Guillermo del Toro, who else?!

As often as possible, I like to buy as a souvenir from the places I visit a tarot deck, or two … I have done this in quite a few places and I enjoy this meeting of two worlds, remembering the trip and enjoying the new tarot deck.

Of course this means that over the few short years since I have come back to the tarot I grew myself a nice, little collection. Topped up as required with decks I find online that I just cannot resist.

I picked up Tarot del Toro on my trip as a memento and as an interesting object, unsure if it is a usable tarot deck. It was very well sealed and I could not look at the cards. It was a bit of a risk as I looked at the reviews online and they were mixed. The comments said that while the cards are nice, the quality is so and so, with some cards being imperfect.

I took a chance and bought them. My initial reaction when looking at them was that of disappointment. While a lot of work had gone into the major arcana and the court cards, the pip cards are just symbols, and sadly I do not know how to interpret them very well. So I was disappointed and put them aside. Meh!

A few days passed and I felt drawn to the deck again. I took out the little booklet that comes with them and read through it. It won me over.

It was great to find out that Guillermo del Toro and the artist that drew the cards, Tomás Hijo, are genuinely interested in the tarot and it was not just something they did to do something else ...

The little book provides insight on how the deck came about and the creative process. It also introduces Don Miguel, the tarot reader whose experience and knowledge have been used to provide the spread information.

The deck is focused on the major arcana, but having the whole picture makes it not feel so … lacking ambition as it did at first, and maybe it is my own weakness that I can only read the Rider-Waite-Smith minor arcana. I will invest a bit in my skills and learn the minor arcana without images also.

The Tarot del Toro deck feels nice. It has a good size, the cards are sturdy and shuffle well. They feel like they will last a good while even with habitual use. They can be used for tarot reading especially if you are a more experienced reader and know many of the usual symbols, as the del Toro cards can sometimes be a bit obscure if you are not familiar with del Toro’s work.

The deck is moody and magical with great colors and artistic talent. It is a joy.

I would not recommend it for beginners but it is one for the collection for sure. It can also be used for narrative drawings and mediation. It broadly follows the Rider-Waite-Smith structure, but visually reinterprets many archetypes, you will be able to recognize the The Fool’s journey, major arcana structure and suit correspondences.

It is a deck that has personality that is for sure, and it is not just pretty. It combines the beauty of expression with the darkness of del Toro’s mythical creatures and the magic of tarot symbolism, so I do heartily recommend it.

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I was staring at my blank page tossing around in my head all sorts of ideas for a story/post. As usual, none was good enough.

Because today is a day I proposed myself to write something on my Substack, I cannot not write something, so the tossing around continued till I was about to give up.

No good ideas presented themselves.

Stuck, I decided to ask help from my tarot. I decided that I will draw 3 cards and create a story based on them, and funny enough, the cards I drew work great to create a story.

While choosing the cards I said that the first card is someone, a character, who meets the second card, while the third card is the outcome.

The cards I drew:

The judgement, the five of swords and the ten of cups.

The image above is the cards themselves, it is a French deck that is why it says Le Jugement. Don’t judge!

The story I created based on them:

Billy’s Story

Did you ever feel like a visitor in your own life? Like no matter how much you try, how much you work at it, nothing really belongs to you or is a reflection of you?

This is how Billy felt as he was going down the stairs in his office building.

At forty-eight he felt too old for his own activities and he had started to pretend like he was doing things.

For example, when he was supposed to be at the gym, he would actually go in the park, or the shopping centre, depending on the weather, and he would just waste time. He would linger on benches, he would look at the people, he would just will time away as he felt too tired and old to live.

Billy could not remember when he had started to feel like this, when his energy and his drive had started to slowly drain away. What he did know though was that, his days were all the same and he just could not stand them.

What was he to do though? He was too old for anything new, and honestly, he did not think he had it in him to learn anything new.

Outside it was raining. He was not surprised, it had been raining incessantly for more than two weeks. The streets were flooded, the news only talked about floods and more incoming rain.

There was a point when even Ireland felt the rain was a bit too much.

In the past Billy had loved food and one of his favorite activities was planning dinner and cooking it. Now though he did not even like that, to work for I don’t know how much time for food that he ate in ten minutes. So not worth the effort.

Billy was so deep in thought that he did not notice the slim figure peel itself from a wall and come right behind him.

‘Your phone and your wallet.’

Billy was more surprised than anything else. Did he hear right? He turned around.

