My first Tarot reading

[malachite]

My first Tarot reading:

This was my situation yesterday. Currently i am unemployed, and I got a letter from cityhall regarding some issues. I send an e-mail back and expected at least 1 phone call today with either good news or bad news.

Before I layed down my deck, i asked myself the following question;
"Would I be happy with the message regarding the phone call?"

I layed down my cards in the following, as a cross:
4
2 5 3
1 6

I took these cards. (Litterally translated from Dutch to English) You have to know the cards to understand:
1 VIII swords Correct, period of bad things happened. Unemployment
2 X swords Incorrect, everything is getting better, not worse.
3 King staves A man of wealth would be of great influence. Don't know. The person on the phone is unknown to me excluding his voice and name.
4 IX swords Correct. Nights of bad sleeping have been occuring, yes.
5 X beakers / cups Unknown, since today s not a long term future.
6 XXI World Correct, I will no longer be unemployed, within 2 weeks.

Card 3 told me about a man who's ID is unknown to me. Excluding card nr 2 I took this as a fine reading regarding my question. But this is how I interpreted this.

Can anyone comment on this? I used a regular Tarot deck with the medieval pictures, which has been in my possession for a few days.

[Eremita]

Hi there Malachite.

Can you please explain what the positions 1-6 represent within the spread you used?

Cheers,
Eremita

[malachite]

A cross, where:
4 is at the top middle,
2 is on the left, 5 in the center, 3 is at the right
1 is at the bottom middle, and and 6 is far more to the right, not taking part of the cross itself.

Originally there was much more space between what I wrote.
Or so I need to tell what the cards stand for. (I assumed some knew.)

[RoseRed]

I'm unfamilar with that spread. It's great to know where the cards are supposed to sit but without having the context of what each position means - it's just gibberish to me.

[Eremita]

Or so I need to tell what the cards stand for. (I assumed some knew.)

Yes, that's what I meant - I wonder what the positions stand for. Without knowing what the positions mean, one cannot interpret the meaning of the cards.

[malachite]

Cards, their meaning in short and where it fits with me, or not.

Card 1 - 8 Swords means a period of setback in the past - Correct, unemployment

Card 2 - 10 Swords means worse than worse obstacles - Incorrect, things become better

Card 3 - King Staves / sticks stands for a strong and healthy man who will aid me - Unknown who that is

Card 4 - 9 Swords means sleepless nights - Correct, I had them.

Card 5 - 10 Beakers / cups stands for friendschip that will come in the future - Unknown, though I meet new people every week, only not work related.

Card 6 - 21 World means the end of a cycle, beginning of a new one - Correct, the end of unemployment the start of a new job.

Hope you can use this info, it's all I can give you.

[Eremita]

Sorry, I don't think I was clear enough in my question:

Every card position in a spread represents something. For example:

Card Position 1 - Past
Card Position 2 - Future
Card Position 3 - Subconscious
Card Position 4 - Environmental factor

etc etc.

What we were asking for is what the card positions in that particular spread mean. You showed us what the spread looks like, but not what the positions mean. Does that make sense?

Without knowing what the positions in the spread mean, the meanings of the Tarot cards themselves are impossible to decipher.

So in a three card spread you might turn up:

1. - PAST - Three of wands
2. - PRESENT- Ace of Pentacles
3. - FUTURE - The Chariot

Where the capitalised words are the positions. Am I making sense? [rofl]

Cheers,
Eremita

[RoseRed]

The cards have much deeper meanings than just that surface level 3 or 4 word answers that you've given them.

I suggest you check out the BiddyTarot.com website for full definitions of the cards and explanations of the images on them. If you're going to read tarot you need to understand the cards.

[malachite]

Alright them, here are the cards and what they stands for

Card 1 Past
Card 2 Obstacles
Card 3 Usable influences
Card 4 Near future
Card 5 Long term future
Card 6 Result in life

Hope this is useful

[Eremita]

Alright them, here are the cards and what they stands for

Card 1 Past
Card 2 Obstacles
Card 3 Usable influences
Card 4 Near future
Card 5 Long term future
Card 6 Result in life

Hope this is useful

Marvelous, thank you.

I'll throw out a few thoughts and you can ponder whether they are any help in determining what these cards may mean.

1 - Past - 8 of Swords:
Feelings of being in a rut, of confusion and going nowhere (you mentioned you were unemployed - I know how this can feel sometimes). So this represents where you have been, but also what you are now leaving behind you as you are beginning to move forward with greater mental clarity.

2 - Obstacles - 10 of Swords
You said this card was inaccurate (and perhaps it was). However, I would suggest that the 10 of Swords, like all cards in the Tarot, isn't always negative. It represents the end of the cycle of Swords; it can certainly pertain to Ruin and defeat, but there's also a humourous side to this card. Once you hit the end of a cycle, you find yourself inevitably in a new beginning. The man with the 10 swords in his back (present in most decks) is a victim of his own mental drama as much as any real catastrophe. He says: "Well, at least it can't get any worse before it gets a whole lot better!" Interpreted in this way, the 10 of Swords complements the 8 of Swords which is indicative of a period of stagnation and unhappiness that you are now moving away from. Things are getting better for you. The 10 of Swords is simply a warning against falling into the pit of self-induced unhappiness - our minds (Swords) are our best friends and our worst enemies. Remember to look on the bright side, because things could be a lot worse!

3 - Usable Influences - King of Wands
Hmmm, this could be a person as you indicated - but the first impression I had is that the King is representing the archetype of the suit of Wands. The King of Wands is the Fiery part of Fire. Thus, as a 'usable influence' I would consider that a useful talent you have in moving forward is your creativity, enthusiasm and unwillingness to be discouraged/frustrated, which will serve you wonderfully in starting a new job.

It could represent a person, like you said - perhaps wait and see? Keep an eye out for the King of Wands over the next few weeks.

4 - Near Future - 9 of Swords
Another Sword. This indicates you suffer from some degree of anxiety, particularly pertaining to the future. Like its previous comrades nos. 8 and 10, this is reminding you that you have a keen mind which has a tendency to over-analyse and consequently manufacture worries that do not serve you. Relax! The past is past and the future is chaos; centre yourself as best you can and look forward with optimism.

5 - Long Term Future - 10 of Cups
Jeez, lucky you. The 10 of Cups is probably one of the happiest cards in the deck, and indicates that whatever changes you've made, you're on the right track! Go you! The job you'll be taking will bring you not simply extra money, but some opportunity for emotional growth/expression.

The good news is, you aren't going to wind up face down in a gutter with an empty bottle in each hand and a knife in your back.

But seriously. Looking good. [rofl]

6 - Result in Life - The World
If the Major Arcana has a strong correlative to the 10 of Cups, this is it. You're definitely moving in the right direction, and the potentialities are opening like flowers in Spring. You got the job? Of course you did!

The World also indicates self-empowerment - that is, the ability to effect changes and carve small but significant slices out of your personal reality to replace them in accordance with your will. You are, in other words, going places.


I hope some of this was useful.

Cheers,
Eremita

[RoseRed]

Nice reading, Emrita.

The other thing I always suggest is to write down your spreads, readings and interpretations. You can go back and read them in 6 months or a year and see how you did.

[malachite]

I already did write everything in a document from the beginning. Makes the learning of the cards easier.

[Eremita]

Hi Malachite. How's the new job working out?

[malachite]

The sad part is that there is lot of delay.
The good part is that it will come shortly. Question is when. Rumors are within 4 weeks.