So, remember the liar I was dealing with? The advice was to walk away as quietly as possible. And, I’ve been trying to do that. Now, however, it’s not even necessary, as this rather annoying person has begun actively severing our ties.

And so, okay. I am fine with that. But out of morbid curiosity, I did a couple readings last night to try to get some insight into what’s going on. I thought it would be cool to share, as it shows off the type of spread I like to use for things like this.

Obviously I will keep the subject of these readings anonymous. To make the text flow, I will call this person: Anon Y. Mous. Or, Anon, for short!

So, the first spread I did was with my lenormand deck. I asked “what’s going on with Anon?” and put down three cards to make a sentence about it. This forms the top line of the spread, and represents the surface-level information. Then I put two cards beneath it, to represent what’s going on underneath the surface. Then I put down a single card to represent the root of everything.

Here’s what it looked like:

I know people that would put a full 3 cards on each level. Or 5 cards, however many you want. But, I feel that as you delve deeper into a person’s subconscious drives, you get into simpler and simpler impulses. Like, someone might explain that something’s fair because of X and expected because of Y and reasonable because of Z, but under the surface it’s all coming from simple jealousy. You see? So, the shape of the spread coincides with the complexity of the issues at each level.

Anyway, my interpretation of these particular cards is:

• Level One: we have 21-Mountain + 5-Tree + 23-Mice. I see this as some kind of blockage (Mountain) to Anon’s health and well-being (Tree), which is causing that health to deteriorate (Mice).
• Level Two: Underneath the surface, we see 35-Anchor + 16-Stars. Ah, so Anon’s deeper issue is a concern about their long-term goals or mission in life. Aging and deteriorating health would certainly aggravate those concerns. I could see how Anon would be afraid of becoming obsolete, or dried up, or what have you.
• Level Three: At the root, we have 2-Clover. This confused me for a bit, and I was interpreting it as seeing an opportunity of some sort… as in: Anon sees some tactical advantage in messing with me. But, I wasn’t satisfied, and I went to Sylvie Steinbach’s The Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle. It points out that 2-Clover can represent “excitable, nervous temperaments.” And I immediately said “yep!” That’s it… I think Anon is kinda grasping at straws because they are at a loss for what else to do.

So, to get more cartouche practice, I threw down three cards with the same question: “what’s going on with Anon?” Here’s what I got:

So that’s 10-Set, 6-Hathor, and 23-Pyramid, all reversed. I’m still reading cartouche with the book in my hands, as I’m still getting to know the cards. Let me tell you, I was amazed at how interesting and accurate these three cards sounded, to me.

I was aware that 10-Set represented setbacks and delays, but checked on the reversed meaning in the book. The first line opens: “There is a difference between deliberate evil intent and the blunders of the mentally afflicted.” And let me tell you, that is exactly what I have been telling people about Anon. If you are into tarot, think 9 of Swords… which Crowley calls “cruelty.” It is when your mind gets so addled and agitated that you end up lashing out in unseemly ways. Other applicable text about this card include “pseudo-intellectuality” and “hysterical emotionalism.” That last one fits nicely with 2-Clover from the lenormand reading above, I noted.

Now for 6-Hathor reversed, we have the feminine goddess energy wrapped in knots. This has intuitive meaning for me, but again, I go to the book for clarity. It says: “Spiritual weakness is an obvious meaning here, also misuse or neglect of the feminine side of one’s nature.” That is a really interesting insight into the root of this behavior, I think! Another keyword here was “intimidation,” which I think dovetails nicely with the “pseudo-intellectuality” from the reversed 10-Set.

The 23-Pyramid I didn’t have to look up. It clearly stands for foundations and permanence. Reversed, we have ideas like instability and need for changes. This could also tie into aging and health problems, which were a focus from the lenormand reading.

So, if we put those together, we see a similar meaning to the lenormand reading… we have a kind-of frantic and borderline cruel (10-Set Rev) activity rooted in spiritual weakness and a neglected feminine side (6-Hathor Rev), which is exacerbated by time passing and weakening health (23-Pyramid Rev).

I continue to be impressed by the cartouche cards, and hope to be able to spend more time working with them soon!

