By Sarah Taylor
As an inter- and intra-personal, relationship-based tarot reader, I don’t usually go in for purely predictive tarot readings; and I have never done a tarot reading based on political events.
There is a divinatory (predictive) aspect to my readings — but I have tended to place that secondary to the here-and-now-ness of a spread.
This is in part because I am a counsellor, and as such my work focuses on the present. All too often, clients look to the future as a way of avoiding the present and tarot is an effective tool on the path of the assumption of responsibility for one’s life and one’s decisions. In part, though, it is because divinatory tarot asks for two things that my human self finds challenging to surrender to: the first is trust in the face of the absolute unknown; the second is opening myself to being wrong.
Enough of that! Yesterday — inspired by Rachel Pollack’s assertion that divinatory tarot needs to be wrested from the prevailing dominance of psychological tarot — I decided to draw cards to answer the following question:
“What is happening, and what will happen, in the 2012 U.S. Presidential Election?”
I drew the first three cards yesterday morning, U.K. time — about 6 am Eastern Standard Time. I realised that they were setting the scene rather than divining the future, which makes sense given I asked a two-part question; they were the first part of the question. I drew the fourth card the same evening, at about 2.30 pm EST. This was the predictive card, answering the “what will happen?” portion of the question. I emailed Amanda Painter with my prediction about a half-hour later to put it into the public realm.
To me, the response all cards gave was simple and unequivocal. I’d be very interested in your responses to this and your own take on the layout; I am interested in challenges to my viewpoint. In spite of being a Brit, and also viewing this year’s elections more as a choice between Scylla and Charybdis than Perseus and Medusa, I do hold an opinion that invests me somewhat in the outcome.
While tarot can be rather figurative and indirect, sometimes it is boldly literal, and I see this reading as falling into the latter category. The figures, the colours, and the numbering offer up an interpretation that doesn’t require esoteric analysis: it’s all there to see on the surface.
The first two cards are two Nines, and I saw them as sitting in parallel. The Nine of Wands speaks of a figure who has seen his fair share of action; his bandage betrays his battle wounds, and he is on the defensive. The Nine of Cups shows a figure who is well-dressed, away from the action and in a position of rest, his cups spread out behind him as if on display.
In an article entitled Culminating: the Nines in tarot, from May last year, I wrote this about each card:
[The Nine of Wands] tells me that [the figure] has come through quite a battle with the wands — perhaps the one that we see him waging in the Seven. Perhaps the wands activated in the Eight — flying through the sky as they are — needed to be reined in; there was a need to harness the will — our creative principle — in order to direct it more effectively. Whatever happened, it didn’t happen without effort on the part of the protagonist.
Right now, there is a ceasefire, and I feel an implicit striving for resolution. … The grey surface that is home to the figure is contrasted with the background, the man unwilling to associate with his erstwhile adversaries, even though the sky is cloudless blue, the hills green and small enough to look surmountable. There seems to be no threat on the horizon.
…The figure [in the Nine of Cups] seems content — smug, even, if the slight creasing closed of his eyes is anything to go by — and his robes and red headdress bear testament to his wealth. “Look at these,” he seems to say. “They are all mine!”
… The cups are present in abundance, but they are treated like possessions. It is only when they are released that they come fully into their own. The configuration in the Nine then becomes the rainbow in the Ten, overarching a group of people — as opposed to an individual — who are in its embrace rather than exhibiting something that they view as ‘theirs’. For now, however, the potential sits here, waiting to mature and develop.
That alone is enough to suggest the two candidates. Two Nines — two very different Nines. Now look at the colours. The predominance of blue in the Nine of Wands, and the red hat in the Nine of Cups. In the US, Democrats are represented by the colour blue, Republicans by the colour red. This is where tarot is its most literal. It feels directive — and this only becomes more pronounced in the next card, The Hierophant.
The Hierophant represents the rule of law as ordained by a higher authority:
[I]f we take the surface interpretation of The Hierophant, we might focus on the idea of organised religion, or adherence to doctrine of one form or another. … Whereas The High Priestess is self-appointed and answerable to no-one but spirit, The Hierophant is appointed by rule of law and is answerable not only to spirit, but to the Church as well.
