The Ten of Wands

If you pick one card today and it's the Ten of Wands you may be fighting an uphill battle as this card symbolizes struggle, oppression, forces greater than yourself and burden. 

Here are some questions to ask yourself:

-Are you feeling maxed out?

-What's weighing on your mind?

-What task or job do you have that simply won't go away?

-Are you an over functioning or over-responsible person?

-Do you frequently accept doing the dirty work for others?

-If you let go, are you afraid others will stumble and fall?

-When did you assume so much responsibility?

-Is there some unfinished business which is preventing you from getting on with your life?

-Do you h ave a tendency to do things the hard way?

-Is it difficult to relinquish responsibility?

-Are you afraid if you don't do it it won't get done?

The impact of the Ten of Wands is mitigated by the carefree Fool and the Hanged Man who reminds us of the importance of spontaneity and living in the moment.

When You Wish Upon A Star

The seventeenth card of the Major Arcana in the tarot is "The Star" which symbolizes hope, dreams, aspirations and serenity without which our lives are meaningless.

In a reading with The Star you may want to consider the following questions:

-What hopes do you have for the future?

-Have you been without hope?

-Do you have a secret wish or dream you are not acting upon?

-If you're in a difficult situation right now, do you see the light at the end of the tunnel?

-Are you the best that you can be?

-Are you inspired?

-Are you seeking calm waters?

-Does your faith and hope carry through difficult times?

- Has you hope or faith failed you?

-What is preventing you from attaining the tranquillity you seek?

-Is there someone in your life whom you look towards for inspiration?

-Are you able to tap into the well-spring of your creativity?

-Do you have intent and purpose in your life?

-If not, why?

The Moon, The Tower and The Devil all stand in opposition to The Star's optimism and energy. In a reading in which The Star's luster is diminished it's important to explore with the querist the circumstances under which this has happened and what hope they have that the situation will be remedied.

The Hierophant

The Hierophant is the fifth card of the Major Arcana in the tarot. The figure in the picture depicts a figure dressed in formal religious garb anointing two initiates into the church. Because of the card's depiction of a ceremony celebrating the perpetuation of the "social order", so to speak, the Hierophant has come to symbolize convention and conformity to tradition and main stream culture.  The Hierophant emphasizes assigned social roles, rules and proper procedures. It accentuates the maintenance of the group over individual expression.  It represents orthodoxy and institutionalized structure.

In a reading with the Hiorophant I would ask the following:

-Are you sacrificing your individuality?

-What is your relationship like with authority?

-Are you thinking about "breaking away" from a group and striking out on your own?

-Do you find conventional religion oppressive?

-Are you searching for another means of spiritual expression?

-Are you becoming authoritarian against your better judgement?

-Do you find yourself straining against conventional social codes?

-Are you trying to find a balance between pleasing a particular group  and your own needs?

-Was school difficult for you?

-Do you have a hard time following the "rules"?

-Do you have  unconventional ideas about marriage?  If so, what are they?

-Is a 9 to 5 job not for you?

-If you have rejected the mainstream what kind of life do you envision for yourself?

Judgement

Judgement is the 20th card of the Major Arcana and in numerology appropriately corresponds to the number 2. 2, after all, symbolizes balance and harmony which is what "justice" is supposed to be all about but all too often fails to live up to its promise.

In a reading Judgement can be interpreted in the following ways. Your interpretation will be based on what "comes through" from your spirit guides and from the context in which the reading is being done.

In addition to symbolizing "choice" or "decision" or "assessment" this card can also represent "rebirth" and "renewal".

- Are you open to new possibilities? Have you been experiencing a personal call to your true vocation which you have had on the "back burner" because of other obligations or commitments? 

-Are you willing to take inventory of your life and make a rigorous assessment of it?

-Are you ready to "get off the fence" and take a stand about an issue or relationship that has caused you turmoil and pain?

-Do you engage in self-judgement? Is it harsh?

-How might you benefit from withholding judgement of others?

-Are you afraid you will be judged because of some past behavior that you feel guilty about?

-Who has been your toughest judge?

- Have you been intolerant when you should have been tolerant?

-How do you reconcile "judgement" and "forgiveness"?

-Are you able to get past passing judgement and embrace difference?

I think this last question is particularly relevant as tomorrow is Thanksgiving, a day which reminds us of the importance of inclusion and generosity of spirit. Remember, tomorrow is a day that we should bow down  low to the teacher within ourselves and to all the holy teachers in our lives.

