Tarot Dige st Is s u e # 3 Journeys and Destinations All written content by Jim Larsen
July, 2017
A word from the Editor
When life is viewed as a journey, what is the starting point? What is the ultimate destination? Does the journey begin at birth, or did it begin long before then? Does the journey conclude with death, or does it carry on long after that? What are the mile markers? How do you know when you’ve arrived at one? We, in life, have moments of growth. We arrive into circumstances that require us to examine our life, examine our attitudes, examine our entire process of thinking about things. These are growth moments. Those are moments that push our lives in a new direction. These are the mile markers of the journey. These are what we arrive at for the lessons that create the beings that we are. Issue 3 of Tarot Digest examines this journey, these mile markers, and the space in between. - Jim Larsen www.foolspathtarot.com
Personal Meanings W
Why They Matter
hy is it important to develop personal meanings for the cards? One reason is because by doing so, you strengthen your own intuition. When you feel a meaning of a card, whether it be for yourself in a certain situation or for somebody else in a reading for them, you are granted the opportunity to trust your own feelings on the matter. Consider the cards to be psychic icebreakers. Allow each one to guide you into your own knowing. For this, you cannot rely on simple book meanings. In this way, tarot cards are great for developing your own psychic awareness. Remember, one crucial key to developing psychic awareness is developing trust. Trust what you feel. Trust your instincts. Trust your intuition. Learn how to do this with the cards, then expand it outward to others aspects of your life. Part of developing personal meanings for tarot cards is to do a scan of your emotions. What are you feeling right now? Might it be joy? What is bringing you this joy? Now ask yourself what tarot card equates to feelings of joy? The sun card is a good example. How about boredom? The four of cups is a good example. How about heart break? The three of swords is an example of such. What about the excitement of expressing an idea of yours and expressing your talents? The star card is a great example. Take the feelings that you are having and see how they apply to the card. Now you have a personal meaning for that card. Now, through empathy you can apply this meaning to others as you do readings for them. Our own general disposition will impact how we interpret the cards and develop our own personal meanings. Somebody with an overall happy disposition will likely resonate more strongly with such cards as the sun and the star and relate to the more positive aspects of life. Their personal meanings will likely be stronger in these areas. They may see a card such as the Knight of Swords and interpret it in a very positive way, maybe as somebody who speaks their mind makes a good difference by doing so, whereas somebody with a negative disposition may interpret the Knight of Swords as somebody who talks too much and dominates a conversation. Somebody with a negative disposition may see the sun as a warning that they need to moderation or they will be burned. Somebody with a positive disposition may interpret the Fool as somebody who is full of adventure and ready to try new things, whereas somebody with a negative disposition may regard the Fool as somebody who doesn’t take life seriously enough. Somebody with a positive disposition may view the magician as somebody who is adept at making things happen, while somebody with a negative disposition may view the magician as somebody who expects everything to just be handed to them. So, your disposition will impact your relationship to each card and therefore your relationship to each card. Pick a card from your favorite deck. Examine it. Take it all in. Meditate on what it means to you. What is the first thing that draws your attention? Is there a particular symbol? Is there a look on somebody’s face that catches your eye? What about body language? Is there a character in the card displaying some sort of attitude? Can you relate to this attitude? What is your association with it? Do you relate, or do does it turn you off? These too create a personal meaning.
The Hanged Man
Letting go and Traveling
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he Hanged man in Tarot encourages us to let go of expectations. He suggests that it is time to surrender our attitudes and be open to new ideas that come our way. Traveling, especially to a country that is foreign to us always opens us to these opportunities. The Lesson of the Hanged Man in traveling is to let go o the world we are traveling from, and to fully embrace the world we are traveling to. When we do this, we open ourselves to tremendous growth opportunities. When you spend an extended amount of time in a foreign country, you have to be open to new ideas and a new way to live. You have to be open to a new life in general. You have to embrace the Hanged Man.
