The BloG
Major concepts. minor musings.
2024: The Year of Strength - Year in Review
Strength is a multi-faceted card, and I don’t think we can fully understand it without first looking at the imagery, because it really is the root of all of the various elements to the card. One of the things I love most about it is the fact that the term ‘Strength’ is so overtly masculine, and yet, the card itself expresses a feminine energy. We often associate the word with force, endurance and physical strength, which has very masculine associations, but the beauty of this card is that it encourages us to question that narrative. The woman in the card is clearly no match for the physical might of a lion, and yet, she is able to open the lion’s mouth.
She has not attempted to capture and dominate the lion, forcing it to open its mouth. Rather, she has befriended the lion, and he is allowing her to open his mouth. To dominate the lion is to operate from a place of fear and create a powerful enemy. To befriend the lion is to operate from a place of compassion, despite the vulnerable position it puts her in, and create a powerful friend. So, which approach is really ‘stronger’, after all?
In Love, Give Me Pentacles. In Career, Give Me Cups.
AND NO, I DIDN’T GET THAT ROUND THE WRONG WAY…
One of the very first things I learned about the tarot, and I’m sure many others did too, is that the minor arcana suits can be broken down in the following way:
To Reverse or Not to Reverse, That Is The Question
It’s one of the biggest questions asked by all of us when we’re just starting to read tarot cards. Should you read with reversals or not? And if you do read with reversals, what do the reversed cards mean? Are reversals the negative meaning? What if the card is already a difficult energy card… does that make the reversal positive? Do we even need reversals at all?
Self-Doubt and Reading Responsibly
Tarot readers, and spiritual readers of any kind, wield a lot of power when conducting a reading. It’s a responsibility I have always taken very seriously, but a recent experience on the other side of the table, so to speak, has given me further insight into just how much power a reader holds, and I have been even further humbled by the fact that people continue to choose me to hold that space for them, in many cases repeatedly…
Before You Throw Out Your Tarot Guidebook…
When learning tarot, it can feel like all tarot readers, teachers and mentors are telling you to put down your tarot guidebook and reading materials, that there are no right or wrong interpretations, and that the best way to learn tarot is to, quite simply, read tarot.
And I do agree with this sentiment.
There is no one ‘right’ way to read tarot. Your best readings won’t be done reciting meanings you’ve memorised from a textbook, and you’ll learn your most valuable lessons about the tarot in pulling cards and reading them.
But this can be a confusing message to receive as a tarot newbie.
I mean, if you’re supposed to be ripping up the metaphorical tarot rulebook and putting down your study tools, is there really any point in studying the tarot at all?