Tarot. The Open Reading - review

These are only a couple of thoughts I had about "Tarot. The Open Reading".

I liked the book very much. The author draws the reader's attention to many various ways to read what the cards want to tell us - how the figures and objects in the spread correspond to each other by gestures, glances, colours and shapes that patches of colours create. I think the author reads the pips in a less detailed way than we do when we read scenic pips like RWS. He sees them more like smaller pieces showing a bigger picture. However, he also gives in his book interpretation for every card and what's interesting - he has an interpretation for a reverse card, if the card can be reversed at all (some of the pips are so symmetrical it's hard to see whether they're straight or upright).

About the suits: Dr. Yoav Ben-Dov seems to refer to classical playing cards suits where we have black and red suits - and where black suits are believed to mean struggle and complication and red suits are about love, company and money. Thus he sees Cups and Coins as "soft suits" that show more pleasant things and Wands and Swords as "hard suits" that show us our challenges and limitations.

The book was interesting for me also because the author is a disciple of Alejandro Jodorowsky and he refers to his teachings frequently. In suits he sees correspondences to the elements, directions, parts of human body etc. and he points that we can put the suits into the order according to them. For example:

Coins=body=legs, that ground us, that give us the base. Without a body there's no emotion, no desire and no intellect.

Wands=desire=pelvis, where our sexual desires dwell.

Cups=emotion=chest, where our heart is.

Swords=intellect=head.

What I didn't like and thus skipped that chapter - detailed instructions for how you should do a reading and what to avoid (like use blue bag for your deck, but not red, better use matches to light the candle, than a lighter). I believe that to be a very personal thing and nobody should give such detailed instructions about it. I'm also not into "magical ritual" kind of thing, so these parts were not interesting for me. 

I must also say that the deck that the author has restored is great, I like it very much. I have the Jodorowsky&Camoin restored deck and I love it to bits, but maybe one day I will also buy the CBD :) What is lovely about the CBD, is that Dr. Ben-Dov altered the expressions of the figures a bit - and they don't look so stern; they mostly smile gently.

Iron Woman

I wasn't feeling very well and a blood test showed that my iron is low again. I'm planning on going to a doctor when I'm back to Switzerland, but I thought I could ask the cards what psychological factors can increase my problems with iron. For the physical part, the doctor will tell, so I laid only one card for that. 

1. What are psychological reasons for my iron problem? 5 of Cups, 6 of Swords, 4 of Cups

2. What are physical reasons for my iron problem? 7 of Cups

3. What can I do from the psychological point of view to improve my situation? 10 of Swords, Queen of Swords, 5 of Wands

You know that sometimes the cards can give an answer to a different question that was asked. I think that's the case here with the 10 of Swords. I asked about psychological point of view, but the 10 of Swords evidently wants to warn me that I should start supplementing iron! The ten swords piercing the man are the iron I need.

As for the first question: I'm clearly still not in good shape, my depression is still out there and it's eating me from the inside, weakening my body.

Question two: probably my organism has problems with assimilating iron.

Question three: I should continue working on rationalizing my worries and fears (Queen/Swords) and be more playful (5/Wands).

Reading outside the box

...meaning outside of the box of your house :)

Have you ever read cards outside, where nature is so inspiring?

I tried it today, because the weather finally stopped pretending it's still winter and showed us a more spring-like face. 

I highly recommend reading outside. The mind opens in a different way and the surroundings are very refreshing.

What will you need for that? A spread cloth, maybe some stones to keep the cards from flying away if it's a windy day (I don't recommend reading cards on a very windy day though) and maybe something to eat and drink - because why not make a small picnic once you're outside? ;D 

I must say that since I trimmed my Universal Tarot deck I like it much more and want to use it! So I took this deck with me to the woods, found a nice stump and placed a small towel on it. After the reading I lay with my eyes closed and my face to the sun, listening to the birds singing and the pines rustling... A great early afternoon!

How to improve a deck you don't exactly love

There was a moment in my life when I rediscovered tarot and it was a whole new world in which Internet was easily accessible. I discovered books about tarot and that they mostly used Rider-Waite-Smith deck that I didn't know before (I've seen Tarot de Marseille somewhere and I owned my Jasniak Tarot) - so I wanted a deck that will be like RWS, but maybe a bit prettier. For unknown reason I thought that Unversal Tarot by Lo Scarabeo will be the one. I had no experience and saw only a couple of cards in the Internet - so I bought a deck that I now find totally not fitting my taste. I have some sentiment towards this deck though, because I took it with me to the tarot course I attended - and since it's an RWS clone, it was a good choice for that purpose.

