The Crafts: Wixes, Spells, and the Weaponized Placebo Effect

Gonna do a new year spread in a bit probably, since right now I am in Charm Hell. it turns out making charms for a charm tree is kind of time-consuming! But they look nice and I'm over halfway done with them. I'll probably post a pic of the charms once I'm done with them.

 

1. 2016 in summary: Page of swords
   • Spoiler

     Important news, good or bad. Fresh ideas and ventures. New project on the horizon. Negotiations. Planning for the future. Speak from the heart. Actions speak louder than words.
2. What I've learned in 2016: 9 of swords
   • Spoiler

     Nightmares - asleep and awake. Anguish and fears of daily life. Possibly in denial about past experience. Stress and guilt, feelings of victimization. You believe no one cares about you. What you fear most of all likely won't happen. What appears to be a lost cause may be overcome.
3. What I aspire to in 2017: 8 of wands
   • Spoiler

     Open communication. Doors of opportunity are opening because you have regrouped. Positive energy.
4. What empowers me: King of swords
   • Spoiler

     True authority. Intelligence, prudence, power, caring, fairness. Direction with firm leadership. Objective in all situations, seek out only the facts. Put emotions to the side. Be unbiased. Be on the lookout for a person who has your best interests at hand. Don't get stuck in your ways.
5. What may stand in my way: Knight of coins
   • Spoiler

     Don't be happy with the status quo. It's not just about hard work.
6. Relationships and emotions in 2017: Temperance
   • Spoiler

     Balance, harmony, moderation. Good health. Avoiding extremes, spreading harmony, bringing opposing sides together. Finding a happy, healthy medium between wants and needs. Environment where most will thrive, haven where the injured may heal and re-energize. Success and contentment, self-restraint. Inward reflection is key to finding balance with external stimuli. Take a mature and objective approach with matters at hand.
7. Career, work and finances: 5 of coins reversed
   • Spoiler

     There is hope. Your self-confidence is rebuilding. You have become honest with yourself and have regained your concern and empathy for others. Challenging situations abound but hard work will get you through. Don't let your pride keep you from seeking help. What goes around comes around. You may find that you will regain your wealth, both emotionally and materially. Be patient. There may be an impending accident since you have not been focused on your goals.
8. Health and well-being: High priestess reversed
   • Spoiler

     There may be someone around who does not have your best interests at heart. Hidden agenda, lack of compassion and selfishness. Relying on surface/superficial knowledge, instead of intuition.
9. Spiritual energy/inner fulfillment: 2 of wands
   • Spoiler

     Success and power are among your endeavours. A victorious mentor or leader is willing to help you achieve your goals. This could be the start of a productive partnership.
10. What I need to focus on most in 2017: 7 of cups reversed
    • Spoiler

      Self-delusion. Living in a dream world, or self-medication, seem like solutions. Ground yourself. Remember fantasies are fantasies, and reality is reality. Don’t let outside influences distract you. Learn to trust your intuition. Don't become spiritually bankrupt.
11. Most important lesson in 2017: 2 of coins
    • Spoiler

      Balance and change. You might be juggling too many things at once. This is an opportunity to learn new skills and make significant changes. Look at some different approaches and attitudes. Focus on one issue at a time. Put yourself and your needs first. Don't be everything to everyone.
12. Overall direction: King of wands reversed
    • Spoiler

      Be careful not to push people away. Don't be greedy, ruthless, or have unreasonable expectations. Don't misuse your power. These tendencies aren't intentional - you may not be aware of how bad it is. Don't set unrealistic goals for yourself. The lack of movement/accomplishments may not be your fault. Don't be too harsh on your friendships or yourself.

 

Finished all my charms!!! Will post pics of the tree after I finally get it. :> I made 20 charms in total, which is fitting I think.

As for my New Years spread, when I was shuffling the Queen of Pentacles fell out, which I found interesting. I got inner strength and positivity vibes from this card, which given the fact that my deck is a romantic, isn't surprising. I got quite a few reversals but I don't do reversals (and I'd honestly be kind of afraid if I did, because the opposite of some of these cards is kind of Terrifying).
Actual spread:

