If you’ve ever wrestled over an issue or situation and wished your Higher Self would just jump out and give you some advice, you might want to give this tarot card technique a try. For best results, try it with a tarot deck you like, but don’t normally work with.
Begin by shuffling the cards, thinking about the topic or area of concern for which you seek guidance. Consider as many aspects of the situation as you can bring to mind, then ask your cards an open-ended question such as:
“How can I …?”
“What do I need to consider about …?”
“How might it go for me if …?”
“What advice can you give me about …?”
When you feel ready, quickly flip over each card of the thoroughly shuffled deck, placing those that appeal to you face down in a separate pile. DON’T THINK ABOUT THIS TOO HARD!! Just flip over cards and if you like the card for any reason whatsoever, place it face down in a separate pile.
Q: How Can I … (Insert Your Question Here) ?
Selected cards from the Morgan-Greer Tarot deck: Queen of Pentacles, XVII-The Star, 3 of Cups, Queen of Cups, 4 of Wands
When you’re done flipping through the cards, pick up the pile of cards you selected (they should all be face down) and without looking at them and without changing the order in which you selected them, count how many you have.
The number of cards you selected correlates with the Major Arcana card of the same number, with 22 equaling 0-The Fool.
So, if like the example above, you pulled 5 cards, that would equal V-The Hierophant. Seven cards would equal VII-The Chariot and 16 cards would equal XVI-The Tower.
If you managed to pull more than 22 cards, simply reduce to a number totaling 22 or less. For example, 27 cards = 2 + 7 = 9 = IX-The Hermit.
Now comes the fun part 🙂
Since you obviously looked at each card as you were flipping them, you will probably know right away whether the Major Arcana card that correlates with the number of cards you selected is in the shuffled deck or in the selection pile. Simply pick up the correct pile, find the card and take the one before it and the one after it as well: this is the Secret Message from your Inner Being, regardless of which pile it’s in.
The Secret Message:
Secret Message cards from the Morgan-Greer Tarot: King of Cups, V-The Hierophant, 9 of Wands
Consider how the Secret Message from your Inner Being relates to the question you asked. If you have the time, consider turning over the cards you selected and read them separately and/or in combination with the Secret Message cards for more insight regarding the topic at hand. Time and again, I’ve found this particular tarot technique almost always brings some degree of insight I either didn’t have or couldn’t seem to put my finger on prior to casting the cards.
In Part 1 of this series, I described the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards as quirky and strange. In Part 2, I told you that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards do not follow the rules.
Despite this, the cards seem to possess a curious ability to get under one’s skin, so to speak, possibly because of their ability to convince you (don’t ask me how!) that they are capable of imparting a depth of information not readily available from other divination decks.
If you let yourself work with the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards, you may be surprised at their uncanny ability to bring forth information in provocative ways, like they did in a recent spread I performed with them — using Tarot clarification cards per their “instruction”!!
I had been thinking and thinking about a certain heart’s desire that on one hand, is growing stronger by the day and on the other hand, appears to be impossible to manifest in 3D reality. Your not knowing exactly what it is won’t affect the integrity of this post and as you read on, if you want, you can go ahead and substitute any strongly held heart’s desire of your own that appears to be “impossible” for you to achieve in your own 3D reality.
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So there I was, thinking away about my heart’s desire, when the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards‘ garish orange box came to mind, calling my name from the storage container in which I had last stuffed them. On the spur of the moment, I decided to give them a whirl, using the 5 Pointed Star with Significator spread, which seemed as good as any.
My exact question was:
Q: If I Continue Focusing on My Heart’s Desire, How Likely Am I to Manifest It?
Five Pointed Star Spread using the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards: 9 of Clubs, Queen of Spades, 8 of Clubs, 7 of Clubs, Queen of Hearts, 8 of Spades
A quick assessment of the card suits suggested a considerable amount of work or action needed (three clubs) and some problems or delays (two spades). Seeing the Snake (8 of Clubs) in Position #2 (Expectations, Mindset, Beliefs) and the Mountain (8 of Spades) in Position #5 (Probable Outcome) did not give me a warm, fuzzy feeling, but I decided to press forward, regardless.
Later in this post I’ll show you how rearranging the cards into an Answer Spread gave additional clarity and insight, but first I’ll start by reading the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards as Lenormand cards.
Significator or Theme Card: The Park (9 of Clubs)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Park – 9 of Clubs
As the Significator or Theme card, The Park (a.k.a. The Garden) symbolized my heart’s desire. It brought to mind the sense of an actual garden, or growth. Suppose, for example, your heart’s desire was to plant a beautiful rose bush in your garden so that you could ultimately enjoy its luxurious blooms and scents. First, you would have to decide you wanted to plant it. Then, you’d have to select a good spot to put it, where it would get the correct amount of sun. You’d have to make sure it got watered on schedule, and maybe you’d need to sprinkle it with plant food every now and again. If nasty little weeds cropped up around it, you’d have to pull them out, ideally, as soon as you saw them sprouting. If you did all this, in time, your rose bush would bloom.
The Park as Significator or Theme card accurately paralleled the process involved in manifesting a heart’s desire, and I thought it was an interesting and appropriate card selection, confirming that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards deck was attuned to my question.
