Welcome to a new month and a new Tarot Deck of cards. This week we are exploring the Mythic Tarot Cards. Not my favourite deck of cards of all time, however, they are different, none the less/
Created by Juliet-Sharman-Burke and Liz Greene, this deck was first published in 1992 by Simon & Schuster Australia. I certainly doubt that I would purchase this deck had I read their accompanying book for the deck. Its introduction raises some goobly-gock over the psychological impact of the Tarot as a whole and does not really identify why they “attempted to restore some of the original simplicity and accessibility of the Tarot cards by redesigning the deck in accord with the images of the Grek gods so beloved by Renaissance artists and writers, and which form the cultural underpinning of Western life.” Then they go into more depth by explaining the “Amoral yet containing profound moral truths, they predate and permeate our modern Judaeo-Christian religious symbols as well as the art and literature of the whole of Western culture; and they remain the most fundamental and precise images to describe the many-sided and multicoloured workings of the human psyche.” Of course, this is only my own opinion. As I have discovered that many creators of Tarot decks do imprint their own values and interpretations onto their images, sometimes these have little to do with Tarot as a whole.
So here is the weekly reading. I will give the authors’ interpretations of each card, while at the same time give my interpretations for the day/month & year of the card. We are continuing to provide the readings as thus: beginning with the date of the Sunday, which this week is the 4th, ending with the 10th. Moving onto the second last card which is for the month – February (2nd) and the year 2018. So I have lightly shuffled the deck as per usual, taken three cards out and laid down the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th cards down for the appropriate dates from Sunday to Saturday. Then taken one card out and laid down the 2nd card for the month of February. Finally, I have counted and taken 17 cards out of the deck and laid down the 18th card of the deck.
Sunday – The Sun: “Here we meet the radiant sun-god Apollo, the gentleman of Olympus and lord of prophecy, music and knowledge. His nickname was Phoebus, which means ‘the brilliant’, and in myth, he delighted in the heights of the mountain peaks.”
“On an inner level, Apollo, the sun-god is an image of the power of the consciousness to dispel the darkness. like Hecate, who under the name of Artemis was Apollo’s twin sister in mythy, the god personifies something greater than one individual’s capacity to. gain knowledge and insight.”
For Sunday, we have The Sun shining on our world. Bringing forth light and clarity for the day. Radiant sunshine shall follow thee all the hours of the day. What better card to represent the Christian Sabbath.
Monday – AceCups: In this card, we meet the goddess who is the initiator and moving power behind the tale of the love of Eros and Psyche. Aphrodite the Foam-Born, goddess of love in its most noble and its most degraded aspects.
In short, Aphrodite is an image is an image of a force of nature. The meaning o the Aces in all four Suits of the Minor Arcana is an initial eruption of raw energy, and the black-haired goddess emerging from the sea bearing her single golden cup represents and an upsurge of raw feeling.”
in short, Monday promises to be a day of opening up in and around the home front, in any and all matters of the heart and home life. It looks like a day of big things coming, first things happening and, in short, love making a statement.
Tuesday – Page of Cups:“Here, in the card of the Page of Cups, we meet the changeable, vulnerable, gentle beginnings of the element of water; the nascent emergence of the capacity to feel. This is embodied in the mythical figure of the beautiful youth Narcissus, who fell in love with his own reflection in the water…
Thus Narcissus, Page of Cups is an ambiguous figure in one sense, the Page of Cups as an image of the gentle, nascent beginnings of the feeling-life, suggests the birth of something new – a capacity for love or the renewal of faith in love which might previously have been damaged or bruised from an unfortunate relationship.”
For this day, the energy will be soft and willowy. Perhaps a little surreal as you move along throughout your day’s journey you will likely experience happiness and contentment in all their earthly beginnings.
Wednesday – Five Wands: “The five of Wands represents struggle. Here the creative vision has collided with earthly reality in the form of the dragon which in myth has always represented the primitive powers of the earth which resist change.The problem of accommodating limitations of practical life – and the limitations of one’s own regressive inertia – is the greatest challenge to my individual wishing to express the power of his or her creative imagination in actual life.”
