The Pros and Cons

Has anyone ever used the Tarot to make a Pros and Cons list before? I tried it for the first time today and it turned out rather interesting. I've been making a typical pros/cons list of a job I recently interviewed for and thought why not try it with the tarot and here is what I came up with.....
( I just laid out 5 cards for each, reshuffling between the pros category and cons category and I didn't assign any positions to the 5 cards)

Pros of this job
3 pent...a chance for you to apply your skills
8 wands Rx...it will be fast paced but will be overwhelming at first
4 cups Rx...end of boredom, you'll have something to look forward too
Q wand Rx, Justice Rx as clarifier...you may be overdramatic when it comes to feeling what is unfair (I wasn't sure about that)
Hanged Man...your caught between old and new right now, when you're ready you'll see things in a different way

Cons of this Job
Hermit Rx...overcautious anitsocial ??? (am unsure of that also)
Chariot Rx, 2 cups rx clarifier...you need to regain control/balance of your relationship and solve some conflicts
Hanged Man Rx...You feel you have to live up to anothers expectations
3 pent rx...you'll need to learn more and work harder than you have before
3 swords rx w/King wands upright and 6 wands rx clarifiers...your pain is ending, (not sure about the king) what your wanting or waiting for may be delayed? I was usure about these 3 cards

I would love to hear anyones input on this. Thanks

Hi, angelwhispers. What deck did you use? If I have it, I'll pull the same cards and look at them. (Otherwise, I'll just use one of my decks, probably the Rider).

Baby Owl

Deck used

I used the Robin Wood deck for this. Not sure if this will make a difference or not but shortly after I did this spread I was offered the job and accepted.

Babyowl I look forward to seeing what your take on the cards are.

I have moved this thread to the Your Readings forum. I'm sure you will get a lot more responses there!

tarotlady
Co-moderator Tarot Spreads

tarotlady said:

I have moved this thread to the Your Readings forum. I'm sure you will get a lot more responses there!

tarotlady
Co-moderator Tarot Spreads

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Sorry about that tarotlady, I started off talking about the pros/cons spread and didn't even think about being posted under Your Readings...Thanks

Pros of the job?

• 
  3 Pentacles: you’ll have a chance to be part of a team
  8 Wands Rx: it won’t be as speedy as you’ve experienced in the past
  4 Cups Rx: you’ll have lots of opportunities to be innovative, to break new ground
  Queen Wands Rx: you’ll have the opportunity to use that political, Machiavellian part of yourself that you’ve always secretly wanted to test
  Hanged Man: You’ll have some time to be more reflective (so you can cook up some of those innovative ideas and Macchiavellian schemes )

Cons of the job

• 
  Hermit Rx: You’ll struggle to be true to your inner self
  Chariot Rx: You may find it harder than you think to be self-directed, Captain of your own ship
  Hanged Man Rx: You might have lots of innovative ideas but something will prevent you from implementing them
  3 Pentacles Rx: the other members of the team may not like you or may oppose you in some way.
  3 Swords Rx: if I were you, I wouldn’t take this job! I always see this card as unmitigated disaster, but others have different interpretations, and it depends on the context. With the other cards in the Cons list I get a message of chaos getting worse!

BUT.........get other opinions!

Moongold said:

Cons of the job

• 
  3 Swords Rx: if I were you, I wouldn’t take this job! I always see this card as unmitigated disaster, but others have different interpretations, and it depends on the context. With the other cards in the Cons list I get a message of chaos getting worse!

BUT.........get other opinions! [/B]

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Thanks for your input Moongold I found it very interesting. Its funny that you interpreted the 3 of swords as kind of a message to not take the job because that is exactly how I felt about the job up until the minute I actually accepted it. I've had so many different ppl in my life telling me to take this opportunity because of the doors it can open up for me that I went against myself and did so....I may regret not listening to me later.

Hello again, angelwhispers!

First, I found it intriguing that the 3 of pentacles and Hanged Man showed up as BOTH pros and cons (upright under pros and reversed under cons). I did my comparison using the Rider deck, but I was able to see the Robin Wood cards by referencing Anthony Louis' book Tarot Plain and Simple.

