Post by STORMDANCER on Dec 20, 2011 22:06:44 GMT
Reading for Billthepagan
Card 1: Personal feelings at the moment: The Aeon
This card tells me that at this present moment you are doing a lot of soul searching and there is a lot of closure and resolution that you have to deal with within yourself. Through analysing yourself you have started to pass judgement on yourself and this has caused you to shut yourself off from the world in many ways. Remember that the problems that you are facing are all coming from within if you search your soul.
The message of this card is clear, you are being called to do something with your life, now you might not want to hear it and you are trying to drown it out with noise of your daily life. In many ways although you yearn for this change you might be afraid of the call and the changes it will bring. Listen to it and face it with courage and action. It promises a more fulfilled life for you.
You must be aware of two things here, first of ignoring the call and shrinking from it in fear or obstinacy. Second of mistaking the desire of others or of society for a true calling. Never feel compelled to dance to anyone else’s tune and do not ignore the music in your own heart.
This card The Aeon calls us to a deeper spiritual realisation and often it is a call to action, to share your knowledge or experiences with others.
Card 2: What’s going on around you: Princess of Swords
Your mind is ready for action yet your body is not. You feel an urge to face new challenges. The theory and logic to what you need to do is clear to you and you have all the tools you need, you know exactly what to do and how to do it yet you feel Inexplicably scared. Your fear is not unusual though. There is no substitute for experience and that is something you don’t have at this point you must know that regardless of the outcome you will have done the best you possibly could.
The princess of Swords reflects an abundance of energy, passion and enthusiasm. You cannot wait to get started on a new project or an idea, and to share that with others. You start all new projects, ventures and journeys with a huge amount of energy and excitement. The challenge, however, is whether you can keep it up! As with all Princesses, the beginning always looks promising but something else is needed in order to maintain the pace.
This card is almost like a green light to say, “Go for it”. There are always going to be challenges with whatever option you choose and not everyone is going to be happy with your choices but when it comes down to it, you need to follow your passions and go where your true energy lies. This Page encourages you to move forward and to get the wheels in motion, despite any challenges or setbacks that may potentially stand in the way.
This card shows you as a young and idealistic person, with lots of plans and ideas for the future. At this moment, you feel as though you could do almost anything. You are just beginning to make your way in life, and it is important that you align with others who will not overwhelm you or stifle your direction and ideas. Instead, seek to align yourself with people who will nurture your ideas and will help you to manifest them in an organised manner. Choose a relationship that feels natural, with someone who will learn and grow along with you and give you a chance to develop your own personality and expression. You have an intelligent and sensitive nature, and you may suffer a lot if there is no outlet for your ideas and feelings.
The Princess of Swords is also all about communication, information and ideas. This card is an indication that you need to appreciate and communicate ideas, information and theories. These ideas, information and theories may be your own or someone else’s. It does not really matter, so long as you are involved in talking, sharing and conversing with others about these ideas. You are always coming up with something new and then finding someone to share it with. You also have a way with words, being a good writer or speaker, and you are passionate about what you are doing. However, be careful that you do not engage in gossip. While this princess loves to talk and to be ‘in the know’, it is important that you use this talent to benefit others, rather than to create negativity. You may also want to be careful about what you say to whom, as you may be more prone to sharing confidential information about yourself. So, protect your privacy. And you may need to first ground your thoughts, before speaking, in order to ensure that you do not later regret what you have said.
The Princess of Swords can also stand for a child or young-at-heart adult whose relationship to you involves truthfulness, the search for information and new ideas, or matters of the mind and intellect. You may have your moments with this card, as the Swords often indicate a level of tension or conflict, and this bundle of energy may sometimes prove too much to handle. If you need to, give yourself a break from this youthful person, and return with fresh eyes. They do have a lot to share with you, and despite their inexperience, they may actually teach you something about yourself. You need to remain open to their high levels of energy and enthusiasm to learn more about the world. This card encourages you to have fun with mental activities of all kinds, including learning, exploring, and researching. Enjoy the world of thought your mind can open to you.
The downside of the Princess of Swords is the turbulent nature of intellectual discovery and inspiration unchecked by experience or wisdom. This card seems to be either on the defensive, protecting his ideas, or on the offensive, looking for some victim of the double-edged sword of his mind. Perhaps he is seeking a confrontation in the intellectual sense or has the desire to prove himself mentally superior to others. The trouble is that he does not yet have the maturity to express himself in a way that is always constructive, and may come across as oppositional or just too ‘in your face’.
