My Free (Thanksgiving) Tarot Reading from Tarot.com
Spread Information: The Peace and Harmony reading is a terrific bargain for a multi-faceted, in-depth look at your potential for personal power through non-violence and compassion. And Tarot.com will automatically save this reading for you to come back to later, or share with a friend (earning Karma Coins), print out, etc.
This reading takes a deep look at your personal or spiritual path. It contains 11 positions (described below) which will provide you a many-faceted overview of all the major aspects of the self-development process. This spread will help you get a profound perspective on how to heal the conflicts of the past and take the next skillful steps along your journey of peace -- for your sake and that of the whole world.
The Peace and Harmony reading covers myriad aspects of your spiritual evolution -- from the influences of your higher self to internal elements of blockage or obstacle. It can be useful for evaluating the path of service you choose to follow, and it will offer you insights and advice to help you on your way.
Attaining inner and outer peace is the ongoing work of a lifetime. All of us have suffered traumas of a physical, emotional or psychological nature. You can use this reading to take a look at a particular aspect of your own inner work. Let the wisdom of this reading encourage you to take good care of yourself for the sake of your peace of mind and peace in the world.
Your Query: What does the new year have in store for me?
Your Cards
Self: Nine of Swords
Situation: The Hermit
Challenges/Opportunities: Page of Wands
Foundation: Nine of Coins
Recent Past: Ace of Coins
Higher Power: Ace of Cups
Developments: Five of Wands
Lesson: The Emperor
Allies: Four of Wands
Advice: The Chariot
Potentials: Page of Swords
Your Interpretations
Self: Nine of Swords
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Take time to honor your feelings as you heal from devastating circumstances. Allow yourself to look forward to the future with optimism and a sense of peace.
The card in the Self position touches on an aspect of how you perceive yourself right now, including how at peace you are with and within yourself.
The Nine of Swords in this position portrays a person suffering the lonely grief of abandonment or bereavement, and perhaps a sense of panic due to loss of power and position. Overcome with feelings of helplessness, he or she is beset with fear of what might happen next.
No matter what has happened in your life, all meaning is not lost. You - and the world at large - can and will recover from setbacks. To do so, you must overcome pessimism. As you recover from misfortune, you will see the way clear before you. Give yourself time to heal, meditate and explore your feelings, and you will awaken tomorrow with confidence in the future.
GENERAL MEANING: The Nine of this suit has a special resonance with the Middle Ages, because it figures the plight of a woman who is alone in the world, during the centuries when women had no personal rights, no ability to inherit property or use the law in their own defense. We generally see her sitting up in bed weeping, grieving and in fear of abandonment because of her vulnerability, wondering what will happen to her now that her protector (father, brother, husband, or son) is gone.
The swords above her head may indicate that the loss has come through some cruel conflict, the outcome of which has left her behind as chattel, the spoils of war. Really what we are looking at is the price of pride, which creates losers as a side effect of glorifying winners. The woman in the picture represents the concerns of the heart, the damage to the soul and to vulnerable ones, when the ego-mind becomes so invested in control and domination that it does not count the human costs. A sensitive, subtle, heartfelt approach to nature (the "feminine") is trampled and thrown aside in service to a "winner takes all" mentality.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Self position touches on an aspect of how you perceive yourself right now, including how at peace you are with and within yourself.
The Self position points to an aspect of your inner identity, your basic individuality -- without regard for how others might see you.. In this context, who you are hinges on current attitudes you hold toward yourself, as well as your cultivation of inner peace and harmony in the world.
Consider the meaning of the card that lands here in light of your inner experience, your personal perspective about yourself and the issues you bring to this reading. Who are you? What kind of attitude or energies are affecting you right now? What do you want? It's not always easy to know yourself. Clarity about values and roles is essential for skillful behavior. Values evolve, but don't be too attached to roles -- they can change.
Your attitude is of primary importance here because, more than anything, it supports a capacity for happiness, success and love. How are you contending with fears that arise? What aspect of yourself is in need of development here? Is there any attitude that may be in need of change?
The way you perceive yourself may prove to be accurate or inadequate as the reading unfolds. You may want to take a second look at this position at the end of the spread.
Situation: The Hermit
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: What you are seeking is an uninterrupted period of contemplation and peace in your life.
The Situation position refers to the general set of influences that surround you and affect your personal experience of peace. We all have to deal with conflict and are affected by the process.
When the Hermit is in this position, you crave your privacy and an end to the stimulation you have been bombarded with lately. Make the usual supervisors, critics and back seat drivers disappear for a while. Then you can pull away and study the situation without the interference of other people's personalities and agendas. This is a wonderful opportunity for contemplation. It is possible in a situation like this that you will experience some precognition and sense of what is to come.
Your need for inner stillness may be very powerful. In fact, you may be on the verge of a major "Aha!" experience. So clear your calendar and make some space for yourself. Treasure this time and what it offers you for discovering a well of peace from which to draw.
GENERAL MEANING: The challenge of what has traditionally been known as the Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals and Nature herself.
While the hourglass was an identifying feature on the earliest Hermit cards, more modern ones have shifted the metaphor, showing more or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax the ego in communion with Nature.
MEANING of POSITION: The Situation position refers to the general set of influences that surround you and affect your personal experience of peace. We all have to deal with conflict and are affected by the process.
The Situation position provides a general context for your question -- the set and setting, the politics, whatever is going on around you that might be impacting the situation or issue you are consulting the Tarot about. This card could apply to a specific drama or dilemma that you are now confronted with.
Consider this card in light of the issues, people, and forces shaping your environment, your current situation.
Consider the set of influences that surround you and affect your personal life. Take a look at how you have been wandering down your chosen path. Our experience is naturally affected by external factors and cycles, the issues and conflicts of the times. This card can offer clues as to skillful adjustments you might make.
Challenges/ Opportunities: Page of Wands
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Carefully consider how to communicate in a clear and calm manner.
