Tarot Thrones | The Court Card Blog

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  • The Grand Vision | The King of Wands

    The King of Wands is a very special card, forming the bridge between the Majors and the Minors.  People with a lot of this energy burn very brightly and are very much ‘The Big Picture’ kind of people: A Master of the Grand Vision.  She can see clearly how it will all look, but maybe be a little fuzzy on the details of how to get there.

    What’s your Grand Vision? Do you know how to get there?

    What do you want for yourself in life?  
    To raise happy children into confident adults?
    To have your novel published? 
    To sell your paintings? 
    To pass on your knowledge to others?
    Animal rescue?
    To learn how to tango? No? Just me with that one?! 
    I dare you to tell me.  Go on, write it in the comments.  Even if it’s the maddest idea you’ve ever committed to key strokes – just hit the keys and press ‘send’. 
    Exercise: Move towards your Grand Vision!
    Write down your Grand Vision in all its glory!
    Pick a card deliberately, based on how you want to feel when you are aligned with your Grand Vision.
    Draw 3 cards that will represent 3 steps that you can take to get there.
    Now, start doing them 😀  Simples!
    -o0o-
    Me? I’m a hugely frustrated person.  I don’t have a Grand Vision as such, but there is an overwhelming feeling that there really is SOMETHING that I should be doing.  
    The number of times I’ve prayed and sought enlightenment about The Thing that I should be doing! I’ve beseeched for divine intervention or a bolt of understanding to come from the blue….and the number of times I’ve been terrified that the answer might come back: ‘Clean toilets for a living’. ….
    Because you don’t just want to find a way to pay the bills do you, you want it to be personally fulfilling, right? 
    You might have elebenty billion skills – writer, photographer, singer, artist and, yes, toilet cleaner nonpareil – and still have no idea what your Grand Vision might be.

    Exercise:  How to Find The Grand Vision!
    What do you do that makes you happy?  List every blessed thing, no matter how paltry.  Remember, someone made a fortune from the idea of a pool noodle.
    Here are some of mine: 
    I like helping other people shine.
    I love walking my dog.
    I love writing.
    I love making pottery stuff.
    I love food.
    I love drawing.
    Now take your deck and shuffle it well.  For every item in your list, you are going to draw a card asking the question ‘how can this be of service to others?’. 
    I like helping other people shine – 10 Wands – How can this be of service to others? I can use my skills to help remove some of the burdens that people might have in that department.
    I love walking my dog – 10 Pentacles – How can this be of service? I can help busy families or maybe elderly people, with their dogs.  
    I love writing – 8 Swords – How can this be of service? I can use my writing skills to help people overcome their self-imposed limitations.
    I love making pottery stuff – 7 How can this be of service? VII The Chariot – To drive this forward, there are a couple of things that I will need to harness – skill and resources, I think.

    The more things that you have on your list the more combinations you can make.  Some will be incredibly mad, but you know what? Some composite idea may just pop up and smack you in the kisser as something marvellous to aim for and become your Grand Vision.
    Now look at the things on your list and try some mad combinations – I love writing and I love food – could I write about food?

    I love walking my dog and making pottery stuff – could I make pottery dogs? Could I draw dogs? Heck – could I draw food? Photograph food? hmmm – stock photos? Why not look into it?!

    I love helping other people shine and I love writing – could I combine them? Well, I guess I’m testing that today with this blog post!

    If it seems like a super-mad combination that you have no idea how they could work together, try pulling another card from your deck ‘how could these ideas combine to be of service?’ and see what happens?
    Which suggestion can I start with today? Which suggestions leave me cold? Which suggestions need more work before they can progress? 
    Now, as Twyla Tharp said: Stamp your foot and shout ‘Begin!’

  • Top Tarot Books | As selected by YOU

    So, it was World Book Day last week and I floated the question: What’s your Top Tarot book?’ on Facebook.  And lots of lovely people chipped in with their thoughts.

    The top book is 78 Degrees of Wisdom, by Rachel Pollack.  So, if you haven’t read it yet – it is worth getting your hands on a copy.  The book was selected for its content and the ability to connect with beginner and experienced reader alike.

    The second book in the poll is Choice Centred Tarot by Gail Fairfield. This book has been reprinted as Every Day Tarot, I believe.  So, again, if you’ve not got it and are looking for a great methodology with which to support your Tarot practice, it’s a good un.

    Third, and the second mention for Rachel Pollack, is The Big Little Book of Tarot.  Again, great content and handy for carrying around in a little bag!