Card 3: What’s on your mind: The Universe
This card tells me that you have had a lot of time to think and things are all in there place. The Universe signifies completion, achievement and fulfilment. All of your efforts are finally paying off and you have reached the end of a journey or have completed a major life cycle. You have endured hardships and challenges along the way but these have only made you stronger and significantly wiser and more experienced than when you first started on your journey.
A long-term project, period of study, relationship, or career has come full circle and you are now feeling a sense of closure as well as achievement and accomplishment. It could represent a graduation, a marriage, the birth of a child (representing the end of a pregnancy), or the attainment of a long held dream or aspiration. You have finally accomplished your goal or purpose. Everything has come together, and you are in the right place, doing the right thing, achieving what you have envisioned, and feeling fulfilled and complete. In this sense, the Universe card also heralds new beginnings that naturally emerge out of the completion cycle.
There will also be well-earned praise, celebration and success for your achievements, and if there is not, then you had better organise something because you have worked incredibly hard to get here! All of your hard work, devotion, and planning has finally paid off and it is well worth celebrating! If you have not quite reached this point of completion, you are very close! You need to attain a degree of understanding that enables you to graduate to a higher level and enjoy real success. This rare time of culmination must be identified and honoured. Look at the past month / six months / year and think about how far you have come and what you have achieved. You may be quite surprised at your progress and how much you have worked towards completing the cycle of success. You may also see the projects you are currently working on have even better results than expected.
The Universe also represents a period where you can see the entire process or system for what it is and you understand your place within that system. This card is about a deeper understanding of your role and your impact within a certain environment and where you truly ‘fit’. This card can also point to a strong feeling of unity and wholeness with the world or in a particular situation. Everything is starting to fall into place and you can be ‘one’ with the situation.
You will be more involved in your community or interests. You have a strong desire to contribute, to ‘give back’, or to use a special gift or talent to help make the world a better place. You are coming from a good place now of love, knowledge and experience and you are ready to share this with others.
From a more literal perspective, the Univesre can indicate world travel, particularly on a large scale. You may be lucky enough to be embarking on a six month overseas trip, or are working/studying/living overseas for an extended period of time. Similarly, this card reinforces universal understanding and global awareness. Wherever you will go, you will encounter new experiences and welcoming hosts who will embrace you and invite you into their worlds.
Card4: Taking a look at the past and advice: 5 of Swords
The Five of Swords sees you engaging in conflict or finding yourself disagreeing with others, leading to tension and hostility. Despite thinking you have won, you may still end up the loser because you have hurt or annoyed others and have subsequently isolated yourself. You try to pick up the pieces and act as if the conflict is now in the past but others have now lost faith in you and do not want to be around you. This might be one of those times when it feels like everyone is against you and you may lose some friends along the way. You will need to make a decision about whether your point of view is so important to you that it is ok to put your relationship with others in jeopardy, or whether you can compromise and try to see eye-to-eye with others.
The Five of Swords can also represent conquest. If you have been aggressive in your struggles, then you will soon accomplish your objectives. However, if you have been passive, you may need to compromise on your personal interests, giving in to the wishes of the opposing force. You will feel that there are more obstacles ahead, and you will not want to face the ordeal you know you must if you are to have what you want or the way you want it. Overall, you are in for a struggle and there is more work or problems ahead than you are aware of now. Things will not go as well as they should, and you will have conflicts or clashes of will with others.
Thus, the Five of Swords is a card representing ambition but in the negative sense. Too much ambition without regard to the consequences to yourself or others results ultimately in a situation of loss for everyone. You may be represented either by the callous winner or the dejected losers. In any case, there is a negative connotation. If your focus is solely on winning your goals at any cost, you will eventually discover to your own dismay that the price of winning may not have been worth the reward. Arrogance and pride often go hand-in-hand with a difficult triumph such as this, and you must be careful not to think you are invincible. You have overcome a challenge, and you have the right to feel proud but know that there will be other rivals to face and that some of them will eventually defeat you. Boasting to others that you are invincible is an invitation for someone to prove you wrong. If your victory was won through cheating or unethical conduct, beware of an attempt at vengeance.
The Five of Swords can relate to a betrayal or sneak attack by someone you trust and do not suspect as your enemy. There may be an unfaithful partner or a jealous person in your life who is sabotaging you behind your back. Look to other Court cards in the reading to understand who may be working against you. You must be very careful whom you trust at this point in time because you are vulnerable to attack and gossip.