Spoiler

1. 2016 in review: page of swords. This is all about truth and honesty. This year was about hard truths I think, and needing to be honest with myself.
2. What I learned this year: knight of swords. Sticking to my guns is Important but it can alienate people if I'm angry and bitter about it. Being passionate is important but don't let your emotions get the better of you.
3. Future aspirations: three of wands. Venture into the unknown/follow your dreams, even if it seems scary. I apparently have a lot of potential for growth.
4. What empowers you in reaching your aspirations: two of wands. Myself. My inner strength, courage, and creativity. Again, romantic deck, so I guess it sees the best in me??? Which is Weird but ok.
5. What might stand in my way: two of cups. Letting my relationships fall by the wayside, and also not being mindful.
6. Relationships and emotions: King of pentacles. Stability and success/happiness. Which is. Interesting. I had a feeling there'd be a catch.
7. Career and finances: ten of cups. Success again. But you have to work hard at it. No surprise there honestly.
8. Well-being/health: three of pentacles. I apparently need to rely on other people more. Only by working together will my health be optimal. ...I think this deck is telling me to listen to my doctors, which. I was already planning on doing but it's also gonna be Hard.
9. Spiritual energy/fulfillment: two of pentacles. I need to be flexible and open-minded to new ideas. Also probably need to balance my spiritual life with practicality/hard work. Don't leave everything up to "fate."
10. What you need to focus on this year: ace of pentacles. Hard work will yield great results, but you actually have to put in the work. Sooo this year has the potential to be great but if I do nothing, nothing will change. No surprise there.
11. Most important lesson of this year: page of pentacles. Again, hard work is the key. I think my deck is trying to insinuate that I haven't been reaching my full potential and that my life can improve a lot if I actually put in time and effort. Which. Is something people have been telling me for ages. I'm feeling kind of called out right now.
12. Where I'm headed: the Moon. It's unknown exactly what's coming but if I put in the work this year has a lot of potential to be better than last year. However, be wary of letting yourself become too complacent. You have to keep working at it even when things look good.

TL;DR this year is looking good but I actually have to try to rely more on others instead of trying to do everything myself, and I have to put in the work if I want results. Good news is if I do, the results are looking bright. I was kind of planning on doing that anyway but it's nice to know someone/thing/whatever thinks it's a good idea too, even if it's not gonna be easy.

 

*cracks knuckles*
found my favole deck again, but I went and misplaced the rider tarot interpretation booklet...

Spoiler: rider tarot interview spread

• Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? Knight of Coins. Reactionary, waiting to see what happens, acting at the most opportune moment. Good in matters of money.
• What are your strengths as a deck? Five of Coins. Lovers, on the way to destruction as they can't fee themselves from codependency. Warning regarding outside influences.
• What are your limits as a deck? Two of Staves. Meeting of two internal forces. Doubt. May complement each other, may rival. Lack of balance.
• What are you here to teach me? Four of Cups. Corporeal love as the simplest of loves, but a rejection thereof and the resulting disappointment. (that's what the book says. The imagery on the card looks a lot more like looking for fulfilment in the wrong places, and disappointment that I don't get it. Hmm.)
• How can I best learn and collaborate with you? Knight of Cups. Development, change. Passion.
• What is the potential outcome of our working relationship? Six of Coins. Balance. Harmony with work and surroundings.

oh wow, it really is one of my egg donor's decks. why did I take it again?
can help me with money matters and warn me against external influences, but i need to deal with my own issues, as it can't help me with those, and i need to be proactive myself, as the deck is reactive, and the six of coins doesn't work well in conjunction with other cards.

Spoiler: favole tarot interview spread

• Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? Six of Masks. Pefection that might be an illusion.
• What are your strengths as a deck? Seven of Masks. Material success, if you act quickly enough. It's all laid out, you just need to do it.
• What are your limits as a deck? Knave of Masks. Manic Pixie Dream Boy. Helpful. Discoveries.
• What are you here to teach me? Judgement. Reincarnation, understanding on a spiritual plain. Vision, reason, but no coincidence. The imagery is violent, a woman burning at the stake.
• How can I best learn and collaborate with you? Ace of Coins. Practical thinking, precision, intellect.
• What is the potential outcome of our working relationship? Queen of Masks. An attractive, but not flighty friend. Loyal to home and family. Dislikes failures.

despite its gothic imagery, this favole deck seems to be very no-nonsense. its appearance is an illusion, but it can help me with figuring out what my options are and what to do. i just need to do it, and it will not pull any punches -- and apparently can't help me with relationship business. might also need a different interpretation book, as i lost the one that originally came with that deck, and the one i'm using is very new-agey.

