21 Ways To Read A Tarot Card -- Step SEVEN

pacificwaters

Step 7: Queen of Pentacles (RWS)

7.1.1

Page of Pentacles:
- I have started thinking (Page) about how to utilize the vast resources (Pentacles) I have
- I have just embarked (Page) on the path of Wisdom (Pentacles)
- It’s just the beginning (Page) on the road of perseverance to gain my skill-set (Pentacles)

Eight of Swords:
- Escaping (eights) from strife (swords)
- Enlightenment towards a solution (eights) due to a sudden spark of intelligence (swords)
- Turning the situation my way (eights) by wit and strategy (Swords)

Wheel of Fortune:
- Universe (trump) tells me that time and tide (twos) don’t wait (fire)
- Face with zest (fire) the good and bad times (twos)
- Think and plan (twos) for your movement (fire) and your fortunes shall change (trumps)

Ace of Cups:
- Beginning (ace) of an emotional journey (cups)
- Overflowing of happiness (cups) with a boost (ace) in the venture
- Gut feeling (cups) says we should dive head long (Ace) into this

7.1.2

Queen of Pentacles:
- Thinking wisely (Queen) to achieve a state of abundance (Pentacles)
- Mothering and nurturing (Queen) so as to achieve wisdom (Pentacles)
- Appreciating (Queen) abundance (Pentacles)
- Providing a calming effect (Queen) and directing onto spirituality (Pentacles)
- Reflecting on the journey (Queen) amidst a bounty of nature (Pentacles)
- Composed and controlled (Queen) in a favorable phase of life (Pentacles)

The second part of the question that we have been asked to do is about selecting as to which statements from the chosen card apply for self as of now.

Of all the meanings that I could comprehend for my card, the Queen of Pentacles, I feel the first, third, fourth and fifth meanings ring a bell almost instantly…!

7.1.3 Further synthesis of story for self

As I went further on this card in this step, I realized that I am going deeper with the original Queen of Pentacles meaning than I had originally envisioned. While in steps 3 and 4 I posted how the Queen was about me thinking for what to do about my personal crisis, I dawned over the fact that while she is thinking of how to deal with that problem, she is also nurturing wisdom for self-development.
 

SatuGustafson

Great to see you're still at it. I have done the exercises up to Chapter 8 I think but I haven't had the time to post. I hope I'll be able to do that soon. :)
 

pacificwaters

Oh yes, I have decided to have a full-hearted go at this book. I "have" to finish all the exercises that are mentioned here, if not the Adept, at least the Apprentice. The exercises are definitely getting more encompassing as the level is rising, thus making the vision broader..!

Glad to know you too are at it. Looking forward to interacting as the lessons progress :)
 

Minnie

Guys i have hit a road block , i havent been able to do any of this course as ive had my kids home on school holidays now i just cant seem to get back into it .Its going to take me forever at this rate .
 

pacificwaters

Every time I finish a single step, I feel I have achieved a milestone with regards to this book and study. So yes, starting onto a chapter requires a big effort, and obviously a bit of time. With kids around, time for study is understandably a rare commodity. Still I would strongly recommend you to keep at it. Read the chapter, and possibly the next time when you are free, jot down a bit.Keep at it until the chapter is over. Even if it might take more days, you would like the fact that you at least advanced a bit. Like I said every chapter makes me feel I have achieved a milestone...you too would feel the same Minnie.

All the very best ...!!
 

rubikscubefreak

21 Ways - Step Seven

Tarot of the Silicon Dawn (pentacles are fire; wands are earth)

7:1.1)
  • Page of Pentacles: A young boy who is passionate about his childhood dreams and fantasies. Someone who is deeply entrenched in juvenile flights of fancy.
  • 8/Swords: A very determined answer to a difficult problem. An over-enthusiastic response to a conflict.
  • Wheel of Fortune (simply Fortune in this deck): An aggressive new beginning, it's coming whether you like it or not. Courageously alone.
  • Ace of Cups: A new relationship on the horizon. The birth of new feelings and emotions.

7:1.2) 6/Swords:
  • Having the responsibility to solve the problem in front of you.
  • Working up a game plan for success.
  • There will be a reward if you can get through this current trial.
  • Integrating the knowledge you've accumulated to overcome your difficulties.

