Pathworking the Tarot

by Leeza Robertson

  Pathwork

  Intentional

  Coming to the end of a journey is always fraught with excitement because the finish line is in sight; dread because there is still so much to do and the finish line is in sight; and exhaustion because, well, the finish line is in sight! Knowing that our time is running out on a certain project or goal fills our body with mixed emotions. Take the Nines out of your deck and choose your card deliberately and intentionally. Which of the Nines sets the best coming to an end tone for your current journey and will keep you on your toes and make sure you finish completely, efficiently, and wholeheartedly? Take a photo of the card you end up selecting and use it as the lock screen of your phone. This is something you will look at repeatedly every day for the next few weeks as you wrap things up, get things organized, and begin your march to the finish line of your goal, dream, or project. Each time you see the image, say this mantra: “I complete my journey/goal with intention and focus, and I am surrounding the finish line with joy and love.” Finish with purpose and move into the Tens with power and authority.

  Intuitive

  For this exercise, have the four Nines in front of you, faceup and in the following order: the Nine of Swords, the Nine of Wands, the Nine of Cups, the Nine of Pentacles. As we move through this exercise, hold each one of the cards in your hand and speak directly to it, starting with the Nine of Swords and ending with the Nine of Pentacles.

  You can do this meditation by just reading through it, or, if you prefer, close your eyes and focus on breathwork. By all means, record it and play it back to yourself, or memorize it before you sit down to meditate.

  Let us begin. Say the following aloud:

  I bless the Nine of Swords for reminding me that I am not focused on the present moment. That my mind is being haunted by things that have happened in the past or things that have not even happened.

  I bless the Nine of Wands for it will assist me in guarding my mind. It will show me how to build better defenses so I can stay firmly rooted in the present moment, as I know what is right in front of me is where my mind and heart need to be focused.

  I bless the Nine of Cups for the joyful reminder that here in this moment, in this space, all I could ever want is already provided. I know that what is in my heart is being manifested and I am allowing myself to feel the joy of the experience as I now step into it.

  I bless the Nine of Pentacles for showing me what is possible. For sitting with me during every visualization session and for wrapping me in its abundant energy long enough to bring this current moment forth.

  The Nines of the tarot have blessed and guided me while showing me how to take another step closer to my soul’s potential. I am filled with gratitude for this gift. I bless these cards. And so it is.

  Wandering

  This exercise is somewhat tied into the intentional pathwork section, for as you are constantly reminding yourself about how to wrap things up while you head toward the finish line, this exercise wants you to be on the lookout for that card in your daily wanderings. Everything that you think, feel, and do from this point on is being influenced by the card on your phone, the one you deliberately selected, so be on the lookout for it. Listen carefully so you don’t miss it when it speaks to you through other people. Watch the actions of those around you and notice if they indicate anything you might have missed as you make your way toward the finish line. The wandering exercise is actually one of the best ways to identify and navigate blocks and self-sabotaging triggers, because you are actually moving and negotiating your way around an idea, concept, or point of meditation. Nowhere is that more important than when you are getting ready to wrap something up and close the doors on an experience as it comes to an end.

  Tens

  Welcome to your last stop in the numbered cards of the minor arcana. You have made the journey from Aces to Tens, while learning some things about yourself along the way. Unlike the karmic completion you reaped the benefits of back in the Nines, here in the Tens you have physical completion. In truth, ten is really a starting point, for in numerology the number ten would be considered arriving back at another one. This means that here in the last numbered card of the suits, you not only get to see how you have finished your walk through the four elements, but you also get a glimpse of what is to come. Think of it this way: by ending with a specific energy or vibration here in the numbered cards, you set the tone for your next experience or point of expansion. I guess you could say that how well you end this part of your journey will dictate how good a start you have for what is about to come. This gives the Tens a bit of prophetic quality to them. However, like all things that have yet to happen, they are not set in stone and can be altered or changed depending on what thoughts, feelings, and actions you take once you leave the Tens behind you.

  This is food for thought as you make your way through these remaining four cards. How did it all end for you? Did you get the results you were hoping for? Did it all end up being too much for you and you just gave up? Does knowing that each of these four cards will set the scene for what comes next change how you see them and what course of action you will take from this point on? Be mindful as each of the cards offers up their lessons to you. Seek both the blessings and the challenges in all four of these remaining cards, and keep your mind open to the opportunity each of these cards presents. These things can be easy to miss when you finally cross the finish line of a journey. You focus on the act of completion, as you should, but far too often miss the real gift of the journey, the seeds of potential that only ending one cycle could produce.

