So I did a tarot reading on the Coronavirus. If you don't know, I have an aunt of the Wiccan faith. She gave me a tarot deck for Christmas one year and taught me the basics. I have some grandparents who also value the tarot. It might not seem like something that I would be into, but I genuinely believe in this practice. It doesn't make much sense, and so if you don't believe in it, I certainly respect your opinion. However, over the years, I've seen clear themes in how the cards read based on how you treat them, and I've developed enough accuracy that I feel it can't be dismissed.
For anyone that doesn't know, tarot reading consists of a deck of cards, each with a symbolic image. The Minor Arcana comprises four suits (the Pip Cards): Swords, Wands, Cups, and Pentacles. Within those suits, you have Court Cards, so each suit has a Page, Knight, Queen, and King. It's the same premise as face cards in a regular deck, except the Jack is replaced by the Page and Knight. There is an Ace for each suit as well. Outside of the Minor Arcana, there are 22 Major Arcana, each of which hold a specific significance, and are considered more powerful. The idea is that, you can shuffle the cards out and lay them down in a spread that offers incite into someone's past, present, and future.
I'm using a Riders Deck, which is the standard for tarot. My preferred deck is the Revelations Deck by Zach Wong, partly because it has illustrations for both the upright and reversed images, but since I figured I would be collecting images for this post, and because most of my readers haven't experienced this before, I felt it would be best practice to use the most standard deck.
I guess I should mention that there are innumerable versions of tarot cards. You can get Walking Dead Tarot, Angel Tarot, Cat Tarot, Gnome Tarot, you name it. You don't need a standard Riders Deck, but a proper set of cards should follow the universal symbols that they established. So long as your deck meets that criteria, you should just choose one that resonates with you.
The spread I'm using today is the Celtic Cross. It's a ten-card situation, probably the standard for tarot readings, and I will step you through what each position means.
For authenticity, here is a photo of the spread:
Usually I prefer to do readings in pairs. I feel that the cards are a tool, rather than having intuition in and of themselves. They're like the concept of writing. The squiggles on a page of paper mean nothing, but because multiple parties agree on the meaning, they communicate something more. In a traditional reading, the querent offers their energy, which is picked up by the reader, and gets translated into the language of the cards. This is why both parties are necessary.
I say that, but my experience indicates that they are a bit more than simple translation tools. For instance, I now sort my cards before every reading, because when I didn't, the results were muddied. When I do sort them, results are much more clear.
And in this vein, considering what I said about the reader and querent, a solo reading would be ideal. This is because one person supplies both the aura and the knowlege. However, despite this seeming to make sense, I have found that when I do readings for myself, the results are more muddied and vague. Even when I have someone who does not know how to read the cards shuffle the deck and lay them out, the answers are clearer. There seems to be some power to having two energies involved, although I'm not sure why.
This reading seems like it meant something. When I was shuffling the cards, my cat Kieran kept bringing me his cat wand to try and get me to play with him. When I didn't, he bit my toe and jumped on the table and messed with the cards. Lee-Anne pointed out that his involvement met every criteria of the "two energy" rule, and by investing his energy and physical touch to the cards, made it possible for the clear communication in this reading.
I want to acknowlege that at least two of my readers have been practicing tarot longer than I have, and I hope they let me know if I come up short.
Anyway, let's do this reading:
This Covers Me: 4 of Swords Reversed
This card represents who I am at this point in time. Swords represent burdens and the strength to carry those burdens. They belong to the element of air (I don't know why I bother to say what each suit's element is, it never seems to contribute to further discusion). This person is trying to sleep on a bed of swords. It represents restlessness and an inability to sleeep. This makes sense, since current events have spiked my insomnia.
A card is reversed when it is uspide-down, and implies a kind of alternative meaning to the image, as opposed to the most overt message. Usually a reversed card has more negative implications, but there are exceptions to this rule. I don't know how to flip an image on here, so everything will be upright.
This Crosses Me: Knight of Pentacles
The crossing card signifies my presenting issue. Pentacles represent material wealth and the element of earth. The knight represents someone who has developed a reputation for themselves but has not settled down. After consulting with Lee-Anne, this might be my roommate, who managed to find work within the pandemic, and who needs to visit clinics regularly for blood checks and to replace his catheter since his surgery has been delayed until the COVID-19 situation settles. I would have been most comfortable if he just laid low and let me pay rent, but his pride led him to work again, which makes things more economically comfortable for me, but opens a viral entryway into my home, which has caused me sleeplessness.
After completing the summary, I think this anxiety can be expanded to everyone in my life who is prioritizing the economy over the health and well-being of humanity.
This is Beneath Me: The Hermit Reversed
The Beneath card represents the recent past. The Hermit is our first Major Arcana, which means it sends a particularly strong message. This card represents solitude. In its upright position, it means deep intropection, self-exploration, independance, and finding one's own inner light. However, it is in the reversed position, which means the negatives of being alone. This might include isolation, loneleyness, and festering thoughts.
Clearly this indicates the negative impacts of the stay-at-home order. I am missing the key figures of my life, namely my girlfriend, my mother, and brother, and my job has been drastically restructured. Being forced into solitude also facilitates festering negative thoughts, such as the health and economic implications of recent events.
This is Behind Me: Six of Swords Reversed
This image shows a man rowing toward new horizons with a boat full of swords. It represents a person on a long, arduous journey full of burdens. When it's reversed, it means that the person is undergoing this difficult project, but going in the wrong direction, and they will never reach their destination. Thankfully, this is in the distant past, which may imply that I abandoned the journey, or changed direction.