Spoiler: night vale tarot interview spread

• Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? Justice. A Dark Planet Lit By No Sun (etc.), and a hand reaching up towards it, bloodied, sliding back down. A way out to a harsh place, but it's still better than the other option.
• What are your strengths as a deck? Page of Swords. Some members of the army of masked giants, and Carlos, protected from falling rocks by Doug. Playing strengths, protection.
• What are your limits as a deck? Knight of Pentacles. Carlos in the Desert Otherworld holding up his phone the antenna of which is backed with a pentacle (presumably talking to Cecil), Alicia's dog in the distance. Love matters, probably. Or communication.
• What are you here to teach me? The World. Night Vale at night with its purple crescent moon and a band of stas, the radio tower in the foreground. Wonder, contentment, both in beauty and in terror.
• How can I best learn and collaborate with you? Judgement. Nulogorsk, the bomb that destroyed it just exploding.
• What is the potential outcome of our working relationship? The Magician. Tamika Flynn, with a book slingshot.

i will interpret the night vale tarot along its imagery, because i am familiar with it. i need to tell the story of the first time i used it, that was frighteningly spot-on. so. either it's a bit of a poser/showman (showdeck), because "I am Justice" screams edgelord to me with or without that imagery. Good at playing strengths and protecting, but bad with either actual communication or matters of love (or both. ... aspie deck? now that would be interesting, and show why i can understand it more easily than other decks...). Teaching of acceptance of the world in all it's beauty and terror? As it shows a calm Night Vale, presumably after Cecil's "good night, Night Vale, good night". That no matter how bad things go, it will pass. Ties into the next one, understanding that sometimes, shit happens, but that that's no reason to stop living. The outcome is a good card, and proactive as well -- Tamika is a bamf.

onto the new year's spread:

Spoiler: favole tarot new year

• The previous year in summary: Four of Masks. A break. Changes not affecting me. I'm about to ask, are you shitting me? Last year was anything but a break...
  
• What have you learned from the past year: The Magician. Chances. Development. Success. Yeah, sounds about right. If I take chances and put enough work into them, I can succeed.
  
• What you aspire to in the next twelve months: Eight of Butterflies. According to the references I found actually the sword suit, but I alwas interpreted it as coins. Swords make a little bit more sense, as they denote that I aspire not to get steamrolled next year.
  
• What empowers you in reaching your aspirations: The Moon. Traveling, movement, restlessness. Fantasy. Probably the wish to not return.
  
• What may stand in the way of reaching your aspirations: The Fool. ... seems self-explanatory. don't do stupid shit.
  
• Your relationships and emotions in the coming year: Three of Butterflies. Distance, mistakes, separation, especially in regards to family. Looks like I finally get to tell my egg donor to fuck off.
  
• Your career, work and finances: The Sun. Good card, success and joy.
  
• Your health and well-being: Knight of Crosses. Patience, acting at the right moment. the imagery -- a statue of an angel on a grave, is more worrying, though. Hrm. Need to watch out, it seems.
  
• Your spiritual energy and inner fulfillment: Queen of Crosses. Strong, but honorable. Exuberant, but kind. The imagery adds rats. Great heights, but not stable yet.
  
• What you most need to focus on for the year ahead: Four of Crosses. Order and discipline. Welp.
  
• What will be your most important lesson in the coming year: Ace of Crosses. Precision leading to success.
  
• Overall, where are you headed in the next twelve months: The Devil. Success at a price.

Spoiler: night vale tarot new year

• The previous year in summary: The High Priestess. The Faceless Old Woman Who Secretly Lives In Your Home, smoking a cigarette and reading a copy of Infinite Jest. Hidden developments, but benevolent -- as long as you don't go against them.
  
• What have you learned from the past year: Two of Swords. A two-headed deer with entangled antlers. Old-style infinite printer paper. Orange plumage. Differently-coloured and -scaled snakes. A centipede. A masterpost I found says it relates to The Debate, which I only listened to once and can't really remember. Darn. Will need to ask my moirail for the file.
  
• What you aspire to in the next twelve months: Six of Pentacles, the English Angora Rabbits. A fuckton of work, but making the best out of the situation with nonstandard solutions. They also mean trouble. Uhm.
  
• What empowers you in reaching your aspirations: The Hierophant. Hands of Old Woman Josie and Erika, holding a light bulb. Faith? Wonder? Inspiration? Inspiration, probably.
  
• What may stand in the way of reaching your aspirations: The Emperor. The Glow Cloud. Someone high up who does what they want. Best not to attract their attention, and not pull too egregious bullshit.
  