The Five of Swords may simply point to defeat. It shows that, despite your best efforts, you are likely to be beaten. If you allow yourself to become disillusioned after such a loss, then you are on the path to increased ruin and torment. Accept your defeat, learn from it, and then make sure that next time you succeed. Be smarter and wiser as a result of your loss. Just as they say in the reality TV show Survivor, “Outwit, Outplay, and Outlast.”
Alternatively, the Five of Swords can be seen from quite a different angle – that of a hollow victory. It is possible that the two ‘defeated’ men in this card were really not defeated at all; they simply laid down their arms and walked away. The men either knew that they would lose, or they knew that trying to win would be a waste of energy and a pointless exercise. By choosing not to fight, they are really the winners here, because he who knows when to fight, and when not to fight, will be victorious.
The advice of the Five of Swords is to pick your battles. You may be tempted to fight every conflict to ensure you get your way, to prove that you are right, or to defend yourself when you are feeling challenged or threatened by another person. However, most experts agree, choosing your battles wisely is a much better way of life than battling out every disagreement. Not only will picking your battles lead to a more peaceful existence, it is also more likely to strengthen your interpersonal relationships.
I also feel like the past has made you feel in some ways like everything has got too much for you and you are at the end of a long battle. Are you a winner or a looser? In either case what was lost and what was won? What have you learned from the experience?
Be aware of seeing battle as the only or easiest way to solve disputes. The cost is high on both sides. Perhaps a more conciliatory approach would serve everyone better in the long run?
Card 5: Probable and Possible Future; Two of Wands
The Two of Wands takes the spark of inspiration from the Ace of Wands and matures it into an actual path forward. Thus, the Two of Wands is all about planning and progressing. You have been able to take your idea and turn it into a feasible plan that you know will lead to your success. It is no longer just an idea but you now have a plan in place to ensure that your idea is carried out as you had intended.
The Two of Wands is also about discovery, particularly as you step outside of your comfort zone and explore new worlds and new experiences. It may take some courage to take the first step but this card gives you the confidence of self-knowledge. You know what your goal is, what your creative process is directing for you, and you are confident in its eventual fulfilment.
The Two of Wands indicates that you will begin to consider your longer-term goals and aspirations and will plan ahead for what you need to do to achieve these goals. You have already come so far but now you feel it is ready for a change, this time with your long-term future in mind. You may be considering overseas travel, further education or a major career change at this point in order to expand your learning and development, and to grow your horizons beyond your immediate environment. With careful planning, and a moderated approach, you will set yourself up for success in the future.
The Twos in Tarot often represent decisions of some sort. In the case of the Two of Wands, you are making a decision between sticking with what you know, or expanding your horizons and taking a risk. You know that the world has to offer you something ‘bigger’ or more meaningful, yet you are also aware that in order to maximise on this opportunity, you must leave your familiar grounds. Even though you have already invested a lot into your current circumstances, for you to be able to grow and to maximise your potential, it is imperative that you step out into a new world and explore your options.
This card shows the patience and focus of your intent. You have got the ball rolling and have started out on your journey, so now it is time to patiently wait for your rewards and watch as your ideas begin to materialise.
This is also the card of trust, doing things for the right reason.
Card 6: How things are going and how you are feeling over the next few days: Eight of Cups
The Eight of Cups indicates that it is time to ask yourself what you can do to bring a deeper satisfaction and joy to your life beyond the obvious pursuit of material satisfaction and/or physical enjoyment. You are seeking deeper meaning to life and focusing in on your personal truth. You want to escape from the ‘rat race’ and pursue deeper, more spiritual goals at this time. You are willing to let go of your material possessions in favour of something more meaningful. Thus, the Eight of Cups is often reflective of the start of a journey of discovery, particularly on a spiritual level.
The Eight of Cups also indicates that you are disappointed enough to walk away from everything you have built up so far. It could indicate a disappointment in love or dissatisfaction with material success. It could also indicate that you have over-extended yourself to the point of emotional exhaustion. Even though you have already come so far, you feel that you can no longer go on and your only choice is to walk away from the situation. You feel disappointed with yourself but you know that this is the right thing to do before you completely burn out. You may also be feeling that you are giving too much and not getting nearly enough in exchange.
Card 7: Past events and how they have moved forward: Seven of wands.
Similar to the Five of Wands, the Seven of Wands indicates a struggle after initial satisfaction and fulfilment. This time, however, the struggle is about maintaining your position at the top while others compete and fight to achieve the same success and status that you have already achieved. Thus, competition is rife and you must continually prove yourself with the Seven of Wands. If your vision and creative effort is fulfilled to the point where there is public acclaim or acceptance of your success then you must expect competition and challenge, as other people will no doubt also desire the same things as you.
