April 16, 2010 - The Seven of Cups

Look at the Seven of Cups and you see the dream -- so many choices, what to choose?  It's a dream world, the fertile lands of imagination.  It's those two birds in the bush (or in this case seven) as opposed to the one in the hand that never looks as good.

Joan Bunning writes at her site, learntarot.com, this is the card of letting things go, the sloppy, impractical, and lax.  In a world of rigid rules, control, order, and 'just right,' the Seven of Cups tips the scale in the other direction.  The breaking up of rigid order can often produce bursts of creativity.  On the other hand, too much chaos can lead to dissipation.  As always, the Tarot encourages balance, walking the middle road.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Seven of Cups depicts Harriet Smith, the young woman of unknown parentage that Emma Woodhouse takes under her wing.  Harriet Smith is not particularly clever and she is easily swayed.  An amiable young woman, she can be encouraged in the best directions or the worst, depending.  Emma encourages Harriet to think more of herself than her circumstances suggest.  On the Seven of Cups, Harriet sits at tea and in her thoughts all the eligible bachelors of Highbury circle, as if any could be hers once she settled on one.

Harriet Smith illustrates an important aspect of the Seven of Cups, fantasy versus reality, castles in the air versus comfortable houses on the ground.  This is particularly relevant for me.  I'm a storyteller.  I live on and by 'what ifs'.  I spin scenarios to conclusions, probable and possible and it's hard to differentiate between fiction and reality.  I have lived relationships myriad times to various conclusions in the span of minutes or hours.  Instead to the here and now, it seems easiest for me to future.  And this kite may have a tail but it's still high in the sky, head in the clouds.

I am working hard not to let my thoughts run away with me, to keep my feet on the ground, my heart firmly in my chest.  It still takes quite a bit of effort to force my thoughts back to the here and now when they fast forward to some 'happily ever after' future I imagine (or worse case scenario ... I do both equally well).  I'm hoping it gets easier with practice.  I hope my inner Harriet Smith can come to trust her heart and choose the love of a good and true man as opposed to the dream of perfect and prince, the possible, however improbable.  I guess will see as the year unfolds if I am not just older, but wiser.  I'll keep you posted.

April 15, 2010 - Strength

Joan Bunning writes about the Strength card : "Usually we think of strength in physical terms - big arms, powerful legs - but there is also inner strength. Inner strength comes from an exercise of the heart muscle. It is perseverance, courage, resolve and composure - qualities that help us endure when times are tough. In the past, a person with inner strength was commonly said to have character; he or she could be counted on in the darkest moments. Card 8 represents this energy of quiet determination. Strength is not a flashy card, but one that is solid and reliable."


I love this card and understand the Grace that must be experienced and demonstrated for the maiden to walk in gentle partnership with the lion, even though I do not always achieve it. the Strength card is not just about showing strength, knowing you can endure.  It is about patience, maintaining composure, showing forbearance.  It is also a card of compassion, of giving others space, of accepting, and of kindness.  These are skills I'm still struggling with, not seeing space as abandonment, forgiving others for their imperfections and myself, most especially myself.  
Finally, the Strength card is about demonstrating the strength of love, being wholehearted in a world that does not value it.  


In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Strength card is depicted by Fanny Price and Henry Crawford of Mansfield Park.  Just as in the Rider Waite Tarot, the Jane Austen deck shows the union of two opposites, the animal pleasures of Henry Crawford and the more spiritual, heart-felt love of Fanny Price, the maiden and the roue.  When it shows up in a reading, you may find yourself caught between physical desires and spiritual ones.  It does not necessarily advocate one over the other but rather insists you have both at your command should you choose to take hold of them.  It is also a card of trusting your gut.  Fanny knows Henry is not the man for her but is pressured on all sides, including by Edmund Bertram, the man she loves, to marry him.  She holds to the strengths of her convictions even though its unpopular.  She is even sent from Mansfield Park as punishment for her disobedience.  And she does waver a moment, before finding herself and refusing Henry for good.  When this card shows up, call upon the courage of your convictions.  Know valor is your birthright.  Own it and persevere.  It will be made right.  It is this trust in the rightness of things, that life's endings are better crafted then my ego's that is my biggest struggle.  


How will Strength serve me today?  I do not know, but I will keep you posted.

April 12, 2010 - The Ten of Wands

Another card of hard work, this one a bit more daunting than the Eight of Pentacles.  The Eight of Pentacles is a card of craftsmanship, the hard work of mastering your craft, doing what you love, caught-up in what you love.  The Ten of Wands though is a card of responsibilities, of being burdened, overextended.  Yikes!

It is that time of year.  Anyone who works in the public schools knows that come April it's a rush to the finish line, a full-out sprint that doesn't end even on the last day of school but stretches beyond that in my case the week after.  Summer vacation becomes a welcome break, a time to take a deep breath, to replenish and refresh.

Still, I see this card and say "really?"  Again?  More?  Still?  Oh well ....

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Ten of Wands (Candlesticks) depicts Anne Elliot playing the piano as the younger women dance.  Anne, the heroine of the novel Persuasion, is past her "prime," an ancient spinster of 27, with little hope of marrying.  She had a proposal, fell deeply in love, but chose not to marry because of the young man's uncertain prospects.  She was counseled to this by a family friend.  She has never stopped loving Frederick Wentworth even when any hope of his return and their connection is gone, when he seems to be courting a younger woman and that he has completely forgotten her.  Anne is pounding away at the piano, focused, working hard while those around her play.

