Learn Tarot: Court cards

This is all about court cards as I know them.  

The “people cards” show a few things:

• gender
• place or hierarchy in a situation
• their reaction to a situation
• experience in life or general age

The few times a card’s gender hasn’t matched the querent is when I knew their gender already.  All these had the added benefit of showing us more about the person.







In one case, the man I read for came up as the Queen of Wands- very capable at his engineering design work but in talks with others about new employment.

So as the Queen, he had lots of great experience and success in his field.  But he appealed to his social skills doing interviews.  He wasn’t the novice page, the moving around Knight or the business owner King.
The Queen of Wands in my Russian deck actually showed his design field- the Queen has a needlework picture in front of her.

A persons’s hierarchy is their status, leverage or point of view.  A part time employee in high school could be the Page of Coins.  A self-employed entrepreneur is the Queen of Cups.  A truck driver, the Knight of Wands.

Does the card feel like it talks about what the person is doing rather than who they are?
Court cards can tell you about character or further, their reaction to a situation.

A young man came up in a woman’s reading as the Knight of Swords.  She asked about travel.  I took this as her travel companion.  Turned out, yes, he was a young man with a “Go, go, go” attitude.  His urging was a good thing but a reminder to the woman to relax.  And take time to go over belongings and not ignore her own needs for the trip.

Swords

can be logical, swift to decisions and unswayed by others, relies on facts and experience

Wands

good at starting things or getting momentum going, all about excitement, may have trouble completing plans

Cups

can put others’ needs first, kind hearted, share kind words

Coins

practical minded, may be a business owner or involved in financial pursuits


So- gender, character and point of view.  These are the main pieces of information you can find out.  You can feel when you’re looking at your querent or someone else involved.

 

Matching Court Cards

When I see matching courts (Queen and King of Wands), I take them as being related in real life.  Especially as husband/wife, parent/child or siblings.  Gender almost always matches as well.

Tarot: Death

Don't let the DEATH CARD!! scare you.
This can herald a very welcome change of events.
I pulled this card along with the 8 of Pentacles.  Within a day or two, I lost my job.  The place sucked balls so I was pretty happy to see the cards *and* leaving that job for the last time!

Yes, it can also mean a person dying.  I've never had this come up as such but know people who have.









 

• complete, sometimes sudden endings
• dying or actual death
• plans falling through, having to make changes yourself

Look at the cards next to it.  Do they talk about relationships, jobs, living situation, agreements?

Lenormand Draw 1/13/13

Ship + Lily + Horseman
2 cards about moving and new arrivals, linked with transition and peace.

Ship: vehicles, physical moves, new sights
Lily: peace, cycles, the old
Horseman: quick, fast changes, news arriving

About completing practice hours:
Tree + Snake

The Snake I see as my significator- talking about me directly or coming up about
personal concerns and skills.  Especially "gigs" and things I do outside of day jobs.
Whenever the Queen of Wands shows up in a tarot deck, I'm on the right track or things
will be resolved in my favor.

Lenormand Draw: Cross, Man, Moon

Thanks to constant Lenormand posts on FB and this guy, I pulled out my own deck again.

This little spread came up on Monday, which looked interesting at first but woefully turned out not as much.



We have the Cross, the Man and the Moon.
Together, I got the idea of a very important connection being made with an artistic man.  One involved in something creative, perhaps having some recognition.  He may, instead, have heard of me through my own work.

Monday turned up 2 possibilities:  a hottie in a magazine and a client cancellation.

A magazine made its way to my workplace and the man (with his wife) on the cover caught my eye.  The editors seemed to like showing off the couples' wedding rings like a big stop sign.

Cross: married
This card can seem like things are out of your control, and he is indeed out of my sphere of reality.
Way out.

Man:  obvious.
We see him as married already.

Moon:  fame, the arts, romantic
Lots of cuddly pics of the couple, both actors or making a living being in front of cameras.
The man does have blue eyes, and the Moon I would take to show colors of blue or silver.