The Seven of Wands can also indicate a challenge to the continued success of a venture or creative project from an external source. While it appears to block your path forward, you can overcome this challenge or obstacle by drawing upon your strong self-confidence, self-belief and continual self-improvement. It can also be overcome with effort and clarity of purpose.
The Seven of Wands is about holding your ground, despite ongoing challenges to your position and authority. You need to take a stand and defend your position at all costs. This will take courage and persistence but you have the strength and determination to do it. You see yourself as a battler and no matter what the challenge, you still have it in you to stand up for yourself and fight to the end. So, although you are experiencing a number of setbacks at the moment, you need to continue fighting for what you believe in and confronting others who may oppose or threaten you.
There needs to be acceptance with this card that you are not always going to be able to win everyone over. There will always be challengers and opposition to your point of view and you cannot keep everyone happy all of the time. Thus, now is the time to draw your line in the sand, and say, “This is who I am and this is what I need right now.” There cannot be any compromise or negotiation at this time, just hold your ground with determination and courage.
From quite a literal perspective, this card can indicate that you will be required to give a speech or write a paper on a contentious or highly debated issue. You will need to be ready to defend your argument and present hard facts that support your point of view. Expect to be challenged but enjoy this challenge as it will help you to create an even more robust argument.
Card 8: Other people and how they effect the situation: The Fool
The Fool Tarot card is a card of potential, new beginnings and innocence. This Tarot card shows the highest potential for your life, reaching a state of renewal and new beginnings, where each day is an adventure and each moment is lived to the fullest. The Fool card represents the beginning of all creativity and a desire to accomplish new goals (or to, at least, start the process of working towards those goals). The Fool indicates that anything can happen and the opportunities are just waiting to be taken advantage of.
In a Tarot reading, the Fool represents the need to set forth on a new journey, one that is completely unknown and will take you to uncharted territories. The Fool is all about new experiences, personal growth, development and adventure. The Fool Tarot card asks you to take a ‘leap of faith’ and to trust in the Universe in that if you begin a new journey, you will find success. This Fool lives a carefree life, free from worry and anxiety. He does not seem to mind if he does not really know what lies ahead.
The Fool Tarot card may represent a choice to be made—one of vital importance. However, there are always many different options available and the choice must be made wisely. If you are facing a decision or moment of doubt, the Fool encourages you to believe in yourself and follow your heart no matter how crazy or foolish your impulses may seem. This is a time when you need to truly ‘believe’ and have faith in where the Universe is taking you.
The Fool is an excellent Tarot card to meditate on if you are experiencing a lot of fear in your life. The Fool enhances courage, risk-taking and the creative expression needed to open up new areas in your life.
The Fool is always whole, healthy and without fear. He is the spirit of who we are, the spirit expressed and experienced as wonder, awe, curiosity and anticipation. We never know what is in the future but like the Fool we must blindly go forward. You need to trust that you are a spirit born into flesh to enjoy life and grow in experience. Take a chance and see what happens.
Card 9: Hopes and fears: Six of Cups
The Six of Cups is a card of childhood, nostalgia, naïve happiness, and generosity. You want to return to the happy memories of your past, whether as a child, teenager or adult. Oftentimes, though, these memories are indeed a thing of the past and reflect aspects of your life that have since vanished. You may feel that the only way to connect to this happiness is to escape into the past where you can reflect on your happy and beautiful memories, instead of dealing with current challenges. This is fine if you are simply taking a walk down memory lane but it is important that you live in the present and accept your current circumstances rather than always living in the past.
Oftentimes, there is nothing wrong with looking back at the good times for inspiration when things are not going so well. In the midst of change and crisis, the Six of Cups suggests that looking back at what you have endured is a good way to assure yourself that, whatever trials lay ahead, you will meet them and you will overcome them as you overcame others. After losses such as those on the Fives, the Six of Cups suggests that you need to take time out to heal, look back on the past and all the good that lies there. During this period of reflection, there is no need to focus on the negative. Instead, bring all of the positive energy from the past into your present and your future. The fallen cups are now full and upright again but with blooming flowers that cannot be spilled or washed away. Now that you have looked back, the way forward will be clear and enlightening.
