The Strategic Response ~ Tarot for 16 Dec 2016

I confess I have over a dozen different tarot decks. I plan to spend some time working with individual decks next year in an effort to get to know each one. But for today, I decided to use the Gilded Tarot deck. I find its symbolism interesting with its use of mechanical devices and I love the colors used in this deck.

The Wheel of Fortune is interesting in any tarot deck, but the Gilded Tarot takes a different view of it. A mechanical device with all its cogs and gears provides the mechanism that spins the astrological wheel. Planets are in the background, again suggesting a planetary influence affecting our future. The Wheel teaches us to go with the flow, to let go of the need to control every aspect of our lives. When the Wheel appears, good fortune is ahead.

The next two cards are Court cards. When Court cards appear in a reading they indicate either an individual or aspects of. Swords and Wands are represented suggesting an interaction between Elemental Air and Fire, our intellectual and creative aspects of self.

The King of Swords sits on his throne in all his finery, his sword in his right hand. He looks to his right, slight amusement evident on his face. But look closely and you’ll see that he floats above overseeing his land, indicative of his stature. His intelligence has served him well in life, his careful planning and analysis assuring a positive outcome.

The fiery colors of the Knight of Wands indicates passion and enthusiasm. The Knight seeks action and adventure, his sword at his side, his horse his valiant companion. He’s responsible and self-reliant, but more focused on adventure than the King.

The numerology of this reading is one, or new beginnings. Only the Wheel of Fortune is considered as the 10th card, the Court cards aren’t numbered. This is synchronous with  the numerology of 2017, also one.

We think about balancing our intellect with our creativity. But I have to wonder if this new beginning indicates the necessity of a new approach. Clearly we’re in uncharted waters now. We have no clue how the next four years will unfold although it’s probably safe to draw our own conclusions. Instead of balancing our intellect and our creative side, what if we used each to reinforce the other. If our worst fears are confirmed, then we’ll need to meet those challenges with an new sense of urgency, reinforcing our intellect with our passion. I feel the need to rev up instead of finding balance to stay ahead of the game.

The cyclical nature of the Wheel indicates that we may need to let things play out so that we have the fullest understanding possible of what’s to come. Ours will be a strategic response, executed at precisely the right moment. Like the King of Swords, we’ll use our intellectual presence to analyze and plan our response. And like the Knight of Wands, we’ll use our passion and creativity to bring truth to bear.

Until then, we wait..and we watch.

Blessed be.