‘What?’

In the wet darkness, with rain falling, he couldn’t see the face of the man holding a long blade pointed at him.

‘Your money, your phone!’

‘Ohhh’

Without thinking, without conscious intention, Billy grabbed the man’s wrist turned him around and with his tight grip forced him to drop the blade while suffocating him with his arm.

‘Let me go, what are you??’ the man muttered while trying to breathe.

Billy would not have known to answer. He shoved the man forward and stepped onto the shinning blade.

The man did not wait around to see what was going to happen next, he just ran away without looking back.

Billy was left there a bit wobbly and shaken.

‘Are you ok? I called the Gardai! My God, you were so brave!’

He looked at her but did not seem able to recognize her.

‘Billy, can you hear me? Its me, Muireann from HR.’

‘Oh yes … thank you! I am fine …’ he was not, but bit by bit he was coming back to himself.

‘Where did you learn that? You were like a ninja!’

That made him smile, and he looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time.

‘I honestly don’t know … I did some judo when I was a child but it was just like four or five lessons, I cannot believe I still remember that!’

‘Well, you looked like a pro to me! You need to teach me that!’

He laughed for the first time in a long time. Him, a judo instructor? Now that was just ridiculous.

The Gardai took his statement, they took her statement, they took the blade away and that was it. The event that changed his life was nothing but ‘sadly, a usual occurrence’.

The next day in work everybody knew what happened, Muireann had taken care of that. All the excitement made Billy actually think more about where that knowledge he did not know he had came from.

In the next weeks he kept researching judo and finally found the courage to join a class. At the end of it he was tired and exhilarated. He had found something he loved.

Muireann wasn’t joking. She kept at it until they setup a judo class in the work gym where he taught his colleagues some simple self defense moves. Their appreciation, and the fact that they looked up to him for something he did well, made Billy unexpectedly happy.

He honestly had no idea other people mattered to him that much.

Go figure.

So yeah … this is the story that tarot gave us!

I really hope you like it!

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As a true tarot enthusiast I had to do a draw for the new year.

I like to know what the cards think it will be like. And, as always, the cards did not disappoint.

I sometimes think, when the tarot cards are so accurate, that in a strange way they just mirror what is in ourselves and that is why they are so efficient at guiding us. I do think a lot of it is projection, and what we have inside finds an explanation to match the cards, but even so, that does not explain everything.

I did not draw any major arcana, so this year will be free of earth shattering events, which is great, I love routine and I am happy to skip the drama. So, from this point of view, no news is good news.

The cards that I did draw, funny enough, are quite well matched to my own earthly concerns, inflation, income, impending doom.

The first card I drew was the Six of Pentacles, the second was the Seven of Pentacles and the third the Page of cups.

The tarot, somehow, knows that I am preoccupied about my finances and it has given me cards that answer to that need in me, that search for clarity.

The two cards appearing together, the six and the seven of pentacles, indicate that in the new year I should be stable enough financially to even be in a position to help those around me that need it. The cards also prompt me to pay attention to my outgoings and to ensure the resources I have are used thoughtfully.

The Seven of Pentacles is a card of work and stability. It is not a year to change my mind often, I need to plant seeds and be patient while working to make things happen. It prompts more to stability and slow growth than to major changes.

The cards advise me to put in the time and be consistent in my work and projects, while telling me that my finances will be stable enough, so I do not need to worry about them.

The Page of Cups is a creative, sensitive card, it points to emotional openness and to discovering new areas of interest. It is a positive card that supports development and knowledge.

Taken together, these cards suggest that 2026 is less about transformation through force and more about quiet recalibration.

Balance comes before growth, and growth comes before emotional renewal. It is a year that rewards attentiveness rather than intensity. Resolutions, in this context, are not declarations of conquest but commitments to care for resources, time, and inner life.

Rather than asking what I want to achieve in the coming year, this spread encourages a subtler question: What kind of conditions am I creating for things to grow? If I tend to those conditions with patience and honesty, the rest may follow naturally.

To use a term quite favored in the corporate world, 2026 is a year of alignment and not a year of acceleration. In 2026 I seem to be coming back to myself, to my core and my focus will be on the things that make me, me.

Also, the cards give me permission to think about this without worrying about my finances, as they say that if I work and tend to my ‘garden’, then the finances are fine, so I should not waste my mental energy on that unfounded anxiety.