Now I store this deck at my parents' place, so I have an "easy" deck at hand when I visit them for holidays. I have so many beautiful decks now, that in comparison the Universal looks really poor. So I decided I will trim it and thus improve how it looks like. And it does look better! Well, the Page of Pentacles still looks like some kind of a savage (why??), but many, many cards are improved when stripped of the ugly, white frames with names in six languages.

Take a look yourself.

Before:

After:

A new book

My new tarot book has arrived!

It's "Tarot. The Open Reading" by Yoav Ben-Dov. In this book he explains his way of reading tarot - what interests me the most is his way of reading the pips (although I'm sure the other chapters will be very interesting as well). He seems to use a visual way to assign meanings to the pips, e.g.:

"4 of Swords - Restriction. The static number 4 brings out the blocking and limiting aspect of the Swords. Two pairs of curved swords create a solid border around the center. In the middle, a branch in side view completely fills the enclosure. It looks constrained, with a narrow top flower and the tip of the right-hand leaf touching the swords. Emerging on the left of the branch is what seems like a tiny white berry on a stalk". Then he gives interpretation for the card in the upright and reversed position.

Looks interesting! More on the topic when I've read the book!

Both the CBD Tarot (Tarot de Marseille restored by Dr. Yoav Ben-Dov) and the Jodo-Camoin deck I own are restored from the Conver deck, so they are similar enough for me to use my deck to work with this book :)

Who am I right now?

1. Who am I right now? IX The Hermit, Queen of Cups, 2 of Cups

2. What phase in life am I in right now? 8 of Coins, Page of Cups, 10 of Cups

There are many Cups in this spread (4 out of 6 pulled!). I'm in a very emotional stage right now. I'm learning how to manage them, I analyze my emotions - but I'm not very social.

Simultaneously, I'm in the phase of building and working on my relations with my family - with my husband (10/Coins) and my son (Page/Coins).

How to improve my tarot skills

1. What is my strong side in tarot? King of Coins, Page of Cups, 2 of Wands

2. What is my weak side? XIX The Sun, 2 of Coins, 6 of Swords

3. How to improve? 4 of Cups, VII Chariot, 9 of Swords

I'm methodical and I try to use various techniques (Kings/Coins), I put my heart into it (Page/Cups) and I'm always searching for new ideas.

What I lack is self-confidence (XIX), I'm afraid of making mistakes (2/Coins) and I'm barricading myself on a boat on the sea of intuition (6/Swords).

I should relax more (4/Cups), become more daring (VII) and stop worrying too much! (9/Swords) ;)

As your heart dictates

It is known that sometimes tarot can be very literal.

I asked the cards what I should do in one situation and I loved the answers so much! Well, it's my interpretation, but here goes. 

What should I do? The answer was very literal to me.
7 of Wands, Ace of Cups, 4 of Wands

Do (7=The Chariot, action + Wands) as your heart (Ace of Cups) dictates (4=The Emperor, command + Wands).
And so I did :)

TdM reflections - XIIII TEMPERANCE and XXI LE MONDE

Temperance is one of virtues, but that's very abstract, so let's see what is visible on the card. There's an angel - a symbol of goodness. He (or she) has two jugs - just like XVII The Star. These jugs look very similar indeed. Maybe the angel is preparing some liquid for the Star to pour over? I will have to think about it when I stop by card XVII...

The angel teaches us about patience (you have to be patient to pour the liquid so that you don't spill a drop!), focusing on our tasks.

How is this angel connected to IIII The Emperor? The angel, like the Emperor, is controlling the situation, but in a more understanding way. He/she is leading us by setting an example, not pressing us to follow the lead. The angel has wings, so the card might be a hope for us - that even if now we feel trapped or oppressed, there will be a chance to break free.

There's an angel also on XXI The World card. We have all the "beast" symbols traditionally connected to the four Evangelists: a lion (Mark), an eagle (John), a bull (Mark) and an angel (Matthew). They all have an older and complex meaning, but let's stop at that. What is interesting, one of the creatures - the bull - has no halo, although all the other have. It's just like Coins court differs from other three (no numerals on pips) and Jodorowsky suggests the creatures symbolize the courts: the lion - Wands, the eagle - Swords, the angel - Cups and the bull - Coins. And the lady in the middle? She's probably the spirit of Major Arcana...

