21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- Step TEN & A NEW CARD

Hemera

Step TEN~Vampyres~Empress

Part One:
10. 1. 1.
Look up meanings for your card in several books or other resources.


The Book of Tarot (by S. Gerulskis-Estes):
-her pregnancy is an expression of the sexual union between male and female
-on her chest is a red heart symbolic of her warmth and love
-a crescent moon represents a reflective, meditative nature and natural contact with higher forces is under her left foot.
-Pomegranates, being a fruit with many seeds also symbolize fertility and reproduction
-fertility, creativity, imagination, pregnancy. The ability to create a warm and productive environment. -Good harvest. Comfort and excess, material gain, luxurious surroundings, productivity, protectiveness.

Intuitive Tarot (by R. Prosapio):
-Ungrounded and unprotected the feminine can be misused. Balance within the heart tempers the primal impulse to nurture which otherwise might rule over reason.
-Her heart is evident and full of grace.
-Flowing water and gown speak of flowing consciousness.
-She is protected by the shield of the Spirit (the eagle)

The Spirit of Herbs (A Guide to Herbal Tarot by Tierra & Cantin):
-New life and possibilities
-Need to pay attention to nature.
-Create beauty and grace in your everyday life.
Paying attention to energy and growth of a situation.
-“I bring forth my creations with joy”

Learning the Tarot (by Joan Bunning):
-senses; focusing on the body, doing physical activity
-nature; going outdoors
-welcoming abundance; feeling rich
-mothering; nurturing and caring for others


10.1.2. Refresh your mind about a question, the question, that is paramount in your mind about the direction of your life or whatever other theme issue that is paramount for you.
How to ground and center properly so that I can learn deep listening from a place of quiet serenity within?

10.1.3. List all the meanings you dig up -- summarize their meanings, briefly. Do these line up with your previous meanings?
-pregnant, creative,flowing,joyous, luxury, warmth,fertility, connection to nature,new life, possibilities, material gain
The Vampyress Empress is not pregnant. There has been no sexual union with a male but there is evidence around her mouth of an oral union (asexual, presexual or sexual?) with somebody. Her gown is not flowing and there is no flowing water in sight. She looks sad rather than joyous. I do not think she needs the shield of the Emperor (the eagle shield) to protect her femininity. She is capable of protecting and defending herself and needs no balancing (masculine) energy.

There is comfort and luxury in her dress and jewelry. She is connected to nature and creation (tree, apples, bee, rose). There is love and compassion in her gaze and symbolized by the heart on her chest. The heart is green (not red) but the rose and her ring is red. She makes the apples (also green) ripen with her creative force.
She is not pregnant but in Step 9 she made me ask what the mystery is that she is carrying. So it is a kind of pregnancy after all. I think as Mother Nature she carries the mysteries of all nature.


Part Two: Questions for me.
How can I find the proper balance (nutrition, exercise, rest) in my body?
How can I find the proper balance of staying indoors and going outdoors?
How can I feel rich in ways that are deeper than just something money can buy?
How can I learn to carry my own “mysteries” and wisdom within and learn deep listening?
 

Tarot Orat

21 Ways - Step Ten

Step TEN - Dark Carnival Tarot, The Hierophant

(I'm sticking with my card, it's served me well and there's certainly more for it to teach me. Plus I'm finally starting to identify with the Ringmaster, after only 9 steps...)

10-1-1. Look up my chosen card in a variety of books.

Dark Carnival companion booklet
-opens the doors to the whole moral aspect
-outside influences that are here to help and guide you
-look for a teacher and take direction
-accept the duality of your own nature, the good and the bad
-take a step down and be humbled
-bigger forces running the show

78 Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack
-outer way
-secret doctrine
-education and tradition
-initiation
-personal awareness of God
-orthodoxy
-conformity
-surrender of personal responsibility
-inner sense of obedience

Tarot for Your Self, Mary Greer
-a teacher, animus figure, or mentor
-education
-educating others
-spiritual discipline
-obedience and loyalty
-conformity
-being part of a hierarchy
-repression
-listening to your conscience
-conventional morality
-tradition

Tarot Plain and Simple, Anthony Louis
-tradition
-convention
-orthodoxy
-the establishment
-spiritual growth
-moral guidance
-celibacy
-teaching
-learning
-higher authority
-conformity
-conservatism
-search for meaning
-theological doctrine
-organized religion
-structured environments
-conventional wisdom

Tarot Shadow Work, Christine Jette
-fanaticism
-intolerance
-blind obedience
-repressing yourself to gain acceptance
-lack of conscience
or...
-inner conscience
-spiritual quest
-personal philosophy
-listening to your Higher Self
-informed participation
-guidance

