Tarot Diva, page 10
is the regenerative quality of earth that is the building block of
your world. When a pentacle card appears in a reading, it suggests something about the material world.
CUPS
We walk toward a door with a cup etched upon it. I open it for
you and we walk into an ample, sun-sparkling room. Wispy
pockets of mist leave moisture, gathering in little droplets, on
your cheeks. We walk toward a circular in-ground pool. The
water ripples, incandescent in the shimmering light, a play of
movement as if something live swims under the blue abyss.
You bend down, caressing the water with your fingertips. Absently, you lick the water off your fingers, noticing it is salty.
“This pool contains all the tears you have ever shed," I say.
Together, and as graceful as dancers, we dive into the pool.
The moment your body is engulfed by rushing water, sadness
wells within you. Deeper and deeper, your body descends to the
depths. Each second your heart splinters and shatters into a
million fragmented pieces. Your emotions roller-coaster as you
move downward. Every second links a string of sensitivity. At
one moment you feel the boredom of an endless lecture; the
next, disgust at the behavior of a cruel person; confusion over
what you saw your parents doing, red flush of embarrassment
on your cheeks; seething anger in your trembling hands; jealous sting of envy, fear—tastes of copper on your tongue. You cannot bear to fall any deeper; you know what lies beneath. The
sullen emptiness of the darkest point of your life. The very darkness you rejected so you could go on living is expanding before you. You’ve beaten it; how could it have appeared again? How
can it lie right in front of you? To merge again means you will
not return. Blackness. Gravity pulls you toward the void.
Darkness. Despair.
You feel my hand jerk you upward. The darkness below you
dissipates, receding into watery shadow as you move away. Helium lightness enters your heart. Reversed motion produces the opposite process of sensitivity strings. Happiness spreading
with relief. Upward you move. You recall life is an adventure.
The very thought fills you with excitement. You feel a tickling of
laughter, the surprise of a birthday gift. Rolling affection and
the warm embrace of a hug. The compassion of giving, curiosity spreading like raindrops on a leaf, the invigorating ecstasy of first love. The expansive euphoria of dreams realized. The gratitude of spirit connection to an infinite divine orbit. Knowing empathy, bathrobe-soft. Understanding and satisfaction of expression, delight in the world around you. You realize you extend far beyond the limitations of the physical body, too small to hold your spirit.
You break the surface of the pool with a gasp, only to discover
a woman standing at the side of the pool—the woman whose
body was your doorway to the world. It is your mother. She
pulls you out of the water and dries you off with a soft white
towel, tousles your hair, and hugs you in a generous embrace of
tenderness. You look into her eyes and are met by a peaceful,
steady gaze. Together, the two of you wander to an adjoining library. The library contains a collection of your favorite books, music, paintings, photographs, and films. At each object, the
two of you stop to linger, sharing experiences and objects that
have meant something to you, amused and moved you,
throughout the years. Although you could stay in this library
forever, it is now time to leave. I take your hand and explain:
Cups and the element of water represent your feelings, emotions, art, laughter, tears, and all shades in between. It is the fluid quality of water that allows your emotions to flow from
one state to the next. When a cup card appears in a reading, it
suggests something about the quality of your emotion.
WANDS
I place your hand upon a new door rising to meet us. You
find it hot to the touch. It is a fire door, steel, thick, meant to
contain flames until they can be quenched. We enter, and you
discover yourself in the midst of a desert resort, dry sand beneath your feet. The air is hot yet devoid of humidify. Warmth fills your body, and the sun shines, illuminating brilliance as
far as the eye can see. You feel your blood pumping beneath
your skin, your heart pounding, processing, coursing your life
force through your body. It is exhilarating.
Catching your breath, you collapse on a plush recliner,
bruised, dappled with the shadows of a palm tree. A person appears and offers you a drink upon a tray. Looking up gratefully, you thank him. Startled, you realize with amazement who holds
this tray: your first love, the man with whom you had your first
romantic relationship, standing right in front of you. Passed
years, shared history, slip like sand as you gaze into each other’s
eyes. Your body is at once electric; only a few inches separates
the two of you. As awestruck as the moment before your first
kiss, your stomach dips, rolls, falls, as if fastened to a roller
coaster. Time melts away as you draw closer. You are at once
young, innocent, and wide eyed, scared and excited, but the stirrings within you link to the maturity of a woman. Electric jolts of shock and desire race though your body as you stare. Your
skin thrills as electricity surges back and forth between you. Soft
touch of skin, he’s reaching for your hand. His finger strokes
the nape of your neck, plays at your hair, traces your lips. Trembling, your bodies connect; you feel ever)7 inch of him pressing upon your body. Your spine, now a conduit of tension. Your
lips, now an open pathway. Your palms seek softness, hardness.
