Some thoughts on the Chariot, presenting an alternative view to that found in the companion books, one more suited perhaps to spread positions requiring a less positive slant.

The charioteer stands with arms open, victorious, triumphant. He says, “Look at me, I’m master of all I survey, I’m the victor, I’m the champion, I’m king of the waves.” And yet, he is protected from the waves by the enormous chariot – a man-made structure ploughing through the sea on giant waves.

And behind him, a fear he doesn’t face, that he is driving away from, in denial of its existence, because to acknowledge it would threaten his sense of self, his ego. He attempts to obscure it with technology and grandeur.

He is at sea yet completely safe – the waves barely touch him so distant is he, so raised above them on his mechanical podium. He has removed himself from the raw untameable power of the ocean and nature, which is also the raw, untameable power of the unconscious. And yet still he claims mastery over it.

The rune on this card is Hagall. Rachel Pollack explains this means destruction. It’s a reminder that victory is never absolute, that just because we can force our will on something doesn’t mean we have complete dominion over it. It’s a warning against arrogance.

The Hebrew letter is Cheth and the zodiacal sign is Cancer. Cheth means fence and Cancer is the sign of the crab, whose hard shell protects it from injury. Even Cancer’s glyph, shown in the bottom corner of the card, makes it look like it is curled into a ball to protect itself. Both of these things hint that the charioteer’s victory may not be all it seems. It’s not quite so impressive when you hide behind a safety fence and clothe yourself in thick heavy armour. It’s like a gladiator fighting a lion whose teeth and claws have been removed, then proclaiming how mighty he is for slaying the monstrous beast. Compare this with the next card, Strength, where we see a woman, naked and with both feet on the ground, holding the snake. It seems she is much braver than the charioteer.

The charioteer tries to escape the wolf-like animal following him, but it hounds him even in victory. We must be aware of the fences we construct around us and try to identify what it is we’re hiding from.

Seven is a challenging number. In the minor suits of the Haindl Tarot, we have Illusions of Success (Cups), Uselessness (Swords), and Failure (Stones). Only Courage (Wands) can bring us through these difficult times.

Rachel pollack writes that the 2s represent positive action.

The hexagram is 1, the Creative. It is made up purely of yang lines, reinforcing the idea of action. Hilary Barrett writes:

“It begins with an opening to the source of the creative impulse – not plans or intentions, but the vital energy that powers them. Then you create success by sustaining a continuous, two-way flow between source and action. You step into the heart of a process of creation, welcome its momentum and find ways to join and work with it.”

Usually, the 2 of Cups describes a connection between people, something that exists or occurs without conscious effort. Yet the word “love” is a verb. To Love. I love. You love. Be loved. Love.

Despite the earnest nature bestowed on it by its title, the colours are bright and the peacock cocks his head in friendly flirtation. It’s a question, an invitation to play. This isn’t the Lovers, it’s just a two. Yes, there’s something there – a spark of recognition, a connection, a kindred soul – but without action it will come to nothing.

I always think of this card as having a subtitle: Beauty. The peacock is beautiful and he knows it. He uses it to his advantage when seeking a mate. It is important to bring something to the relationship.

I don’t read reversals but if I did I would see this card representing vanity, self-love, and superficiality. The cups would be upside down and unable to hold anything. All love flows back to the source.

Cats! That’s what popped into my head today. Why are there so many cat-themed tarot decks? It’s one of life’s great mysteries. At Tarot Chest there are five. (Brainiacs among you will have noticed that clicking that link yields eight decks in the search results. Just because a deck’s got cats in it, doesn’t mean it’s cat-themed. Halloween Tarot, I’m looking at you.)

This got me thinking about other animal-themed tarots. It didn’t get me thinking for very long though, as I could only think of two: the Ferret Tarot and Parrot Tarot (and I’m pretty sure that second one doesn’t actually have anything to do with parrots).

Given the infinite variety of fauna on our little planet, surely there should be more animal-themed decks. Why no Giraffe Tarot? Or a Tarot of the Duck-Billed Platypi? Wherefore art thou, Chicken Tarot? (I’d like an Orangutan Tarot please, if any orangutan-painting artist is listening. I’ll write the LWB…)

That’s said, I’m sure there are many more animal tarot decks than I know about. How many can you name? I’m off now to Google it.

Check out the AGMuller and US Games categories to see the new-improved prices. Many decks are now £13.99, £12.99, or even less.

And while we’re on the subject of prices, did you know…?

1) My virtual assistant Bilbo discounts a couple of items every night at midnight, at least one of which is always a tarot deck. The size of the discount depends on Bilbo’s mood and varies between 5 and 20% so it’s possible to catch some really good deals just by watching Bilbo like a hawk (you’ll find his “today only offers” on the homepage). Many a time I’ve winced in pain upon seeing what he’s done.