Position 1 – Basis, Reason, Cause : Amor (Queen of Spades)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – Amor – Queen of Spades
Amor does not exist as a Lenormand card. Based on the “fortune” inscribed on the card, ‘Amor is a sign that someone is looking at you with great love and longing,’ it seemed it might be alluding to the love and longing one might feel when focusing on a heart’s desire. It suggested that my desire (which I thought was purely positive, by the way) might be tinged with longing, which actually is a feeling of lack. So the card made me question myself. Was I focusing on what I wanted (which is what I thought I was doing) or upon not having what I wanted?
Position 2 – Expectations, Mindset, Beliefs: The Snake (8 of Clubs)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Snake – 8 of Clubs
Ouch, ouch, and further ouch! The Snake is deceit, problems, complications, a long and winding road, snarl-ups and manipulations. It certainly indicated my expectations and beliefs were way out of whack with my heart’s desire, and gave further emphasis to the probability that whether I knew it or not, I was focusing more on the lack of what I wanted. As painful as it was to “hear” this, I appreciated that the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards had pointed it out.
Position 3 – Additional Information or Factors to Be Considered: The Lilies (7 of Clubs)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Lilies – 7 of Clubs
As additional information or factors to be considered, The Lilies gave the connotation of maturation. Just as a newly planted rose bush does not transform into its blooming glory overnight, the fulfillment of my heart’s desire would require time to develop and mature from a seedling idea into a full-blown manifestation. The “fortune” on the card, ‘the Lilies forecast a happy life,’ hinted at success, but later rather than sooner. Still, I sensed encouragement and eventual success was possible.
Position 4 – Answer, Solution, Advice: The Ring (Queen of Hearts)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Ring – Queen of Hearts
In general, the Lenormand Ring indicates contracts, commitments or chronic conditions that tend to repeat themselves. Surrounded by negative cards, it can suggest “going round and round,” or finding oneself stuck in a rut. If I consider the cards in the order in which I drew them, The Ring is flanked by The Lilies on its left and The Mountain on its right. While maturation (Lilies) and delays (Mountain) seem to be indicated, The Ring itself as the Answer, Solution or Advice suggested commitment and steadfastness would be required if I were to have any chance at manifesting my goal. The “fortune” on the card reads in part, ‘The Ring…is an unerring indication of a rich and happy marriage;’which suggested to me that a “marriage” of my thoughts, expectations and beliefs regarding my desire was an essential component of fulfillment. Because The Ring fell in the Answer, Solution or Advice position, I felt it was possible I could “catch the brass ring” so to speak, and prevail.
Position 5 – Probable Outcome: The Mountain (8 of Spades)
Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards – The Mountain – 8 of Spades
Recall my question: If I Continue Focusing on My Heart’s Desire, How Likely Am I to Manifest It? With The Mountain as the Probable Outcome, I could only conclude that at this time, there are obstacles to overcome and delays should be expected. Perhaps my commitment (The Ring) will waiver due to the length of time it will seemingly take to get from seed idea to fulfillment (The Lilies).
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Additional Notes:
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If I lay the six cards out in a straight line in the order in which I pulled them, I see Clubs – Spades – Clubs – Clubs – Hearts – Spades which gives the sense of fruitless work. Five BLACK cards and one RED card (with a BLACK card in the final position) suggests ‘probably not.’
If I re-position the six cards in the order in which I pulled them into an Answer Spread*, I get additional valuable information:
Answer Spread: 9 of Clubs – Queen of Spades – 8 of Clubs – 7 of Clubs – Queen of Hearts – 8 of Spades
Column 1 is the Recent Past or Current Influences. In essence, the cards confirmed I was working (7 of Clubs) on success (9 of Clubs). They could also signify working (7 of Clubs) on something that will take a long time to accomplish, especially because a Spade sits to the right of the 9 of Clubs. (This certainly seemed accurate.)
Column 2 is The Answer. I could only conclude that the two Queens must be aspects of myself, since the fulfillment of my heart’s desire is in no one’s hands but my own. Perhaps clarity (Spades) will be instrumental in getting what I desire (Hearts). And while I noted a RED Queen topping a BLACK Queen was positive, the 8 of Spades to the right of the Queen of Hearts suggested a disappointment.
Column 3 Clarifies the Answer. The bottom card in this column is called the Pivot Card because the Answer seen in Column 2 can “pivot” on whatever this card signifies. 8 of Spades is a card of disappointment and restriction and further suggests that something is out of balance. With 8 of Clubs above it, I got the sense that I needed to re-evaluate my mindset, expectations and beliefs (8 of Clubs in Position 2 of the Five Pointed Star Spread). Apparently they are not in alignment with my heart’s desire and that is what is likely causing the problems (Snake) and delays (Mountain) I am seeing in the cards.
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*I learned The Answer Spread from Kapherus, The Art of Cartomancy. Please see my blogroll for a link to his website.
