Well, welcome back, everybody!! Hope everyone had a nice vacation! I'm going to start this Tarot 201 class with a quick overview of the court cards. (For those of us who may need a little brush up on the meanings of the cards, go to:the main index.)
PAGE
Pages can be used to represent an actual person.
In this case, a young person of either gender.
Pages can also represent a message or event that is about to occur.
Pages are also an indication of the beginning of a spiritual pursuit.
Pages are new beginnings.
PAGE OF CUPS:
The PC can be used to identify an impressionable
or emotional young person.
When the PC represents a new event, the querant will react to this event in an emotional manner.
In a reading regarding spiritual issues, the PC could indicate the beginning of a spiritual journey undertaken for emotional reasons.
The PC could also indicate a new beginning of an emotional nature, such as a new birth, the start of a new relationship, a creative idea, an exciting new project.
PAGE OF WANDS:
The PW can be used to identify a young person
with a rather melancholy outlook. Alternately,
some readers interpret this card to mean a near
relative or a close friend of the querant.
When the PW represents a new event, the event may concern work or business. Maybe a new work project.
In a reading regarding spiritual issues, the PW could indicate a spiritual aspect to a practical matter. For instance, a trip the querant is about to undertake for business reasons may bring a new spiritual meaning to the person's life in an unexpected manner.
The PW could also indicate a new beginning of an practical, business or career nature, such as a new job, a new development in the person's career field. Some readers also interpret the PW as a possible new residence.
PAGE OF PENTACLES:
The PP can be used to identify an intelligent
young person, a scholar, a young person who
enjoys learning new things.
When the PP represents a new event, this event will more than likely be concerned with the querant's material welfare.
In a reading regarding spiritual issues, the PP could indicate a new dimension added to the querant's spiritual life. An event that will bring a certain richness that the querant hasn't enjoyed before.
The PP could also indicate a new beginning of a material nature, such as a new and unexpected source of income, the sale of a project. Some readers interpret this card as meaning a change for the better.
PAGE OF SWORDS:
The PS can be used to identify a young person
with a volatile nature. This is the rebellious
child at odds with her parents or authority
figures in general. This is a quick-witted
person who may use the tongue as a weapon on
occasion.
When the PS represents a new event, expect something that will require the querant to make a quick decision. This could also indicate an event that may not be what the querant is hoping for.
In a reading regarding spiritual issues, the PS could indicate spiritual lessons that need to be learned, possibly with pain.
The PS could also indicate a new beginning for
the querant, but one that is precipitated by a
loss.
Now that we have an understanding of what the page does (to review the lessons on the page, go to the court card page of Tarot 101), let's put it into action.
Since the Celtic Cross is such a common spread, I'll use this as an example. (If any of you have a favorite spread you would like to discuss, please let me know, and we can do a lesson on that one).
1)Significator:
This card
represents the person who is asking the
question, the
querant.
2)Covers:
This card covers
the significator. It is always read right side
up. This is the what influences the querant, for
good or bad.
3)Basis:
This is the
basis of the matter at hand, the subconscious
influences at work. Sometimes the querant
doesn't know exactly what is at the heart of the
matter. This card clarifies this
question.
4)Recent past:
This card
tells what happened in the past to lead up to
the situation. In a cause and effect scenario,
this card would be the cause, while the near
future card would be the effect. Sometimes, we
ask ourselves, "Why did this happen?". This card
answers that
question.
5)Crowns:
This card can be
read a couple of different ways. You will find
that the card itself will usually tell you how
to read the position. Sometimes it represents a
goal the querant is striving toward. Other times
it will represent an alternative possible
future. It could also be read as an alternate
final outcome card.
6)Near
future:
If things keep progressing in the
same way, this card shows what the next logical
step would be. Usually, this card is what would
come to pass within the next 6 weeks, (although
there are methods for more precise timing, but
we'll save that for a future
lesson).
7)Self:
This card shows how
the querant sees himself in the
situation.
8)Others:
This is how the
other people involved see the situation. This
card helps the querant see the other person's
point of view.
9)Hopes and
fears:
This card shows what the querant
is hoping will happen, or alternately, what the
querant fears will happen. Sometimes, what we
hope for is also what we subconsciously fear.
Read this card carefully. It will give you some
insight into the inner workings of the querant's
mind.
10)Final outcome:
This is
where you blend the energies of all the cards in
the reading, add this card to the mix, and come
up with a final outcome.
Remember to advise your client that the Tarot is not cast in stone, and the reason most people seek readings is to get some insight into a problem. The path they choose for themselves is what determines their own future. The Tarot is simply a road map showing the different paths that are available. It's up to the individual to determine whether to turn right or left or keep on the same path.
Now, back to the Pages:
If the Page shows up in the significator
place,
what do you think it signifies?
A Page can represent an actual person, or a personality trait in yourself or others. So, if the significator is a Page, look for the personality traits of the suit. Does the querant have a need to study a matter? Is the person open to new opportunities and changes? Is the person being too naive and innocent? Does she need to grow and learn from the situation at hand?
If the Page covers the significator, what
does
that mean to you?