This is a late-night reading I did about what I need to know for tomorrow. I used my Russian Tarot of St. Petersburg for this reading.

Here’s what I got:

So, I just drew three cards, which were Temperance, 2 Coins, 6 Swords. First I noted, though I didn’t know what exactly to make of it, that the three cards had Sagittarius, Capricorn, and Aquarius attributions… three consecutive signs covering mid-November to mid-February. As this was a reading about tomorrow, I decided to just note it as interesting and forget it.

So, of the three, Temperance is the strongest card, especially as the Jupiter energy from the 2 Coins is very comfortable in Temperance’s Sagittarian shadow. The 2 Coins and 6 Swords have a bit of elemental conflict, and I deemed it to weaken the 6 Swords more than 2 Coins due to the Jupiter connection I just mentioned.

I read the spread as “I’m getting balanced (temperance) by making changes and balancing responsibilities (2 Coins), but I’m hindered because my mind is elsewhere (6 Swords).”

Naturally, I wanted something less vague than that, so I pulled 3 more cards for 6 Swords. What is the nature of this mind-wandering? I got the Devil, 5 Swords, and Emperor. So, I am going to be distracted because I will feel constrained (Devil), leading to a confrontation (5 Swords) with an authority figure (Emperor). Or, at least someone asserting their control… acting like an authority even if not one.

And, obviously I’d like to know how this distraction affects my harmonious changes (2 Coins), so I pulled three additional cards to support it as well. I got 8 Swords, Knight Swords, High Priestess. Interesting! So, note that 8 Swords is yet more Jupiter energy. Think: expansion, more. Also, see how the imagery of the 8 Swords fits right in with the constriction theme from the Devil. That ties the two groups of cards together nicely. So, too many thoughts in my head (8 Swords) will cause me (Knight Swords–Gemini Richard) to focus on finding my calm and zen-like state (High Priestess). I think of this as a good thing, but rolling with punches may make me less effective at making the changes I need to make.

I know that tomorrow I have a lot of things to juggle (think: the traditional RWS 2 Pentacles… though this deck doesn’t have the juggling imagery on it). So, to me this reads like a warning about wasting time on distractions and drama… which would force me into a reactive mode as my various life responsibilities pop up.

Got it! No distracting arguments or conflicts tomorrow… just focus on getting the work done, the new mattress delivered, the old one moved away, the lunch with my friend, and the evening plans. Piece of cake… and according to the spread, it’ll be good for my overall balance to get it all done. We shall see…

Continuing in my lazy and hurried fashion, I threw down a simple 3-card sentence to describe the afternoon Wyrd Astrology meetup I was going to attend.

I used my Haindl Deck for this quickie reading. Here’s what I got:

It was the 2 Cups, Aeon, and Father of Wands. Interesting! The central Aeon card indicates some sort of rebirth and realignment to me. I would say that it strengthens the fiery king, and weakens the 2 Cups somewhat. So, to put that together, I’d say changes are brewing that are more about ambition and less about friendship. The Leo energy of the king reminds me of the 5th house, which is about creative endeavors and anything that bears someone’s personal stamp, so to speak. So, maybe ambition is a strong word, but creative freedom isn’t.

It will be interesting to see what happens, here… I’ll keep you posted.

Continuing my play with the hedgewytchery playing card system, I did a quick 3-card reading about a gift I was about to go purchase. I just put down three cards, with the single position of “what should I know about this task?”

Here’s what I got:

I had been worrying (and still do, a little) about the way all these playing card systems seem to work. In particular, they seem like they might be more suited to laying a large spread about general advice for the future, as opposed to asking a specific question. This is because, at least in the early material I’m reading, the cards are pretty specific about what they are talking about. So, if I’m asking how my cats feel about something, and I get cards that are about getting a raise at my job, then… you see what I mean? It seems that the more generic tarot meanings are better adaptable to a variety of situations, on the surface of it.

Having said that, though, imagine my glee when the first card was the 2 of Diamonds, which hedgewytchery says could be about a gift! That’s exactly the topic of my question. Eerie! Sadly, though, looking at the card colors, we have a task that starts out well but goes down hill (Red-Black-Black). Uh, oh!

