Last night, after watching the doom and gloom of the evening news, I pulled out my Flornoy Dodal from its leather pouch and shuffled hard; go on, tell me about the future (I sighed); tell me about the euro. I can’t stand all this speculation and uncertainty, these exhausting fluctuations of the stock market. Just tell me. I drew the following cards.
Death in prime position says it all really. And yet I am torn as to whether this means the unquestionable end of the euro or whether it means that there will simply be abrupt changes, a slicing off from what we have hitherto known, the end of the old ways. At any rate, there is a definite break here, a rupture of sorts. The fact that the Page of Cups appears, rhythmically echoing Death (they complement each other like bookends) makes me think of the Page’s idealism and naivety mown down. And then the way the Nine of Wands comes like an X between Death and the Page of Cups makes it look like a sum, a multiplication or a formula. Death multiplies/amplifies idealism, makes it worse. See how they maintain eye contact, staring each other out like cats (or is the Page still trying, against all odds, to focus on the chalice, on the treasure, hopeless in the face of stronger forces?) And is the number 9 (of Wands) the number that represents almost the end of the road? An interesting, worrying result for a serious issue. Not sure what else there is to say, though the fact that it wasn’t The Tower makes me feel slightly better.
I wonder whose heads those are in XIII, German and French leaders ?
That’s funny!
Harsh finanical reality versus the ideal, and ideal that is no more. look how the cup is hidden. it is the prize yet also just a dream.
Perhaps the wands as a lattice barrier but can it hold against the scythe of Death? I think it will, for a while more since after the 9 there will be a 10 – perhaps after that we reach the breaking point…
Yes jema, I was struck by the trellice-work too on the 9 of Wands but then so many Wand pips have that same pattern. A kind of cage. Or something melding/knotted. There’s definitely a feeling of deadlock too. Facing out; who’s going to be the first to give in? (I love your analogy, Bertrand!) Naturally, I think it is idealism, doomed to cede in the face of the mowing scythe! It’s one of those very uncanny spreads that really speaks volumes. Cards shuffled and laid out and they really seem to speak about the topic. I had been wanting to read about this topic for a few days but wasn’t clear on which deck I wanted to use. I find more and more that when I want a direct answer, I have to forget all my tarot theory, grab a Marseilles and just look.
It look as though Death may be determined to have the final say, but look at the focus in the Page of Cups. He’s holding that cup in secrecy from Death, shielded by the 9 of Wands he’s not about to give it up.