Mastering the Tarot, Juliet Sharman-Burke
-spiritual aspect of the masculine
-mediator between God and man
-search for spiritual meaning
-guide, teacher, or mentor
-appropriate behavior in the eyes of God
-knowledge of good and evil
-spiritual/moral instruction

10-1-2, 10-1-3. Ask a question, go through the list of possible meanings, write down the ones that jump out at me, and summarize them.
How can I create purpose in my life?
-accept the duality of your own nature, the good and the bad
-take a step down and be humbled
-personal awareness of God
-educating others
-listening to your conscience
-spiritual growth
-moral guidance
-search for meaning
-structured environments
-personal philosophy
-listening to your Higher Self
-search for spiritual meaning
-knowledge of good and evil

Realize I'm not running the show, accept that everything has positive and negative aspects, connect with my higher power and develop a sense of spirituality and a personal philosophy. Create a structured environment where I can listen, learn, and study without worldly distraction, and help others by teaching them what I've learned.

I don't really get 10-1-4 so I'm skipping it.

10-1-5. Revisit this reading and see which meanings were most accurate and gave the most insight.

I'll be back in a few weeks to do this.

10-2. Turn the book interpretations into questions and answer them.
This got to be fairly long because I did all 14 of the "jumped out at me" meanings. I thought about shortening it but that didn't feel right, so here they all are...

-How am I fighting the duality of my own nature?
I'm great at accepting the "bad," actually; self-criticism and beating myself up for my flaws are a way of life. The problem is I can't accept the "good" in myself...my talents, skills, areas of knowledge and things I'm respected for and successful at. I have to internalize that I do have positive qualities and they count just as much as the negative ones, and are more worthy of dwelling on and developing.

-What's getting in the way of humility?
I'm trying to run the show too much; I'm trying to take over too much responsibility for everything that happens, even if I don't actually have control over it. I was really good at being humble in AA (which I guess is not a humble thing to say, but I was.) I need to rediscover that spirituality and accept not only the things I cannot change, but that there are things I cannot change.

-Why don't I think I can have a personal relationship with God?
My problem with the proselytzer's question "Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal savior?" was never the "savior" part, it was the "personal" part. Whatever divine figure(s) there are out there, I have major trouble believing they have any interest in me personally. I mean, who am I? Blah blah fall of a sparrow blah. I just don't think I'm important. I just don't think I count.

-What knowledge do I have that would benefit others?
How to handle your 1. bipolar disorder, 2. alcoholism, 3. learning disability, 4. physical ailments...um, do I have anything non-depressing to tell anyone? I'm a great trainer at work and I love teaching kids about insects and birds and various other wonders of nature. And all of those are valuable too.

-Am I ignoring my conscience?
Without getting into too much detail here...I'm not being entirely honest with some people about everything that's going on, and I'm sure I'd feel better if I got it out in the open. But I'm afraid to. It would cause disapproval and I can't stand disapproval. Fear of outside reaction is preventing me from doing the right thing. Well, THAT's not good.

-How can I nurture my spiritual growth?
I didn't really have any till I joined AA and it pretty much stopped developing when I stopped going to meetings. "Came to believe that a power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity...." I came to believe that, but I haven't been paying much attention to it. So I guess I should start going to meetings again.

-Where can I turn for moral guidance?
All RIGHT, jeez, I'll go to an AA meeting.

-What meaning am I searching for?
The best way I can put it is "I don't know what I want to be when I grow up." Which, as I'm nearing 40, would be useful to figure out. I want a spiritual, moral, interior meaning...something beyond "I go to work, earn a salary, and pay taxes." That's just what I mean to the outside world. I need to find out what I mean to myself.

-How can I create more structure in my environment?
Not be a horrible slob. This is probably tying in with having to respect myself...I deserve not to live in chaos and disarray. If I could create a more calming environment and a more stable schedule, I could find the space and time to relax, meditate, do things I enjoy that have meaning to me.

-Whose philosophy am I using, if it's not personal?
That'd be my parents' philosophy...which is conservative, cog-in-the-wheel, you exist to serve society, you need to be perfect, what's wrong with you for not being perfect, why aren't you more successful at your age....Yeah, I really need to get a better philosophy than that.

-What does my Higher Self have to say to me?
Let go of the past, how I was raised, how I've been treated, what I've suffered...take what I've learned from that and move forward. It's all part of my life's compost heap, now use it to fertilize my soul's garden.

