Vulnerability

[Firewind17]

I've been feeling particularly vulnerable lately
and believe it is about lack of emotional support.
I've been trying to figure out a card to use as
significator in readings and working with this
issue but not sure which to use. Any ideas, opinions
would be appreciated. Thank you.

 

[Libra8ca]

Since you're lacking the support you feel you need, and have had to rely on your own inner strength, I would pick the Strength card as a significator. Also, I really like the Strength card

 

[Glass Owl]

The Empress would be a good choice for loving support.

 

[WalesWoman]

Instead of using a significator, why don't you randomly draw a card for what's at the root of your feelings and work from that or create your reading around that card?

 

[euripides]

which deck are you using? I find the personalities in my decks can vary quite dramatically.

Though I would think that any card that you've usually used as a significator would be fine, because there's more to you than the vulnerability, you know? It's an interesting idea, choosing a significator to focus in on it though.

I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on using Tarot to work through this issue, as I relate to some aspects of it.

 

[Firewind17]

I do think that the Strength card would be good here for
being with this until I can perhaps change the situation.
I didn't consider and I appreciate the feedback on what is
causing this. In working thru this I might be better off
considering cards to use as representations for that problem.

Part of the problem is introversion in the extreme which makes it
difficult to do the prep-work necessary to develop real
relationships. Maybe looking at the Hermit?
I also, maybe as a result of the introversion, don't feel
very confident in social situations. I'm also sort of a
Queen of Swords type and am not perfect at monitoring
what comes out of my mouth. I am kind, but have a
tendency to "cut-through" too too -can't think of a good
word here.-well. I read recently that we actually need to
advertise who we really are as people will eventually
figure it out anyway. If we extrovert who we are, we attract
those who will appreciate us and detract the ones who will not.
Both of those things being good in the long run. I liked this
when I read it as it made sense to me. I guess it is just hard
for me to face the long, drawn out pain that goes with the
"detracting" part of that as you try to find the people who
you "will" attract. So back to Strength and Fortitude perhaps.

 

[re-pete-a]

I do think that the Strength card would be good here for
being with this until I can perhaps change the situation.
I didn't consider and I appreciate the feedback on what is
causing this. In working thru this I might be better off
considering cards to use as representations for that problem.

Part of the problem is introversion in the extreme which makes it
difficult to do the prep-work necessary to develop real
relationships. Maybe looking at the Hermit?
I also, maybe as a result of the introversion, don't feel
very confident in social situations. I'm also sort of a
Queen of Swords type and am not perfect at monitoring
what comes out of my mouth. I am kind, but have a
tendency to "cut-through" too too -can't think of a good
word here.-well. I read recently that we actually need to
advertise who we really are as people will eventually
figure it out anyway. If we extrovert who we are, we attract
those who will appreciate us and detract the ones who will not.
Both of those things being good in the long run. I liked this
when I read it as it made sense to me. I guess it is just hard
for me to face the long, drawn out pain that goes with the
"detracting" part of that as you try to find the people who
you "will" attract. So back to Strength and Fortitude perhaps.

Try the FOOL,
That is a card of trusting , of leaping into the unknown unprepared except for trust. Of being rather than planing.
From what your saying it feels as though your trying to create a personality type, instead of being you.
People are attracted by you, then put off again by pretenses. The energy you put into designing a you, to suit you,is enormous. The end results are usually a dissatisfied and lost soul.
BEING YOU is effortless in comparison . The rest of the energy would go to adventuring into your life.

Being vulnerable is the best thing that you could ask for. The FOOL is the fool because it doesn't mind being open and vulnerable. Better a reed in a raging storm than a solid oak.
Enjoy your journey .

 

[Thirteen]

Hanged Man

The Hermit is strong introvert. He wants to be alone and is not vulnerable in his aloneness (I always feel that if anyone attacked him he'd whack them over the head with that lantern ). What you're after if the Hanged Man. That's the "I'm vulnerable and solitary," card. It's the card about being open and sensitive to everything. That's it's purpose, to be that open however scary and awkward it is. To get there you'll have sacrificed whatever armor you were wearing, sacrificed the upright position of being on your own feet and steady, sacrificed even how you look at the world, and you'll have separated yourself from others.

You may have done all this willingly, but it still feels like you have no protection, no support. You feel helpless hanging there, and, as you say, it seems like what you say or do is all "inverted"--meaning upside down or wrong, because you're not on the same wave-length as everyone else. Not in the same "space" or position.

Set the Hanged Man down, shuffle the deck well, and do a spread asking what you need to see or how you need to change to finally come out of this vulnerable state. Also, you can go through the deck and decide what you want to come out as. The World would probably be good as it's the Hanged Man righted, where you are a master of the world, so stable on your feet you can dance without mis-step, and in tune with everyone you meet. It's the extrovert card, the card of competency.

So either meditate on coming out of Hanged Man into World, or ask the deck "How to I transform from this to that?"

Remember, the Hanged Man may indicate a very vulnerable and muddled state, but you're in it for a reason; if nothing else, then to give your brain, spirit and emotions the down-time they need to rest, reflect, see things different and just absorb the world rather than interact with it. You *will* come out of that state. But your time in it may be necessary and maybe you won't be able to rush it. Also, to come out you may need to sacrifice something you haven't sacrificed yet and/or admit that something you thought was one way isn't that way at all. You stay that way till you see, feel, understand what you need to see, feel, understand.

 

[Anastacia]

I see the High Priestess as extreme introversion - the balance is the Magician, extreme extroversion.
For meditation I would probably set up the two of them with the 2 of cups between them and leave them set up. Over a few days I'd draw one card a day for processing and meditation as representing growth towards personal integration

 

[Firewind17]

Your posts are very helpful in my being able to see
all this more clearly. I suspect that I haven't been able to
see the proverbial forest for the proverbial trees.

All my life I have been the happy Hermit. Content
and wallowing happily in aloneness with a multitude
of interests and philosophic and spiritual seekings to
keep me enthralled with life.

Circumstances put me in situations over the last few
years, however, where I was alone way more often than
any human being should be. Very unhealthy. Think
Howard Hughs

Seeing this, yes, I did attempt to change how I related
to the world and went on a quest to become more open
to being around people in a healthy way. But having lived
most of my life as a Happy Hermit, I had never developed
the skills to interact in the world in a way that could
change my "unhealthy solitude" ways. And I needed to do
something fairly quickly. I attempted to do that, I'm quite
sure, in all the wrong ways as I was floundering around, not
quite knowing "how" to do it. What resulted was a couple of
years of feeling as tho I was walking around among people
naked. In some ways this was ok as I like who I am but
in others, after decades of Happy Hermiting, it felt fairly
excrutiating.

My main Quest now as a Hermit is to learn to Communicate
in a somewhat normal way with the world so that I can go
back to my Happy Hermiting without the "way too much-
Howard Hughs" solitude. Finding that balance is a trial
and error, hit and miss kind of proposition.

I do identify with the High Priestess and oddly enough, with
the Magician. And perhaps adding the World card to the mix
as I am or it feels as tho I am attempting as bravely as possible
to learn to maneuver in the world in a healthy way.

I forgot to answer the question about the deck I'm using. I just
use index cards w/o art, remaking them as my situation changes,
labeling from the many meanings of each card what feels might
be most helpful in my current circumstance. I also use one plain
deck for when I wish to use a more Intuitive approach.

Your posts have helped immensely in my getting more clear on what
my situation is. It did not feel clear, rather very muddled. I have
a better view of not only "where" I am in this, but also "where" I'm
going. I so appreciate your help with this. Blessings to all.