My Tarotology Philosophy

I believe Tarot reading can be the art of using symbols as mirrors to one's soul, in order to put together the hidden processes of the mind with the conscious thougths, for the purpose of better framing someone's psyche in relation to a specific question it is asking itself. The same way we would put ideas in text for clarity; the images on the cards serve as a channel to the archetypes the unconscious juggle with. Through his insights, the interpreter attempts at building a bridge between the request at piercing the veil of the questioner's ego, and the elaboration of an answer by this very same person making the inquiry.

This post is meant to show you the entire process throughout one of my Tarot reading, then to provide you with the opportunity to ask a question for me to answer in a future post similar to this one. This is a pastime to me, thus I’m doing it as an amateur so don’t expect any professional psychological diagnostics coming out from this, which I want to make clear I’m not providing here in anyway. This is entirely for fun and to stimulate Steemit community interactions only.

The Celtic Cross I learned about, in my Tarot de Marseille little booklet, is one of eleven randomly picked cards, starting with a prior three additional cards drawing that indicates what aspects of the question are important so as to direct us when we will after plunge at the heart of the matter. Also, before drawing anything, you have to put an arcana major card aside which represents the questioner, usually being the High Priestess for women and the Magician for men. It may vary, depending on maturity, color of the skin and eyes of the questioner.

This is how the eleven Celtic Cross cards will be use:

By order of blind selection by who has the question, this card...

1-represents you
2-covers you
3-crosses you
4-is beneath you (this card is only interpreted in its upright manner)
5-is behind you
6-crowns you
7-is ahead of you
8-is what you fear most
9-is your family or social environment
10-represents your hopes
11-is the final result

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This is the drawing I did on myself

@heroic15397: I - The Magician

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*See page for author [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

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Question: Can I achieve long term success on Steemit?

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Category: Work/Business

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General information about the question

A) Seven of Wands : overcoming obstacles and challenges versus hesitancy causing loses
B) II - The Popess : learning versus lack of understanding
C) 0 – The Fool : passion versus negligence

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The Celtic Cross

This card...

1. represents you (the questioner) : Three of Pentacles (reversed position) ; mediocrity, money problems, preoccupation, lower quality

2. covers you (represents the atmosphere and the influences around the problem) : XX – Judgment ; promotion

3. crosses you (represents the nature of the influence or obstacles which lie just ahead, this card is always interpreted in its normal position) : Two of Wands ; mature individual, housekeeper, attainment of goals and needs, boldness, a dominant personality

4. is beneath you (shows the broad and basic events and influences which existed in the past and upon which the present events are taking place) : Knight of Wands ; a journey, advancement into the unknown, alteration, flight, absence

5. is behind you (shows the most recent sphere of events which have just passed or are just passing) : Seven of Pentacles ; ingenuity, hard work, progress, wealth, successful dealings

6. crowns you (shows the sphere of events that is coming into being in the near future in a broad sense) : Four of Wands ; romance, society, harmony, prosperity, peace, the fruit of labor

7. is ahead of you (shows the future) : XVII – The Star (reversed position) ; unfulfilled hopes, disappointment, lack of opportunity, stubbornness

8. is what you fear most (represents all the negative aspects) : Eight of Wands (reversed position) ; thorns of dispute, jealousy, harassment, quarrels, delay, discord

9. is your family or social environment (is the sum of all opinions and influences related to your family and friends) : Queen of Pentacles (reversed position) ; false prosperity, suspense, suspicion, responsibilities neglected, vicious person, fearful of failure, untrusting person

10. represents your hopes (is the sum of all of your wishes, aspirations and ambitions) : King of Swords (reversed position) ; a person who may pursue a matter to ruin, cruelty, conflict, selfishness

11. is the final result (is the sum of all the previous cards together) : Five of Wands (reversed position) ; trickery contradictions, complexity, caution against indecision

For a final reading you must interpret the cards in relation with each other: 1 & 11, 2 & 10, 3 & 9, 4 & 8, 5 & 7 and 6 which rules and dominates the theme of interest.

