Spoilery Discussion about HBP
ellen_fremedon discussed Trelawney's card reading here.
Out of curiosity, I dug out my All About Tarot by Hali Morag and went through the reading myself.
This is Trelawney's reading:
"Two of spades: conflict," she murmured, as she passed the place where Harry crouched, hidden. "Seven of spades: an ill omen. Ten of spades: violence. Knave of spades: a dark young man, possibly troubled, one who dislikes the questioner -"
Spades correspond to swords in Tarot, and all the cards that Trelawney draws are spades. So let's see what this corresponds to in Tarot, according to my book.
Two of swords:
"The card symbolises the calm before the storm.
"It is a negative card.
"Description: A blindfolded woman sits on a stone seat with her back to the ocean, where there are rocky reefs and stormy breakers. Her crossed arms hold two long swords, which she is trying to balance. A crescent moon (symbolising a lack) hangs in the sky. The card expresses an atmosphere of imbalance, powerlessness, impotence, stagnation, inability to act, foreboding and fear of the unknown. The grey of the sky, the seat and the blindfold add to the gloom. There is a storm approaching (as symbolised by the precarious balance of the swords), but the figure can do nothing about it.
"In a spread, it means that the querant is paralysed by indecision, and therefore takes no action, despite the magnitude of his problems, which threaten to crush him. The card indicates a dire situation."
***
Seven of swords:
"This card symbolises slyness and guile.
"It is basically a negative card.
"Description: A serious card, which is sometimes called "The Traitor," it depicts a figure dressed in erstwhile "Turkish" military uniform sneaking away from an army camp (represented by the tents and pennants in the background) with an armful of swords--five--looking back greedily at two he was unable to carry. The scene radiates slyness, deception, treachery, guile, cunning and stealth. The red color of his fez and boots symbolise lust for Mammon and selfishness.
"In a spread, this card could serve as a warning to the querant that he may be facing treachery; in this case, the card has a positive aspect about it. Overall, however, the card is negative, because of the connotations of evil stratagems, treachery and cunning."
***
Ten of swords:
"The card symbolises disaster, destruction and catastrophe.
"It is an extremely negative card.
"Description: A bleeding corpse, pierced from head to toe with nine swords, lies face down on the bank of a river. (The tenth sword is stuck in the ground next to the person's head--a faint glimmer of hope?) The black sky augments the misery of the scene. The fact that the person has been stabbed in the back signals betrayal and ambush. The river and the blue of the dawn indicate that life goes on, and that the disaster shown here, is not connected with the rest of life.
"This card is the most destructive in the whole Tarot deck. If it appears in a spread, its effects are inevitably felt throughout, no matter how positive the surrounding cards are. Although it symbolises a desperate, terminal situation, the card does not foretell death. The card is the epitome of failure."
***
The final card Trelawney draws is the Knave of Spades. This could be either the page or knight of swords, so I'll post both.
Page of swords:
"The card represents Gemini.
"It is both a positive and a negative card.
"Description: A handsome youth, dressed in spotless non-military clothes, brandishes his sword belligerently at a non-existent foe, indicating flippancy. The pastoral atmosphere created by the green of the grass is tainted by the dark clouds, and the blue skies are flawed by the presence of the flock of ravens. The card expresses uncertainty, contradictions, contrasts and change. This is emphasised by the wind blowing in one direction and the clouds moving in another.
"The characteristics of this card are lightness. curiosity, superficiality, personal charm, talent for writing and trade, and instability. In a spread, the card indicates the above personal characteristics, as well as changing and uncertain situations. It indicates the ability to to learn from experience and make decisions. When it is positive, the querant is able to progress and see the good in everything. When it is negative, it indicates ignorance, confusion, imbalance and superficiality."
***
Knight of swords:
"The card symbolises sharp, hasty and piercing plans
"It can be positive or negative, depending on its position.
"Description: A red-cloaked knight seated on a galloping stallion with streaming mane charges into (unseen) battle, his sword cutting the air viciously. The symbols in this card do not indicate much magnanimity. There is panic (as seen in the stallion's expression), and the wind, which is blowing against the knight, is unpleasant. The grey clouds indicate uncertainty.
"In a spread, this card indicates new arenas for action in the different realms of the querant's life, and they may be sly, underhanded, hasty or conspiratorial."
***
I also checked a book called Tarot Card Combinations by Dorothy Kelly. According to that, there are a couple of card combinations in this reading that have unique meanings. The upright ten of swords, followed by the upright knight of swords, indicates destruction with great force, devastation and loss, and a sudden end. The upright seven of swords, followed by the upright knight of swords, indicates disappointment and loss, an unexpected failure...and a singularly destructive theft. (That just screamed Mundungus Fletcher to me.)
