21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- step FOUR

Willower

21 Ways: Step 4

Fey Tarot: The Chariot

(I had a really hard time with this step - despite my deepest wishes, I seem to lack a basic imagination sometimes :( )

I am a young princess, journeying to take part in a festival of dance. Although I love my country and wish one day to rule it, I have to follow my heart and indulge my passions now, before I have too many responsibilities. Nobody knows of my ‘flight’, and I am travelling secretly, feeling as if I am on an adventure. I arrive at the festival, and the time comes for me to perform my piece. I begin, and sparkling lights emerge as trails left by my movements. The audience is staring at me, enraptured and serene. My dance ends to thunderous applause and I realise that, for the first time, I have performed magic along with my dance. I am overjoyed – this is a sign to me that I am ready after all to become queen, and that I will be a good monarch, as I have inherited the natural talent for magic of my country’s best rulers. Through my adventure, I have brought together my duties and my passions, and now I will always have both of them in my life.

(I'll follow with the final part of the step in a bit, but I want to go back and read all the other stories first!)
 

tabi

Step Four: HUDES~~~The DEVIL

STEP 4:1 Story as an initial thought on the picture's contents:

Once there lived a man who had felt no sorrow, felt no guilt nor pain. He lived only by his anger and greed. Through them he felt it was his right to make others feel it too. One day he found a young couple making love, he thought that since they felt so much joy at the act that he should take it for his own. He swept the young couple up taking their joy way and instilling in himself. Once he had taken all of their joy away from them they were no longer in love nor could feel the joys of love or share it with one another again. Making the man even happier since he was able to take their love away from them too.

STEP 4:2 First Person Story:

I am sitting upon this Devil wondering what right he has to take my happiness away from me. I look across to see the man that I loved only to realize that he is no longer what I thought he was. Am I the one that has changed, as he changed, or is it the Devil that has stolen what was once ours away from us? All I can do now is still here crying hoping that I don't shatter from losing the only thing I've ever known.

STEP 4:3 How this relates to my present life:

I seriously hope this gets easier otherwise, I'm not so sure that I can complete this in it's entirity at least not on here.

If you read step three it is obviously a link between the two. My marriage got really bad at one point in time. Actually it was so bad that I had to be put on anti-depressants. Truthfully did feel like that first person story through a great deal of the last part of my marriage. It wasn't an easy thing to go through, nor do I wish it upon anyone else. I've also been giving a great deal of thought to whether or not I actually regret or wish to change anything from my marriage and/or past....the answer that I've come up with surprises and shocks me because it is: No, I absolutely love who I am now and I don't think I would be who I am if it wasn't for all of the things that I've had to deal with in the past including one of the darkest parts of it and truthfully the darkest part of my own soul.
 

dadsnook2000

For Tabi

It is often the case that the card we are drawn to is the card we need to see and to contemplate. The Devil is a card that few choose for exercises such as this or even to comment upon like in the specific-deck study groups section.

As I see it, the Devil is about our obsessions. Let's look at the Hude's Devil image. He holds two humans in his hands/wings, each facing--but not looking-- at each other. Each is curled up into themselves, perhaps crying or just feeling depressed or confused. Since both are unclothed, a standard tarot convention for innocence or candor, neither has much to hide although they are clearly hiding their own thoughts. From themselves? From each other? This might be one primary question to address.

The Devil character does not look cruel, vengeful, mad, angry, or whatever. Rather, he just "looks" out of the card without bias. His eyebrows, mustache and chin adornments look stylistic, not sinister or beastly. The problem seems not to be his! So, the circumstances are not of his or others making, in terms of how the image portrays it all. This might be a useful perspective as to where the source of the problem may be found. Perhaps between the curled figures --- there is a space there which is filled with the red color of the Devil, or the obsession.

Let's now look at what is behind the image. Let's look at just what an obsession might be! It is certainly, in my experience, something that carries forward in time feelings and beliefs that are long outmoded. These carry overs might now even be destructive all in their own right, not needing any current circumstances to support them. They just hand around, muddying up our lives. Believe me, I've learned this myself. It's taken close to 30 years to deal with one particular obsession.

Now, back to card image. This Devil holds the couple, one in each wing before him, as he looks outward without passion for the issues of the people. Is this a comfortable pose for him? Does he really need to hold-but-ignore them for an extended period of time? If you had two quarreling children on your lap, how long would you want to continue the situation? What might he want to do next? What would the next actions of the two individuals be if they were unceremoniously placed on the floor?