-Where does the search for spiritual meaning begin?
Looking inward. My meaning has to be inside, not dictated by external forces.

-Am I able to determine good from evil?
I feel like I have a pretty good moral compass, whether I behave appropriately based on what it tells me is another thing. I know what I should stay away from...I need the strength to actually do it. And I need to not only recognize what's good, but involve myself with it and put it into action. (ALL RIGHT, I get it, back to AA. Yeesh.)
 

Onion Budgie

21 Ways: Step Ten

Step TEN: Radiant Rider-Waite, Six of Cups

10-1 (a) Look up meanings for your card in several books or other resources

I used Joan Bunning's “Learning the Tarot”, and the Radiant Rider-Waite LWB.

10-1 (b) A question that is paramount in your mind

Is my re-emergent childhood interest in creative writing worth persevering with?

10-1 (c) List all the meanings that jumped out at you. Summarise their message in one or two sentences

having a noble impulse
receiving a gift
feeling blessed
being well-intentioned
a feeling of contentment
feeling nostalgic
enjoying youthful activities
reflecting on childhood

The message here seems to be that if you feel you are blessed with a creative talent, and using and expressing that gift pleases you and makes others happy, then it is worth persevering with.

My earlier interpretations of the Six of Cups were quite different to the above. I saw it as a card of good will and sharing, and youthful innocence. Those qualities are still applicable, but now they have been expanded upon and interpreted in a broader sense.

In a previous exercise, I also identified with the qualities of support, affection and empathy in relation to this card. With those words alone, I would have found it a little more difficult to answer my question.

10-2 Using the book interpretations, turn each into a question and then answer them

~~ What was your last noble impulse?
Defending a friend who was being taken for granted by a rude third party.

~~ How best to use your “gift”?
Keep on writing, writing, writing.
Sometimes that's hard to do when the inspiration runs off and hides behind a lamp post.

~~ In what ways do you feel blessed?
I feel blessed in that I have the time in which to do all of the things I love: write, read, play, learn.

~~ Do you generally have good intentions?
Yes. I'm not the malicious sort. I'm not manipulative, I don't play mind games. I would never deliberately hurt anyone.

~~ Are you content?
Yes, on the whole.

~~ When did you last feel nostalgic?
I'm a gamer, and I feel nostalgic for the times – in fact, not even so long ago, maybe five years – when games were always available on disc, and there wasn't such an emphasis on DRM. These days, it's becoming rarer to find new adventure games on disc; they tend to be download-only, with strings attached. I'm a fogey and I like discs, dammit!

~~ What youthful activities do you enjoy?
See above! I'm a gamer. I'm also a big nerd who has a large collection of Tamagotchi and, yes, still plays with them.

~~ What emotions do you feel when you reflect upon your childhood?
Bittersweet feelings. Nothing wholly good, nothing wholly bad. Some anger, a little wistfulness. A bit of everything.
 

Deanne

21 Ways - Steampunk

Step TEN - Steampunk (Moore) - 5 of Wands

**Geez, I thought this was going to be one of the easier steps! Turned out to be one of the most in-depth for me.

10.1

Book meanings for 5 of wands:
challenges, trials
competition, comparisons, rivalry
hardships, problems, obstacles, struggle
ambition, determination, perseverance, patience
rebellion, revolution, defiance
bettering oneself, growing stronger, purification, learning through experience
passion, bursts of energy
disagreements, arguments, opposing viewpoints, conflict, clashing personalities
defending/protecting oneself or others, fighting back
overcoming resistance or adversity, courage
unpredictability, uncertainty, chaos
treachery, deceit

Question - What can this card teach me?
-to persevere and be patient
-to fight back against adversity
-to defend my point of view
-that I will learn and grow through experience
-that I can overcome obstacles
-to look at others' viewpoints
-that conflict can make me stronger
-to engage in healthy competition
-to find courage in difficult times

A summary of this card that answers my question could be
-I will encounter obstacles but I will overcome them if I persevere, and these situations will make me stronger.

Many of these meanings fit with what I came up with in previous steps. Themes of conflict, challenges, adversity, defending oneself, and opposing viewpoints were present in this step and previous ones
Meanings that showed up here but not earlier dealt with bettering oneself/growing, defending others, passion, courage, and perseverance
Meanings that arose for me earlier but not in the books include jumping to conclusions, adventure, and risk
 

Deanne

10.2

I couldn't possibly write a question for every definition (there are tons!) so I wrote one for each of the 9 answers to my question in 10.1

**In what area of my life do I need to persevere?
I need to persevere in my efforts to change my bad habits. I often start to put changes in place, but have difficulty following through. I need to pick one and push myself to work on that habit until I've formed a better one.