The card in the Challenges/Opportunities position reflects how you can use creativity and skill to turn conflicts into harmonious understanding.
This card is traditionally entitled a Page, but in some modern decks as a Princess. When this card lands in this position, remember that the way in which a message is delivered strongly influences how it is received. Use your power as a messenger to communicate in a manner that produces clarity rather than confusion, optimism rather than cynicism.
Although this character can stand apart from the news he or she bears, your responsibility is to word your message so that its essence comes through undistorted. Be especially careful not to emphasize the negatives, losses, reversals and so on. Overcome the temptation to be overly dramatic or to speak in catastrophic terms.
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
This card is traditionally entitled the Page, but in some modern decks appears as a Princess. This archetype is that of a unique individual, a nonconformist, often something of a bohemian, definitely independent by nature. He or she requires little in the way of affirmation or approval. Perhaps a malcontent, often an innovator or inventor, the energy represented by this card will only serve others until she or he figures out how to get others to serve her/him.
His freedom is so important to him that he would rather go as a peasant among strangers than inherit a fortune with strings attached. Don't be fooled by his humble appearance. He is a future captain of industry or world leader, now serving his apprenticeship. He's sometimes seen planting his staff like a flagpole into the earth, out in the wilderness where he can start fresh, without having to make any compromises. You could think of this card as a wild card.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Challenges/Opportunities position reflects how you can use creativity and skill to turn conflicts into harmonious understanding.
The Challenges/Opportunities position helps you get the best out of your situation. it reflects the cutting edge in the situation, the learning curve whereby you can turn adversity into accomplishment -- using creativity and a positive attitude.
This card can point to recurring themes in the challenges you have faced in your life -- and to opportunities that may yet present themselves. Can you think of any patterns which are returning to affect you now? If so, try to recall how you have reacted in the past. Perhaps you can see new potentials, while noticing the hidden pitfalls too. Can you imagine a different way of responding to the situation this time around?
The wisdom of this card can help you turn surprises into strengths, blind spots into windows of opportunity. Bring creativity and flexibility to the way you go about your way in the world. Your expanding capacity wll become an asset and source of inspiration to all.
Foundation: Nine of Coins
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Apply the benefits you have secured for yourself to improving the greater good.
The card in the Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background that have an effect on your capacity for inner and outer peace.
The Nine of Coins in this position suggests that you come from a situation of being valued and supported which gave you the inner permission to seek what pleases and fulfills you. Identify the personal touchstones that help you feel nourished and safe. Indulge in them regularly and you will then be more generously disposed toward the needs of others.
There really is no conflict between treating yourself well and being in service to the greater good. Enjoy the benefits you have earned for yourself and let your overflow improve the world around you.
GENERAL MEANING: The Nine of this suit points to a person who is financially secure enough to live comfortably. This is about someone supported by her own business, inheritance or property. This is one person in a thousand.
This fortunate individual has turned a historical accident into a personal opportunity. This is one who has the vision and strength of character to hold onto gains against all odds. Do not be fooled at the apparent ease displayed on this card -- the person pictured is at the tail end of a long and stressful process of winning the right to be taken seriously. All of this grace has been paid for several times over.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background that have an effect on your capacity for inner and outer peace.
The Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background -- factors which are important for you to reconnect with or examine. This is the storehouse of memory and belief systems which you inherited.
There can be limiting beliefs, but there can also be much value in collective knowledge and other forms of wealth which get passed down.
A review of how things have evolved to the present will help you gain clarity and perspective. In any lineage, there are assumptions about roles, identity and authority that can govern its structure for years.
Sometimes these dynamics are functional and healthy, supporting and encouraging both individual and group development. Sometimes these structures are constrictive to the point of becoming deadening and cry out for change. Let this card inspire you to view the present from a historical perspective. A new way of looking at things may result, including greater peace of mind.
Recent Past: Ace of Coins
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Let the creative part of you awaken and help you achieve important goals.
The card in the Recent Past position refers to events in your life that are departing, recently influential but now diminishing in their power to affect you. You can rise above the conflicts of the past!
The Ace of Coins in this position provides a glimpse of how big enterprises begin with small steps and how sudden insights can inspire new inventions. You have such inspiration within yourself! A recent and meaningful insight will help you achieve long-range goals if you act on it.
Let the creative part of you awaken. Innate talent coupled with perseverance will give you the confidence to accomplish what you set out to do. The insight revealed to you, or intuited by you, was meant to drive home the point that "if they can do it, I can do it."
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often named "Coins" or "Pentacles", is a symbol for a magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit represents something supportive that is available to you -- whether it be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.
The Ace of this suit is usually pictured with a garden or agricultural backdrop, and symbolizes a seed. If this "talent" is planted and tended carefully, it will sprout and reward you with a good harvest. Think of it as a seed of your future fulfillment. An ace represents the first step to a goal, and if that step is repeated, it will cover great distances. Generally, the suit of Coins are referring to the tangible realities in daily life, but in the case of the Ace, it could be symbolizing a winning idea, game plan or blueprint for eventual materialization.
Occult tradition sometimes interpreted this Ace as representing the alchemist's gold -- the light within Matter, the 3rd Eye of the energy-body. This recommends meditating upon the Light Within, and pointing oneself toward the archetype of Humanity Enlightened. By practicing such a meditation, the Masters taught that one eventually gains enough control of the Celestial Radiance to heal the body, untangle the emotions and complete the growth of the soul.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Recent Past position refers to events in your life that are departing, recently influential but now diminishing in their power to affect you. You can rise above the conflicts of the past!
The Recent Past position refers to events that are just departing, recently influential but now diminishing in power. Like it or not, what's done is done -- what has happened cannot be changed or deleted.
Often what appears here is the precipitating event or realization that brought you to the situation you are seeking guidance about now. Look to this card to provide a little perspective on factors that brought you into the present situation.
Higher Power: Ace of Cups
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Your current outlook, so full of warmth and approval, could infuse your relationship with a higher love.
