Walt Disney asked me for a reading

[shadowdancer]

** This is something I have been doing for a while, and thought I would post just the one to start with. This forum is one that is also one for discussion, as per the forum rules, and I thought it might be nice to see other takes on the reading. If it helps those new to tarot gain confidence in using three card readings, all the better. Moderators: if this is inappropriate I have no qualms if it is deleted. If it is something that is worthwhile, I have around 65 saved, of which many would be figures known worldwide. :) **

so, this is the letter Walt wrote to me :D (And I will say up front - a thanks to James Ricklef for opening my eyes to the fun and learning that can be gained from reading for such figures)

"Dear Davina

I am in a quandary as to whether to continue with a project I have been trying. For a few years now, I have been trying to break into a new form of entertainment by using cartoon imagery. I have really enjoyed the work, and it has been received warmly by those who have seen some of my sketches. I would love to actually extend this into perhaps making a film, but I am not sure if it is worth the cost, time and manpower. It is a bit of a specialist area, and one which may not go down well with mass audiences. Do you think I should go ahead, or stick to the level of work I have been doing? At the moment I am flat broke, so it would be risky and I am not sure if the risk is worth taking.

Yours sincerely

Walt Disney"


Has this got your interest?? My interpretation follows in the next post. I would love to hear comments, other thoughts and other takes.

[shadowdancer]

"Dear Walt

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to do this reading for you. It sounds as though you really get enjoyment and reward out of the work you do. Bringing joy to an audience is a skill indeed. However, as I understand you would love to take this further but have doubts as to whether it would be worth the risk on financial grounds. You are also unsure as to how it would be received, as it has not as yet been tried before.

I have used the Universal cards as below to try and help you with your query:

Card 1: the basis of your fear or concern (Knave of wands)
Card 2: What could happen if that risk was taken. (4 (coins)
Card 3: what could happen if you continued as you have been doing to date. (4 Cups)

Card 1 can indicate the fear of our own ability, and the fear of taking unknown steps.
Card 2 may at times indicate holding onto something you value or cherish.
Card 3 could indicate a sense of boredom or stagnation.

In reading the cards in their entirety I am led to say the following:
It appears from the card you are standing tall and proud with your staff as badge of office. You have done well, and yet you are still in the infancy of what could be achieved. You have so many ideas and thoughts as to what you could do, (I am guessing it is not just this film you are considering, but other projects as well) but there is a danger you might find yourself running before you can walk. The key is to build on what you have done, and use the basis of that as a stepping stone for the future. So where do you have the doubts? Do you feel if you do go forward you are in effect turning your back on what has been achieved to date? Are you worried you may put a lot of work into something, only for it to turn to nothing?
If you do take that risk, I have to say it will not be easy or plain sailing. It shows that you will have to be careful to not over spend or over stretch yourself. Again I refer back to not running before you can walk. I would also venture to say that the main priority may be the financial side of things for you. Certainly in the short term you may find yourself burdened and under pressure. However, this does not bode immediately for hardship so I would say cautiously it would not be a bad or detrimental move for you to make. I feel you may well be sitting on a potential gold mine in the long run, but you may not be able to see the benefits for some time. You have done well to date, and may find you have enough in reserve to see through the early stages of your plans.
I think in a way you have already set your heart on giving this a go. I feel you have perhaps pushed
boundaries enough already, and feel you need to take on something new to rekindle that emotion within. You are almost looking at what you have done, but it doesn’t quite give you the buzz it used to. I think if you do continue with what you have done to date, you may find you become bored with it, which in itself will be stifling for your creativity.
Looking at the cards as a whole, you may be subconsciously not wanting to take on something that will not have a short term benefit or gain. I have no idea how long this project will take, but is it something you really do believe in? If so, I think looking at the last card you must follow what your heart is telling you. Otherwise there is potential for long term regrets of what could have been. Although you are still being lauded for what you have achieved, it is as if you are not relishing the praise quite as much as you used to. I think you need to feel inner fulfilment before you can really appreciate outer praise.