Oh, and an important thing: she's often described as "androgynous", but what I see here is definitely a lady! I know there were such representations of Christ, but here I see a woman.

The World, number XXI, is connected to I Magician and XI Strength. Even visually: the naked woman holds similar objects in her hands that Le Bateleur has and there's a beast and a lady, like on the Strength card. The Wolrd is the completion of the journey, but it means also new beginnings (as connected to number 1). It means we have all the resources we need and now it's time to act. The world will be on our side.

Court card meditation - Pages

It's the last part! As before, there's an English and Polish version of the text.

Page of Wands and Page of Cups

Page of Wands has loads of energy, but doesn't exactly know how to use it properly. He has hundreds of ideas, but his executing part is flawed. Page of Cups is a great dreamer, who more than accomplishing a goal, enjoys imagining it. He is easily distracted.

Page of Wands and Page of Coins

Page of Wands is interested in world's glory, but more so in the process of rivalry over it. Page of Coins wants to build his little stable world and he has no use of being praised.

Page of Wands and Page of Swords

They would quarrel easily, for they both are impulsive. Page of Swords's arguments would be more accurate, but Page of Wands's would be louder. Page of Wands is more light-hearted, Page of Swords - more ambitious.

Page of Swords and Page of Coins

Page of Swords is easily taken by ideals, but he is naive and too credulous. Page of Coins doesn't chase after ideals, he's interested in here and now. Although he's still learning, he's the most stable of the four Pages.

Page of Swords and Page of Cups

Two idealists, but the first one is focused on his quest for truth, the latter awed by the world's beauty. Page of Wands denounces emotional reactions, whilst they are the bread and butter for the Page of Cups.

Page of Cups and Page of Coins

Page of Cups doesn't care about the material world, which flows somewhere behind him. Material world is Page of Coins's world. He likes being financially secure, because that is the way to have a quiet life - his ideal. He lacks the imaginativeness of Page of Cups. Page of Cups, although somehow separated from the real world, draws people to himself with warm light. During parties people gather around him. Page of Coins speaks mainly about work and money, whilst Page of Cups takes the listeners for a wonderful journey.

PAZIOWIE

Paź Buław i Paź Kielichów

Paź Buław ma mnóstwo energii, lecz nie do końca umie ją spożytkować. Ma sto pomysłów na minutę, ale gorzej z ich realizacją. Paź Kielichów to wielki marzyciel, który więcej przyjemności czerpie z wyobrażania sobie swoich celów, niż z wcielania ich w życie. Łatwo się rozprasza.

Paź Buław i Paź Denarów

Paź Buław jest zainteresowany ziemskimi splendorami, lecz bardziej lubi samą rywalizację, niż jej namacalne efekty. Paź Denarów chce budować swoją małą stabilność i nie potrzebuje do tego pochwał.

Paź Buław i Paź Mieczy

Łatwo by się posprzeczali, bo obaj mają gorące głowy. Argumenty Pazia Mieczy byłyby celniejsze, ale racje Pazia Buław głośniej wypowiadane. Paź Buław ma w sobie więcej beztroski, Paź Mieczy – ambicji.

Paź Mieczy i Paź Denarów

Paź Mieczy daje się porywać ideom, lecz przyjmuje je zbyt bezkrytycznie, naiwnie. Paź Denarów nie goni za ideami, dla niego ważne jest tu i teraz. Choć dopiero się uczy, jest najstabilniejszym z paziów.

Paź Mieczy i Paź Kielichów

Dwóch idealistów, ale pierwszy skupiony na swoich poszukiwaniach, drugi zaś zachwycający się światem jako takim. Paź Mieczy potępia emocjonalne reakcje, dla Pazia Kielichów są one chlebem powszednim.

Paź Kielichów i Paź Denarów

Paź Kielichów nie dba o świat materialny, on jakby przepływa mimo niego. Paź Denarów żyje głównie w świecie materialnym. Lubi być zabezpieczony finansowo i uważa, że taka stabilność jest kluczem do spokojnego, czyli pożądanego przez niego, życia. Brakuje mu polotu Pazia Kielichów. Paź Kielichów, choć taki oderwany od rzeczywistości, przyciąga do siebie ludzi ciepłym światłem; na imprezach ludzie gromadzą się wokół niego. Paź Denarów rozmawia głównie o pracy czy pieniądzach – Paź Kielichów zabiera słuchaczy w niezwykłą podróż.

