cammycat-tarot

[cammycat-tarot]

Daily draw: The World

Accomplishment, achievement, completion. Looks like this should be a successful, productive day.

Deck: The Art Nouveau Tarot

[cammycat-tarot]

Daily draw: Knight of Cups

The Knight of Cups rides across a stream/river on the back of a turtle. Here, he is a white cat, the platonic white cat, a symbol of the spiritual, or the spirit world. He knows he’s in no hurry, and has found the solution to his problem (crossing the river) through cooperation.

Patience and cooperation with your allies will be the key to meeting your challenges today. Exercising these is good for spiritual growth.

[cammycat-tarot]

The Four Elements Spread

1. Your situation at this moment

Knight of Cups, reversed The situation is untenable, and I’m acting from emotions rather than logic.

2. The earth of your situation

Death, reversed How does this affect my life, on a physical / material level? I’m unable to effect the changes that I want to make. I’m stuck, not moving forward.

3. The water of your situation

Maiden of Swords How does this affect my emotions? It has a tendency to make me defensive, irritable. It also makes me feel inexperienced, foolish.

4. The air of your situation

Eight of Swords, reversed How does this affect my mind / thoughts? I tend to think I’m trapped, that there’s no way to get out of the situation, but that isn’t true. It’s time to break the old habits and get out of this situation.

5. The fire of your situation

Seven of Wands What motivates me (or will motivate me)? Challenge, perhaps competition. Something that is a threat. Perhaps this is coming, or already happening and I’ve yet to realize it.

[cammycat-tarot]

Major elements

Think back to the previous chapter, where we looked at the four elements in the minor arcana. Now try to match each of the major cards to one of the four elements.

– Beth Maiden, The Alternative Tarot Course

Earth

The Empress (a tree against a night sky, with a crescent moon above; the empress represents nature and the mother)

The Emperor (a tree against a sunlit sky; the emperor represents stability and protection)

Temperance (although this card contains many elemental symbols, its meaning involves self-restraint, compromise, and stability)

The Devil (the negative side of earth; addiction, attachment, materialism)

Air

The Magician (a cheetah – a super fast cat; a card that symbolizes energy and action; also, the magician is learned, wise, intelligent)

The Hierophant (a raven holds a key; lightning forks across the sky in the background; the Hierophant represents the hunger for and pursuit of knowledge)

Justice (two cats, one black one one white, stand before a sword hung on a wall; a bi-color block rests below it, in colors opposite the cats’; a card that represents decision-making, careful deliberation, wisdom)

The Chariot (a beautiful horse with her mane flying in the wind; a card of action, will, and confidence)

The Hermit (a turtle rests in his shell; a lit gas lantern rests atop it; a card representing solitude, meditation, and wisdom)

Fire

The Fool (a young bird perched on a branch before a sunrise background; a card focused on new beginnings)

Wheel of Fortune (a card with many elemental symbols present, but which ultimately symbolizes change)

Death (a card symbolizing closure, getting rid of things/patterns/etc. that are no longer needed, transformation)

The Tower (a tree, struck by lightning, is burning; a card symbolizing great upheaval, painful change that may eventually lead to a breakthrough)

The Sun (symbolizes energy and vitality)

Water

The High Priestess (a white tigress holds a multi-colored crystal ball in her paw under a crescent moon; a card of mystery and the unknown)

The Lovers (two geese fly together across a sunny sky; a card of deep love and equal partnership)

Strength (a lion holds a rose in his teeth; a card representing focus, control, the mastery of emotions)

The Hanged Man (represents letting go of attachments, emotional release)

The Moon (represents dreams and also fears)

Judgement (a bird flies up toward the sun, rising above a darkness filled with swirling bats; a card representing forgiveness, and the freedom from emotional baggage)

The World This card represents wholeness, completion, contentment. To me, The World represents the perfect balance of the elements.

