21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- step FOUR

aurorarose

Step 4- Rider Waite- Temperance

I must say I had a major case of writer's block with this step, I put off doing it for days, going through the stories I might tell in my head, but they were all garbage. Finally I read through some of the posts in this thread and just opened up my word program I figured even if I only wrote "once upon a time" at least I tried. but with one last glance at my card the story came to me.

4:1
Once upon a time long long ago everyone had great big wings and could fly high in the sky. All the towns were in high places, on mountain tops and cliffs, never in valleys.

There was one lady, named Temperance, who lived in a town on the top of a blue mountain, she had the largest wings of all the other townspeople, but she didn’t like to fly and instead walked every where she went. She also did not like living in high places and preferred the low lands, where she felt safer.

Far from the mountain where she lived down in the valley there was a river. She would often go and sit by the river, she loved the feel of the water on her toes and the grass under her feet. There were so many plants and animals down in the valley that could never live high in the mountains.Temperance loved these plants and would often talk to the flowers. But the only problem with her visits to the river was her journey, the path from the mountains to the river was very rocky and the stones hurt her feet as she walked down.

The people in the town did not know what to think about Temperance. Why would anyone let there feet become injured by walking when they could fly and what did she like about going to the river so much? Some laughed at her for her strange ways, but most just treated her the same as they treated everyone else, pretending that she was just like them even though she wasn’t. Temperance didn’t know which was worse. The healer in town was the only one who accepted her for who she was and would help heal her feet when ever she would return from visiting the river even if it was very late at night and sometimes the healer would ask Temperance to bring her plants from the valley.

One morning, before Temperance left for the river, the woman came out of her house yelling that her small child was very sick. Temperance went inside and helped carry the child to the healers, but as they neared the healers house it seemed like the whole town was going to see the healer, those who were to sick to walk were being carried. Even those who were not very sick did not look to healthy. When Temperance finally squeezed into the house and reached the room with the healer, she asked what was happening to everyone. The healer shouted across the room, “the well water has gone bad.”

Temperance knew just what she had to do and quickly ran and grabbed all the cups and containers she could find. Then she did something she had never done before and she flew off the mountain top over the hills and valley until she reached the river. Then hovering over the river she filled each of the vessels with water. She quickly flew back to the village. All the people had gathered around the town well and were looking very desperate, if the water here was bad how were they going to survive. Temperance started handing out the cups of fresh water to all the people of the town. From that point on Temperance was never alone on the banks of the river in the valley.

4:2 I don't fit in anywhere. I am tired of living life torn between the two halves of myself. Then I realize that my purpose in life is not serving myself but serving others and then I find contentment.

4:3 I had to give my story a happy ending, but I have not reached that point myself. I am still torn between the world I live in and the world I want to live in. I spend a lot of time just pursuing my own happiness, not necessarily at the expense of others, but I don't think I am really adding anything positive to others. This is probably an exageration of my feelings.
 

punchinella

aurorarose said:
I spend a lot of time just pursuing my own happiness, not necessarily at the expense of others, but I don't think I am really adding anything positive to others.
Well, by writing and sharing that story you've just added something very positive to my appreciation of the Temperance card; I love the story so much, I'm printing it for my file. I especially love the idea of her having the wings, but not wanting to use them. This rings so true to the spirit of the card.

Edited to add: I'm reading a book right now called Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow: Discovering your Right Livelihood by Marsha Sinetar, and your post reminds me of some of the things she discusses. What is legitimate for you to be doing might not immediately appear to benefit others, but if it's right for you, it will eventually be of value to society. For example, the 'selfish' writer who holes up in her bedroom for months on end, doing nothing for anybody . . . but then produces a work that uplifts readers for the next five hundred years. Keep your chin up!!!
 

