Category: Tarot

WINTER SOLSTICE TAROT READING

1. Embrace your Shadow: What aspect of yourself needs acknowledgement and acceptance during this winter solstice? The terms “rebirth” and “inner calling” are associated with this card. I feel both so strongly right now. I am returning to myself and also figuring out the next iteration of myself. With a lot of help from my friends, both old and new.

2. Cultivate Resilience: What obstacle are you being called to face with grace and courage? This card is associated with regret, which has been a major descriptor (self-imposed) of my life since at least the end of 2020 and probably earlier. I am slowly finding ways to move past it.

3. Nurture your Inner Light: What practice or action can you engage in to nourish your inner light and ignite a sense of purpose and inspiration as you move towards Imbolc? One of the ideas of this card is integration. I’m working on bringing together the various parts of me: poet, organizer, musician, broadcaster, friend, lover, and so on. I’m (re)learning how to be my total self. That means writing more, organizing more, playing more, feeling more.

4. Navigate Transformation: What old pattern, belief, or identity are you being called to shed to facilitate your inner rebirth? This is a card about rootedness. I’ve been struggling with the ideas of place and staying. In the past couple months, I have started to think differently about the place where I am right now, and about staying here and trying to build something.

5. Tap into Feminine Energy: How can you nurture and reconnect with your psyche (intuition, emotions and feminine wisdom) during this winter solstice? One idea that springs from this card is to focus on balanced relationships — ones where both people are giving and receiving. This doesn’t mean not being a support for those in need, but it does mean being aware of both my emotional resources and the emotional impacts of those relationships.

6. Presence: Which area of my life do I need to be more fully present in? Oliver Pickle writes that this card wants you to open yourself up to possibility in a spirit of joy. I have a friend who suggested that for months before I allowed circumstances to prove her right.

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Thanks to @seedsofshakti for the spread.

1. Aries signals the start of the cosmic wheel in astrology. What medicine is the wheel birthing for the next 12 months? (King of Cups, reversed) The first term that comes up for this card in this position is “self-compassion.” I’m working so hard on that. I always question whether I should even do tarot readings when I’m in such a dark place, but this is an important reminder.

2. As spring returns, what dormant energy is awakening within me? ( Wheel of Fortune, reversed) This could be a caution against resisting change and an encouragement to break my usual cycles. I’m trying to be open to all the new things that are happening, but I do feel like they fit into my often repeated pattern of “new place, new life, same me.” So figuring out how to break that cycle would be great. I have one plan along those lines.

3. As a fire sign, how is Aries kindling my inner spark? (Six of Wands, reversed) Again the first term here — “private achievement” — is quite interesting, and could easily refer directly to the plan mentioned above.

4. How can I break through fears that have held me back? (Knight of Pentacles) “Hard work” and “routine” are two concepts associated with this card. I’m building a new routine and my plan involves a new sort of hard work, so we’ll see if those things help.

5. What seedlings of inspiration will the new moon bless and germinate? (King of Pentacles) This really ties in with everything above. I always say I don’t care about money, and in one sense that’s true, and yet my relative (or often extreme) lack of it means I think about it all the time.

6. Message from the ancestors. (The Magician, reversed) “Poor planning” and “untapped talents.” I get it, cards. This reading feels so clearly aimed at the plan I referenced. I’m working on it, cards, I promise.

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1. What medicine does the Virgo full moon offer? (Strength, reversed) Despite some recent good news, I am definitely struggling in light of the major hurdles that still need to be overcome before my life is anything approaching stable. Reversed, this card carries a message of inner strength, which I definitely need. And which I also have. That’s important to remember.
2. What area in my life needs more structure and organization? (Three of Pentacles, reversed) Reversed, this card refers to being out of alignment and to working alone. I’m going to take it as a reminder to focus on staying in touch with my inner circle. That’s especially important as I’m about to move to a brand new place and start a new job with people I don’t know.
3. What lifestyle changes would my body, heart and mind benefit from? (The Hierophant) I stepped away from my spiritual practice last year and I haven’t gone back. On its face this card would seem to suggest a reexamination of that decision, but I still feel it was the right move for now. However, I might need to find another way to focus on my interior spiritual life. Like finally starting morning pages, perhaps.
4. What project that has been on the back burner forever needs to be revisited and completed? (Judgement) This card can be about new beginnings and about the ending of one phase and the beginning of another. I can’t really say that’s been on the back burner, or that it will ever be completed, but I certainly need to be working on building community in my new surroundings.
5. Message from the ancestors. (The Hermit, reversed) Reversed, this card speaks to isolation and loneliness and withdrawal. I would say that’s the theme of this entire reading: Leaning on the people I already have, and looking for a new community in Charlottesville.