Foreshadows a lot about the main plot of the book, doesn't it?
Out of curiosity, I dug out my All About Tarot by Hali Morag and went through the reading myself.
This is Trelawney's reading:
"Two of spades: conflict," she murmured, as she passed the place where Harry crouched, hidden. "Seven of spades: an ill omen. Ten of spades: violence. Knave of spades: a dark young man, possibly troubled, one who dislikes the questioner -"
Spades correspond to swords in Tarot, and all the cards that Trelawney draws are spades. So let's see what this corresponds to in Tarot, according to my book.
Two of swords:
"The card symbolises the calm before the storm.
"It is a negative card.
"Description: A blindfolded woman sits on a stone seat with her back to the ocean, where there are rocky reefs and stormy breakers. Her crossed arms hold two long swords, which she is trying to balance. A crescent moon (symbolising a lack) hangs in the sky. The card expresses an atmosphere of imbalance, powerlessness, impotence, stagnation, inability to act, foreboding and fear of the unknown. The grey of the sky, the seat and the blindfold add to the gloom. There is a storm approaching (as symbolised by the precarious balance of the swords), but the figure can do nothing about it.
"In a spread, it means that the querant is paralysed by indecision, and therefore takes no action, despite the magnitude of his problems, which threaten to crush him. The card indicates a dire situation."
***
Seven of swords:
"This card symbolises slyness and guile.
"It is basically a negative card.
"Description: A serious card, which is sometimes called "The Traitor," it depicts a figure dressed in erstwhile "Turkish" military uniform sneaking away from an army camp (represented by the tents and pennants in the background) with an armful of swords--five--looking back greedily at two he was unable to carry. The scene radiates slyness, deception, treachery, guile, cunning and stealth. The red color of his fez and boots symbolise lust for Mammon and selfishness.
"In a spread, this card could serve as a warning to the querant that he may be facing treachery; in this case, the card has a positive aspect about it. Overall, however, the card is negative, because of the connotations of evil stratagems, treachery and cunning."
***
Ten of swords:
"The card symbolises disaster, destruction and catastrophe.
"It is an extremely negative card.
"Description: A bleeding corpse, pierced from head to toe with nine swords, lies face down on the bank of a river. (The tenth sword is stuck in the ground next to the person's head--a faint glimmer of hope?) The black sky augments the misery of the scene. The fact that the person has been stabbed in the back signals betrayal and ambush. The river and the blue of the dawn indicate that life goes on, and that the disaster shown here, is not connected with the rest of life.
"This card is the most destructive in the whole Tarot deck. If it appears in a spread, its effects are inevitably felt throughout, no matter how positive the surrounding cards are. Although it symbolises a desperate, terminal situation, the card does not foretell death. The card is the epitome of failure."
***
The final card Trelawney draws is the Knave of Spades. This could be either the page or knight of swords, so I'll post both.
Page of swords:
"The card represents Gemini.
"It is both a positive and a negative card.
"Description: A handsome youth, dressed in spotless non-military clothes, brandishes his sword belligerently at a non-existent foe, indicating flippancy. The pastoral atmosphere created by the green of the grass is tainted by the dark clouds, and the blue skies are flawed by the presence of the flock of ravens. The card expresses uncertainty, contradictions, contrasts and change. This is emphasised by the wind blowing in one direction and the clouds moving in another.
"The characteristics of this card are lightness. curiosity, superficiality, personal charm, talent for writing and trade, and instability. In a spread, the card indicates the above personal characteristics, as well as changing and uncertain situations. It indicates the ability to to learn from experience and make decisions. When it is positive, the querant is able to progress and see the good in everything. When it is negative, it indicates ignorance, confusion, imbalance and superficiality."
***
Knight of swords:
"The card symbolises sharp, hasty and piercing plans
"It can be positive or negative, depending on its position.
"Description: A red-cloaked knight seated on a galloping stallion with streaming mane charges into (unseen) battle, his sword cutting the air viciously. The symbols in this card do not indicate much magnanimity. There is panic (as seen in the stallion's expression), and the wind, which is blowing against the knight, is unpleasant. The grey clouds indicate uncertainty.
"In a spread, this card indicates new arenas for action in the different realms of the querant's life, and they may be sly, underhanded, hasty or conspiratorial."
***
I also checked a book called Tarot Card Combinations by Dorothy Kelly. According to that, there are a couple of card combinations in this reading that have unique meanings. The upright ten of swords, followed by the upright knight of swords, indicates destruction with great force, devastation and loss, and a sudden end. The upright seven of swords, followed by the upright knight of swords, indicates disappointment and loss, an unexpected failure...and a singularly destructive theft. (That just screamed Mundungus Fletcher to me.)
Foreshadows a lot about the main plot of the book, doesn't it?