2) Tarot Chest offers a price matching service. On every product page there’s a link that says “Found it cheaper, click here…”. Click that to tell me about so-and-so who’s selling the Tarot of Impossible Margins for £4.86 and I will do my best to match their price. Or I’ll tell you I can’t match it, but at least then we’ll get to chat (and then you’ll realise what a lovely person I am and decide that you’d rather buy it from me anyway, mwa-ha-ha, not really but you know, one must try).

Hmm…this post needs a picture. Here is the 6 of Pentacles from the Aquarian Tarot, subtitle “The Shopkeeper”.

They are due for release here in the UK in December. When in December exactly, I don’t know. And it could be sooner – the Gaian snuck in several weeks earlier than expected – so it just depends which way the wind is blowing. West to east is good.

If any of these tickle your fancy or any other part of you, click on through to Tarot Chest where you can salivate to your heart’s delight. You can also, when you’ve finished salivating, pre-order or add an alert to be notified when they’re in stock. Or, now here’s a thought, you can add one or more or all of them to your wishlist so some kind soul can buy them for you. Well, giving IS better than receiving so you’ll really be doing THEM a favour.

Cat's Eye Tarot

Crystal Visions Tarot

Joie de Vivre Tarot

Woodland Wisdom Oracle Cards

Tea Leaf Fortune Cards

This is the card I drew as commentary on my decision to spend a year with the Haindl. I was not thrilled – the title is Defeat. In my mind, it seemed to confirm what I already knew – that I’m not very good at sticking at things and a year is a very, very, very, long time. However, as I wrote in my journal: “I know it’s doomed to failure but I’m doing it anyway. Eyes wide open. Defiant in the face of defeat.”

The RWS 5 of Swords is famously ambiguous with its image of both the victor and the swordless losers, but it focuses on the dishnourable winner. The Haindl, on the other hand, with its unflinchingly painful image of a dying unicorn, emphasises the victim – the oppressed, the defeated, the loser, the weak and powerless. Rachel Pollack writes that the unicorn is a symbol of innocence and purity. Here we see it being destroyed by swords, symbol of war, aggression, technology and power. In the Haindl worldview, this card comments on the suffering and destruction wreaked by humankind in its quest for supremacy.

Haindl chose a very claustrophobic viewpoint, framing the unicorn in extreme close-up, which makes the image – especially the panicked expression in the unicorn’s eyes – even more uncomfortable. This also means we can’t see what’s killing it. Perhaps even the unicorn can’t see it’s attacker – it can only feel the pain being inflicted. The oppressor is so great, so powerful, perhaps it isn’t even aware of the unicorn’s suffering. The unicorn could represent any victim of crime, bullying or torture – or simply a victim of circumstances too great to understand.

One phrase that caught my attention as I was reading about the hexagram (47, Oppression) is “the moment of truth”. How we deal with defeat makes all the difference. The unicorn meets its own defeat with eyes wide open. It struggles, it rails, it does not go gentle into that good night. The hexagram (which in my book is titled Confining) talks of needing to be “strong, clear and focused”.

I had presumed defeat, and maybe I’ll turn out to be right, but in a way drawing this card has helped me start off on the right foot. Instead of being blindly optimistic, I know the odds that I’ll give up at some point. I know my own moment of truth will come, and when it does, I plan to rage, rage.

God, you’d think I was facing the electric chair, not pledging to spend a year with my favourite deck. (Actually, I’m having lots of fun.)

I’ve also been thinking about doing a special Halloween reading. Obviously, this year I’m committed to the Haindl, but I don’t see why I can’t have a little fun with it. I’m thinking about trying out this spread that I came up with a long time ago but never got round to using.

What about you? Do you have any Halloween tarot rituals? What’s your favourite deck or spread to use at Halloween?

(Click the Ace of Pumpkins to see a range of fun and friendly decks for Halloween, all with 10% off!)

I have decided not to set any sort of structure (e.g. study one card every 4.68 days) as I know I’ll find that too confining. Rather, I am just going to use it for readings, study whatever cards pique my interest, and also find some good books to help me understand the twiddly bits. Over the course of the next 12 months, I want to:
- learn more about Kabbalah (including which way I should be spelling it), runes, the I Ching, and astrology
- learn more about the historical and mythological figures who make up the court cards
- become more comfortable reading with the deck, first for myself but also for others
- go into each card more
- use it to help me grow, to understand myself and the world better
- play with it, using the excellent activities in my forthcoming book
- assign timings to each of the cards
- become one with the deck

All of which sounds fun and do-able right? I think so.

Anyway, after making my pledge yesterday sitting, as I was, in the car park of B&Q (where all great life-changing decisions are made), I thought it would be nice to draw a card from the Haindl as a kind of commentary. The card I drew was the 5 of Swords – Defeat. Never let it be said that the Haindl doesn’t have a sense of humour.

Still, I am undeterred and have made the 5 of Swords the first subject for scrutiny. Illuminating insights to follow…

Stay tuned for more on this momentous and foolhardy decision.

Look, I made an acronym!