The card in the Higher Power position represents your highest intention and ideals with respect to the development of peace -- within yourself and in your world.
When the Ace of Cups falls in this position, your Higher Power is blessing you with an abundance of approval. As you feel this powerfully within yourself, your self-respect rises like the level of a lake in spring.
The feeling that you are the right person in the right place at the right time is elating. As your self-esteem increases, the sentiments of your heart deepen. This "inner smile" expands the dimensions of your consciousness, awakening you to experience life and love on a higher frequency. Living life on this level increases your optimism, confidence and generosity -- strengthening the attraction between you and your partner.
GENERAL MEANING: The suit in Tarot known as Cups is also referred to as Chalices or Hearts. It represents the emotional and psychic aspects of life -- fantasy, imagination, feelings, and love. An Ace of this suit generally shows a hand holding up an overflowing cup, which gives forth an endless stream of water, wine, blood or soma for the people's refreshment and healing.
This card represents an unfailing source of balm for body, heart and soul. It suggests that you can relax into a safety net of love, support and communion.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Higher Power position represents your highest intention and ideals with respect to the development of peace -- within yourself and in your world.
The Higher Power position points to your larger Self -- beyond personality and roles -- which knows and holds your best intentions, your hopes and aspirations. This position gives you a soaring bird's eye view, serving as a reminder of the essential meaning of your life -- your relationship with your Soul, your peace of mind.
Enjoy this moment to savor the larger view of your struggles and their value toward your growing ability to give and receive love freely.
The card in this position is a mirror of your conscience, the part of you that needs to see you living up to what you know is right, and holding others to that as well. This is the influence of your better nature, your inner wisdom -- call it "the Oversoul" or "Guardian Angel," if you like.Your self-respect depends upon keeping a good relationship with this Mature Self, the Witness Who Is Not Fooled.
In general, this card is trying to stimulate a broader perspective on your life adventure -- by referencing the spiritual, or karmic, aspects.
Developments: Five of Wands
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Face your responsibilities, give some direction to your inner circle and encourage optimism to achieve your collective goals.
The card in the Developments position shows which way your efforts to achieve harmony seem to be headed. By making skillful choices, you can improve on or neutralize possible conflicts, including those within yourself.
With the Five of Wands in this position, a situation may require focus, disciplined will, and wise use of time and energy, so that whatever holds you back from success can be overcome.
Temptations to get sidetracked by rivalry, self-centeredness or laziness continue to arise. Your responsibility lies in keeping the goal in front of you. Above all, don't allow your spirit to be dissipated.
Have confidence that your efforts will be rewarded. Choose to feel optimistic.
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
The Five of this suit symbolizes struggles caused by ambitious maneuvering and a competitive urge. This could be about someone who is pushing her or his agenda forward at the expense of others.
There can be a fine line between demonstrating personal excellence and making others feel like losers. It may be necessary to ask yourself, who is it that really benefits when we all fight so hard for such small rewards? Am I serving a negative, manipulative agenda when I start applying battle metaphors to business?
Even when your only motive is to be the best you can be, to get recognition for what is fine and unique about you, it is still sensible to minimize the number of egos bruised in the process, lest your success be celebrated alone.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Developments position shows which way your efforts to achieve harmony seem to be headed. By making skillful choices, you can improve on or neutralize possible conflicts, including those within yourself.
The Developments position points ahead to the natural consequences of actions you are taking, or will soon take. This card can give you some sense of which direction the wind is blowing with regard to your personal life. It may refer to some particular aspect of spiritual development that is front and center for you right now. Remember -- despite what this card might indicated, you still have it in your power to make changes!
This is about what could happen soon, following the dynamics of your style of relating to yourself and your life. Nevertheless, if you follow the Advice card, you can improve on or neutralize difficult probabilities that may be unfolding.
Lesson: The Emperor
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Take it upon yourself to correct the situation and piece things back together.
The card in the Lesson position represents the personal investment or sacrifice required to achieve inner and outer peace.
When the Emperor card appears in this position, you are called upon to shoulder some responsibility. Perhaps now is the time to take charge, organize a situation and inject coherence into it. Set some clear priorities. You are called upon to provide structure when that is what is needed most.
It takes a strong sense of honor to steer through challenging times with a firm hand. Is it possible that you are reluctant to do so? This card in this position is about duty.
The deficiencies of previous leadership may have been serious enough to leave things in a state of disarray. Even though it may not have been your fault, you are called upon to take up the burden of making things right. Harness your will and put it to work. Don't worry about your reward -- it will come soon enough.
GENERAL MEANING: In the most practical terms, what has traditionally been called the Emperor card represents the highest leadership, a head of state or the most exemplary and powerful person in the realm. This archetypal ruler is responsible for the positive working out of affairs of a society or community, which are directly proportional to his well being and happiness.
The more enlightenment and cosmic perspective this energy brings, the better life is for all. The Emperor archetype masters the world of matter and physical manifestation. When you apply this card to your situation, acknowledge your potentials for mastery. Reinforce a sense of sovereignty within yourself, despite any self-limiting beliefs, habits or appearances to the contrary.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Lesson position represents the personal investment or sacrifice required to achieve inner and outer peace.
You have come a long way, gleaning understanding and wisdom from your experiences in life. The card in the Lesson position points to a remaining issue that holds educational value for you, or to some sacrifice you still need to make for the sake of your fulfillment.
You may have to let go of something you like, for the sake of personal development and peace of mind. Stubborness or selfishness in this regard could cost you. It is crucial to acknowledge the value of your personal growth, the importance of your happiness. No matter how difficult it may be, honor whatever you are currently learning as you reaffirm a commmitment to growing in your ability to live a loving life.
The Lesson position represents the Wisdom aspect of present developments. Some self-sacrifice on the part of the questioner is usually required, some personal investment called for in order to derive the full benefits from the opportunities you have to grow.