• Your relationships and emotions in the coming year: The Hanged Man. Maureen, a crack in front of both her phone and her NVCR intern pass. Ambivalence. An exploitative relationship she is dependant on, the best solution being to leave and pursue something else. The original artist's masterpost says it's young Cecil, but for me it's Maureen. ::P As Cecil, the mirror, inevitability.
  
• Your career, work and finances: The Hermit. The Pyramid. A one-time gig that ultimately falls through because of too high demands from the employee. Oh dear.
  
• Your health and well-being: Strength. Either Dana Cardinal, or Maureen, leading an army of masked men. Sounds like a 'knock on wood' either way.
  
• Your spiritual energy and inner fulfillment: Queen of Wands. Lauren Mallard and a bleeding Strex Pet. Is Lauren Mallard fulfilled in what she does? Hell if I know.
  
• What you most need to focus on for the year ahead: The World. Night Vale at night, after the 'good night, Night Vale, good night'. Wonder, Fantasy, contentment?
  
• What will be your most important lesson in the coming year: The Sun. Desert Bluffs. Hard work and responsibility, and the results of not meeting the quota.
  
• Overall, where are you headed in the next twelve months: The Lovers. Two trees in the Whispering Forest, forever entwined. Turning away from reality, fleeing to a place of happiness, and being eternally stuck there.

 

sheesh, i feel left out XD
so many tarot readings

 

@emythos would you like one done for you? i could see if my deck is open to thinking about someone else ...

 

It just occurred to me that the way I paint my nails could be considered a work of magic. I use colors that reflect my intent, or just fall in line with the time of year. I mean, I always start with black, because aesthetic, but I also do an accent nail on each hand that tends to have significance both in the color and (sometimes) in the finger I choose to put it on. Index finger's kind of the default directing-my-will finger. Middle finger is for self-expression or "broadcasting," little finger is for private reminders.

My first week at my current job, I had my little fingers in blue, a that represented a certain person I wanted to keep in mind. Today I did the nails of my index fingers white (for starting fresh in the new year) and gold glitter for luck. The week before Christmas, I was wearing a red accent nail (the thumb, maybe?) just to mark the time of year, because keeping in tune with the turning of the seasons is important to me. I also used silver glitter for snow.

 

aww, that's sweet of you
if you think it'll work out, sure?

 

A friend said that you aren't supposed to do tarot spreads for yourself bc things get skewed. Anyone have any thoughts on that??? I'm still gonna do it anyway bc I want to get a better feel for reading and it would feel Wrong to do spreads specifically for people if they don't know about it.

With my (minimal) experience, reading for myself usually turns out okay/is accurate, which is why I ask what you all think.

 

I do them for myself almost entirely, and I don't believe there's any difference because tarot's just a tool for understanding. It's a perspective shift; scrying's the same for me. It's like writing a problem out in detail, or explaining it to a rubber duck; it's more a magic way of feeling out awareness. I'm also feverish and might not be making much sense rn.

 

Laz is correct. I don't see any reason not to do it; bias has the potential to interference with any reading, not just those on yourself. In some ways, if you're the kind of person who can be honest with yourself, it's actually easier to practice on yourself, imo; you're not likely to be hiding things the way someone else might out of shame or whatever. Again, though, that requires being honest with yourself in a way some people don't like.

 

@emythos okay, i gave it a go. please note that my deck has a tendency to be a bit snarky.

1. 2016 in summary: world, reversed
   • Spoiler

     disappointment, lack of vision, hesitation, unfinished business, stubbornness. overwhelming delay of gratification. lack of closure. you're frustrated. possible sources: fear of failure, resistance to change, stagnation. this may be an opportunity to better yourself? you're in a cycle of frustration and boredom. maybe it's time to look at new ideas.
2. What I've learned in 2016: knight of coins, reversed
   • Spoiler

     financial/career setbacks. feelings of life being monotonous, stuck. resistance to change again.
3. What I aspire to in 2017: devil
   • Spoiler

     focus is on worldly things, being inflexible/obsessed. illusion that you are imprisoned by external forces. possibly, you are becoming too focused on a particular idea, situation, or endeavour - chaining yourself to it.
   1. clarification card: ace of coins, reversed
      • Spoiler

        again, spirituality cast aside for material possessions ... be careful of corrupt people, or people blocking your progress.
      • Spoiler

        my thoughts on this: i don't think it's saying that you ought to aspire to being overly focused on material things. i think it's saying that you should aspire to free yourself from those chains/illusions.
4. What empowers me: 9 of swords
   • Spoiler

