some water in your wine somewhere in your life? How might you be going back and forth without making real progress?

A standoff between Page of Wands and Knight of Swords

CBD Tarot 

I wrote about this card a couple of years ago, and made much of the strange configuration of arms in the TdM image. I couldn't figure out what they could mean, but Yoav Ben-Dov suggests in The Open Reading that 'it seems as if the wand absorbs the page's hands, meaning that the querent's actions are not driven by his desires and not by his conscious control.' Well now that is genius, and leads straight to the quick interpretation at the bottom of the entry: 'Desires and drives which the querent doesn't yet know how to control and direct. Creative potential and real intentions to move forward, but more maturity and self-discipline are needed for things to happen.'

Again, completely different interpretation to RWS meanings. But it still makes sense in the context of a page's lack of maturity and the nature of the Wands suit.

This draw is quite apt, considering yesterday I wanted to do some yoga but had to quit after only two sun salutes, and wanted to eat well, but ended up eating quite a lot of rubbish. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

I wonder what is in the Page of Wand's line of sight? I've drawn Knight of Swords.  They are certainly looking straight into one another's eyes. 'The querent has energy, motivation and resources needed to advance, but he should control his impulse to charge ahead and instead check whether the direction in which he is advancing is a good one. It is advisable to pay attention to hesitation and doubts.' (The Opening Reading.)

Now that's interesting.

Ben-Dov points out that the Knight of Swords' horse's hooves are detached from 'the practical ground'.  Whereas he notes that the Page of Wands has 'feet touching the bottom line of the card in a way which suggests a stable base'.

Why are they in a standoff?

How has an unfocused and unskilled sense of drive met with hesitation and doubt in your life? They seem to be at a stalemate here, squaring up and glaring into each other's eyes.

How do you break out of such a situation?

Why don't you draw a card from a TdM and tell me what answer you get?

Keeping my head above the TdM

CBD Tarot 

Lately I've felt like I ought to finally dive into the Tarot de Marseille and see if I sink or swim.  I'm taking the plunge with the CBD Tarot by Yoav Ben-Dov, guided by his book The Open Reading. I've dabbled a bit with TdM, but I've never made a deep study of it. Looking forward to it.

You'll notice the meanings are a departure from RWS. Just roll with it.

Today's card is 7 of Coins, which is given this interpretation in Ben-Dov's book:

'A new or exceptional element is well-received in an existing framework. Help and support. Nourishment and protection. Balance between individualism and conformity.'

Where does he get that, you might ask? It's from the meaning of the number 7, and from the arrangement of the coins on the card. There is one coin situated between three pairs of coins, and enclosed by vines 'in a way that expresses protection and support'. So I assume that the querent is that single coin in the middle, getting support and protection from the rest of the crowd on the card.

The quick meanings at the back of the book offer this: 'Acceptance. Something new is well-received. Integrating into a system without losing one's individuality.'

Maybe this has to do with diving into the TdM this week! Maybe I will be able to integrate into this system without losing my individuality. Would you expect any less of me? :)

Listen to those Chariot wheels creak!

CBD Tarot

What is the most important thing for me to do today? 

Boom! Look at how those cards have fallen. The man of the material realm and the despot have their eyes fixated on the 5 of Wands, the card of physical work/action. Today I must work out and if I do, it will be the first workout since April 2015. Can you believe that? 

I thought I'd draw a goddess card to see what energy I need and look who popped up: 

Journey to the Goddess Realm

Yes, it's Hygieia, goddess of health, with her kundalini rising and her pentacles representing the body (fire, water, earth, air, spirit) in protective circles. And there are four of them, showing how balanced she is. 

All right already! Where are those old Kelly Coffey-Meyer DVDs? ....

ETA: I did something. It wasn't a workout DVD -- I did my own 30 minute stepping, squats, lunges and biceps and triceps while watching 'Harold and Maude' (1971 cult classic) on You Tube. Then I went and ordered 4 KCM DVDs at Coffeyfit.

A "dumb reading"* -- say what you see

CBD Tarot 

'How can I motivate myself to do a particular thing that I ought to do?'