That same evening, a male client cancelled an appointment due to an emergency.
Cross: burdens
In this case it was sudden for him and out of his control.  The Moon sets this at night, when I received the message.

There you go.
These cards do have a reputation for showing tangible, specific events and people around you.

Simple Daily Tarot Spread by Lark

This is a simple layout I found years ago.  My early journal is filled with these- but didn't always go back to write about events of the day.  You might want to devote some time at the end of the day to do so.
Credit goes to Lark for creating this!

Great for

*starting your day

*journaling

*expanding card knowledge through daily observation

The Reading

Work can be your actual job, errands, hobbies, side jobs.  All the "stuff" you need to work on.  Mental and emotional, too.

Home is where you centered; your living space, people around you.

Unexpected can be a random occurrence or something coming to light you haven't noticed before.  Think of the 4 of Cups or Tower.

Your role can be how all these effect you or how you can best react to them.

Overview is how everything will tie up together or be resolved.

You can see it looks like part of the Celtic Cross.  

So another way to read this would be two lines: horizontal and vertical.

The vertical line (cards 1, 5, and 2) can be a little timeline.  Recent past or what is receding, the present, near future.

The horizontal line (cards 3, 5 and 4) can be read as something appearing you are unconscious of, the present at is exists, and the foundation or something you are conscious of.  A bit more metaphysical.

Week End Mini Newsletter

Hey- just a quick note on what's new and cool stuff I've gathered over the week.




First and probably foremost, had a great time last night seeing these guys:



Couldn't stay up after midnight to represent, but I enjoyed my first tophatter auction.  Did a tarot reading, client was happy.  Awesome.

I do have a pretty pretty rune bag in the Enchanted Arts pagan auction.

From the people who brought you The Housewives Tarot

comes...

The Zombie Tarot: An Oracle of the Undead with Deck and Instructions

Pretty relevant huh.

Links and Articles

20 Things I ( fn heard all the time but never took seriously/didn't do for whatever stupid reason) Should Have Known at 20 

Artisan Work

This'll give you an idea of the treasuries I'm putting together-
Unicorn Poop Cookies by BakeAlltheThings

Cute Cedar and Mint Sugar Scrub cubes!  Refreshing sugar scrub in
the perfect portions.

Oatmeal Milk and Honey black soap- can't think of a better combination
for smooth skin!

Gifts for Diviners

This treasury has gifts for your tarot/rune/bone/tea leaf/whatever reading friends!

The Spheres Tarot Spread

A concise spread packed with information you can use now!
I was inspired by math/powers and "spheres of influence": the main card, representing you, changes with the accompanying card.



Give the spread a try and post your readings here!

Inner Sphere

*what you feel, your intention, what you're putting forth

*how circumstances are effecting you

If these cards don't jive, you've pinpointed something that's upsetting you.

Outer Sphere

*your surroundings + current situation

Other People + Factors at Work

*many times describes other people effecting the current situation, can show their 

overall attitude toward you or dominating feature that effects the current card

*can bring up anything else you need to see

This is a great opportunity to connect any court card appearances to people around you.  

Tarot Spotter's Handbook is up

I'm going through old readings and journal entries to put together a series on tarot meanings.  These are based on actual readings and life observation over the years.  Another series will be added on things you may notice during a reading- how cards effect each other, court card relationships, etc.

You're welcome to add your own thoughts on the cards.

It's ongoing but you can see what's up so far at The Tarot Spotter's Handbook.

Free Easter Weekend Readings

Happy Weekend!
I'm pulling 3 card Lenormands for anyone who wants one this weekend.  Just comment here or on my Facebook page.  I'll reply at the same spot.

Lenormand #15: The Bear

}  In response to what may be a problem- lack of planning and keeping track.  Pulled this to answer what may be holding back my business.  
It was paired with the Stars, which talk about success, steering yourself forward and being known.
So I opened up my Excel sale and expense tracker and updated numbers.
Then I kept some workbooks on blogging and marketing open while online.  Need some of that stardust to brush off on Moonthrall.  Let's get the word out!