Jewel

aurorarose said:
I must say I had a major case of writer's block with this step, I put off doing it for days, going through the stories I might tell in my head, but they were all garbage. Finally I read through some of the posts in this thread and just opened up my word program I figured even if I only wrote "once upon a time" at least I tried. but with one last glance at my card the story came to me.
I think many of us had this experience, pretty cool! By the way I loved your story :D

aurorarose said:
I had to give my story a happy ending, but I have not reached that point myself. I am still torn between the world I live in and the world I want to live in. I spend a lot of time just pursuing my own happiness, not necessarily at the expense of others, but I don't think I am really adding anything positive to others. This is probably an exageration of my feelings.
Actually, you did not HAVE TO give your story a happy ending, you CHOSE TO. That could definelty mean that you will strive for the same in your life not just let things happen to you. You know they say that we cannot offer to others what we ourselves do not have, so pursuing your own happiness right now also offers you the opportunity to share it with others in the future. Don't be to hard on yourself!
 

Keavy McGee

Step FOUR - Golden Tarot, Wheel of Fortune

http://goldentarot.com/mawhee.htm

4.1
Once upon a time, there was an Olde Olde Man who wanted a son to bear his name when the Olde Man was dead. This Olde Man was so Olde that his Olde bones were brittle and his Olde eyes could barely see and his Olde ears could barely hear and his Olde legs could barely hold him upright. But every night when he made his food over an open fire, he prayed that the Gods would give him a Son.

One night, while he was eating alone, he heard a great cacophony from the sky. It was as if a thousand trumpets sounded and a thousand cymbals crashed. And looking up, he saw an enormous gold ball of light - bigger than any pebble, bigger than any apple, bigger than any wagon wheel. Crashing and complaining, it hurtled through the night sky, tearing the heavens apart as it raced downward.

"Mars is bright tonight, Henry," said the moo cow to the a** (aka donkey).

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight," said Henry to the moo cow, just as the hurtling screaming crashing thing came barging through their thatched roof and miraculously landed just between them.

"No!" cried the Olde Man. "Not my livestock!" And he dragged his Olde Body across the farmyard as fast as his Olde arms and Olde legs and Olde muscles would go. And when the Olde Man reached the barn, he saw to his amazement that Henry and the moo cow were perfectly well, though an enormous star-shaped hole in their thatched roof was now letting in the evening cold and damp. And between them, though his Olde eyes could not believe what he saw, stood a beautiful golden Lady of Light, a tiny babe in her arms.

"The Gods have heard your prayers," she said, with a voice like the sound of hummingbird wings. "I have brought you a Son." And she held the babe out to the Very Olde Man, who could barely stand but was crying tears of joy, for now there would be someone to bear his name when he was gone.

Smiling shyly, the Olde Man held out one hand to the Golden Lady and asked her to be his wife.

"Of course!" she said gaily, and took his hand in hers and smiled so sweetly that the faeries blushed and nudged each other.

"But what should I call you, my Beloved Wife?" the Olde Man asked.

"I am Eve," said She, "for I have come to you in the evening."

"Eve is a beautiful name!" cried the Olde Man, "the most beautiful name I have ever heard."

"And what of the Babe, then?" he cried. "What name shall we give My Son, Our Son?"

"Oh, that's easy," replied Eve, his Golden, Glorious Wife. "He has already named himself. His name is Hector."

And They Lived Happily Ever After.

Cairbre
 

Keavy McGee

Step FOUR - Golden Tarot, Wheel of Fortune

http://goldentarot.com/mawhee.htm

4.2 1st Person

I am an old, old man and I live alone except for my cow and my (donkey). Every night when I make my food, I think that every day my life grows shorter and still I do not have a son - to love, to raise, to succeed me - no one to bear my name when I am gone. But I believe in the old ways - the ways of the spirits - and every night I say my prayers, offering a bit of food and drink to the gods for their intercession. Every night, I ask them to send me a son - someone to love, to share my home and bear my name.

Tonight as I was eating my supper, I heard the greatest sound I have ever heard - 1,000 trumpets could not make this sound, nor 1,000 crashing cymbals. I looked up to see an enormous ball of fiery golden light hurtling through the sky, falling directly toward my barn. The animals began muttering and I feared for them greatly. I can no longer move quickly, but hurry I tried -as fast as I possibly could - to save my noble livestock.

But to my surprise, the moo cow and donkey were untouched, though a gloriously golden lady stood between them at ease.

