Pursued by the Ten of Swords
Jun 27th, 2007 by Lynne
I do Tarot readings for myself at least once a week, sometimes more often. There’s nothing particularly magical or “woo woo” about my approach to Tarot — I use the cards as a way to force myself to think outside my normal patterns. There’s plenty of stuff we know deep down already but just haven’t actually seen yet, and Tarot is a way to encourage this knowledge to come to the surface.
Every once in a while, I go through a phase where the Ten of Swords comes up in virtually every reading. It doesn’t matter which deck I use or how long I shuffle. I can even do the reading on my PDA or PC and let the computer pick the cards. It’s like the frickin’ One Ring in Lord of the Rings — it wants to be found. :-)
I’ve used Tarot cards since I was twelve years old, but I don’t consider myself even remotely an expert. I haven’t yet figured out for sure why the Ten of Swords sometimes seems to follow me around or what it means. I only know that there are periods in my life when it appears consistently in my readings.
I suspect it most often appears when I need to break free of something or someone. I remember a time a decade or more ago when it showed up once a week for months during a period when a “friend” was stabbing me in the back at work. Mostly, I tend to take people at their word. If they say they’re a friend and behave that way to my face, I assume that’s what they are. Unfortunately, this often blinds me to people who are less than honorable. The person in this particular instance was one of the saddest, most self-destructive sociopaths I’ve ever encountered, and over the years, she systematically screwed over every person who cared about her. When I finally figured out what she was trying to do (she didn’t succeed), I realized that the Ten of Swords had started appearing in my readings at the same time she’d become obsessed with causing trouble for me.
It occurred to me recently that it has been a very long time since I’ve seen this card in a reading. Do you have any cards that seem to show up at particular times in your life? What about cards that you believe represent you or certain people?
Wow, Lynne, I don’t anything about tarot, but that is some card. Really powerful image. Now I think I should do a bit more research into it :) .
Shouldn’t you be on the lookout for ten people stabbing you in the back?
I’ve never used tarot, but if I’m depressed or otherwise inertial when I need to let something go and move on I have a recurring bad dream, a vision of an undead thing slowly but implacably moving through some landscape toward me. I’ve learned to respect its message. When I don’t, the vision changes to an undead thing standing over me, staring down.
It’s not the most pleasant sensation in the world, but I have to say it’s a motivator.
Yes. Nine backstabbers might just be coincidence, but when you feel that tenth blade, it’s time to take a hard look at yourself. Maybe it’s you, man. Mea culpa, Brute.
I’ve never used the Tarot, and almost never remember my dreams. If I need a jolt of creativity, well, Lynne packs more surprises than any deck of cards.
I really would like to play Everway, though.
Hi, Michelle! The Ten of Swords is generally regarded as one of the most unfavorable cards in the deck, and that image certainly paints a picture!
I have recurring dreams under those circumstances, too, James, but nothing quite as scary as yours!
You’re right. Where are the other nine people? :-)
We have GOT to play Everway. Maybe if we ever make it to GenCon there’ll be someone running a game.
Et tu, John. You’re pretty darn surprising, yourself!
I don’t use Tarot either, although a WisRWA member did a talk about it one meeting. It sounded fascinating.
The Ten of Swords is a nice warning device. I once worked with a backstabber who always smiled to my face. I was so glad to leave that job.
I have a friend I occasionally did readings for. She would always get the Empress card in her readings. When she started going through a rough patch, the Empress disappeared–instead, she began to get the Queen of Swords. Interestingly enough, the Queen first appeared in a future occurrence spot on the Celtic Cross layout, then began to move “backward” until she became the Querent card, about the time my friend needed to start kicking some major butt.
As for recurring dreams, besides the car itself with me in the backseat, I get the snakes or gators infestation a la Hitchcock’s “The Birds”. So fun having to make my way through THAT.
I haven’t pulled out my tarot deck in a long long time. I love the deck I picked up, it was the Celtic Tarot and the cards themselves are lovely. I haven’t done enough readings for myself to really have a card that would show up a good deal.
I do remember the first time someone gave me a reading however, and the death card popped up. I freaked out until it was explained to me that the death card isn’t a bad thing, it can be symbolic of the ending of one thing and the beginning of something new. I was fascinated after that. :)
We’re about to leave to go drop the kids off with the grandparents and will hit the road this afternoon. See you this evening for some Cabaret. ;)
Huh. I keep seeing European-derived decks, including such ephemera as the Lord of the Rings and Vertigo decks, and got to wondering how West African spirituality (a suppressed element of our Melting Pot) might map to the Tarot. One answer is the New Orleans Voodoo Tarot: http://www.themysticeye.com/pics/voodoo.htm
It’s gorgeous. I recognize Shango and the Baron, and see that the four suits are assigned to the three branches of Vodou plus Santerķa. That may be a strange mix, but I just can’t stop looking at the purty pitchers: http://www.astroamerica.com/t-voodoo.html
I get the Empress a lot, too, and he Queen of Wands (which is probably me). The funny thing is, when I used to read professionally the Empress always came up negative when I read–she was always the woman trying to steal someone’s husband or stabbing my client in the back. I don’t know why I saw her that way, and I don’t notice it as much with the decks I use now, but when I used the Connolly deck I really did.
Hi, Edie! I don’t blame you one bit for leaving a job like that. I’ve some similar things, myself.
A gator infestation, Seressia?! I don’t think I’ve ever had a dream like that. Sounds fascinating! (Scary, too.)
Hi, Mel! I love Celtic-themed tarots. If you like that one, you might also enjoy Robin Wood’s. The art on hers is just amazing.
That’s some major eye candy there, John. Thanks for the links!
Hi, December! I haven’t used the Connolly deck, but it’s on my list of decks to check out. My usual deck is the Scapini, followed by the Robin Wood.
With all the Fire in my astrological chart, it would make sense for me to be the Queen of Wands, but I most often come up as the Queen of Swords. Sometimes it’s the Magician.
I’m definitely attracted to Air, though. I did an impromptu aromatherapy test the other week, and all of the scents I chose were related to Air. I had no idea until the test was done that I’d chosen things that way.
I once saw a home-made deck at a WisCon convention. The maker was no artist, which encouraged me to think I could come up with my own. I’ve been fiddling with card ideas ever since.
Alice
There are some Tarot courses, Alice, that have the students paint their own cards. Many use a version of the Rider-Waite as a base, and the students take it from there. I’ve never done that, but it sounds like a really neat thing to do.
Color printers have gotten so good these days that you could print your card ideas out on photo stock, and I bet they’d look cool!