I like my draw, it is a good match to my hopes and dreams, my plans and projects.

What do you hope and plan for 2026?

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I was doing a reading the other day for a friend, no really, a very good friend, and the reading was about nothing. My good friend said that they do not know what to ask the tarot because they are just stuck. Total blank, no question, no understanding, no nothing, just spinning in place confused.

So I said, like a good friend that I am.

‘That is ok!

You do not need to ask a question, just think about this while you cut the cards. Think about your stuck state and ask the cards for advice or clarity or whatever …’

They did that, and boy, oh boy, the cards were generous.

I decided to write about this because it was one of those WOW moments, when the cards are so spot on, that you cannot but be in awe of their abilities.

We did a three card draw, and my friend drew in order:

2 of Pentacles then The Emperor then the Knight of Wands.

The order is important because it carries meaning in itself, it guides the reading and the action.

Their meaning for this reading, briefly:

The Two of Pentacles appears when someone is juggling more than they admit, trying to keep multiple options alive instead of choosing one. It’s the classic dance of balancing priorities, responsibilities, identities, or desires while pretending everything is under control.

This card isn’t about confusion, it’s about hesitating to commit because letting go of one path feels risky. The stuckness comes from trying to sustain both options at once, which locks the person in place.

It signals a moment just before a real decision, not a failure, but definitely the root of the tension.

The Emperor arrives like a firm voice cutting through the noise, demanding structure where there has been none. He doesn’t offer intuition or signs, he offers rules, boundaries, order, and decisiveness.

For a stuck person, this card says that clarity won’t drift in by accident, it must be created by establishing criteria and choosing based on them. It emphasizes that the problem isn’t which option is ‘better’, but who is currently in charge.

Right now, indecision is driving the entire situation. The Emperor challenges that dynamic and insists that once you take authority over the choice, the confusion dissolves.

The Knight of Wands then bursts in with fiery momentum, showing what happens once a firm decision is made: everything speeds up.

This knight brings impulsive, eager, forward-moving energy, the total opposite of stagnation.

When structure is finally applied, the frozen energy unlocks and becomes action, passion, and drive. The card makes it clear that motivation won’t appear before the decision; it arrives because of the decision.

It’s a powerful reminder that staying stuck drains your fire, but committing to a path releases it, often leading to rapid progress that feels like, ‘I finally did it and look how fast everything is moving now.’

This reading boils down to a simple but demanding truth: the querent does not need more insight, reassurance, or signs, they need a decision.

The cards show that their energy is leaking through indecision, not lack of ability or opportunity. The moment they stop juggling and take authority over the situation, movement and motivation return naturally.

What to do next is practical, not mystical. Funny right? The tarot cards advising this.

Clear rules must be set for the choice instead of debating feelings endlessly. They need to decide what matters most, pick a direction that fits that criteria, and commit to it for a defined period of time. Then they need to act quickly, while the fire is available. Momentum will do the rest, but only after they choose.

Here my good friend was as the French say, bouche bée, or speechless with surprise, but the French version is more descriptive, as it literally tells you the person is left with their mouth hanging open in surprise.

My friend is a bit suspicious of the tarot, and mostly they indulge my passion for it because they are my friend, not because they think there is anything in it, but this time, I am really happy to say, the way of the tarot was able to surprise them.

After the reading settled in my friend started to panic.

‘I must make a decision now?’

I said let’s ask the cards, and we did and the cards replied with the Fool card, which is so appropriate and mind-blowing.

When someone panics and asks ‘Do I have to decide now?’ and the Fool shows up, the cards are saying yes… but not in the way you think.

The Fool is not about careful weighing or final guarantees. It is about a first step, not the whole journey. It says the decision doesn’t need to be airtight, justified, or future-proof. It needs to be started.

The panic comes from imagining the decision as a permanent lock-in. The Fool replies: relax, you’re not signing a blood contract, you’re stepping off the curb.

In the context of our spread, the Fool reframes timing. You don’t need to have everything figured out before deciding, the movement itself will clarify things. The Emperor set the structure, the Knight promised momentum, and the Fool now adds permission to begin imperfectly.

The querent needs to choose lightly, curiously, even a bit recklessly, but they need to choose. Overthinking is what they are being asked to leave behind.

So the answer is not decide everything now.

It is take the first honest step now, and let the road reveal itself after.

My friend gave a huge sigh of relief, and I must confess I felt a bit jealous, it was not often that the cards were so clear and conversational with me. But I was the reader and that made me proud, as it meant the cards were happy to talk through me.

