Tarot Challenges

Tarot Challenge: How would YOU interpret this reading?

51 Comments / October 2017, tarot challenge, Tarot Challenges / By / October 18, 2017

This is a true story, although names and details have been altered slightly for the sake of confidentiality…

A friend of a friend – let’s call her Sarah – came to me all in a flap! She was so excited because she’d just met someone who seemed like the perfect guy – handsome, sweet, witty, rich and worldly. They had an instant connection and she agreed to a date with him on Saturday, just three days away.

She was pretty certain they would end up marrying and having babies, but she wanted to see what the Tarot cards had to say about it.

Her question was what is the long term potential of this relationship?

I shuffled and drew three cards: The Tower, Five of Cups and Ten of Swords.

Robin Wood Tarot

I gave her my take on these cards and she was NOT happy.  She was very disappointed in the reading and even though I tried my best to find a silver lining and steer things in a positive, empowering direction, it was nearly impossible!

I will share my experience of this reading in next weeks post which will be called My client hated her Tarot reading (and here’s how I dealt), but first I want to hear your take on these cards…

Your Turn!

How would you interpret this reading? What advice would you give to Sarah? Please post your answer in the comments below 🙂

I can’t wait to read your response!!!
xoxo
Kate

The Dark Side…of those “Good” Tarot Cards

23 Comments / February 2017, Tarot Challenges, tarot practice, Tarot Tips / By / February 7, 2017

Everyone has a dark side. Everything has a dark side.

And Tarot cards are no exception!

Each and every Tarot card has both a light and dark aspect and today I want to focus on the BAD side of those sunny, bright, cheery Tarot cards.

This is a helpful exercise to do when you get a positive card in a negative position in a Tarot spread. Like when you ask “what do I need to let go of?” and you get The Sun or the Ace of Cups.

So let’s get crackin’!

All Tarot cards shown in the above video are from the Dame Darcy Mermaid Tarot

The Sun

Dame Darcy Mermaid Tarot

This is the quintessential “positive” Tarot card and it’s hard to find anything negative about it.

But let me try…

Do you remember back in the mid-2000’s when The Secret came out and everyone was going on and on about positive thinking? To the point where it got really annoying?

Have you ever felt pressured to be more positive?

Or to be extra-super-duper positive even when things were unacceptably horrible?

Like working for a company that treats its staff inhumanely but then demands that you show “team spirit” and enthusiasm and smile all the time. That shit is soul destroying.

This whole discussion makes me think of a great book I read a couple years ago – Bright Sided : How Positive Thinking is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich.

Two of Cups

hanson roberts two of cups
Hanson Roberts Tarot

Two people, clinking glasses and putting their heads together in a glow of mutual appreciation.

What could go wrong? Plenty!

Meeting a like minded individual who shares your values and vision can be intoxicating. But once the thrill fades and you realize that you must also compromise – what used to be a strong connection might start to feel like a prison sentence.

Sure you might agree on eating vegan, going to yoga retreats and watching George Carlin stand up routines, but then you discover they can’t load a fucking dishwasher properly and love to eat Twizzlers and go to baseball games…god what were you thinking?

Now it’s your turn!

I’ve picked a really uplifting and happy card for you to tear into…the Three of Cups!

I wish there was a secret formula for figuring out the “dark side” of a cheery card, but there isn’t. So you just have to contemplate it and get creative…

Anna K Tarot

Tell me, in the comments below…what do you think this card’s dark traits are? What is the downside of all this celebration and camaraderie?

I can’t wait to hear your pessimism!!!!

Tarot Challenge: What advice do you have for someone stuck in a love triangle?

11 Comments / July 2015, tarot challenge, Tarot Challenges, tarot practice / By / July 12, 2015

It’s been ages since I’ve done a Tarot challenge on my blog, and it feels like now is a good time! Here is your situation:

It’s a hot Summer night and you’re sitting outside at your local, late night cafe shuffling your Tarot cards and flipping through your new Tarot book. Suddenly, a total stranger sits down at your table. He’s tall, lanky and wearing those weird hipster glasses that everyone now thinks is “normal”. He has a creepy Leave it to Beaver style haircut and he smells like strawberry shortcake.

“I’m in the middle of a torrid love triangle,” he confesses to you, “and I need to know what I should do.”

