posted April 29, 2001 11:41 PM         

From what I can gather, you were doing a Celtic Cross?

The Knight of Cups in the first position for me at least would mean that you are focused on finding your male counterpart, and he perhaps is in alignment with you and your higher selves are making plans to cross paths soon.

It could also be the type of man that you'd like to have. I make it a point in Celtic Cross readings to assign "verification cards" i.e., one court card per each person that is important in my life...I assign them based on characteristics typified by the card. I do this before I start a reading, this way when I lay out the cards and I see a court card I can go, "Oh, okay...there's my brother. I know who that is." It helps to narrow down the field a bit.

In the case of the Knight of Cups, first I take into consideration that he is a knight. The Knight follows the Page, the Page is a messenger. The Knight is a person that you react emotionally to, regarding that message. Perhaps you will meet this man through a friend (your friend would be a Page). He should have brown hair (on the lighter side, not dark or almost black) and brown or hazel eyes, and be under 29 years of age. He will probably not be the type of man you would usually go for, but you both will have some karma to work out and will be very attracted to each other. Which leads to the next card, Temperance.

When a Major Arcana card appears in a spread (especially the Celtic cross) it has to deal with spiritual concerns, and tendencies that you might have...how you deal with what is handed to you. They are marks on your individual soul's journey, and should not be taken lightly...especially if you have more than 4 Major Arcana in a 10 card spread. Temperance to me in a spread implies that regarding this man you should not place him up on a pedestal or expect too much of him, this is important for you to know from the beginning. Strive for equality in this relationship. Don't sacrifice things in your personal life out of love for him, because you will be sacrificing a part of yourself and it is important that you retain balance in this relationship. You may place a lot of demands on him, without meaning to. From your post and these two cards I can gather that you would like your next relationship to last and be a soul-moving experience. It will be a soul-affecting experience, but so that you might learn more about yourself. He will show you all the things in yourself that you should love, but do not recognize.

So, when you meet this man, and if you fall for him, know that you made a pact with each other before this life...he is here to help you love part of yourself and learn about yourself. Everything that you will like about him, you should honor in you. If you do not, the road will be a bumpy one, much harder on you than on him, because he will be the teacher and you will be the student.

Do you remember any of the other cards in your spread? Out of curiosity, did you have a 2, 7 or 9 following Temperance? Did you have an Ace (if this was a Celtic Cross) in positions 4 through 9? The reason that I ask is because I can gather dates and such by delineation.

posted April 30, 2001 10:40 AM         

I am so ENVIOUS..I ususally have no luck reading a tarot...

To quote others..'WOW'

posted May 02, 2001 10:57 PM         

In regards to your cards, let's see...so, you have the Ace of Pentacles in the 8th position, Ace of Wands in the 9th position, and The Moon in the 10th position. I will assume that the three cards were upright and not inverted (upside down) unless you tell me one or two of them were. So, for now I'll read as if they were all upright. Let's see what I can get out of this. Please excuse me if I run off on a tangent or use unfamiliar words or phrases, if something doesn't make sense, ask me and I'll try to clarify (anyway I have a tendency to babble when I talk, or write for that matter, it helps me spiral my thoughts).

First thing:
Ace of Pentacles in the 8th position. The 8th position I was taught corresponds to how others view you, but beyond that it also has another importance, it will give me a specific date. Let me get you the specific date, then I will move on to other meanings. Was this spread done recently? Within the past month or two? The reason that I ask is because the Ace of Pentacles signifies the winter months, December, January and February. Since the Celtic Cross spread in my opinion only has a time span of about a month, if you did this spread within the past month the date I will give you will be tentatively for the winter of 2001-2002. Without more information on the cards in the spread, I can only tell you that Feb. 1-7th of this past year (or next year, depending on when you did the spread) will be an important time. Somewhere within that week something special takes place regarding your original query (what was on your mind when you did the spread, or what question you asked for the cards to answer). If you have the date that you did the Celtic Cross, it would help out a lot. For instance, if you did the spread yesterday, the date would be February 3, 2002. (If we are talking about the past few months it might be February 4, 2001...but some date in that time frame regardless, (February 1-7) whether this year or next year.)

The 8th placement of the Ace suggests how others close to you see you...what they think of when they think of you, what they believe your situation is at the time of the spread. If you asked about a love interest, it usually means how that person perceives you.