Representing fire against a bigger entity than oneself, than one is capable of handing can be a challenge unto itself. This day will be a challenging day to get through, try pacing yourself to ensure a less stressful day. Be persistent to fulfil your promise to make it with a win at the end of the day.
Thursday – Nine Wands: “This is the card of strength in reserve. It portrays the tremendous power of the creative imagination, for just when we feel we can not fight one more fight or confront one more difficulty, somehow in the midst of this stress, the ideas and the energy become available to take on this final challenge before the goal.
But there is something mysterious and quite awesome within us which can rise to the challenge at such times, and when we are faced with the most disturbing and miraculous aspect of what we call the creative spirit in human beings.”
Sometimes when we think it will take way too much energy to go that extra mile, we find it within ourselves to continue the great race and complete our tasks so that the following day we have no mess lying in wait for us to do. Instead, we can get on with the tasks of the new day. Such is this day Thursday. A very ordinary day with a high workload. Get it done and have an easier Friday.
Friday – Page Swords: “Here in the card of the Page of Swords, we meet the nascent, unformed and primitive beginnings of the element of air; the first stirrings of independent mental activity and foundation. This is embodied in the mythic figure of Zephyrus, the youthful ruler of the West Wind.
Because he is young and elemental, the Page of Swords is querulous, and like any child can be prone to cruel gossip, mockery, rudeness and general mischievousness – a kind of playful exercise of the powers of thought and speech before any feeling values or ethical codes intervene to shaped and direct the mental activity.”
Because Friday is the day before the weekend, this abovementioned description seems so appropriate for this day’s reading. Be warned, be on guard for these querulous emotions that will surface during the day. Remember to put your head down and tail up while keeping your mouth shut. Is it really work getting extra stressed today, after yesterday’s details.?
Saturday – Queen Cups: “Here in the card of the Queen of Cups, we meet the stable, containing introverted depths f the element of water – the private inner world of feeling which is bottomless and ultimately unfathomable. This is embodied in the mythic figure of Hellen…whose beauty was so great that the Trojan War began because of her.
Helen, the Queen of Cups is more than an image of alluring feminine beauty. She embodies the hypnotic power of the feminine world of the feelings, a power which is magical and magnetic and defies a mere physical perfection. ”
Saturday’s child works hard for a living is the line for the nursery rhyme of ‘Monday’s Child’. For today, it would seem that work can be a tad easier going with a beauty all of its own. Alluring and gentle, while at the same time being full of empowerment. Make the most of today for tomorrow is another day.
February – Page Wands: “Here in the card of the Page of Wands, we meet the element of fire in its most delicate and fragile beginnings – the first stirrings of creative inspiration which usually manifest as a kin of restlessness and unease with existing conditions. The embodiment of the mythic figure of Phrixus… (from) the story of Jason and the Golden Fleece. Phrixus really begins this tale….for it is he who takes the Fleece out of danger and overland and sea to the distant kingdom of Colchis.
Phrixus, the Page of Wands, is an image of that fragile beginning of the creative imagination which is often at odds with more realistic people and the demands and responsibilities of the mundane world.”
For this week’s reading, the month of February will seem to be hard and tough getting through it. While life is not always hard, you may like to see your life as being that of The Golden Fleece. How precious it is and how some do fight over its ownership. Make a stand to keep it yours. Be careful not to align yourself with others who may be goal seekers or tyrants. Want to have and to hold your own life in the palm of your own hand – forever.
2018 – Seven Swords (Reversed): “The Seven of Swords represents the application of mental energy in a cautious, wily and diplomatic way in order to gain the end desired. Here the message is brains rather than brawn, and life may require the individual to develop guile and wit and cunning. The feeling of the Seven of Swords is ambivalent, for we cannot be sure of the rightness or moral integrity of the goal; and certainly, for Orestes, his motive for creeping back into Argos by stealth is a violent one.
In connection with the month of February and this weekly reading, it would seem that 2018 will be one of many surprises, both up and down. A year that will certainly keep us on our toes and disallow us to rest on our laurels. It will remain to be seen how the rest of February pans out, however, for now, it is one that will be far from boring.
So with this longer than usual weekly reading, I hope that you can see the difference between the two different Tarot Cards.
Bright Blessings
Sandy Cee
