After an intensive 2020 year-ahead tarot pull I performed a while ago, (that I plan on blogging about going forward through the year), I’d left the 3 decks I used out of their boxes. Yesterday, as I cleaned up around my apartment, I gathered the decks to shuffle them and return them to their homes.
As I shuffled, I was careful not to glace at the face of any of the cards, as is my habit. As I mixed the cards up, I wondered idly if any cards were going to present themselves to me, like they had in the past— where a slip of the hand allows a card to escape the deck, and I feel inclined to see which one it is. However, I wasn’t expecting it to happen— and of course I was not trying to shuffle in a way that might induce a slip up.
So, I was still surprised when 3 cards seemed to jump over towards me from my Transformational Tarot Deck by Arnell Ando.
Excitement warmed my heart as I put the cards in the order of their appearance. Two are Major Arcana and the remaining is a court, or face card. This kind of pull addresses more of a bigger-picture, destiny-driven point of view, compared to the Minor Arcana such as the 8 of swords or 3 of pentacles.
I still turned to the Biddy Tarot site for guidance on the key words and description, but before I reference these points, I am going to log my personal reaction based on my memory and intuitive interpretation.
The Princess of Cups
A Cup court card piques my interest because the Cup suit represents water. I am connected to water astrologically, as a Pisces sun and Scorpio ascendant. Water represents emotion, intuition, and adaptability.
The court cards, in order of rank, are Page, Knight, Queen, and King. I learned with a quick look-up that the Princess is equivalent to the Page. The Page/Princess is the messenger of the court, and as a relative youngster compared to the other face cards, I feel she represents a fresh enthusiasm and ripe energy. (I’ve actually looked into the Page of Cups before, as it was the name of my second IG account before I shifted it to be my zine account!)
The Princess of Cups is an invitation to expect the unexpected, such as the sudden appearance of creative inspiration or drive
This is depicted traditionally on the art of the card as a fish (another Pisces connection) popping its head out of a goblet.
Key Words: creative opportunities, intuitive messages, curiosity, possibility
This pull makes perfect sense to me, as I am striving, through adjusting my ADD medication and buying a planner, to get into an efficient, productive rhythm with my creative projects after a bit of a ‘rest’ from them in January as I began a fitness journey.
This Princess pulls one to develop their intuitive and emotional side. I associate this also with astrology, which I am in the midst of reading about and exploring. She calls you to watch for signs from the Universe, which I think is kind of funny, because this out-of-the-blue pull is definitely one of them!
The Devil
This card, to me, doesn’t have nearly as negative a connotation as it would seem.
The Devil, to me, represents a break or shift in routine, or perhaps perspective. The traditional art displays a man and woman chained to Satan’s throne—but when you look closely, you see the bindings are loose, and the people could easily escape if they so choose.
Therefore, this card tells me that the only person holding me back, is me. Personally, I relate to this because I have recently felt so overwhelmed with all the projects I am looking to start a schedule for, especially that of my novel. It is difficult for me to parse out achievable goals, instead of thinking of all the thousands of words I have yet to put down.
Key Words: shadow self, attachment, addiction, restriction, sexuality
I hadn’t related the concept of the shadow self to this card before, but it makes sense. Bridget from Biddy Tarot states that the Devil appears when one has been tricked into thinking they have no control over their darker side.
In a recent natal chart reading, the astrologer I worked with saw an aspect of my chart calling me to embrace this part of my psyche.
She cited the belief that the shadow is the creator of art
I associate the shadow self to trouble, distress, pain, violence, and deceit. As I work with grim topics in my writing, these concepts all come together to push me to embrace this darkness as I work on my novel.
The Sorceress
In looking up the equivalent of this card in traditional decks (the High Priestess) I saw the start of the description, so I am going to start with those points.
Key Words: intuition, sacred knowledge, divine feminine, the subconscious mind
This card calls back to the Princess’ invitation to embrace my intuition. The Sorceress is someone who has answered this call and can move between the conscious and subconscious realms. She tells me to be still and look for the answers within myself that are not bound in strict logic, but an intuitive ‘knowing.’
For a person such as myself, who is working to develop my psychic gifts, through tarot and other means, the Sorceress tells me I am on the right track. She instructs me to look at the places in my life that are lacking flow (my creative life) and trust that the more I follow my intuition; the easier things will move forward.
This card is telling me to loosen the reigns a bit when it comes to my creative projects. Specifically, I feel this is telling me to follow what makes me excited when it comes to choosing YouTube video topics, worrying less about views, as they will follow when people see my genuine enthusiasm and care.
I feel the Sorceress advises me to stop doubting my instincts as I work on my novel, to cut off the thoughts of whether people will find it over-the-top, or worse yet, uninteresting.
A few times, I have felt like a prophet scribbling visions as I write, and I feel I need to lean into this feeling more
Overall, this surprise tarot spread is deeply encouraging, especially as it occurred right at the full moon. I feel deeply connected to the moon for various reasons. I keep track of the cycle, and personally, the full moon energy feels more like a new to me, and the new feels like a moment for rest. So a happenstance reading at this time, during my birth month, feels poignant and comforting.
I’m excited to implement the tools I’ve gathered for myself in the past couple weeks to pursue my creative career with renewed focus and trust in the Universe that if I put in the work, things will line up for me and 2020 will be a pivotal year in my creative life.
Until next time, loves. Stay curious.