     nightmares. but what you fear will likely not come to pass. this might mean that you will be empowered to move forward bc you don't want the alternative?
5. What may stand in my way: 8 of wands
   • Spoiler

     open communication. i think this means that sometimes you'll need to play your cards a little closer to your chest.
6. Relationships and emotions in 2017: 8 of coins, reversed
   • Spoiler

     you might be feeling stuck and bored. break out, try new things.
7. Career, work and finances: queen of coins
   • Spoiler

     finer luxuries in life, shrewd in business, works hard at everything. open with her feelings. independent, but generous
8. Health and well-being: 5 of swords, reversed
   • Spoiler

     there may be someone in your life keeping you from moving on. resolve this toxic relationship. don't be afraid to be honest. stay open.
9. Spiritual energy/inner fulfillment: king of coins, reversed
   • Spoiler

     money is not everything. be wary of those who don't have your best interests at heart. don't overdo it.
10. What I need to focus on most in 2017: king of swords, reversed
    • Spoiler

      you have been treated unfairly or discriminated against. someone does not have your best interests at heart. you may have difficulty getting your words across. take time to rest, but don't waffle. make decisions.
11. Most important lesson in 2017: 2 of wands, reversed
    • Spoiler

      lack of communication and discord may prevent healthy relationships. you may suffer from emptiness or depression. inability to find success due to fear of failure. do not delude yourself about others' intentions.
12. Overall direction: 3 of cups
    • Spoiler

      harmony. new relationships. trust in new ventures, which will be fruitful. work-play balance. learning to put others first in a healthy way. real sense of community.

it seems to be very determined to recommend that you be open to new ideas and opportunities, and not to resist change. also it mentions other people not having your best interests at heart a lot. don't be afraid of failure and don't get yourself stuck in a rut. that being said, it seems to think your overall direction is pretty great!

 

I've gotten one tarot reading in my life and got the 1, 3, and 9 of swords. A little context, the numbers 1, 3, and 9 have been following me for my entire life. I was born in 1993, my SSN only has the numbers 1, 3, and 9 in it, when we were numbered in class I was always #3, etc, on and on for my entire life.

I don't think I even waited to learn what the reading meant. Saw the numbers and left.

(can someone tell me what that reading means? years later, now that i'm not so freaked out by it and the numbers have kind of left me alone, I'm curious)

 

@Sethrial MacCoill Swords are generally the harshest of the suits, at least to me, it has a bunch of negative emotion cards

Ace of swords was probably the bright spot of that reading: overcoming adversity, solving problems through logic, seeking and spreading truth
Three of swords is a rough one, has to do with pain and loss, being betrayed, being lonely
Nine of swords is grief, guilt, being overwhelmed by past mistakes

so, not the brightest reading, but if it was years ago, you've probably grown past whatever situation it was referring to

edit: maybe the Ace was the response to how to deal with the Three and the Nine?

 

Well shit.

That was middle school or early high school. So yeah, that hits the nail on the head with a fucking sledgehammer.

I'm glad to say I'm doing a lot better now.

 

@Lazarae @Starcrossedsky thank you for the input! That honestly makes a lot of sense. Personally I'm not sure if I'm honest with myself, bc I often tend to say I'm going to do things and then never get around to doing them, but I think I'm honest with myself about my defining characteristics. I'm not sure what exactly I'm capable of though.

Regardless, I'm still planning on doing readings for myself because they help me out a lot--some of my readings have led to me making positive changes in my life. My deck indicated it was best at helping with personal growth, and I'm really starting to believe that.

 

thank you very much :)
i feel like it's telling me to get a job XD

 

@emythos maybe! the cards did mention possible new employment too - it didn't seem like as much of a theme as some of the other points it was making, so I didn't highlight it as much.

 

Did the New Year's reading slightly late with my Manga Tarot deck, which I trust to be sensible and down-to-earth. Not all that thrilled with the results. xD Also it's taken up spitting cards at me, which it didn't really used to do. Think it's been talking to steampunk deck, which is forever doing that. Descriptions are copied from the manga tarot's own booklet.

Spoiler: Reading

2016 in summary:

• 4 of wands
  
  
• The moment: celebration, cheerfulness, the present, fleeting instant. Here and now, fully present.
• Don't really understand that, unless it means I was starting things a lot, which is possible.

What I've learned in 2016:

• 8 of Swords
  

• Dead End: fear, paralysis, difficulty, feeling of imprisonment, ability to react. The solution is found by not giving up.
• Yeah that sums up a lot of my thinking in 2016. Mostly that those things suck but I can't give up.