Allies: Four of Wands
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: You will move more quickly toward your goal when you involve others who can share your vision.
The card in the Allies position points to people who can be supportive of your commitment to peace at this time.
When the Four of Wands is in this position, you are advised to describe your dream, vision or ideal to everyone who will listen, including that growing network of active, forward looking people you are a part of. Take the pulse of your community. Seek out connections to people who may want to get involved.
This will give you the opportunity to see who warms to your ideas, who is ignited by your dreams. You will move toward your goal quickly and more efficiently when you understand the minds of the people you are trying to reach.
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
A Four in this suit is the teamwork card, often symbolized by two couples who have come together to create something profitable and enduring. Quite likely, they will bequeath a gift to the future -- a business, hospital, theater or university. They represent the founding families of the future community that will grow around their inspiration. Teamwork is the key.
It takes time to build a grand vision; and other people of ambition and talent must be attracted to it for it to fulfill its potential. What we see here is the start-up group, the founding visionaries committing their energies to designing the blueprints and laying the groundwork. This partnership is the prototype for society or any grouping where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Allies position points to people who can be supportive of your commitment to peace at this time.
The Allies position represents one or more people who can form a sort of psychic safety net for you. It could point to a support group or an advisor, who could help you put both your positive and negative past experiences into perspective, to shed some light on how you might proceed now.
Whether or not the counselor indicated is alive or deceased , their role modeling and shared insights could provide useful inspiration right now. Try to remember what you have been advised.
An underlying message is that you don't have to suffer through conflicts alone!
Advice: The Chariot
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Look upon the movements of change as positive, full of promise and adventure for you.
The card in the Advice position offers guidance regarding how you relate to your path of cultivating inner and outer peace. With wisdom as your guide, you can make a difference!
The Chariot in this position suggests that you be prepared for changes that might include a move or an opportunity to travel. The Charioteer travels light and stays open to fresh experiences that change with every valley or mountain pass. You may be asked to live out of a suitcase and consider every place your home for a while.
Be receptive to new people who come into your life, for you may find these connections to be enriching and nurturing. Most importantly, accept the fact that your life is expanding and you are on the road to becoming more fluid and flexible. The Charioteer is nothing if not self-sufficient.
Be prepared and self contained for the changes that may likely sweep in and carry you with them.
GENERAL MEANING: Traditionally, the card usually entitled the Chariot points to a triumphal feeling of freedom, as if the charioteer is being paraded through the streets as a hero (or heroine). The card reflects congratulations for high achievement, and serves as a sign of empowerment.
Huge wheels and frisky steeds speed the rate at which the driver's will power can be realized. This kind of charge makes more of the world accessible to one ambitious enough to seize the Chariot's reins. But there is danger in this feeling of freedom, because of the increased rate of change and its power to magnify mistakes in judgment. As a seasoned warrior, the Charioteer is called upon to be extra attentive to the way ahead.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Advice position offers guidance regarding how you relate to your path of cultivating inner and outer peace. With wisdom as your guide, you can make a difference!
The Advice position may present a new option or direction, based on a different perspective on what could help you keep the faith at this time. There may be a resource you have not accessed or a new point of view that opens your eyes to a solution or remedy you hadn't considered before. Or this card may simply reaffirm something you are already doing or planning on doing. It could even reframe the "problem" in a different manner altogether!
There may be one particular aspect of your life that needs attention. This could be an attitude, an unconscious habit, or some element of the environment that is impacting the way you take care of yourself.
By adjusting your next move to take the message of this card into consideration, you are more likely to achieve better results. Yet there are times when even the concept of "doing" is too much. Contemplate this card from the viewpoint of possible avenues for action, if any. Then just let yourself flow gently along those lines.
Potentials: Page of Swords
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Influence can be marshaled behind the scenes, where one can prepare for a future position of power.
The card in the long-term Potentials position points to unknowns still taking shape. Perhaps it represents a "wild card" yet to be played.
The Page of Swords (in some decks, a Princess) in this position indicates a potential future as a quiet, surreptitious emissary who links influential people through private channels, monitors their dialogue and facilitates their negotiations. This character may seem like a pawn, a small time player in the great scheme of things, but such a pose serves as his or her mantle of protection. It enables him to slip into territory he otherwise couldn't enter. His power, which lies in appearing inconsequential, goes unacknowledged and is therefore unchecked.
This is the energy of the student or apprentice, preparing for the day when he can move into the boss's job. See to it that your moral character, philosophical vision and ability to evaluate right from wrong equals the skill and craft that will be required.
GENERAL MEANING: This card is traditionally entitled the Page, but in some modern decks appears as a Princess. The traditional interpretation is about a messenger, an emissary or liaison between separate camps, charged with faithfully representing one side's communications to the other. Because of this role, we do not think of this person as a servant, but rather as a diplomat, facilitating sensitive negotiations, often under difficult conditions.
This person is acting as the eyes and ears of her patron, and so she is sometimes referred to as the Watchman. Even kings are powerless if this messenger chooses to use her access to sensitive information for her own gain, as is implied by her other name, The Spy.
She could even be working as a double agent, playing both sides against each other to serve her own agenda. Her title is really camouflage in itself, serving as protective coloration so she can move among the people unrecognized, collecting information anonymously. Her vigilance often conceals an ulterior motive. She is a watcher who must herself be watched, because she dreams of someday taking matters into her own hands, preempting the plans of her employers.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the long-term Potentials position points to unknowns still taking shape. Perhaps it represents a "wild card" yet to be played.
The card in the Potentials position gives a hint of your healing potential as well as your potential to heal. This is not cast in concrete. If indications are less than desirable, you can change directions by exercising compassion with yourself and others, careful decision-making and good timing.
This reading takes a deep look at your personal or spiritual path. It contains 11 positions (described below) which will provide you a many-faceted overview of all the major aspects of the self-development process. This spread will help you get a profound perspective on how to heal the conflicts of the past and take the next skillful steps along your journey of peace -- for your sake and that of the whole world.