[cammycat-tarot]

Eight of Wands

A bolt of rainbow lightning strikes the eighth of a group of wands, signifying change and upheaval “like a bolt out of the blue,” but not necessarily for the negative. Notice how the bolt lights up the darkness surrounding the wands. To me, the rainbow hues in the Wild Unknown symbolize some kind of magic afoot, whether its magick or just the everyday mundane magic of life.

[cammycat-tarot]

Mother of Wands

The mother of wands card shows a mother snake guarding her eggs (while holding a wand) on a firey red and orange background. These elements suggest love and warmth, confidence, as well as a fierce protectiveness.

According to Biddytarot.com:

The Queen of Wands asks you to be bold and courageous in your undertakings and actions. Your creative energies are high and you have a good sense of your life direction... The downside to the Queen of Wands is that she can sometimes be stubborn, particularly if she pursues an ambition or goal for too long and burns herself out in the process. Even the Queen of Wands is not invincible, even if she thinks she is!

Overall, this seems like a positive card for the day. Be bold, but exercise caution to avoid burnout.

[cammycat-tarot]

Your personal elements

What are your strengths? Which elements represent areas you’d like to improve? Which element comes out the strongest? How can you tell? Do you feel balanced, or more like you lean towards one or two energies more than the others? Which is your ‘weakest’ element?

– Beth Maiden, The Alternative Tarot Course

I’m a very airy personality, Aquarius with Gemini rising here. Mercury (also air) is in Aquarius in my natal chart as well. These aspects play themselves out pretty obviously in my life: I’m into knowledge, information, learning. My work largely relies on communicating information.

I’ve also got a lot of the fire element. I’m creative and artistic, and can be ambitious and temperamental.

These elements are pretty well balanced by earth. I have a happy, stable home life, and I’m generous (perhaps too much so sometimes), not greedy. I could be better with money, however.

Water-wise... there’s a puzzle. My love life is very good. Love my hubby like crazy. I struggle with making friends other than him, however. I feel things deeply, and it’s hard to open myself up to others, both because it’s exhausting to invest myself deeply in many people, and because I’ve been hurt by friends in the past. I would say water is the element where I need the most work, followed by earth.

[cammycat-tarot]

Combining suits and elements

How do the energies of each of the four suits/elements interact with each other? Thinking physically about the elements themselves, and also more broadly as approaches to life, write about how each sits with the others.

– Beth Maiden, The Alternative Tarot Course

Pentacles / Air Change (new job or financial situation) / Happiness / Prosperity This combination usually seems to indicate positive change.

Pentacles / Fire Career / Work / Financial matters / Hard work paying off The Pentacles earth/fire combination seems to require hard work, but in the end, if you put in the effort, it will pay off.

Pentacles / Water Abundance There isn’t much presence of water in the Wild Unknown’s pentacles. The Ten of Pentacles, however, shows ten pentacles in a quasi-rainbow (but largely blue/purple) pool, and suggests abundance, both spiritual and material.

Swords / Earth The Self Whether positive or negative, swords/earth tends to indicate questions involving the self or sense of self.

Swords / Fire Opposition / Blockages Fire seems to bring opposition and obstacles in Swords.

Swords / Water There are no real watery elements in Swords in this deck.

Wands / Earth Earth seems to bring stability and grounding to Wands.

Wands / Air Transformation The Wands / combo tends to indicate transformation, change. In particular, reaching that change after overcoming obstacles.

Wands / Water Weariness; the need to push past feelings of tiredness to reach completion.

Cups / Earth Moving On Earth elements in cups seems to have a past / future focus, generally indicating that it’s time to move on from past emotions, stagnation, etc.

Cups / Air Connections / Friendship Cups seems to work well with air elements in this dec, indicating connectedness and harmony.

Cups / Fire The Wild Unknown doesn’t really show much in the way of fire elements in Cups.

[cammycat-tarot]

Elemental symbols

Look through your cards – including both minor and major cards – and try to find visual signs of the elements... How are these symbols interacting with each other? Do they flow (like a lovely running river) or are they blocking something (a stream running across someone’s path)?