[T]he shadow aspect of The Hierophant is inextricably linked to our own notions of the shadow aspects of religious authority: dogma, the patriarchy, unquestioning conformity, and the corruption that can stem from these. [2012: Year of the Hierophant]
The Hierophant cannot be separated from religion, otherwise we go into the realm of The Emperor, who is purely secular — and this idea of religion in the Presidential race, and in U.S. government as a whole, is interesting enough to have its own debate. But it doesn’t answer the question, it doesn’t cut to the chase like you would expect an answer to a predictive tarot reading would do, and to settle with that would be to ignore the absolutely-bloody-obvious.
What strikes me more are the figures kneeling at The Hierophant’s feet: one in red, the other in blue. A choice, and the waiting for a blessing. Again, we have an example of an entirely mundane reading of The Hierophant.
It was at this point that I realised that I needed to draw a final card to determine the outcome for the two petitioners. The final card was the Five of Cups. I’ll leave you with this simple interpretation:
The Five of Cups is also known as Disappointment. But for whom? Time to go back to the colours. While the red contents of the cups are spilled, the blue river continues to flow through the picture. It doesn’t get more literal than that.
If you want to experiment with tarot cards and don’t have any, we provide a free tarot spread generator using the Celtic Wings spread, which is based on the traditional Celtic Cross spread. This article explains how to use the spread.
As a tarot student myself, I found this reading fascinating. I interpreted the 9 of Wands as Obama, and the 9 of Cups as Romney. The Hierophant is the axis around which all revolves… he is law and order within a specifically “religious” context … the Kingmaker. In some of the older decks, he is referred to as the Pope. This would not be the first time in history a pope has functioned as a Kingmaker. Couldn’t the “religion” referenced by the Hierophant refer to corporatism, or globalism, or the military/industrial complex, among others? Both acolytes are kneeling, obviously deferring to a greater authority (shadow government?) There’s nothing in the card that specifies only one acolyte must be chosen for a blessing… is there? I also intuit echoes of a beknighting ceremony in the stance of all three figures on the card. I’ve been feeling for a while that at least from an economic standpoint, perhaps it has never mattered which candidate won – we’ve karmically passed the point of no return. Uranus/Pluto action = cups start overturning. The hard times that are clearly ahead will not leave us without hope for the future… but we must make the effort to turn around and focus on what remains. What’s gone is gone, and there will be no restoring what has been lost… but that’s not always a horrible thing, in my experience. I hope we can remember to turn around and view what remains with optimism and gratitude and make the most of it.
Thank you, Len, jinspace, Amanda, eco11, Paolo, Sina, DivaCarla, singing bowl, Burning River, Brendan (I know what you meant 🙂 ), P. Sophia, for your comments!
eco11 – Your interpretation didn’t phase me in the least. It differs from mine in that I kept the time frame particularly narrow: give or take a day, which is not something I usually do. I believe all interpretations are legitimate, corresponding to a particular interpretative layer: intra-personal, inter-personal, collective, generational, transpersonal. (Any others?)
Paolo – Yes, from an esoteric perspective I find it very interesting that it isn’t Justice in the third card.
Mundanely, there is no other card in the deck apart from The Hierophant that has two near-identical figures in red and blue and a position of receiving a blessing – hence my own understanding of the reading as being a literal one.
Sina – You interpret The Hierophant in its light (as opposed to shadow) aspect – an energy that is sorely needed in light of how religion has been used to further so many agendas.
DivaCarla – I agree that a psychological reading is definitely there for the taking. The more I look at the four cards, the more layers seem to be revealed. The Five of Cups does have the propensity to give the willies – that figure dominates the picture so. It is when the attention is diverted to the two cups behind him that the seam of gold implicit in the reading is revealed.
singing bowl and Amanda – You have pointed out one of those interpretative layers: the reading as a mirror into yourself and your own feelings about the election.
That bridge feels significant to me, too. It somehow leads into what will come – it points to the future after the time frame I set for the reading.
P. Sophia – I am well, thank you. We avoided Sandy here in the UK, but I have managed to put myself in the path of a few rather nasty viruses that have been playing small havoc with my routine. (And that is not to belittle the experience of those who have experienced havoc on a far greater scale.)