As you begin shuffling your cards, he gives you the dirty details…“I have been madly in love with my best friend Damien’s ex-girlfriend Jane for three years. She has reciprocated these feelings – well, sort of. I think she might just be using me for sex, but I’m okay with that. Anyhow, Jane has recently got back together with Damien and now we have to keep our love a secret. I am not really sure how to proceed – do I stay with Jane and tell Damien? Do I continue sneaking around? Or do I break it off with Jane, even though she’s the love of my life?”

You lay out three cards….

dame darcy tarot
Dame Darcy Mermaid Tarot

Based on this stranger’s situation, how would you interpret these Tarot cards?
Please share your interpretation in the comment section below 🙂

If you would like to see how I read these cards CLICK HERE.

Click here to see how I read these cards... +

Here is my quick and dirty interpretation of these three cards:

"Well, mysterious stranger, the Knight of Pentacles tells me that you're a creature of habit and you like to proceed carefully in everything you do. Part of you might be tempted to not do anything right now because you don't want to rock the boat and cause chaos in your life.

However, the 10 of Swords indicates you are feeling majorly stabbed in the back! And rightly so. It sounds like you haven't really acknowledged your hurt over the fact that Jane has taken back up with Damien. Part of you knows that if you do acknowledge it, how you feel about Jane will change dramatically.

The Ace of Swords seems to be encouraging you to take the initiative and change things. Stop hiding and pussy footing around! It's time for you to be honest with yourself about what you want and what you will not stand for. It's time to turn over a new leaf and start doing things differently from now on. I feel that this Ace denotes a fresh start - a new beginning in your life that quite possibly does not include Jane. But only you can know that for sure.

Out of the three options you presented, which one feels the most empowering and liberating for you? Do that!

I’m looking forward to reading your advice for this mysterious stranger!!!
xoxo
Kate

Tarot Challenge: What do YOU think this means?

26 Comments / April 2015, tarot challenge, Tarot Challenges, tarot practice / By / April 6, 2015

Pretend you’re doing a reading for a man named Leonardo Rambucco – a dashing man with sexy, Latin looks and an air of mystery about him. He wears a cape (which would be weird on most people, but for him it totally works) and has a magnetic gaze.

He says “I am a magician who performs at children’s parties, but my dream is to have a big show in Vegas. What do you see in the cards?“

You shuffle your deck and draw…..

death & high priestess
Universal Waite Tarot

 

Death and The High Priestess!

Now here’s the challenging part. You absolutely must NOT say anything discouraging to sexy Leonardo, but you also must NOT sugarcoat this reading either. Your goal is to give him some good advice that will help him on his path.

So – how would YOU interpret these cards and what would you tell him? Please share your interpretation in the comments below!

Tarot challenge! What should Markus do?

21 Comments / December 2014, tarot challenge, Tarot Challenges, tarot practice / By / December 2, 2014

It’s time for a Tarot challenge!

Are you ready?

Okay, here’s your situation:

You are doing a Tarot reading for Markus, a smouldering hot 25 year old. Markus is an artist – he specializes in painting pixies and water nymphs and he is really quite talented. But he can’t seem to make a living from his art, so for the past five years he’s been working nights stocking shelves at a sex toy distribution company’s warehouse.

He is fairly happy in his life but his dream is to paint pixies full time and quit his night job. He asks you “how can I be more financially successful with my art?”

You draw two cards: The Hermit and the Seven of Wands.

tarot challenge markus
Crystal Visions Tarot

How would you interpret these two cards? What advice would you give Markus?

Please feel free to leave your interpretation in the comments below!

The purpose of this exercise is to practice your Tarot reading skills. Markus is just a character and situation I made up.

Click here to see how I interpreted these cards +

Markus, it's clear to me that spending time alone, meditating and pondering things will help bring about a solution for you (The Hermit). When your right in the thick of things it can be hard to see the forest through the trees and this is why you aren't sure how to make more money from your art. Get some distance and perspective from it - detach emotionally and look at your art through a different lens - a clear path will emerge eventually. Detaching might mean not taking things personally when it comes to your art, which leads me to the next card - the Seven of Wands.

The Seven of Wands shows that you are feeling defensive about this issue, like making money from your work will mean you have to be competitive or something. It also shows me that you fear attack and criticism. Perhaps part of you really fears having your art judged and critiqued and deemed unworthy. This seems to be the energy that is holding you back and creating fear for you.

The more you relax and let go of this idea, the more quickly you will earn and income from your art. Perhaps letting go of those fears will make you feel more comfortable about putting yourself out there and even networking with other artists. Again, look at The Hermit and notice how calm and detached she is - other's opinions don't define her, so she doesn't fear them.