  The Ten of Swords is the ultimate “it’s over” card. There is no coming back from the ending that has played out in this card. Once you have been slain by Ten of Swords and find yourself facedown in a ditch, maybe it is best to consider staying there for a while. Obviously what you have been doing is not what you can continue to do, unless of course you love being stabbed in the back over and over again. Which, you know, is fine if that is your thing, but I would recommend thinking about taking a completely different approach once you have pulled all of those swords out of your back. I don’t say this very often, but this is one of those cards you can’t ignore and hope it will go away. When the Ten of Swords shows up, like it or not, the object of your question is done, finished, complete, never to happen again, or at least not in its current form. This is why the details matter. In its current form, this situation, person, or idea is dead in the water; however, that doesn’t mean something else won’t work. I have seen this card present itself when I have been working through creative ideas for books and decks, and every time it shows up, I know I need to scrap the idea and move on. Damn if this card isn’t always right! Therefore, take heart, because even though what you have been doing is over, it does not mean that all is lost. It just means you have to think of a different way to approach your goal, idea, or situation.

  The Ten of Wands isn’t having a very good day. Like the Ten of Swords, the only happy ending you are getting here is the one you will have once you find somewhere to dump all of those damn wands. I call this card the “screw this shit” card, because that is often how people are feeling when it shows up in a reading. After being beaten up and standing for hours on end for no real reason in the Nine of Wands, you might be thinking to yourself that this is all just a huge waste of your time and you would be so much better off packing it in and going home. You might be absolutely right. Sometimes the best way to move forward is to retreat and regroup, which is one of the better ways to look at this card. You did your best, you got knocked down a lot, but you’re still standing, so take the small win and go home and heal. Playing with all of that fire is bound to leave you with some scars, so you might want to get those attended to before you consider your next move. The Ten of Wands will ultimately be your breakdown or breakthrough card, depending on how you see the act of retreating. I, for one, am all for taking a step back and regrouping, as nothing is ev
er gained by trying to force something into being through exhaustion and sheer will. We all hit a wall while working on our goals. If we didn’t, something would be terribly wrong. This is your wall, and you just happen to hit it right at the end. But that does not mean that all is lost, or that you traveled this far in vain. It just means that there is going to be more work to do. This is your seed, lesson, and blessing from the Ten of Wands card. You can either take it and go tend to it lovingly while you rest your mind and heal your body, or you can curse at the universe and never pick the seed up, choosing to end with anger and frustration. Just know that how you end is how you will begin. Choose wisely.

  The Ten of Cups is the happily ever after card you never knew you wanted. I say this because there is an element of romance about this card, as if this particular ending is being seen through rose-tinted glasses. This is not to say that things aren’t happy or that your ending was not better than you thought it was going to be; it is just a small warning to not get too caught up in how it looks. Looks, as we have learned in our journey through the minor arcana, can be deceptive, which is why it might be best to check in with how you feel. This is a cups card after all. How you feel right now in this moment will be the real indicator of how successfully you have completed this particular cycle. There is a certain amount of euphoria when one completes a big goal, lands that dream deal, or even snags their heartmate, but it is important to remember that this is a heightened sense of being. In other words, you’re high on good vibes, and at some point you are going to come crashing down. This is one of the problems with peak emotional states, be they good or bad. They never last longer than the moment that created them, and this causes problems in the moving on process. When things seem too good to be true and make you feel blissed out, you can spend the rest of your life trying to recapture that high, or in this case to replicate the scene being played out in the Ten of Cups. Celebrate, by all means, but don’t let this illusion seduce you.

  The Ten of Pentacles is often referred to as the legacy card, meaning it is the card that shows the good job you have done with your material and physical resources. However, that might be limiting this card just a little. Sure, it is nice to know we have done so well that those who come after us will benefit from all of our hard work, but there is more to this card than what is left behind after all the work is done. This card represents a level of expertise or a set of skills that has been masterfully refined after thousands of hours of work. This expertise not only helps others, but it also helps you, as doors will now open to you that you never even knew existed. Remember the Tens are seed cards just like the Aces, as they both vibrate to the energy of the number one. The seed offered up by the Ten of Pentacles is different from the seed you planted back in the Ace, for you are no longer a novice; now you are an expert. People, projects, and opportunities flock to you because your name and your work now mean something. You may have started to get recognized back in the Eight of Pentacles, but it is nothing like what can and will happen here in the Ten of Pentacles. The trick with this card is to not let this all go to your head. Humility is key at this level. With each new level there will always be a learning curve, so reign in the ego and stay receptive. Don’t blow everything you have worked so hard for by allowing the ego to creep in the back door of your mind. Stay grounded and be fully present to this wonderful new opportunity that you have masterfully manifested. You have done well in providing a secure future for those around you. Now go and have fun; do all the things you have always wanted to do.