Your desires and your actions are not cooperating. At some point they seem to have been moving together in the same direction, but both of them are now looking over their shoulder. At what? The direction from which they've come. The crossed wands show that earlier in the journey, they cooperated, worked together. But now, they are at an impasse. (A cross could be an alliance, or it could be an "X" as in "stop"). They're stalled out. If they were to turn their heads and look in the direction of travel, what would they see? 

They would see a man in a chariot. His gaze and the gaze of his two strange blue horses are toward the forward motion of the path. (The way the bodies, though not the faces, of King of Cups and Knight of Wands are facing). The chariot faces us, the viewer, but we see a wheel on the left and the horses' heads and the charioteer's gaze are to the left, so it looks to me like this chariot is being turned to the left, heading down the path, 'back on track'. The charioteer's left hand is coming up, elbow raised. I can just see him complete the motion to point his horses toward his right. The two horses that were pulling in opposite directions will come in line -- it's already beginning to happen, as their heads are both moving in the same direction. The King of Cups and Knight of Wands will hear the commotion, turn their heads, and follow his lead. 

The Chariot will surely be able to mow down obstacles in the way, and progress can be made, as long as the King and Knight follow in the path he clears. 

Will you allow yourself to take agency as the Chariot, or will you stay stalled out as the King of Cups?

(Notice my recent stalker cards of Knight of Wands and Chariot. Not surprising, as I keep reading about the same theme, using different decks on different days. And they say tarot is random. LOL)

*"Dumb reading" is a term of Enrique Enriquez - Eschew symbolism and esoteric knowledge in favour of looking at what's happening in the cards. 

Western Union calling?

CBD Tarot

I have quite ambivalent feelings about the Tarot de Marseilles. I know it's an important deck, historically, but I find it so strange and ugly that I rarely use it.

Here we have the Page of Wands (Valet de Baton) from the CBD (Conver-Ben Dov) Tarot de Marseilles. The first thing that catches my eye, after my usual squinting at the overly long back and short legs, spaced apart in a way that suggests no known structure of the human pelvis, is the arms. What the --? That arm in the blue sleeve is NOT coming from this dude's left shoulder. It seems to be growing out of his right rib cage. That's weird. Also, the 'batons' in the TdM are odd because they are bright green with red tips, like when the branch was cut from the tree it oozed blood. Plus, I can't help but saying, the red-tipped bits just remind me of penises. (Sorry!)

Anyway, ignoring the blue earth and yellow grass and white sky, the bleeding green penis tree and the Picasso arms, what does the Page of Wands mean for me today?

Mary K Greer's 'Tarot for Yourself' offers these questions to ponder: What new territories are you checking out? Who is calling you? Who is enthusiastic about your endeavors or looks up to you as a mature adult? What risky actions are you taking? What are you all fired up about?'

Well, I know the Page of Wands is traditionally seen as the bringer of messages, and is often interpreted as important phone calls or letters. In my mind, he's always been Bart Simpson, tearing about on his tricycle wreaking havoc, in a good-natured, high-spirited way. Freaky-arm dude here doesn't seem terribly high-spirited, but you never know, maybe that's how he dislocated his shoulder.

Maybe I'll get some sort of important communication today. Watching for it will keep the day interesting. :)

Dude, what's going on with your behind?

Today's the last day for the CBD Tarot, and I've drawn The Sun. Just looking at the details on this card. I've never been much of a fan of TdM art, anyway, but the Sun card always puzzles me. Why the twins? I've read so many ideas about why there are two figures on the card. And look at the art. They both have skin that looks like it's made of folded sheets of something flat, like origami figures, and the one on the left looks like he has a tail. Both are wearing blue loin cloths that don't actually cover their bits, which aren't there. The brickwork on that wall doesn't match up at all. Then between their little legs, the blue from the ground goes up between the knees of the left figure, notching into the wall, and the wall between the right figure's knees is flesh-colour. They both wear odd red collars and their faces look like they've pulled all-nighters at the local dive. There are strange multi-coloured drop shapes in the sky. The best thing about the card is the sun itself. I like that he has so many rays, and that he takes up so much space on the card.

