21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- Step NINE

dadsnook2000

I have just opened the book to Step Nine and have read what is asked of us. Before I set our tasks for step nine, I'd like to make a suggestion: I have copied all of my posts (copy and paste) into a word processor document. In this way I can look back at all of my prior reading, key words, thoughts, etc for reference. This will be helpful for Step Nine, and perhaps beyond.

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Step Nine is about transforming metaphors into messages by asking questions and taking "snapshots." Mary Greer states that questions lead us into discovery of deeper, richer stories and understanding. The questions can be directed at your chosen card, any card, as well as to a querent. She notes the SUN card as an example -- the Sun card represents "joy and happiness". So, you could ask, "Where is the joy in your life?" This involves you deeply into discovering more meanings within the card as well as it involves a querent into their reading by linking the card to one/many incidents in their life.

I took a moment to reflect on this while reading the paragraph in the book and thought to my self:
** FOOL: Faith, innocence, starting a journey. What are you starting that is new to you? What are you unprepared for?
** MAGICIAN: Power, magic, creativity. What is your major strength? What have you created?
This can be done for every/any card.

Then I thought about applying this questioning approach to a three-card spread. Already these exercises are leading me to more awareness of how to use the cards. We may be doing some of this intuitively already as part of our process of reading Tarot. But, making this a conscious process, sort of like making it a tool in our Tarot tool box, enables us to quickly manage a reading so that it is richer and more productive for the querent.

Mary next talks about "snap shots." These snap shots are memory images, not actual photos. The image has details, emotions, sensations. Each card image can bring forth one/more snapshots for us, for others. What is both simple in concept and exciting in its promise is Mary Greer's suggestion that we consciously take a moment to recognize a "photo" moment and give it a keyword association. In this way we have access to its full recall at some later date.

Step 9:1 has two parts:
** Review all your previous descriptions for your chosen card. (This is why I have copied all of my posts to this point) Ask a least three open-ended questions. Answer (write) these questions.
** Then, ask what you have to look at in your life right now? Where is the strongest emotion, the first thing that comes to mind, the clearest image.

Good luck on this step. Dave
 

squeakmo9

Step 9:

RWS 5 of Swords

Keywords: communication, crisis, "I feel somewhat invisible" (from my step2 exercise)

Q: How did you feel wronged and wrong?

Snapshot: Toddler (me) in round walker with wheels, guess was learning to walk. Was pushed aside like some sort of “thing” by an older boy. Can’t believe I remembered this. Felt downright indignant, lunged at him, totally ineffective attempt.


Current Emotions at this memory: Have to take a few deep breaths. Surprised by memory…like where did that come from?


A: Wronged in that I felt slighted when treated as invisible. Never realized until I read through step 2 exercise again, and what I wrote. Wrong in not being more effective in defending myself or even seeing fit TO defend myself properly. This can be said of the snapshot, I guess, but more so of my past behavior in regards to self-esteem, communication issues, and self-respect.


What do I need to look at in my life right now as suggested by my responses, metaphors, and memories?
That I was wrong for allowing too much time to pass in addressing needs to those around me, or becoming too easily accustomed to being ignored. I’m a bit shocked at this revelation. Like I always knew it, but didn’t know it…I’m glad I know this now.


RWS Swords

Keywords: to "air" is human element, sorrow, hidden blessings (my step8)

Q: What is it that you wish to communicate?

Snapshot: My friend at age 8. She was still the new kid, couldn’t have been more than a month into the new school year. The teacher had her stand in front of the class, humiliated her for not having gone to church on Sunday. We weren’t friends yet, I remember now…but when I saw the tears streaming down her face, something in me died. Not a single expression on her face, just a vacant stare with tears. Other than the teacher yelling, the room was silent.

Current Emotions at this memory: Held my breath, feel my ears getting warm, nervous. Have to take a time-out.

A: How sorry I am for how things went, and how grateful I am for all she has meant to me.

What do I need to look at in my life right now as suggested by my responses, metaphors, and memories?
I just need to concentrate on nurturing myself, and doing those things, however big or small, that I enjoy doing.


RWS The number 5 in mix with swords

Keywords: wounded, masculine/yang(step6), aggressive.

Q: How do you think it could have gone knowing what you know?

Snapshot: Step-father in a light, tan suede coat with a navy blue sweater vest. No expression on his face, seldom saw him laugh or smile. I was 15, we were going on a trip to Peru for the (as it would turn out to be) the last time. Reason for trip was to meet my grandmother (father’s mother) for first and (what would be) last time.

Current Emotions at this memory: I feel like I have a frog in my throat, tad nervous.