TdM Majors reflections - VI LAMOVREVX and XX LE IUGEMENT

Some people say, that VI The Lover is about making a choice, so it's not a happy card. He has to - they say - choose between two women. I wouldn't say so. OK, I fancy the idea with two goddesses that appeared before Hercules and also Achilles and gave the hero a choice of a long and quiet life or a short but glorious one. The hero always choses the latter, otherwise he wouldn't be a hero. That's all nice - but what does it have to do with LOVE?
The woman on our right has flowers in her head - the sign of youth. The one on the left - laurel leaves, that also the Queen of Wands bears, the sign of wisdom and knowledge (like the laurels on philosopher's head). I personally like to see this scene as a young man joining with the one he loves (the flower lady), being blessed by his mother (wise laurel lady). She's pushing him towards the bride. The Lover leaves his mother to be with his new wife - an event very important in our lives. His love gives him strength and shines over his path (the cupid and the sun above).
The need to choose I see more in Ace of Swords. So VI The Lover is about things we love or like, about pleasure and fancy -  and therefore the sixes in Minor Arcana as well.

I have sometimes problems with interpreting XX Judgment. It appears in most unexpected situations in my readings. Let's see what this card shows.
The scene depicts biblical resurrection - the angel with the trumpet, people going out of their graves. The angel sends divine power from Heaven to Earth and people come back to life. So the card can be about restarting something, coming back to things long lost or forgotten. It can also mean "the call" or some "news" to us. It also gives hope - that we shouldn't give up.

Both cards have an angel above (if we call the cupid an angel), sending divine energy down to us. They remind us we're not alone in this world, that there's someone or something leading us - if we only want to listen to that divine voice.

Court cards meditation - Knights

As before, there's an English and Polish version.

Knight of Wands and Knight of Cups

Knight of Wands is ambitious and eager to act; Knight of Cups - dreamy, a romantic, searches for beauty in life. Knight of Wands likes challenges, Knight of Cups - new passions to experience.

Knight of Wands and Knight of Coins

Knight of Wands' excitement bursts quickly, but it also burns out easily. Knight of Coins moves forward much slower and carefully, but it's more difficult to put him off his path. Knight of Wands choses ambitious goals for himself and can achieve a lot in a short time - but when he loses, he breaks down and gives up. Knight of Coins choses more easily achievable goals and he's patient. If it turns out, that his goal is impossible to reach for him, he will reconcile and find a new one.

Knight of Wands and Knight of Swords

They could both have long disputes together, but neither of them would be convinced to the other's ideas, for they both hate to lose. Knight of Swords is however more persistent and he would last longer. He can plan in advance, while Knight of Wands acts on the impulse.

Knight of Swords and Knight of Coins

Knight of Swords is and idealist and he wants the world to work the way he believes it should. For him the true beauty lays in logic and he doesn't tolerate irrational actions. He likes to dispute, even to quarrel to convince others to his beliefs. Knight of Coins is a realist, who takes life the way it is. His goals are less ambitious and idealistic, but he tries to reach them consequently.

Knight of Swords and Knight of Cups

Knight of Swords sticks to rules. For Knight of Cups the rules are much more vague. He's also more creative than Knight of Swords, but he lacks self-discipline and determination.

Knight of Cups and Knight of Coins

Knight of Cups is more prone to becoming a "knight-errant" and wander around, because his world changes all the time. It's difficult to draw Knight of Coins away from his path. He's a bit blind to the matters of the heart, while Knight of Cups is a sensitive soul, who appreciates the beauty of art.

Rycerz Buław i Rycerz Kielichów

Rycerz Buław jest ambitny i skory do działania; Rycerz Kielichów – rozmarzony, romantyk, szuka piękna w życiu. Rycerz Buław lubi wyzwania, Rycerz Kielichów – nowe namiętności do przeżywania.

Rycerz Buław i Rycerz Denarów

Zapał Rycerza Buław łatwo się zapala, ale i szybko gaśnie. Rycerz Denarów posuwa się dużo wolniej i ostrożniej, lecz za to trudniej go zniechęcić. Rycerz Buław wyznacza sobie bardzo ambitne cele i może szybko wiele osiągnąć – gdy jednak poniesie porażkę, załamuje się i poddaje. Rycerz Denarów obiera bardziej osiągalne cele i jest cierpliwy. Jeśli jednak okaże się, że cel jest zupełnie niemożliwy do osiągnięcia, pogodzi się z tym i poszuka nowego.