Thanks for reading - cards will be updated as I go along.
Please share any experiences you've had with certain cards or readings as a comment.

End of Week Lenormand Layout

Happy Saturday everyone.
I did a small Lenormand draw this past Wednesday, 3/28, to see how the week would wrap up.  The events described have begun to pop up so let's see how they match up.

The Woman, at center, was chosen to represent myself.
The preceding two current events or those closer to me.  The following are events happening afterward.

The Bear + Birds are first.
Bear  } steady finances, work, career
Birds } talk about such things, getting another person involved and sharing information

Crossroads } events brought by this other person may cause a dilemma; the crossroads does bring up other opportunities, "fork in the road"
Stork          } also indicates a new road possible, feels this may continue past the weekend

So, had a voicemail about a contract job through an agency on Thursday.  Spoke with her briefly about it that night.  That's the Birds.
A contract job doesn't quite match the Bear- he brings up steadiness.  It may prove to be afterward, though.

This does prove to be a dilemma.  It doesn't take much for me, though.  I create them out of thin air.
It, at least, offers another road.  A new one.  I didn't want to cut it off out of fear but considered it an opportunity for expansion and a great change.

We'll see where it leads.

Lenormand # 18: The Dog

}  The Lenormand Dog- someone you will meet and see again.  You can be sure they're invested in your success and can count on their experience and words even if it feels you don't live up to them.  They can uncover truths in you that you may not see.  Smart dogs.

Lenormand # 22: The Crossroads

} Crossroads- not always a fork in the road of life.  It quite literally meant an intersection for the day I drew it.

Free mini oracle readings this February

All through February you can get a complimentary 2 card Lenormand reading with the purchase of anything that isn't a tarot reading.
Just send your question/general concern as a note when checking out.  Include your preference of email or etsy convo.


I've used them a while for myself and want to test drive it for others.

More information on the Lenormand:
Lenormand Oracle cards: Wordpress blog on meanings, layouts and the cards in action
Sylvie Steinbach, author of Secrets of the Lenormand Oracle
Seaqueen cartomancy blog:  Lenormand and tarot cards, spreads, lots of reading play by plays
Idyll's Lenormand blog: Updated daily

Tarot Deck Review: The Bohemian Gothic

This was my 1st impression of this deck, published in March of 2009.
Since then it's come to call when I need to see what's running under the surface of things. 


As of this posting, both the 1st and 2nd editions of this deck are now out of print!
The website says they hope to being a 3rd edition in 2013.  


So if you find a copy worth less than your kidney, you're in luck!
_________________________________________________________

This is my most recent deck. I ordered it last summer and haven't had the chance to really get into it, but like my current favorites it'll probably grow on me after a while. Here's what I've gotten from it so far.

Compared to the Victorian Romantic (whose artwork put me off at first because they differ so much from card to card), the BG is borderless and the scenes expansive. They feel real and the lighting, coloring and styles are pretty consistent. You can feel night coming on in the bluish tinge of dusk on many of the cards.

That realness is from photographs- some with the handtinted look of antique portraits. Like the pair of little children on the 6 of Cups, holding flowers and standing in front of a grave. Who's? The framed picture on the grave's cross features the Virgin Mary and infant Jesus- probably their mother. A charming vignette.

It's easy to go deeper or psychological with these to see what currents run underneath the reading. But some can be inspiring or just fill you with lunatic giddiness- I thought of my business's name by drawing some cards.

My favorite cards will illustrate the macabre and oddly humorous feel of this deck:

The Queen of Wands } Striking- her bright rose colored gown pops out from the gloomy ballroom. The large room with the chandelier reminds me of the Crystal Room at college, where we had concerts and gatherings. She looks like she's having fun dancing alone. 







The 7 of Cups woman has an indulgent, mischievous grin on her face- holds a beautiful glass of red "wine" and strands of dark pearls and gazes up at the full moon.