A: Communicating more effectively could have saved much misunderstanding and sorrow. Would be more confident in opening my mouth, voicing concerns. I realize now that if someone wants to leave me, they will, regardless of what I say or do. It was not meant to be.

What do I need to look at in my life now as suggested by my responses, metaphors, and memories?
I think I just need some quiet time to build myself up. I’m understanding that I did feel ignored when growing up, but those days are over.
So I am afforded this time to restructure and fortify who I am, today.

I went through all the steps and wrote down each keyword for my card… certain things caught me right away, but when I looked at step 2, suddenly things began to come into focus of what was an issue.
Once taken out of context, the words took on a different life.
From step 2 exercise, I opened with “I find myself somewhat invisible”. I wrote a lot, but those words sort of hit home.
This has been a very cathartic exercise.
 

dadsnook2000

Having trouble posting

I'm having trouble posting to the list. Get a "server not available" message. This is a test to see if something works. Dave

PS: Just posted a big reply again -- except that it wouldn't post. The server keeps telling me that I don't have permission to post. I don't get it. I can post this message and edit it.
 

dadsnook2000

Part one of a reply to step nine

I'm trying to find a letter combination glitch that causes the AT server to block my messages to I'm posting my reply a piece at a time. Dave
****
PIECE ONE
We are asked to accomplish two tasks:
** Review our descriptions of our chosen card and ask three or more open ended questions, plus respond to those questions. Based on the question or the answer, whichever evokes an image, relate that image to the question.
** What do I need to look at in my life right now as suggested by metaphors, questions, responses, memories? What brings the greatest emotion?

The Fey Tarot; WORLD card. A giant snail sails through space carrying a small walled village upon it back or shell. A large pinkish-red dragon is perched upon a tower, its tail hanging to the ground. A small green Fey flies just above the dragon as if wanting to attack it.
 

dadsnook2000

Part two of a reply for step Nine.

This is the second part of my reply.

In step TWO we had to put ourselves into the card's image. I started off that description saying, I am a large, pinkish-red dragon. I say large because I'm as big as the circular grey-stoned tower I'm sitting upon. This first simple statement evokes a lot of concern in me even though I haven't yet gotten into the full description.
** MY QUESTION: What do I think I'm doing here in this situation?
** MY ANSWER: I just don't fully understand this. This little world is too confining for me, there isn't enough room here for me. That little green Fey isn't worth thinking about other than being a nuisance.
** FEELINGS: Concern. Wanting to think about this.
** I RELATE THIS TO: My present lifestyle. I'm quite buy with raising the three grandkids. I've just finished up my classes for the local middle schools -- chess, chess and robots. I just tonight completed the edits on my astrology book. I've been busy painting the entire house and doing some construction work as well. I finished up a small project with the Boy Scouts, Our social life has been quite full, about four or five events a week. I feel like that dragon, too big for his world, not sure why he is in this time and place, needing to get to a more comfortable and fitting "dragon" place.
** MEMORY: This brings back the evening when I had just accepted a position to manage a defense plant making large machinery for the US Navy. It was way beyond anything I had done before. Talk about feeling inadequate! Was I totally out of my mind? Worry, self-doubt, excitement, the thrill of being fully challenged, a tornado whirl of feelings about how to cope with the range of skills and experience to be demanded of me. This is a rough parallel to what I was going through several weeks ago.

Let's see if this goes thru. Dave
 

dadsnook2000

Part 3 of my step Nine reply

The last part went through the AT Server after I had removed a double space after the colons.

In step THREE, part One, I looked at the card and its scene from the viewpoint of the small green Fey hovering above the dragon. I noted, I'm just above this intruding dragon, all my nerves are tingling as I keep just out of range, plunging and testing its responses. I have a sense of coping and determination when I read this.
** MY QUESTION: How do I chop this beast down to size?
** MY ANSWER: The answer is in the question, I just break the whole big issue into small ones, line them up, and take care of them one by one.
** FEELING: Relief, anticipation of the future when this will be over with.
** I RELATE THIS TO: My life this week represents this Fey's view of the dragon problem. I've finished my three class schedules. We are selling some summer vacation property that requires maintenance time and which we didn't use last year. I've finished the book I've working on for several months now. Spring is coming. I've got a lesser number of projects ahead of me.
** MEMORY: The morning last December when I awoke after surgery. My first thought was, "Hey, this is the last step. It's over and in a short while I'll be able to get back to doing all the stuff I want to do." Self-satisfaction, relief, a sense of completion of a plan to deal with problems. I was under those heated blankets they use during and after an operation, still feeling a bit "rosey and blissful" from the after effects of sedation. I could see sunshine through windows across the hall doorway and that raised my spirits quite a bit.
 

dadsnook2000

The last piece of my reply to step Nine.

