A Change In Perspective ~ Tarot for 27 November 2017

A change in one’s perspective is necessary especially when loving communication is no longer possible. We want to blame everyone else when in truth, the conflict begins within. Decisions regarding others are made, harsh judgments levied, with schisms the result. At some point, when these things keep happening, it makes sense to look inward at our own participation. As I looked at the tarot cards for today, the theme of change jumped out at me with an emphasis on will over compassionate interaction. All elemental energies are present and the overall numerology is five or change.

I like this spread because I can look at the initial three cards as general influences or any other triple aspected influences if it seems appropriate. I’m less about asking questions in a reading than I am about the daily influences that the cards are suggesting, so I rarely begin with a particular question.

The 7 of Wands can be interpreted in a variety of ways but when looking at it in relation to the other two cards in the row it feels more like someone’s will is affecting loving and compassionate communication. In this card of Elemental Fire, six white branches are lined up, three on each side, leaning into each other. A single black branch appears in the center, its flamed tip lighting the background. Other interpretations may suggest standing in one’s own power, but in this case, it feels more like a battle of individual will with one person victorious at the expense of everyone else. It may suggest victory, but it’s a small one at best.

Moving to the next card in the row, the 2 of Cups  illustrates loving exchange, reciprocity, and partnership. A card of Elemental Water, its inner expression reflects the balance of masculine and feminine vibrations within. An attempt has been made by others in the situation to co-create a balanced experience expressed by the two red roses crossed in a loving embrace.

But as the 5 of Swords illustrates, the willful individual is not listening as we see the larger of the five swords depicted in the center, cutting the worm in half, ending all further dialogue. The four other swords are scattered about, in disarray. The suit of Swords represents influences of Elemental Air and our intellectual presence in form. Here, the interaction is being controlled by one individual at the expense of all other opinions.

I placed two cards below the three cards of general influence, one underneath illustrating what challenges and on top illustrating a potential outcome. The 8 of Cups illustrates eight white broken cups on the ground before a large black mountain. The 8 of Cups represents disappointment in love. But is that disappointment because of external forces beyond our control, or does it reflect our own biases that prevent us from finding emotional fulfillment?

I’ve always felt the 8 of Cups indicated that it was time for a new perspective on things, that perhaps emotions have become out of control losing emotional clarity in the process. The challenge for anyone who struggles with willfulness is to allow for the input of others without striking back in a defensive manner. We can only blame others for so long. At some point, we need to consider our own participation, our own choices. The 8 of Cups is challenging us to leave behind emotions which interfere with our happiness and to move in a new direction.

The creator of the Wild Unknown Tarot’s use of a lined background on the cards typically evokes a sense of motion whenever I look at them. The 10 of Pentacles reflects the spiral of life with all Elemental energies influencing that process. Fire begins the process while Air increases its effect, cooled by Water, followed by Earth and the manifestation of matter. Pentacles indicates wealth, foundational influences, and the material side of life while ten suggests new beginnings.

The 10 of Pentacles indicates that a sense of community and working in unison with others brings our greatest security. So in keeping with the inner work that seems to thread throughout the reading, the 10 of Pentacles is suggesting that our true legacy is not in our acquisition of material wealth but in how we relate to each other. Are our interactions respectful of all or do we struggle to assert our own will in the process?

It’s all too easy to become wrapped up in our own opinions, asserting them in a manner that oppresses the voices of others. A change of perspective is in order, one that allows us to examine our own motives and then transmute them into something more appropriate.

Blessings!