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The final reading:

1 & 11) Achieving long term success on Steemit: what does it mean? Simply put, it is asking if the platform will bring me on another level professionally by putting me on a path of developing expertise (B-learning) in the fields of blogging, economics and networking (11-complexity). Feeling like facing a bit of stagnation in my working environment lately (1-preoccupation), because I'm not exploiting my potential to the fullest (1-lower quality) and financially speaking (1-money problems), new abilities will be helpful when I end up at the crossroad of getting a new job. As an employee of a professional accountant near his retirement, choices will need to be made eventually regarding how I make a living (11-caution against indecision). Ultimately, the answer relies upon the heart (C-passion) that I will put into the hard work required (C-negligence) to make it and stay on top on Steemit. I need to stay focus (A-hesitancy causing loses) and not let myself be discouraged by the problems that will no doubt come (A-overcoming obstacles and challenges) on the road toward future Steem accomplishments.

2 & 10) As with any other social environment, there is the human factor on Steemit, something you can't have very much control over, so even if my personality is one of staying out of trouble, let’s hope nobody will cause me any harm (10-conflict) in here. Also pending over my head, is my own possible inefficiency. I must not lose myself in any doomed from the start enterprise (10- a person who may pursue a matter to ruin), meaning if a topic doesn’t meet interest among Steemians, I shouldn’t waste much productive time on it (A- hesitancy causing loses). Even if something is important to me (10-selfishness), I must go with the market which is the final judge when it comes to rewards (2-promotion).

3 & 9) Because of the monetary issues on Steemit, there is expected to be shadowy people (9-vicious person) revolving around the web site. In this Sea full of Whales (3-housekeeper), Dolphins (3-mature individual) and Minnows, the status is not the same for everybody, combined that with a system in beta mode which can and will never be perfect anyway, and you’ll necessarily get jealousy (9-fearful of failure) and intrigue (9- suspense). Others exuding negative influence are those in doubt (9-untrusting person) hanging at the Steem periphery that will call it a scam (9-false prosperity), but why should I care about the usual party crashers that come with every success story. On my part, what is needed is a clear vision of where I’m going (3-attainment of goals and needs) along with the courage (3- boldness) and the charisma (3-a dominant personality) to achieve what I set my self to.

4 & 8) Still, with each step that I will undertake in this endeavor (4-a journey), I could meet opposition (9-thorns of dispute). As with every new enterprise I plunge myself into, there is no crystal ball (4-advancement into the unknown) telling me what to expect and how I should react when facing controversy (8-discord). I don’t understand why fighting (8-quarrels) is such a recurrent theme in this present drawing because so far my experience with others as been nothing but charm on Steemit. I'm a bit starting to wonder with some of the stuff I read elsewhere if there doesn't come a disaster waiting to happen (8-delay) point in everyone's natural Steem evolution. You know, when the feeling of amazement that comes with discovery fades out and you analyze your results. Then you suddenly have doubts that the game might be rigged against you and you get caught in an emotional maelstrom of calling out the ''injustice of the system''. Hey, but I'm no Don Quixote, and by having only developped good terms relationships in the last two months I've been here, I don’t see how even the first skirmish of a strand of disputes (8-harassment) could happen knowing too well myself as being pacific by default. At least, I’ve been warned of the possibility and thus I can mentally be prepared in case difficulties arise, but again I must not entertain the thought too much if I don’t want it to materialize as reality.

5 & 7) Was the deck stacked against me? Why am I reading a positive past versus a negative future? Am I really to expect disillusion (7-disappointment) after having been the beneficiary of what I would describe as a fairly great run (5-progress)? Doors closed (7-lack of opportunity) replacing higher past Steem value (5-wealth) and blood, sweat and tears (5-hard work) leading to shattered dreams (7-unfulfilled hopes)? I won’t accept (7-stubborness) such gloomy prognostic when I know how resourceful (5-ingenuity) I proved myself to be in the past.

6 ) Finally, this is where I discuss what the near future could hold for me. This all positive conclusive card is a relief after the general message of ''things were better before'' being conveyed above. Why am I acting as if 5 & 7 are nullified? Tomorrow is more predictable than the day after. Or if you prefer, the immediate incoming events can be better foreseen than the further developments which depend upon them. What does the wrapping up card suggest? Nothing short of love (6-romance), community (6-society), friendship (6-harmony) and growth (6-prosperity) is awaiting me next on Steemit.

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Your Turn

Here is what you need to do if you want to submit a question for my next Tarot reading post:

1. Ask a simple question (preferably answerable by a yes or a no; but it's not a necessity as I'll be the final judge as of the feasibility to produce a coherent post around it)
2. Write a small paragraph giving me a background as to the nature of the matter at hand

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Nature graphic by Zlatko Najdenovski from Flaticon is licensed under CC BY 3.0. Made with Logo Maker.