View Full Version : Tarot for Yourself - Body, Mind, Spirit Cards
sarahenglish
22-03-2002, 18:18
I am still working with the daily 3 card spread in chapter 2. I am getting a little confused about the different contexts.
For example: the 3 contexts I am most comfortable with are
Body/Mind/Spirit , Past/Present/Future, and Child/Parent/Adult
Can they always be interchanged with each other? or do you figure out which context works best for the cards you pulled?
I don't understand how you can go from Body to Subconscious.
I dont understand what these next 4 variations mean or how to use them:
Maya-Illusion / Knowledge / Magic
Thesis/Antithesis/Synthesis
Commencement/Opposition/Integration
And moving my cards to different positions sends me into a panic. Wont that change the meany totally? Especially since I went to all the trouble to divine which was for the body, and which for the spirit in the first place?
Do I need to stop obsessing on these and move on to the next excercise with the expectation that understanding will come?
hiya sarah,
i remember when i did them i had the same thoughts about some of the possibilities, well, there are some you like and some you don't, doesn't really matter.
i could relate to PPF, body/mind/spirit, child/parent/adult, thesis/antithesis/synthesis, commencement/opposition/integration.
the one i still don't get is the maya/illusion thing, but it might on the cards you get and the question it answers maybe.
moving the cards was quite ok, depending in what context you use them, i remember doing it with PPF.
it's really sad the thread has gone missing, coz i didn't write my spread down (i dont keep journal, shame on me here), so i don't have the example.
i will try to find time to do this one again and post it.
don't worry too much about it, maybe try another 3 carder and see if it works with these cards.
Kaz
Well I just have no clue what happened to my notes on these as well (and I have my homework journal!). I will also go through these again and post them for you SE. Maybe having 2 examples will help you, or at least help us open up the discussion on what we are confused about. Such a shame the original thread was lost :(
sarahenglish
25-03-2002, 16:25
Jewel,
I would love to see those notes. If you don't have a scanner, you could fax them to me and I could scan and post for you.
I have been printing out all of the posts that I participate in for my journal. It is really helpful!
Originally posted by sarahenglish
Maya-Illusion / Knowledge / Magic
Thesis/Antithesis/Synthesis
Commencement/Opposition/Integration
I think I need to start with the literal meaning of these 3 groups before I even apply them to cards.
Of course I know what the word knowledge means, but not in the context of the other 2. Perhaps I need different words.
Could you interpret the 1st group as:
That which is not/That which is/That which could be?
and could the 2nd be:
A / Opposite of A / A and it's opposite interwoven?
I am still blocked on the commencement one so far as I can tell
commencement refers to the beginning of something, opposition refers to obstacles that will present themselves/ Does integration basically mean the outcome?
Okies SE, I found my notes on the Body/Mind/Spirit piece, I will have to redo the others but this will give you an idea of how we went about the entire exercise ... this is a long post (possibly 2 posts) but should help in terms of entire process as described by Mary Greer in Chpt. 2:
3 CARD SPREAD - BODY/MIND/SPIRIT
Deck Osho-Zen
Body: Receptivity (Queen of Cups); Mind: IX Aloneness (Hermit); Spirit: 0 Fool
WHAT DO YOU SEE? Receptivity: I see the silouhete of a woman with open arms. Her face is a lotus flower and it appears as if the kundalini is rising up the stem. The lotus flower is open and proejcting/attracting. The Aloneness card shows an elder man with his back to me climbing a green hill. His staff has 4 green leaves. The Fool card shows a young man dressed in colorful leotards, holding a white rose, walking off a cliff looking like he is dancing during his vertical/diagonal descent down the cliff. He is whistful. There is path below leading to snowy mountains. It is dusk, the sun is setting.
WHAT COLORS DO YOU SEE? blue, gray, black, purple, orange, yellow, green. The blues in the first 2 cards are more prominent as are the orange, yellow and green in the last card.
WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENT IN EACH CARD?
Body - Receptivity: a sense of freedom and openess.
Mind - Aloneness: seeking
Spirit - Care-free
WHAT SYMBOLS ARE THERE?
Body - Receptivity: open arms, nudity, the lotus flower, kundalini
Mind - Aloneness: intent in the man's posture. His live staff.
Spirit - Fool: demeanor of the young man, his costume, the white rose.
DESCRIPTION OF THE CARDS:
Body - Freedom
Mind - Expectant
Spririt - Joy and illusion
INTERPRETATION:
My body (Receptivity) is telling me that I am receptive to the changes I wish to make to it, and that because I have started working on those changes it is making me more open to them. I must take care to not over-indulge in the holidays (I did this reading in December) ... I need to keep the good flow going and not get lazy. My bosy is receptive to suggestion (good or bad).
My mind (Aloneness) is telling me that I should seek time for reflection and gaining wisdom but that it is a challenge to get the time I desire. My mind wants to withdraw and be with itself to study, contemplate and grow.
My spirit (fool) tells me it feels innocent and ready to explore the world of mystery that calls to me. It would happily abandon convention to explore spirituality more deeply. This can be a warning to me as my spirit is strong and tends to be my motivating force.
My body wants me to be receptive and open to what is good for it, like my mind, it is telling me to pursue its knowledge, yet my spirit is urging me to just go forth and do "whatever the little voices tell me to."
Same cards from a time perspective:
I have been wery receptive and drawn to the mystical and spiritual side of myself because it has always felt so right. Now I seek time for deeper exploration of these aspects of myself because I see that the more I get in touch with with myself it creates a balance in me. My spirit yearns for the innocent freedom this brings to me, thus my future looks at the pursuit of this.
What happens is that you draw the interpretations for the different meanings of the spreads by the information you identify in the beginning of the exercise.
yea, great example jewel, remember it :-)
kaz
If I recall I did not go through all of these SE, I just used the ones that were appropriate for me and that I was comfotable with. I did use the illusion one and the commencement one, but I cannot remember if I did the Thesis one. Anyway here is my attempt at helping you define the terms (and I just guessing here so I could be way off):
Maya-Illusion / Knowledge / Magic
Illusion - a misleading image presented to the vision, something you think possibly real, but maybe not. (sort of like the meaning of the Moon card)
Knowledge - What you do know.
Magic - What needs to be in play in order to make the illusion real or for it to manifest.
Thesis/Antithesis/Synthesis - I am pretty much at loss on this one.
Thesis - a position or proposition a person advances and offers to maintain by argument (like a thesis statement in a school paper).
Antithesis - I would say it would be the opposite ... something that stands int he way of you proving your thesis (i.e.: null hypothesis.)
Synthesis - blending of thesis and antithesis creating a transformation that is the result.
Commencement/Opposition/Integration
Commencement - a beginning.
Opposition - a force standing in the way of your progress on what you commenced.
Integration - the card that will help you integrate your goal and opposition to yield a result.
Hope this helps. Anybody out there that can help us out?
Originally posted by Kaz
yea, great example jewel, remember it :-)
kaz
You know me and my annal methods of doing exercises *ROFLMAO*
you did a great explanation here, i use thesis/antithesis/synthesis, and this describes it really well.
the illusion etc sounds fair enough to me, though i don't use that one.
commencement etc, i agree, you will come across this one again when you do chap6, permutations on the CC spread.
kaz
sarahenglish
25-03-2002, 21:11
Wow Jewel, that really helps alot! Thank you! I am thinking that I may need to use the universal waite on these excercises because I don't think my crystal deck has enough imagery to really do the excercise justice.
SE, if you like your Crystal deck continue to use it. Just look deeply at the card and write down what YOU see. Is this the Crystal Tarots by Elisabetta Trevisan? if so it has lots of imagery, look at the backgrounds of the cards closely, the geometric shapes ... do they form patterns? what colors are used? I am looking at the magician (on my calendar *LOL*) and there is LOTS there. I have this deck also, so if we are talking about the same deck I can try to recreate some of things you do when you have questions.