**How can I best fight back against adversity?
I can be more confident and stand my ground when I believe I'm right. I know I'm capable of this as I've done it before, but I tend to back down and avoid conflicts (as this path is easier for me mentally and emotionally)

**When do I feel the need to defend myself?
I get defensive when others don't or won't see my point of view. If someone hears me out and then disagrees, that's fine. But I get very upset and defensive if someone won't even take the time to listen to my opinion.

**What have I learned from experience?
Experience has taught me that most of the obstacles in my way were built by me. There are very few situations I can't handle but I tend to convince myself they are more difficult than they really are.

**What is a recent obstacle I have overcome?
I recently overcame a creative roadblock I encountered. I used to have such a vibrant imagination but it had seemed dull and mostly inaccessible to me for the past while. These cards are a big part of what helped me overcome that and tune back in to my creativity.

**How can I better understand opposing points of view?
I can listen to others as deeply and carefully as I want them to listen to me. They deserve as much understanding as I expect for myself.

**When has a conflict made me stronger?
Fighting with, and ultimately leaving one ex in particular gave me the opportunity to become more independent. I had a very dependent relationship with him and it was holding me back. Once on my own I was able to prove to myself that I was capable of doing much more than either he or I thought possible.

**Am I engaged in any healthy competition?
I don't believe I am at the moment. I think I've been avoiding competition since I finished my last college program (in 2013). I may try to seek out something. I've been considering a sports program, maybe I'll look more into that.

**Who helps me find courage in difficult times?
Honestly, my cats. This feels ridiculous to write out but it's true! They depend on me to take care of them. When I'm in a bad state of mind I tend to neglect myself and others. I don't really notice or care if I'm not taking the best care of myself, but as soon as I realize I'm not caring for my cats I snap back to reality and deal with problems better. They keep me grounded.
 

crystalrose

STEP 10 - Silicon Dawn

I'm starting over with a new card. I've got the Hermit from the Silicon Dawn, one of my favorite cards in the deck! image here - https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/ba/74/50/ba74502e53977abc52c611174f5dc31f.jpg

I like this Hermit, because she's young and free. She seems like she's attained her own breakthroughs and insights in life that have allowed her to see things differently. The card also bring to mind the seeker aspect of the Hermit for me.

Hermit book meanings, my question being "what do i need to look at?" -

Tarot Plain and Simple
- searching within
- contemplation
- the need for psychological space
- withdrawing from society
- thoughtful planning
- seeking sensible advice
- pondering life's mysteries
- the search for mystical enlightenment
- bring attuned to the spiritual dimensions of the universe
- sanctuary
- contact with the Source
- people: monks, cloistered nuns, a wise person

Silicon Dawn Guidebook
- wandering into strange places
- carrying the light of knowledge, she searches for something honest
- time of contemplation away from the world
- she's a regular Diogenes tarted up in skin-tight latex :laugh:

Power Tarot
- Diogenes searching for truth
- someone whose inner light illuminates the life of others
- he forces us to get serious about our lives
- Saturn return

What these meanings are suggesting is time alone to get serious and contemplate & connect to the spiritual side of life. It's a necessary withdrawal from society to attain wisdom & make thoughtful, sensible plans for the future. A search for truth.

Meaning that showed up from the book that I didn't think about were thoughtful planning & seeking sensible advice. Also, getting serious about life.

The overlapping as far as seeking knowledge, spiritual truth & being separate from society.

I put freedom & breakthrough down, which didn't quite line up to the book meanings.

Questions
1. In what ways am I getting serious about my life?
I have been thinking serious about starting a family. My young adulthood is ending and I need to mature. I can't hold on to the past forever, and I'm okay with that.

2.How have I been illuminating the life of others?
I've been on here doing readings and that actually helps! I like giving advice and I've learned a lot about life too through doing readings. But also, in general people seem to like my ideas and wisdom.

3.What spiritual truths have I discovered in times of contemplation?
Nothing lasts forever. One day, my parents won't be here anymore and I have learned to appreciate them more and cherish them. Also, the things I do now will have a lasting impact on my future, so I need to consider all of my choices carefully. In a lot of ways, life is about finding your own path and living without regrets. So many things people worry about and get hung up on are inconsequential in the long run.

