Cult of Tarot Forum

Day 1 18.9. Ludi magni games - Roman games in honor of the god Jupiter, celebrated with circus performances. This card reflects the spirit of celebration in your life, and how you can bring more joy and playfulness to yourself and others.



My kind of joy and playfulness is childlike (or just plain childish!), innocent fun. I’m never self-conscious about joking, laughing, or the way I move. Dancing and goofing relieve stress and bond friendships. Back when we were in the office together and not many other co-workers were around, we’d have a dance party right at our desks. The time we all laid on the floor with our heads in a circle for a selfie has become a nostalgic legend in our friend group. I promised but never delivered to organize a during-the-work-day zoom dance party. I think now is the time!

Day 2 19.9. Day of Our Lady of La Salette - an apparition of the Christian Mother of God/Holy Virgin. She brings message of hope to humanity. Where is your personal source of hope and spirituality?



Ok then! In terms of hope and spirituality, I don’t know where I am, and I’m all over the place! My sources of hope and spirituality now are where ever I find them. You never know when you might run into something that works. If you meet the Buddha on the road, kill him. I didn’t think I was as eclectic and free form as all that, but it looks like I’m heading in that direction. Pretty unexpected, as the Fool usually is!

Day 3 20.9. Sedna, Inuit Goddess of the Sea - This card asks you to address your fears and shadows before the winter comes, like the Inuit did in their Sedna festival.



As a fear and a shadow, I’m afraid in these quarantining days my emotional responses are getting cold and unresponsive. As we depend more (almost completely) on technology to communicate, it’s getting easier for me to just take the easy path of JUST communicating and not getting emotionally involved.

Another fear is my self-talk. I’ve recently returned to an unwanted habit of sometimes feeling very unsure, confused, and embarrassed, which is accompanied by lots of talking to myself, in my mind and out loud. The talk is both negative and trying to be encouraging. I really thought I had outgrown all that, but again, so much time by myself leaves me open to it.

And one more thing. I’m guest teaching a tarot class today, talking about my theory of minors/pips meanings. The reason this is a negative card is because it’s too much of a good thing, 8 = Mercury = mind, swords = air = mind, mind of mind = either cold and uncaring or trapped in my own thoughts, as above. But in a more general way, too much of a good thing itself can be a shadow or a trap. Something to keep an eye open for as I’m looking for warmth and comfort going into the colder seasons.

Day 4 21.9. Eleusinia - an ancient Greek holiday, commemorating Demeter and Persephone. She has to leave the world of growth and abundance and descend to the realm of death. This card reflects grief, sadness and the traces of tears in your life. Acknowledge and honour them.



I was thinking about the topic and thought I really haven’t had a lot of grief or sadness in my life. Thank goodness. But then tears, lots of them. I never think of my marriage / whole life debacle in terms of sadness. It was more like stupidity, on all sides. (And anger and confusion and despair.) And there were lots of tears and still some tears of regret. So then I got this 9 of Coins, saying, yes, it was stupidity, I should have been more Prudent, more careful going into it. Realizing that whatever consequences there were would affect more than our two lives, especially our child. But, as we always say to each other about the huge mess we made of our lives, you don’t know what you don’t know. We learned a lot of important, painful stuff the really hard way. So now it’s true our lives are better (and better apart). But we could do without the regrets . . .

Day 5 22.9. Meditrinalia - an ancient Greek holiday honoring the goddess of healing. Think about your healing process and how you can continue it. Where do you draw strength from? How can you heal and nurture yourself in the future? Pamper yourself today and close these twelve days of introspection with healing thoughts.



A repeat of my first card, with a different meaning! I should continue to concentrate on physical healing, losing some of this stay-at-home weight and pick up the exercise again. And since it’s the page, keep experimenting! This isn’t the time to be rigid and carry through a system. Instead, it’s a time to create a system that works for me in my new circumstances. I’ve got plenty of time, I just need to dedicate some of it to health. I’ve been experimenting with more natural ways of dealing with hot flashes and possibly doing something about my blood pressure too. Why not get better instead of worse? Just because I’m officially old doesn’t mean I have to stay in a state of only so-so health. This is very encouraging.