Well, posting to the AT Server does have a problem when you have two spaces after a colon. Now I know.

In Step Five we reduced our card's number to its final number and then related the number to the card's image. My number was three. I explained that this number related to coupleness, a child, what come from co-operating between two collaborators, a result or fruition, what comes from a relationship in time -- understanding.
** MY QUESTION: How does a "three" concept portray something important about this card for me?
** MY ANSWER: Inspite of the differences (size, color, perspective), both the Dragon and the Fey have to work things out. Either one will win and the other will lose, or both will win or fail, or one will elect to unilaterally change the situation and thereby affect the other.
** FEELING: Frustration on having to depend upon others. I'm moving towards a more comfortable schedule now, involving others will just complex the situation.
** RELATING TO THIS: Last December and January I had to enlist the help of my daughter, son-in-law and the children to move furniture around the house and do some of the heavy lifting for me until I fully recovered. I'm not used to not doing things for myself. I sort of fluttered around, made useless comments and suggestions, and had a hard time relaxing. Everything got done fast and easy. Then we all relaxed, had coffee, then dinner and had a snowball fight with the grandchildren in the back yard. A nice day.
** MEMORY: Many years ago I purchased a small British sports car, a 1965 Sunbeam with softtop. Within minutes of driving it out of the dealership I started having problems with the car. The tires delaminated, the top ripped when I folded it down, the tachometer broke, and the car completely went dead while my wife was driving it on the highway. And that was in the first two hours I owned the car. It continued like that. The dealer wouldn't take the car back and couldn't fix all the problems. I traded it in. I can remember how happy I was when I had another car while I drove away, leaving the old car for someone else to deal with. I was feeling like a little kid that just got away with a bag of candy from a birthday party.

WHAT DO I HAVE TO LOOK AT IN MY LIFE RIGHT NOW?
Several things come to mind. My statements above point to perceptions and mental reactions rather than deeply emotional feelings. That fits with this phase where I am finishing up a number of projects and shifting to other projects and a different seasonal life style. Where I had been feeling a bit pressured a month or two ago (all self imposed) due to delaying a lot of projects due to the fall period's several minor medical events, I was now entering an easier period. Relief.

I see all of this as the oversized dragon in the Fey WORLD card and I have adopted the small Fey's approach -- break the big problem up into small pieces and then deal with each piece one after the other. That has got me to this "relief" point. Over the next week or two I may consider choosing another card to see if that might represent this new period. Dave
 

coyoteblack

Star card in Tarot of Dreams

I was not " Getting " this step for the life of me so when all else fails I will just write stream of conscience

The star represents hope she is major arcana


Where has there been hope in your life?
When I was in a 28 day treatment program I was told alcoholism is a disease and i can live with out it my life has never been the same again

Where have I felt alone where you felt you had to “do it alone?"
When I as in boot camp in the Marines I seen many folk quit on them selves I knew I had to find my own inner power ( like the strength card) to get through

Where have I felt I had the world by my finger tips? This Friday when I received my 5 year coin for sobriety. I realized where I was and where I can go also when I went to "the secret" work shop based on the book I realized I can do many ,many things on my own I was not simply running around like a chicken with its head cut off.

The card is emotional and spiritual so i am not sure how to separate them for this question so I will ask it different.

What did I feel like after I realized i did in fact have hope when I thought I was in a hopeless situation



In my life now I just celebrated 5 years sober last week. Before this my life was a wreck and i thought i was going to die in a drug over dose or drink my self to death. after 5 years I am about to by a condo with my brother in the same place I was homeless ( new Brunswick NJ) I now have a car and driver's license and have been driving a year and tonight will be the first time i am going back to where i used at ( jersey city) to make a meeting.
 

dadsnook2000

Thank you

Thank you for sharing, coyoteblack. It seems that this quite a proof-point in your life. Being primarily astrology-focused, I see that you turned the corner just after your first Saturn-return. This is the 2+ year period when we have to re-define ourselves and make choices -- it seems you did this forcefully. Now, you have just had your 3rd Jupiter return which is a time of validation and of celebration for gains made. That is also so appropriate. But, the sky above is just a series of potential markers in ones life. All of the power is in those who live here below. I see that you have tapped into this strong self-resource. Good luck and thanks again for sharing this worthy self-achievement. It helps all of us in our journey. Dave
 

coyoteblack

wow thanks Dave really good informaton

I will be learning astrology next year.