The key is to not jump ahead, but to go through the exercises thoroughly so you can understand the process and get to know the cards well. You will start seeing things you never noticed before ... and what is really neat is that each time you look at them you will make new discoveries.
I strongly encourage you to use you favorite deck, it will make the work all the more fun. If you would like to post your exercise once you complete it Kaz, Bec and I will be more than happy to review it (as we did with each other) and answer any additional questions you might have. We have a really neat sharing of opinions and perspectives in this study group :) ... great to have you with us.
sarahenglish
26-03-2002, 23:38
Now that I have started looking and using the universal waite deck it is growing on me. I have used it for the past few days and plan to stick it under my pillow tonight (now that my husband is asleep and wont be able to laugh at me, lol)
I printed out your excercise and when I get stuck, I look at it and it gives me the oomph I need to keep going. I actually did a reading without a book at all! I'll post my excercise tomorrow when I am not so tired. Another long evening at the ball park.
Know any spells for winning baseball games?lol
sarahenglish
27-03-2002, 09:45
Here is my 3 Card excercise as promised: How did I do?
Using the Universal Waite Deck
Body - Knight of Swords reversed
Mind - 6 of Cups
Spirit - 2 of Cups
1. What I see -
Knight of swords reversed- a knight charging into battle w/ sword in air on a white horse in a barren looking land.
6 Cups - A boy holding a cup with a flower in it and he is about to give it to a little girl. She is looking up to him. There are 5 other cups with flowers in them. A village or castle is in the background.
2 Cups - A man and woman look to be in a solemn ceremony, serious, not frivolous. They are holding cups (loving cups?) There is a lion face with wings and a medical staff looking thing.
2. Colors -
A lot of light blue and white with yellow, orange, red and green
3. What the numbers on the cards mean to me -
6 seems like a glass half full
2 is a pair, union, connection, committment
4. Human figures and animals -
Kn of Sw - a knight and a white horse
6 C - 2 children and a figure in the background
2 C - man and a woman, lion head with wings and a medical staff looking thing.
5. Environment of each Card -
Kn of Sw - almost frantic in intensity
6 C - tender and loving
2 C - solemn and protective
6. Symbols -
Kn of Sw - armor, sword, horse, regal attire, barren land w/ 2 trees
6 C - home or village, children, cups, flowers
2 C - laurels, cups, lion head with wings and a medical staff looking thing. A house in the background.
7. Emotion -
Kn of Sw - daring, righteous, fearless
6 C - tender, loving, giving
2 C - solemn, devout, protective
8. Which way figures face
Kn of Sw - (and horse) face away from other cards (except in this case when reversed)
6 C - children face each other
2 C - couple face each other
9. My body card is telling me not to charge in like a bull in a china shop. My mind card is telling me to be gentle and giving, my spirit is telling me to be committed.
10. Same cards from Time perspective:
In the past I acted without thinking, now I am more gentle and giving, in the future my relationships will be deeper and more committed.
Excellent job SE! the "medical symbol looking thingy" is a cadeuces (sp?). Looking at the symbols separately what you have is the lion that could represent strength (at the top), a wand which is also representative of the element of fire, you have the wings symbol of air and to me when I see wings I also think of freedom, and then you have the two snakes rising on the wand. The two snakes coming up the wand are also representative of the Kundalini, and the snake is one of the animals sacred to the Goddess.
Looking closely at this particular card there is a lot of balance (for me), all elements are represented, it is first and foremost a cup card so it deals with emotions. This card makes me think of romantic emotional fulfillment and balance with all the right ingredients to make it successful. And I agree with you there is commitment implied.
napaisti
27-03-2002, 16:56
I began working with the 3-card spread in Chapter 2 today, and wanted to go ahead and post it to see what the rest of you thought. So here goes! :) [I used the Tarot of the Old Path, and did not use reversals]
Body: 3 of Swords
Mind: 4 Cauldrons (Cups)
Spirit: Queen of Pentacles
What do you see?