You embrace, deeper and deeper, melting together, forming an
entity of two souls reunited. You cease to exist in singular form.
Moments, perhaps hours or days later, it is hard to tell, you
open your eyes. Blinking into blindingly hot light, you find
yourself alone on the recliner. Collecting your clothes, a pyramid in the distance catches your eye. You walk toward the pyramid, receiving the coolness offered within its cavernous interior with a sigh of relief. Hearing the melodic strain o f a voice, you
follow a stone corridor. You discover a person singing to himself while drawing on the vastness of a slate wall. His humorous, sparkling eyes meet your gaze, pausing, charcoal in hand;
“Scribbling secrets and mysteries. Won’t you help me out?”
Nodding emphatically to this Yodalike creature, you pick up a
piece of charcoal and begin working. You listen as him detail a
philosophic, revealing nature of the universe. Drawing, you’re
enraptured in discussion, debating each point. The walls completely covered, he turns to you with a smile; “Now7,” he states,
“you understand!” Thrilled, you possess the secret to life, all
questions answered. You understand why we are here, where
we go when we die, where we were before this life. It makes
perfect sense. How did you not see it before? With a hug, you
bid a giddy thanks and farewell. Sated with understanding, you
exit the pyramid. Strangely, the moment you cross the threshold
into hot, sandy air, you are unable to recall exact details of your
discussion, the secrets and understanding falling away, slipping
through your fingers. Rather than disappointment, you feel excited, inspired. There is a reason, an underlying equation ...
now if you could just remember what it was ...
You move toward a striped cabana, peeking inside, only to
discover it has been set up precisely for you. In fact, it’s the
workspace you’ve always dreamed of. Snappy computers sit on
a desk and your business plan is laid next to a checkbook with a
plump business account. An assistant sits patiently awaiting
your instruction. Every imaginable object you could need for
your work is placed there. The strings of your favorite song play
in the background, and you immediately leap to work. It has
never been so easy, so exhilarating. Pictures of people who inspire you scatter the room. You are doing the work you have always been meant to do, quickly and easily. Your creative juices flow; knowledge and all of the amazing things you are capable
of are at your fingertips. Eventually, I poke my head through
the curtain. You follow me outside where dusk has fallen. You
and I, smudged silhouettes upon the desert horizon, stand before a bonfire. Flames leap and dance, and sparks fly into the air in a shower of flickering like fireflies dancing through the
night. I take your hand and say,
Wands and the element of fire represent all the things you are
passionate about, your sexual energy, your spiritual energy,
and your work wattage. It is the cornbustive quality of fire that
feeds your passions and fosters intensity. When a wand card
appears in a reading, it suggests something about passion and
work.
SW ORDS
We walk to a door with a silver sword emblazoned upon it.
Invigorated by your trip to hot desert sands, you are ready to
face anything that waits for you on the other side. You push on
the door but are met with resistance. A gust of cold air races
through the crevices and cracks. You forge your way through
and find yourself standing at the peak of a high mountain. Air
rushes past, and your hair whips into your eyes. Clouds race
overhead, but something else fills the air: grand statements,
words and letters fill the sky like fighter planes— “I’m not good
enough,” “I can do this,” “You are beautiful.” “I don’t deserve
it,” “I don’t know,” “I am nothing put potential”— all pass inches from your face.
Short, impactful words fly by: “No!” and “Yes!” and “Thank
you!” Judgments linger like wandering ghosts: “Freak,” “Lazy,”
“Goddess,” “Girl,” “Never happen for you,” “Can do." You turn
to me, yelling above the rushing air: “What is this place?” I respond above the wind: “This is the world of swords. Remove the S and you get words.”
The wind dies to a whisper and words dissipate, falling like
raindrops. A projected screen appears on the sky in front of us.
An image flickers upon it: you, captured within a moment of
childhood, a moment where you were harshly judged and criticized by a grownup you cared for. Accepting the words as gospel truth, you as a child believe them. Shocked from your
adult perspective on this mountaintop, you watch, filled with
sympathy for this child. You note the ridiculousness and carelessness of the adult whose thoughtless words and actions wounded you—words and actions you unintentionally
integrated into your personality and personal viewpoint. With
confusion, you look to me, and I explain: “You’ve been repeating this story, this moment, in your mind. This is how our internal monologue works, telling ourselves stories and weaving
tales over and over again. The hurtful words and judgments lie
there because you allow them to. To break through our mental
constraints— to release ourselves from old patterns and old beliefs about ourselves and others—is the path to true freedom."