Since you have the Ace of Pentacles in the 8th position it might mean that others are pulling for you in your favor, they feel that you are about to start something new in the way of job or school. People close to you feel that you are headed in the right direction. The aces are known as the 'seed', they are the birth of something new...a message, a pure beginning. In the Celtic Cross spread (which is an x-ray of your personal growth, your spiritual cycles) The ten (of any suit) is the end of a cycle. After the ten, an Ace and Page must follow. The Page (of any suit) carries the ace (of any suit). That is why it is not uncommon to see a Page in the same spread popping up in a lower position before the Ace. A page can represent two things, one or the other...or both. He/she can be the carrier for the seed, or signify a young person, male or female. Just as the page carries the ace (the seed) a knight will appear, he will have two meanings also - a direct representation of a young man, or your emotional reaction to the ace. ((tangent alert!)) Anyway, getting back to things...the Ace of Pentacles can mean a job interview, a job promotion, a degree or certificate from school...some sort of personal accomplishment that involves money, that has been a long time coming. Therefore, people around you notice that you are going for a degree or looking for advancement in a job. It is something that you have talked about with them, and they acknowledge it. That's that.

Second thing:
Now we move on to the Ace of Wands. This card is a little easier than the Ace of Pentacles was, because the Ace of Pentacles had a few different areas to delve into.

The 9th position signifies your hopes and aspirations, what you're positive about in your life, the things you look forward to. The Ace of Wands heralds new beginnings, you might say it is the "first card"...it's the very beginning of a new enterprise. Since it is next to the Ace of Pentacles, you have to take into account this probably also deals with the areas of career/schooling. It is a good indication that you will be happy on the path you are headed, because you have a positive frame of mind towards the future. A goal will be attained. With this goal will be an extra amount of responsiblity, it won't be a piece of cake, but you should get great rewards from it. All indications are that you have done what you have needed to do so far as career/school and you are going to earn a degree...a job...possibly both! Money is on the horizon, keep your eyes open for opportunities, you probably will get a phone call regarding this that might be a little unexpected, but welcome. In addition, this card might signify that there is a new soul close to you that is birthing soon and you will have a close and wonderful karmic tie with that child.

Third thing:
The Moon as your 10th card. In the tenth position it means that the qualities of The Moon will have a great effect on the outcome of your situation (for now). By following the example of the moon, you will obtain the answer to your original question. The Moon is a higher vibration of The High Priestess, (The Wheel of Fortune figures also, but the Moon and the H.P. are sister cards). You no doubt will feel comfortable with both the Moon and the High Priestess, some people do not feel comfortable with these cards. They both have to do with extra sensory perception, and in the Moon's case, dreams in particular. The great feminine principle of the Moon Goddess calls us back "home", for a bit we become like fetal merfolk, with no need to think or plan, just hibernate and exist. Hecate figures prominently, and it is an invitation to get to know the more feminine and "dark" aspect of yourself. The reason that I say "dark" is not to say evil. The Moon has many phases, including the new moon where there is no light in the sky at night (save the tiny twinkling stars). All around you is black, and if you are in the water, there is absolutely no way to see. Some people fear the dark and night. There are those of us that are afraid of what we can not see, hear, touch, taste or smell. With The Moon it is a time to abandon our natural five senses and pay attention to other senses that are there, but neglected. The Neptunian waters of incubation and perception flood through the land, under the Moon. The water is the beginning of life itself, and everything that life is. The Moon reflects through its phases the ebb and flow of our own emotions and the many facets to our psyche. It is a chaotic, crowded (yet uncrowded) world of all our hopes and fears and dreams. It is from this water that all of our myths and great religions sprang. By sleeping, or allowing our conscious thoughts to escape us, we steep in this wonderful emotional ocean and set our ego free, we are just free to "be" and sleep...allowing our future goals and life directions to take shape, waiting for the right time to persue them. Of course, returning to the great "womb" can be disturbing if we are saturated in the material world. If we are not spiritually minded, we can be driven mad, be called a "lunatic" when we rely more on our sixth sense and state of being than the present "here and now". "Here and now" people never cope well with The Moon, because it is against their nature...they don't flow with the tide, so they sink...in utter confusion surrounded by "scary" images and thoughts that make no sense to them. If you are the type of person who is able to let go of the "ego" side to yourself, you will have a lovely time exploring these vast waters. You will be able to learn much from the moon, without being taught. You will simply absorb the knowledge, like a sponge sops up spilt water. Pay attention to your dreams, and in them you might make some very interesting contacts. After all, dreaming is just a part of being.