4. How is withdrawal from society healing and healthy for me?
It helps me to think up with my own thoughts. And when I do interact with other people, I know what are my own ideas and what are the ideas of other people. I actually am able to be more receptive. And alone time helps me process what I'm going through on a deeper level. I've had so many insights these past couple months just through take time out to contemplate, do readings, etc. I feel more prepared for my future and like I actually have a plan and a way forward.
 

Beira

21 ways - Step 10 - THOTH UNIVERSE CARD

I am starting this step getting some of the meanings from various reference books:

Book of Thoth
Heart of the matter, synthesis, end of the matter. [ ... ] Crystallization of the whole situation.
This for the divinatory meaning.. they lack a bit of enthosiasm in my opinion...
In the sescription of the card thee is more of the good vibes, as it mention the completition of the Great Work, and celebration of it.

78 Degrees of Wisdom
Understanding, freedom and rapture beyond words. [ ...] Dissolution and then union in movement. [ ... ] Flowing of reality. Unity of all sides of being. Success, realization, satisfaction. Uniting inner self with external activities.

Key to the wisdom of the ages
Synthesis, success, change of place

Holistic Tarot
Completition of Great Work / life's purpose. Being on the right path to the achievement of greatness. Fullfillment, completion, masterpiece, consummation. Tryumph in every undertaking. Union with Higher Self. Reconciliation of dualities. Power over growth energy, emotions, ambitions, material goals. Synthesis.
Potential for a great tryumph. Importance of the Seeker in the universe.

PKT
Assured success, recompense, voyage, route, emigration, flight, change of place

Manual of cartomancy
Sum of things manifest. Divine presence, right condition for attainment. Mystery revealed, Divine Consience.

Tarot forYourself
Becoming conscious of your limitation, thus freeing yourself to maximize your potential.
Manifesting Spirit, giving it structure and form.
Being involved in a very encompasskng experience.
Joy at being alive. Infinite potential
Self realization.
Live comfortably/struggle with complexity.
Being reminded of our phisical limitations.
Mother Earth. Creatrix. That which remains. Source.
Structure and foundation from where you come and where you shall return.
Union of the four elements in you and in the 4 types of person around you, for healing.

Comparing those meanings with the ones I used and created in the previous steps I must say that most of them agree. This must be because it is not the first study of the whole deck that I make, and the "traditional" meaning that I have assimilated in the past must have come up alsk in the more "intuitive" steps.

What I can comment is that the meanings that usually resonate more with me are the ones related to high attainments, completition of very important and spiritual things. Obviously I do see that in a reading we are to include also more materialistic achievements.
I completely agree with the synthesis, overcoming of duality meaning, and also the generative power, that can become creativity in a more practical, everyday reading.
What I don't rwally see is the idea of voyage, change of location.. It could be an extension of the change in our minds and souls that spiritual atteinments brings, but it still is too far fetched to me, since these changes have nothing to do with phisical location.

QUESTIONS

Tarot for yourself

What are my limitations? How can I free myself of them and maximize my potential?

DRAW:
6of Cups - Pleasure
modified by Queen of Cups and 8 of Swords - Interference

ANSWER:
The limitations that keep me from maximizing my potential are my old emotional blockages and the bad feeling running between me - my ex and his family - my relatives. I should let my higher self guide me to renew my emotions and heal, avoiding too much thinking and intellectualizations of feelings that are primal.

How do I give structure and form to my potential?

DRAW
8 of Disks Prudence
Modified by Atu XI Lust, 6 of Wands Victory

Answer
I give form and structure to my potential by using the compost of last draw to fertilize my emotions and let them be expressed. I need to protect them and give them their time to ripen. I must bs careful not the loose the whole picture going after too many details.
These fruit won't be that big of a pay off, but their progress is steady.
The biggest risk is that my controlled emotions and my quest for equilibrium get overdone and mistakenly taken for indifference towards my daughter..

What kind of experience would prove really encompassing for me?

DRAW
4of Wands Completion
Modifiers:
XXI the Universe, Ace of Cups.

ANSWER
Indeed the experience that would really prove encompassing and fulfilling, in a developmental way as the Universe card expresses, would be starting the visits to mg daughter.
I will need to get down to earth and start taking action to show my will and fullfill it. That will open up a whole new world (the Ace) as for emotions and love and will spark a new phase in my life.

Where do I go to tap pure joy at being alive? Where can I feel my infinite potential ( and get energized by it)
How do I attain self realization?
How do I rsact to complexity?
What limits my phisicity brings?
Who is Mother Earth? Who created the universe? What makes things remain/ endure in time? What is the Source?
Where do I come from? Where will I go?
How do I make myself whole and healed?

Wow, most of these questions require a reading. I will post the details in the readings section of the forum.