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As I mentioned above, the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards “instructed” me to pull Tarot clarification cards.Per my usual method, I counted up the numerical values and reduced them to a number equaling 22 or below:
I then shuffled my Tarot cards, found XI-JUSTICE in the deck and selected it along with the card before and the card after, giving me a three-card clarification:
Tarot Clarification Cards: Ace of Pentacles – XI-Justice – 4 of Swords
The information seemed clear to me: I could focus on bringing my heart’s desire into manifestation (Ace of Pentacles) or “cancel my order” (4 of Swords) through non-alignment of thoughts, expectations and beliefs. The Major Arcana XI-Justice reminded me that harmony and balance are a requirement and that for all intents and purposes, we get what we expect to get, whether we want it or not.
Even though I combined two entirely different card divination systems, I was impressed at how seamlessly they interacted with each other. And while the reading along with its clarification showed a negative outcome for now, it also clearly illuminated the probable reasons for the negative outcome and suggested an action plan that, if followed, could lead to another, more desirable, probable outcome in the future.
All in all, I was favorably impressed with the quality of information elicited from this unusual card combination and felt pleased that I had allowed myself to follow the Gypsy Witch Fortune Telling Playing Cards’ quirky instruction to mix it up with Tarot cards.
When you throw a Tarot spread, whether for yourself or someone else, the cards typically pick up on the prevailing energies or vibrations surrounding the issue, circumstance or situation at the time of the question. Any probable outcome or prediction shown by the cards is usually what you or your querent may expect to happen based on the energies or vibrations in play at the time of the reading. Because energies or vibrations are always in flux and can be changed through deliberate and conscious intention, the probable outcome or prediction shown in the Tarot cards can usually change as well.
Herein lies the real value of the Tarot or any other divination system. Rather than focusing on predicting the future, consider using the Tarot to delve below the surface and shine a spotlight on the prevailing energies and vibrations that are in play at the time of the question, attracting a particular probable outcome, wanted or unwanted, into manifestation in your life.
Simply defined, the Law of Attraction states ‘Like attracts like’. Without going into layers of detail, the Law of Attraction boils down to you get what you think about whether you want it or not.
The problem is, it’s not always easy to figure out what you are thinking about or how you are thinking (and feeling) about it. Here’s where the Tarot comes in. Because the Tarot uncannily and consistently picks up on the energies and vibrations surrounding the issue, circumstance or situation, it can be a highly valuable and effective tool that can help you figure out what you are thinking and feeling, what you are in the process of attracting, and what strategies can you develop to get more of what you want and less of what you don’t want.
I asked the Tarot cards to describe a strategy of how one might proceed in order to manifest more of what they want and less of what they don’t want into their lives. Using the Five Pointed Star with Significator spread, I pulled the following cards:
Q: What Strategy Will Best Support Desired Manifestation?
Five Pointed Star Tarot Spread: Page of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, 6 of Cups, 6 of Wands, Queen of Swords, Knight of Pentacles
I immediately note there are no Major Arcana cards in the spread which suggests the matter at hand is under one’s control. “Fate” (majors) has nothing to do with it. I also note there are three 6’s in the spread, drawing attention to the fact that balance and harmony are important characteristics to consider. Everything must work together.
Significator or Theme: Page of Pentacles
Page of Pentacles
In the context of the question, the Significator or Theme card describes the strategy. Page of Pentacles suggests a willingness to learn. The card seems to suggest one might approach the subject from a student’s perspective, remaining open-minded and willing to study the process.
Position 1 – Basis, Reason, Cause: 6 of Pentacles
6 of Pentacles
Again, keep in mind that according to the context of the question, the cards are describing a strategy that can help one begin to manifest more of what they want and less of what they don’t want. The 6 of Pentacles is the “attitude of gratitude” card. It suggests that appreciation and gratitude for what one already has is the starting point for attracting more of the same.
Position 2 – Mindset, Expectations: 6 of Cups
6 of Cups
When attempting to manifest a desire, one must expect to receive that which they are asking for. 6 of Cups suggests happy anticipation will go a long way in helping one manifest their heart-felt desires.
Position 3 – Additional Information or Comments: 6 of Wands
6 of Wands
The Tarot 6 of Wands, also known as the Victory card, suggests that another part of the process is to envision success and enjoy how that feels.
Position 4 – Answer, Solution, Advice: Queen of Swords
Queen of Swords
Of all the Tarot Queens, the Queen of Swords is a solitary figure. She reminds us that working on one’s ability to manifest is a solitary endeavor. No one else can do it for you. The Queen of Swords also counsels that clarity is essential. The clearer one can describe, visualize, and joyously anticipate the arrival of a desire or goal, the more likely a positive manifestation will take place.
Position 5 – Probable Outcome: Knight of Pentacles
Knight of Pentacles
The Knight of Pentacles indicates slow, steady progress with tangible results. This is the “plan the work, work the plan” card. By putting the procedure outlined by the previous cards into play, positive results may be expected.
The clarification cards (not shown) that I pulled for this reading further suggest to take the process one day at a time. Believe in yourself and your ability to learn a new trick or two. 🙂 Keep at it and you’ll be rewarded.
In Part 2, I’ll share a simple tarot card spread that may help you keep yourself on track should you desire to work on improving your manifestation ability.
Blessings,
Mary Hawkins
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