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Via instagram.com/seedsofshakti

1. Why am I not making myself a priority in my life? (The Tower) This ties in with something I was thinking about yesterday, which is that I am too focused on the end of this phase of my life and the beginning of the next one, and not focused enough on the person who is actually going through the ending and the beginning.

2. Why do certain situations and/or people supersede my self-care? (Page of Swords) I have a tendency to look outside myself for solutions. To new people, new situations, new jobs. It’s not that those things and people can’t be valuable parts of my life, but I still need to do the major internal work of looking after myself and creating healthier habits.

3. What is truly at the heart of me neglecting my needs? (The Devil) I have conflicting attachments: a real desire not to take part in the rat race, and a need to be safer and more comfortable than I am. It’s hard to know how to serve both masters.

4. How can I create the spaciousness that I need to just be? (Death) Rather than the various interpretations traditionally suggested by this card, I think it’s equally useful to instead take it as a reminder that time is both limited and of unknown duration. If not now, when? This does sometimes lead to me being open in a way that can be painful, but that’s better than the alternative. I think.

5. Are there any boundaries that need to be reexamined or asserted? (Page of Pentacles) I would like to make my next life decision with the knowledge of my own worth, not as an act of desperation.

6. Once I hold space for myself to breathe, what will root? (Ten of Wands) I feel that I’m close to some healthier way of being. But there is definitely hard work to be done to get there.

7. How can I continue to nourish myself, so I don’t fall into unhealthy patterns and habits, and which I am not a priority? (Wheel of Fortune) It would be helpful to put myself in a place of safety, where my basic needs are met. From there, other things can grow and thrive.

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Happy solstice everyone! Thanks to instagram.com/seedsofshakti for another wonderful spread.

1. As the sun is reborn, what is being illuminated for me on the darkest day of the year? (Queen of Wands – Reversed) Reversed, this card speaks to renewing one’s sense of self and self-confidence. Hoo boy could I use more of that in my life. I’ve got a direction but it’s proving harder than I’d hoped to get there. But I do feel like sticking to this path is a true expression of who I am.
2. What do I need to release and surrender to the sun’s fire? (Nine of Swords) I need to let go of anxiety and fear. It would be hard for this card to be any more accurate. Those two feelings often dominate my thoughts about my future. The less I fall prey to them the better I’ll be at actually bringing about that future.
3. With light beginning to return, what intentions should I set? (Six of Swords – Reversed) Reversed, this is a card about personal transitions and unfinished business. I’ve set my sights on a firm goal, and on a transition from my current place of insecurity and turmoil to a more stable situation. This isn’t the first time I’ve done this, but this time I have more of a plan than has ever been the case.
4. How can I hold space for the light to spread and strengthen my intentions? (Six of Wands) Again, the idea of self-confidence. I struggle to believe in my self. I’ve never had much self-esteem, but my plan for 2023 is based in the idea that there’s one thing I’m particularly skilled at, and I’d like to build a life around it.
5. What will manifest from my winter solstice intentions? (King of Cups – Reversed) Reversed, one of the meanings is self-compassion. That feels very much of a piece with everything above. The immediate future needs to be about believing in my skills, yes, but also in my own worth and the fact that I’m deserving of happiness.
6. Message from the sun. (Three of Swords – Reversed) Reversed, this deals with optimism, forgiveness and the release of pain. This whole reading feels like it’s pointed solidly in one direction.
7. Message from the ancestors. (Five of Wands) This card is the outlier tonight. I don’t exactly know what to take from it, but the first thing that suggests itself is that turmoil and conflict are a big part of my life, but my opponent tends to be … me. Perhaps part of the forgiveness mentioned above is letting go of these struggles against myself.

