Tarot in Hell
The assessment of Judgement, the deception of The Moon, and the destruction of The Tower coalesced around Election Day in The United States. It's probably fine.
The Hardest Lessons of The Fool’s Journey
Cartomancy, and tarot reading specifically, is a brilliant way to put really difficult moments on paper, a pictogram as brain collage. The vibe and flavor influencing your brain collage messages will vary from deck to deck, and once you get a serious collection going, you can utilize each deck for specific purposes. The original Pamela Colman Smith illustrations are cool and come in a variety of updates ,but some people find them dated and obtuse. Who are the ghost people on Judgement? Why are there wolves and crayfish frolicking in The Moon? And what is up with the sex slaves on The Devil? Why do they look so bored?
Though formal and churchy, the original R.W.S. deck is downright explicit in comparison to the Marseilles deck and his purely numeric pips, or the ultra modern decks that feature sterile, Instagram-able imagery. You may know the kind - they usually feature a teeth-grindingly twee schematic like ’fruit’. Picture a glossy pomelo on a white background labeled as The Moon, and know that this is the sort of deck you buy at Urban Outfitters when you need something for a white elephant.
I joke, of course, but it really is effective to change decks depending on the desired tone for a reading, in no small part because some of these cards get a bad rap and can feel really ominous depending on the art style. The Fool’s journey gets sticky by the time The Devil rolls around, and his willingness to self-enslave and reject spirituality leads to the decimation of The Tower; the major arcana that inspires fear and anxiety in readers and novices alike, and the biggest thematic voice in last week’s spread. Because of course it was.
Deep, visual consideration of these tough cards can reveal surprising insight into universally shitty situations, because art helps us process our emotions. It always has, since the days of painting on rocks and drawing in caves. Different parts of these tarot illustrations will jump out for different people, and the devil always lives in the details when it comes to how each card will personally impact us. This is a visual meditation that reveals itself in stages, so take your time.
Monday, November 4th
This is a fruitful vision of the Seven of Pentacles, dominated by a maiden who is serving us shrewd Virgo energy. She has been working hard gathering her security, finances, and what looks like a thriving shrub (?!) so she doesn’t really need our input, thankyouverymuch. Moss agate underscores the color meaning of this card, with green, gold, and white representing abundance, money, and ascension. The work isn’t done and there is still material to gather, but she is well on her way to a superior position. The coy head tilt tells us that she knows it, too.
Tuesday, November 5th
The figures in this card are accepting of fate, their ghostly little arms reaching skyward for the ultimate leap of faith. When Judgement is reversed, however, we aren’t willing to accept the truth of a situation, or we lack confidence in our own truth and rightness. A very Libra-like indecision or reluctance is holding us back, despite our physical posturing. This is also a haunting, of sorts; ghosts of ideas and institutions who fail to accept that their corporeal form is gone and they must end one chapter in order to begin. Lapis lazuli, a stone for truth that often adorns ancient Egyptian tombs, is hinting at deception or obfuscation, possibly self-driven. Someone or something is trapped by a lack of conviction, and it will not be released until hard truths are acknowledged.
Wednesday, November 6th
A human eyeball detached from its fleshy socket is forced to see everything, no matter how unsavory. The Moon reversed can actually bring release when we discover truths that are horrifying, because clarity is always better than willful cloudiness. Why let a vague, nameless dread live anxiously in our minds? Face it and seek to understand it. It is the opposite of idealism, the inverse of a perfect world, and true freedom to embrace ugly, destructive truth. Chalcopyrite is a stone of confidence, which we will need as we incorporate knowledge from the shadow side of the moon. Consider the text on this particular card -
“Heaven seems to inverted itself upon the Earth. For every star in the sky, there’s a flower in the meadow, and for each ray that comes out of space, there is an integration in every level of structure. He will perceive the starts as his own soul. He will note how little blossoms follow the motions of the planets, some to open their petals according to the phases of the moon, others by the cycle of the sun, and still others by the response to the most distant stars.”
Thursday, November 7th
The crown barely sits atop our queen’s head, so galaxy-brained and unrealistic are her expectations. Flowers falling just out of reach taunt us with possibilities, but we are paralyzed between the urge to flap our wings up or dive down. So we lose them both. An inverted throne has no master. This reversed Queen of Swords represents doomed ambivalence just as much as she represents spite. Amethyst matches the flowered branch high above her, stressing the need for calm contemplation over impulsivity, and empathy over antipathy.
Friday, November 8th
A blocky, gothic lighthouse is expelling its inhabitants, and two crows are illuminated with deadly lightening as a lone survivor flaps toward the ground. Destruction, chaos, and a strong sense of needing to flee will always permeate The Tower, but a reversal indicates resistance and uncertainty more than volatility. Money and resources could be at the heart of the matter with a companion crystal like green aventurine, which is largely used as an abundance draw. Pay special attention to the shadows of the lighthouse - there are many dark corners hiding all manner of secrets.
Saturday, November 9th
Options for steadiness, stability, and safety dominate our collective consciousness; important decisions are obviously being weighed. The Two of Pentacles always shows us wrestling with issues of prosperity, and we cannot focus on anything else. Tiger’s eye sharpens that focus, and ideas are taking root much like the pendulum upon which two vertebrae hang. Gold tones throughout indicate masculine, solar energy with more than a hint of greed, but the green moss is reminiscent of earthy, feminine Taurus and her stubborn, practical nature. They seem to be working together.
Sunday, November 10th
Very abstract, punk rock sort of staffs seem suspended and shocked in this Four of Wands reversed. Their moths are agape and aiming to swallow a luminous orb of power, but everything has frozen. The cooperation has halted and the group is uncomfortable and insecure instead of confident and welcoming. Amber typically enhances our most creative, sensual selves, but we might be feeling stifled in an unsupported environment. We might also simply detach from the group or community with which we no longer share a major passion to avoid friction. The center orb is positioned like a blinding deity, but the reversal leaves us feeling spiritually homeless.
Beautifully done.