Wow. It's strong, and yet almost everything it says seems kind of...obvious. No big surprises - which I generally find to be true of tarot.
My reading?
Current condition/issue at hand: death reversed, stagnation.
Crown, overarching issue involved: King of wands. Kings and queens indicate mastery, the essence of their suit embodied, not abstracted like the aces. Wands are forceful energy, creativity, bursting out, passion, direction, motivation. I think this is about the role karate has played in your life, and it comes up with the king rather than queen because (maybe?) in your conception it's a part of your life which is ambiguously gendered, not necessarily masculine forcefulness, but not specifically feminine, either - when you're on the mats, gender *roles* (rather than gender itself) are somehow beside the point, and you take on a degree of wand energy that other, more strongly gendered roles you've had at times in your life would prohibit.
Root: The Empress. And yet, at the very root of it, it is exactly your power as a woman, your very gendered and embodied self, which drives you in this.
Recent past: The hanged man reversed. I would say, a period of inactivity which has not been fruitful, waiting which has not been about gathering wisdom. Being stuck. Not a profitable patience but simply a lack of change. This reflects back to the first card.
Near future: knight of cups reversed. Pursuing this path is likely to interfere with your degree of proficiency and control in emotions and relationships, which is currently moderately good - you're not a master (king or queen) but you're not a novice (page) either. It will seem like (but not necessarily be) a regression, a loss of progress you've made in handling your relationships and your own emotional stability.
Your position: four of cups reversed. You are strongly resisting fantasy and rosy optimism. You want to know the reality, whether it's rosy or not.
Your emotions: The fool reversed. Right back, reinforcing the card before it. You're resistant to any sense of blithe heedlessness. You don't want to step off any cliffs. You don't want innocence which could turn out to be foolish. It's a beginning, but not with all the glossiness that "new beginning" implies. You're looking for guidance, reassurance, security in making this decision.
Hopes and fears: seven of wands. High ground in the conflict. I would think this suggests that you feel pretty confident, overall hopeful in spite of reservations, but that you also feel a bit beleagured, and worried about all the different possible assaults on your position. There are too many potential problems, and it's not clear how much of a threat any of them poses, which or to what degree you should fear.
Outcome: King of cups. Blink. That's unexpected. But I think its being the king is a direct call-back to the king of wands, an affirmation that this is about the same thing, and has that same feel to it. And the suit is a direct call-back to the knight of cups, reversed. I read this as saying pretty clearly that upset isn't forever. The long-term outcome is of a sensation of mastery and security in your emotions and relationships. In fact, I think the sense I get is that the biggest long-term impact will not be, for you, physical safety or martial prowess - though you may gain those as well. The most important effect will be an increase of confidence in how you feel inside yourself, and how you relate to others, especially those you love.
Phew. Of course, I'm likely to be biased. I've made no secret of supporting the idea of your going back into karate, if it can be done without excessive hardship. But it's hard for me to read this as being cautious or negative about the prospect. The outcome is clearly very positive. And although the first stages look as though they'll be rocky, it doesn't look like it will be prohibitively so: an obstacle that will be unpleasant to persevere through, but not a reason to turn back.
I wrote all this because it's interesting, and I enjoy reading reading for people and don't get many opportunities. But, you know, the question is, how do *you* read it, and what do *you* think?
About the seven of wands - which I just typo'd as 'the seven of wants':
Alternatively, it might have to do with the more difficult emotional aspects of practicing karate, which you already know enough to be wary about: there are times when it does make you feel under attack. And yet...your position is, essentially, secure.
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pegkerr
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(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-27 06:48 pm (UTC)My reading?
Current condition/issue at hand: death reversed, stagnation.
Crown, overarching issue involved: King of wands. Kings and queens indicate mastery, the essence of their suit embodied, not abstracted like the aces. Wands are forceful energy, creativity, bursting out, passion, direction, motivation. I think this is about the role karate has played in your life, and it comes up with the king rather than queen because (maybe?) in your conception it's a part of your life which is ambiguously gendered, not necessarily masculine forcefulness, but not specifically feminine, either - when you're on the mats, gender *roles* (rather than gender itself) are somehow beside the point, and you take on a degree of wand energy that other, more strongly gendered roles you've had at times in your life would prohibit.
Root: The Empress. And yet, at the very root of it, it is exactly your power as a woman, your very gendered and embodied self, which drives you in this.
Recent past: The hanged man reversed. I would say, a period of inactivity which has not been fruitful, waiting which has not been about gathering wisdom. Being stuck. Not a profitable patience but simply a lack of change. This reflects back to the first card.
Near future: knight of cups reversed. Pursuing this path is likely to interfere with your degree of proficiency and control in emotions and relationships, which is currently moderately good - you're not a master (king or queen) but you're not a novice (page) either. It will seem like (but not necessarily be) a regression, a loss of progress you've made in handling your relationships and your own emotional stability.
Your position: four of cups reversed. You are strongly resisting fantasy and rosy optimism. You want to know the reality, whether it's rosy or not.
Your emotions: The fool reversed. Right back, reinforcing the card before it. You're resistant to any sense of blithe heedlessness. You don't want to step off any cliffs. You don't want innocence which could turn out to be foolish. It's a beginning, but not with all the glossiness that "new beginning" implies. You're looking for guidance, reassurance, security in making this decision.
Hopes and fears: seven of wands. High ground in the conflict. I would think this suggests that you feel pretty confident, overall hopeful in spite of reservations, but that you also feel a bit beleagured, and worried about all the different possible assaults on your position. There are too many potential problems, and it's not clear how much of a threat any of them poses, which or to what degree you should fear.
Outcome: King of cups. Blink. That's unexpected. But I think its being the king is a direct call-back to the king of wands, an affirmation that this is about the same thing, and has that same feel to it. And the suit is a direct call-back to the knight of cups, reversed. I read this as saying pretty clearly that upset isn't forever. The long-term outcome is of a sensation of mastery and security in your emotions and relationships. In fact, I think the sense I get is that the biggest long-term impact will not be, for you, physical safety or martial prowess - though you may gain those as well. The most important effect will be an increase of confidence in how you feel inside yourself, and how you relate to others, especially those you love.
Phew. Of course, I'm likely to be biased. I've made no secret of supporting the idea of your going back into karate, if it can be done without excessive hardship. But it's hard for me to read this as being cautious or negative about the prospect. The outcome is clearly very positive. And although the first stages look as though they'll be rocky, it doesn't look like it will be prohibitively so: an obstacle that will be unpleasant to persevere through, but not a reason to turn back.
I wrote all this because it's interesting, and I enjoy reading reading for people and don't get many opportunities. But, you know, the question is, how do *you* read it, and what do *you* think?
(no subject)
Date: 2006-10-27 06:54 pm (UTC)Alternatively, it might have to do with the more difficult emotional aspects of practicing karate, which you already know enough to be wary about: there are times when it does make you feel under attack. And yet...your position is, essentially, secure.