Day 6 23.9. Autumn Equinox - Libra - Mabon - the day of perfect equilibrium. A day for two cards. What is growing in your life, what is decreasing? This two-card reading reflects the balance of your energies and, if there is imbalance, what you need to address.



Growing: Ace of Coins
Decreasing: 9 Swords

I got 9 Swords in an equinox reading I did yesterday. In the autumnal equinox position. Ok, that definitely means something.

But first, what’s growing is my stuff, and my interest in stuff. It could mean gaining weight, but I’m going to go with an increase in health! I will also be more concerned with my finances, but I don’t think it will be serious worry, more like interest.

I’ll be having a decrease in worry, and worrying about who’s right and who’s wrong. And who caused what negative karma for whom. I feel like blaming is already over, but I do continue to think that if people are crying about how other people treat them, well, you reap what you sow. Maybe I’ll be more compassionate: Just because you did hurtful things in the past doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be somewhat happy now. And that includes me. Now that my son is moving on to the next stage of his life, I don’t have to feel so tied down to the wrongs that were done him. We all need to look forward to a great future for him because he came through all that mess better than anyone would expect. He’s a great guy and he deserves a future of happiness. He just told me he’s started on a public management post-grad certificate, and that he might go to law school after that! He’s definitely looking to a brighter future, and so should I!

Day 7 24.9. Brazil holiday of Maiso, mother goddess - what is the role of your mother in your life, how do you mother yourself/father yourself? Reflect on the maternal/paternal archetypes within yourself, and how you can make them work for you, not against you.



As I was shuffling, I was wondering what aspect would come up, my mother or me as a mother. And the Queen of Swords is definitely both of us!

My most precious memories of my mother (she’s still living btw, 90 years old and going strong!) are when she was teaching me something. She’s Gemini, so I’m sure that was a natural way for her to connect. She taught me the names of flowers and that when she put hair from the brush out the window, the birds would use it to make their nests. Sayings and phrases, and what it was like for her growing up during the Depression and war. Home stuff, of course, like making peach preserves and sewing. I don’t think I could sew anything now, but I was her designated pattern cutter for the clothes she made for me! And she was always so proud and encouraging with my schoolwork. And read the teacher comments on my report cards to anyone who would listen! And said “of course you’re going to college” even though my two older siblings didn’t.

I tried to do the same kinds of things with my son. I was very active with helping him with his school work and encouraging him academically. We connected over learning fun facts and random trivia, and we still do. He’s very quick to Google on his phone, which kind of takes some of the fun out of it! And I tried to teach him practical things, too, what’s really important when we were poor.

Wow, what a nice trip down memory lane! A great positive message for today!

Day 8 25.9. Greek holiday Pyanopsia - Thanksgiving for the fruits of the sun. Wind white or purple wool around a laurel or olive branch, and hang or arrange fruit around it. These don't have to be actual fruit - you can write on a paper things that you are grateful for. What is the fruit of your past action, ripening now?

I’m going to do two cards, one for what to be thankful for, one for fruit of past action.



Ha ha. The cards have outwitted me again. 9 Swords again. The thing I have to be thankful for is that I reap the fruit of past action! Very clever. But it makes sense. The universe isn’t just random chaos. We should be grateful that we have the ability to understand that we reap what we sow, and that we get results for our efforts, and our failings. Sure, chaos sticks a hand in sometimes, but more often than not, we can see how we got here from what we’ve done in the past.

That’s very much true for me (9 Coins, another repeated card). There is a direct correlation between what I’ve done in the past and my current physical and financial state. I lost weight and improved by health. I started healthful habits that I wouldn’t think of stopping now. I’m careful with not wasting my money, but am happy to be able to make some contributions to people who aren’t as lucky as I am during a pandemic. Oh, yeah, and I’ve shown that I’m competent, reliable, and loyal at work (for 21 years!), so I have a job with a great firm that has committed to only laying people off as a last resort.