I hope this has helped with your enquiry, and I wish you all the best for the future.

Kindest regards - Davina"

**This was one of the first readings I did using James' 3 card system. Any thoughts?? Anyone have this deck who would like to perhaps either use the same cards and give their own take, or shuffle the deck and see what cards come out for the same question/positions to give an alternative viewpoint?

[shadowdancer]

what.... no insights at all? No thoughts/takes?

I am a little surprised. I thought this might be different enough to the usual readings posted here it might encourage a little interest, knowing there is no pressure to get it 'right' so to speak.

stay happy

davina

[Amanda_04]

I thought it was an interesting read Davina! I had nothing to add to it. I was quite satisfied with the way you presented it. :)

[gregory]

I love doing these - though never thought of Walt.

And four coins and pots of cash, I'd say. The boredom you see could have something to do with how his output really did rather get sort of stereotypical....

[shadowdancer]

This letter was written with him telling me (in a roundabout way) he wanted to move on from the Steamboat Willy days with Mortimer / Mickey and try something risky - the full length animated film we eventually saw as Snow White.

I think if he had carried on doing what he could do with his eyes closed, that is where the boredom and stifled emotions would have come in. He was at a stage he knew he had to break through that or end up so unmotivated.

However, I like your take Gregory. I wonder if he would have embraced the move from hand drawing and painting cells to the CG style of animation? I think he would have embraced it perhaps before it was fully embraced by others. He may well have become bored after time of using tried and tested methods, and if anyone would be up for trying new methods - it would be him.

Davina

[brightcrazystar]

I can appreciate these as fiction for Tarot enthusiasts. As the whole of these events have played out, however, and the cards were selected to demonstrate them rather indulgently, it really doesn't help anyone learn Tarot forecasting. It would help learn "leading" if that is really all you do to read though.

I come from it more intuitive and structural at the same time.

It was well written though. I enjoyed it like brain candy, not brain food.

Here is a different game to play.. pull cards and look at REAL events and connect them. I used your cards.

There is also nothing in your letter about the real dilemna of Walt Disney at this time... though the cards are SO correct in a non aspected 3 card reading. This indicates to me you likely "give good deck" as my friend Sean says, lol. This means you pull cards out of the Aetyr, instead of just out of your @^^

Disney's life was forever changed around the same time as the time your letter is based in. He crushed four cervical vertibrae (4 of disks, much) playing polo (knight of wands) in 1931, suffered stress induced chronic nervousness forever afterwards. He was improperly being treated for a thyroid deficiency that resulted in development of calcium deposits in his neck that inflicted great pain on him all the rest of his life on and off.

He was later after a lifetime of smoking diagnosed with Cancer (2,3,4 of cups), and after having his left lung removed (Moon lung, 4 of cups is Moon in Cancer) he was left with no appetite or desire to drink anything and died two months after the surgery at age 65. The massive tumor was discovered when he went in for a check-up on that old polo injury that was acting up.

He built a Kingdom bearing his name, where all can feel in for a moment like royalty, and left a legacy of that changed and defined the world.

[gregory]

This kind of think helps learning to read a lot, including preductive reading - that's why Ricklef wrote books about it. Testing to see how the cards match a given situation. Seeing what cards suggest something when you already know what the answer would be. It can show you what combinations would suggest - for instance - Cinders DOES go to the ball...

Not that forecasting is the only thing to read for - in fact, I don't do that a lot.

I don't see that it matters what other things happened at the time. Davina came up with a situation for Walt and read on it. On the whole, when we get a situation to read on we are NEVER in possession of all the facts. This is an interesting kind of exercise - like the conspiracy readings a little while ago.

And yes, Davina - I think he would have remained at the cutting edge. With more lovely pentacles - but 4, not 10 - he was never greedy, I think - did it for fun as much as for money.