What constitutes a "distant past" is subjective. Usually it's something further back, but since this reading is focused on the pandemic, it might be limited to the early stages of adapting to the Coronavirus, which was only a few months ago.
Lee-Anne thinks it might be my paranoid overreaction to the change in lifestyle. I maintain my reaction was wise and level-headed.
This is Above Me: Seven of Swords
This card represents my distant future, or my future if I do not choose to make an intervention. This image shows a man, tiptoeing away from a cluster of tents. He is glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one sees him.
The act of taking swords away from someone represents taking away their burdens and putting them on oneself, and it also might represent taking power away from your opponent by disarming them. Regardless, this card indicates that this person is being tacticle and taking the strength away from his opposition instead of confronting them outright.
The Celtic Cross offers two alternative futures: an uninterrupted result and a result where an intervention takes place. This card represents an uninterrupted future, whereas the Advice and Conclusion cards offer some kind of intervention, and the results of that intervention. This card flows really well with the Advice and Conclusion cards, so I will reserve further discussion until we get to that point.
This is Before Me: Justice Reversed
This card represents the near future. In this image, we have a man, seated on a throne, in one hand holding a set of scales, and in the other, a blade. The throne represents authority, the scales represent a tool to balance rights and wrongs, and the blade represents the ability to administer punishment for those who have tipped the balance against themselves. In the upright position, this represents people and systems that effectively make sure justice is maintained. In reverse, it represents anything that stands in the way of justice being seen through. This doesn't have to be malicious, but it does looks like some injustice is coming my way in the near future. Since this is Major Arcana, it looks like I will take it real personally, too.
These Are My Fears: Three of Wands
I am always deeply intrigued when the fear card is positive. In this case, the card representing my fears is the most positive in the spread. Wands represent spirituality, mostly seen in everyday tasks, and they belong to the element of fire. I find them the most difficult suit to interpret.
In this image, we see a person holding a wand, with two more at his back. He is gazing toward a vast emptiness, seemingly contemplating the journey ahead. This card represents finally setting out on a long, spiritual journey and contemplating what may come.
Don't know why I'm afraid of that.
These Are the People in My Life: The Hanged Man
This is an easy one. The Hanged Man, similar to Death, is one of the most misunderstood cards. It should be noted that he is not being hanged by his neck, but rather, his ankle. There is even a beam of light surrounding his neck to illustrate that he is just fine. This card represents self-sacrifice, and looking at things from a different perspective. It belongs to the Major Arcana, which means that the people in my life are particularly important to me.
Regarding current circumstances, we are all being asked to behave in ways that we are not used to. We are being asked to put our faith in the government to safeguard our health and well-being. We are relinquishing our greatest strength, as the common people, to band together and use our numbers to make ourselves relevant. Things that we have grown up assuming we were entitled to are now being denied to us. I approve of the actions of our government and believe that we, the Canadian people need to make a united effort to end this, but the actions necessary are still frightening.
So, the people in my life are indeed needing to reframe their thoughts and commit themselves to a new way of living in order to see this pandemic through.
This is My Advice: Five of Swords
The Advice card can either be a suggestion or a warning. We went over the Above earlier, which is the uninterrupted past. The card after this one is the Conclusion, which is what will happen if you follow the Advice card's guidance. Basically, you look at the Above and the Conclusion, and choose which you want. If you want the Conclusion, follow the instructions of the Advice card. If you want the Above card, just try and stay on track, and be wary of the temptations that the Advice card says will be present in your life.
So the Advice Card shows a man picking up swords, glancing over his shoulder to make sure no one is looking. It sounds exactly like the Above card, right?
There is one clear distinction, though. For the Above card, the man is glancing back at a number of tents. For the Advice card, the man is looking at a number of men who are walking away, having laid down their blades.
The difference is that, in the Above card, I am disarming my opponents by striking them when they are weak. In the Advice card, I believe that I am disarming my opponents, but in reality, I am simply taking on the burdens of those who have chosen not to fight.
This is the Conclusion: Nine of Wands Reversed
We arrive at the Conclusion. This image shows a wounded man, clutching a wand, backed by a wall of wands. In the upright position, it signifies preparation for one final battle before victory. In reverse, it represents preparing for a battle that will never come. Probably because I was preparing for those people who laid down their swords in the Advice card!
So, looking at the two decisions regarding my future, it seems to show a classic "pick your battles" scenario. I will arrive at some sort of conflict, and I will need to disempower my opposition in some way. However, there will be multiple parties involved, and it will be difficult to see who is truly my opposition. I may be tempted to use my energies to prepare for a conflict that will not happen. It is important that I evaluate the situation carefully. However, if I am dilligent, I should be able to make the right decision without changing my course.
Summary
I am restless. I can't sleep well because of current circumstances, and the situation weighs heavy on my mind. The source of my stress is the people in my life who are more worried about the economic implications than the health and well-being of humanity. I have recently been feeling isolated and lonely, which has caused my thoughts to fester and become obsessive. I am recently recovering from a fruitless journey that was taking me down an unproductive path. I will soon encounter some form of injustice. My greatest fear is what day-to-day life will look like for a long time going forward. The people in my life are making sacrifices and are making an earnest effort to look at things from a new perspective. Going forward, I need to pick my battles. While I will need to be proactive and take responsibility in diffusing conflict between some people, there will be times when I am tempted to take control when it is not needed. If I try to control everything, I will exhaust myself, preparing for events that will never occur. However, so long as I stay the course, my natural intuition will overcome my temptations, and I will be able to act productively.
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