What new opportunities is the querant facing? (hint: look to the suit of the card). Was there a message the querant is wondering about? What new event is he troubled over? Is there a new beginning in her life?
What if the Page crosses the
significator?
Look for how a new beginning or message affects the situation at hand. Does this portend good things, or is this Page working against the querant?
What does the Page mean to you as a basis
card?
When a Page shows up as the basis of the matter, usually, this new beginning or message is what the reading is all about. Look carefully at the suit of the Page. How does this influence the question at hand?
When the Page is in the position of passing
away, what do you think this means?
Look at what has recently happened in the querant's life. Did a young person recently enter his life? Or did a childish person recently cause him grief? Was there an unexpected event in his life that turned his world upside down? A Page in this position usually means things have just started happening in her life, and she needs guidance on how to deal with it.
What if the Page crowns you?
This position has a couple of different meanings. Some people read this as the goal card. What new goals does the client have? Others read this as an alternative final card. Which new path should the querant investigate?
If the Page is before you in the position of
the
near future, what should you look
for?
What new event or opportunity is before the person? Is there an aspect of the querant's personality that they need to develop soon? What event is the next logical step in the progression of the cards?
A Page in the 'self' position usually
means that
the person sees himself as being innocent or
childlike in some way. Or maybe he sees himself
at the beginning of a new spiritual journey. In
some way, the influence of the Page is in the
querant's mind as his concept of self.
A Page in the 'other's' position usually means that the other people involved in this situation see the querant as being too naive or child-like. Or they see him as being in a position to accept new changes in his life, or beginning a path of spiritual enlightenment.
A Page in the 'hopes and fears' position usually means that the person either fears a change or is hoping for one. Check the other cards in the spread to see which it is.
A Page as the final outcome is an exciting card. Blend the energies of the rest of the cards in the reading and look for ways to implement the reading in a new and exciting way. What new opportunities are facing the person? How can he face the challenges ahead?
Okay, now you know a little bit about how to
blend the energies of the card with the energies
of the position. Here is your assignment:
A woman comes to you with a question about her
love life. She has
reached a point where her relationship has
become stagnant and she is
wondering whether to leave her significant other
or to stay and hope
things perk up. You lay out the following
cards:
SIG: QW (Queen of Wands)
COVERS: 2S (2 of Swords)
CROSSES: PC (Page of Cups)
BASIS: 8W (8 of Wands)
BEHIND: Fool
CROWNS: KC (King of Cups)
NEAR FUTURE: PW (Page of Wands)
SELF: Empress
OTHERS: Hierophant
HOPES/FEARS: PS (Page of Swords)
FINAL: PP (Page of Pentacles)
Just by noticing where the Pages lie, what can you tell me about the situation? What questions would you pose to the client? What advise would you give her regarding her question?
Feel free to add any additional comments or questions. This assignment is due by next Friday. Post anytime between now and then. We'll look at your answers and discuss them next week. Have fun!!
From Suzanne:
Hi, I'm Suzanne and here is my answer to the assignment:
I would say that she is a fairly social person, being like the Queen of Wands. With the two of swords covering her, I would say that she is "hoodwinked" (blind to possibilities around her) particularly with all four Pages present in the reading, which indicates many dating possibilities. The most important of these, that she should pay attention to, is the man resembling the Page of Cups, because that is the card crossing her. In the present she is in a rut with the Page of Swords, because he is the basis of the matter, and in her hopes and fears, fears, I think in this case. He is a brusque man and does not take her seriously enough. She is leaving the state where she is blinded by "love", like the Fool, and reaching a point of new opportunity, signified by the Page of Wands, which can also mean a social invitation. She should socialize more to meet a variety of potential lovers. The Hierophant in her environment means she is too stuck in a rut by convention. The Empress in her spot means that men find her desirable. The Page of Pentacles at the end of the reading indicates a union with more opportunities for her. (I'd almost say, but not to her of course, that she, being the Queen of Wands, is a blonde gold-digger and that the next man will have more money, or pentacles, ha, ha.) The King of Cups at the top of the reading indicates that the man who will be best for her is the one resembling the Page of Cups, not the Page of Swords, the one she has now. So the one with brown hair, not black, might be the way of telling, or perhaps it is just their personalities.
Suzanne
Answer to assignment from Prairie
The first Page I see is the Page of Cups and he's crossing her. That tells me he is the one she is having problems with. Since the KC is in her crown position, I would say that a lot of her problem stems from a desire for her SO to 'grow up'. The PW in the near future represents a quality she needs to develop in herself. Since she chose the QW as her sig, this tells me that she needs to grow up a little bit, herself. Especially considering the haste with which she entered this relationship (8W). The Fool indicates that wasn't a very good choice in the first place. She should have taken the time to get to know this guy better. When seeing the Empress in the self position, I would ask her if she is pregnant. If she says no, I would caution her against trying to get pregnant to hold onto this guy. He would probably marry her (Hierophant), but ultimately he would feel trapped and want out (PS). She knows this, and that is what she is afraid of. Her final outcome card, being a Page, signifies that she should make a new beginning. Get a job (Because it's pentacles), and learn to stand on her own two feet.
Where to go from here:
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