In many cases my thoughts do not differ much if at all from yours. Some of my observations are slightly different, but not necessarily "better" or "more correct."

Pros and Cons of This Job

Pro: 3 pent...a chance for you to apply your skills
Con: 3 pent rx...you'll need to learn more and work harder than you have before

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I would agree with this interpretation. On the "pro" side, it seems very possible that you will advance and be well rewarded for your efforts. This is an early stage of what could be a very satisfying experience in a material, practical sense. Reversed, the card implies problems with or at work, specifically related to someone's poor performance or lack of skill. It can also indicate feeling undervalued or focusing too much on gaining approval or recognition for your efforts. Your focus would be better placed on doing your job as well as you can.

Pro: 8 wands Rx...it will be fast paced but will be overwhelming at first

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The card was drawn reversed, yet in the position of "pros of this job." I don't think being overwhelmed would be consider a "pro." I might interpret this card (reversed) in this situation as an indication that the job will not be excessively hectic. You may find that the pace is quite agreeable to you.

Pro: 4 cups Rx...end of boredom, you'll have something to look forward to

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This seems right on to me. The job appears to be something you are ready for.

Pro: Q wand Rx, Justice Rx as clarifier...you may be overdramatic when it comes to feeling what is unfair (I wasn't sure about that)

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Court cards often represent actual people or an aspect of the seeker's own personality. According to Anthony Louis, the Queen of Wands is the quintessential "Career Woman." She is energetic and ambitious (fire). It may be that a woman of this description will act as a mentor to you or support you in some way, or this job will encourage you to manifest the traits represented by this card, with beneficial results. Justice reversed may indicate that the person represented by the Queen of Wands is perceived in a negative way (by you or someone else?), but that this judgment is unfair or biased.

Pro: Hanged Man...your caught between old and new right now, when you're ready you'll see things in a different way

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Since this is supposed to be a "pro," perhaps the card means this job will give you an opportunity to look at something in a new way or from a new angle?
Con: Hanged Man Rx...You feel you have to live up to anothers expectations
This is certainly one meaning for the card. You may find that you feel you have to deny some aspect of yourself in order to be accepted at this job. Consider carefully whether this is really necessary or desirable.

Con: Hermit Rx...overcautious antisocial ??? (am unsure of that also)

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The Hermit turned on his head can indicate lack of communication and feelings of isolation, as well as complaining or skepticism. On the kindergarten report card it would be "Does not play well with others." There may be a temptation in this job to get caught up in your own way of doing things to the point where you lose the benefits that come with exchanging ideas with other people.

Con: Chariot Rx, 2 cups rx clarifier...you need to regain control/balance of your relationship and solve some conflicts

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Certainly the Chariot reversed gives a sense of being pulled in (at least) two different directions, having trouble keeping things under control. Quarreling may be a problem on this job. The 2 of Cups (rx) as clarifier makes me think perhaps the arguing is at an emotional level and may involve male-female differences in approach or opinion. A misunderstanding is indicated.

3 swords rx w/King wands upright and 6 wands rx clarifiers...your pain is ending, (not sure about the king) what your wanting or waiting for may be delayed? I was unsure about these 3 cards.

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The 3 of swords (rx) may indicate alienation at a mental level, disorder, or confusion. This seems like it is tied to the issues represented by the Chariot (rx) and 2 of Cups (rx) discussed above. The King of Wands may be a reference to an actual person who is involved in these disputes. He would be an honest, conscientious man, yet (being of the element "air") perhaps unable to relate to his or another person's emotions. The 6 of Wands (rx) plays into this scenario, possibly representing unmet expectations, fear, or disloyalty.

Overall, I see the "cons" as pointing to the problems with politics seen in most work environments. It appears that there is an undercurrent of hostility between certain individuals, and you may be in danger of being drawn in on one side or the other. I would suggest that you be on the alert in this regard. Stick to you work, apply your skills, and try not to get dragged into infighting within the company.