[Alta]

Sorry to be slow coming to this, so am posting without reading the other comments:

Card 1: the basis of your fear or concern (Knave of wands)
Card 2: What could happen if that risk was taken. (4 (coins)
Card 3: what could happen if you continued as you have been doing to date. (4 Cups)

For all that he was a true visionary, the cards suggest that Disney was no crazy idealist willing to leap out on a limb. The Knave of wands says that he had the idea worked out, much further than say a Page but not as far as the senior courts. Hence, he trusted those around him (and i saw a documentary once that showed that his creative staff was strong) to carry his ideas out into reality.

The two 4's though suggest that he knew what he was doing. As the 4 of coins was risked, as I saw in the documentary, the studio was pushed to the very brink of finances by Sleeping Beauty and only its huge and immediate success saved them.

As the 4 of cups showed if he had not branched out, his group would have slipped into repetitive mediocrity and kept doing the same thing while another group would likely have emerged and surpassed.
I have waited to read both your and the comments of others, so, may be the same thoughts.

Alta

[shadowdancer]

bless you all for giving the time and thought to this.

Brightcrazystar - I hear where you are coming from, but will disagree somewhat. Firstly the cards were not selected - I do the same as I do for any reading which is shuffle, then draw unseen from the top. I really do treat these as I would other readings. I do see them as having value, but also accept your method is also of merit. I stuck to the 3 card system as shown by Mr. Ricklef as it was one I just enjoyed working with, and showed me how I had been wrong to dismiss 3 card readings as being too wishy-washy and pointless. (Yes I have been judgemental at times and love being proved wrong :) ) Gregory - you explained the use and point of such readings very well. Sometimes by having a known variable, it is possible to have something 'click' in your mind when you see how the card may fit. That to me, can only help with future readings where such variables are not known. I never, ever see doing these readings as brain candy. So far, I have done 65 such readings and see them as a learning experience. There is something I get from each and every one, that I squirrel away in my reference part of my brain which may prove useful in the future.

Alta, I love the new take for me of the Knight of wands. Yes you are right - he did not do this alone,and that was a reminder there were others who formed his 'family' to get all these projects off the ground. All hard workers, all sharing the same enthusiasm and drive to give it a go. And all incredibly talented within their own fields.

So yes - this has been worthwhile to post. In just two members, I have read two posts that made me muse on the reading yet further, with a lightbulb moment occurring each time.

Thanks again :D

I am sure other readings will follow.... Gregory if you have any how about sharing if you feel you would like to? If not no worries... I have a few :D

Davina

[brightcrazystar]

Ok, I take back part of my criticism, because you do exactly what I was sayign was a good suggestion- Draw cards and compare to events.

I thought you arbitrarily chose those cards. My bad. You did it the way I teach, and I agree this is a good method, except I think you read them a little different. That is fine.

If you chose the cards, it would be brain candy. Basically seeing if you can imagine a scenario where they might have validity. In a sense testing you knowledge of the cards and their synnergy. Writing just affirms the meaning of the cards. Not a bad prqactice, but more of a writing exercise than a reading.

If you drew the cards, it would be brain food. Basically mapping the cards drawn as a general overview of a scenario in events that have already played out. This becomes a myopic lesson in hindsight, but is only so good as you don't let your knowledge or imagination overshadow the actual events of his life at the time. Such as the fact of his real dilemma. Testing the reading agaist his life is part of the quality assurance. Otherwise the cards seem to express what you could imagine was on his mind and thus the cards can just show what you expect.

The real events, as I said mirrored his health GREATLY, with little or no analysis:

But at this time:
Disney's MAIN conundrum was making the Queen.. His decision to make her elegant and sexy evil instead of goofy and bumbling was so tremendous that he took time to go travel and think carefully about this. She was a striking contrast to everything else in the movie, and that STILL influences animation. His creative team were terrified of the whole process. His mind and spirit needed time to heal as well as his body because he was almost completely devastated by the miscarriage of his daughter.