posted May 04, 2001 12:13 AM         

First of all, is the Knight of Cups a guy you already know? He'd be the fun one, the party guy, who maybe isn't quite ready to settle down yet because he 's not sure what it is he really wants to do with his life. He may be a great guy, but immature. (Aren't they all?? Sorry!)
What Temperance crossing him says to me, since that's a Major Arcana card, is that there is a spiritual lesson here involving balance. That could mean you, him, or both of you. It could be telling you that in order to meet the Knight(who BTW has a very deep and caring soul, even if it isn't always apparent) you need to bring your own life into a better state of balance. Perhaps you've recently been through a breakup, or had a stressful experience that has affected you on many levels. This is the Psychic 2X4!
If you haven't met him yet, it may be because you need to work on something within first...does this make any sense???

posted May 05, 2001 06:50 PM         

Do you have any interesting insight on the Hanged Man? I pull this card up a lot, especially regarding this new relationship. It always seems to come after an ace of wands or page of cups. I'd love to hear what you'd have to say about this, if you don't mind of course!

posted May 05, 2001 10:48 PM         

Hey Nep, cool, I'm so happy that what I was saying made some sense! I get worried sometimes that I don't make sense I'll be happy to help any time you'd like, just post and I'll do my best to help you out

Pisces people are very at home with the tarot, it is a very easy language to learn and speak fluently, so I'll be happy to share whatever I know...I'm sure you're well on your way to being fluent in the tarot!

In regards to the Hanged Man Nep, that is a Major Arcana card that I used to get a lot too. I've been thinking of the Hanged Man a lot, and more and more (especially since I've broadened my divination horizons into Rune casting also) I'm reminded of Odin hanging from the Yggdrasil, the World Tree. I find the runes and tarot to be related, so before I begin, let me just post a little quote for you from the Poetic Edda (ca. A.D. 1200) that I have in one of my rune books, opposite of a man (Odin) hanging upside down from a tree, spying the runes beneath him:

"The Speech of the High One

I know I hung on that windswept tree,
Swung there for nine long nights,
Wounded by my own blade,
Bloodied for Odin,
Myself an offering to myself:
Bound to the tree
That no man knows
Whither the roots of it run.

None gave me bread,
None gave me drink.
Down to the deepest depths I peered
Until I spied the Runes.
With a roaring cry I seized them up,
Then dizzy and fainting, I fell.

Well-being I won
And wisdom too.
I grew and took joy in my growth:
From a word to a word
I was led to a word,
From a deed to another deed."

The Hanged Man represents to me a point in our lives (it can obviously happen more than once) that we are tested. By this, I mean that the man hanging on the tree could be you, it could be me...it represents each of us. At the point in our life when the Hanged Man shows up, we are tied to a tree, unable to move. It is a sacrifice, that doesn't have to be permanent (I know you don't like that sacrifice word Nep, neither do I ). We are the temporary sacrifice, either someone tied us up to that tree "for our own good", or we chose to tie ourselves there. For whatever reason we're there, there's not much that we can do about the current circumstances surrounding us. If a lion, tiger or bear walks up to sniff our face, we'd have to untie ourselves before we could really do anything. Or, if we see a beautiful vision, if there is a glimmering oasis that appears ten feet away with the most delicious fruit, we would have to untie ourselves before we could get to it. So, basically, while you go through this short period of sacrifice, you will temporarily be missing out on good things, but thankfully dangerous things also. Perhaps you have felt that your social life has not been very active, and you don't have time to devote to it. Or, it could be the opposite, you have a very active social life and therefore have no time to devote to other areas of your life. So, you see, you'll have to look inside yourself and figure out what you're sacrificing in your life, and why...and realize that it is a temporary situation and will pass. Life and times what they are today, it's nearly impossible to keep an even balance in all areas of our life.

Since you said that this card appears often with the Ace of Cups or Ace of Wands, perhaps you feel that you are missing out in love department, like you're missing an invitation to a party or something like that. Maybe you care about someone a lot, but you two have limited time to spend together, so your relationship may be stagnating. Rest assured that your situation, whatever it is right now is temporary, and once you are through your little period of sacrifice you will be able to enjoy life again in a greater balance, with bigger rewards.

posted May 05, 2001 10:48 PM         

The Ace of Cups is one of my favorite cards (how could anyone NOT like the Ace of Cups? Let's be serious here ) It's the seed of love, most often. (All aces being a "seed" as I mentioned above, I think.) I've seen it come up in spreads and have to do with another sector in one's life, but 95% of the time it has to do with matters of the heart. I've had this card come up a lot with me, like I'll have it come up 5 times in one month...obviously though, it's not like I met 5 new lovers in that month! I think more importantly, after working with the cards for quite a long time now, it means a yearning for your other half...and it's kind of nice, because for me that card means that your other half is thinking about their other half too...you! So, I kind of see it as a little wink from heaven, and the fact that you both are thinking of each other, who knows, you might meet up again soon