But, it’s not as bad as it first appears. I read this as a gift-giving where I have some bad luck and dissapointment (9-spades), which causes me to change my plans (9-clubs).

Aftermath: Well, I went out to purchase this gift, and I had a lot of trouble finding the type of product I was looking for (sorry to be vague… not gonna reveal the gift itself…). Then, there weren’t any options at the store that were exactly what I was looking for. So, I stared at the options I had for an extremely long time! And, just as the cards indicated, I adjusted my plan and re-evaluated the options at the store. I narrowed my options down to two, and eventually was able to pick one. As the (red-black-black) pattern indicated, I felt more and more nervous about this gift even as I went to the front to purchase it. But, as it happens, the recipient was happy with my selection. So, whew!

I continue to be happy with these hedgewytchery readings! If it keeps going so well, I’d almost be reluctant to switch systems and keep evaluating them. But, who knows? Maybe the next one I try will be even better!

Still going with the hedgwytchery system, I did a quick reading this morning about two paths I was choosing between at work. When choosing between options, I like to draw a few cards per option (usually 2 or 3, but sometimes I can do a whole spread about each one). I also draw cards to explain the energy flow between them. This can be bi-directional (cards that can move me from option 1 to 2, and cards that can move me from option 2 to 1), or just a card to explain the relationship between the options.

Anyway, today I pulled two cards per option, and put a single card between them to understand their relationship. As I learn more of the hedgewytchery system, I’ll be comfortable with more cards at a time. Here’s what I got:

Well, seeing as how there’s only one red card in the spread, I am naturally drawn right away to option 1. The 9 of Hearts indicates change for the better, and success. Coupled with the 3 of Clubs, the positive change relates to making progress in my work. Quite nice, indeed.

For option 2, we have the King of Clubs, who represents practicality and power. He’s next to the Jack of Spades, which can indicate a message containing bad news, or someone ill-disposed toward me. Since this is about a programming project, I am reading this combination as me having to work methodically to track down bugs (error messages). So, option 2 will be a problematic option, it seems. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible, though…

The important relationship here, between my options, is the 9 of Spades. Here, I’m reading it as disappointment. And, in particular, it is reminding me that I am supposed to go see my friend for a crafting exercise later. As such, I don’t have a whole lot of time to get these options done. So, while it looked like I could work through either option, I would indeed be disappointed if I ran out of time trying to debug option 2. Best to pick option 1.

Good to know.

[edit: FYI I went with option one, and it went smoothly, and it turns out I just barely had time for it! So, the other option, if it turned out to have problems to work through, would have led to a disappointing outcome where I ran out of time. So, I'd say this reading was right on! Very nice.]

Ok, for the next few days I will be reading with the hedgewytchery cartomancy system. At least, I will try. I’ve skimmed the first web page on it, anyway. Time to jump in!

My question: How will the rest of my work project go?

I put down three cards (which, based on my last few blog posts, is starting to look like a real pattern for me. I promise to post a different spread soon!):

That’s the 4 of Spades, 9 of Clubs, and 3 of Clubs.

So, following their steps… first I notice that I’ve got spades, clubs, clubs… so a problem causing lots of work. Uh oh… So, digging deeper… The 4 of Spades represents instability, and a problem I cannot get away from. As it happens, one of my clients is complaining that his platform is unstable, and I’ve been trying to get away from dealing with that issue! The 9 of Clubs represents a change of work priorities, among other related things. Then, the 3 of Clubs represents extra work (though, at least progress is implied).

So, maybe this instability problem report will force me to change my plans around, so that I can do more work to try to track that problem down. So, the completion of the project I was doing the reading about may be delayed. Not exactly what I wanted to hear! But, I am pleased with how this first reading went. Score one for hedgewytchery.