Other questions arise. Does the couple, individually, want the status of their discontent to continue? Does one influence the choices of the other? Are either or both of them afraid to change the status quo? If so, why?

This is the approach I'd take if this was my card, my situation. It is what we have learned through Mary's excellent guidance/book. It is what I meant about enlarging the card to find more meaning and help from it. Just a few suggestions which I sincerely hope is helpful. My intent is right, I hope the words are as right also. Dave
 

tabi

I've always found reading your words to be helpful Dave. It does provide another look at this particular card, especially since I don't have the book. Yes I did order it.

However for me this card has nothing to do with obsession, now some of the other Devil cards I've seen that would be the first thing or maybe second after temptation. But for me this one is different...not sure if it is due to my own reactions and responses to this group to begin with or if it is the view of this Devil.

I don't see him as evil, disinterested as you said would be an excellent word to use. I also don't find that to be a bad thing either at times. It is the couple that is really getting to me and getting to the darker parts of me that I thought I've dealt with but obviously haven't done as much as I could have.

I am going to let this sit for a bit and come back and re-read through your post to make sure that I'm completely understanding what it is you're saying. I do have problems catching all of the information on the first read so it does take me a few times to get it thoroughly through my head...it is a bit thick occassionally.
 

Jewel

For Tabi

Shoot! I had just typed up a rather lengthy post for you and hit some button and it just vanished!!!!!! So to sum up what it was about was the actual image of the two people on that card which is where your attention is drawn.

What I see in looking at the card itself (not your story or situation) is the two naked people as you described them. In addition to what Dave said about nudity, nudity can also be a symbol of the stripping of the ego, and certainly of vulnerability. I think what we see in this card is that vulnerability. Both figures are in an almost fetal position. I believe there is denial going on, and an innability on both of their parts to accept their personal level of responsibility or actions that got them where they are. As a result there is some shame, anger, guilt, self-pitty and dispair. In a very human manner it would be easy to see them blame each other, blame the devil, and other outside sources for the predicament, all the while not realizing they can leave when they want to. All they see is the situation they are in, nothing more. Together or apart they can leave. To me the devil in this card is a symbol of their own personal entrapment. The Devil itself seems more of an observer in this human drama, enjoying the contradiction of emotions that entraps them.
 

tabi

I get the feeling that you're both suggesting that I'm not expanding the card as much as I should be. I'm not seeing all of the possibilities of what the card could mean if I keep focusing on my own narrow view....so is that what I'm doing or are you just being helpfu?? Mind you I have yet to read the book so you're a step ahead of me here, well technically quite a few but you know what I mean. ;)
 

dadsnook2000

Yes, on the book

Having the book, and having had the time to absorb the book's manner in approaching the study of tarot cards, is essential if one is to most fully work within the group's approach to tarot. We've all been "conditioned" from our studies so that it is only natural for us to view the cards differently than someone who has not been exposed to the book.

So, yes, we are trying to guide you in certain ways, all with good intentions. I can promise you that we'll all get through this with a profound sense of sharing and support and greater sensitivity to using the tarot better for ourselves and for others. And we'll have so much fun doing it. Dave.
 

Jewel

For Tabi

Per my PM to you, having the book is very helpful in providing context and showing you concrete examples, but there is no right or wrong way to do the exercises, and I have that in writting from Mary herself *LOL*. If we have made you feel that way I can assure you that was not our intention :D

I completly agree with Dave's post. He and I are over half way through the Adept level steps, and have been working with this for almost 2 years, so our approach to looking at the cards has changed based on what we have learned and experienced. What we are doing is sharing things we see, not as criticism in the way you did the exercise, but to give you more food for thought and to share added points of view with you. In less time than you think you will be doing the same *LOL*. That is part of 21 Ways does to one *LOL*.
 

tabi

Well I was waiting on the book before I continue doing this unfortunately I haven't heard anything back yet from New Age Books. I think they are probably buried on a bunch of snow too. So I'm going to hold off a bit to see if I hear something from this week. Then come back and start here again...I hope. *crossing fingers*
 

Jewel

tabi said:
Then come back and start here again...I hope. *crossing fingers*
When you get your book I would recommend reading the Apprentice level portion of the chapter, review the work you did, and if you are satisfied with it move on to the next step. If you would like to re-do any of it then do it. I think having added context will help you determine what you want to do :D