Baby Owl

Hi Angelwhispers,

For me, the 3 Swords Rx had a particularly negative connotation with the rest of the throw of CONS.

Sometimes 3 Swords Rx can mean the end of a period of suffering, difficulty or grief but that did not really make sense in this instance.

If I was to get a throw like this before taking a job, it would make me examinine the pros and cons more carefully but there may be, and obviously were, considered reasons to take the job.

Maybe some of the CONS, if you accept them, could alert you to potential difficulties so that you can manage around them?

Thanks Baby Owl for your interpretation also. Its nice to get others perceptions on a throw like this.

Originally posted by Baby Owl
First, I found it intriguing that the 3 of pentacles and Hanged Man showed up as BOTH pros and cons (upright under pros and reversed under cons).

I also found that very interesting the those 2 cards turned up that way. At first I thought maybe I didn't shuffle well enough but those were the only 2 cards repeated.

3 pents rx cons
Reversed, the card implies problems with or at work, specifically related to someone's poor performance or lack of skill. It can also indicate feeling undervalued or focusing too much on gaining approval or recognition for your efforts. Your focus would be better placed on doing your job as well as you can.

The reason I felt that it was I had to work harder to learn more skills was I'm entering a brand new field, very little of what I did before will carry over to this job. But I can see the undervalued, focusing on gaining approval....I felt that alot in my previous job

8 wands rx pros
The card was drawn reversed, yet in the position of "pros of this job." I don't think being overwhelmed would be consider a "pro." I might interpret this card (reversed) in this situation as an indication that the job will not be excessively hectic. You may find that the pace is quite agreeable to you.

I didn't even think about it that way. I think when I saw the card what was said to me at the interview immediately popped into my head about it being fast paced and automatically put the overwhelming aspect to the card.


Queen wands w/Justice Rx pros
Court cards often represent actual people or an aspect of the seeker's own personality. According to Anthony Louis, the Queen of Wands is the quintessential "Career Woman." She is energetic and ambitious (fire). It may be that a woman of this description will act as a mentor to you or support you in some way, or this job will encourage you to manifest the traits represented by this card, with beneficial results. Justice reversed may indicate that the person represented by the Queen of Wands is perceived in a negative way (by you or someone else?), but that this judgment is unfair or biased.

I have trouble with court cards and I have to say this interpretation makes sense to me.

Hermit rx cons
The Hermit turned on his head can indicate lack of communication and feelings of isolation, as well as complaining or skepticism. On the kindergarten report card it would be "Does not play well with others." There may be a temptation in this job to get caught up in your own way of doing things to the point where you lose the benefits that come with exchanging ideas with other people.

I've never thought of the Hermit that way, I just automaticaly see him as withdrawing into himself or self absorbed if reversed but your view makes good sense.

chariot rx w/2cups rx cons
Certainly the Chariot reversed gives a sense of being pulled in (at least) two different directions, having trouble keeping things under control. Quarreling may be a problem on this job. The 2 of Cups (rx) as clarifier makes me think perhaps the arguing is at an emotional level and may involve male-female differences in approach or opinion. A misunderstanding is indicated.

The being pulled in 2 different directions will be dead on. I associated these 2 cards with this job affecting my husband and I. I can see quarrels coming up between the 2 of us, mostly over sharing household responsibilites because of my new work hours.

3 swords rx w/king of wands and then 6 wands rx
The 3 of swords (rx) may indicate alienation at a mental level, disorder, or confusion. This seems like it is tied to the issues represented by the Chariot (rx) and 2 of Cups (rx) discussed above. The King of Wands may be a reference to an actual person who is involved in these disputes. He would be an honest, conscientious man, yet (being of the element "air") perhaps unable to relate to his or another person's emotions. The 6 of Wands (rx) plays into this scenario, possibly representing unmet expectations, fear, or disloyalty.

With these 3 cards being related to the chariot and 2 of cups then I would definitely agree with your take on them.


Thanks again Baby Owl for your giving me your views on the cards. It was very helpful