I hope it's ok to jump in here with a whole week. I decided to use the Tinker’s Damn Tarot and Mantegna. They represent to me true creativity and magical manifestation!
Arghh! I can't get the photos to rotate properly. (When you click on the pictures, they're right side up!)
(edit: fixed them)
Saturday - Ruled by Saturn - taking time for things, activities requiring patience
10. Fate. I’m not a big believer in fate, but yes, sometime stuff happens, and it limits your options and sometimes you have to wait for what you want to manifest. Patience is a virtue!
Calliope, Muse of Epic Poetry. Sometimes you have to wait for inspiration. Only try to tell a story if it’s a story worth telling. Will it inspire or help someone? Or entertain them? That’s a worthy goal, too.
Sunday - Ruled by the Sun - bringing happiness, creating joy, light
Two of Earth. The card shows the earth between the sun and moon. Being able to accomplish something (two) in the real world (earth) makes me happy! And I like keeping my budget and my health balanced as well. Health is true happiness!
High Priest. My ideas can help bring new light to old, established traditions and ways of thinking, with fewer “thou shalt nots” and more “wow, amazing insights on life!”
Monday - Ruled by the Moon - openness to magic and mystery
Nine of Fire. I guess there are still vestiges of defending myself against magic and mystery in my life. I’m much more open than I used to be, but it takes courage to open yourself up to mystery. The girl on the card is looking warily toward the city, but she has a tiger with her, so I don’t think she’ll be in any danger once she gathers up her courage to go ahead on her journey.
Geometry (one of the liberal arts). I’ve been reading a book called
Wizards of Antiquity. (I don’t necessarily recommend it; it has issues, but . . .) It asserts that the people we learn about as pre-Socratic philosophers were probably practicing magicians. And that there wasn’t much distinction between philosophy, science, and magic then. This card obviously brings to mind Pythagoras and the concept that numbers are the language of nature. And there’s still plenty of mystery and magic in that!
Tuesday - Ruled by Mars - insight, direction of energy
18. Moon. Now here’s the moon! Interesting connection between the moon/Monday and Mars/wands/Tuesday. It’s saying I need to be directing my energy right into that magic and mystery. The resistance is where the interesting stuff is. You have to be a little uncomfortable to make something great happen.
Fameo (servant). I’m still a beginner is all of this. I need to direct my energy to creation and learning as someone who is just learning, not someone who has all the answers. Socrates was the wisest man because he knew he didn’t know anything. (More philosophers!)
Wednesday - Ruled by Mercury - learning, thought, initiating change
Two of Water. Learning and thinking are my happy places! This is also saying I need to be learning, thinking, and changing with the help of a partner or partners. Partners in magic!
Faith (one of the virtues). (The card has a corgi in the corner as a symbol of faithfulness!) This is the air/thought member of the theological virtues, basically synonymous with “belief,” which fits well with Wednesday/Mercury. You have to believe it to see it. The Buddhist version of faith is trust that what a trustworthy person tells you is true, but then prove it for yourself.
Thursday - Ruled by Jupiter - Creation! (the ultimate magic) promises and commitments as spells
Four of Water. The (skull) cup is half empty, empty of willpower. I feel like I want things and even commit to them emotionally, but I have to commit energetically, and probably verbally. I usually shy away from anything like “real” magic making and spells, but I know that there’s really no difference between that and affirmations, determination, and commitments to myself. They are all mental/emotional acts intended to make something happen in the real world.
Temperance (one of the virtues). This is a beautiful temperance card (different than the companion tarot deck’s Temperance, which is called Alchemy). A beautiful lady is pouring together fire and water out of two pitchers, a good depiction of the union of opposites. I need to find that sweet spot between chasing after selfish wants by spiritual means and putting all my resources to work to achieve my own good and the good of others.
Friday - Ruled by Venus - influencing your world, your environment
Ace of Water. Ok, there’s obviously a connection between Venus and a huge, bloody, anatomically correct heart. I’m just not sure what. With all the waffling between heart and head here, I think this final card is reiterating that you can’t make a real change in the world without putting your heart into it. You might have the best ideas in the world, but they only work if you care if they work. Commitment again.
Celestial Power (the ninth level of the heavenly spheres). I guess we have the power to move mountains if we have the faith to move mountains. I can make things happen in the real world, I just need to make sure they’re for the benefit of all.
Interesting that the Mantegna round turned out to be very moralistic, while the tarot round was more general “you” statements. Hmmm, something to think about anyway.