The Ace of Wands is also a "seed", but to me the card might as well picture a great big light bulb instead of a stick! Well, in the deck I have the stick is lighted like a torch...so, lightbulb, torch...eh, same thing
It comes down to ideas, great new ideas that you can make use of. When you see a card like that, it's like your higher self telling you, "Duh, you have a good idea there...why not doing something about it!?" A lot of times communication is involved with that card, like I mentioned before in the other post regarding the Ace of Wands description, it might be a telephone call. It used to signify being contacted by a letter or something, but these days telephone or email makes more sense usually.

The Page of Cups would be (besides the carrier of the Ace, the messenger) a young person, someone under 29, male or female, with blonde to reddish-blonde hair and light eyes, most often blue...sometimes green or hazel. I talked about verification cards in one of the posts above, and it is a good idea for you too Nep to assign cards to certain people before you do a spread. If a page pops up and you would like to know more about the page, you can do another spread to open the page, to find out more about it. If you would like to do this, ask me, and I will tell you how to go about doing that. It's fairly simple, and you can do the same sort of thing with a knight also if there are any questions regarding their purpose in your life. Have you had your eye on someone lately Nep? Looks like you have! With the ace popping up near the Page, I would have to say that if you don't have a relationship with this person, you'd probably like to...and chances are the feelings are mutual.

As an end note Nep, since you said that you had the Ten of Swords in a very recent reading, in the higher position (5th position?) I would tell you not to be pessimistic. The 10 of Swords is a depressing card, meaning mainly...you're feeling a little blue. So, I'm going to remind you that the 10 of Swords, the good thing...is that if you feel a little blue and get that card, it can't get any worse! It's the end of the cycle, that cycle is ending, and a new one that is more productive will come up. I'm glad you noticed the 10-Ace-Page connection, because it never fails! Once I took notice of it, it really helped me understand my own particular soul-cycles...what to expect, how to work with what I have. It's great for self-reflection, which is what I use the Tarot for...introspection. If I'm helping someone else out, I try and help them see what the cards might mean for them. They're great theraputic tools, once you learn the language.

I don't believe in telling people their future, since I believe that's up to the person, not up to me! The most I will do, is if I see a relative time frame, I will tell the person to just watch for anything unusual around that time, and in what sector of their life...money, love, etc. So, I hope I've helped a little, and if you have any other questions, don't be afraid to ask! Also remember that these interpretations of the cards were taken into account as the cards being upright, not reversed (or inverted). If they were reversed, their meanings would be slightly different.

posted May 06, 2001 03:01 AM         

Creepy eh? I'm getting used to this sort of thing. . .

Gooberlily, I really thank you from the bottom of my heart for this wonderful information. Everything you say is incredibly real, it's amazing. It clicks perfectly and harmoniously with my life right now. I too have been pondering about that Hanged Dude, and it always pops up in the outcome part of my spread. It feels as if I'm really tied to a tree, and I'm missing out on something better--you took the words right outta my mouth(and heart, coz I didn't know how to explain it in words)! You don't think the Hanged Man lasts for years and years and years do you? I hope not. . .

I really must check out those books you've been reading, I'd love to become fluent in the Tarot, like you.

Can you give me a little more information about that spread you were talking about, regarding finding more information on a person?

posted May 07, 2001 11:31 PM         

If you're thinking of getting the books, start out with the Apprentice one. They're not too expensive, and I know that you will love them and work very well with them, so I'm happy you're considering getting a copy. With the insight and sensitivity you have, I'm sure they'll be a lot of fun to read. I still look through my copies, since I don't have everything completely memorized. A lot of times I'll learn new things I overlooked before. I really need to get new copies, mine are falling apart! They're very informative, bringing together tarot, Kabbala, numerology and several different philosophies together. I learned a lot by reading them.

Read this whole message Nep before you open the Page, since I'll be adding a footnote or two.

The Celtic Cross in my experience (especially if you do the spread often) has an effect of only around 28 days. Some people would disagree with me, but in my case it has been true. Sometimes that 28 days will be stretched a little (depending on frequency of laying out the cards, or how important the message) but it never goes beyond a month or two in my experience. So, the Hanged Dude shouldn't be making his attributes known for more than a few weeks. If he comes up again, it's a few more weeks, and so on. Once you get over that little hurdle he won't pop up so much, just go with the flow and things will sail smoothly.

