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Author Topic: Help with a Tarot Reading?  (Read 1521 times)

makaros

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Help with a Tarot Reading?
« on: February 05, 2017, 05:02:10 pm »
Hey all, hope this Super Bowl Sunday finds you well! :)

I just wrapped up a reading I did for myself using the Dream Come True spread from the Shadowscapes companion book.  If you're not familiar with it, it's a 6 card spread.  Card 1 is the strongest aspect on your way to the dream, 2 is helpful energy/entity/someone that can guide you, 3 is your weakest aspect that may impede the dream, 4 & 5 are steps you can take to make progress in reaching the dream, and 6 is the outcome.

I don't mind telling you my goal/dream, which is why I did this reading, is to get a part-time job that will keep my partner and I financially stable.  I am hoping to use this extra time and less stressful occupation as a means to reconnect to witchcraft (my current job is so draining and unhealthy for me, especially considering I have an anxiety disorder which magnifies its impact) and also to give me the extra time and space to get back to writing, hopefully to eventually make some money from that.

So, the reading was great overall.  My initial impressions of each card matched well with the descriptions in the companion book.  My strongest aspect was 9 of Pentacles, helpful energy was Queen of Swords, steps I can take (4 & 5) were the Hermit and 9 of Swords, and the outcome if I follow all this is the World (yes, please!).  My overall impression is I am very much going the right direction, I interpreted 9 of Swords as needing to be willing to defeat my inner doubts and anxieties about whether I am doing the right thing (my partner supports me in this so that takes a lot off my chest) but my inner critic has always been VERY loud.

Which brings me to why I need some help here:  my weakest aspect card ended up being 5 of Swords, which in this deck can be either a good thing (finally seizing the bull by the horns, using self-interest and power to advance) or a bad thing (being taken down by these very things).  So, background on me:  I am very much the kind of person who will not rock the boat if it hurts anyone else.  I once passed on a job advancement opportunity because I didn't want to impact my best friend's chances.  I very easily get comfortable in my current situation, whatever it might be.  On the flip side, I can be very hubristic at times and I was concerned that 5 of Swords was telling me this whole dream of mine is selfish and cruel to other people in my life.

But see above point about my inner critic's loud ass voice.  I guess I am seeking validation, but I am open to criticism or a different viewpoint.  The 5 of Swords is the sticking point, but since the rest of the reading worked so well I am not prepared to throw out the dream/goal.  Do you think I need to shift perspective or is a little self-interest in order here to reach my goal?  Keep in mind this is so anathema to how I operate that it's hard for me to do this, which obviously may be why it's my weakest aspect. :p

Thanks for any thoughts, critiques, etc.  This is the first and only Tarot deck I've ever worked with and I love it, but definitely still learning.
« Last Edit: February 05, 2017, 05:04:01 pm by makaroð »

Jenett

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Re: Help with a Tarot Reading?
« Reply #1 on: February 05, 2017, 06:28:35 pm »
Quote from: makaroð;202348

But see above point about my inner critic's loud ass voice.  I guess I am seeking validation, but I am open to criticism or a different viewpoint.  The 5 of Swords is the sticking point, but since the rest of the reading worked so well I am not prepared to throw out the dream/goal.  Do you think I need to shift perspective or is a little self-interest in order here to reach my goal?  Keep in mind this is so anathema to how I operate that it's hard for me to do this, which obviously may be why it's my weakest aspect. :p

 
I think I'd read the 5 of Swords here a little differently than you do.

First, many of your questions could probably be resolved with a little non-Tarot thoughtfulness.

Who is directly impacted by your decision, and how much of a say do they get? A partner you live with and with whom you have entangled finances should get a say (or at least significant information about your thoughts and goals, so you can talk about it and they can make informed choices of their own).

A friend you don't share finances with, or parents or family (if you're not relying on them for financial support stability) might have useful advice, but they don't get the same kind of say. (They may say "If you do X, I won't be able to continue to do Y with/for you." or whatever, but that's a thing you then factor into your own decisions.)

On the other hand, there's looking at the costs to people who are affected:

Are there things you can offer to your partner to offset less financial flexibility (have you talked about taking on some of the household tasks, or different ones that are more of a pain to do around being away at work?) How's your emergency fund? What does less income mean for long-term planning or goals? What about health care?

There are lots of possible answers to these questions, but resolving them and making sure you've thought about the possible consequences and implications will go a long way toward defusing that card's emphasis on destructive self-interest as an option.

I also think the 5 of Swords in that position is also warning against rigidity in thought. Would a full time job that was much less stressful be a solution for you? Or a job that had a different schedule? Or in a different kind of work than you're currently looking? I'd read the 5 of Swords as a reminder not to be rigid in what counts as a victory condition - look more broadly, with more openness to solutions you haven't yet considered, look at opportunities that you come across without assuming they aren't what you want immediately.

