jeannefiorini

I took my own advice about gaining a new perspective, and am happy to report that the tide has definitely shifted.

It’s hard to learn to think differently ’cause you can only think what you think until something comes in to help you think differently. And that “coming in” doesn’t happen easily, especially since the mind is usually about as flexible as a jailhouse door.

But with the help of a friend’s insightful Tarot reading and what I suspect is a simple matter of timing (and perhaps an auspicious alignment of stars and planets), my jailhouse doors are beginning to rattle open.

Shake-ups can be a good thing. Along with the inception of a personal organization business called “She’s NEAT,” I’ve decided to more-regularly use those Tarot decks I own but which are rarely brought out for professional readings.

Different Tarot authors/artists interpret the 78 pieces of the Tarot through different lenses, and so the use of a variety of Tarot decks can not only bend the iron bars of the mind, but can offer up some pretty interesting visual cues as well. This is the topic of today’s Tale From The Tarot Table.

NOTE: I’ve produced a YouTube video  (“Love the One You’re With”) demonstrating the importance of paying attention to the Tarot deck in front of you, and of not making the erroneous assumption that card meanings are equivalent across the board.

For the specific client in question I chose the “Secret Tarot,” published in 2004 by Lo Scarabeo, a kind of European U.S. Games.

My friends and I have perversely nicknamed this deck “The Sex Deck” because many of the images look like they belong on truckers’ mud flaps rather than on esoteric cards displaying the wisdom of the ages (see the Strength card at left). At the same time, the Secret Tarot’s Queen of Swords (right) made it onto my Pinterest board as “The Best Tarot Card of Its Kind.”

For the particular client for whom the Secret Tarot was chosen, there were several unique applications that spoke to us during our session:

1. The Secret Tarot’s Queen of Wands (shown above top) is languidly seated, and depicted in muted colors. This interpretation is a stark contrast to most other Tarot decks where the Queen of Wands is either sitting upright or standing, is draped in brightly colored fabric , and emits a guns-a-blazin’ attitude.  The Secret Tarot’s more-reserved posture here clearly displays the more-effective manner by which to wield personal power at the present time.

2. The 10 of Wands, rather than feeling oppressive, tired, and at the end of one’s rope, shows us another quietly confident woman, this one poised at a gateway that seems to be creaking open. Stately and regal, this 10 of Wands again conveys the notion that relentless self-possession will win the day. Rather than a traditional interpretation of “exhaustion,” this card offers “release” and “possibilities.”

3. The highlight of our session was the appearance of the 6 of Swords. I sincerely doubt that any other version of this card could have been more evocative of our client’s situation. 

About the only thing the Secret Tarot’s 6 of Swords has in common with most other cards at this position in the Tarot is that there is a man and a woman in a boat, a boat that appears to be moving from one shore to another. Most all other details of this card differ from the crowd and were specifically relevant to our querent’s life:

While they are in the same boat, the man and the woman in this boat are facing in different directions. In the background we see a grand house, which we are left to assume is their home. The man sits, facing the rear of the boat (i.e. “the past”) and the woman stands at the helm like the Nike of Samothrace, facing the right side of the card (“the future”). Yes, there are six swords in the card, but three of them aim toward the left and three aim toward the right. Unspoken conflict and cross purposes are spelled out at every turn.

A more apt description of this woman’s marriage could not have been spoken.

If we had used a different Tarot deck for the session, we would not have gotten one quarter of the insight and information that came from these few cards.

So remember: At least when it comes to the Tarot, Love The One You’re With!

All card images from the Secret Tarot (c) Lo Scarabeo

Jeanne Fiorini is available to use whatever Tarot deck you’d like to help you gain clarity, insight, and confidence about what matters most in your life. Visit the TarotWorks site for the holiday gift guide where you can find Gift Certificates and Unique Tarot Goods for your holiday giving.