One theme I notice is that both The Hermit and the guy in Seven of Wands are on cliffs or pedestals. The advantage of this is that you have a nice view of things - a birds eye view. The downside is that you have farther to fall. You may fear that once you attain success you could lose it, or people will judge you more harshly. It's clear you have much passionate and fiery energy around your art (Wands), but it needs to be balanced with the calm, cool and intuitive nature of The Hermit. Meditation, nature walks and reflection will help you discern the voice of your intuition from the voice of your ego so that you can let go of fear and pursue your dream with newfound energy, enthusiasm and calmness.

Tarot Challenge: Interpret these cards in 3 sentences or less!

36 Comments / October 2014, tarot challenge, Tarot Challenges / By / October 14, 2014

Imagine this: It’s 8pm on a dark and rainy night. Thunder and lighting boom and flash in the distance as you sit in your armchair by the fire, shuffling your Tarot cards.

Across from you sits Minxy Blue – a friend of a friend. Minxy is a high class escort who lives a lavish lifestyle, “escorting” distinguished gentlemen and the occasional celebrity. But she has recently met someone special who has a problem with her chosen line of work. His name is Vlad Smith and he has proposed to her on the condition that she quit her escort job and do something else.

Minxy loves Vlad but she also loves her work. She’s in a conundrum! She asks you “what on Earth am I supposed to do?”

Just then, two cards come flying out of the deck, landing upright on the table in front of you.

But here’s the challenge: Minxy doesn’t have the time or the patience to listen to you ramble about the cards. So make it quick! In just 3 sentences or less, interpret these two cards in a way that is helpful to Minxy:

tarot challenge
Hanson-Roberts Tarot

Please feel free to post your interpretation in the comments below!

If you would like to see how I interpreted these cards, just click on the text below…

Click to see my interpretation... +

Speak openly with Vlad about how you feel about leaving your career (Two of Cups). But make sure you go within and do some soul searching to find out what is truly important to you right now (The Hermit). There is much light and brightness in these two cards which shows that now is not the time to hide from your feelings and issues, Minxy girl!

Tarot Challenge: Interpret This Reading!

33 Comments / September 2014, Tarot Challenges / By / September 2, 2014

Ready to practice your Tarot reading skills?

It’s been a while since I presented you with a new Tarot challenge, so I decided to make this one extra tough…..by using only Court Cards!

First I will present you with a fabricated scenario:

You are doing a reading for Stephen – a middle aged man who works stocking vending machines in government buildings. Stephen has been divorced two years, has two teenaged daughters who hate him (he sees them every other weekend) and a Chihuahua with a bladder control problem.

Despite this dreary description of Stephen’s life, he is actually quite happy and content. He is coming to you for a reading because he’s just met someone new – Larissa – a new-agey maven who runs the local crystal shop.

They’ve been on a few hot and heavy dates and now Larissa wants him to come to Sedona with her for a Shamanic drumming weekend. He is reluctant. He hates that shit! But he doesn’t want to upset Larissa. What should he do?

You shuffle your cards, lay them out and turn them over. This is what comes up…..

tarot challenge
Druidcraft Tarot

Remember: Court cards can represent people and/or personality traits. They can suggest how to act (or how not to act). Notice the facial expressions, body language and action in these cards.

You are not using a particular spread, so feel free to interpret the cards however you like.

So….what advice would you give Stephen, based on these three cards?

Please post your interpretation/reading in the comments below. This challenge is open to ALL levels of readers – so don’t by shy if your a beginner!…I can’t wait to hear what you come up with 🙂

Tarot Challenge: Interpret This Reading!

54 Comments / July 2014, Tarot Challenges / By / July 16, 2014

Are you up for a challenge? A Tarot Challenge?

I hope so!

Unlike my last two Tarot Challenges, this reading isn’t for a made up, fictitious character. This situation is real, so hold onto your hat!

Note: I have gotten permission from this person to share her reading and ask for interpretations and I have changed her name and any identifying details.

So here goes…

Lola is a 42 year old woman, married, no kids and working in her “dream career”. Everything in her life is wonderful – her husband and family are great and she has lots of money, friends and interests. She is in excellent health and is also quite a sexy lady!