My friend is ahhh, a bit long in the tooth, so they were happy to know that the Fool also points to new avenues and opportunities.

I need to check in with my friend, see how they are with their decisions, especially now with the New Year coming, it is the perfect time for more action please.

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I was reading one of my tarot books the other day, feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the rules and regulations.

That is when I thought to myself: If this is madness, then it is a very well-structured madness.

And I kept thinking about that, about how we search for meaning, and spend years creating systems that, in the end, only hold the meaning we choose to give them, and only for as long as we keep believing in them.

Think of all those people who invest time in the tarot, who write books, who shaped the modern decks, Waite, Smith, Crowley, and the countless others who devoted their lives to something that cannot be proven, yet still holds so many of us under its spell.

And yet, such pursuits often lead to other discoveries, small revelations about ourselves and the world.

I am no expert in alchemy, but it feels like the perfect example of this idea.

Alchemy may have started as a strange mix of science and mysticism, but thanks to those who truly believed in it, it ended up giving birth to both chemistry and psychology.

Alchemy was not just about turning lead into gold, that was the public bait. The deeper idea was transmutation, transforming impure matter (and, symbolically, the impure self) into perfection.

The ‘Philosopher’s Stone’ was not only a magical catalyst, it was a metaphor for enlightenment.

Alchemy had two sides:

Practical: experiments with metals, acids, and glassware- the ancestors of modern chemistry.

Spiritual: inner purification and quest for immortality- the ancestor of psychology and mysticism.

But I digress.

My thoughts continued to wander in the direction of spending time and resources, and maybe mostly our attention on something that has no immediate result in our daily life. Or doesn’t it?

I think that the useless pursuits are essential to our development and happiness.

They might not translate into immediate gains, but they sustain our minds well being, and without that we would be quite in a pickle. Plus, like Alchemy, the activity might lead to significant discoveries. While I am writing this I am wondering if I am making sense or I am just rambling on. I hope I do make sense, even if just a little.

To go back to Alchemy, it was never only about metal, it was about the soul under pressure. Something we are all familiar with!

To the ancients, every furnace was a mirror: what boiled in the flask was what burned inside the heart.

The Magnum Opus, the Great Work, unfolds in three eternal acts: death, union, and rebirth.

First comes the Crow, when all structures collapse. Then, the Wedding, where opposites meet and reconcile. And finally, the Phoenix, the proof that what dies purified returns as gold.

🜄 The Black Crow (Nigredo)

The death of the old self. All transformation begins in decay.
The crow represents the first stage of the Great Work, the descent into shadow, confusion, and dissolution. What must die here is illusion: the false self, the unpurified matter. Out of blackness, light will be reborn.

Followed by:

☉☽ The Chemical Wedding (Albedo)

The sacred union of opposites, the marriage of Sun and Moon.
The red King and the white Queen meet in the alchemical bath, symbolizing the reconciliation of reason and intuition, masculine and feminine, matter and spirit. Their union births clarity, the purified soul emerging from chaos.

Ending with:

🔥 The Phoenix (Rubedo)

Perfection through fire. The soul reborn as gold.
The phoenix rises from the flames of its own destruction, the final transmutation. This is the red stage, rubedo, where all contradictions dissolve and the perfected being stands radiant and whole.

Maybe that is the real magic of it all, these things we call useless. Tarot, alchemy, the endless tinkering with symbols and signs, none of them put food on the table, yet they feed something deeper. They give us a language for wonder, a way to hold the mystery without having to solve it.

We build these intricate systems (decks, rituals, theories, formulas) and then, after all the effort, realize that what we were really trying to understand was ourselves. Maybe we never needed the gold or the prophecy. Maybe it was always about the process, the devotion, the strange joy of chasing meaning where none is guaranteed.

In the end, that is what makes us human: our talent for turning the useless into the beautiful, and for finding just enough sense in the madness to keep going.

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Recently I had the joy of spending a few days in Paris and, among the beautiful things I discovered, one was a bookshop dealing in all ‘unknown’ artifacts and utensils.

I love the name, such a great choice, just by passing it by in the taxi I could see it had within items that would spark my interest.

My taxi took me farther away but I made an effort to remember the area the bookshop was in, so I can walk my way to it.

After a wondrous visit to Notre Dame, I used google maps to find my way to the bookshop. I am not the best map reader, but after some grumbling with the maps arrow, (I never seem to understand in which direction it wants me to go), I managed to find it.