So a lot to be thankful for and a lot of reaping what I sow. Two good reminders for a Friday!

Day 9 26.9. Holiday of Neptune - This is a card about anger and anger management. Contemplate about how you deal with negative feelings. Is there a way to transform negative energies into positive ones, making your anger pull your carriage and drive you on?



I was about to go on a tirade about how anger is never good, it’s a destructive emotion that, while inevitable, should never be shared. And then I got the World. Anger is a part of life and a part of reality. There’s not a human being in the history of the world who hasn’t experienced it. When you feel it, a good way to take the harm out of it is to try to see the big picture. Not just the trigger of the anger, but why is that your reaction? (Why not sadness, or confusion, or amusement?) Knowledge is power, even, or especially, over your own emotions. And the holy animals say but that doesn’t mean you have to give into it. Think about how it affects others more than how it affects yourself. I don’t have much experience with anger these days. (My negatives are more worry and discomfort!) But this is a good reminder to realize it’s not something put upon me from outside: it’s myself reacting in a certain way, which I can then deal with in the way that’s best for me and others.

Day 10 27.9. Vendémiaire - month of the grape harvest in the French revolutionary calendar month. Raise your glass to your big and small achievements in the last year, either with wine or grape juice, and enjoy your success.



This is kind of funny because one thing I have to do this week is my self-evaluation for work: basically fill out a form listing my accomplishments for the year! And even funnier that my deck has decided to be Captain Obvious today! We all have had to adjust to quarantining, and have been more or less successful at it. What choice did we have? I’m an introvert and a Cancer sun homebody, so it has been a pretty easy adjustment for me to stay home alone. Of course, I did have to figure out the technology and different ways of working. I never worked from home before. And even I get lonely sometimes. And my sister was sick and I couldn’t visit her in the hospital. But I’ve visited her (very much better!) and my mom since then, so I’m back to being a happy homebody. And my son and his girlfriend visit me sometimes.

Are there positive Hermit successes, too, not just coping? Even though he’s old and alone, that’s not stopping him from stepping forward and taking his light with him. Maybe he’s able to move forward and carry his light because he’s old and alone! I hope my accomplishments include using the wisdom of age and solitude to help myself and others.

Day 11 28.9. Maha Navami - a Hindu holiday celebrating goddess Durga's victory over a demon. Part of the celebrations is chanting. Reflect on a victory you want to win over the next three months, and devise a chant for it. Write it down where you can see it and envision the joy you will feel when you reach this goal.

Every year I don’t use all my vacation days, and then try to slip a bunch in at the end of the year. This year it’s even worse because, well, you know. So the victory I want to win is to take a good number days off and use the not working time wisely. My chant is “More Days Off! More Days Off!” (not “no days off”).

And the cards say:



Use the time wisely, not by making a schedule and sticking to it, but by allowing wisdom in. She’s always here, I just need more time to calm myself down so I can hear her. And here’s my chance!

Day 12 29.9. Rosh HaShana - beginning of the Jewish New Year. It's a Jewish custom to send greetings and good wishes to people in your life. Use this day to focus on the people who are important to you, what you can do to strengthen your ties to them, and contact at least one person you have neglected lately.



Thinking about the topic, there are two people I’m neglecting, but on purpose. So I was kind of asking the question should I be neglecting or contacting these people. And the answer is 3 Cups. Which I’m going to say means I shouldn’t contact them unless I feel the need to. 3 is manifestation and cups are feelings, so I should manifest my feelings by my actions. Otherwise, I’m being phony, and at the worst, untrue to myself. I should follow my heart, not my head, in this. Which means I DO need to call my sister!

Also, this is the only slightly damaged card in this deck that I got used. I don’t know what that means, except it DOESN’T pop up all the time, so I can keep using this deck with a damaged card!

I very much enjoyed our equinox readings! Thank you, Nemia, for your wonderful topics and for leading us!