The Six of Cups can represent a return to a familiar environment or to a childhood place. You may return to your home town, to your parents’ house, to your high school or even kindergarten. You could be going to a high school reunion or reconnecting with a childhood acquaintance. A teenage sweetheart or past lover may turn up again. Allow yourself positive, nostalgic memories of childhood, friends and family. If you can, spend time with younger people.
The Six of Cups can also point to your inner child and suggests a need to experience child-like joy. The child you were still lives within you and must be cared for. This is often referred to as working with your inner child. People with persistent problems such as addiction, depression, troubled relationships and chronic dissatisfaction can transform their lives with inner child work and find a new joy and energy in living. The source of your problems may be in past events that are triggered in the present. We are made up of many parts and inside we still have the little child and adolescent we were with all of its experiences and feelings. This can lead to the inner child reacting strongly to certain experiences, situations and feelings in the present, based on experiences of the past. Working with your inner child and getting to know where these feelings come from can change that and enhance your choices in miraculous ways. When we are being playful, spontaneous, creative, intuitive and surrendering to the spiritual self, our genuine authentic Self, who we know deep within us, our real Self is being welcomed and encouraged to be present.
The Six of Cups can also refer to children in your life. It can denote a pregnancy, birth or adoption, depending on the other cards in the reading. Or, it may indicate that you are about to spend more time with young children, playing, laughing and learning together. Children play a significant role in your present life, and can serve as great advisors. Children are good role models to follow when this card is present. They see the world as a completely perfect place and their hearts are open to experience the myriad pleasures of the world around them.
The Six of Cups almost radiates an aura of joy, because it represents the past with all its memories, the present with all its gifts, and the future with all its wondrous opportunities. The Six of Cups can thus signal a gift given or received, or some other similar gesture. You may be inspired to act kindly or charitably, or to do a good turn for another person. You are more open to sharing what you have and being well-intentioned.
Card 10:The way things are going to pan out; Queen of Cups
The Queen of Cups is nurturing, caring, compassionate and sensitive. She is a good wife and a loving mother as she is emotionally secure and can connect on an emotional level with others. She is admired for her fairness and honesty, and is warm-hearted. Often a healer, counsellor or psychic, this is a woman who seems to know what is wrong even before you open your mouth. She seems to have exactly the right solution to problems relating to relationships, emotions and feelings. She easily tunes in to what you are feeling and is able to help you make sense of it in a sensitive and compassionate manner. As such, her intuition is very strong and she has a unique talent at being able to pick up on emotional energy.
As with the Court Cards, the Queen of Cups can manifest as a person in your life or as a part of yourself. She often appears as a mature female.
No intuition is more powerful than that of the Queen of Cups. She is the pure force of Water, and her connection with the subconscious is rivalled only by the High Priestess. She is often like a mirror, reflecting the hidden depths of others back to them, so they can see their own mysteries for themselves. Thus, the Queen of Cups indicates that you need to trust your intuition and listen to your inner voice. Trust the sensations and the feelings you are getting from your outside environment.
When the Queen of Cups appears in a reading, it suggests that you need to empathise with others and to show true compassion. Focus on the emotional well-being of others rather than relying on rational or logical explanation. You are here to support and to teach others, by drawing upon your own intuition and sense of calm and emotional connectedness. Learn how those in need cope with life’s challenges and share your knowledge. Hug someone you care about.
One of the greatest assets of the Queen of Cups is her ability to sense the needs of those around her. Due to her associations with the element of water, the Queen of Cups can be passive and receptive. Her sensitivity draws those who struggle and suffer towards her. In many ways, she is a safe harbour for others. Her ability to connect on a soul level enables her to remedy the broken hearts of others. Her warmth and genuine caring make her a beacon of light. Because she is so responsive to the feelings of others, the Queen of Cups must constantly uphold her boundaries between herself and others. If not properly protected, the Queen of Cups can lose her own sense of self. This is her greatest vulnerability.
The Queen of Cups tends to think with her heart, rather than her head. She may lack common sense and rationality but she is highly intuitive and sometimes psychic and dreamy. Similarly, if you are finding that the logical approach is not working, then the Queen of Cups encourages you to follow your heart and not your mind. You may be required to turn inward and explore your emotions about a particular situation.
The Queen of Cups symbolises achievements made possible by the use of imagination and creativity. This is a woman who is highly imaginative and artistically gifted, affectionate and romantic in outlook. She is often involved in creative or literary pursuits, and enjoys art, good music, literature and things of beauty. Therefore, you may be more inclined to pursue creative projects, particularly if it acts as a form of self-expression.
I hope this helps, your feedback would be appreciated.
Peace and love
Storm xxx
