Illuminating Tarot Message: Reversals and Why Certain Cards Appear

Recently I've been having problems with my daily card draws. I find it hard to connect the cards with my life. I keep expecting the Page of Swords or the Knight of Wands to manifest but the day would end without me ever meeting them. I  even switched from my Daily 2-card to a Daily 5-card spread (as demonstrated in Susyn Blair-Hunt's book Tarot Prediction and Divination)  thinking it would help put me out of a rut. It helped for a while and then I started drawing blanks again.

Last Saturday morning I drew the following cards:

 

 10 of Pentacles Rx (reversed) - Queen of Cups - Knight of Cups - The World Rx - The High Priestess Rx

I don't normally read with reversals but started using them recently for my personal draws so I can get a feel for them. There are no positional meanings in this spread so interpretation is free-form. The World and the 10 of Pentacles struck me as relating to completion (both being the last cards in the major arcana and the pentacles suit respectively). But reversed, what do they mean? In the worst case scenario would the neatly-laid foundations of my life be shaken and my orderly world end as I know it? Scary thought but it seemed unlikely to happen in a day given the constant and routine nature of my life. The reversed High Priestess smack in the middle seemed to mock me-- yes, I know I've been having doubts about my intution recently!

So I went to work and spent the day wondering if the cards would manifest. The workday ended normally. No reversed 10 of pents, no nada. I rode the bus home with a co-worker (who I don't know all that well) because she offered to guide me to the wet market at the next town. We started talking and she mentioned how her husband was murdered 4 years ago and how the murderer is still at large because she couldn't pay the 5000 pesos ($110) bribe needed to get the local police to take action (shocking, I know). Since then she'd been a single mom of two kids one of whom has special needs. Her salary is hardly enough to scrape by each month and there was a time she was working only to pay debts and felt like a worthless mother. She took to doing laundry and doing a small-time retail business on the side to make ends meet. Then she said it was her daughter's birthday tomorrow and how disappointed she was that she couldn't take her out on a treat. Her paycheck this month didn't allow it because she had to take time off due to illness.

As I listened to her story I increasingly felt the contrasting and jarring reality of our lives. We live worlds apart, existing at both ends of the spectrum (The World). I could easily pay a $110 bribe whereas for her $110 meant no food and housing for her children for over two weeks. Materially I have everything and she has close to nothing. I am blessed with material abundance (10 of Pentacles) and the means to get anything I want (The World). I realized that the reversals serve to highlight the contrast and say "this is not what it seems."

I admire my coworker who tries her best against all odds and puts her children above all else. I wanted to help her. Before we parted ways I slipped her a 500 peso bill. "This isn't much but I just want your child to enjoy her birthday tomorrow," I said.

I wondered why the tarot didn't give me the 6 of Pentacles -- wouldn't that have been more fitting? The reversed High Priestess smiling calmly at me seemed to have the answer: 

Maybe so, but you have your own free will. The tarot is not to dictate what you should do. It is you who felt compassion for your coworker (Queen of Cups) and chose to do an act of love (Knight of Cups). The mystery of the tarot is deeper than you think.

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Action, Structure

I love the 8 of Wands in the Robin Wood deck. It just fizzles with energy. You could practically see those wands traveling at supersonic speed to the far reaches of space.

Relating to myself, though no sudden messages came to me, I was much busier today than I usually am. Though I remain a bum, I was better inclined to action: I did interpretations for at least 3 people, labored over a curriculum draft, cleaned the sink and the bathroom. For the curriculum, I was trying to achieve structure and order.

In the literal sense of quick communications and establishing order though, these cards point to what happened with my boss this morning. His MNL-HK-NGO flight was suddenly changed by the airline to an earlier flight, which displeased him greatly. As expected from a Japanese, he is unsatisfied with these random changes and insists on structure, order and sticking to schedule. He wants to dispute with Cathay regarding cancellation charges but it seems the airline refuses to refund. He could even be the Emperor himself (though personally I see him as the King of Cups).

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handling tasks with mastery

My soul and personality card came up - 9 of Pents. Indeed I've been self-assured today, and better in control of myself than usual. I did feel the Knight of Wands' energy-- I was busier at work today than I usually am for weeks at a time.

Interpretation: handling sudden projects and stresses at work with skill and mastery.

My cards make more sense today. Probably because I had a clearer, blank(-er) mind doing the shuffle and draw compared to yesterday.

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Seeing these cards so close together, it's kinda scary how the Knight's horse seems to be charging and as if he was about to trample over the Lady in the 9 of Pents (whose back is turned and oblivious!). It's almost a commentary on how I the precarious hold I have on my lazy, always-in-a-hurry self and my ego.