    Honourable mentions:

    Tarot For Yourself
    Tarot Wisdom
    The Complete Book of Tarot
    Tarot Tips
    Holistic Tarot
    Tarot Tells The Tale
    Tarot of The Bohemians
    Book of Thoth
    Tarot 101
    Tarot at the Crossroads (I’m reading this one myself and will review later!)
    The Open Reading
    Tarot, History, Mystery and Lore
    Tarot, Jeu & Magie

    Also offered, but not strictly Tarot, Invisible Cities, Homo Ludens, The Grasshopper and Castle of Crossed Destinies 🙂

    So, all those links above? Since we are Tarot besties, I have checked the prices on Amazon, Wordery and The Book Depository and put in the link to the least expensive copy available from those three sources.

    Happy reading!

  • One Singer One Song | Which Court | Camouflage

    When Sonshine was small, this tale of soldierly woe used to reduce him to a quivering pile of snot and tears whenever it came on the radio.

    If you can drag yourself through the tale of Camouflage which court card do you think might represent the Big Marine?

    Wasn’t music in the 70s …. odd?!

  • Tarot Court Card Necklaces | Prudence J.M. Theriault

    For all your Wandsy moods!

    At the beginning of January, I posted on how to find your Tarot court card companion for 2017.

    Prudence got in touch to say that she was the Queen of Wands and she was so inspired, that she created a necklace … and here it is!

    I am very lucky to be the first person to see her new necklace *whispers* so I’m sharing it with you because, well, it’s nice to share the Tarot love, my friends!

    Prudence says: “For this necklace I used white pearls. To symbolise the element of fire I used a touch of red pearls.  For the Court of Cups I would use blue, Court of Pentacles I would use green and for the Court of Swords I’d use silver.

    “If you fancy The Court Card necklace in the suit of your choice, it will be $50.00 (US dollars) plus shipping. Payment can be made via PayPal.”

    You can e-mail Prudence directly at  tarotbyprudence(@)aol.com

    Remove the brackets, of course!

    -o0o-

    Do you have any court card-inspired jewellery that you want to share?

    Drop me a line here or find me on the book of the face!

  • 3-card Reading | Inspired by the Tarot’s 10s

    10 Swords
    Sola Busca Tarot

    Here’s another spread for you, taken from my e-book ‘Tarot Kaizen‘ that you can use for the coming week.

    Prior to this spread exercise, there are four exercises that consider the broad function and energy of the Tarot’s 10s.

    Take your entire deck (ie not just the 10s) and give it a thorough shuffle to break up any ordering that may be in your deck from previous exercises:

    Card 1 (draw the card from the bottom of your deck):
    This comes to an end.

    Card 2: (draw the card from the top of your deck)
    This comes to fruition.

    Card 3: (draw from the interior of your deck)
    Plant THIS to harvest later.

    Record your reading in your journal.

    If any of those three randomly drawn cards are 10s, what can you say about the incoming energy of the suit which follows the outgoing suit?

  • Tarot Trump

    Donald Trump
    The President
    The United States of America
    God help us all.

    So, inauguration day looms for my cousins over the water in the US of A and what an unsettling day it will be for my friends there.

    I say MY friends because the majority of my facebook pals across the pond are liberal in outlook, interested in the arts, passionate about equality and generally all-round good eggs.

    There will be Tarot readings a-plenty on The Donald’s future presidency, but I wanted to take a look at him in the arena of the Tarot’s court cards.

    What you want from your president is someone that knows how the game works and is a proficient player on the world’s stage.  We are looking for Kingly action, married to the nurturing strength of a Queen.

    The Presidency is no place for beginner Pages and unpredictable Knights.

    Yet that’s exactly what we’ve got.  As a President, I have to select the Page of Pentcles for Trump.  He has no training for this role at all.  No military background.  No history of service to anything other than the mighty dollar.

    He is going to be a hands-on beginner because running the world’s biggest super power is not like running a golf club.  And I’m sure that there are many staffers and civil servants who will be reaching for the headache tablets before this time next week when the man-baby realises that he cannot get things all his own way.

    And by the way – take a look at how he runs a golf club.  When he didn’t get his own way up here in Scotland, he cut off an elderly woman’s water supply.  In 2012.  It’s 2017 and she still hasn’t been reconnected.

    This bullying tactic must be a foible of one of the courts, but which one is most likely to strike out like this and use intimidation to get his own way? I feel that it might an unhealthy version of the Knight of Pentacles – to physically incapacitate someone’s comfort and home.

    All the nonsense about building a wall.  The best that I can say about that is that ok, he wants to strengthen America’s borders.  Having a safe and secure home is a Pentacle trait and if anyone is going to physically roll their sleeves up and build a wall, it would be a Pentacle.