There are apparently a bazillion methods out there to read playing cards. I want to investigate them and pick one or two styles that fit me. I think reading playing cards is an important ability to have, because:

• If you need to do a reading, there are more situations where you can find a poker deck than a tarot deck.
• If you read for someone skittish, the 3 of spades won’t freak them out like the 3 of Swords will (and the only reading that matters is the one they heard in their head)
• It’s fun

So, I’ve been looking around at systems. Obviously one method is to just read them as tarot minors, perhaps as follows:

• Ace - 10 == Tarot Ace - 10
• Jack = Tarot Knight
• Queen = Tarot Queen
• King = Tarot Prince

(Yeah, I follow the Crowley court system…) And of course the four suits map pretty readily with Clubs, Hearts, Spades, and Diamonds equivalent to Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.

I did one or two ok readings last night that way, without any problem. So, I know I can do it again if I have to. Time to move on!

I think I will try the Hedgewytchery, Kapherus, and Personal Prophecy systems first. I’ll do several readings in their systems, and see if they fit me. If they don’t, then there are plenty of others out there. I am pretty convinced I want a full 52-card system, though, and many systems use fewer. I don’t want to remove cards from the deck. I’m funny like that.

I put down a simple three-card, one-position reading about my crafting activity tomorrow. I’ll be going over to a friend’s place to finish some decorations, and wanted a quick read about it. I used my lenormand deck.

Here’s what I got:

The cards are 33-Key, 32-Moon, 6-Clouds. Interesting that I’d get 33-Key in the first position, two days in a row! I’m just unlocking doors left and right, I guess…

Anyway, my fast interpretation is that 32-Moon represents the artistry we are putting into the decorations. So, I think we will be able to find a way (33-Key) to blend all the elements together well (32-Moon), but I will still not be satisfied (6-Clouds). I’m noting that the Clouds are associated with Mercury and Gemini (my sun sign and rising sign). I can easily be conflicted and of two minds about, well, everything!

So, I will look out for that, and try to be happy with what we come up with.

This was just a simple “how will this evening go?” reading. I put down three cards in that single position. Essentially, with this type of reading you just ask the three cards to tell you a story. I used my French Cartomancy (lenormand) deck for this reading. Here’s what I got:

The cards were 33-Key, 16-Stars, and 5-Tree. Very interesting, indeed! The key next to the stars seem to indicate a kind of revelation or insight. Possibly not a small one… as the stars would point to things like spirituality or destiny. Add into that the influence of the tree, which speaks to health and growth. hmmm…

I must say, I was only asking about a simple get-together of friends to discuss (mostly) tarot… so I wasn’t expecting something so important-sounding. The only obvious connection I can see is that we have been meaning to talk about what direction the group should be heading, in terms of study and other activities. Maybe there will be some real progress made on that front, tonight! No matter what, the reading looks positive, and interesting. Nothing to worry about, here.

Good! Because I dislike worry.

Have you ever been lied to, in such an obvious fashion that it almost seems silly to bother pointing out that you weren’t fooled? Well, I was lied to in just such a way last night. So, I did a reading on how to respond.

(well, first I did some readings on why they would do such a thing, but that’s not for sharing here!)

Anyway, I did this reading with my Victorian Flower Oracle. I just put down three cards in a single “what to do?” position:

These were the Forget-me-not (Farewell), Water Lily (Piety), and Mimosa (Sensitivity). I have to say I thought the message was pretty clear: Walk Away Quietly. In other words, you don’t want to fight with this person, but you don’t want to be around them either. You want to keep the mood as serene as possible, as you sensitively fade out of this person’s life. The water lily also reminds me of my (mostly) Buddhist ideals, which is not to attempt to hurt people because they hurt you… that is not the way. But, staying in a bad situation is just hurting yourself, which is also not good. Sometimes the best answer is to simply extract yourself, and not throw any more fuel on their fire.

When reading for yourself you have to worry that your ego can get in the way of an objective reading. So, I’ll note here that the advice is exactly the advice I wanted to see. But, I’ve been staring at the cards for the last few minutes, and I don’t see too many radical departures from my interpretation popping up. So, I think I’m safe. As an aside: when I do wonder if I’m being objective, one method I use to test myself is I try to find an interpretation of the cards that is opposite of the meaning I want. The harder that is to do, the safer I feel that I have been sufficiently objective. And, from a metaphysical standpoint, as long as I am convinced it was a “clean” reading, there should be no obstacles between me and manifesting that future.