Rycerz Buław i Rycerz Mieczy

Obaj mogliby prowadzić długie dysputy, ale raczej jeden nie przekonałby drugiego, bo obaj nie znoszą przegrywać. Rycerz Mieczy jest jednak bardziej (i dłużej) zawzięty. Potrafi planować z wyprzedzeniem, podczas gdy Rycerz Buław idzie na żywioł.

Rycerz Mieczy i Rycerz Denarów

Rycerz Mieczy to idealista i chciałby, aby cały świat działał tak, jak on to sobie umyślił. Dla niego piękno leży w logice i nie akceptuje irracjonalnych zachowań. Lubi dyskutować, wręcz kłócić się z innymi i dowodzić swoich racji. Rycerz Denarów to realista, który bierze życie takim, jakie jest. Stawia sobie mniej ambitne i idealistyczne cele, lecz dąży do nich konsekwentnie.

Rycerz Mieczy i Rycerz Kielichów

Rycerz Mieczy trzyma się zasad i reguł. Dla Rycerza Kielichów są one dużo bardziej mgliste. Jest też bardziej kreatywny od Rycerza Mieczy, ale brak mu samodyscypliny i determinacji.

Rycerz Kielichów i Rycerz Denarów

Rycerzowi Kielichów łatwo jest zostać „błędnym rycerzem”, bo jego świat wciąż się zmienia. Rycerza Denarów trudno zawrócić z raz obranego kierunku. Rycerz Denarów jest nieco głuchy na porywy serca, Rycerz Kielichów to wrażliwiec, doceniający piękno sztuki.

TdM Majors reflections - VIII LA JUSTICE and XVIII LA LUNE

I often have problems with interpreting VIII Justice, not only in TdM. She's somehow transparent to me, a "you get what you deserve" card.
But let's see who we have here. We see a lawful and powerful woman. She's ruthless with her sword and in that she reminds me of Queen of Swords. She probably has less feelings and more respect for the law and rules. Her elbow, however, disturbs me. She's bending the scales... She could do that to help you, but also to take advantage on you. But maybe she wants to show us, that justice is not only about cold and dry law. It's possible to something against the rules and still do the right thing.

Now we have number XVIII, LA LUNE. It correlates to VIII as the opposite, I think. I like this card a lot, even though it often shows me difficult or sad things.
Justice is the world of the sunlight and order - and The Moon shows us the night and chaos. As we know, dynamic the chaos is more fertile than orderly proper environment. The world of LA LUNE is home to all about ourselves that we cannot explain, that we don't ourselves understand. There are illusions and dreams, there is depression, but there is also special wisdom coming from the abyss of our soul.
The two towers on the card... I imagine the scene is taking place outside of city walls - outside the orderly world. The animals, creatures of instinct, take control. The Moon shines on everything and everyone, not distinguishing between creatures and objects.
I really love this card.

LA JUSTICE is the radiant creature that casts a shadow - LA LUNE. They cannot be separated. Only together they catch balance. Without The Moon, Justice would lack depth and understanding of human motives. Without Justice, The Moon would disintegrate in chaos, in insanity.

Court cards meditation - Queens

Like before, there's an English and Polish version.

Queen of Wands and Queen of Cups

An extrovert and an introvert. Queen of Wands acts in the outside world, she emanates with energy. Queen of Cups focuses the light inside herself, she's quieter, she has her own inner world and she lives in that world more than in the real one. Queen of Wands likes to act, to dominate; Queen of Cups - to feel and and watch from a distance.

Queen of Wands and Queen of Coins

Queen of Wands acts quickly, Queen of Coins takes her time with making a decision. Queen of Wands often shows off her power, Queen of Coins is content with being aware that she has the power.

Queen of Wands and Queen of Swords

Queen of Wands acts much more on the impulse than Queen of Swords. She gets easily excited about new plans, which Queen of Swords prefers to calmly examine and analyze first. Queen of Wands bursts with emotions, Queen of Swords keeps them to herself.

Queen of Swords and Queen of Coins

Queen of Swords is an ascetic, Queen of Coins likes luxury and is very down-to-earth. She is, however, warmer than Queen of Swords. She understands the hardships of everyday life better and she's not so very much upset, when what happens doesn't match her ideals. Queen of Swords is ready for intellectual dispute, which doesn't suit Queen of Coins - mainly because she's not interested in it.