His resolve to go to Bank of America for financing was actually driven by his wife and brothers insistence that he was going to fail. That everyone was calling it Disney's folly was of great joy to him, actually. He liked to beat the odds. There should be, I imagine, between the Evil Queen and unsupportive loving wife provoking you to unimaginable success, a presence of the Queen of Swords in this reading. Also, her secondary attribution to Libra, and the 2 of swords (inner conflict with tension being key to stability), 3 of sword (which can signify loss of child) and 4 of swords (compromising, putting a dilemma to rest and just resolving to stop thinking and start doing) makes this card the one I would most expect to see.

[shadowdancer]

I hear ya brightcrystal star but need to just explain how these were done, and also why.

I chose 3 card spreads only, as I loved how James did them, and realised I needed to use them before judging their worth, and not be so dismissive of them. Using a fictional or historical character got my interest, whereby I wanted to use them readily. Who cannot enjoy doing a reading for Walt Disney or Shrek? It meant I was motivated to sit at the PC and work on these with a view to recording them all for future reference. I saw I could learn a lot from them, even after 15 years of reading tarot. (I love how we are never too old or long in the tooth to get a buzz and still learn.) And was amazed at how I could get new takes which would have otherwise perhaps not come to the forefront of my conscious when doing a reading.

3 cards is not a lot I know, but can be used as a snapshot of a question that is focussed or perhaps for looking at a subaspect. When I wrote the letter from Walt, I used a tiny period of his time - the "do I, don't I dilemma of breaking into doing something different - a full length feature film. I appreciate you looked at his life in general, and gave great insight into his health and the impact it had, as well as how he was trying to portray the queen, and thoughts behind it. However - a 3 card reading in the style I used would not have been adequate to do that. As you showed, you used more than 3 cards, and it would take more than 3 to do this justice. I also wanted to keep the question as such, most people who know the character would understand the question. I am not sure any of us would have had enough knowledge of him to know his state of health and subsequent impact etc. For this reason, any further postings of readings will be chosen carefully so as not to be restrictive to certain parts of the world (UK for instance with certain TV programmes).

I think what we have here are two looks at the one person. I, using 3 cards to answer a question which is focussed on one snapshot aspect of his life. You, using more cards to look at his life more holistically, with a focus on two areas - health and the Queen.

I thought I had best post this, as the other readings I do in time share will follow the same format: question sent to me requesting a reading, the cards that resulted and my interpretation.

If a new forum is created (and it may in time for such readings) I would be interested in seeing any you post using your system or method. when you are not restricting yourself and being prescriptive to 3 card readings it can be more indepth. Have you anyone in mind you will be reading for so to speak?
However, personally I will be posting mine using this same method. I think also it does mean people don't lose the will to live by having to plough through 10 cards which they have to comment on (I know forum rules do ask people to comment on the cards and in the past I have been guilty of avoiding those which are very, very long -just because of time constraints) Short, relating to a certain point, and also meant to be taken with just a sense of fun. If you cannot enjoy doing a reading which is on a fictional character, it will surely have a subsequent impact on any subsequent learning.

Davina

[gregory]

Ricklef style readings are very valuable. I don't myself see the point in trawling for every detail of the "sitter"'s life afterwards. The way Ricklef - and Davina - do this is to make up a question from a known person (fictional or real) and draw and read as if they were a sitter in the tent in front of them. I think it's great. One doesn't - with a sitter here or in one's workplace - have everything laid out afterwards. Nor does one have the sitter's whole biography - including what happens after the reading ! - to work with.

I would love to see more Ricklef style readings here - I think they work OK in "your readings" actually. Just as the conspiracy ones do.

Davina - I will be in touch privately about this, as Ricklef really floats my boat :)

[brightcrazystar]

If they are readings, they are interesting exercise, and one I have seen employed and been suggested, again a good point.

My last point is I don't think he had the hesitation you used as his everyman "should I take the risk"? The reading on that question is a good one for the question, but not really for Disney as the man he really was. It is in the cards, but not in the man. That is why I am saying this helps in "leading", cause 9.999 times out of 10 a person has less courage than Disney did. He was 13 with a 3:30 am year round newspaper route in Missouri to help his family eat.