– Beth Maiden, The Alternative Tarot Course

As usual for this coursework, I’m using Kim Krans’ Wild Unknown Tarot.

Earth Lots of trees and tree branches Spiders Deer Horses Goats Snakes Mountains Leaves Roses Worms

Air Birds Lightning Yellow Feathers A bat Butterflies Little dandelion fluff-type shapes Sometimes you can see the air moving things, such as the wind blowing in the horse’s mane in the Chariot card.

Fire Candles Fire Red Orange Suns

Water Water, duh Blue The moon Tears Ducks, Swans, other water fowl

A few examples of interactions

Nine of Pentacles shows nine golden pentacles on a patch of darkness (earth), surrounded by four feathers (air) on a red/orange background (fire). The nine of pentacles symbolizes stability, happiness, even the enjoyment of luxuries. To me, the combination of elements suggests the balance required to achieve this state.

The Magician is a great card that shows a cheetah who commands all the elements – a sword, a wand, a chalice, and a pentacle. Apt.

Three of Pentacles shows three pentacles that are actually made out of wands.

Temperance shows a blue heron (a water bird) blending droplets of water with a flame. She stands before a rainbow background. This is the most obvious example in the deck.

The Devil shows a goat (mammals are often used to represent earth in the deck) with an inverted pentacle on his forehead and burning hooves.

[cammycat-tarot]

Ten of Cups

The Wild Unknown’s Ten of Cups shows ten cups, like tea or coffee cups, arranged (sort of) in a circle, with a rainbow of colors pouring out of each, the lines criss-crossing to connect with the cups across the circle, creating a rainbow prism effect. This card speaks of radiant energy, magick and positivity.

I am definitely in a very good mood this morning, so that’s pretty accurate. In terms of “what should I focus on today?” (which is my general daily question), what I get from this is hell yeah, it’s good day to focus on your magick. Use that positive energy.

[cammycat-tarot]

The Chariot

Today’s card is the Chariot. First off, let me say this is some gorgeous art, a beautiful horse with her mane flying in the wind, which suggests running to me, moving forward. The full moon shines behind her, lighting her path. She has a crescent moon on her forehead and wears a pentacle on a chain around her neck, both suggestive of magic, and in the latter case, the earth element (since pentacles represent earth in the tarot). The card is cornered with red triangle points, which also suggest the element of fire (an upward-pointing triangle is the symbol for fire, and although a downward-pointing one is water, the combination of shape and color suggests fire rather than water).

The chariot suggests to me progress, forward momentum. Also boldness. The chariot races forward, confident and unafraid. So perhaps: move forward confidently toward your goals. Be bold.

[cammycat-tarot]

Three of Cups

Three crows perch on the branch of a tree, gazing into the sunrise in the background, above the three chalices. The birds’ heads are turned toward each other in a way that makes them appear to be chatting.

I get friendship from this, or maybe teamwork. The sunrise background also hints at new beginnings, so possibly a new friendship on the horizon, or a reawakening of an older friendship. So I should keep my eyes open for an opportunity to make a new friend, or reconnect with an old one.

[cammycat-tarot]

The Hanged Man

Sacrifice / Letting Go

The Hanged Man! And this version of him is an especially spooky card featuring a bat, wrapped up tight in his wings and hanging from his feet, but awake rather than asleep, with glowing red eyes. Ominous!

In the Wild Unknown Tarot Guidebook, Kim Krans writes:

This card implies that there’s a sacrifice or a difficult or painful situation coming up in your life. Though you naturally want to resist and struggle through it, be more like the hanged man. Find stillness, open your eyes, and use this new perspective to learn something. You’re stuck here either way.

Hmm. We shall see what the day brings. I have a lot going on today, so who knows what this could be. Or it could refer to a conversation I had earlier this morning. I will have to give this one some more thought.

[cammycat-tarot]

Four aces

...think about each of the suits, and what types of opportunity might be being presented to you. What doors might be opening here, what sort of thing might each ace be suggesting you do? How might you best take advantage of these opportunities?

