by Marcus Katz
5 of Pentacles
This card suggests that whilst your decision may be difficult, it is best for long-term gain. You may suffer from “deferred income”, whilst you work towards your destination. So wrap up warm and prepare for the long slog, the long haul. These decisions are never easy, and may involve activity you would rather avoid, but for now, it must be endured, for that is the shortest route to your final destination.
5 of Swords
Putting away the internal arguments and doubts is difficult, when trying to make a rational decision. These various parts of ourselves rarely agree, and all seek their own aims. When this card surfaces, we are told that we must settle on the best option – for now – and let everything else get shelved. Even if we are attached to some possibilities and choices, they must be put to one side for now. A decision must be made, the best under the circumstances, a compromise, even, an uneasy truce – and then acted upon with good grace. There will come time later to re-evaluate.
5 of Cups
This decision is one that may involve regret, this card illustrates. It is important then, on receiving it, that you shake yourself out of grief and cross the bridge to a better place. It will be hard in the moment, but easy once you have made your decision.
5 of Wands
Any decision can disturb our values and our beliefs. We must come together internally and marshal our varying opinions to decide on one particular course of action. This card shows that these energies are very vibrant and active in this decision, and so you may like to play them out a bit more. Do a bit of bonkers brainstorming, think outside the box, take things to their extreme. Then bounce back to a more realistic plan and make it real.
CHARIOT VII
The card of “getting out of your own way”, this image shows how perfect calm can generate intense and rapid progress. It is the zen of tarot; the art of working “without lust of result”. When it appears in a decision-spread, then it suggests that once the decision is made, you must surrender entirely to it, and let actions lead your way. Respond to the world as it arises, go with the flow. We will return to this more in the next book.
STRENGTH VIII
Right relationship is illustrated by this card. In Kabbalah, it shows the relationship between Geburah (Might) and Chesed (Mercy), the constraining and liberating principles, the active and passive, the creating and destroying – form and force. There needs to be a dynamic balance in the activity that follows from your decision. A bit like the porridge in Goldilocks – not too cold, not too warm. It is important that you avoid extremes in this decision and keep to what can be managed and maintained.
4 of Pentacles
Keep an eye on your resources and do not over-extend yourself now that you have made your decision. Keeping everything close to your chest is a good approach now, and don’t involve others unless you really must.
4 of Swords
Taking time out and letting your decision make its own way in life is a potential solution to give you space. Let go of it and remove yourself from the drama – it will ride itself out without taking you with it.
4 of Cups
Even though this has been an emotional decision to make, you may be offered support in dealing with the consequences. Don’t get too self-involved or absorbed in the impact of your decision – shake yourself out of it and go take a hand from someone who can help.
4 of Wands
It is time you know? Time to get back out there and accept invitations to a new way of life. There’s more than just you and here – there’s a whole world out there to explore. Now that you have made your decision, this card advises extending yourself, exploring new social spaces and just hanging out for a bit. Go do it!
HEIROPHANT V
As the revelation of all that is sacred, the Hierophant counsels us to take advice, seek assistance from those with experience and expertise, and let go of our pride to hear higher advice. There is perhaps more to this decision than meets the eye – you are advised to get more information and insight from someone who can offer it. This will ensure your decision goes the right way for all involved.
3 of Pentacles
When you are building your life, there are times when you need to take pause and assure that you are working to plan. This is such a time – the decision having been made, you can now take a moment to consider how this will fit in your life plan. Discuss it with others, get the general opinion. There is time.
3 of Swords
Making a tough decision can be cutting – we must separate out what we do not want and what we want. It is a harsh process, particularly when it involves emotional content. You are advised with this card to be ruthlessly clear, and accept that there will be a loss. We are naturally geared to avoid decisions that result in loss, but often this is a necessary step to greater long-term gain. “This too, will pass”.
3 of Cups
There is time to celebrate your decision – go share it with others. They may not totally understand your decision, or your situation, but you can afford to lose yourself for a while and let things take their own course – the decision is done.