This card relates to my life right now in that I am preparing for an interview next week. I'm currently making up a mental list of everything I need to do this weekend in order to make the interview go as smoothly as possible.

7:1.3) This card is about using all of your knowledge in order to solve a problem. There are several different approaches that can be taken; one, however, is better than the rest. Once that problem is solved, the rewards will be great.
 

agate_fern

So I haven't posted any of my exercises, but I've recently purchased this book and have been working through them. I've been reading everyone's responses on here as I've gone along though. I'm on step 7 now and I feel like I've hit a road block. Me and synthesis do not seem to get along. I just see keywords and I can't put them together for the life of me. Anyone else have this problem? From reading some of the threads here it doesn't seem like it. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm feeling pretty defeated. Thoughts?
 

fractalgranny

step 7 - 21 ways - crow's magick: page of cups

page of pentacles
page: the panther bounding down the steps is full of strength and energy.
coins/earth: rich, juicy, earthy – there is something very sensuous about the panther’s strength.

a panther bounds down the steps of an illuminated tunnel. i see strength, determination and boundless energy. this is happening underground, and this panther knows his/her way “down there” because he is that – of the earth.


eight of swords

i am trying to build my own numbers system, not according to occult ideas, but according to what seem to be ideas commonly associated with numbers.

eight is associated with the octave in music. expressed in 80%, or “8 out of 10”, it is also a number seen as nearing completion or perfection (in school, one would receive between a B and an A for 80%). most of us cannot immediately visualize eight things (it usually stops at 6). that means that it is a vague expression for “many”. it also merits being broken down into two fours, thus bringing a lot of stability. the roundness and obvious symmetry of the number is also remarkable, as well as the fact that many people associate it with the sign for eternity.

for the suit of swords, associated with the element of air, the keyword “cold” comes to mind, as well as the keywords “narrow, long, sharp” and “intellect”.

in this image, a copper coloured bird flies behind eight swords, which are arranged geometrically in such a way as to imply a barrier, perhaps something like a window grille. there are only two colour schemes in this card (in this deck that typically has more colours), so the word “narrow” resonates particularly strongly. if the bird wants out, it seems that it cannot come out this way; we don’t know if there is any other way. perhaps if it made itself very small it could make its way through one of the openings but the bird does not seem to be aware of this possibility. without any context, this card could be signifying a situation where someone is (apparently?) trapped by the (seeming?) sharpness of their mind. too rational/logical for their own good?

wheel of fortune

the major arcana keywords that came up for me were “universe in motion” and “ideas”.

this universe is definitely in motion! that’s what the idea is all about. a silver disk that appears to be in motion, with a prehistoric flying lizard flying off to the upper left and a bird of prey flying off to the lower right. there is no standstill, there is no time for rest in this card. the wheel goes round and round and round; no point in resisting it.

ace of cups

aces: one of the keywords for the aces is “essence” and that very much speaks to me here.

cups: the keyword “fullness” seems to apply, as well as the idea of the imagination nurtured by intuition.

this large alabaster cup carries the essence of intuition and imagination in full abundance. the eight golden bird silhouettes flying about close and in the distance have all been nourished by this essence; they are a symbol of imagination taking flight.

crow's magick, page of cups

this card centers around a reptile eagerly jumping out of a circle. it's almost like a puppy. its mouth is open, we can see its red tongue. it's camouflage-coloured. apart from the circle, six geometric, sigil-like elements can be seen on the card, all drawn in faint gold. from upper left to lower right they are three dots arranged in a triangle, an almost square rectangle, a zig-zag line, three rectangles connected by lines (a bit like a flowchart) and something that looks the head and shoulders of a one-eyed stick figure. the card's background is black (as all crow's magick cards). in the upper part, we can see flecks of green and red and gold that could be interpreted as cosmic dust. three astronomical symbols can be seen in the lower left corner (pisces, cancer and virgo).

let’s listen:

page of cups: “oh, this is so exciting! so much to do and see and smell here! the whole universe is my oyster! i’m wagging my tail!