Now, I know many TdM readers do something called 'colour pooling' and that the colours have significance. I know that the droplet thingies are sometimes seen as looking like Hebrew alphabet markings. I know that the twins are variously Castor and Pollux, Romulus and Remus, or the Children of Pleasure from the 5th House of the zodiac. But I still don't think this is a very pretty card. Except for the Sun, I like him. :)

Oh well, anyway. Drawing the Sun today gives me hope that it will be a pleasant day for me -- and that will be a nice change from yesterday. I hope these hives go away. I broke out in hives yesterday morning, and they are still here with a vengeance.

Have a great Friday!

I see...trouble on the way

If you draw the 10 of Swords, is your first thought, 'Oh no!'?  Mine is. So when I drew it this morning from CBD Tarot, I quickly turned over the next card to find out more. 5 of Coins? You must be joking. Next, please -- Magician.

So...an interesting day ahead. There will be an exhausting and complex situation, probably conflict, caused by a disruption. There will be something discovered today which throws a spanner in the works. Someone is going to have to do some 'magic' to fix it. Hopefully, if it's me who has to do it, there will be others on hand to help out.

I like the way the Magician is looking toward the two troublemaker cards, and pointing the wand in their direction, too, in the attitude of a spear chucker! Zap! Take that! He seems to say. And his expression shows no fear whatever, but rather, more like amusement. From this I take courage that the 10 of Swords and 5 of Coins may be a tempest in a teapot or petty complaint from someone, that I will have to sort out for them. It will be a big deal to them and they will try to make it a big deal to me, but really it's nothing. This I can handle.

ETA: Well, the work day is done and things played out pretty much as predicted -- instead of it being a member of staff, though, it was a customer! I had an absolutely vile customer complaint via phone, which also pivoted around the number 5 (can't go into details of course), and though I managed the situation well, it did shake me up enough that after the call I went upstairs and to my surprise very briefly burst into tears. So there it was.

Taking charge and damn good at it, too

Hey, how about that! I shuffled thoroughly this morning and still drew the next card in the CBD Tarot, 10 of Cups. Those of us with RWS habits will immediate start to picture rainbows and the domestic bliss of the nuclear family. But, nope. the CBD Tarot LWB surprises with this: 'Leadership. A person with special qualities receives appreciation and high status. Assuming responsibility for others. Maintaining a superior position.'

First off, I can see this idea reflected in the arrangement of cups on the cards. There is one gigantic cup at the top, and nine little cups all in obedient lines beneath. The cup is sideways, both to make sure it covers all the rows, and also sort of, I think, to signify a notion of service to those being led. The best leaders both lead and serve. They take care of their charges. If it comes to that, I suppose the best leaders (like in the military) are willing to lay down their life for their charges. On a more mundane level, it could represent being willing to take the fall, ie, take the blame or the ultimate responsibility for the outcome of the team's project. That's a very good leader.

The Golden Dawn title for 10 of Cups is 'Lord of Perfected Success.' You can see a comparison of the meanings of the 10 of Cups card at Super Tarot  (I think it is so awesome of Paul Hughes-Barlow to assemble this website for us. It must have taken ages!).

Yesterday, I found out I'm to be the 'apprentice specialist' for the division. Well, it would have been nice to be told months ago--they started on the 4th of November and no one mentioned this to me! But I am taking the situation in hand because I rule. Ha ha. So I think that's what this card may point to.

Happy happy joy joy

CBD Tarot, 2010

I'm very pleased to see 9 of Cups from CBD Tarot today, as I'm off to the workplace that I don't much enjoy, and the LWB says, 'a group or organization working harmoniously with everyone finding the proper place.' Yay! This bodes well for a smooth-running work day.

Nine of Cups is known as 'Lord of Material Happiness' in the Golden Dawn tradition. The RWS interpretation is usually something along the lines of fulfilled wishes, happiness, a feeling of well-being, a satisfactory conclusion or outcome.