"I am Eve," she said to me, "and I have come to be your wife." I no longer hear as well as once I did, so not believing what I saw, I also could not believe what I was hearing.

"You have made me the happiest man in the village," I cried.

"But there is more," said Eve, "for I have brought you a son." Now I knew that I was surely dead. I had only to hear the music of angels' harps or St. Peter's voice to have it confirmed.

But then, miracle of miracles, I felt the warm flesh of the babe she had placed in my arms and heard him murmur softly as he slept.

"Great gods, I thank thee," I cried aloud, and fell to my knees in gratitude.

Cairbre
 

Keavy McGee

Step FOUR - Golden Tarot, Wheel of Fortune

http://goldentarot.com/mawhee.htm

4.3 Personal

My niece says that the way this connects for me personally is that I am old.

My sister says that the way this connects for me is that this is the only way I would ever have a baby - handed over to me, with no pain.

I say that this reminds me of finding and writing my stories. Like the Olde Man, I pray every night and day that I will create something new and fresh and beautiful, like the babe he so desires.

Like the Olde Man, it is true that I am old and alone. But like him, I still believe, still pray, still light my candles and keep all my doors and options open. I still believe in magic. And miracles.

Cairbre
 

le fey

Step FOUR: Druidcraft Queen of Swords

Step 4: Druidcraft Queen of Swords

Long ago and far away, a young princess was married and went to live high atop a mountain with her prince. Her parents gave her two things to take with her - one was a chair carved from a tree's roots and trunk, that she might always be grounded to her home, and the other was a sword, that she might always protect herself from all harm. They advised her on her duty as a queen - to nurture her family and home, to persevere no matter what hardship might come, and to put away all girlish emotions. Taking these words and gifts to heart, she went to her new home and lived happily ever after, as all the stories say.

But the stories never tell what happens after ever after, do they? Sadly, a blight came to the land, and no matter how hard the queen tried to persevere and nurture those around her, all life but her own withered and died or left to find more fertile ground. She thought perhaps she was not grounded enough, so she settled more deeply into her chair, but all she did was find herself rooted in the barren soil around her. She used her sword to protect herself, but found that there was no enemy other than the wind, and the sword could do nothing against that.

And so, she sits, doing all the right things even though there is no longer any purpose to it. And if she hasn't given up her belief in happily ever afters, she is sitting there to this day.

1st Person:
When I left home, my parents gave me everything they thought I'd need to be a good queen, and for many years their gifts served me well. But they never told me that sometimes, all the things that make your role matter disappear out from under you - so now what? I've got all the trappings of a queen and no kingdom.

I keep thinking I'll just stand up and walk down this mountain. The wind carries voices from family and friends that left me here when they couldn't convince me to come along - I might not be a queen there, but at least I'd be in a place that lives. But I am afraid to give up the last bits of my identity without any good idea of what will happen next, and so I'm stuck here, alone, thinking it all out just a little while longer. I'm starting to suspect that if I go down there, I'll get the happily - here I've only got the ever after. And it's cold up here.

My fairy tale ended... but no one told me that I'd go on after it.
----

I really do believe that the Queen of Swords - traditionally associated with widows - has become the Queen of recently divorced women and empty-nesters.

My story isn't much of one, but as noted in a previous post, my months of coming out of a divorce and re-entering the world on different terms has reminded me a lot of this card. Every day brings something else that is either taken away, changed or something that I have to choose to give up because it no longer fits my life the way it is now. I do have hope that new things and people and ideas will fill those spaces, but in that span of time before that happens, it can feel very lonely and empty and scary. Even making the decision to choose to be happy can be hard when the choice involves letting go of things you convinced yourself were important.

I've been feeling very much stuck in this Queen's mindset, but as I write this I am realizing that I'm a little bit ahead of her. I'm not entirely down off that mountain yet, but I am on my feet and starting the journey.
 

kmartin60

21 ways....step ...

Gothic deck...