some call me “unearthly” and “mystical” – but that’s just one side of me. the happy tail-wagging puppy is another side. i romp through the cosmos, sometimes making a fool of myself, other times learning; sometimes breaking things with my unbridled enthusiasm, and often people, animals and things just like me. can you see my camouflage colours? i look a little like a chameleon but i am my own animal. there is only one of me but depending on circumstances, you might think you see something or someone you know. that is true, to a degree. but there is more of me, and there is “other” of me – the strange glyphs and symbols around me speak of that. sometimes i know what they mean, sometimes i don’t. sometimes they say one thing, the next another. everything is in flux, always.

the cup above me – i drink of it. as you can see, i am well fed by my other the queen of cups. feel my scales, how strong and silky they are. look at my talons – they are strong, too, and help me keep a grip on what’s underneath. i need that because otherwise i might endlessly fly through the ether. this is just like the cup. the cup holds the liquid that would otherwise dissipate. i love this cup – i love alabaster, better than marble. i love its smoothness, its coolness, i love how it makes me think of the moon.”

the cup is steady, serene, quietly watchful. the cup thinks, “this is just the way it’s supposed to be. i feel grounded as i stand here. i enjoy watching my excited little page. sometimes i’m a little worried but he needs to make his own mistakes. still, i am always ready to give, to help in case something untoward happens.”

here is the story of how it all came to be:

once upon a time, there was an egg. the queen of cups sat on it, clucked over it for a long, long time. one day, the egg cracked open and out came a tiny, beautiful little lizard. it was dark green, with golden spots on its head. it grew very fast, she could see it grow! as soon as she felt it was safe, the queen of cups flew away to find some tasty morsels for the beautiful baby. when she came back at sundown, she was shocked – her beautiful lizard baby was gone, and replaced by a much larger flaming-orange lizard child. has it eaten her beautiful lizard baby? but as she screeched nearer, ready to tear this impostor with her talons, she noticed something familiar about it. her big mother shadow covered it, and before her eyes she see the creature turn into something brown and ashen that almost disappeard in her nest of twigs. she smelled it – and it was her baby! over the next days she saw how this child, growing constantly, eating everything that she offered it, changed colours as easily as the clouds moved across the sky. soon the day came when the child grew too big for the nest. it began exploring the tree of the galaxies, where the two lived. he helped her build a bigger nest. the child, whom she named page of cups, showed an early ability for the mystical, up there in the unearthly world where they lived. and one day he said, “mother, queen of cups, i am ready to go out into the galaxy, and further, into the wild cosmos and beyond.” her heart stood still. this is what she had feared all along. and yet, she was a good mother and knew that she had to let him go, her excited, cosmic boy child, because that was what he needed to do: the cosmos and beyond were waiting for him to become its explorer.

later on, when the two talk about it, the page says, “i change all the time! first my mother did not understand it, and thought i was an intruder. i couldn’t understand that SHE wasn’t changing all the time; her big, wide wings were always golden, never black or blue or green.”

and his mother adds: “he was such a beautiful little lizard. and how i enjoyed his easy nature. oh, i wanted to have this beautiful child around me forever! but i knew in my bones that one day he would outgrow me. he showed an early ability for the mystical – but with all his unearthiness, he is also loyal.”
 

fractalgranny

So I haven't posted any of my exercises, but I've recently purchased this book and have been working through them. I've been reading everyone's responses on here as I've gone along though. I'm on step 7 now and I feel like I've hit a road block. Me and synthesis do not seem to get along. I just see keywords and I can't put them together for the life of me. Anyone else have this problem? From reading some of the threads here it doesn't seem like it. I'm not sure what to do at this point. I'm feeling pretty defeated. Thoughts?

i don't know if it was in this thread or somewhere else where i read advice on how to cobble keywords together. let's say you have

tired
home life
sunny
temptation

you start with a simple sentence that incorporates the first word.

"i was very tired."

then you make another simple sentence with the same subject ("i" in this case).

"my home life was not the greatest."

then you use a word like "because", "and", "although" (a conjunction http://www.writingcentre.uottawa.ca/hypergrammar/conjunct.html) to put them together. e.g.

"i was very tired because my home life was not the greatest."

"then" or "suddenly" is a good word to go on when you don't know how to keep the same thought going. e.g.