When I've been job hunting, I've played a lot of "What if" games. (Since my job hunts have been multi-state, there's always been an element of moving) - what would my life be like if I took this job? What would my day look like? How would commuting/getting there work? At X salary, what would my budget look like?) I don't dwell on that - I maybe play 'what if' for 15 minutes or so for the most plausible options - but doing that has helped me write much better cover letters, and to be able to figure out very quickly if a job is something I'm interested in or not.
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Holdasown

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Re: Help with a Tarot Reading?
« Reply #2 on: February 06, 2017, 11:06:57 am »
Quote from: makaroð;202348
Which brings me to why I need some help here:  my weakest aspect card ended up being 5 of Swords, which in this deck can be either a good thing (finally seizing the bull by the horns, using self-interest and power to advance) or a bad thing (being taken down by these very things).  So, background on me:  I am very much the kind of person who will not rock the boat if it hurts anyone else.  I once passed on a job advancement opportunity because I didn't want to impact my best friend's chances.  I very easily get comfortable in my current situation, whatever it might be.  On the flip side, I can be very hubristic at times and I was concerned that 5 of Swords was telling me this whole dream of mine is selfish and cruel to other people in my life.

But see above point about my inner critic's loud ass voice.  I guess I am seeking validation, but I am open to criticism or a different viewpoint.  The 5 of Swords is the sticking point, but since the rest of the reading worked so well I am not prepared to throw out the dream/goal.  Do you think I need to shift perspective or is a little self-interest in order here to reach my goal?  Keep in mind this is so anathema to how I operate that it's hard for me to do this, which obviously may be why it's my weakest aspect. :p

Thanks for any thoughts, critiques, etc.  This is the first and only Tarot deck I've ever worked with and I love it, but definitely still learning.

 
If I had been doing the reading for someone and all the card were positive but one I would tell that person to resists feeling that way. Not sure why a job and supporting oneself is selfish? We all need some kind of work or hobby and to be valued outside our relationships as individuals. I would view it as a warning of what not to do. Go for it. Jobs can be quit if it's not working out.

makaros

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Re: Help with a Tarot Reading?
« Reply #3 on: February 06, 2017, 12:36:33 pm »
Quote from: Jenett;202349
I think I'd read the 5 of Swords here a little differently than you do.

First, many of your questions could probably be resolved with a little non-Tarot thoughtfulness....
Are there things you can offer to your partner to offset less financial flexibility (have you talked about taking on some of the household tasks, or different ones that are more of a pain to do around being away at work?) How's your emergency fund? What does less income mean for long-term planning or goals? What about health care?


We have definitely begun working that part out.  He makes enough money that we won't be significantly impacted, we would just have to eat out less and be a little more thoughtful on how money is spent.  And I have told him that I would love to do stuff around the house so he doesn't have to worry about it, so I envision myself as working part-time and using the free time to write and do chores or any improvements that need to be done.  The emergency fund is going to take some work so I'm not jumping ship just yet, I'm planning out using some of my tax refund for a Roth IRA to pad retirement, and fortunately my state is one where Medicaid was expanded so that would be a fallback for me if any job I get doesn't offer some sort of health insurance plan.  And we're also discussing marriage down the line so me getting on his insurance would also be an option at that point.

Quote from: Jenett;202349
There are lots of possible answers to these questions, but resolving them and making sure you've thought about the possible consequences and implications will go a long way toward defusing that card's emphasis on destructive self-interest as an option.

I also think the 5 of Swords in that position is also warning against rigidity in thought. Would a full time job that was much less stressful be a solution for you? Or a job that had a different schedule? Or in a different kind of work than you're currently looking? I'd read the 5 of Swords as a reminder not to be rigid in what counts as a victory condition - look more broadly, with more openness to solutions you haven't yet considered, look at opportunities that you come across without assuming they aren't what you want immediately.


This and your last paragraph were so helpful, thank you!  Defusing the destructiveness by making sure all my ducks are in a row is definitely useful life advice in general.  And I appreciate your warning to not be rigid in thought.  This could apply somewhat differently in my situation, although I will take your advice to not rule out a full-time job.  I've had my heart set on working on a couple of different places part-time, so maybe being more open to other places/schedules would be a good idea.  But this is good advice and I'll take it to heart.

Quote from: Holdasown
If I had been doing the reading for someone and all the card were positive but one I would tell that person to resists feeling that way. Not sure why a job and supporting oneself is selfish? We all need some kind of work or hobby and to be valued outside our relationships as individuals. I would view it as a warning of what not to do. Go for it. Jobs can be quit if it's not working out.


This was general feeling as well, just wasn't sure if I might've been missing something.  Thank you!

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