    To build a metaphorical wall and emphasise the divide between Us and The Other, that’s truly a mind game and the Swords are the family for that.  I’m going to pick the Page of Swords, again in an unhealthy way. This Page is prone to tittle tattle and if anyone is going to sit at 3am and pout his way through twitter, it’s the Page of Swords, I think.

    There are so many areas of The Donald’s life that we could peer into and decide which court card best represents him in that particular field.  His attitude towards women… relationships ….. his capacity as a businessman … his showmanship.  Anyone want to take a punt and pick a court card to relate to his proclivities?

    And as an aside, dear American cousins, I drew the 7 of Wands from the Druidcraft Tarot for the outlook for his presidency.

    He will be defensive and imagine attacks where there are none.

    Perhaps that’s too negative a portrayal because I’m truly a bit Pollyanna and believe that people want to rise to become their best.  Even The Donald. Perhaps his presidency WILL protect you against future attacks …. but here’s hoping that he doesn’t cause any unwarranted trouble by leaping from the battlements first before he’s done his due diligence.

    I have a spare bedroom if anyone wants to relocate to the Scottish West Coast 🙂

  • Deviant Moon Tarot Book | Wordery | BARGAIN!

    I know – advertising – it’s the bane of the modern world, but I would be failing in my duties as a Tarot bestie if I neglected to tell you about the BARGAIN Deviant Moon Tarot book over on Wordery.

    There are also three versions of the deck over there too – so make sure that you get the one that you are after!

    One is BORDERLESS – £16.31
    One (by US Games) is the PREMIER EDITION – £19.51
    One (by Austin and Winfield) is the STANDARD EDITION – £16.73

    ‘Borderless’ is self-explanatory, but what is the difference between the Premier and Standard editions?  I’m not sure, but have asked Patrick for some info and will let you know asap.  If you know the difference, please chip in in the comments section and I’ll add to this post, 💗 Ermagard, blogger has got emojis!!! 😍

    The best thing of all is that Patrick’s ‘NORMOUS book for the Deviant Moon is available on Wordery too for £11 cheaper than the RRP at only £23.00!

    AND everything has free P&P  WORLDWIDE!!!!!

    Fablas, right?! Even better …..  any second item that you buy has 10% off if you use the code HAPPYREADING.

    You are WELCOME!

  • Spread| Next 7 Days

    I’m publishing this on a Sunday, the one day of the week where I do my very best to avoid being online.  Call it Digital Detox and a passing fad if you must, but for me it’s an integral part of getting organised for the coming week.

    Part of that organising is taking a look at what the next 7 days may be throwing my way:
    This spread requires you to separate your Majors, your Minors and your Courts into three bundles.

    Card 1 – to be drawn from the Court Arcana. Shuffle all the Courts. You are looking for the Court card whose energies will assist you in your everyday life for the next 7 days.  


    Card 2: – to be drawn from the Major Arcana. Shuffle the Majors. You are looking for the Major Arcana that gives the overall theme for your life for the next 7 days.

    Card 3: – to be drawn from the Minor Arcana. Shuffle your Minor Arcana. You are looking for the Minor Arcana that will show best how your Court Card energies will assist with the energies from the Major drawn for Card 2.

    (Spread from Tarot Kaizen book) 
    You might want to either place the court card somewhere where you will often see it or, if that’s not convenient, wear an item of jewellery or clothing that you have charged with the card’s influence.  That can be as complicated a ritual as you like, or as simple as saying – ‘every time I look at my wedding ring I will be reminded of the relationship focus of The Queen of Cups and act accordingly’.  
    Assuming that it was the Queen of Cups that you drew. 
    You get the idea 😀

    When you get to Card 3, try to figure out how your court card person might implement the Minor card’s energies.  Taking our example – How would the Queen of Cups work with, say,  Five Swords?  It might suggest,  for example, that in a situation where there are winners and losers, being mindful of the losers’ feelings might be helpful?  

  • Book Review | Notes From The Pagan Otherworld Tarot | Uusi Studios

    photo © uusi studio
     

    Towards the end of 2016, I backed the Kickstarter campaign by Uusi Studios to create the Pagan Otherworld Tarot.  The resulting deck is a delight to use – both in its imagery and card stock quality – and I reviewed it here.

    After the deck was created, Uusi announced that there would be an accompanying book* to buy from the Uusi store.


    Did I buy it?

    *waggles book at the reader*  Of course I did!

    So, what can I tell you about it….

    The book, written by the deck’s creators – Linnea Gits and Peter Dunham of Uusi Studios – is square, which is a cute detail, and measures 6″ x 6″. The pages are not numbered.  Now, much as I love you, I am not sitting counting the pages of a book.  *pauses to think* Or I could just be a smarty-pants and head on over to their website to see how many pages it has … and there you go, 210 pages.