What I aspire to in 2017:

• Ace of Chalices
  

• Source of life. Everything comes from life, and from life comes everything.
• ...Yeah, tbh, this makes sense. I want a life.

What empowers me:

• The Priest
  

• Spirituality. Non-materialistic vision, advice, guidance, teaching. Order, inner discipline. The spirit is a garden to be cultivated with love.
• Hmm. Maybe referring to people helping me with things other than looking for work, and keeping the faith? Also yes, order helps, and I haven't currently got any.

What may stand in my way:

• The Chariot
  

• A Victory. Triumph, temporary success or achievement. Happiness at the expense of others. Lack of awareness regarding the consequences of one’s own actions. Nothing is ever completely white or completely black.
• Oh look, the deck knows I tend to think in black and white, what a surprise. xP

Relationships and emotions in 2017:

• Princess of Pentacles
  
  
• Exploration of new things. The world is vaster than it seems and we can have many roles in it.
  

• 9 of Swords
  
  
• Regrets. Responsibility, doubts, uncertainty, kept secrets, unshared choices. Each road has its errors: sometimes they return to disappear at the new sunrise.
• So, it spat two out for me there. Looks like I'll be meeting some new people, but perhaps one of my existing relationships will go bad or not reach its full potential? Not sure. Mildly concerned. Maybe the new people won't work out. Idk.

Career, work and finances:

• Princess of Pentacles
  

• Exploration of new things. The world is vaster than it seems and we can have many roles in it.
• Yeah, again. Guess I'll be exploring new possibilities and ways of working this year, which'll be great actually!

Health and well-being:

• Ace of Wands
  

• The Ego. Know yourself and don’t be afraid.
• I think it's talking about my tendency towards hypochondria. Ahem. It does this a lot actually, this deck; tells me to use my brain and be sensible. xP

Spiritual energy/inner fulfillment:

• King of Swords
  

• A thought is faced with criticism. Only by comparing different opinions can the limits of your thinking be found.
• Guess I'll be questioning what gives me inner fulfillment, maybe. Or questioning what faith I have. Questioning, anyway.

What I need to focus on most in 2017:

• Prince of Swords
  

• Birth of a thought. Thinking is being.
• It can't be telling me to think more, overthinking is one of my biggest issues. What I think it might be saying, judging from 'thinking is being', is act on those thoughts or something. Though given how unpleasant some of my thoughts are...

Most important lesson in 2017:

• King of Chalices
  
  
• Experience an emotion intensely. Surrender to feelings and don’t withdraw.
  

• 5 of Pentacles
  
  
• Indigence. Poverty, need, humility, request for justice. The journey is long and often difficult.
• Fucking hell, deck. I have a sneaking feeling that 5 of pentacles is indicating that fixing anything will take a really long fucking time and maybe that I need to be less picky about shit and make more of an effort. King of Chalices could be referring to a lot of things I think. I have trouble understanding and feeling my emotions a lot of the time, or letting myself feel them.

Overall direction:

• 3 of Swords
  
  
• Suffering. Anguish, solitude, fear, loss. Reason alone does not warm.
  
  Clarification
  
  
• 4 of Swords
  
  
• Rest. Silence, preparation, regeneration, peace. The mind must become a blank page at the beginning of each chapter.
• This shit just concerns me. Given the warning against black and white thinking earlier and the clarification card, it can't be as bad as it looks, but I don't really see how the clarification card tempers things much? Suffering doesn't sound like rest to me. Gah.

Anyone else got any thoughts?

 

@TwoBrokenMirrors thinking about the prince of swords - maybe it is telling you to think about your thinking? be honest with yourself and evaluate those thoughts. this makes sense to me when you combine it with the king of swords. also thinking about these with your last cards - king of chalices, don't be afraid to experience the moment; five of pentacles - even if the feeling is negative, work through it, experience it ... and you go back to the prince and king of swords: be critical while you're experiencing. be aware. then you take the last two - three of swords: you're gonna have some shit come at you; four of swords: through thought, examination/evaluation, and surrendering yourself to the moment and living in the present, you'll find rest. you'll be able to prepare and regenerate, and you'll find peace.

basically i'm hearing that you're in the eye of a hurricane. there are gonna be some shitty things, but through living in the moment, allowing yourself to experience emotions, and thinking critically, you have the opportunity to mature emotionally/spiritually/etc and find peace even in the midst of suffering. and if the chariot is any indication, don't sit on your laurels: this is a constant process.