My "Influences" Reading

[KMilliron]

For the spread direct yourself here http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=155747

For this particular reading I was looking at the influence of my siblings and their drug use on my day to day life.

***Things to note***
Deck- Necronomicon.
I at one point refer to a book I borrowed from my sister. 'twas an autobiography of a woman in the sex business. Ties into the card it's mentioned with because subject of said card is a harlot.

Now to begin.

Card one- Self. King of disks. Refers to my obvious trait of constantly having to be in control. I prefer my comfort zone and confident of my protection within it. I note the king as a symbol of maturity, and the book in his arm, representing knowledge or informed choices.

Card two- My brothers view on drugs and getting high. Ill-dignified Moon. I interpreted this as my brothers foolhardy stance on the dangers of drugs. His actions don't just endanger himself but everyone around him. I would have assumed initially this card would represent his lack of knowledge regardingthe danger, but considering I know he knows what his getting into I can see this as his point blank refusal to care.

Card three- Why my brother chooses drugs. King of wands ill-dignified. Yum, it's daddy drama. I interpreted this card as a lack of discipline of power and of confidence but no lack of lack. Self medication may sometimes be the easiest medication, though most definitely not the best.

Card four- My sisters take on her hobbies. Six of Pentacles. The picture depicts a trade between two people. Ahhh tarot even you seem to be up to date on the town gossip. Yes my sister is a dealer. How clever little deck. Even if I don't see this as literal business or trade I still recognize it as a sacrifice of one thing for another and apparently my sister believes it's worth it.

Card Five- Why my sister turned to drugs. Queen of swords ill defined. First thing I thought of was "indecent" and a excerpt of it consisting of women using sexuality as power and some going so far to exercise said power through prostitution. Not saying my sisters a prostitute, but is this about lack of sexuality; power; acceptance? And if this is the aforementioned trade; is it worth it?

Card six- How my brothers usage influences my life. King of swords inverted. Passive rather than aggressive; introverted above extro; and the intent to heal rather than harm. All of those were qualities I held before my brother started doing drugs, but with hindsight I notice I didn't actively practice it until one of my brothers first "psycho attacks"

Card 7- Influence of my sisters use. The star. It took me a while to get. Drug use makes me feel anything but safe. But then I noticed that there weren't any other people there, the subject was secluded. Her back was turned to where civilization was most likely located and she was reaching for a star. Not just my sisters drug use, but my sisters everything, makes me lose faith in humanity and try to seek something better.

Card eight- Combined influence. Eight of wands inverted. A lack of passion, which as an Aries I strive on. Overwhelming odds. Decrease in creativity, which is another thing I have been trying so hard to put my finger on. I used to strive in visual arts until I started spending art classes catching up on sleep I lost answering questions for the police, and as I had to keep an eye on our younger brothers I never had spare time.

Really glad I did this spread because people would always ask if my siblings usage effected my life. I'd always say yes but I'd never be able to list any specifics. Definitely useful and I'd like comments or other takes on my reading. Thanks.

-KM

 

[Topsy]

First off, I salute you for typing all this out on an iPod. You certainly have more patience than me! XD I think most of your interpretation is very well explained, but there were a few places where I disagreed or had extra thoughts.

The Moon: This card makes SO much sense here. For your brother, there is a certain seductive attraction in the danger, the mystery, the illicitness of drugs. The Moon can be darkly seductive; it is sweet and beautiful in the dark sky, but it has the power to pull entire oceans this way and that. It is deceptive. The drugs entice him and he cannot (or simply doesn't choose to) resist, dangerous though they are.

Interestingly, the cards for why your brother and sister chose drugs are both courts, making me think that there are other people in the picture who introduced them to the habit or are influencing them to keep using drugs. And with them being a King and Queen rather than the younger court cards, it made me think older friends or someone they look up to.

The King of Swords inverted - I think this is referring to how your life has been "turned upside down", so to speak, and you no longer feel in control of the situation. This king has lost all the power, control and decisive judgment he had when upright. You want to do something about the situation, but feel indecisive and unsure of yourself. You wonder whether you should judge them harshly, as the King of Swords would, or be more compassionate? There's no easy answer.

I always see The Star as a very solitary card. You need its message of hope at times when you feel like it's you against the world. Both the woman in the image and the solitary star in the sky seem lonely and separated from others of their kind. I think this card could be referring to how your sister's drug habit is driving a gulf between the two of you and cutting her off from her family and friends. And when she's high, she may as well be that star in the sky, because she's not here on earth with you anymore. She's escaped to somewhere completely different, and like that star, she's oblivious to the world and everything going on around her.

The 8 of Wands reversed shows that overall, this situation feels like a stalemate. You mention that their actions are forcing you to take responsibility for your younger siblings and even stopping you attending classes. You cannot move forward in life in the way you want because you are tied to your siblings' situation and they seem unlikely to change anytime soon.

Sorry it's so downbeat, but I can't really see much positive in this reading. You might want to do another reading, asking what the best course of action would be to help your siblings and change the situation.

Tarot aside, on a purely practical note, there are plenty of drugs charities out there that welcome contact from families of those using drugs. I'm sure they could give you some support and advice about how best to deal with your siblings.

 

[KMilliron]

Trust me, I knew it'd be down beat from the get go. As for your comment on the court cards I knew my brother was introduced to drugs by two females his age. As for my sister, I don't know who first got her hooked. All I knew is (even though she's older than my brother, who is actually younger than me) my sister didn't become active in drugs until after my brother.