I would agree with the view of the Nine of Wands that you’ve included, yes – with the caveat that this is what is available to you if you are able to acknowledge not only what you have been through, but where you are now: the two situations are not the same. As Joanne writes: “steady force must be applied.” In other words, don’t give up and don’t apply too much force. Simply keep going, holding on to that generative and regenerative wands energy. The King suggests that you will be able to hold a steady course, as do cards 10 and 11. The outcome will open you to a significantly different perspective and experience.
Hi Sarah, Hope you’re well and made it through the storm safely. When I did not find your post on Sunday, which was very much missed!, I decided to take my first try on my own and did the online Tarot spread generator provided here. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Eric’s background story in the article of instruction and wanted to thank you for providing this tool (please pass my appreciation on to Eric as well).
The cards I pulled and their meaning were spot on, magicly so… And, interestingly, i wanted to share with you, I also pulled the 9 of Wands (in the 4 position) and among the others, the King of Wands, in the 8th position. It was an incredible reading. In short with Death XIII, in the 10 position and Hangman XII, in the 11th. Late Tuesday night I almost posted the Hangman card’s interpretation in my response to reading Eric’s voting article, as the spread and particularly this cards meaning i also felt hit on a universal level.
Although, of the 9 of Wands, the interpretation I found online, leaned towards the results, or outcome of the struggle/battle, it seemed a more optimistic view. Joanne Sacred Scribes? Sarah may i ask, is this also a credible source, and reflection, of the 9 of Wands in your view? It felt right in working in my reading.
“The rewards, beneficial gains brought about by past deeds. Strength, resilience and character now being acknowledged. Balanced decreeing approach to life’s problems and issues. And even taken further, to hold onto your beliefs, stand strong and to not let others sway you from your path. Perseverance and persistence is key. And in the card relating to the number 9, speaks of leadership, taking control, living by example, it is also the number of the “humanitarian”.
Inclosing the card web page now, saw this too- did not notice reading before… (yep, it fits).
GNOTHOLOGY:
Universalism
Oog, and I managed to basically plagiarize Len’s comment. Well, you know what I meant, right? 🙂
Sarah – very uncanny, your selection, and so very forthright. Thank you for your so very clear reading!
WOW.
You are GOOD, Sarah. But, we already knew that. Just seeing it once again. Thanks
;>).
“the Heirophant is diabolical positioned between the nines and that five.” Yeah, that is def a good way to put it. Normally, this card is positive I feel. It can be a right of passage into a deeper spiritual journey and initiation into secret or hidden aspects of such (not necessarily of the church or religion), and is put before us using some specific method or teaching or application. But when it’s framed with this article’s question, it def (for me) points to something else. Rachel Pollack also writes, “…the two acolytes are being admitted into a Church or an occult society…”, and also, “the religious institutions of the Hierophant can easily become corrupted by the authority given them, so that the priests see their power as an end in itself, prizing obedience above enlightenment.”
Sarah, the immediate hit I got from the final card was “the disappointed figure is me.” I look at the spilled cups and see billions of dollars—was it four or five or even six?—poured into political advertising that bought divisiveness instead of healing. It felt just the way spending on war has felt in my lifetime. So ignorant. So wasteful. Promises of change seem empty to me in this climate where even in the face of catastrophe that comes on us in tidal waves and super storms, there are such resources to be spent on illusion and distraction.
But to me the card says that’s not the whole story. And maybe the promise of the unspilled cups is in the bridge that crosses the river that flows with life. I keep looking at that bridge, which Paolo mentioned too—it seems almost illuminated—and for me it’s the most potent symbol today.
My mind says: focus on the bridge. The city (?) on the other side of the water seems humble against the vast sky. That feels like a clue to me too. No auguries here, but a snapshot of the moment I’m in. And the beginning of the sense of a path away from disappointment and toward what’s calling for attention. I appreciate that a lot.
This is amazing! as are you, Sarah. It’s getting a share on my page again.
I enjoy the alternative interpretations too. I will say that RiderWaite 5 of cups give me the willies. I never like it coming up in my personal readings. That tall figure huddled in the black robe feels so desperate, power lost! Still two cups remain: Hope. turn around! you can still prevail!
I like the literalness that feeds the predictive reading. and you got it right! Or the Tarot got it right.
Our national climate begs the psychological reading too. The people and their desires and will play into this reading. and the Heirophant is diabolical positioned between the nines and that five.