The Peace and Harmony reading covers myriad aspects of your spiritual evolution -- from the influences of your higher self to internal elements of blockage or obstacle. It can be useful for evaluating the path of service you choose to follow, and it will offer you insights and advice to help you on your way.
Attaining inner and outer peace is the ongoing work of a lifetime. All of us have suffered traumas of a physical, emotional or psychological nature. You can use this reading to take a look at a particular aspect of your own inner work. Let the wisdom of this reading encourage you to take good care of yourself for the sake of your peace of mind and peace in the world.
Your Query: What does the new year have in store for me?
Your Cards
Self: Nine of Swords
Situation: The Hermit
Challenges/Opportunities: Page of Wands
Foundation: Nine of Coins
Recent Past: Ace of Coins
Higher Power: Ace of Cups
Developments: Five of Wands
Lesson: The Emperor
Allies: Four of Wands
Advice: The Chariot
Potentials: Page of Swords
Your Interpretations
Self: Nine of Swords
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Take time to honor your feelings as you heal from devastating circumstances. Allow yourself to look forward to the future with optimism and a sense of peace.
The card in the Self position touches on an aspect of how you perceive yourself right now, including how at peace you are with and within yourself.
The Nine of Swords in this position portrays a person suffering the lonely grief of abandonment or bereavement, and perhaps a sense of panic due to loss of power and position. Overcome with feelings of helplessness, he or she is beset with fear of what might happen next.
No matter what has happened in your life, all meaning is not lost. You - and the world at large - can and will recover from setbacks. To do so, you must overcome pessimism. As you recover from misfortune, you will see the way clear before you. Give yourself time to heal, meditate and explore your feelings, and you will awaken tomorrow with confidence in the future.
GENERAL MEANING: The Nine of this suit has a special resonance with the Middle Ages, because it figures the plight of a woman who is alone in the world, during the centuries when women had no personal rights, no ability to inherit property or use the law in their own defense. We generally see her sitting up in bed weeping, grieving and in fear of abandonment because of her vulnerability, wondering what will happen to her now that her protector (father, brother, husband, or son) is gone.
The swords above her head may indicate that the loss has come through some cruel conflict, the outcome of which has left her behind as chattel, the spoils of war. Really what we are looking at is the price of pride, which creates losers as a side effect of glorifying winners. The woman in the picture represents the concerns of the heart, the damage to the soul and to vulnerable ones, when the ego-mind becomes so invested in control and domination that it does not count the human costs. A sensitive, subtle, heartfelt approach to nature (the "feminine") is trampled and thrown aside in service to a "winner takes all" mentality.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Self position touches on an aspect of how you perceive yourself right now, including how at peace you are with and within yourself.
The Self position points to an aspect of your inner identity, your basic individuality -- without regard for how others might see you.. In this context, who you are hinges on current attitudes you hold toward yourself, as well as your cultivation of inner peace and harmony in the world.
Consider the meaning of the card that lands here in light of your inner experience, your personal perspective about yourself and the issues you bring to this reading. Who are you? What kind of attitude or energies are affecting you right now? What do you want? It's not always easy to know yourself. Clarity about values and roles is essential for skillful behavior. Values evolve, but don't be too attached to roles -- they can change.
Your attitude is of primary importance here because, more than anything, it supports a capacity for happiness, success and love. How are you contending with fears that arise? What aspect of yourself is in need of development here? Is there any attitude that may be in need of change?
The way you perceive yourself may prove to be accurate or inadequate as the reading unfolds. You may want to take a second look at this position at the end of the spread.
Situation: The Hermit
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: What you are seeking is an uninterrupted period of contemplation and peace in your life.
The Situation position refers to the general set of influences that surround you and affect your personal experience of peace. We all have to deal with conflict and are affected by the process.
When the Hermit is in this position, you crave your privacy and an end to the stimulation you have been bombarded with lately. Make the usual supervisors, critics and back seat drivers disappear for a while. Then you can pull away and study the situation without the interference of other people's personalities and agendas. This is a wonderful opportunity for contemplation. It is possible in a situation like this that you will experience some precognition and sense of what is to come.
Your need for inner stillness may be very powerful. In fact, you may be on the verge of a major "Aha!" experience. So clear your calendar and make some space for yourself. Treasure this time and what it offers you for discovering a well of peace from which to draw.
GENERAL MEANING: The challenge of what has traditionally been known as the Hermit card is to be able to recognize a teacher in a humble disguise. This font of mysterious knowledge will not make it easy for the student to acquire his wisdom, as it takes time and long contemplation to fathom what he knows. He often speaks wordlessly, or in ancient and barbaric tongues, communicating with the elements, animals and Nature herself.
While the hourglass was an identifying feature on the earliest Hermit cards, more modern ones have shifted the metaphor, showing more or less light released from his lantern. In either case, the Hermit card reminds us of the value of time away from the hubbub of civic life, to relax the ego in communion with Nature.
MEANING of POSITION: The Situation position refers to the general set of influences that surround you and affect your personal experience of peace. We all have to deal with conflict and are affected by the process.
The Situation position provides a general context for your question -- the set and setting, the politics, whatever is going on around you that might be impacting the situation or issue you are consulting the Tarot about. This card could apply to a specific drama or dilemma that you are now confronted with.
Consider this card in light of the issues, people, and forces shaping your environment, your current situation.
Consider the set of influences that surround you and affect your personal life. Take a look at how you have been wandering down your chosen path. Our experience is naturally affected by external factors and cycles, the issues and conflicts of the times. This card can offer clues as to skillful adjustments you might make.
Challenges/ Opportunities: Page of Wands
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Carefully consider how to communicate in a clear and calm manner.
The card in the Challenges/Opportunities position reflects how you can use creativity and skill to turn conflicts into harmonious understanding.