3S: I see the aftermath of a trial by combat. The young, blond knight is dead of a headwound, and the older knight kneels over him with sword still drawn. A young woman carrying the third sword has turned her back on the combatants and is weeping.
4C: An older man with grey hair (probably a merchant) lies sleeping holding a cauldron loosely in his left hand. A young woman with red hair pours water from her cauldon into his. She wears a golden circlet on her head. Another cauldron is on a table behind them, and the 4th sits full before the sleeping man.
QP: The dark-haired queen rests her arm on the large pentacle. Sheaves of wheat are in front of her and honeysuckle blooms behind. Her hair is ornately braided, and she wears a flowing green gown.
Colors
3S: golden-yellow, gold, yellow, red, and dark green
4C: lots of blue, purple, a little green and yellow
QP: lots of green, a little yellow
Environment
3S: battlefield
4C: a place of rest
QP: feels more like a portrait. the "where" is not important, only the "who"
Symbols
3S: swords, blood, wind, helmet, girtle and bindings around braids
4C: cauldrons, water, pillow, colors on the woman
QP: pentacle, wheat, honeysuckle, crown, jewelry, hair
Emotions
3S: sorrow, heavy-hearted
4C: mothering (protective, generous), trusting
QP: wistful, pensive
Directions
3S: the victor is facing the dead knight, and away from the other cards. the woman has her back to the knights and is facing, but oblivius to, the other cards.
4C: The sleeping man is facing me (but asleep), the woman is looking down and towards the right but attending to herself.
QP: facing the other cards, but with the "1000 yard stare"
Interpretation
Body: I'm having a lot of problems with body image right now, and am more giving up than trying to address the problems directly.
Mind: My recent dedication to daily meditation and self-discovery may offer guidance and aid.
Spirit: The potential for my own well-being, happiness, and stability lies in my spirit
While I'm not comfortable with my body as it is right now, through meditation, self-discovery, and focusing my mind, I will find the spirit within me to be content with where I am in my life, and to make the improvements that I need to realize my full potential in body, mind, and spirit.
Past/Present/Future
I've been hurt in the past leading to sorrow and a sense of loneliness. Now I'm finding peace within myself using meditation and my own creative imagination. If I continue on this path I may find contentment.
A final note
Just before I came to post this spread, I had flash of understanding about the 3 of Swords. I realized that it isn't clear to me who killed the young knight. It could just have easily been the young woman (who I saw as myself in the spread). It's something that I want to explore further.
Hope I haven't bored everyone to tears.
napaisti
Hi Napaisti,
I have this deck and for a couple of years I used it very regularly, I have even used in a couple of exercises from this book. I have not used it in a while so I am going to try and recreate your spread and take a look.
Off of the top of my head what comes to mind is that perhaps what you are seeing in the 3S is that you (the woman with her back turned) have been the one to hurt your own self image by internalizing your pain and not being able to recognize help from others when it has been offered. This internalized pain has taken a heavy toll on you. In your mind (4C) you are withdrawn although you wish to come back. Sometimes you feel your attempts are fruitless, but they are not. Your spirit (QP) is telling you that you need to ground yourself in order to surpass the barriers you have set for yourself. Once you do that you will flourish.
In terms of past present and future, what I see is that in the past you have been overly critical of yourself which has caused you to have a lower self-esteem than you would like. In the present you are taking steps to correct that and regain your self-esteem but are unsure if what you are doing is correct (due to the 3S in your past) thus you sometimes turn away from your efforts although they really are going in the right direction. In the future, you will become grounded and be able to reflect on your past and current present and use them for your own positive self growth.
Great work, I look forward to your future posts.