Stacking the Deck

Tarot is a tool that can be used in many ways. We can get clarification on the potential for future events when we ask what will happen in the future or we can dialog with our own psyche through the cards to get more perspective on life what’s going on right now. It’s also a great problem-solving tool when we ask questions like ‘How can I get the job I want?’ Or ‘What do I need to know/do/be to achieve X goal?’ As a reader I tend to blend these modalities.

Here’s a little spread that I was playing with today that turned out to be interesting and useful.  I decided to work with five cards, but two of them – Card 1 and Card 5 – I chose intentionally rather than choosing all five cards randomly.  Card 1 I chose to signify where I am now and Card 5 to signify my hoped-for goal. Then I randomly chose Card 2, Card 3, and Card 4 to get an idea of how to get from the current situation to the desired outcome. (This is a little bit like the process of choosing a significator card to represent your current energy.)

My question:  How can I stay on top of the current financial chaos in the world?

I chose The Tower for Card 1 because it definitely feels like we’re going through some earth-shaking, chaotic times and it’s hard to focus on anything but the loss.  I chose The Star for Card 5 because my goal is to keep hope alive for myself and for others and to keep the faith.

Then I shuffled and laid out three cards in between Card 1 and Card 2 to get an idea of how to get from The Tower to The Star and I drew the following: Card 2 - Eight of Pentacles, Card 3 -  King of Cups, and Card 4  - Two of Swords.

With the Eight of Pentacles, I need to continue to working as hard as I have been, but also keep developing my talent. This card is often a harbinger of a profitable undertaking of some sort, but it does underscore the need for mastery. So basically, I need to keep doing what I’ve been doing and keep an eye out for any opportunities to improve my skills.

The King of Cups can signify a counselor or professional advisor, which is what I do professionally as an astrologer and tarot reader.  This king is very balanced in his head and his heart; he would not allow himself to be swayed by all of the background noise that dominates the world right now. He sees himself as a nurturer and healer in the world; the best use of this king’s energy is to focus on channeling my creative and intuitive skills into my work. Again, this is exactly what I’m already doing.

Card 3 is the Two of Swords.  Traditionally this card can represent a stalemate or indecision. For me it often shows up when I’m not willing to let go of something that no longer serves me. There can be conflicting perspectives which cause inaction and perpetuate the situation. I may be creating a mental battle that is not really serving me well. I think maybe the advice is to do something – anything, that feels like I’m working toward my goal and the energy can begin to shift. Overall, I think the tarot has given me some real food for thought and some useful ideas for coping skills.