The ones that adapt to the new paradigm will experience personal growth and joy. It happens that people will come to a new environment, a new world, such as to China, or Thailand, or to anywhere that is unfamiliar to them. It may not even be a foreign country. It may be from one coast of the USA to the other. So often, people come from their home, their old world and they will look to replicate what their life was where they are coming from. In a foreign country, they will socialize with other expats in bars and such; clinging to what they know, what they are used to. They will follow the same sports and the same politics. They will keep up with the same gossip, still caring what lady Gaga wore or what Paris Hilton did now, or who made it to The Super Bowl or whatever. They will cling to their old cravings, sad that they cannot find their favorite flavor of Smuckers Jam at the local market. But the reality is, to enjoy life, you have to be willing and able to let go of old ambitions and ideas and to allow yourself to open to all that is new in the new world that you have arrived in. Does celebrity gossip really make a difference in your life? Is the earth hurling itself into the sun because you can’t find your favorite jam in the local store? Hardly. To cling too tightly to the ideas of the old world is to create expectations of life in the new world. It is likely that these expectations are impossible to meet, and therefore in the trying to meet them, they will lead to frustrations and feelings of uneasiness. Therefore, adapt. Save yourself the hassle of worry and go with this new flow. Try new things in the store. Forget your favorite flavors and try new ones. You will soon discover that the old favorite wasn’t that special after all. There are plenty of other flavors in the world. The ones that adapt to the new paradigm will experience personal growth and joy. Those that do not will likely remain stagnant, living their same old life, with their same old ideas and limitations, only doing so in a new environment. You can make the choice to not live that way. You can make the choice to broaden your horizons and expand your mind and spirit. So when you travel, be there! Be in the new environment! Embrace the unfamiliar! Soak in the nuances and energy of this new and foreign land you are in! Surrender control and allow yourself to become something you have never been before! Travel offers an amazing opportunity to do this. Tuck The Hanged Man into your pocket and go with the expectation that you will change, that you will grow, that much of what you think is so important really is not. Become what the new world you are in is designed to create of you. This is the power of the Hanged Manthe power to create a new perspective. Appreciate this opportunity and be the Hanged Man to its fullest as you travel.
The Fool Reversed
Are you open to possibilities?
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n its upright position, the fool indicates a fresh start and new beginning. It reminds us to be carefree and take a few chances. It tells us to have faith and trust in our ability to trod the path of the journey ahead of us. When the fool comes up for us in the upright position, we may interpret it as an omen to go with the flow and have faith that everything will turn out just fine, even if we do not immediately see how that can happen. But what about when it comes up for us in the reversed position? In the reverse position, the fool may indicate stubbornness. Let’s say, you asked the cards what is keeping you from moving forward and getting the most out of a situation or out of life. In this case, the upside down fool has some clear questions for you to consider. “Are you open to the possibilities presented to you? Are you clinging too tightly to an old idea?” It could be that your stubbornness is stagnating you. Get out of the mud of rigid thinking and move forward! Don’t worry so much. Let go! Free yourself of outdated thinking. It is time for something new. Embrace it! The reversed fool could also be a warning. It depends on the question and the circumstances. Perhaps you are considering an investment. This investment
Are you open to the possibilities presented to you?
represents a sizable risk and substantial leap of faith that it will work out. You ask the cards for guidance and the reversed fool comes up. In this case, he may very well be saying, “Dude… seriously? You really think this is a good idea? Maybe you better think it through a little more.” In which case, you would be wise to truly consider if it is a good idea or not. Is every leap of faith worth the risk of taking? The reversed fool may very well be saying, “No. Not this one.” Always follow your intuition when reading cards. Let the cards be psychic icebreakers for you, rather than providing cut and dry definite answers. Draw a card, and be it upright or upside down, listen for the answer it provides. When the fool shows up for you in the reverse position, consider if you are being too stubborn. Consider also if it is wise to pursue a particular course of action. Don’t make a bad decision and then have the fool say to you, “I told you so!” That’s never fun.
Death
The Space Between
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n the space between, there may be darkness. This darkness is uncertainty. We don’t always know what to expect in the darkness or how long the darkness will last. What precisely is this darkness? It is the space between the mile markers of our personal growth, evolution, and enlightenment. When life is viewed as a journey, this space between the guideposts is small, necessary periods of death. We experience these small bouts of dying so that we may be reborn. Without death, there is no rebirth. Without rebirth, there is no growth. The death card of tarot reminds us of this.