Step 4:1--What I feel from the card...
Ths vampire has been there for no telling how long. It is cold, and quiet. He might have stood in that spot 1 day, 1 motnh, 1 year...or hundreds! It seems like it is his station! Such a isolated situation! No voices, no touchs of comfort, nothing to entertain his thoughts.....

Step 4:2--1st person version....
The winds flapps my cape and sends slight shivers up my legs as the moon slids behind the clouds. I can hear the leaves tremble under that same breeze, and the still nigth grows deeper. No animals moving, no sounds, only my pets deep breaths and the silence! Solitude is all there is, just me and my thoughts and I wait...

Step 4:3---All this time has passed and my heart is bolstered by electronical means, but it doesnt end there. I KNOW that another battery, my 6th will be needed soon but how long from now? And I wait for that information not neccessarly alone but it is foremost in MY mind alone. So even though I have others around like he has his pets...there is that bit of being all alone and basicly ok with it I experience myself.
 

Bluecat

5 swords - Revelations

Part 1: Once apon a time there was a yound man who loved in a town. The town was a beautiful place and was full of beautiful people - this annoyed the young man as he didn't feel like he fitted in anywhere. He was out walking one day and a large eagle was flying overhead - the eagle swooped doen and grabbed the young man by the shoulders and flew for miles and miles. It eventually squawked loudly and dropped the young man into a deep ravine. This was all cold and damp and covered in ice - it was a dismal place. In the distance the young man could hear screaming for help, from despare. The man serched for a way out of the ravine but could find none and he had to remain there for days and days and days. The screaming was getting to him more and more each day and he was getting hungrier and hungrier and could not stand it any more.... he grabbed his sword and put it against his stomach and pushed...

Part 2: I am a young man living in a beautiful town, full of beautiful people. I don;t fit in here though. I went out walking one day when I looked up and saw an eagle flying overhead. It swooped down and grabbed me by the shoulders and took off. We flew for miles and eventually the eagle squawked in my ear and dropped me. I fell into a deep ravine which was so cold and damp - ice was brushing past me as I fell. In the background was the sound of a despared soul screaming. It didnt stop. I couldn't find a way out though I searched for days and days and got hungrier and hungrier. Eventually I couldn't stand it any more so I grabbed my sword and plunged it into my stomach...

Part 3: OK - I am finding this really difficult to relate to me... I can think of mo time when I have felt quite this bad! I have, though, a few times felt as if everything was getting to me and getting more and more crowded in my head (sleeping at night impossible due to all these voices repeating in my head) and have wanted to get rid of them and and run away, but haven't been able to...
 

dadsnook2000

For Bluecat

I looked at your card the other day and found the graphics quite striking. I have also read this thread and was (I don't know which word to use) intrigued or ...

The lower figure has an object showing behind his head which reminds me of the flat panel shown as a seat-back behind the Waite-Smith Kings and Queens. If looked at this way, the contrast behind the upright and the reversed figure becomes stronger. Both figures show more of their cape/robe swirling off to their right side suggesting that the flow of logic or mental perception is more "conscious" or directed by attitudes. I also think the colors play a role to provide a contrast between the two rather than that the colors themselves are the only important factor.

My impression is that the upright figure's attitudes are more dangerous to self while the lower figure is perhaps more constrained, recognizing the value of swords but not letting the sword's potential become the focus of one's thoughts.

Although the use of any card at any step is not necessarily seen as "how to use the card in a reading" (this step is overtly "storytelling" and "self-releasing" in its intent), my experience with all of the other steps at the Apprentice level has conditioned me to thinking about the many ways the card may be presented and perceived in a reading. The Five of Swords is one card that can often be problematic to the person for whom the reading is given to.

I often play a little game in which I consider the card when placed in:
** The past as a foundation or influence on this now moment.
** The present situation and how the card represents our approach to life.
** A resource or block to moving forward.
** A goal for the future we wish to reach.

In any case, your story was riveting -- I think that might be the word I was looking for -- and powerful in its impact. The disturbing nature of the story is not so important as is the feelings themselves that are or can be invoked. Those emotions are a powerful part of storytelling -- to ourselves and to others. I do think you will get much out of these 21 steps. Dave