This last thought  about teachers is borrowed and adapted from my gifted yoga teacher Jessica Bellofatto

The Hermit

The Hermit is the ninth card in the Major Arcana of the tarot and symbolizes introspection, solitude and the search for enlightenment and truth.  He represents the Universal archetype of the teacher, the mentor and guide we may meet along the way in our lives.

In a reading with the Hermit I would ask these questions:

-Is solitude missing from your life?

-Are experiencing too much solitude?  How would you know? What would it look like?

-Is the solitude self-imposed?

-What do you hope to gain by a period of contraction?

-Have you been ignoring your need for solitude?

-Are you searching for guidance or an answer from outside yourself?

-Is there a Life lesson that is eluding you?

-Is there a person from whom you can seek direction?

-Is it time to minimize your life and do away with diversion and distraction which may be deflecting you from you goal?

-Do you find yourself with more and more "things" and possessions but remaining empty inside and dissatisfied with your life?

-Do you have a busy social life but still feel lonely?

The Hermit reminds us that in order to get beyond the obvious e.g., the material world, we need to retreat and reflect and divest ourselves from the day to day trappings we surround and immerse ourselves with. Again, it's a paradox. In order to "see" beyond our physical world we need to renounce it. Strip it away in order to make space for our "inner" world to emerge and ultimately reveal the "truth".

The High Priestess and the Four of Swords would be complimentary cards to The Hermit as they both symbolize the need to look inward and withdraw from the temporal world.

The Nine Of Swords: Looking For Peace Of Mind

The Nine of Swords depicts a disturbing and troubling image. An individual sitting upright in their bed with their head in their hands obviously distressed. The proverbial "sleepless night".  During a reading with this card in the draw I would ask these questions and emphasize these themes.

-What or who is keeping you awake at night?

-Can you explain the source of your anxiety?

-Are you feeling guilty about something you may have done?

-What is it that you're regretting?

-What would you need to do to salvage any mistake you may have made?

-Do you tend to be a "worrier"?

-Do you tend to be especially critical and hard on yourself?

-Do you have an opposite voice that would be less harsh to the self-critical one?

-If so, what would it sound like?

-Do you suffer from depression?

-Have you ever been diagnosed with depression?

-If so, what remedies have you sought?

-What worked and what didn't?

-Are you feeling alone in your anguish?

-Whom might you reach out to?

I would also look into the significance of the number "9" in the querist's life.  The number "9" in numerology often symbolizes "endings". Have something "ended" making you so sad?

Has someone died and you are grieving their loss?

As with the case of the Ten of Swords, the Nine of Swords message is a paradox as with any ending there is always a beginning.Therefore, whomever draws this card needs to be reminded that their troubles are temporary. They will end and be over.

However, the Nine of Swords influence will be tempered, for example, if the Star (serenity, hope, fulfillment) or the Ten of Cups (contentment, self-satisfaction) appears in the same reading with it.  In other words, one always looks for the counterbalance as one needs to do in life.

The Tarot's Ten of Swords: It's Always Darkest Before The Dawn

It doesn't get much grimmer than this, does it?  You can just hear the gasp a person might take if they were to draw this card in a reading.  What's it mean anyway? Doom, gloom and futility?

The Swords symbolize one of two things. They either represent mental alacrity and acuteness or strife and turmoil and in rare instances both. Obviously, with the Ten of Swords we are talking strife and misfortune. 

However, it's critical to keep in mind that pain is not a punishment but, as the psychologist Harriest Goldhor-Lerner suggests, "a reminder from the Universe saying now is the time to make another choice" for yourself.You can either stay "flat on your back" or begin searching for possibility. As my dear friend Teresa so wisely explained, "Consider that pain is not meant to hurt you, but to show you where the healing can start."

Here are some questions I might ask a client in response to this card:

-How is that that you find yourself feeling hopeless and despairing?

-Do you feel betrayed? Literally, "stabbed in the back"?

-What forces or people are holding you down?

-Have you been "sleeping" while others take advantage of you?

- Is something contributing to you just wanting to "lie down and die"?

-What would it take to rally yourself?

-Does anyone benefit from your being in a one-down position?

-What's the "up" side to being dysfunctional? Do you get others to take care of you?

-Do you have an "opposite" voice to this voice of hopelessness? If so, what would it be?

-If you've been playing the "martyr", when will you stop?

-Are others "bleeding you dry"?

-How long have you engaged in self-sacrifice?  What are the consequences if you were to stop?

Remember that the number "10" corresponds to the number "1" in numerology and "1" symbolizes beginnings, fresh starts, and initiative. So the The of Swords message is a paradox, really, because although on the surface it looks like the "end" it is, in fact, heralding a "beginning". The only way the phoenix arises is from the ashes.