This card is traditionally entitled a Page, but in some modern decks as a Princess. When this card lands in this position, remember that the way in which a message is delivered strongly influences how it is received. Use your power as a messenger to communicate in a manner that produces clarity rather than confusion, optimism rather than cynicism.
Although this character can stand apart from the news he or she bears, your responsibility is to word your message so that its essence comes through undistorted. Be especially careful not to emphasize the negatives, losses, reversals and so on. Overcome the temptation to be overly dramatic or to speak in catastrophic terms.
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
This card is traditionally entitled the Page, but in some modern decks appears as a Princess. This archetype is that of a unique individual, a nonconformist, often something of a bohemian, definitely independent by nature. He or she requires little in the way of affirmation or approval. Perhaps a malcontent, often an innovator or inventor, the energy represented by this card will only serve others until she or he figures out how to get others to serve her/him.
His freedom is so important to him that he would rather go as a peasant among strangers than inherit a fortune with strings attached. Don't be fooled by his humble appearance. He is a future captain of industry or world leader, now serving his apprenticeship. He's sometimes seen planting his staff like a flagpole into the earth, out in the wilderness where he can start fresh, without having to make any compromises. You could think of this card as a wild card.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Challenges/Opportunities position reflects how you can use creativity and skill to turn conflicts into harmonious understanding.
The Challenges/Opportunities position helps you get the best out of your situation. it reflects the cutting edge in the situation, the learning curve whereby you can turn adversity into accomplishment -- using creativity and a positive attitude.
This card can point to recurring themes in the challenges you have faced in your life -- and to opportunities that may yet present themselves. Can you think of any patterns which are returning to affect you now? If so, try to recall how you have reacted in the past. Perhaps you can see new potentials, while noticing the hidden pitfalls too. Can you imagine a different way of responding to the situation this time around?
The wisdom of this card can help you turn surprises into strengths, blind spots into windows of opportunity. Bring creativity and flexibility to the way you go about your way in the world. Your expanding capacity wll become an asset and source of inspiration to all.
Foundation: Nine of Coins
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Apply the benefits you have secured for yourself to improving the greater good.
The card in the Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background that have an effect on your capacity for inner and outer peace.
The Nine of Coins in this position suggests that you come from a situation of being valued and supported which gave you the inner permission to seek what pleases and fulfills you. Identify the personal touchstones that help you feel nourished and safe. Indulge in them regularly and you will then be more generously disposed toward the needs of others.
There really is no conflict between treating yourself well and being in service to the greater good. Enjoy the benefits you have earned for yourself and let your overflow improve the world around you.
GENERAL MEANING: The Nine of this suit points to a person who is financially secure enough to live comfortably. This is about someone supported by her own business, inheritance or property. This is one person in a thousand.
This fortunate individual has turned a historical accident into a personal opportunity. This is one who has the vision and strength of character to hold onto gains against all odds. Do not be fooled at the apparent ease displayed on this card -- the person pictured is at the tail end of a long and stressful process of winning the right to be taken seriously. All of this grace has been paid for several times over.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background that have an effect on your capacity for inner and outer peace.
The Foundation position points to influences from your personal history, your roots and background -- factors which are important for you to reconnect with or examine. This is the storehouse of memory and belief systems which you inherited.
There can be limiting beliefs, but there can also be much value in collective knowledge and other forms of wealth which get passed down.
A review of how things have evolved to the present will help you gain clarity and perspective. In any lineage, there are assumptions about roles, identity and authority that can govern its structure for years.
Sometimes these dynamics are functional and healthy, supporting and encouraging both individual and group development. Sometimes these structures are constrictive to the point of becoming deadening and cry out for change. Let this card inspire you to view the present from a historical perspective. A new way of looking at things may result, including greater peace of mind.
Recent Past: Ace of Coins
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Let the creative part of you awaken and help you achieve important goals.
The card in the Recent Past position refers to events in your life that are departing, recently influential but now diminishing in their power to affect you. You can rise above the conflicts of the past!
The Ace of Coins in this position provides a glimpse of how big enterprises begin with small steps and how sudden insights can inspire new inventions. You have such inspiration within yourself! A recent and meaningful insight will help you achieve long-range goals if you act on it.
Let the creative part of you awaken. Innate talent coupled with perseverance will give you the confidence to accomplish what you set out to do. The insight revealed to you, or intuited by you, was meant to drive home the point that "if they can do it, I can do it."
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often named "Coins" or "Pentacles", is a symbol for a magical talisman that represented wealth or potential. This suit represents something supportive that is available to you -- whether it be health, some kind of talent, a material or financial resource.
The Ace of this suit is usually pictured with a garden or agricultural backdrop, and symbolizes a seed. If this "talent" is planted and tended carefully, it will sprout and reward you with a good harvest. Think of it as a seed of your future fulfillment. An ace represents the first step to a goal, and if that step is repeated, it will cover great distances. Generally, the suit of Coins are referring to the tangible realities in daily life, but in the case of the Ace, it could be symbolizing a winning idea, game plan or blueprint for eventual materialization.
Occult tradition sometimes interpreted this Ace as representing the alchemist's gold -- the light within Matter, the 3rd Eye of the energy-body. This recommends meditating upon the Light Within, and pointing oneself toward the archetype of Humanity Enlightened. By practicing such a meditation, the Masters taught that one eventually gains enough control of the Celestial Radiance to heal the body, untangle the emotions and complete the growth of the soul.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Recent Past position refers to events in your life that are departing, recently influential but now diminishing in their power to affect you. You can rise above the conflicts of the past!
The Recent Past position refers to events that are just departing, recently influential but now diminishing in power. Like it or not, what's done is done -- what has happened cannot be changed or deleted.
Often what appears here is the precipitating event or realization that brought you to the situation you are seeking guidance about now. Look to this card to provide a little perspective on factors that brought you into the present situation.
Higher Power: Ace of Cups
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Your current outlook, so full of warmth and approval, could infuse your relationship with a higher love.
