Adept Level, Step 21, 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card

dadsnook2000

Step 21, Adept Level, is the FINAL step in our study with Mary Greer's book. I have dreaded reaching this point in some ways. The exercises of the group here on AT have offered so many insights brought by others, as well as our own individual "Ah, ha" moments. But, life does go on, tarot goes on, and for each of us some other tarot process will soon emerge to engage our study and path to learning, as well as opportunities to serve the needs of others.

Our final task is well defined: We need to meditate upon or to choose a simple task or ritual step that we can complete within a single day's time. Whatever we choose, it is to reflect on the physical/mental plane the nature of our chosen card --- or a new card chosen from a favorite deck. A great number of affirmation steps to bond our living space with our card is provided in the book.

Like my delay in activating this last step, whatever we choose can be something that we have delayed doing, something that needs to be done, or just something that we would like to do as a special commemoration of our experience together here in the "21 ways" study group. Our personal diploma of completion will be our new/developed self-confidence, our expanded work with reading to/for others, our contribution to helping others reach important understandings about their own lives and opportunities. We have learned so as to benefit others, and in turn have been rewarded in terms of our own understanding and growth.

So, please consider what your chosen card really means in your life, and then decide on what "graduating" affirmation you will make to bring that card's meaning into your life. Doing this, we make tarot reflect our life and we then can work better with tarot and with life. Dave
 

dadsnook2000

Where the rubber meets the road . . .

My most recent focus-card has been the Fey Tarot HERMIT, a card which depicts the Hermit as a thin figure in a tall hat, a long coat, with a lantern (of course) making his way down/up a maze of stairways within a tower, many doors lead out of the tower. Clearly this "picture" represents a situation in which one may choose to continue exploring within a confined area that leads to few possibilities or one can make a choice/decision and open a door. This choice of opening a door has its own issues --- which door. Such is the mystery and answer that lies within this particular Hermit card.

The point of this card is that positive action, the choice of any door, is better than fruitless searching/seeking within a confined area of possibilities.

Now, for my final task relative to this book and its exercises.

I had, recently, reached an end-point in writing my book. There were a few tasks remaining:
1) Enter all of the data for the books many charts at the end of each chapter as "chapter notes." This is very tedious work.
2) Check each astrological chart's data against the data given in the chapter notes so that it all tied together. If any discrepancies were found, make any chart changes, re-enter them in the book, and rewrite the text that refers to those changes.
3) Turn the book's text format into a ".pdf" file and forward it to the several astrologers who will be reviewing the book.
4) Commence checking the entire 200+ pages with a "style/grammar checking" software program while the book is being reviewed. At the same time begin to commence planning with the publisher.

There were several issues that seemed to be "holding up" this situation.
A) The house is being renovated -- three rooms have been given new oak flooring, the kind that is synthetic, waterproof, floats, and never needs polishing, etc.
B) The kitchen has been torn apart, the counter tops and island-table being replaced with granite counter-tops.
C) The walls are being resurfaced to correct the de-construction damage and painting is to be done.
D) A volunteer project for the town I live in, which was to have started in early September, has been delayed and is just now getting underway.
E) I had decided to upgrade my computer with some additional software, and ended up with a series of problems, including the loss of my .pdf-creating program. In the middle of this, my adopted daughter was doing a school project that involved producing a 15 minute video program --- all of which required my help and several days of acquiring and training on new software.

Nothing seemed to be getting done relative to the book work. I was getting quite frustrated. I got expert help from a family friend on helping my daughter with her video conversion issues, I found a source for .pdf software on the Internet (I didn't want to spend a $100-plus on Adobe software). I sat down and did much (I'm still finishing up on the corrections) of the book's review work. I put off some work, changed priorities, and made some decisions. In other words, I opened some doors and stopped crawling around inside the limited tower of endless projects for other people.

All of this took a bit more than 24 hours, actually covering a few days, but the lesson was well-learned. It is amazing how much of our life can be reflected in a single card. But, that is the essence of tarot, it just takes some time for us to see our own situation well, it is so easy to see what others are doing. My "affirmation" is a printed copy of my book as I go through each corrected/updated section, and the bit-by-bit progress of finishing the construction work a step-per-day (no more, no less, no matter what the wife says). The book also suggests, among many things, a few specific affirmation steps --- I've written a letter of thanks to go along with the book's electronic file which will be shortly sent out to the reviewers, I'm engaging in a volunteer-charity project, I've done something that I have been putting off (finishing this post and step), started to reorganize my den which is also a sort of home-office.

Step 21 is certainly a fitting object-lesson. If we really wish to study and live with Tarot, we have to be self-honest and committed. I'll be waiting for all/many of the list-participants to catch up with this would-be tarot reader. Dave
 

squeakmo9

From Adept Step 1 said:
Acitivity 1:3 is to shuffle our chosen deck and ask, "Who am I?" Draw a card, turn it over, say it's name, and self-observe your reactions. These are all noted in more detail in the book. As we learned at the Apprentice Level, these seemingly simple steps are important.

squeakmo9 said:
I'm using the Victorian Romantic 4 of Wands.
I drew this card yesterday and was a bit shocked. My head sort of jerked back, like "wha?". Then I took a closer look at it and the only thing I could conclude was that I walk to the beat of my own drum? I never thought much of the 4 of wands, not something that was for me, so I guess i never really thought highly of it. It's not one of the "deeper" cards. So this draw left me puzzled.

This is what I initially felt when I pulled the VR 4 of wands in 2007. Didn't really feel I understood or connected well with this card because of a notion that it was a "wedding" card. This was the interp taught when I first begun
studying tarot. It sort of stuck and as a result...I was sort of stuck in knowing what it could mean for me in this 21 ways adept level.
Recently upon meditating on the image of this card for this last step has really been a revelation, yet again. This 4 of wands has a simple lightness which adds purpose to my everyday life that I could not perceive before.
On this card there is a performance group of 4 woman. There is a drum and cymbals. A crowd appears to form and all seem to be enjoying themselves. The stage seems somewhat simple and standard. It serves its purpose, yes.
The number four made me think that I do desire more stability. More security--personally and professionally. As a hairdresser I have spent much money to go to classes and hone my craft. I think my mistake these 8 years was to be "the best" at what I do. What the VR 4 of wands reminds me-now-is that it is far more about the clients or general public that I serve.
This card also steadily reminds me that I am already fully capable to give forth the best AS IS.
The only thing that I must remember and implement is a knowing of this in order to open up. In these last few years I really complicated my life by believing that I "lacked" in general.
So its about a shift in attitude, in perception of self. I've gone to work this past week and felt really appreciative of those people that came in to have their hair done. I felt a lot lighter and was better able to relate that to our clients. It really was all about them, and in that I felt "fuller", certainly more peaceful and accepting.


In closing, my affirmation that I will continue with is as follows:
I am already whole and therefore able to give my best to others always.
 

dadsnook2000

For Squeaks

Nice conclusion. I know what you mean about "discounting" certain cards just because we don't like them, or because we have pegged them as having a certain obvious meaning. Aces were like that for me. I'll talk more about that later. Dave