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Stuck between the Devil and the Knight

I don't know how to relate this to my life on this day. The Devil is from the Major Arcana, so it must be a powerful card. My day was smooth a new and exciting project came out of the blue at work -- I was expecting Wand cards to appear.

The Devil is about being chained--stuck-- willingly. This must have been going on for quite a while. The Knight of Pentacles is capable of extreme effort, but his many plans and ideas could also be stuck in limbo, stubborn as an unmoving mule. (That's what struck me as I look at the card). So maybe I'm letting myself be stuck in a rut? Which rut? My gazillions of awesome plans that never make see the light? I haven't actually thought much of these things today and in fact am hyped up to make the curriculum plan for our upcoming Japanese class tomorrow. Maybe it's a warning not to get stuck!

This card combination warrants deeper introspection.

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Miscommunication/Misunderstanding

My theme for the day: miscommunication/misunderstanding

Interestingly, I initially thought I was channeling my former classmate's situation (he was having difficulties with his girlfriend due to some misunderstanding and was considering breaking up). We had just been chatting about it before I drew these cards. But I asked the cards about myself on that day, and there certainly was no heartbreak or difficult decisions. I had a great day at work. It was then I realized miscommunication and misunderstanding were the recurring themes. (Twos implied 2 sides, 2 persons). I had botched up a phone number, a manager had misunderstood data, I had trouble understanding my boss and relaying the information to a manager. And then to cap it all off, my old classmate asked me advice about his relationship which I quickly diagnosed as a simple error of communication.

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Daily Card: 8 of Pentacles

Today's card is the 8 of Pentacles. Two eights in a row. 8 denote maturity and peak of ability.

The Universe is telling me to focus on working on my abilities, and be diligent. It's all about making an effort. Surely, I haven't been making enough efforts to achieve the plans that are in my head. Everyday it's all the same. What I really need to do is plug away!

But of course, it all starts from making the effort. To open the Korean books. To inquire about courses next semester. To look for a prospective job. That is what I need to do.

Where are my efforts?

Question to the Universe: What should I focus on today?

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Daily Card: 8 of Cups

Today, I asked the Universe to give me a message on what I should focus on.

I received the Eight of Cups.

I think this card is telling me to SEEK DEEPER MEANING, to concentrate on what is important. Maybe also to concentrate on the spiritual.

But more importantly, I think it means that it is time for me to move on. I am getting weary of how things are now. A cycle is ending.

Somehow, this message leaves me a sense of dread. And yet I am hopeful. I feel that I am at the brink of something new.

I should let myself move on before The Tower comes and flashes me with lightning!

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Daily Card: Knight of Cups

The card I drew today was the Knight of Cups. Hmm...I seem to be getting a lot of court cards? I wonder what could this mean?

Although I have to say...my plans are going abysmal. That's 'cause I rediscovered Photoshop yesterday (my sworn enemy!) but we seem to have gotten along quite well. And the result is that I churned out TWO wallpapers in two days! I'm really happy 'cause it's always been my dream to make desktop wallpapers, but I don't want to waste whole days just to make them! XD

Right now, my attention is not in Tarot, not in studying Korean, and not even in drinking water O_o; Yes, Photoshopping has made even me forget my thirst. This isn't good!

I need to do something about this!!!!

Though I guess today was quite something since I wasn't able to use the internet for the whole of the day ('cause the other modem conked out). Thank goodness I still have the SiS etherenet adapter so I could still log on after acquiring the SmartBro password. Btw, the default password is the account number + "period" + username! Don't forget!

Ah...I haven't even TRIED meditating in days! My head is full of nothing but PHOTOSHOP!

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Daily Card : King of Pentacles

The card I drew today is the King of Pentacles. This card is telling me to work towards my goals with a firm resolve, have regular habits, and to be reliable and responsible. How appropriate these goals are for me now! I thank the Universe for sending me this message.

On another note, I have another deck on my wish list: the Tarot of the Magical Forest. The wonderful thing about it is that it's available here, at Fully Booked! I can't wait to see what new stocks they have. I really need to get my butt working if I want to buy those tarot decks!

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Daily Card Draw

I started the Daily Card Draw yesterday. I'm planning to continue doing this with my Universal Tarot deck.

Yesterday, I got the Knight of Swords. His dynamic movement seems to tell me to be more proactive in my pursuit of knowledge, which I did to an extent yesterday.

Today is the Five of Swords. I think this card is telling me to pick up where I left off and remember the past, but not get stuck with it. I should move on. I still have a whole day to meditate about it. Let's see where it takes me.

Interestingly, I've been getting Swords for two days now. What could this mean?

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