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A reading for the Sagittarius new moon. It’s actually tomorrow but I felt like I was in a good space to do the reading tonight. Thanks as always to Instagram.com/seedsofshakti for the spread.

1. What medicine does the Sagittarius new moon offer? (Nine of Wands, reversed) Upright, this card is about testing faith; and reversed it’s about inner resources. Both of those feel very applicable to what I’m doing right now, which is trying to follow a career path for the first time ever and receiving very little response from my efforts. I really do feel like now is the time to dig in and to keep going.

2. What visions should I follow and not ignore? (Five of Pentacles, reversed) Reversed this suggests recovery from financial loss. Again, very applicable to the state in which I find myself. As has been the case for the past two years, my goal these days is to get to a place of stability. I haven’t felt safe in a long time.

3. How can I connect with the element of fire to help me manifest my new moon intentions over the next 28 days? (Seven of Wands) The main concept that jumps out to me here is perseverance. I’ve set myself a year-end deadline (of a sort) and I need to continue to do the things that are mostly likely to lead to my goal. The next 28 days will take me almost to the end of the year.

4. Where should I look for inspiration when I don’t feel passionate or lack the motivation to follow my dreams? (Temperance, reversed) This carries a message of realignment and self-healing. I sure am trying. In one sense I’m finally working to align my life plan with my skills. And I’m looking for a stable place to be that will help me continue the very slow healing I’ve been doing over the past two years.

5. What type of higher learning or self-development should I pursue in the new year to help me expand spiritually? (Knight of Pentacles, reversed) The guide I consulted for this reading used this phrase as part of its description of this knight: “He is in no hurry, preferring to assess and plan his path ahead before taking action.” Again I think this speaks to the need to stay on the road I’ve mapped out. Yes the map is vague in some ways, but the destination is clear. For me it would be a major achievement to plan something and carry it out. That’s not how I normally operate these days.

6. Message from the ancestors. (The Emperor, reversed) This is a warning about both lack of discipline and inflexibility. I think that’s helpful. The discipline is to keep pointing myself toward my goal, but I need flexibility to deal with a path to that goal that I might not expect.

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I’m feeling very lost, so I pulled out my deck and used the Pisces Full Moon spread by https://www.seedsofshakti.com/. I drew these cards in a grocery store cafe while my birthday came to a close. I was listening to Brian Eno’s Music For Airports.

1. What emotional wounds need to be cleansed by the healing waters of the Pisces Full Moon? (Ten of Cups) In some readings of this card, the main takeaway is the rainbow, a symbol that everything will be okay. (“Everything will be okay in the end, and if it isn’t okay, then it’s not the end.”) Of course the card shows a happy family beneath that rainbow. I feel very much like I’ve lost that place of safety and stability that family provides, primarily because of the loss of my partner, but also the severing of my relationship with my parents.
2. What do I need to surrender to the ebb & flow of the universal ocean? (The World) Again, a message of wholeness and accomplishment. Is that what I surrender? The need for that feeling of completion?
3. What emotions is the full moon magnifying that need to be explored? (Page of Swords) Curiosity and new ideas. I’ve had some new ideas recently on ways to provide for myself. I need to put more energy into those, and into creating both stability and the ability to travel.
4. How can I allow my intuition to flow with more ease? (Page of Pentacles) A card about developing skills and about financial opportunity. It’s true that more security would allow me to see more clearly. Right now I feel like I’m flailing.
5. What messages is the universe sending to me as I sleep? (Three of Cups reversed) The only relevant idea I can see is financial independence. My goal has always been to live without working for anyone. I’ve never cracked it, but I’ve never quite abandoned it either.
6. Message from the ancestors. (King of Wands) A card about leading and vision, and also about entrepreneurship. I kinda hate that last word. And yet what am I trying to do if not to create my own means of living, based on my own creative work? I wish for a different world, but I live in the one that exists, and working for myself might be the best outcome available for however long I have left.

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(Thanks to Seeds of Shakti for the spread. This is the first time I’ve ever done a tarot reading and used the reversals.)

What is currently ebbing and flowing in my heart space? (King of Swords, reversed) This can refer to inner truth or a quiet kind of power. There’s never a time when I’m not searching for the truth of my life. I feel like I’m on the crest of a wave recently where this phase of that ongoing search is concerned.