To open a Page, it is literally like opening a page in a book randomly, you don't know what to expect, but are looking for an answer. It generally goes against tarot ethics to do a spread for someone without their knowledge, opening a page is the closest that you can get to infringing on someone else's life path. It is for self-study, to be prepared for what the "seed" will bring into your life...what the page will bring into your life, what he or she is all about at that point in time. Therefore, you have to be willing to receive the knowledge...even if it might not make you so happy. In my experience, I've never got a bad reading from opening a page...it really can't be bad. It's a little impersonal in a way, you're looking for clues...you're looking at that person's life-map to see why you might be crossing paths. Before you start, assign yourself a verification card...a court card to represent you, so that if it shows up when you open the page you will gain more clarity. For now, pick it based on what you look like...wands-fair haired/skinned, cups-fair to medium, swords-dark hair and eyes, pentacles-dark skinned, or older with white hair...King-male over 29, Queen-female over 29, Knight-teenage to young adult male, Page-guy or girl under 29.

Now, in order to open the page (let's say the Page of Cups) you would have to wait until that card comes up again in a Celtic Cross spread. When that card shows up in your original reading (and if you remember the placement, let me know because the placement regarding court cards can yield additional info), go about your reading as usual. At the end of your normal Celtic Cross reading, pick up the Page of Cups and place it aside. Pick up the remainder of your cards and put it in a seperate pile. If the Ace of Cups is in your original spread, put it with the Page of Cups, if not, look through your daath pack (the remaining unused cards from your reading) and find the Ace of Cups and extract it. If you were opening the Page of Swords, it would be the Ace of Swords you're looking for, Page of Wands...the Ace of Wands, etc.

So now, without being too confusing, basically, put the Page of Cups and Ace of Cups aside together, and put all of the other cards in the daath pack.

Place the Page of Cups exactly like in your first position when laying out the cards for a Celtic Cross.

Place the Ace of Cups to cross it, exactly like in the second position when laying out cards for the celtic cross.

Before we go any further, let me tell you how I lay out the cards for a Celtic Cross ((Ram tangent alert)), since there have been various methods used over the years. First position I lay out in the center of the table. Second, I cross over it, making a little equal-length cross. Third position is the basis of my situation, so I lay it out under my mini-cross. Fourth is leaving, or diminishing, so I lay it out to the left of the mini-cross. Fifth is crowning, representing the direction I'm urging myself to go into, so I lay it above my mini-cross. Sixth position is before me, the closest to future prediction I will come, so I lay it out to the right, next to my mini-cross. The last four cards I lay out in the common bar figure to the right, starting with card 7 that represents my fears and apprehensions. Eighth position is above it, how others see me. Ninth position is above that, my positive feelings, and tenth position, as we all know is the outcome (for now)...

So, getting back to the issue of opening the Page of Cups ...

You should have a mini-cross of the Page of Cups and the Ace of Cups.

Shuffle your remaining cards like usual, and begin laying out a NEW Celtic Cross over your mini cross, for each of these positions, starting with the first position which will cover your two cards say:

1. "This is what covers the Seed the Page brings."

2. "This is what crosses the Seed the Page brings."

3. "This is the basis of the Seed the Page brings."

4. "This is behind the Seed the Page brings."

5. "This is what crowns the Seed the Page brings."

6. "This is before the Seed the Page brings."

7. "This represents my negative feelings toward the Seed the Page brings."

8. "This represents the feelings of others around me concerning the Seed the Page brings."

9. "This represents my positive feelings toward the Seed the Page brings."

10. "This is the outcome of the Seed the Page brings."

So, now, go about interpreting the spread, but from an outsiders point of view. See what this person is going through in order to bring you the Seed. The spread is mainly about the Seed or event, but in addition I have found that it lists rather straight-fowardly what the Page has been going through recently.

I hope I've made some sense here. My little footnote is, that the wording used above is not rigid. Don't feel that you have to use that precise wording, because a lot of the time I get tripped up trying to recite it! However, it will help to say something similar while laying out the cards, because it will help you focus while laying out the cards what each card is for. My second little footnote is that the wording applies if the Page in your original Celtic spread was in positions 5-10...it is wording in the future tense. If your Page originally popped up in positions 1-4 opening the Page will still work, you just must take into account that this is something that is already in motion, and have to word it accordingly..."This is what covered the Seed the Page brought...This is what crossed the Seed the Page brought...", etc.

Have fun! I have