The card in the Higher Power position represents your highest intention and ideals with respect to the development of peace -- within yourself and in your world.
When the Ace of Cups falls in this position, your Higher Power is blessing you with an abundance of approval. As you feel this powerfully within yourself, your self-respect rises like the level of a lake in spring.
The feeling that you are the right person in the right place at the right time is elating. As your self-esteem increases, the sentiments of your heart deepen. This "inner smile" expands the dimensions of your consciousness, awakening you to experience life and love on a higher frequency. Living life on this level increases your optimism, confidence and generosity -- strengthening the attraction between you and your partner.
GENERAL MEANING: The suit in Tarot known as Cups is also referred to as Chalices or Hearts. It represents the emotional and psychic aspects of life -- fantasy, imagination, feelings, and love. An Ace of this suit generally shows a hand holding up an overflowing cup, which gives forth an endless stream of water, wine, blood or soma for the people's refreshment and healing.
This card represents an unfailing source of balm for body, heart and soul. It suggests that you can relax into a safety net of love, support and communion.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Higher Power position represents your highest intention and ideals with respect to the development of peace -- within yourself and in your world.
The Higher Power position points to your larger Self -- beyond personality and roles -- which knows and holds your best intentions, your hopes and aspirations. This position gives you a soaring bird's eye view, serving as a reminder of the essential meaning of your life -- your relationship with your Soul, your peace of mind.
Enjoy this moment to savor the larger view of your struggles and their value toward your growing ability to give and receive love freely.
The card in this position is a mirror of your conscience, the part of you that needs to see you living up to what you know is right, and holding others to that as well. This is the influence of your better nature, your inner wisdom -- call it "the Oversoul" or "Guardian Angel," if you like.Your self-respect depends upon keeping a good relationship with this Mature Self, the Witness Who Is Not Fooled.
In general, this card is trying to stimulate a broader perspective on your life adventure -- by referencing the spiritual, or karmic, aspects.
Developments: Five of Wands
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Face your responsibilities, give some direction to your inner circle and encourage optimism to achieve your collective goals.
The card in the Developments position shows which way your efforts to achieve harmony seem to be headed. By making skillful choices, you can improve on or neutralize possible conflicts, including those within yourself.
With the Five of Wands in this position, a situation may require focus, disciplined will, and wise use of time and energy, so that whatever holds you back from success can be overcome.
Temptations to get sidetracked by rivalry, self-centeredness or laziness continue to arise. Your responsibility lies in keeping the goal in front of you. Above all, don't allow your spirit to be dissipated.
Have confidence that your efforts will be rewarded. Choose to feel optimistic.
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
The Five of this suit symbolizes struggles caused by ambitious maneuvering and a competitive urge. This could be about someone who is pushing her or his agenda forward at the expense of others.
There can be a fine line between demonstrating personal excellence and making others feel like losers. It may be necessary to ask yourself, who is it that really benefits when we all fight so hard for such small rewards? Am I serving a negative, manipulative agenda when I start applying battle metaphors to business?
Even when your only motive is to be the best you can be, to get recognition for what is fine and unique about you, it is still sensible to minimize the number of egos bruised in the process, lest your success be celebrated alone.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Developments position shows which way your efforts to achieve harmony seem to be headed. By making skillful choices, you can improve on or neutralize possible conflicts, including those within yourself.
The Developments position points ahead to the natural consequences of actions you are taking, or will soon take. This card can give you some sense of which direction the wind is blowing with regard to your personal life. It may refer to some particular aspect of spiritual development that is front and center for you right now. Remember -- despite what this card might indicated, you still have it in your power to make changes!
This is about what could happen soon, following the dynamics of your style of relating to yourself and your life. Nevertheless, if you follow the Advice card, you can improve on or neutralize difficult probabilities that may be unfolding.
Lesson: The Emperor
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Take it upon yourself to correct the situation and piece things back together.
The card in the Lesson position represents the personal investment or sacrifice required to achieve inner and outer peace.
When the Emperor card appears in this position, you are called upon to shoulder some responsibility. Perhaps now is the time to take charge, organize a situation and inject coherence into it. Set some clear priorities. You are called upon to provide structure when that is what is needed most.
It takes a strong sense of honor to steer through challenging times with a firm hand. Is it possible that you are reluctant to do so? This card in this position is about duty.
The deficiencies of previous leadership may have been serious enough to leave things in a state of disarray. Even though it may not have been your fault, you are called upon to take up the burden of making things right. Harness your will and put it to work. Don't worry about your reward -- it will come soon enough.
GENERAL MEANING: In the most practical terms, what has traditionally been called the Emperor card represents the highest leadership, a head of state or the most exemplary and powerful person in the realm. This archetypal ruler is responsible for the positive working out of affairs of a society or community, which are directly proportional to his well being and happiness.
The more enlightenment and cosmic perspective this energy brings, the better life is for all. The Emperor archetype masters the world of matter and physical manifestation. When you apply this card to your situation, acknowledge your potentials for mastery. Reinforce a sense of sovereignty within yourself, despite any self-limiting beliefs, habits or appearances to the contrary.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Lesson position represents the personal investment or sacrifice required to achieve inner and outer peace.
You have come a long way, gleaning understanding and wisdom from your experiences in life. The card in the Lesson position points to a remaining issue that holds educational value for you, or to some sacrifice you still need to make for the sake of your fulfillment.
You may have to let go of something you like, for the sake of personal development and peace of mind. Stubborness or selfishness in this regard could cost you. It is crucial to acknowledge the value of your personal growth, the importance of your happiness. No matter how difficult it may be, honor whatever you are currently learning as you reaffirm a commmitment to growing in your ability to live a loving life.
The Lesson position represents the Wisdom aspect of present developments. Some self-sacrifice on the part of the questioner is usually required, some personal investment called for in order to derive the full benefits from the opportunities you have to grow.
Allies: Four of Wands
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: You will move more quickly toward your goal when you involve others who can share your vision.