The space itself is not the biggest but it is full to the rafters with interesting items. Of course my first stop was the tarot decks section. It is huge!

Tarot decks, oracle decks, an immense variety, more than 1000 as I was to find from the shop assistant in my broken French.

I don’t know how much time I spent looking at them, I was down the rabbit hole. As most of them had demo decks I could actually open them and see what they looked like. Such a great experience!

Because I know myself before going in I set myself a budget I was allowed to spend. I am an awfully greedy shopper, I like everything and as a consequence I want to buy it, so knowing my weakness I set myself my budget to guide me.

This was essential as I loved so, so many things!

I have a lot of tarot decks, I refuse to count them as I do not want to face the reality of my madness, so this helped at my being more restraint.

What I found very interesting were two technical tarot aids created by French tarot expert Emmanuelle Iger.

Great resources for any tarot enthusiast.

Sadly I checked online after I got home to see if there is an English version and was unable to find one.

One of them is a spread repository titled Les 78 tirages de Tarot: Pour répondre à toutes vos questions which is an amazing resource of spreads for all your needs.

And the other is a named Antisèches du tarot: 28 fiches méthode pour tout comprendre which is a set of 28 beautiful, sturdy cards with tips to support you when doing readings so you do not get stuck.

I am beyond happy with my purchase although it challenges me to work on my French. They are indeed great tools of the trade of great quality.

The bookshop also has a great collection of books on all sorts of topics, it is not just focused on tarot, it has books on philosophy, magic, legends, all sorts. I found it funny that it also had a beautifully looking edition of Orwell’s 1984.

If you are interested there are also all sorts of oils and incense and candles.

I would have happily spent there a few good hours if I hadn’t been pressed by the call of the city.

If ever you find yourself roaming the streets of Paris and have a bit of time to browse an interesting bookshop, I fully recommend the one dedicated to the unknown, maybe you will find something you like.

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I quite like drawing a card of the day, and then putting it below my laptop, on my desk so I can glance at it from time to time and learn its symbols.

I am a fan of the RWS deck, but I really like the imagery of the Astromatrix deck, so I have them two next to each other, the same card.

My card of the day today is Temperance, and as a word buff of course I want to mention the etymology of the word:

The word Temperance comes from the Latin "temperantia", meaning moderation, self-control, or restraint.

Breaking it down:

"Temperare" (Latin verb) - to mix properly, to regulate, to moderate.

Originally, it referred to blending things in the right proportion, like mixing drinks, balancing hot and cold, or adjusting a musical instrument to the right pitch.

"Temperantia" (noun form) - moderation, sobriety, discretion.

It became a central concept in Roman philosophy, especially in Stoicism and later Christian ethics, where temperance was seen as one of the four cardinal virtues (along with justice, prudence, and courage).

The root idea of temperance is not about denial or repression, it is about the art of blending life’s ingredients in just the right measure.

Or, if you prefer the cocktail version:

Temperance is not about drinking nothing, it is about knowing when to stop pouring.

Keywords: Balance. Patience. Harmony. Mixing just the right cocktail of chaos and calm.

Picture an angel calmly pouring water between two cups.

Not spilling a drop. Not rushing. Not hesitating.

This is Temperance.

The card that whispers: “Stop forcing. Start blending.”

Symbols to Notice:

The Two Cups – Not just mixing liquids, but blending opposites: emotion & reason, action & rest, gin & tonic (well, maybe metaphorically).

One Foot in the Water, One on Land – You are living both in reality and in possibility. Grounded dreamers unite.

The Path to the Golden Crown – Yep, there’s a reward ahead, but you get there by staying cool, not by sprinting.

What Does Temperance Predict?

Think of this card as a cosmic bartender:

• Shaking, not stirring? Temperance says try stirring this time.

• Trying to control outcomes? Temperance says trust the process.

• Panicking about timing? Temperance says good things take time—chill.

Temperance in Real Life:

• Love & Relationships

Single? Don’t rush into the next Tinder catastrophe. Wait for the right connection, not just any connection.

In a relationship? This is about teamwork, patience, and learning to blend differences without trying to "fix" the other person.

• Career & Work

You are in integration mode. Combine your skills, learn from others, and collaborate. This isn’t the time for extremes like quitting your job on a Tuesday afternoon because your coffee was cold.