When I grow up I want to be a tarot reader even though, at the moment, I am not a very good one. Even so, I am perpetually fascinated by the concept of “a tarot reading” – this strange consultation between two strangers and some cards (and maybe something else besides) – and the ethical questions it raises. If I am ever to be a tarot reader (one who reads face-to-face, and who maybe also gets paid) I want to be a Good one. What is Good? I don’t know – someone who is competent, professional, ethical and compassionate, someone who provides a service of value to another person. And so, over the course of my day-to-daydreaming about my one-day tarot-reading self, I came up with this acronym to remind me of what sort of reader I’d like to be.

S.H.A.R.P. stands for:

Sensitive
First and foremost, I want to be sensitive. If someone goes to the trouble of seeking out a reader and shells out their hard-earned cash for a tarot reading, the least I can do is take them seriously – regardless of whether their question is “Will Brad call me tonight?”, “Why does my cat hate me?” or “How can I bring about world peace?” Being sensitive means thinking about how someone might be feeling, and treating them with respect and kindness. It means not judging and not forgetting that I’m there to help them. Even with the most straight-forward seeming readings, there’s always a story behind the story and as tarot readers, we hardly ever know the half of it (even though sometimes we might think we know all). People ask for help when they’re scared, hurt, or vulnerable.

Helpful
As a “real” tarot reader, I’d have the opportunity to help people in all sorts of different ways. I could help them understand. I could help them make a decision or find a solution to a problem. I could help them take the next step. Maybe I might help just by reflecting their situation back to them – or even just by listening. However the means, I’d like my readings to be helpful, so that afterwards the sitter is in a more positive place than they were before. It sounds a little obvious, but what I don’t want is to just read the cards with no consideration for the sitter. I need to remember to ask myself “Am I helping or am I just talking?” And of course, it wouldn’t hurt to ask, “Is that any help?”

Accurate
I don’t mean, “You’ll meet a man at 3.30pm on Wednesday afternoon. It’ll be raining and he’ll be wearing a dark blue Mackintosh and carrying a black umbrella.” I mean, I want my readings to be specific (but SHSRP doesn’t spell anything). I want to answer the question that’s asked – not just vaguely rehash my favourite interpretations. I want to pay attention to position meanings and how they interact with the cards and the question. I want to choose my words carefully. (Hmmm, interesting – tarot cards are predominantly visual, but a tarot reading is all about accurately translating those visual symbolic messages into words.) I don’t want to just blaze through the reading thinking I already know what the cards mean. Each individual reading is an unrepeatable moment in time: an alignment of random forces and deliberate intentions – a unique mix of sitter, reader, question, spread, deck, and cards drawn. I must interpret accordingly.

Responsible
Tarot cards are powerful things. Of course, I know they’re just bits of printed cardboard, but they have this habit of dispensing uncannily accurate observations. It’s easy to understand how mere mortals might believe such observations are messages from a higher power. The problem with messages from a higher power is…they’re very difficult to ignore.
I don’t want to be one of those readers who says, “This reading is for entertainment purposes only (yeah, right), I just read the cards and tell you what they say, it’s up to you whether you choose to follow any advice given and hey, it wasn’t me giving you the advice, it was the cards, so I’m completely off the hook.” (Yes, I know readers don’t actually say that, but sometimes it feels that’s what they’re saying. It’s like a nurse saying, “Now, I’m giving you this jab, but it’s really up to you how your body responds to it.” A professional accepts responsibility for the service he or she provides.)
When I read tarot for others, I will essentially be interfering in their lives. Influencing their decisions. Putting thoughts into their heads. I must be aware of the awesomely huge responsibility that bestows on me. I’ll say that again – AWESOMELY HUGE RESPONSIBILITY. A tarot reading is not an isolated event; it will have consequences. I want to make sure they’re good ones. I think part of doing this involves using the cards as prompts for questions that the sitter can answer for him or herself, rather than giving them the answers. I have a bee in my bonnet about this particular point, which is why I’m labouring it.

Proud
Wow, that came out left field (I was just trying to decide between Professional or emPowering). Why do I want to be a proud tarot reader? Well, actually, I want to be proud to be a tarot reader. This last point is kind of a sum of all the others, because if I’m sensitive, helpful, accurate and responsible then I should have something to be proud of. I want tarot reading to be recognised as having value, instead of being this kind of novelty thing that a lot of people dismiss. I want to be a skilled professional. I want to keep improving as a reader, yet be consistent. I want to bravely say (because this would be a huge deal for me), “I’m a tarot reader” instead of saying “I’m sort of into tarot, it’s my thing, nah I don’t really read”. I want to have a sign outside my house that says, “Tarot Readings, Come Inside”. I want to come out of the tarot closet smartly dressed holding my cards and some sort of appointment book. I want tarot readers to be respected and to conquer the world!

Aw, I just want to be a good reader. Do you think I’ll ever make it now I’ve set myself all these impossible targets?