3 of Wands
This decision has long-term consequences that perhaps it is difficult to presently see. Take time now to watch carefully how your action impacts on others and changes their direction. It may be a speculation on your part, so you are advised to keep watch on how things set off from your decision.
EMPRESS III
Allow time and have patience is the message of this card in a decision-making context. To all things there is a season, and your decision and action may be part of a larger, more organic, situation. Let things take their course, nurture them and nourish them, but do not take such an active role. Allow your decision to birth its own state in the world.
2 of Pentacles
When a decision results in action, there are always adjustments to be made. These may be communicated quickly, but beware of false visions – these are early days. Take everything in hand and weigh the positive against the negative. There is juggling to be done until the action that you have decided upon starts to settle down and manifest more fully. Have patience.
2 of Swords
When one decision is made, another can still follow. Sometimes you have to get to B from A in order to see C. So take a quick breath and having made your decision, consider what other opportunities are now open to you that were not before – they may be quite obvious.
2 of Cups
Working with others is an important consideration in any activity or decision-making. How do they contribute to the situation? Do they not only add their own essence, but in conjunction with you, do you create more than either of you could do alone? See what arises from your mutual decisions.
2 of Wands
When you make a decision, it is always part of a bigger ambition. In what way does today’s decision add to your long-term destiny? Does it move you away or towards your desired life? Take your decision and examine it more closely in the wider picture – then tweak it further whilst it is in its first stages of action. A gentle nudge now in the right direction can make all the difference at the end of the day.
HIGH PRIESTESS II
The card of mystery and intuition, this image relates to the fact that most of our desires are behind closed doors. That is to say, we are often unaware and unconscious of our deeper motivations. In a decision-spread, the High Priestess informs us that there is more to this decision than we consciously know, and we should consider the deeper situation from which we are acting out. Perhaps we should meditate, be aware of our dreams, and seek some symbolic signal of our deeper motivation here.
MAGICIAN I
When we created Tarot Flip, the keyword that most experienced readers unconsciously gave us for this card was “success”. It is thus a wonderful card to get with decision-making. It implies that Mercury is smiling upon us, we have the resources required, the magic is in place, and success is assured. Who knows, even a miracle may be a
t hand if we allow it to happen. Expect magick!
Ace of Pentacles
The Aces are the ultimate seed of every decision. Here with the Ace of Pentacles you are reminded that your decision is the essential seed of all that follows – so an important one. Yet it may not yet be clear what will grow. Allow it time, tend the ground and the space – clear the weeds (old expectations) and put a net down to stop the birds pecking (negative words) and eventually this seed will grow.
Ace of Swords
The Ace of Swords allows us to be assured that our decision, whether positive or negative, is an act of clarity. It is an incision into real life – a willed, creative ambition made real by action. This immediacy is the advice of the card in any decision-making. Do this, or do not. Either is a decision. But do it. And now. There will be time for reflection later.
Ace of Cups
On the other side of the Ace of Swords, the Ace of Cups counsels deep reflection following your decision. Allow time for contemplation, meditation, consideration. Let yourself listen to your inner voice, your intuition, and your physical body. These deep wells of experience have advice for you, but you must be still to hear it clearly. This decision was not made lightly and must be brought forth into the light most carefully, and with tender compassion.
Ace of Wands
The Ace of Wands is the ultimate arbiter of decision – the rod of action based on ones highest values and principles. It is simply “doing the right thing”. The Ace of Cups may be the “best considered thing”, the Swords the “correct thing”, and the Pentacles the “most practical thing”, but the Ace of Wands indicates we must do the “right” thing. So take time to consider how this decision and its arising consequences reflects upon your spiritual and psychological development as a whole being.
FOOL 0
The Fool tells you that once a decision has been made, we are free of it – we have nothing to fear, nothing to regret. It is done and we are liberated from its concern. So if you have this card as your top advisory card, your decision is to be released – it no longer has anything to do with you. Let it go and step forwards, with faith that angels indeed will bear you up before you fall.
Conclusion
In the following nine booklets in this series, we will build on our progress in the first three months, next discovering how to enter the flow before we start to connect the previous exercises together. It is important to the process that you undertake the exercises, and we have an optional Facebook group listed in the appendix where you can share and discuss your experiences, ask questions and gain support.