• Finances

Moderation is key. Neither hoard nor splurge. Think long-term balance, like investing slowly over time rather than chasing crypto FOMO at 2 a.m.

• Home & Personal Life

Create environments that soothe rather than stimulate. This card literally invites you to make your life less dramatic.

Think: soft lighting, calm conversations, and knowing when to close your laptop.

Temperance says: Life is not about either/or. It is about both/and.

Patience is not passive, it is active balance.

Patientia vincit omnia. - Patience conquers all.

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On special occasions (and sometimes not so special) I like to buy myself a gift, mostly because I do not want to externalize my little obsessions on my loved ones, plus, it is nice to have surprises from them.

So now, for my birthday I gifted myself something that I had been circling for sometime, but did not decide to part with the money.

When to spoil yourself if not on your birthday?! The anniversary of the first moment I clapped eyes on the world.

So I bought myself a big, beautiful book about the tarot. It is more than a book though, it is a nifty set:

A cloth covered box, with an actual tarot card stuck on top, in which we find the amazing book, also cloth bound and with another real tarot card stuck on it.

The set also contains a facsimile of Waite’s work The Key to the Tarot and a facsimile of the deck of cards Waite and Smith created in 1909- 1910.

The set is stunning, but my favorite from it is the big book. The main author Johannes Fiebig did an outstanding job, and the Taschen quality just takes this to a whole new level.

The box is lovely to touch and to look at, and it is great that you can keep everything in it nice and protected. Waite’s book is lovely quality as well, and the cards are nice, I cannot say that they are outstanding, I have sets that are better than that, but they are good. The advantage of them not being amazing is that I am not tempted to take them out of their little box so they will keep well.

I did say at some point that it is a wonderful time to be passionate about tarot, as the information and the cards we have now access to is just mind-blowing and outstanding.

People with hobbies and passions are blessed to be fair. To have something that you can dedicate yourself to for hours on end and just find joy in something is truly a gift.

Back to the book though:

It has a hefty 444 pages of great quality and color:

I always wanted to find a book that explains the individual details and colors on the cards and this delivers. It is amazing!

Must say I am not an affiliate of the book so I have nothing to gain from this post except the joy of sharing with you something I truly like.

One of the things I like to do, when I have time cause I don’t always, is to draw a card and then read in a few different books about it. You learn a lot that way, but I have to say, the symbolism of the cards does not necessarily need to be studied that way, I just do it because I love books and learning things.

I do think that intuitive tarot readers can deliver really impactful readings also.

So yeah, if you have a gift pending, are ok to part with the money and like the tarot this is quite an astounding thing to have in your life.

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As you might know, I am a tarot enthusiast, so much so that I created a Tarot section on my Substack. But, despite the fact that I read about tarot and I use my cards almost daily, I have difficulties in writing about them.

I don’t know why, I think that maybe because I read so much about them, and there are so many resources out there, I am unsure of what I could write about that would bring anything interesting to read about. I am a novice after all.

I might just be shy, as I know so little, and there are so many interesting books out there.

I decided though not to allow this negative thought to take out my pleasure of writing about the tarot. So I took one of my decks, shuffle, shuffle, shuffle and pulled out a card that wanted to be written about.

As the title suggests, the card I drew is the Four of Cups.

I managed to find for you a nice big one so you can see all the details. The below card is part of the Rider Waite Smith (RWS) deck, which is the most popular deck out there and which I like the most.

In tarot you look at everything about a card. You look at the big things- like is it Major or Minor Arcana, the suit it belongs to, and the small things- the number, the colors, where it sits, the relationship with other cards, everything.

The cards in the Minor Arcana usually point to day to day events or situations, unlike the Major Arcana which reference well, major events! A bit of a tarot joke there for you!

I think, that if you were to look at the Four of Cups without knowing much about tarot it would reveal some of its meanings easily. Which just goes to show how accessible the tarot is!

The character on the card has withdrawn himself from the world and is alone, leaning against a tree, he sits his arms crossed as if in a defensive, sulking posture, he looks down ignoring the three cups he has and also the new one he is offered.

He seems to be closing himself from that which is around him and he is lost in thought.

The green of the grass, of the clothes show that the man is in a state of abundance or at least stability. The tree he leans against could be a tree of wisdom or a way of hiding from the world. The red of his shirt and shoes shows that the man has things he is passionate about, but now he is in a state of stagnation.