The 4 of Wands. Three women hang out in their yard at night and look very happy to see you. Almost too happy. Hey, I like going for walks at night, too.


The 2 of Cups } Like a scene from the Munsters- a nice distant cousin is courting the "normal" one. What with his slicked back hair and shiny button up boots, he's a catch. 


And the Knight of Wands just reminds me of the hunchbacked cousin from Adams Family Values- the one Wednesday has to dance with. The old formal getup, creepy gaze and red bouffant must do it. 

Much of this deck is RWS based, but all offer other ways of going in completely different directions. Through the imagery and overall feel, you'll have many opportunities to see things you wouldn't in any other deck. Like a horrified skeletal man who may have just realized he's entombed in a catacomb. Oops.

I highly suggest getting the kit. You will not find shoddy history or a plain old celtic cross layout in this book. Written by Karen Mahony, it goes over tarot's origins and the basics of reading but adds so much more. There are upright and reversed meanings, detailed image explanations, snippets from literature, poetry, original photographs used, sample readings and an essay by Dan Pelletier (of tarotgarden) on "dark" decks. A huge collection of useful reading for this deck and to expand your knowledge of tarot.

Further Reading

See card images, tarot bags and stay up to date on new editions at the Bohemian Gothic's own site. 


Read reviews of the Bohemian Gothic tarot from tarot readers on Aeclectic Tarot Forum.

Browse the Bohemian Gothic tarot on Amazon

The Tarot Spotter's Handbook: The Pentacles

All about the Pentacles in Tarot.

Ace

new direction, not always money related, but bringing something to chart your course by
a new job opportunity or way of earning money

Two

attention to detail

trying out different ideas pertaining to business or money
give/take
exchanging money, gaining money and spending in the same day

Three

others' perception of your work

practicing your craft especially in front of or working for others

Four

Five

Six

generosity; seeing others, or being seen yourself, as worthy
investing; charity

Seven

time for results
satisfaction or a return on your work/investment

Eight

Nine

Pride in your work or surroundings

Comfortable, having a lot

Ten

Page

Knight

Queen

King

mature person, someone in authority, head of finance
you may appear as the King after making sound financial decisions
maturing financial accounts

The Tarot Spotter's Handbook: The Wands

Ace

the hand is usually grasping this wand- a new project or path is underway, most of the time
decided by you

Two

giving things direction

deciding between two viable options

Three

Four

Five

action, not always productive

See all the things this poor lady has to clean?  

These objects are supposed to make your life easier, not take

up all your attention.  "Too many pans on the fire."

Six

Seven

Eight

Nine

Ten

Page

Knight

many times he shows house moves
physical legwork and movement
progress will pick up
can describe a male that appears exciting to others
high energy

Queen

King

The Tarot Spotter's Handbook: The Swords

**Work in Progress**
All about the Swords in Tarot.

Ace

because this suit deals with straight, no nonsense communication, you may need to open your mouth more

Two

Three

wondering what went wrong

getting out of your comfort zone vs being forced out or made to compromise

taking a risk

Four

Five

Six
Seven
Eight
Nine
Ten

distress 
being extremely downtrodden or hard on yourself, not always
justifiably


Page
Knight

People of air suits; intellectuals; professionals especially in areas of law, business, medical, etc

Cutting through crap; space clearing; analyzing/decision making;

It's come up in readings for travel partners with a "gogogo" attitude.  Bags packed way ahead of time, plans made.

QueenKing

Witches of Etsy Giveaway

Tonight winners were drawn for each of the 40+ prizes WoE members donated.
Prizes were anything a witch could need- altar sets, tarot bags, hedgehog quills...




My own donation is one of the Dragon rune bags.

Earth Dragon knit drawstring bag






I'll post the winner when I find out who it is!


The donation thread was started to celebrate 600 members.  As of now, we're 932 members strong.
I walked away with this handcarved lucky Goldfish trio:

Goldfish netsuke by tonytheplane







The next round should be even bigger.
Find out about our team here: Witches of Etsy Team