Queen of Swords and Queen of Cups

The first one uses her head to think - the latter feels rather than thinks, with whole her being. She doesn't distinguish between thinking and feeling. She can't make up her mind easily, because her moods change so quickly. Queen of Swords judges her situation with cool mind and rarely changes her mind. She uses less words to express her thoughts than Queen of Cups needs to express her feelings.

Queen of Cups and Queen of Coins

Queen of Cups is a dreamer and a romantic soul, Queen of Coins is a pragmatic woman - they could be a good team together. Queen of Cups is easily swayed by her moods, Queen of Coins is more stable. Queen of Cups has a role of a heroine of a drama, Queen of Coins is her attentively listening friend.

Polish text:

Królowa Buław i Królowa Kielichów

Ekstrawertyczka i introwertyczka. Królowa Buław działa w zewnętrznym świecie, promieniuje energią. Królowa Kielichów skupia światło w sobie, jest cichsza, ma cały swój wewnętrzny świat, który przeżywa bardziej, niż rzeczywisty. Królowa Buław lubi działać, dominować, Królowa Kielichów – odczuwać, pozostawać na pozycji obserwatorki.

Królowa Buław i Królowa Denarów

Królowa Denarów działa szybko, Królowa Denarów zastanawia się dłużej. Królowa Buław często zaznacza swoją siłę, Królowa Denarów zadowala się świadomością, że ją posiada.

Królowa Buław i Królowa Mieczy

Królowa Buław jest dużo bardziej impulsywna niż Królowa Mieczy. Łatwo zapala się do pomysłów, które Królowa Mieczy woli najpierw spokojnie przeanalizować. Królowa Buław bucha emocjami, Królowa Mieczy zachowuje je dla siebie.

Królowa Mieczy i Królowa Denarów

Królowa Mieczy jest raczej ascetką, Królowa Denarów lubi dostatek i twardo stąpa po ziemi – jest jednak cieplejsza od Królowej Mieczy. Lepiej rozumie prozę życia i nie przejmuje się tak bardzo, gdy coś nie zgadza się z jej ideami. Królowa Mieczy jest gotowa do intelektualnych dysput, do których Królowa Denarów raczej się nie nadaje – głównie dlatego, że nie wydają jej się interesujące.

Królowa Mieczy i Królowa Kielichów

Pierwsza myśli głową, druga czuje całą sobą, nie oddziela myśli od czucia. Królowa Kielichów nie potrafi być zdecydowana, bo zmienne są jej nastroje. Królowa Mieczy na zimno ocenia sytuację i  z reguły pozostaje przy swoim zdaniu. Ujmuje swoje myśli w mniej słów, niż Królowa Kielichów ujmuje swoje uczucia.

Królowa Kielichów i Królowa Denarów

Królowa Kielichów to marzycielka i romantyczka, Królowa Denarów to kobieta praktyczna – tworzyłyby dobry zespół. Królowa Kielichów łatwiej poddaje się nastrojom, Królowa Denarów jest bardziej stabilna. Królowa Kielichów to bohaterka dramatów, a Królowa Denarów to jej cierpliwie słuchająca przyjaciółka.

How should I treat myself these days?

Recently I had a hard time in my life and made my family worry a lot - and also to help me a lot. I'm feeling like I should recover as fast as I can, so I won't be a burden anymore, but there are some moments when I overdo things and thus I experience a breakdown from time to time. I asked my cards how I should treat myself these days and indeed they showed me that I haven't recovered yet.

I pulled 9 of Coins, 3 of Coins, Page of Cups.

I should realize I'm still weak and I have health issues (as 9 is connected to VIIII The Hermit, an old man, and to the physical world in Coins). I should take care of myself and try to built my health back (3 - III The Empress - growth and Coins again). I shouldn't treat myself too harshly or blame myself. Instead I should relax more, be more understanding and treat myself more like a defenseless child (pure Page of Cups).

Court cards meditation - Kings

One day (probably already a year ago) I did a meditation on court cards. To understand them better, I used a method of comparison. How does one King differ from another? I used my mp3 player to record what I'm saying and then wrote it all down. Then I translated it to English from Polish, so forgive me for odd choice of words and strange grammar constructions...