On the path to our personal enlightenment, we arrive at guideposts. These are points along our path that we are destined to reach. They signify growth and let us know we are going the right direction and are doing the right thing. Our life is on track. We are growing and learning the lessons we were always meant to learn. Somehow, we just know that we reached at one. Sometimes it is obvious to us by way of a great sense of energy we feel. Sometimes we know just by way of an intuitive hunch. Other times we know because a voice in our head tells us. We feel it in our guts and we simply have a feeling of it.
Take note of who you are as opposed to who you have been.
We reach these landmarks and we absorb the energy we are meant to absorb from them. Then, it is time to carry on to the next guidepost. The space between the guideposts may seem dark, distant, and uncertain, and it takes faith to know that we going in the right direction. Don’t doubt yourself and don’t second guess yourself when you are in this darkness. Know with certainty that your feet are taking you in the right direction even if your head doesn’t understand it. As we set out for the next guidepost, it is like we are ending a chapter of our life. This is as if to die and be born anew. Accept and seek this new birth. Let go of who you have been. Take with you the strength you have gathered in the arrival of the last guidepost, but move forward to the next one. At the arrival of the next one, it will seem as though you are starting something new and exciting in your life. Move forward. Don’t grow stagnant. The next guide post is ahead of you. Go for it. When the death card of tarot comes up for you, consider the lessons you have amassed in life. Examine the growth you have achieved. Take note of who you are as opposed to who you have been. Do you see how for you have come on your journey towards personal enlightenment?
World to Fool The Journey
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oes it seem sometimes that you are living more than one lifetime within the single incarnation of your life on the planet this time around? Can you say that you have had very definitive and very drastic changes that altered the course of your life? Do you look back on your past and think, “Wow. That doesn’t even seem like me anymore?” If so, the chances are you are on the threshold of enlightenment. In consideration of the fool’s journey, you have reached the world and have become the fool again over and over again. This is a significant achievement. Not everybody can do it.
It is so that we design the lifetime we will live based on the lessons we must learn in order to gain and achieve perfection. What though, is the situation when we know we are living more than one lifetime within a single incarnation? Are each of these lifetimes within this single incarnation planned out? Yes, they are, and know this, to live multiple lifetimes within a single incarnation is a unique, but not unheard of thing. This is a sign of high advancement in the karmic journey. It is to accelerate the final few stages of karmic perfection. It is what one often does when they know they are enlightened and are in the final stretch to perfection. It is not for everybody and it is too much to have for those who are early in their karmic advancement.
Examine the repeating patterns of your life. These have embedded within them the lessons you must learn. It is to be noted that each lifetime within the incarnation is prepared and planned for via in progress reviews. This is much like a life review between incarnations, but takes place while the incarnation is in progress. Often, this will be consciously perceived as very vivid and recurring dreams. This is not to be pass/fail or right from wrong, but rather what is necessary? What has been achieved and what lessons need to be still accomplished? In so determining these things, the next set of circumstances can be created and you will be synchronisticaly led to them. Sometimes it may be that you must learn to master and come to acceptance with a particular emotion. Maybe you had the opportunity in the past to do this, but you shirked away from it. Well, okay, now another opportunity is hereby created to once again tackle this. How will you face it this time? Will you conquer it, or must another opportunity be created again? Face it and conquer so that you may move on to others. Do it now and save yourself the trouble of another earthly incarnation. If you do must or choose to come back in another form, let that lifetime be to forge new ground, conquer new tasks, learn new lessons. Do your best this lifetime to get the most you can out of this lifetime. How do you know what a situation is designed to teach you? This is easy. What is the dominate feeling you have? Is it reasonable? Can you identify where it is coming from? If you can feel it but cannot immediately identify its source, part of the lesson is to trace it to where it is beginning from. Develop empathy. Employ compassion. Trace it. Follow it. Understand it. Are there forces seemingly at work that keep repeating over and over and will not disappear? Address them. Again, follow them to the source and address what they are nagging at you to address. If you do not do so now, you will have no choice but to do so later. Might as well get it over with now, right? Examine the repeating patterns of your life. These have embedded within them the lessons you must learn. Face them head on now without fear. It is to your ultimate karmic benefit to do so. It is so. Do the fool and the world cards seem to come up for you a lot in readings? Consider these things. It is not for nothing, and the message for you is very powerful. Appreciate the full power you possess and give thought to the multiple lifetimes you have lived in this single incarnation.
