5/14/2025
I might end up doing a mixture of daily draws for myself and going back through old posts on my IG to see how I can recontextualize my interpretations. I also think I'm at a stage in life where I won't just draw obsessively until the deck gets mad / I hear what I want to hear. I think tarot is a really powerful tool for self-reflection though, if we can be aware of why we want to pull what we pull.
Deck: CBD Tarot de Marseille. This is an Italian made deck that is in French (probably because of linguistic drift) from the 15th century. It predates Rider Waite and is intriguing for the work that went into restoring this printing as well as the lack of clear orientation for the minor arcana.
I did a reading on E and myself, C.
E: 4 of Coins Reversed
C: Queen of Coins
Together: Queen of Swords
It's definitely worth noting that the first few readings I did with this were very confusing because my French is Not Good (tm) and I didn't expect all the minor arcana to look as they do
I also want to note the blank card in the deck. I think of it as a blank slate, bringing in some of my exposure to blanks in other things, and also an indicator of limitless potential. I shuffled many times, not knowing there was this blank and yet it was the first card I pulled. I set it aside and continued drawing as normal, but I do think it's as good an omen as anything. Upon looking at the restorer of this particular deck, he says
treat the blank card literally as a “carte blanche” – meaning, the universe is giving you an open card, anything is possible for you now. whatever you ask for, you will get.
which I love.
Now, onto the analysis.
First of all, the things that stick out to me is the presence of two queens, the presence of coins twice, and the presence of the queen of swords. I have received the Queen of Swords in other readings but was told specifically by the practitioner who introduced me to the Marseille deck that the Queen of Swords can mean being overworried or overthinking, but it's also about planning ahead, preservation, and protection. This is additional nuance that RW often doesn't provide (/ the positive aspects of swords are underemphasized in rider waite) This reminds me, each suit has a high and low road in theory, another thing to talk about.
Coins appearing twice: coins are associated with hard work, dedication, commitment from my understanding. This suit is also associated with the steadfast earth. It deals with the physical and external, how we interact with our surroundings and how we shape and grow with them. They also deal with ego, self-esteem, and self-image (this surprised me, since I would probably associate that with cups first).
The predominance of the element of Earth is significant to me in this reading as well. "Earth is tactile, earthy and tangible. It creates the foundation from which the planet can grow and develop, and it supports and nurtures the plants and trees. Earth is grounded, stable, supportive and fertile. It is a feminine element that is receptive – it takes in nutrients and sunrays and then uses this energy to sustain the life that grows out of it."
The appearance of coins and swords (swords being associated with air and intellect) is interesting, given that this is a relationship reading.
Four as a number is something that always gives me pause, but in the context of western tarot, it represents stability, power, and manifestation.
THE FOUR OF PENTACLES REVERSED (positive card)
This four of pentacles reversed (with curiously, 3 fleur de lises) should be interpreted as such in my opinion:
The reversed Four of Pentacles can appear when you are re-evaluating what’s important to you. You may have misprioritized.
In the page I'm excerpting from, it indicates misprioritizing money / career over love, but I don't think that is the applicable interpretation in this case. I do thing the profound shift in priorities is important to pull from this though.
Given this shift in priorities, I want to look back at the 3 fleur delises depicted--three is associated with movement, teetering--rebalancing if you will. Sometimes it's associated with coming together or unity as well, but I think the more typical rebalancing interpretation is apt here. Further information on the 4/ Pentacles reversed:
it can appear when you are in self-protection mode. You have a strong desire for security, stability and certainty and you are doing everything within your power to create a stable environment for yourself. Even when your outer world seems chaotic and in a constant state of change, you can create more certainty for yourself by controlling your inner environment
Further Information;
In a general context, the Four of Pentacles reversed Tarot card can indicate that you are ready to let go of people, possessions, situations or past issues. You may be releasing toxic people or situations that are no longer healthy for you, shedding old issues or letting go of regrets or fears. This website also delves into specific meanings in the spheres of love, money, and health.
In general the 4 of Pentacles reversed is a POSITIVE card to get.
The Queen of Coins (positive)
The Queen of Coins is a positive card to pull whether upright or reversed, in my opinion.
There's a lot of information to wade through on this, but some things that stuck out to me are that the Queen of Coins is an affirmation to trust in the forces that have taken care of you thus far. That the Queen of Coins is a balanced and nurturing individual. I particularly liked this:
In every case, she does not see the benefits that exist in her life as belonging solely to her. She feels the needs of her people and will spend freely of her time, energy, skills, money to see that nobody is left out.
Biddy Tarot had a lot of interesting text, but it was a little ard for me to synthesize it. The Tarot Guide seemed a little too specific too, or perhaps typing about it feels too self-indulgent to me. The different emphasis on caution and entrepreneurship (vs problem solving) from site to site intrigues me. Labyrinthos stuck out to me because of the emphasis on independence and self-sufficiency. Ultimately my takeaways are stability, abundance, and nurturing. Labyrinthos and Tarot Guide have quick reference keyword tables for card in the context of love, career, and finance (and health and spirituality on tarot guide)
Finally, we have the QUEEN OF SWORDS
I think this is a positive card, or at the very least is not a negative one. In this instance, as a card drawn on the interactions / synergies it should be used to examine the context / situation. I hesitate to use it to be prescriptive of anything but I do feel that the key words make quite a bit of sense, especially "clear boundaries, direct communication." In RW, the Queen of Swords is associated with Wind and the suit is associated with ongoing change, which feels appropriate.
I draw Queen of Swords for myself frequently--to refresh, RW often emphasizes the negative aspect of overthinking, but it is also associated with planning and protection. The Queen of Swords represents clear boundaries and no bullshit. Her left hand is prepared to receive the future, as is she. Her sword is straight, pointing towards an unerring desire for truth. With the emphasis she provides on boundaries, she can also indicate a need for freedom and independence. The Tarot Guide (I referenced this less for Queen of Swords). This website, which idk what I think of it.
Here's a website on the Queen of Swords in the context of Marseile deck specifically. Here, we really see the aspect of protection, rather than overthinking, come into play.
OVERALL I would consider this a positive reading, with indicators of solid grounding, but nothing too prescriptive. I think that it makes sense in the context of the query even if the lack of Wands or Cups seems a little odd, given the sphere of concern.
I won't speak to how I feel any more about the draw of the 4/Coins reversed or the Queen of Coins, but I will say that the Queen of Swords speaks accurately to clear boundaries, old wounds and protection, openness to the future and compassion, and truth.
The queens themselves speak to having your shit together and I love that.
An additional note on coins
Coins (or pentacles, or disks...) are, like I said above, representative of pregnancy, which also means that they represent accomplishment and fulfillment. This suit also stands for hard work and the virtues of work. They also represent matters of family. On top of that, since they're, well, money, they also stand in for matters of money and business endeavors.
