10 of cups reversed

Isobel Gaudie

Thirteen said:
You're very brave to offer that information here. I commend you, and I completely understand why it's been so hard for you to find happiness, and why you might have a very cynical and downer view of life and love. I can tell you that I know of at least one such committed relationship--so it can happen. But as you seem to already know, you can't pretend to want the typical, equal partnership, kids and rainbows. You have to go after your own, particular "Happily ever after." We all do

I know and it felt daring. It's learners forum as well for all sorts of people and cards mirror plenty of different walks. Maybe somebody else in a similar situation reads this and it could be some help.

I do have developed bit of a downers attitude. That's true. I fought for years with myself and normal partners. I would not say that I am incapable of having a normal relationship. Definitely not. It is about love and connection, just with a different preference. Queers can relate well to me and vice versa.

To pick up the learners topic again, it starts to feel as if I start queering the cards from another angle. That's quite confusing. Dunno if I am mistaken, they keep their original meanings but with a different context like 5 of swords, 8 of swords, devil, hanged man, 2 of pentacles, high priestess...Reading them a bit differently is a challenge.

Isobel Gaudie

Barleywine said:
Here's another random thought: lately I've been thinking of reversal as "having a Hanged Man moment," where one sacrifices time and initiative while suspending action in whatever is represented by the nature of the card. I liken it to loss of traction and "wheel-spinning."

Barleywine, no problem with dropping in late. I can see where you are coming from.. Reversal as a delay!
You gave me a good chunk of food for thought in pointing out to this. My blessings to you!

Now, I need to go and meditate as this card goes really deep. Plus life is calling for my attention.
I'll get back to this thread later on.

Barleywine

Thirteen said:
That's a really interesting take. You've got me interested (and have my attention). Why Hanged Man rather than the Wheel or the World...or the Fool for that matter if you were to place him at 22 rather than 0?

The way I see it, the reversed energy of a card - with its common assumption of delay or potential blockage - can't easily be brought to bear by the querent on the situation shown in the reading; it can take an alternative perspective and possibly some rethinking or retrenching to get at it. Since I usually see the Hanged Man as more a sacrifice of time than of anything substantive, of blunted initiative and suspended action, I see a similarity. Both the Wheel and the World imply forward movement of some kind, and the Fool strikes me as less contrary than simply detached (unless it might represent a reversed Ace). I'm still working on my broad overview of general reversed meanings (with helpful input from forum members), posted in Talking Tarot.

Thirteen

Barleywine said:
The way I see it, the reversed energy of a card - with its common assumption of delay or potential blockage - can't easily be brought to bear by the querent on the situation shown in the reading; it can take an alternative perspective and possibly some rethinking or retrenching to get at it. Since I usually see the Hanged Man as more a sacrifice of time than of anything substantive, of blunted initiative and suspended action, I see a similarity. Both the Wheel and the World imply forward movement of some kind, and the Fool strikes me as less contrary than simply detached (unless it might represent a reversed Ace). I'm still working on my broad overview of general reversed meanings (with helpful input from forum members), posted in Talking Tarot.

Makes perfect sense! Great insight. I think you may have found a new (or at least quicker) way to understand that pause/block element of reversals!

Thirteen

Try a Different Deck?

Isobel Gaudie said:
To pick up the learners topic again, it starts to feel as if I start queering the cards from another angle. That's quite confusing. Dunno if I am mistaken, they keep their original meanings but with a different context

This is part of being a tarot reader. You "angle" the cards depending on the question and who is asking it. That's a given, as it's unlikely that, when reading for a single gay man, you're going to think that 10/Cups means "wife and kids" rather than "husband and kids" (to put it very simply). So perhaps that 10/Cups rx for our gay man is simply the deck's way of saying "husband and kids" rather than "wife and kids." That said, a different deck might help ease confusion--and allow you to use uprights more exclusively

For example (and I'm not suggesting this one for you--it's just an example), there is the Gay Tarot (literal name there), which many homosexual men say has helped them to understand cards that they had trouble with like the HPS and the Empress: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/gay/ They don't have to work to adjust that upright card to apply to them, the deck does it for them, leaving them to do the reading, and making reversals a bit easier and more straight forward. Which is what a deck should do. You shouldn't have put in extra steps, angling the card (upright or reversed) so it makes sense given who you are and your world view, before you can get around to reading the card.

One possibility for you might be the Bohemian Gothic tarot (I love this deck!), which rifts on old ghost stories, gothic tales and silent horror movies. It's view of the meaning of the card is quite enlightening, as it's a bit skewed from the usual: http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/bohemian-gothic/

And another might be good old Thoth. Again, I don't know if you've got it or have studied it, but the distinct angles that Crowley gives his cards as compared to Waite might be on point for you (Strength is "Lust" in that deck). http://www.aeclectic.net/tarot/cards/aleister-crowley-thoth/review.shtml

I hope that helps. (And I hope I understood what you were saying)

Barleywine

Isobel Gaudie said:
To pick up the learners topic again, it starts to feel as if I start queering the cards from another angle. That's quite confusing. Dunno if I am mistaken, they keep their original meanings but with a different context like 5 of swords, 8 of swords, devil, hanged man, 2 of pentacles, high priestess...Reading them a bit differently is a challenge.

When I first started learning back in the early '70s, I adopted the "reversed is the exact opposite of upright" paradigm, but over the years it began feeling like an over-simplification (not to mention that it didn't always make sense). Over time and a lot of contemplation, I settled on the idea that reversal changes the mode of delivery (or receipt) more than the actual content. I think the way we "process" the influence is altered, whether because our own perspective is skewed or because the "message" is slightly oblique. Then we react to it in accordance with our altered state of awareness. This is why I now find great subtlety and nuance in reversed cards. For example, the Tower can show that we're standing stock-still in front of the bus as it runs over us, while the Tower's reversal might mean we're standing on the curb, seeing its path from a different angle and may have time to dodge. On the other hand it might mean we're bending over to pick up a penny in the street and never see the bus at all as it bears down on us. The bus is still there doing its thing in all cases, it's our perspective that changes.