Stunned with feeling, you look down the side of the mountain. Hundreds of swords stick up from the ground. Curious, you reach for one, easily releasing it from the dirt. Your hand
recoils in revulsion as blood drips from the end of its glimmering blade. The sword falls, sparkling with dark menace at your feet. “This is the sword that contains words you’ve used to
hurt others,” I say. “Pick up another.” Gingerly, you select another sword reverberating with unseen energy. Brilliant, diamond-like, it feels good in your hand. “This sword contains the
words you have used to empower others.” You continue examining sword upon sword. Some contain decisions, others offer clear expression, some pain, some pleasure, some of reasoning,
some of calculation. Here’s the sword you used to ace your
SATs.
Making your way to a large black sword, you find it sticky,
wet, and heavy in your grasp. You feel a piercing in your heart,
slitting into the shades of your soul. The world looms darker;
your vision closes in; you can barely see a thing in front of you
but for that damn black sword. “This is the sword you use to
hurt yourself Toss it away!” Using all your strength, you throw
it hurtling down into the valley below. At once you feel lighter,
freer. Clear vision returns. Endless mountains are spread before
you, filled with glittering swords. They stretch to eternity, to the
farthest horizons of vision where earth gives way to sky. “Those
swords are the possibilities you have not yet considered, words
you have not uttered, decisions you have yet to make.”
A slight breeze picks up. You take note of a wispy cloud heading in your direction. I take your hand, saying: Swords and the element of air represent the mind, decisions,
calculations, value judgments, and communication. It is the
rapid quality of air that represents the mind. When a sword
card appears in a reading, it suggests something about the way
you think, express, arid communicate.
Come back to my parlor. Leave the swords behind for now.
Together, we sit once again. You may return to any of these
worlds at will. You may explore them to your heart s content.
You need only flip a tarot card and give yourself over to its
essence to visit once again. Cany these images within you. Use
them to inform your readings. Use them to heal yourself.
[contents]
Divalicious Definitions
Here you will find a quick reference to the meanings of all
seventy-eight tarot cards. What to do with that pile of cards?
Let’s take a look ...
M AJOR ARCANA
The Fool is numbered zero because he precedes beginning.
The Fool represents pure and utter potential. The Fool travels through tarot learning a lesson at each card. Can you recall a moment you stepped out into the abyss, into a new situation, trusting that you’d discover the answers as you
plodded along? You are pure potential. Every moment of
every day, you have the potential to do something amazing.
The Magician ignites energy into the tarot deck. He is a conduit who directs electric power from the spiritual world above him into the material ground beneath his feet. He has
all four suits of tarot upon his table— a reminder that you always have everything you need before you. The Magician sparks things and is a master. You cany with you the same
showmanship and energetic ability7 as the Magician. You
are, in fact, full of magic!
The High Priestess is the guardian of your intuition. Behind
her veil reside all the secrets you will ever need to know. She
is silence and wisdom. The High Priestess represents the
deepest parts of yourself, your psyche, and y^our inner state.
She tells you your inner voice is never wrong and reminds
you that the truth of your life and all answers he inside
yourself.
The Empress represents sheer creativity and regeneration.
She is the eternal mother and represents the most creative
aspect of yourself. Let the magic of the Empress surround
your every7 gesture. You are full of unimaginable beauty7.
What would it mean to live out your creative potential?
The Emperor places order within the tarot deck and creates
rules and structure. He reins in the unabashed creativity7 of
the Empress who came before. Within you, he represents
unwavering stability7 and commitment.
The Hierophant is a spiritual authority and your greatest
teacher. Who was your most important teacher, your greatest mentor? How do you counsel others? Where do y7ou go
for special knowledge? What role has formal religion played
in your life? What role does spirituality play?
The Lovers card represents love, lust, and romance—the life
force. It also represents physicality, sensuality, and choice.
What unions have you created in your life? Who can you
bare your body and your soul to? Who and what have you
chosen as the great passion of your life?
The Chariot represents speed, knowing where you are going
and literally being in the driver s seat. You have the ability to
choose a destination and arrive at it quickly. Set yourself
goals and you will reach them. When you make up your
mind, you are unstoppable. Where do you want to go?
Strength represents your slow, steady, and unwavering
courage. There is no situation you cannot overcome. You are
stronger than you ever imagined. You have inner resources
you’ve yet to even tap. Dig deeper to discover how powerful
you really are. What would you do if you were able to face
your greatest fears?
The Hermit goes within to find inner wisdom and emerges to
shine his light for all who would see it. What wisdom do
you discover when you withdraw and spend time alone?