The blue, cloudless sky points to the fact that the dissatisfaction is internal and not provoked by outside factors, while the blue of the trousers shows the man is deep in thought about his situation.

The number 4 in tarot is a number of stability, security, pause, but it can also indicate complacency and a sense of being stuck.

The Suit of Cups is linked to the element of water which points to emotions, intuition and relationships. The Four of Cups shows the emotional stagnation side of the Cups suit, a temporary disengagement from feelings or relationships.

It can be burnout, it can be trying to remind us to appreciate the good things in our lives and make an effort to be grateful and not take people and things for granted.

The Four of Cups is a card of introspection, but also a warning not to ignore opportunities due to emotional detachment or dissatisfaction. It asks for a shift in perspective, what you seek might already be in front of you.

Another interesting aspect of this card is that it might validate the querent’s feeling of depression. In this type of situation the reader can provide guidance but it is their duty to advise the querent to seek additional, professional help if needed.

I mean, all of us have some good advice to provide to somebody that suffers from depression or even burnout but professional support is the best recommendation one can make.

I thought it would be interesting to show how you would read the Four of Cups in a reading, so here I go, just a few, small examples to help better understand the card.

Let’s say somebody wants to know more about their relationship and the card that they choose is the Four of Cups.

In love and relationships this card indicates that the querent might be emotionally withdrawn and disconnected to their partner, it invites the querent to take a good, deep look at their feelings and decide what is important to them and what causes the feelings of apathy and alienation.

In a work (career) reading it might indicate boredom or disatisfaction, being stuck in a routine, and it prompts the querent to analize the situaiton and see if this is a temporary situation or a bigger change is on the cards.

In a general, life, reading, the Four of Cups advises the querent not to focus on what is missing, but to be sure to see all that s/he has and not take them for granted. The querent should be more present in their life and to reconnect with thigns that brought joy previously, or discover new hobbies and activities.

The Four of Cups is a card of contemplation, but also a warning not to let dissatisfaction blind to opportunities. Whether in love, career, or personal growth, it asks to reconsider what we are overlooking and shift perspective.

Cool no? So much meaning in a tiny piece of cardboard.

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I was looking at the categories on my Substack and noticed that I neglected the tarot one a bit, having no new post since July. Unacceptable!

I love Tarot so much! and since January this year I have learnt quite a bit about it, I have gathered a few books and a few tarot decks. So there is plenty I can write about, and in a way I quite enjoy the technicality of it.

Many people, when they think of the tarot, they think of a tarot session in a darkened room, with a bohemian reader, surrounded by soft furnishings and candles.

From the books I have read, I have learnt that tarot readers can indeed be as described above, but also they can be anyone. There is no defined way a tarot reader is, anyone willing to put in the time and learn and develop their skills can be a tarot reader.

So, if ever, you think that you would like to learn more about the tarot, but you are not sure you have what’s needed, please put that doubt aside. If anything, that doubt shows you will be a good reader, as you are coming from a place of modesty.

But revenons à nos moutons, the two card spread.

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Interestingly enough, although the one card draw is quite popular, the two card spread, not so much! I looked through quite a few of my books and most jump from 1 card to 3, or more complex spreads.

I did manage to find some info on it though so I can share it with you.

The two card spread can be used when we need to make a choice and are unsure of the way to go. The cards provide insight and clarify to ourselves which way we actually want to go. Most often just the Major Arcana are used.

For example, lets say we have a querent wanting to know which job is better from two options she has. She draws two cards.

Job 1: The Devil

Job 2: Temperance

What does the Devil card tell us about the first job?

• Competition

• Temptation

• Money

• Power, but not necessarily the good kind, and it can be that is imposed on us rather than our own

• Struggle to deal with influences

• Bullying

• Can lead to feeling of being a prisoner of the job

What does the Temperance card tell us about the second job?

• Good work-life Balance

• Safety

• Time to grow at your pace

• Support and guidance

• Space to enjoy the outdoor

• Peace of mind

• Freedom to be our own person while also working for a living

Now. Knowing all of these, our job seeker querent can decide what is important for her in her life at that moment. Does she want to gain a lot of money while working in a very demanding, competitive environment or does she want to have a stable job that allows her to enjoy her hobbies and have a more relaxed take on life, but can be boring and not lead to explosive career growth.

It is important to notice that each situation has its pros and cons, the same with the tarot cards, they can all have lighter and darker shades.

I hope you enjoy the two card spread and it will help you clarify your choices when you are stuck!