Before he even made it to California, he had dared to make a Alice in Wonderland movie with animation and a live "Alice." He was left with less than 50 dollars from this venture, despre being a popular animator before... and reason to leave, and he had the audacity to BUY A FIRST CLASS TICKET with his last money. Before he ever animated Mortimer, which his wife demanded he rename, so he chose Mickey. Again, that Queen of Swords.

He willingly defied a teach in art by putting faces and expressions on inanimate objects, almost squandred his education because of it.

"I really believe that everything will turn out all right. I believe that whatever happens is for the best." He said that right before he signed his company away and walked out with jst enough to hire and train animators for a script he didn't have yet. That is a huge, titanium, pair...

Say Johnny Cash deciding to go to Nashville in that reading, a man with that conflict of Earth and Water strong in his soul, might be better. Disney was VERY willful, not prone to self-doubt at all even as a youth. In fact, I would expect a reading for Johnny to be kind of like this. I might try one of him and compare.

Like in WWII, when he couldn't join the army cause he was 16, not to be daunted, he snuck away to the Red Cross and found a way to help do what he wanted to do. He was a madman with ambition.


The advice you are giving, for me, is classic Johhny Cash. The answer being make it real and challenging and not some bland unattractive pleasant mediocrity. Watch, "Walk the Line" for when he goes and waits in front of Sun Records for it to open. See the daring gamble they make which is fairly accurate. That is choice example of who this reading might apply to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LmfgB8LQnLI&feature=channel
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXjzwZnzvkc&NR=1

[gregory]

This is all very interesting - but does not come from the cards.

[brightcrazystar]

Yes, but the" letter" did not represent Walt Disney. What you did was ask a question from a man who was what you imagine Walt Disney to be. Your use of walt disney represents someone completely unlike him. Disney had unshakable faith and unfettered resolve. I am not so lucky and neither is the imaginary character that you made thinking of Disney.

What I see this as is a reading Disney would have never asked for. I see you think disney, knowing he is dead asking for advice and the cards explicitly showed to the BEST of ability the events that led to his death. 4 disks (polo), man with burning stick (smoking), gets cancer in lung detected when he went to have cervical injury examined. 4 of cups is cancer, moon- moon is left lung where they found the tumor. Removing the lung made him lose appetitie. It is uncanny how that is Exactly what happened. LITERALLY. That is way cool!

Your analysis of them was based on idea of what you think disney to be, and thus is in. Many ways "leading." Disney was well past that dilemma if he ever had it, even before he left Missouri. It is fine, but what your letter come from is a man uncertain of a risk that will pay off and fulfill him. You use ghe name disney to solidify that ambigious man. Problem is Disney wasn't uncertain of anything more than the Evil Queen beeing hot. And. That was so rare for him he had to go soul searching absolutely alone.

[Alta]

Hi brightcrazystar,

To me the idea of doing readings on people now gone is a brilliant exercise and possibly even delivering a great deal of insight.

However, I also think that debating exactly how Disney would have written the letter, if he would, isn't that useful. You are speculating and that without cards.

My suggestion: if you are sure what he would have asked, maybe start a new thread and draw your own set of cards on it.

Regards,
Alta
Moderator

[Noelle]

Davina that was a nice reading. Any chance we could see the other 65? I'd love to see them.

From a numerology perspective Walt’s personality (i.e. consonants in his name) totalled 33. This is a man who would have thought in terms of service to humanity and so beyond his immediate family although his family was still important to him (vowels in his name/soul urge = 6). I don’t know much about Walt’s life, however if he was worried about the financial risks of venturing into film making he would have been more concerned about the implications of this for his family than himself.

With a 33 personality, he may have even felt unappreciated at times during his early years. Knave of Wands ... “danger that you might find yourself running before you can walk” – well this could certainly have been how others saw him; but I think Walt believed in his own potential to work in new unexplored areas, even if others were slow to see it.

4 cups indicating boredom (if he had continued doing what he had been doing at the time) is obvious, when one looks at his name as well. With Walt’s artistic talent (his total name reduces to base number 3) and his personality (33), it would have been a loss to humanity if he did not pursue the path he did.