However, these past several months she has felt a certain emptiness in her life. It kind of feels like she is dead inside. She keeps thinking “there must be more to life than this.”  She loves her life, but she doesn’t feel fully alive in it. Some days it just feels like she is just going through the motions. And that feeling is only getting bigger and bigger.

She has come to you for a Tarot reading and has asked you “Why did my life loose it’s ‘spark’ and what can I do to inject magic and joyful zest back into my life?”

These are the cards that come up:

sample reading
The Anna K Tarot

Just to let you know….Lola is a close friend of mine and is one tough cookie – she can take whatever no-frills advice you have for her. So don’t hold back or sugar coat your interpretations! And whatever you do, don’t worry about getting it wrong.

Based on these 3 cards, how would YOU interpret this reading? What advice do you have for Lola?

Feel free to share in the comment section below! I am really looking forward to reading your responses 🙂

How do YOU see these Tarot cards?

49 Comments / June 2014, Tarot Challenges / By / June 3, 2014

Back by popular demand….the monthly Tarot challenge!

What would YOU do in this situation?:

Let’s pretend your giving a Tarot reading to Chastity Applebottom, a striking woman in her late 30’s, who was referred to you by a mutual friend. She plunks herself down at your reading table, all bouncy curls and cleavage, and says:

“I just need some confirmation that I am doing the right thing. I got married a year ago to a man that I thought was my soul-mate – his name’s Carlos – but then about a month ago I discovered that he doesn’t really work as a traveling Loans officer, but is actually a Colombian drug lord and has been cheating on me with all sorts of floozies. He has this whole secret life that I wasn’t even aware of until now. Anyhow, I was going to leave him but then I realized that I would like to have a baby and I am getting too old to be putting it off. I’m almost 40. If I leave Carlos it may take me a year or two to find someone suitable to mate with, which could be too late. So I am thinking of staying with Carlos so I can have a baby. He’s not a bad guy – he bought me and boob job AND a Vitamix blender for my birthday. I think this is the best choice, really, but I just need to hear it from you to put my mind at ease.”

So of course you’re thinking run, Chastity, run! but you shuffle your cards anyway and this is what comes up:

reading - morgan greer tarot
From left to right: Ace of Cups, 10 of Pentacles, Queen of Pentacles.
Morgan Greer Tarot

Please note: this is an extra challenging Tarot challenge because you probably want to tell Chastity to run like the wind, yet the cards seem to be quite positive. So….

How would you interpret these cards? What advice would you give to Chastity? I invite you to share your interpretation in the comments section below 🙂

Tip: look at the cards and ask what do these cards seem to be saying to Chastity?

Negative Tarot Cards = Your Secret Desires: A Surprising New Way to Read Tarot!

25 Comments / May 2014, Tarot Challenges, Tarot Tips / By / October 18, 2017

This week, I am unveiling my brand new e-course The Art of Tarot: How to Read a Negative Card in a Positive Light.

Today I want to share my favorite part of this course with you – reading the negative cards as secret desires.

When a “negative” Tarot card (like the 3 of Swords or The Tower) appears in a reading, it can often represent a secret wish or unconscious desire. A desire so dark and so shocking, that our conscious selves just can’t handle it!

Let me show you what I mean:

Let’s say I’m giving myself a Tarot reading and I ask “how can I make my life more adventurous?”

And one of the cards that appears is the 8 of Swords.

eight of swords
Druidcraft Tarot

Ding, ding, ding! Secret desire alert!

Now, there are many different ways I could look at this card, but today I am choosing to see the negative cards as representing my secret desires.

So what dark, undisclosed desire could the 8 of swords represent? And how on earth does it relate to my question?

Here are some possibilities…

1) the desire to be “rescued”

2) the desire to be tied up and blindfolded (very literal!)

3) the desire to remain “in the dark” (blindfold) and powerless (and therefore not responsible for anything)

Out of all these possible “secret desires”, the desire to be rescued feels most likely.

My Interpretation: Perhaps I want my life to be more adventurous, but secretly, deep down, I really want someone to swoop in and rescue me from boredom, whisking me away to be entertained and enchanted. As long as I sit around waiting, my life will never truly be an adventure. I need to acknowledge this desire and then take matters into my own hands.

Now it’s your turn!

Just for fun, let’s pretend your deepest, undercover desire is…..

THE DEVIL!

the-devil-tarot-card
Universal Waite Tarot Deck

In the comments below, tell me what “secret desire” of yours this Tarot Card might represent. (Can’t wait to read this!!!)