  Pathwork

  Intentional

  You have made it to the end of the minor arcana. Congratulations! This means that whatever you planted back in the Aces has come to pass, even though it may not quite look how you imagined it would. There will be one card in the Tens that you hoped you would end on, and then there will be the card that you actually do end on. What we hope will happen usually differs greatly from what actually does happen. So, which card visually shows your ending? I understand that once a goal has been achieved, there is a mixture of all four of these cards present in the heart and mind of the person who now stands at the finish line, but for this exercise just select one of the cards. Choose the one that best represents how you feel and think as you end this journey. Really study the image on the card. Look closely at what is happening in the image. Notice the colors, the shapes, and the way your eye moves around the image. Let the vibrancy or dullness of the image overtake you, until you and the image seem to be one. Close your eyes if you feel inclined to, and just let the feelings and thoughts that this image brings up flow through you. Do your best not to attach yourself to whatever feelings surface or whatever thoughts slip into your mind; just breathe it all in and breathe it all out. Everything is now over. Hanging on to anything at this point will only bring problems for what comes next. As you let all of these feelings and thoughts flow through you and out of you, say “Thank you” over and over like a mantra. Regardless of where you now find yourself, you have grown, you have experienced change, and like them or not, you have learned new ways of being and doing. Thank the experience for the blessings, gifts, and lessons it has bought into your life. Thank it and release it. Keep your card out for a couple of days, just in case you feel you need to repeat the releasing and gratitude work.

  Intuitive

  The Tens not only mark an ending, they also mark a beginning. In numerology, the ten is seen as a one, a beginning number. The one connects us to the Magician in the major arcana and lets us know that as we begin a new phase in our lives, we will find that we magically have all that we need. This is where you now stand, at both the finish line and starting line, with a bag full of new magical tricks and tools that you have gathered on the journey you just completed. One of these four Tens is setting the tone for the next vortex of energy that you will step into, but which one is it? Pull the four Tens out of your deck and place them facedown in front of you. Shuffle them around just enough so you don’t remember where each of them is, and gently run your fingers over the backs of the four cards. Ask the following question in your mind: What ending is forming my next beginning?

  When you notice a sensation in your fingers, be it heat, cold, or tingling, select your card, just the one, and turn it over. So what is it? Which Ten is laying the groundwork for your next phase? I suggest you meditate with this card for a couple of days just so you can go deeper than your initial reaction to it. Let the card dialogue with you through journal work for as long as possible, offering up more information to you. Sometimes we need to really sit with a card before it makes sense or we are able to fully appreciate its deeper wisdom. Take your time, meditate, and don’t rush to conclusions about what is starting to form on the horizon of life.

  Wandering

  I have done many readings with people who refused to acknowledge the finality of the Tens. This level of denial happens to all of us at some point, but over the years I have learned that when a Ten shows up, I had better start looking for the signs of something coming to an end. Now it is your turn to do the same. Something in your life is ending, and something is about to begin. The signs will be all around you, perhaps in the conversations you are having with people, in doors closing, or opportunities disappearing. Know that these endings are meant to be, for you have outgrown the energy and now it is time to move on to a new phase. It is time to expand your awareness to actively seek out endings, and to find an echo of the Tens in the people, words, thoughts, situations, and experiences around you. Let these encounters and interactions guide your decisions and actions so that you can truly harness this completion energy. Timing is everything, so don’t hold on to the energy that is now past; instead, release it and let go.

  [contents]

  5

  Pulling It All Together

  If you have made it this far through this book, congratulations! You have done well to make it to the end. But if you have made it this far, you will also have noticed that the majo
rity of this book is written with a one-card spread, single card daily draw approach to it. I admit that was intentional on my behalf, as I wanted to give you, dear reader, more tools to engage with your cards on a one-on-one level. That said, I did not really approach the topic of spreads or how to use this book for multiple-card readings, so now seems like the perfect time to touch on it and wrap up all that you have learned thus far in this book.