However, there is a sense with the number nine that as an ending is being reached, the tipping point to a new cycle is also coming close. So in some readings, depending on surrounding cards, the interpretation may be more along the lines of a coming end to a happy period, rather than predicting a happy period.

Do or do not: Seven of Swords

CBD Tarot, Ben-Dov 2010

Are you kidding me? Seven of Swords again! Today's draw from the CBD Tarot gives me the same card I drew on Saturday. The LWB says the card means 'Concentrating on a clear goal and doing what it takes to reach it.' This not my favourite activity any day of the week. I'm much better at procrastination and excuse-making! Doh. Is this card going to become a stalker?

Just what does the Seven of Swords mean? One fantastic thing about pips-only decks is that they make you consider many ways of interpreting card meaning.

Eteilla's key word for 7 of Swords is 'esperance' -- it means expectancy, hope, or conviction.

The Golden Dawn meaning is the more familiar to most tarotists -- taking risks, being partly successful/partly unsuccessful, deceit, betrayal, theft, or just being cunning. We see some of these ideas in the Rider Waite Smith image.

Some people have a seemingly different take on the 7 of Swords and see studying and learning, such as in the Druidcraft Tarot or the Gaian Tarot.

Numerologically, seven signifies challenges or tests, using skills and courage, mastery, projection, putting forth an effort, getting things done, a push; proving oneself, taking chances, perhaps even confrontations. Maybe uncertainty, mystery, or misgivings. It is a number of reflection and assessment.

In the guidebook to the Pathfinders Tarot, David Fontana suggests that 7 is most frequently occurring in connection with profundities -- 7 heavens, 7 pillars of wisdom, 7 chakras, 7 days in a week, 7 ruling planets, 7 notes on the tonic scale, 7 cardinal virtues, 7 deadly sins, 7 wonders of the world, etc. He says 7 is concerned with the imagination, dreams, and openness to the hidden realities behind appearances.

If a 7 is a challenge and the suit of swords is thought, then Seven of Swords could be 'challenging thoughts'. Perhaps this is why the Golden Dawn named this card 'Lord of Unstable Effort'. Things could go either way. The card, then, calls for a thorough examination of both the situation and one's motives for taking various actions. Of course, pondering this could lead to Pamela Coleman Smith's Rider Waite figure tiptoeing away with the apparently stolen swords (what was his motive? did it seem right in his eyes?) OR the scholar at his desk in Druidcraft (perhaps he's making a list of pros and cons, or writing a treatise from both points of view). Either way, we see an artist's conception of examining motives.

Maybe the Seven of Swords could represent a crisis point -- a point at which we must decide whether we are going to do something, or just leave it. Time to make up your mind. Press on, or turn back. I can think of several areas in my life where I could apply this. The thing is, the tarot can only point in a direction. It's up to you to do or not do -- and in that way, maybe every reading is like a Seven of Swords.

The Devil made me avoid it (?)

This week's featured tarot is the beautiful CBD Tarot DeMarseille, by Dr Yoav Ben-Dov, a 'faithful reproduction of the traditional Tarot cards based on the standard deck printed by Nicholas Conver, 1760, restored and adapted by Yoav Ben-Dov, 2010.' I bought it from Ben-Dov's website: www.cbdtarot.com. I've decided to do 3-card draws at least some of the days, because the pips-only TdM can be a bit hard to relate to in single-card draws (though I actually quite like doing single-card draws with it).

The Devil - 7 of Swords - Queen of Coins
CBD Tarot (2010)

Today's draw: There will be a struggle between temptation and the physical or material plane. This could be anything from a temptation to overeat to a strong impulse to buy something I don't really need. Well, I face this kind of temptation every day! However, I can't say that I do much  resisting against them. The 7 of Swords shows great determination in achieving a goal, so the message for the day must be that I should stand firm when these temptations present themselves. I think it's most likely pointing to skipping my yoga practice. The Devil doesn't like discipline. I will take this as a warning that some sort of strong impulse to misbehave is coming my way today.