Featured Spread
Strength, Weakness, Needs
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his is a simple yet handy spread to assess the aspects one faces in any given situation, be it an established situation or a new one that you or your querent is entering into. The first card represents your strength in this situation. In other words, what do you bring to it that is positive and strong? The second card represents your weakness in the situation. In other words, what do you need to work to improve on? The third card represents your needs in the situation. In other words, for your own personal satisfaction to be achieved, what do you need to get from this situation? Let’s take the example of a new job. You started a new position and you ask the cards about the strength, weakness, and need of it, and the three cards that come up are 8 of pentacles, 7 of cups, and The Fool.
From this we can surmise that the strength you bring to this new position is your ability to follow a steady and predictable routine. The weakness you bring is difficulty in staying focused. This may not be the time to daydream. It is the time to work on keeping your mind on the tasks at hand. As a Fool, you need for this job to be one in which you can take chances and be allowed to make a few mistakes here and there so that you can learn from those mistakes as you master the position.
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The 6 of Swords Getting to the Other Side
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hat do you see when you look at the six of swords tarot card? Our eyes are drawn to a number of images. One thing we see is the seated figure. Here is a person hunched over, covered in a blanket. Their face is away from us. We can only imagine the expression on this person’s face. Based on the body language and overall demeanor, it is easy to imagine that this person is not happy. Here is somebody going through a healing process. The blanket they are wrapped in is a
cocoon. They have withdrawn into their own world, in need of transformation and healing. Are they able to do this alone? Sometimes, we all need a little help. We all need a little compassion and understanding when we are going through a rough time. In the six of swords tarot card, this understanding and compassion is represented by the figure rowing the boat. Here again, we do not see the face of this person. He is an anonymous figure who simply wants to aid this person in the boat. There is no ego involved here. He is not looking at us wanting to be seen, wanting to be known. No, his job is simply to help because he is able to do so and he is needed to do so. There is respect here. He honors this person in his boat that he is helping. He honors by his simple presence and his willingness to do what is needed without the pursuit of glory. Right now, what is needed is understanding and the strength to row the boat to the shore ahead. Take note of this shore ahead. Take note of the water as well. The shore ahead is calm. It is peaceful. There is no sign of war or of strife on this land. All seems relaxed and easy going. There are trees growing, and we can imagine the abundance in this new land. This is a good place to be. Here, that hooded figure in the boat can heal and become what they need to be. Look at the water they are rowing into. It is calm and mellow, as opposed to the turbulence they are rowing away from. We can only imagine the strife they are leaving behind. This is one of the strongest messages of the six of swords. It reminds us that when we are having a hard time, when our life gets turbulent, sometimes we need help from others to feel good again. It is not a weakness to admit to needing help. A weakness is to need help but deny it. Strength is to admit to needing help and surrendering to the powers that can provide it. We can set our sights on a distant shore and say, “Over there, I will heal.� And then allow ourselves to be taken there. When the six of swords comes up for you in a reading, consider this. What help do you need? You may also put yourself in the position of the rower and ponder, what help can I give?
Call for Entries
Our mission at Tarot Digest is to expand the lexicon of tarot. We want to go beyond what has already been written about and delve deeply into what the Archetypes mean. What do the Archetypes mean to you? What personal meanings have you developed? What insights have been revealed to you in your explorations of the cards? We would love to hear about these things and we encourage you to contribute your essays and articles. We would also love to receive original tarot artwork, cards, reviews, poetry, short tarot-themed fiction, interviews, and anything at all related to tarot. Each entry must be the original work of the contributor, and by the act of submitting, you attest that it is. We can only offer the exposure of your material to our readership in return, and we will offer a link to any personal website, on-line store, and/or listing at Amazon.com that you would like. Please send your entries to tarotdigest@gmail.com.