"then one day it was very sunny, so i couldn't resist the temptation to take a day off."

my suggestion - have fun with it, and don't get overly concerned with trying to make sense of it all. hope this helps.
 

Hemera

Step Seven~Vampyres ~ the Empress

7:1
Page of Pentacles: In this deck she is a Daughter of Skulls. She is the only one of the four Daughters (Pages) that looks very immature and childish.
*slow vegetative growth (gardening, plants)
*slow practical and concrete projects (building house, being pregnant)
*inexperienced, naïve, childish
*superficial, shallow, likes the cute things in nature (birds and bunnies) but is fearful of the darker side of it (birds and bunnies being somebody else´s food)
*stubborn and slow to change but a reliable friend and ally

Eight of Swords: This is Eight of Knives in this deck. There is a hairy horned creature -very much like the ones in the Sun and Devil cards. There is a lot of energy since he is very muscular. But the energy is all bound up and restricted.
The Hanged Man is trapped like this, too. And there are water lilies in the 5/Chalices. Also all of the Kings have helmets with horns.
*Do something about it!
*Do not stay where you are or you´ll perish!
*Wait it out and just watch the water lilies float.
* A sulking teenager that didn´t get what he wanted, Drama Queen.
*Powerless, trapped by something (conservative thinking?) or someone
*Why am I here? Why have I been abandoned?
Interesting contradiction here about waiting it out but also the need to do something or else one will perish like the ones before him (the skeletons at the background) The sign of Gemini is engraved on one of the wooden poles and maybe that reflects the duality of this card?

The Wheel of Fortune: It is called the Wheel in this deck. It is a card of opportunities and ups and downs.
*What outer/inner change will come?
*What outer/inner changes will be needed?
*Are you going with the flow?
*seasons changing, harvest
*the ups and downs of life

This is a deck of roses: There is a rose at the back of each card and there are roses of different color present in most cards, either real roses or as tattoos, lace, jewelry. (Quick count: there are roses in 50 cards of this deck!) Roses are symbols of each Suit. The Wheel has 10 lovely luminous roses of different colors. Red Roses: Passion, love, energy, vitality. The Suit of Scepters (Wands) . Pink roses: love, children, softness, gentleness. Yellow roses: freedom, joy. The Suit of Knives (Swords). Orange roses: optimism, energy, warmth and joy. Blue/Purple roses: Spiritual matters, mysteries. Suit of Skulls (Pentacles). Green roses: Spring, new growth, renewal, optimism, growth, emotions. Suit of Grails (Cups). The Wheel unites the four suits, all the Elements in them and is a focus of all the roses and rose symbolism of this deck.
The rose is “at once a symbol of purity and lust, heavenly perfection and earthy passion, virginity and fertility, death and life…It is a symbol of transmutation –taking nourishment from the earth and turning it into a beautiful fragrant flower. That the flowers blossom by unfolding is symbolic of spiritual opening “. (Ian Daniels in the companion book)
There are three strange animals on the wheel: Half-panther Vampyre, serpent-Vampyre and a sphinx-like creature. Ian Daniels says they represent the seasons and the cycles of growth and decay.

Ace of Cups: Ace of Grails in this deck. The suit color is luminous mint green and the Chalice is surrounded by green roses. There are green stones (Emeralds?) on the Chalice.
*New era
*New period about to start
*Serenity tranquility, grace
*Optimism, spring, growth
*Emotions, love
*The dark womb of mystical growth and divine love
*The Alchemical vessel of transformation

The chosen card: The Empress
I think I see this card more and more as the archetypal Great Goddess. She is the Evil Mother and Good Mother in one. She is growth, love and decay and she is all the inexorable forces of Mother Nature. She is gentle and good -and she is Death. She is the bird and bunny and she is the fox and wolf that eat them.
Marija Gimbutas writes about the Neolithic Bee Goddess: She can release a virulent poison that can kill people but at the same time she can heal." According to her, Porphyry (300AD) writes that "Souls are Bees and the Priestess of Bees (called Melissa) draw down souls to be born"- which I think is a lovely metaphor. (There is the Bee in this card right above the Empress head).
She is a regenerative Goddess and the Lady of Wild Animals.

Personally: I need to come to terms with the loss of my mother. I need to spin gold of the straw she gave me.