I used Crystal Tarot for this purpose. And under the English text there's the original Polish one for anyone reading in Polish :)

King of Wands and King of Cups
King of Wands is more imperious and determined. He thinks less about what others think or feel - his orders are to be obeyed. He has an aura of strength, he's a good leader.

King of Cups is more brooding - he tries to understand others and he also forgives more. He sees people more as partners than his subjects. He's very willing to counsel. His actions are slower.

King of Wands and King of Coins

King of Coins is more rational. He does what will bring profit for him, not what he would like to do. King of Wands is more energetic and he doesn't give his subjects too much time to think for themselves.

King of Wands and King of Swords

King of Wands needs less time to make a decision than the King of Swords. His choices are less logical, more instinctive. Sometimes he has a caprice to be generous, much less so the King of Swords, who doesn't forgive easily.

King of Swords and King of Coins

King of Swords loves the process of devising a plan, he forms and improves them, until they're perfect. He's quite ruthless in his opinions on others. If someone got into trouble because of their own stupidity, he won't help them. He also doesn't accept taking irrational, illogical actions.

King of Coins is much more down-to-earth. He has no use for deliberating on thousands of possibilities just for the pleasure of deliberating. If he's doing something, his goal is always very clear. He acts in the real world, in the given circumstances and he adjusts his actions to them. He doesn't try to change them.

King of Swords and King of Cups

King of Swords judges everything according to rules and law. King of Cups looks deeper, into his subjects' souls and takes his people's motives into consideration. He rules with feeling, King of Swords - ruthlessly, though theoretically he's just.

King of Cups and King of Coins 

King of Coins also broods less than King of Cups. He judges other by his own experience and that's all. King of Cups is more understanding, he cares for others' motives and he deliberates on them in his heart.

Król Buław i Król Kielichów

Król Buław jest bardziej władczy i zdecydowany, mniej myśli o tym, co czują czy myślą inni - jego rozkazy mają być wykonane. Roztacza aurę siły, jest dobrym przywódcą.

Król Kielichów więcej rozmyśla - stara się zrozumieć innych i więcej wybacza. Widzi w ludziach bardziej partnerów, niż poddanych, chętnie doradza; jego działania są powolniejsze.

Król Buław i Król Denarów

Król Denarów jest bardziej racjonalny. Robi to, co mu da korzyści, a nie to, co mu się podoba. Król Buław jest energiczniejszy i nie daje poddanym czasu na samodzielne myślenie.

Król Buław i Król Mieczy

Król Buław krócej się zastanawia przed podjęciem decyzji, niż Król Mieczy. Robi to mniej logicznie, a bardziej instynktownie. Miewa też kaprysy dobroduszności, co raczej nie przytrafia się Królowi Mieczy, bo Król Mieczy nie wybacza zbyt łatwo.

Król Mieczy i Król Denarów

Król Mieczy uwielbia snuć plany, cyzeluje je, aż będą doskonałe. Jest dosyć bezwzględny w ocenie i jeśli ktoś wpadł w tarapaty przez własną głupotę – raczej mu nie pomoże. Nie akceptuje też nielogicznych działań.

Król Denarów dużo bardziej twardo stąpa po ziemi. Nie rozważa tysiąca scenariuszy tylko dla przyjemności rozważania. Jeśli coś robi, ma to jasno określony cel. Działa w świecie rzeczywistym, czyli w zastanych warunkach, dostosowuje się o nich, zamiast zmieniać je na siłę.

Król Mieczy i Król Kielichów

Król Mieczy ocenia wszystko według zasad, litery prawa. Król Kielichów zagląda w głąb, w dusze poddanych i bierze ich pobudki pod uwagę. Rządzi z wyczuciem, Król Mieczy zaś – bezwzględnie, choć teoretycznie sprawiedliwie.

Król Kielichów i Król Denarów

Król Denarów również mniej rozmyśla, niż Król Kielichów. Ocenia innych wedle swojego doświadczenia i na tym koniec. Król Kielichów jest bardziej wyrozumiały, uwzględnia motywy innych i rozważa je w swoim sercu.

Going back to my roots

This time it's not about tarot, but it's still about doing divination with cards, so I decided to put it here. Thanks to jmk for the inspiration!

My Grandma used to read from regular playing cards, using only 24 of them (9, 10, J, Q, K, A). She learnt from her mother in Poland. When she was small, she imagined - or did she imagine? - that she had a Gypsy ancestry. Once I asked her to tell me the meanings and I wrote them down. Here's the translation.

