9 of Swords - does deck matter?

As you become a tarot reader, whether personal or professional, you may wonder if it matters what deck you use. Choosing your deck should be a personal preference and you will find some decks speak to you louder than others.

Let's take a look at the 9 of Swords from four different decks (all based on the Rider-Waite Smith Tarot).

Legacy of the Divine, Gilded Tarot, Mystic Dream, Rider-Waite

As you can see, each card has similarities, but they also have differences.

The basic meaning of the nine of swords, for me, is fear and doubt that manifest during bedtime hours or during sleep.

The Legacy of the Divine Tarot takes an approach that is fairly different than the others. The hands of doubt reach down to the girl tempting her to indulge in her worried thoughts. The center sword threatens to overcome her with these fears.

The Gilded Tarot adds an owl to the works, which gives the card a sense of knowledge and wisdom. The girl knows that life is not as doomed as it feels at this moment, yet the moon casts just enough doubt upon her that she continues to worry.

The Mystic Dreamer Tarot contains a full moon to shed the unknown into the room. The toy bear, books, and blanket give a sense of security to the card. If only she would gather these around her, she'd feel much better.

The Rider Tarot Deck supplies an image that cuts right to the surface. The girl has doubts and fears. Of course, it does have symbolism that can be pulled out to get a deeper meaning with its spread of roses and other symbols and colors of red, blue, and yellow. You have a a carving on the bed that can be very interesting, a man attacking another. That's something to fear.

So, as you can see each card does give a slightly different aspect on the situation.

How many times have you stayed awake thinking of the worst possible scenario of the situation?

What's your Zodiac Card

Rider-Waite

Your Zodiac Card is determined by your Sun sign. If you don't know your sun sign, go to any horoscope listing and determine your sign. Below you will find a chart to match up your sun sign with the correct card.

You can learn more about yourself through this card, which indicates what you need to reveal yourself to others.

Ask yourself, what can I learn from this card? Do you feel the card connects with how you act with others? Is there any way you can use the energies of the cards to better present yourself to the people around you?

My Zodiac Card - Temperance - Reveals to me that I am a giver, seeking a balance of give and take. I have a special connection with the spiritual realm of life. By grasping these energies and using them to help others, I will find a happy balance in my life.

Basically, I give in the hope of receiving, which opens me up to a letdown when nothing is returned. The balance here can be made by accepting that receiving is more about energy rather than recognition.

By giving a piece of yourself to others, you will find that the gifts are pure positive energies.

So, what Zodiac Card are you? What can you learn from the card?


Note: The names of these cards may change according to the deck you are using. In the case of Strength and Justice, the number will be determined by the deck.

Aries, 4 The Emperor
Taurus, 5 The Hierophant
Gemini, 6 The Lovers
Cancer, 7 The Chariot
Leo, 11/8 Strength
Virgo, 9 The Hermit
Libra, 8/11 Justice
Scorpio, 13 Death
Sagittarius, 14 Temperance
Capricorn, 15 The Devil
Aquarius, 17 The Star
Pisces, 18 The Moon

Interview with Julia Finley (Phoenix Dream Examiner)

Julia Finley agreed to do a short interview.

Would you like to tell us a little about yourself?

I'm a 29 year-old, full-time dream interpreter in Phoenix, Arizona. There's nothing I enjoy more than seeing someone's life and identity evolve from honoring their dreams. Sometimes I feel like a higher observer of the evolution of mankind, and noting the shift in dreaming is my viewing eye.

In your own words, what are dreams?

When we realize that existence consists of waking life and dreaming life, dreams become a valid half of reality.

Dreams result from interacting with reality on a different level, much like how views of space change depending on what frequency of light we use to view it. Dreams show us that all things, whether tangible or intangible, are in fact observable, because their existence is recorded in the way it stimulated our sense of meaning and significance.

Can you tell us a little bit about how you interpret dreams?

Dream symbols are best considered for their function or purpose in everyday life -- they serve the same basic function in dream narratives. For example a dream that one is wearing a sweater and dish gloves while carrying an umbrella may seem random at first glance, but if we know the basic function of all these articles is protection (protection from water in all its forms), we realize this is a display of the lengths this dreamer will go to not come into contact with their emotions (the water).

What got you interested in this process of interpreting dreams?

Like many, my first encounter with my own spiritual gifts was by criticizing and rejecting such traits in others. I was a fundamentalist Christian, and a lot of God's hopes for my life fell into my unawareness. Deciding to resurrect and understand these aspects of myself led to the discovery of my talent for dream work.

How would one go about doing this for themselves?

The first step is to write down your own dreams and consider how the narrative relates to something going on within yourself. Test your notions against the dreams of friends, or even dreams that people post across message boards and groups online. Gain a set of dream psychology references, including dream interpretation dictionaries, as helpful guidance. The more you work it into your efforts to help yourself by helping others, the stronger your understanding will develop.

How would one get in contact with you to receive an interpretation of their dreams?

Many dreamers find the best way to contact me with their dreams is on Facebook -- feel free to join my Dream Interpretation hub (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Dream-Interpretation/121300139038?ref=ts). For dreamers who would like in-depth, private translations or more information about dreams in general, visit my dream interpretation service at SomethingSpoke.com (http://www.somethingspoke.com)

Thank you for the great interview Julia.