The card in the Allies position points to people who can be supportive of your commitment to peace at this time.
When the Four of Wands is in this position, you are advised to describe your dream, vision or ideal to everyone who will listen, including that growing network of active, forward looking people you are a part of. Take the pulse of your community. Seek out connections to people who may want to get involved.
This will give you the opportunity to see who warms to your ideas, who is ignited by your dreams. You will move toward your goal quickly and more efficiently when you understand the minds of the people you are trying to reach.
GENERAL MEANING: This suit, most often called "Wands" and sometimes called "Rods" or "Staves," represents initiative, ambition, drive and desire. This is the suit of enterprise and risk-taking.
A Four in this suit is the teamwork card, often symbolized by two couples who have come together to create something profitable and enduring. Quite likely, they will bequeath a gift to the future -- a business, hospital, theater or university. They represent the founding families of the future community that will grow around their inspiration. Teamwork is the key.
It takes time to build a grand vision; and other people of ambition and talent must be attracted to it for it to fulfill its potential. What we see here is the start-up group, the founding visionaries committing their energies to designing the blueprints and laying the groundwork. This partnership is the prototype for society or any grouping where the whole is greater than the sum of the parts.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Allies position points to people who can be supportive of your commitment to peace at this time.
The Allies position represents one or more people who can form a sort of psychic safety net for you. It could point to a support group or an advisor, who could help you put both your positive and negative past experiences into perspective, to shed some light on how you might proceed now.
Whether or not the counselor indicated is alive or deceased , their role modeling and shared insights could provide useful inspiration right now. Try to remember what you have been advised.
An underlying message is that you don't have to suffer through conflicts alone!
Advice: The Chariot
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Look upon the movements of change as positive, full of promise and adventure for you.
The card in the Advice position offers guidance regarding how you relate to your path of cultivating inner and outer peace. With wisdom as your guide, you can make a difference!
The Chariot in this position suggests that you be prepared for changes that might include a move or an opportunity to travel. The Charioteer travels light and stays open to fresh experiences that change with every valley or mountain pass. You may be asked to live out of a suitcase and consider every place your home for a while.
Be receptive to new people who come into your life, for you may find these connections to be enriching and nurturing. Most importantly, accept the fact that your life is expanding and you are on the road to becoming more fluid and flexible. The Charioteer is nothing if not self-sufficient.
Be prepared and self contained for the changes that may likely sweep in and carry you with them.
GENERAL MEANING: Traditionally, the card usually entitled the Chariot points to a triumphal feeling of freedom, as if the charioteer is being paraded through the streets as a hero (or heroine). The card reflects congratulations for high achievement, and serves as a sign of empowerment.
Huge wheels and frisky steeds speed the rate at which the driver's will power can be realized. This kind of charge makes more of the world accessible to one ambitious enough to seize the Chariot's reins. But there is danger in this feeling of freedom, because of the increased rate of change and its power to magnify mistakes in judgment. As a seasoned warrior, the Charioteer is called upon to be extra attentive to the way ahead.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the Advice position offers guidance regarding how you relate to your path of cultivating inner and outer peace. With wisdom as your guide, you can make a difference!
The Advice position may present a new option or direction, based on a different perspective on what could help you keep the faith at this time. There may be a resource you have not accessed or a new point of view that opens your eyes to a solution or remedy you hadn't considered before. Or this card may simply reaffirm something you are already doing or planning on doing. It could even reframe the "problem" in a different manner altogether!
There may be one particular aspect of your life that needs attention. This could be an attitude, an unconscious habit, or some element of the environment that is impacting the way you take care of yourself.
By adjusting your next move to take the message of this card into consideration, you are more likely to achieve better results. Yet there are times when even the concept of "doing" is too much. Contemplate this card from the viewpoint of possible avenues for action, if any. Then just let yourself flow gently along those lines.
Potentials: Page of Swords
POSITIONAL (MAIN) MEANING: Influence can be marshaled behind the scenes, where one can prepare for a future position of power.
The card in the long-term Potentials position points to unknowns still taking shape. Perhaps it represents a "wild card" yet to be played.
The Page of Swords (in some decks, a Princess) in this position indicates a potential future as a quiet, surreptitious emissary who links influential people through private channels, monitors their dialogue and facilitates their negotiations. This character may seem like a pawn, a small time player in the great scheme of things, but such a pose serves as his or her mantle of protection. It enables him to slip into territory he otherwise couldn't enter. His power, which lies in appearing inconsequential, goes unacknowledged and is therefore unchecked.
This is the energy of the student or apprentice, preparing for the day when he can move into the boss's job. See to it that your moral character, philosophical vision and ability to evaluate right from wrong equals the skill and craft that will be required.
GENERAL MEANING: This card is traditionally entitled the Page, but in some modern decks appears as a Princess. The traditional interpretation is about a messenger, an emissary or liaison between separate camps, charged with faithfully representing one side's communications to the other. Because of this role, we do not think of this person as a servant, but rather as a diplomat, facilitating sensitive negotiations, often under difficult conditions.
This person is acting as the eyes and ears of her patron, and so she is sometimes referred to as the Watchman. Even kings are powerless if this messenger chooses to use her access to sensitive information for her own gain, as is implied by her other name, The Spy.
She could even be working as a double agent, playing both sides against each other to serve her own agenda. Her title is really camouflage in itself, serving as protective coloration so she can move among the people unrecognized, collecting information anonymously. Her vigilance often conceals an ulterior motive. She is a watcher who must herself be watched, because she dreams of someday taking matters into her own hands, preempting the plans of her employers.
MEANING of POSITION: The card in the long-term Potentials position points to unknowns still taking shape. Perhaps it represents a "wild card" yet to be played.
The card in the Potentials position gives a hint of your healing potential as well as your potential to heal. This is not cast in concrete. If indications are less than desirable, you can change directions by exercising compassion with yourself and others, careful decision-making and good timing.