The best days for reading the cards are Tuesdays and Fridays.

♣

Ace♣ - worry, illness (e.g. Ace♣ and 10♣ combined - a serious problem, even death hazard)

10♣ - longer journey

9♣ - short journey

♠

Ace♠ - your home

10♠ - a lot of vodka drinking!

9♠ - drinking a bit

♥

Ace♥ - a wedding, a great joy

10♥ - a big joy

9♥ - a small joy

♦

Ace♦ - a letter

10♦ - big money

9♦ - small money

Court cards

Kings - elder men

K♣ - dark/brown hair, serious and solemn

K♠ - black eyes, black hair

K♥ - dark blond hair

K♦ - light blond hair

Queens - women

Jacks - young men, bachelors

Q♣, J♣ - dark/brown hair

Q♠, J♠ - black hair

Q♥, J♥ - dark blond hair

Q♦, J♦ - light blond hair

How to do a "board" reading:

(I call it "the board reading", Grandma just says "the reading").

Shuffle the cards, cut into three. Look under each pile to see the bottom card, interpret.

Put the cards back together, lay them all in three rows, 8 cards each. Your starting point will be the significator card (one of the court cards you chose for the querent). Then travel with your finger through the "board" made from the cards counting to three (in fact Grandma would count "3-4-5", but it still makes three moves...) - you can go up, down, to the sides, change direction etc. The direction you choose depends on your intuition. When you stop at a card, it becomes your new starting point, then move three cards from it etc.

Pile reading:

Can be used as an initial reading before the more detailed "board" reading.

Shuffle the cards and cut them into 5 piles (they don't have to be even). Take each pile into your hand and start interpreting the sequence of cards.

The meaning of the piles are as follows:

1. For me.

2. For the house.

3. What I don't know.

4. What I don't expect.

5. What will happen to me.

Solitare:

use to answer a yes/no question. Put two cards on the table, these will be beginnings of two columns. Lay a card on each of the cards. Whenever the same number/court card appears on the top of another, remove these two and fill the space from the other column - if not, put more from the pile. Your  answer is yes, if you're able to remove all cards from the table.

My year card for 2015

My year card for 2015 is VII The Chariot (I summed my birthday day and month with 2015, then summed the numerals until it gave a number between 1 and 22). It should be the time to be active, to win my goals. I will have a lot of energy and maybe a lot of travelling this year. I will regain some control over my life and gain courage for everyday struggles.

TdM Majors reflections - XV LE DIABLE and IIII L'EMPEREUR

I wanted to write down some reflections on the Tarot de Marseille Majors. I chose XV that I like a lot and IIII that I don't really like. I thought it a good exercise and opportunity to think deeper about the cards. Tarot de Marseille catches my heart by it's minimalistic look, but there's the Devil in the details!

 I must admit, I absolutely love LE DIABLE card from TdM! First of all, it's totally weird and thus making a person uneasy. It warns us about indulging in carnal pleasures, but also shows how deeply the flesh and its desires are connected to our human nature. The two horned creatures hide their hands - hands, with which we can perform so many things animals cannot. The creatures go into the world of animal instincts. We're bound to this devil/goddess and denying it, averting our eyes won't make it disappear. Moreover - it would make matters worse. Denying our own nature is lying to ourselves and stops us from finding illumination. Only after we acknowledge needs of the flesh, after we learn to respect them, can we go further on our path.

Personally I think this card holds an important lesson for me, for I used to dismiss needs of the body as less crucial to my development.

 Whenever I see the L'EMPEREUR card, I sigh inwardly. It seems that I'm a numerological Four and somehow it doesn't make me happy. I have a feeling Fours are boring, down-to-earth and stubborn. No place for imagination and adventure. I subconsciously see the Emperor as an oppressing ruler, who always wants to have his way. I'd like to find in me some warmer feelings for him.

The Emperor is well organized and likes to plan in advance, what let's him to be in control of his life. He has a strong personality and shows the way for others, he's leading the way. He learns from past events (he's facing left, the "past" direction) and uses this knowledge to built better future. In my Jodorowsky-Camoin deck (I'm using the CBD TdM in this post - it's great quality, it's free for non-comercial use and webpage-friendly! Thank you, Yoav Ben-Dov!) his eagle sits on the egg we previously see with LA PAPESSE: the Emperor builds his rule on wisdom and wise counseling.