So following my successes with my first venture into the Tarot (described here https://theluciferianrevolution.wordpress.com/2013/07/14/my-experience-with-the-tarot/) I’ve always been meaning to write up about another one of my readings of the Tarot.
A recent reading came up that I though was very interesting, so I thought I would relay it as a smaller post preceding the larger book review im undertaking. As such, I’ll launch right into it.
Background
The previous night, I felt like again approaching Hecate and asking her for assistance in a Tarot reading, to determine what would be the major influence within the coming weeks. This came after several weeks of detachment from pursuing anything concrete in any fashion and indulging myself to recharge my psychological and physiological batteries, and after a period of break I decided to approach Hecate for help.
What happened I did not expect. After shuffling the cards in my usual manner calling on Hecate, I split the deck into three stacks in front of me and drew the middle first, followed by the left most card, followed by the right most card.
The middle card was asked to reveal the current and near future state and its dominating influence. The left most card was asked to reveal the past influences which have led to the current state. The right most card was asked to reveal the end result of the current and near future dominating influence, if it was left to run its natural course.
The cards I pulled from each stack were in no way expected, but I found them to be highly interesting. The leftmost card was The Devil, The middle card The Ten of Pentacles, and the rightmost card Justice. I will now provide my own small reading on them, for what I believe them to be indicating to me.
A picture taken from the reading itself.
Past Influence which has led to the current state : The Devil
The Devil as a Major Arcana card is the first Major Arcana card I have encountered within an actual reading. For me, this came as a shock at first, due to the cards overly negative connotations. However, when read with the middle card, and taking into account my recent past, I can see why it would play a role and appear in a reading.
The negative connotations of the Devil card are best summed up as a feeling of being in bondage or being otherwise restricted physically, emotionally and spiritually. It can also relate to remaining willfully ignorant, bound to material matters, or being self absorbed into a overly negative world view. It can also relate a feeling of intense hopelessness.
The Devil from the Tarot Of Trees.
As a whole, at first, none of these seem to overly relate. However, on deeper introspection and asking questions, I can see how the Devil card has arisen. In the last past period, I have definetly let go of pretty much every inhibition I held on some level. The last few weeks has been highly healing, hence I think leading to the Ten of Pentacles. This is the process with which I have broken the chains that were to some extent holding me down psychologically. I believe this is related to the stagnation I have finally broken out of in one area of my life and finding my centre again. I also believe it relates to my deteriorating financial state, and the binding issues that has placed upon me.
I believe that the card not only represents the old issues, but also the method through which inverted I used to overcome these problems tackling fire with fire. I also believe however it marks a warning, to ensure that I do not continue in this manner as a general rule, or end up being caught in a new problem of my own creation and immolating myself. Its position corroborates the fact it has been mostly moved away from, something I am thankful for!
The current and near future state : Ten of Pentacles
The Ten of Pentacles, although a Minor Arcana card, is a welcome one in this reading. Traditionally it deals with security and enjoying the fruits of ones labour and that things will finally come together. This coming together will yield a state that creates a long lasting foundation of some description for the future. It also usually depicts the need to share and spread this overabundance of stability through various manners. It usually deals with mainly physical matters, but can also relate to an abundance or knowledge or other revelations which brings about this state. This is usually a rational or methodic knowledge rather than spiritual.
The Ten of Pentacles from the Tarot Of Trees.
In relation to myself, I have interpreted this is many ways. In my life, I have recently been offered a job interview that, if I am successful at, will eleviate my current financial situation and give me a new level of freedom. I believe that pulling this card signifies that all current indicators point to that I will be successful in this, and that has been corroborated with other signs from the company themselves and the arrangement process.
However, Hecate doesn’t often only send me signs about mundane matters, so I also believe this also has a hidden meaning that is not entirely been revealed to me. This could be in relation to coming into possession of knowledge that must be continued to be shared when possible in regards to methodology, and that this card could be a reminder of my duties in that regard.
Regardless, the fact that some material foundation or settlement is occuring or will soon begin to occur is a welcome one, and one that I will hope to seize full advantage of it if presented. However, with the appearance of the following card, I hold that view with a degree of caution.
The result arising from this state: Justice
Another interesting card to pull, Justice is another Major Arcana card and the second I have ever pulled in a reading. The way I have seen this card in my studies and and looking at it has been one of it representing Karma. In this way, Justice is a card I see representing this force, of causation and reaction. I use the word force here on purpose – in the card that I possess, the figures eyes are blindfolded. This to me indicates that it isnt the figures emotional reaction or judging of a situation, but simply the cold logic of the outcome of the scales being held.
As such, I see this card as a double edged blade – it is one that could have positive or negative consequences, and shows that some causal action in the past is going to cause a large reaction in the immediate future. As a Major Arcana card, I therefore also believe this indicates such a reaction will have an impact on a wide level for the person involved including Physical, Mental and Spiritual Elements. The old adage you reap what you sow does indeed apply here.
Justice from the Tarot Of Trees.
Applying this to myself is therefore also done in a double edged fashion, because nobody can escape the laws of cause and effect when bound to our current universe. As such, I believe it offers both a promise and a warning, especially paired with the previous two cards.
In a positive light, the Justice card could potentially mean that, after a period of having to be exceptionally careful with money and my mundane life balance, i will finally receive the payoff i’ve been searching for in regards to it. This would allow me more freedom to pursue my spiritual path, having been freed of living in an environment hostile to my practice. This would be a sign similar to my previous reading – instead of enjoying the bounties of my spiritual fufilments, now I may also be in the position to see my mundane life move forward as well.
However, I also see it as a warning in that if the opportunity is not seized, then I will miss out and lose the bounty offered up by the Ten of Pentacles as cause and effect takes precedent.
In addition, I also believe this carries a further warning: the method and influence of the The Devil card still leaves a mark and is not entirely discarded, and it could also relate to an action or actions I took in that period coming back to have an unseen effect, limiting the effectiveness of the Ten of Pentacles or causing a new, unforeseen problem to arise.
This has in a way already come to pass, and I am therefore wary of the negative side that the Justice card can bring. As such, I also see it as a warning indicating that I must be wary of falling into its influence again at least for the immediate future or risk what i might be able to obtain.
In actuality, I expect that a combination of both positive and negative outcomes will occur resulting in a more balanced outcome than suggested by the Ten of Pentacles on its own. I admit I am in no way perfect, so the the outcome of the cause and effect principle will not be entirely what I seek and I expect surprises in the future due to the manifestation of this cards influence in the reading.
Conclusion and Follow-Up
With such an interesting array of cards, I feel that it will be necessary to carefully observe the next few weeks and how it develops. Seeing the results will reveal to me hopefully the meaning within the reading, helping me gauge what was successfully read, and what wasnt. Either will be interesting to note, and will hopefully shed more light on the cards and the reason they were presented by Hecate. As such, I hope to write another small follow up if possible detailing the outcomes.
I hope this has again been interesting. I have begun work on the review of Apocalyptic Witchcraft, and hope to release it in two parts as it has grown outside of the original scope I had planned for it. That should be released later this week at some point.
Thanks as always for reading,
~S~