Hi Sarah, Len, Jin Amanda, Eco & Paolo,
Just to add my 2 cents worth to your already abundant readings, I saw both the candidates in the 9’s as you did, Sarah. But with the Hierophant, I saw both candidates, both sides, having to kneel before the highest authority, God/dess, to be judged and brought to balance. (Hurricane Sandy – she made all bow in her wake). The five of cups I saw as Obama, while there are opportunities ahead, I see the heavy heartedness and weight of having to try and clean-up the Republican mess of decades of excess, and that there is still a lot of work to do. There is hope, however, as that is this card’s true message.
Have a blessed day all, and congratulations USA for chosing hope, love, unity & equality,
Sina
This is fascinating Sarah. I also think the meaning is pretty clear as well. The only thing that went through my head seeing the last 2 cards was this. The Hierophant is before 2 people equally and forms a hierarchy behind closed doors. I don’t think this is about a decision or voter outcome ruling by a defining body such as a court. That might be what I’d get from The Justice card. This alludes to an altogether secret person or body that is not really interested in a particular party. Rather it is interested only that it remains in power over them, and that they adhere to a set of secret policies that keep that structure intact for the future. The 5 of Cups may indicate our collective need to let both party systems and their structures fall apart and wash away, and that we collectively turn away from them, pick up new options and carry those over the bridge into a better future structure – the house at the top of the hill.
That’s my 2 cents.
I’m not sure you want my interpretation. I take what comes to me first, strong, and immediately, and try very hard (though I am often very tempted otherwise) not to censor it. It also arises from a naive place. (You can interpret that however you wish.)
I always do my own take on the cards before I read on (so as my intuitive responses are not influenced.
1. first card: The contender waits.
2. second card: The King sits balanced, certain.
3. The King rises – becomes holy in the anointing.
4. death to a nation.
~~
I’m sure this will not feel popular.
~~ Let me elaborate:
1. The contender, Romney waits.
2. Obama has come out extremely balanced and confident, especially during the last two weeks ahead of the election: His handling of Sandy. His last speech of the election when he turned it over to the voters: It’s now in your hands. He puts it in their hands! He gives them the power. (It’s brilliant!!!).
3. The king rises -becomes holy in the anointing. This is his speech after accepting the election. It was stunning. Before our eyes, we saw him becoming -through us, through our faith in him- a true king. He even said: You have made me a better president.
4. I am not certain how to interpret my response to this last card.How it *feels* is this:
All night -especially after the election- I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. I still have this feeling this morning. I don’t know if this means the republicans and democratss will continue to block and screw any foreward action or whether it might also mean that we have to stop moving in the ways we have destructively moved before, that we WILL have to die and be reborn differently. Maybe the time has come when the corporate kings must fall and all that they harness. We need a vision through and beyond that if/when it occurs. Perhaps it will come to pass that this country will regroup, become regional countries. Thats’ been talked about a lot. Something has to change big. These are just the feelings that come up. Scary. Probably necessary at some point. I mean how long can the same dinosauric machinery keep moving before it rusts finally? What can a shiny new wheel or set of cogs do to really change that machinery and its momentum? Can we still love our country so very,very much and also allow it to metamorphosize? I think we can and we will see it happening. But the dinosaurs will not like it. We will have resistance and not just from the dinosaurs. We are often ruled by our fears of change. We lose our orientation. But when we are oriented and attached to destruction, it will still continue to be the animal it is. There are consequences to greed that we have already seen manifesting, even when we thought that it might never topple down. I think Obama is the right leader. I would not be surprised if he has to stand tall, like the figure in this card, and steer through and lead us out of something very big like this. And, by this election, we have given him the power to see and steer that vision.
before Sarah had pulled the 4th card or said anything to me about her interpretation, she had emailed to me the cards that she had pulled. this was my reply to her, without any consideration of what the positions in the layout are supposed to mean, etc. just thought i’d share, since i got such a kick out of seeing the cards, playing with them, and then reading sarah’s interpretation yesterday:
Following your interpretation, it looks to me like even the facial expressions on the two nines bear striking resemblance to the candidates they suggest. Yes, Sarah, it is an uncanny draw (or perhaps not?), and I think an excellent interpretation.
Sarah: Thank you so very much for sharing your uncanny draw of cards along with your brilliant interpretation.