Here's what leaps out at me in Diane Wilkes' card interpretation: "This card urges you to perform a serious self-appraisal: Where, how, and why are your energies currently being spent?  If you feel overwhelmed or pressured, how much of that duress is self-imposed?  Which duties are necessary life burdens and which could you delegate?  Most importantly, what are your deepest desires?  Are the activities you currently perform in service to those desires, or are they misdirected?  You are the one who determines your actions -- or inactions.  If they are not in alignment with the life you want to live, you must make the changes you want your life to express."

Hmmmmm.  I need to ponder this for I do much in the name of responsibility, to serve others, but not always what serves and soothes my heart.  At some point I have to start.  The Ten of Wands maybe telling me, now is the time.

April 10, 2010 - The Hierophant

The Hierophant is a card I have trouble interpreting.  It represents culture, official learning.  The card depicts a religious leader, the Pope, but the Heirophant doesn't just represent religious education.  There are schools, clubs, teams, companies, and societies.  This card speaks of any environment which possesses a particular belief system - facts, rules, procedures, and rituals.  And when it comes up in a reading, it usually represents  learning with experts or knowledgeable teachers.

As near as I know, and admittedly the world is a surprising place and I don't know what the future holds, I'm not planning on enrolling in school any time soon.  I do work for a school district but I tend to work rather independently within that system.  I live within a family, several, but live far enough away that conversation via phone is usual.  All of us live within a culture/society which influences us in myriad ways, condoning the acceptable, punishing the unacceptable.  See, this card stumps me.  

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Hierophant card depicts Mr. Collins, the pompous cleric of Pride and Prejudice.  Anyone who has read the book knows Mr. Collins, and to know him is to loathe him and laugh at him.  Mr. Collins pays close attention to people's status, relishing who they are societally as opposed to who they are as people.  He has knowledge and is most willing to share his thoughts and opinions with others, without much thought to their feelings or how his words may hurt them.  Mr. Collins pays attention to manners and etiquette and values them above everything else, paying attention to the letter of the law as opposed to its spirit.

Am I Mr. Collins?  God, I hope not.  I do tend to bide by societal rules as opposed to doing what makes me happy.  Maybe the card is here to tell me that those rules don't have to be mine although there will be a price for breaking them.  Just not sure what the Hierophant means today, but if I figure it out, I'll keep you posted.

April 7. 2010 - The World

When the World comes up in a reading it says that you are poised to achieve your heart's desire.  Of course, that's heart's desire may not be what you think it is.  There is what you think you want and what you truly want, something you may not even consider until that moment when you find yourself open, full, content, with the edge of thrill.  It's past equanimity into the realm of true joy.

Like most of the Tarot, the World card doesn't give you permission to rest on your laurels.  Good tidings aren't just going to fall into your lap like manna from heaven.  No, you have to contribute, participate, serve.  We have to give ourselves to the World before she in turn gives herself to us.

When the World shows up it says that you are experiencing a time of wholeness.  You are dynamically balanced.  You are accomplishing things, realizing your goals, achieving your heart's desire, flourishing.  God that's a lovely word.  I don't just want to grow; I want to flourish.  The World's arrival signals a time of involvement, of contributing, healing, giving of yourself and feeling fulfilled.  You enjoy peace of mind.  You count your blessings and realize they are wondrous and plentiful.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the World card, the last of the Major Arcana, depicts Emma Woodhouse and George Knightley joined in marriage at last.  He has always loved Emma but thought she would not choose to be his.  Emma, clever girl that she is, pays more attention to the hearts of those around her than to her own and comes close to missing true love.  The card shows the happy couple who have come to this point, in flowering harmony not just with themselves but with each other.

The meaning of the card is similar to the traditional interpretations -- like success through hard work, great attainment, balance and harmony, and the assurance that you are progressing as an individual just as you should.  For someone who has so many questions about her place and path, am I moving in the right direction, is this where I need to be, this kind of assurance is priceless.

So, let's see what the World has in store for me.  I'll keep you posted.

January 27, 2010 - The Ace of Pentacles

The Aces in the tarot represent elemental energies. The Ace of Pentacles is a symbol of possibility in the area of prosperity, abundance, trust, security and groundedness. In readings, it shows that a seed of productivity has been planted in your life although you may not yet recognize it, nor may you know the form it will take. It is a gift we won't know until it arrives.

The first thing that strikes me reading Joan Bunning's site, learntarot.com, is "proceeding with trust," specifically "believing in the good faith others." I am learning these days, have been for some times actually, how to have faith in those I call friend, especially in our friendship. I have learned these past few years that what we feel for others may not be reciprocated. I know most people get that early on. I'm remedial when it comes to relationships. I keep looking for proof and faith means there won't be proof. That's why it's called faith.

In the Jane Austen Tarot, the Ace of Coins is represented by a coin atop the novel Sense and Sensibility. Jane's novels deal with balance or lack there of. Sense and Sensibility is no different. It pits pragmatism and good sense against sensibility and sensitivity, Elinor Dashwood versus Marinanne. Both are disappointed in love but one goes on, lives a good life, which the other, Marianne, sensibility, comes near death for love of an unworthy man. In the end Elinor gets the man she loves with her good sense and dignity intact. Marianne comes to love and marry a man she disdained at the beginning of the novel as being to old and to prosaic. Both find love but it seems Austen is recommending the more pragmatic approach as opposed to sensitivity.

What Would Jane Do?

"People's thoughts can change in the blink of an eye - or with an insinuating comment from a parsimonious wife. Wishing is not possessing, and verbal offers are not money in hand. If there's something you want, expectation alone will not provide it. Move steadily and surely - and even then, you may not reach your desired goal. But you will be at least one step closer to it." p. 125