    Inside, there is an introduction by Linnea and Peter and the remaining body of the book is divided into sections – The Seeker, The Majors, each of the suits, and finally the Luna cards.

    Each card image is presented in black and white on the left-hand page, with its explanation on the opposite page.  This arrangement makes referring to the book very convenient. The card explanations reveal the deck’s creators’ insights about the cards – often shining a light on the symbolism within the image.  The occasional card takes more than one page to outline and when you flip over to read the rest, you get an additional image – detail from the card.

    For 83 of the 84 cards (not The Seeker) there are also 3 key words provided. They are good representations of what the cards are about and won’t cause any fainting fits.  For example: The Sun – success, recommendation, manifestation.  However, not everything is entirely as expected, The Hanged Man, for example, whom I mostly associate with surrender and sacrifice is keyworded with: ‘outsider’, ‘misunderstandings’ and ‘enlightenment’.   Likewise, The Star has ‘prophecy’, ‘realisation’ and ‘harmony’.  Different, but not baffling! So another up-tick from me.

    Since we are all about the Courts here at Tarot Thrones, I have to say that I am pleased with the royal family entries.  Their strangely pagan, otherworldly garb is explained and their characters fleshed out.

    Here’s a snippet from the entry of the King of Wands: “His entire person is a compass point from which others may obtain their bearing – and like the lion at his feet, feel safe and allowed to be who they are.”

    This fits very much with my notion of the King of Wands – someone charismatic and attractive, around whom the world makes sense of itself 🙂

    The cards that I was most interested in reading about were the entries for the cards that are not found with any other decks – the Seeker and Luna cards.

    The Seeker’s entry is presented at the beginning of the book and I’m happy to see that he does indeed represent the querant.  Good guess on my part! I love decks that have got unique Significator cards – saves all the hassle of taking a precious card out of your deck (and thus negating its chances of coming up within the reading).  If you do too, take a look at Dame Fortune’s Tarot Wheel.

    The Luna cards are added towards the end of the book and explains how to interpret them.  For example:  The Waxing Crescent Moon’s keywords are:  ‘attraction’, ‘gathering’ and intentions.  Very nice!

    Here’s the $64million question: Do you NEED the book in order to read with the deck?

    No, you don’t.  BUT, if you want to get the very best out of a deck, I believe that it’s important to know what the deck’s creators envisaged when they designed the deck in the way that they have.   And this book does give you that insight.

    * Now in its second edition.

  • Your Tarot Court Card for 2017

    Tarot Thrones | King of Pentacles | Druidcraft Tarot
    Happy 2017!

    Your Tarot Court Card Theme for 2017

    Just a bit of Tarot Court Card fun to kick us off into the New Year!
    Lots of tarot buzz on Social Media about THEMES for the year, as inspired by the Major Arcana card that your personal year correlates to.
    To find our what your personal year card is, take your day and month of birth and and add to 37 (ie 20+17, the incoming year).

    Here’s an example: mine!
       13
    +  8
      37
      58

    Since there is no Major Arcana card numbered 58 (hey, we’re not using Minchiates here, people!), these digits need to be further reduced by adding them together, giving us a total of 13.
    My theme for the year will be inspired by Death *pauses dramatically and sweeps cloak over shoulder*
    But since my blog focuses on the Court Cards, I thought we’d have a little fun and extend the exercise further:
    Instead of adding up your digits, above, until they total 22 or under (ie the number of Major Arcana cards we have), total them up until they are 17 or less.
    I numbered the Page of Pentacles, the lowliest of the lowly, as 1.  But your numbers will not reduce to one, so I’ve also accorded him 17 (because he’s also VERY special, as well as being the lowliest of the lowly).
    So, if you add up to 17, then you are having a Page of Pents year 🙂
    Taking my example again, this means that my 13 – Death year – becomes further compounded by Court Card 13…. which is The King of Pentacles.  Hopefully, but doing a lot of judicious pruning and scything down of things that are no longer good for me, I will maybe start to become more productive and earn a bit more in the way of shekels.
    Have a try yourself and tell me who you end up with as your Court Card theme for the year!
    Page of Pents (1) or 17
    Page of Cups 2
    Page of Swords 3
    Page of Wands 4
    Knight of Pents 5
    Knight of Cups 6
    Knight of Swords 7
    Knight of Wands 8
    Queen of Pents 9
    Queen of Cups 10
    Queen of Swords 11
    Queen of Wands 12
    King of Pentacles 13
    King of Cups 14
    King of Swords 15

    King of Wands 16                                               ←400 words