The Open Spread

During Tarot Tuesday, I used an interesting new technique. A comment was made wanting more explanation on how the reading was performed and which cards were selected.

As a result, this new spread gained a name.

The Open Spread has no set number of cards or positions.

First, you should shuffle the cards in your normal procedure and concentrate on the question you wished to be answered.

Once you feel that you are ready to lay out the cards, turn the deck over to reveal the number of cards that will be used. (In the Tarot Tuesday, The Hanging Man (12) was revealed, indicating twelve cards.

Choose the cards in you normal manner. Place your cards in a line. The way you read the cards is up to you. I read from left to right.

Here are the cards that were used in Tuesday's Tarot: 5 Faith(reversed), 18 Moon(reversed), 6 of Cups(reversed), Queen of Cups, 2 of Wands(reversed), King of Coins(reversed), Ace of Coins, 7 of Wands, 5 of Wands, 4 of Coins, 4 of Swords, 3 of Cups(reversed).

The spirit of this reading, discovered by adding the numerical values of the cards, was 10 The Wheel.

As you read the spread, some cards will present themselves with more importance than the others. In this case, the Queen of Cups demanded attention and showed me that this was me after I opened myself up to the first three cards. The 2 of Wands pointed the direction I should take, while the rest of the cards gave information on the journey.

Enjoy this spread and feel free to let me know how it works for you.

Tarot Tuesday

Deck: Divine Tarot
Question: General Reading- What do I need to know?
Layout: Open Spread - unlimited cards - the number of cards are determined at the time of the reading by looking at the bottom card of the deck.

Revealing Card - The Hanging Man (12)

5 Faith(reversed), 18 Moon(reversed), 6 of Cups(reversed), Queen of Cups, 2 of Wands(reversed), King of Coins(reversed), Ace of Coins, 7 of Wands, 5 of Wands, 4 of Coins, 4 of Swords, 3 of Cups(reversed)

There is a need for me to step away from my followed path and take a leap into the unknown in order to discover my true destiny. Choices and directions have been delayed but the time is right to move forward. The road will not be an easy route and it will be long. Conflict, the need to protect myself, and mental exhaustion will all be part of my trials. My destiny lies at the end of this long hard road.

For more on this spread see - The Open Spread

Interview with Ciro Marchetti

Ciro Marchetti is an award winning Graphic Designer and the creator of three tarot decks; the Gilded Tarot, Tarot of Dreams, and the Legacy of the Divine. To my delight, Ciro agreed to do a short interview.

Do you read tarot and if so what was the first deck you used?

No I don't read tarot. I understand the meanings of the cards certainly, and can go through the motions of interpreting them in response to a personal or querent’s question. But I don't feel confident enough in my abilities to say that I am a tarot reader. Furthermore my familiarity with the cards comes from the perspective of creating them in the first place. It’s now very difficult for me to detach myself from that process. For example what for anyone else is a Three of Swords of a Eight of Pentacles, or any other card, with its corresponding significance, is for me an image that I primarily relate to via the process that went into producing it. Somewhat like a chef who frets over the ingredients and cooking process and can't get past was involved in the preparation of the meal as opposed to simply being able to sit down and enjoy the resulting taste.

How did you get involved with tarot?

By sending sample images of my work to Llewellyn the publisher, for consideration as book jackets or calendars. They didn’t use any at the time, but did pass on the work to Barbara Moore, who was in charge of their acquisitions department at that time. She contacted me and suggested that my style and work had potential as a Tarot deck. Would I be interested? My first deck, the Gilded Tarot was a result of this suggestion.

What or who influenced you to create this deck?

Well as indicated, Barbara Moore's suggestion certainly put the idea in my head, but beyond that there was no specific influence.

Which card is your favorite and why?

My personal favorites are “Faith" from the Tarot of Dreams as it was the first modification I made from the traditional imagery of a tarot deck, in this case replacing or substituting the Hierophant. Any significant change to tarot tradition is a risky move, which might not sit well with the tarot community. But this seems to have paid off and was generally well received.

The others are the Ace of Swords also from the Tarot of Dreams, and the nine of Coins from the Legacy as the female figure painted there is my daughter.

How long did it take for you to create the Legacy of the Divine Tarot, from conceptualization to actualization?

The project took almost two years, which may not seem that long compared to other artists who apparently have taken several years. But in my case it was an almost daily full time enterprise not merely a part time project. So in terms of actual hours it was an intense dedication of time and effort. Furthermore it entailed various aspects beyond the just the deck. I wrote the back story "Legacy Gateway" that was part of the companion book, The Legacy of the Divine promotional video that is shown on YouTube, and animated video sequences for every one of the 78 cards, this is included on my legacy web site and iPhone apps.

Which card took most of your time to create and why?

Probably, the Queen of Swords from the Legacy of the Divine Tarot. First it did include a lot of detail, but also because I did several versions that I then discarded before settling on the final one.

What is it you hope to achieve with your next deck, Oracle of Visions?

I hope to create a set of images that breaks new ground by being unrestricted and free of the traditional form and structure of other oracle and tarot decks. A set of images that despite their diversity will have one basic common denominator. That they will be intriguing almost surrealistic images that can be interpreted in various ways depending on the circumstances and questions being asked.

Thank you, Ciro, for a wonderful interview. We look forward to your new deck.

For more information on Ciro Marchetti, visit www.ciromarchetti.com , and www.legacyofthedivinetarot.com