We have also provided in the final section a list of reading materials and website resources to discover more in the very best of Tarot and Tarosophy®.
In this series, released monthly over 2013:
1. Discover Your Destiny
2. Remove The Blocks
3. Make Decisions Better
4. Enter the Flow
5. Ride the Lion
6. Connect to Service
7. Find Your Equality
8. Die To Your Old Self
9. Entering Unity
10. Becoming the Real
11. Your Keys to Freedom
12. The Depth of Divinity
What Follows Next Month
In next month’s Tarot Life, we deal with our creative space and the creative flow of the Universe itself – and learn to become co-creators in real time, the “moving likeness of eternity”. As we develop our decision-making and destiny-seeking skills, observe and harness our own blocks, there is then nothing like being able to enter the flow.
The Tyldwick Tarot
The Tyldwick Tarot, whose images grace the covers of this Tarosophy Kickstart series, is a fully complete Tarot deck awaiting publishing by Neil Lovell. It can be viewed online on the comprehensive and beautifully designed site, http://www.malpertuis.co.uk/tyldwick.
The theme of the deck is that of an elegant house, through which one can wander without “being distracted by a cast of characters” as might be found in other Tarot decks. The cards are beautifully layered and suffused with tonal casts from the international travel that the designer has enjoyed – and not so enjoyed - as described in some fascinating cases which are revealed in the extensive interview on the site.
The deck reminds us very much of the film, Last Year in Marienbad (1961, dir. Alain Resnais) which is a dream-like excursion into an environment which may or may not be real, in which the characters not so much inhabit the place, but are extensions of the place itself. In the Tyldwick Tarot, the few characters we see are the Court Cards where faces are reflected in mirrors – or perhaps are even looking out from the other side of the mirrors themselves.
The deck is currently awaiting publishing and the designer has asked interested parties to reserve copies or express an interest to sufficient numbers before he commits to publishing. We would highly recommend this deck, and suggest you make that commitment – as we would love to see it in our own hands and use it for both reading and meditation work.
The KickStart Guides
Look out for more titles in this innovative series of Tarosophy KickStart Guides.
Volume I.
Book I: Tarot Flip - Reading Tarot Straight from the Box
Book II: Tarot Twist - Finding a Spread for Every Question
Book III: Tarot Inspire – Tarot & Western Esotericism for a Spiritual Life
Volume II.
Book I: Tarot Switch – Methods of Engaging Tarot in Life
Book II: Tarot Solution – How to Read in Real Life Readings
Book III: Tarot Decode – Signs, Symbols & Portents in Tarot
Also
Tarot Turn Vol. 1 - 3: A massive crowd-sourced reference guide to all 12,200 possible combinations of reversed Tarot card pairs.
Tarot Life: A revolutionary method to change your life in 12 Kindle pamphlets.
Bibliography
Crowley, A. The Book of Thoth. York Beach: Weiser, 1985.
Freeman, W. J. How Brains Make Up Their Minds. London: Phoenix, 1999.
Katz, M. & Goodwin, T. Around the Tarot in 78 Days. Woodbury: Llewellyn, 2012.
Katz, M. & Goodwin, T. Tarot Flip. Keswick: Forge Press, 2010.
Lehrer, J. How We Decide. New York: Mariner, 2010.
Tarosophy Websites & Resources
Tarosophy Tarot Associations: http://www.Tarotprofessionals.com
Tarot Professionals Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/tarotprofessionals
Hekademia Tarot Course: http://www.tarosophyuniversity.com
Tarot Town Social Network: http://www.Tarot-town.com
Tarosophy by Marcus Katz: http://www.tarosophy.com
Tarot Book Club: http://www.Tarotbookclub.com
The Tarot Review: http://www.theTarotreview.com
Join the Tarot Life Facebook group at:
http://www.facebook.com/groups/150952695052327/
There are many threads, questions & answers, examples, discussion and sharing of this life-changing technique.
If you cannot locate the group, contact us directly at [email protected] and we will be delighted to add you to the group.