What blockages are impeding me from expressing self-love? (Seven of Pentacles, reversed) This can speak to the absence of a long-term vision. That’s something I’ve been writing about recently: the idea of planning vs staying in the present. However, this could also mean not so much planning as understanding the very presence of the idea of a longer term than now. In other words, not assigning the experience of the moment to the rest of my life.

What shadow work needs to be done so I can honor my emotions? (The Tower, reversed) This can suggest personal transformation. That feels spot-on, but then again it pretty much always feels spot-on. This can also be about a fear of change or averting disaster. I’m not sure if I’m afraid of change or if I’m just somewhat overwhelmed by how much of it there is. I’d like to think that bowing out of an office job and recommitting to van life is a means of averting one kind of disaster.

What needs to be washed away with the tide? (Knight of Pentacles, reversed) The suggestion is financial incompetence or an obsession with wealth or status. Well the first part is definitely true. As for the obsession, I’m not obsessed with getting rich, but I do recognize how often money (and the lack of it) is on my mind. It’s something I struggle to overcome, and the struggle isn’t helped by the fact that I’m not good with money.

What changes do I need to make to feel more comfortable at home? (Nine of Pentacles, reversed) Self-worth and hustling. In the first place, I don’t have much of a sense of self worth and that’s certainly something I would like to improve. As far as hustling goes, I’m not sure if this card is supposed to suggest that it’s good or bad. Generally speaking, I hate hustling. I guess at least materially my life would be improved by doing more of it. Materially, however, is the only way in which it would be improved.

In what relationships do I need to show more sensitivity? (Five of Cups) The four words keyed to this card in the guide I’m using are regret, failure, disappointment and pessimism. Jesus. I think the relationship I need to be the most sensitive with is the one I have with myself, because these are the kinds of words I use about myself all the time.

Message from the ancestors (Five of Wands) Don’t manufacture conflict or tension. Just be with what is.

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1. A goal to set (8 of Wands): Movement, change and travel. This is very much aligned with how I’m feeling these days. I’ve gone from feeling like a van lifer to feeling like a homeless person to feeling like a van lifer again.
2. A mission to accept (9 of Swords): This is a card about being weighed down by heavy thoughts, which is a real issue for me at the moment. (“At the moment,” i.e. since leaving the birth canal.) I’m going to make it my mission to notice those thoughts and let them pass, leaving room for optimism and better decisions.
3. A philosophy to adopt (4 of Swords): Rest, meditation, contemplation. As a Buddhist you’d think this would come naturally but I still have to work at it. I will.

Thanks to Tarot Nerds for the spread.

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Where to follow my curiosity (5 of Swords) This is a card about conflict and defeat. One possible interpretation could be to examine how life might be if I weren’t always in conflict with my reality. Can my curiosity (e.g. search for meaning) take me past a desire to always be elsewhere?

Where to listen (5 of Cups) Much like the card above I initially struggled to relate the card (regret and disappointment) to the prompt. But I do have regrets, even though that’s usually unproductive. Maybe I can hear in those regrets the deeper needs I have as I continue to try to learn how to make my life work.

The benefit of not seeking an answer (Page of Cups) This is a card about curiosity and about creative possibility. I’m about to reengage with some creative outlets, and I can already sense my tendency to place to much weight on them. I always enjoy those pursuits more when they’re disconnected from financial gain or “success.”

How to maintain perspective about how much info I’m actually taking in (Queen of Cups) Show myself compassion. Move to a place of emotional stability so I can process ideas and make good decisions.

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Thanks as always to Seeds of Shakti for the spread.

1. Scorpio is extremely intensive, emotional, and highly intuitive. As a water sign, what old wounds will Scorpio help to illuminate, cleanse and heal? (Ten of Swords) This can be a card about healing painful endings. I’ve recently made a decision that seeks to find new peace in a place that previously represented pain. I hope the solace implied in the background of this card is what I’ll find.

2. What aspect of my life is undergoing a potent transformation? (The Hanged Man) Like the hanged man, it’s time for me to view the old world from a new perspective. And to do it through an intentional choice.