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While rummaging the internet, on quite a few occasions, I ran into the name of Benebell Wen and I saw her book Holistic Tarot (appeared in 2015) listed as one of the results. For one reason of the other I never looked into the author or the book. Until a few days ago. When I did and, oh my, was my mind blown away!

I saw a book for which Benebell Wen had written the blurb, no idea which cause I look at so many, and it stuck into my mind, the name. Then, one day, when I was looking thinks online, aka. procrastinating, I remembered the name and I looked it up.

I was taken to https://benebellwen.com/ and here in the tarot section I found this abundance of free documentation, study guides, templates, videos. Mind boggling that all of that is free and everyone can just take them and learn from them! And they are really great things, very well researched and worked on.

Sadly I do not have the book and it is not easily available in Europe, but I will find it for sure, I always do.

It turns out Benebell Wen is not the real name of the author, but an alias with a special meaning to her. I will let you discover it in her About Me page.

I was impressed (and elated to have found her) by the amazing structure of the study guides and clear instructions on how a tarot enthusiast (me) can go about learning more and developing their craft.

The information on her site is so well structured and beautifully laid out that I cannot but feel that I should pay for it somehow, reward all the work that went into it. I will work to find the book though, to at least repay her like that.

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I was stunned to find out that despite having all this body of work she still has a day job, so she does all this while still working. Made me feel like I can do more and not whine all day that I do not have time, that I work too much etc. etc. etc.

She even provides templates for what you need to do when you start off with your practice, how to make yourself know via social media and so on. I am telling you, a wealth of information and all for free. I kept thinking there is a catch somewhere, but I was not able to find it. And I still have so much to discover there!

I also watched some of her videos, very useful and caringly done.

What can I say, I am an instant fan and I am so grateful for all this support given to novice tarot enthusiasts! And not so novice! I wholeheartedly recommend her to any tarot enthusiast.

So happy to have found her!

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The One-Card Reading and The Daily Draw are an easy, accessible way of starting to read the tarot and to get used to the cards. They are two different things though.

The One-Card Reading is a one card draw that you can use to clarify a situation or an idea.

The Daily Draw is, usually, a one card draw that enthusiasts and practitioners use as focus for contemplation. The Daily Draw is also recommended when learning the tarot, as it allows students to get familiar with the cards pressure free, to study them for a longer period of time so as to discover their meanings.

Although, both techniques seem simple as they are based on one card, don’t be fooled by their simplicity because they are powerful tools that can support you in your development.

For this post I wanted to pull a card just as an example of Daily Draw, but when I was shuffling the cards my mind wandered to an actual concern in my life and without intending it the Daily Draw became a One-Card Reading, as my mind formulated a question for the cards.

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The card that I drew is the Ten of Pentacles.

The Ten of Pentacles is a YES card and in the upright position it is a positive card.

When you are starting out and it is difficult to get to grips with the meaning and symbols of a card it can be useful to have a good meanings book to guide you.

I have The Big Book of Tarot Meanings by Sam Magdaleno. While it does not give you the precise answer it does point you in the right direction. It is nice that in the book meanings are split into categories so it is easy to identify your response area. You have for example: family, love, career, money etc.

If you pulled the Ten of Pentacles and your question was regarding Health, yours or somebody in your circle, then the Ten of Pentacles would show that you are interested in long term health, and as it is a positive card it shows that there is nothing to worry in the long run. Important to mention though that the cards look at the situation right now.

If tomorrow you started eating a ton of cake each day then the situation would change. So your free will is your free will. You control your path through the macro and micro decisions you take each day. We do not control everything, but many things we do, and those that we can control can make a difference to the big picture.

Some symbols from the Ten of Pentacles:

In the Rider-Waite-Smith cards that I use the pentacles are spread out in the shape of the tree of life. This points to maturity and completeness.

The number 10 again points to completeness, so the Ten of Pentacles shows happy stability, inside and out.

The card shows three generations and pets, so this stability extends beyond the day to day and it becomes trans-generational.

If your use reversed cards and read reversed meanings then the card points to unexpected changes in circumstances.

If you decide to give The One-Card Reading and The Daily Draw a go all the books that I have read recommend you track the cards you draw in your tarot journal and record there your impressions and how it made you feel or think.

I must confess I recently started a tarot journal myself and I track there the cards I draw and what I learn. It has a few other benefits plus it helps the information better stick in my mind.

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