– Beth Maiden, The Alternative Tarot Course

Ace of Swords Swords are associated with air, and thus intellect, communication, things of the mind. The art on the Wild Unknown Ace of Swords shows a rainbow-scaled snake twined around a sword. Lightning forks through a dark sky in the background.

This card could represent a new idea or a new way of looking at a situation – an inspiration that hits you like a bolt of lightning.

Ace of Cups Cups are associated with water, which represents emotions, spirituality, connections, and the arts. The art in the Wild Unknown Ace of Cups shows a beautiful chalice on a blue (watery?) background, with what appears to be a golden light emanating from within.

This card could represent new or renewed love or friendship, a new or refreshed spiritual awakening, or perhaps a new artistic pursuit.

Ace of Wands Wants represent the element of fire, and thus wants/desires, drives and passions, and inspiration. The art for my Wild Unknown Ace of Wands shows a blaze of firelight emanating from a blooming dogwood wand.

The dogwood is a tree that blooms in spring, so this represents new life or a new beginning. The Ace of Wnads could indicate a number of new beginnings – new ideas, new projects, or other new passions.

Ace of Pentacles Pentacles are associated with the earth, with home, health, crafts and nature. The Wild Unknown Ace of Pentacles shows a cutaway of the inside of a tree. We can see a glow of yellow and red at its heart, with radiating lines showing the pentacle shape.

This card could indicate a new job, a new home, or other material issues.

[cammycat-tarot]

Father of Swords

Today’s (way late) card of the day of the Father (King) of Swords. Again, some really nice art from the Wild Unknown Tarot with this gorgeous horned owl gripping a rainbow blade in his claws.

The art suggests wisdom and strength. Swords are also associated with the element of air (intellect, thought, speech). To me this suggests not only knowledge but wisdom. The power to manifest dreams or goals, tempered with good judgment. It may also suggest a masculine person with these qualities.

In the Wild Unknown Tarot Guidebook, Kim Krans writes:

Like all the Swords family, the Father has a gift for perception. He has a distinct ability to remove himself emotionally from a situation, so that he can truly see it from all angles. He is therefore respected by others, who usually describe him as fair or just. He’s a responsible man with deep ties to his family.

Interesting. I think this message is about my husband, or even for him. He has some of these attributes, but he can be emotional. Perhaps a reminder to step back from the situation and look at things analytically?

[cammycat-tarot]

The Moon

Vivid Dreams and Fears

This beautiful card shows a crescent moon in the night sky, hanging over a forest. It’s bordered in a rainbow gradient. I get magic (particularly night magic), mystery, hidden or secret things – the unknown. That can be scary, but also exciting.

In the Wild Unknown Tarot Guidebook, Kim Krans says:

In many ways the Moon card encompasses the idea of The Wild Unknown. It is the shadow realm, the place where dreams, fears and mysteries are born. Much darkness can linger here, and if you aren’t careful, it can lead to periods of anxiety and self-doubt... almost as though you’ve lost your way in a house of mirrors. Many great artists have roamed this inner landscape. It’s where imagination and creativity drift freely upon the midnight air.

For today, I think this is a hint that it’s a good time to focus on a creative project or a magickal working (or something that’s both!). This is the last day of my winter holidays, so another way to get the year off to a good start.

[cammycat-tarot]

Explore the online tarot community

...find a few you like! Note down what it is about these people/blogs that you enjoy.

– Beth Maiden, The Alternative Tarot Course

Little Red Tarot Duh! This is Beth’s course, which I found, so obviously she’s a fave. She has a fun, accessible style that I love.

The Daily Tarot Girl Her blog has so much information! It’s a great resource, and she delivers her blogs, videos, etc. in a really friendly, fun style.

Little Fox Tarot Nice writing on the tarot and other subjects.

Paige Z’s Tarot and Tea This is a really fun blog written in a witty, punchy style.

Mary Greer Mary is a very experienced reader. Her blog has tons of information and advice for new readers.

These are just a few. I’m sure I’ll be adding to this list as time goes on.