3. How can I magnify my senses to experience pleasure? (Six of Pentacles) I’m trying to make choices that are more about giving than receiving. I don’t have much in the way of material resources, but I do have my time and my love and care, and there are people for whom those would be worthwhile gifts.

4. What illusions do I need to break through? (Four of Swords) A good reminder to renew my focus on contemplation and meditation and emotional recovery.

5. What suppressed feelings will surface during the Scorpio full moon to unravel insights? (Queen of Cups) I’m at my best when I’m connected with my emotions, but when they don’t control my every action or overpower my ability to think.

6. Message from the ancestors. (The Lovers) The relationships in my life are what give it meaning. I need to spend more of my time and energy being present for them and cultivating them. That can also mean being near them.

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Thanks once again to Seeds of Shakti for this spread. This one was more of a challenge for me to interpret than they usually are.

1. Aries signals the start of the cosmic wheel in astrology. What medicine is the wheel birthing for the next 12 months? (Queen of Pentacles) A card about nurturing and being practical and providing financially. This feels very hopeful, given that I’m about to start a new job to which I’ve committed the next five years of my life, and that I’m trying to build a safe, stable life after many years of lacking those things.
2. As spring returns, what dormant energy is awakening within me? (Two of Swords) Many of my upcoming decisions will be difficult (when is that not true?), but intuition can help steer a path. This is, in some ways, very generic advice, but it also might feel that way just because it’s such a clear statement of truth. That doesn’t mean it should be discarded.
3. As a fire sign, how is Aries kindling my inner spark? (Three of Cups) I would certainly welcome a move toward collaboration and community as implied by this card. That’s certainly one of my main goals as I settle in a new place.
4. How can I break through fears that have held me back? (Five of Wands) This is a little bit unclear, but my first reaction to it was that it’s a caution to stay away from unnecessary conflict. I think my natural instinct is toward conflict, and while I’m not sure if I’m afraid of letting go of that, I think my life has been better the more I’ve done that in recent years.
5. What will seedlings of inspiration will the new moon bless and germinate? (Ten of Swords) A dead body on the beach with a calm sea and the sun rising. For the second time in my life I find myself at a very low depth, trying to find my way back to the light. And I think I can see it.
6. Message from the ancestors. (Seven of Wands) As with several other points in this reading, the message isn’t clear. Some sources describe this card as a person fighting off other wands, but it could also be a person erecting a defensive barrier. I’ll choose to see this as standing up for what I believe in and remaining true to myself, even as I move in what, for me, are some new directions.

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Thanks to the wonderful Seeds of Shakti for this month’s spread. More information and an accompanying ritual are available here.

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1. What medicine does the Leo full moon offer? (The Lovers) Drawing this card in this spot at this time in my life is … weighty to say the least. Does it offer the possibility of a new relationship? The repair of an old one? I know where my heart is on this topic but I have no idea what the future holds.

2. How can I harness the potent energy of Leo for activating what my heart is yearning to manifest? (The Devil) Perhaps this card, and its focus on attachment (even to the level of addiction) offers a clue to the first card. There are bonds that could be shed.

3. How can I embrace Leo’s shadow medicine? (The Emperor) A card that speaks to structure, among other things. At this moment in my life, it’s what I most need. Literal safety and security and structure in the form of a job, a place to live, a community. And of course the presence of those things will make processing relationships (or even having them) much easier.

4. What shifts will emerge after the full moon? (Queen of Wands) The Queen of Wands is all about courage and confidence and social interaction. I could certainly use some of her magic these days.

5. Message from the ancestors. (Ace of Pentacles) I mean, I’ll take it. The Ace speaks to a new career or financial possibility, and like the Queen’s magic above, I could really use that, too.

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It’s been a long time since I’ve read the cards. Since before we moved to Arizona, in fact. As I said to a new friend today, I’ve been feeling kinda blah recently. A bit stuck and a bit unmoored at the same time. I asked the cards about getting unstuck and found this trio quite useful. The Seven of Pentacles suggests I should keep plugging away at my creative work. The Wheel of Fortune is a good reminder that this too shall pass. High times become low times, true, but the reverse happens just as often. Finally, the Queen of Wands reminds me to get out in the natural world, something I really need to do more regularly.

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