#mantis tarot

[baphomeme-archive]

new tarot!! how will the vibes be with my new roommates this year??

alrighty, i'm gonna do four cards: an overview/summary, what to look forward to, what to watch out for, and what you should bring to the table to make things work.

overall: queen of swords. oof. this card has a lot to do w anxiety, carrying a burden. looks like there's gonna be some strife, but not really .... conflict? this card is a lot about isolation so i'm leaning towards interpreting this as meaning everyone is gonna have .... stuff going on. stuff that they kind of have to deal w by themselves. and i guess that's true of everybody but like, this is specifically saying, ppl have their shit and sometimes other ppl can't help, u just gotta leave ppl to work thru it.

to look forward to: king of cups. creativity, independence, enterprise. u guys are gonna be able to get along fine by yrselves while still creating an overall climate of productivity. u can play off each other and help each other out, esp w schoolwork and stuff, but nobody's gonna rely on anyone else. yr all kinda gonna do yr own thing, but in a way that just overall makes everybody feel pretty good.

to watch out for: knight of swords. dang this deck LOVES to throw this card. a lack of tact, brashness. the overall kind of disconnection the last two cards have indicated between u guys runs a danger of meaning u guys won't really have much ... emotional sensitivity to each other. this hands-off attitude that u guys will have for each other could have a downside of meaning u aren't really tuned in enough to be sensitive and thoughtful and there's a high risk of carelessly upsetting each other. try to maintain communication despite how independent of each other u may all be.

what u should bring to the table: six of cups. take time for the simple things. at our age there is a LOT of growing up that has to happen really fast but at the same time it's important not to just shove off all the stuff we've taken comfort from and enjoyed over the years. maybe yr gonna have to be the one to take a breather and remind everyone: yeah, we're adults, we have our stuff going on, but sometimes we have to slow down and relax. it sounds like this environment w the roomies could get really businesslike and fast-paced and maybe u guys just need to occasionally take time to have fun w each other and just chill out - and u can be the one to initiate that!

[baphomeme-archive]

(for the tarot readings) what can i do to help overcome my depression and become a better person?

i'm gonna do kind of the same thing i did for ashencandy - what yr doing right, what yr doing wrong, what can help, and what to focus on.

what yr doing right: five of pentacles. hm. that's a really weird card to get for a positive position, but basically what i'm getting is like ... well, 5 of pentacles means going thru an extremely difficult time, a time of loss, a time where yr having a really hard time making ends meet - which doesn't have to be sth financial - so when it's sth yr doing RIGHT i have to think this means that. u are going thru SHIT but u are still holding up rlly well. and u might not feel like it but hell, u are holding up better than u could. another important part of 5 of pentacles is that it's temporary, that yr on the edge of it - keep doing what yr doing til u see the light at the end of the tunnel and find shelter.

what yr doing wrong: six of cups. u gotta stop living in the past, especially dwelling on times that were better than right now. it is really, really easy to get preoccupied w how things used to be, w thinking "well if i had just kept doing X things would still b ok," and right now that is not productive for u. forget the past. keep yrself in the present and look to the future.

what can help: seven of cups. imagination, relying more on what's in yr head than what's on yr plate. don't worry about what IS - keep yr chin up w what could be. others might see it as daydreaming or being irresponsible but right now u HAVE to think about how to move forward in a positive way, and that's gonna be hard to do if u keep yr thoughts bound to how things are now, bc .... right now things are pretty shitty. u KNOW there can be better things out there - keep thinking about those things, even if they aren't within arm's reach rn.

what to focus on: the magician. this is about skills, about getting really good at something. i'm leaning towards saying this is about getting better at coping skills re: yr depression. a lot of times coping mechanisms can feel like the kinda stuff the magician deals in - lies, tricks, sleight of hand. but it WORKS and it gets results. don't fuss over whether or not it's "real" - just practice. practice until yr good at it. this is where yr energies should lie for now.

hope this was helpful!

[baphomeme-archive]

LETS SEE HOW THAT ASSHOLE DECK WORKS FOR YOU tell me about my job hunting please and thank

aaaaaaaaaaaalrighty! ok, for this i'm gonna do 5 cards: what are u doing right, what are u doing wrong, what can help u, what u need to focus on, and a final outcome. (arranged like a briefcase for extra job-hunty-oomph.)

what yr doing right: 2 of pentacles. this is about juggling stuff, finding balance, and especially keeping yr priorities straight. you're handling a lot of different tickets rn and keeping things relatively in order - things haven't devolved into complete chaos even tho job hunting lends itself to that. this is the result of concentration, tho! u gotta keep it up if u want this to remain a positive factor for u.

what yr doing wrong: five of swords. pick yr battles, dude. there's certain stuff that isn't worth pursuing - it'll waste yr time, set u back, and make yr 2 of pentacles up there even harder 2 maintain bc u have ENOUGH on yr plate without adding pointless crap on the side. u have to think harder about whether or not certain exploits are worth the trouble and if they aren't, u gotta prune ruthlessly. u do not have time for this stuff anymore - whatever "this stuff" is, this crap that isn't worth the trouble.

what can help u: knight of wands. be a little more impulsive! stick yr neck out! take the risks that u've been passing on so far. haste makes waste but when yr trying to make resumes stick out sometimes u just kinda have to take that leap that u've been hemming and hawing about - and maybe u gotta do it fast, before u change yr mind (or before ANOTHER resume comes thru and catches their eye first).

what u should focus on: king of swords. discipline and determination. so yr not supposed to be focusing on any job or opportunity in particular - focus on the actual process and the effort. focus on making EVERY application yr best application, even tho i know they're all the same and u might not be THRILLED about that particular job. nose to the grindstone, buckle down, and make sure u aren't flagging.

final outcome: knight of swords. well, this is weird for an outcome card, but at least it means fast forward motion! when an opportunity for u to progress and proceed comes, it will come FAST, and u will have to be fast too. i feel like this ties into yr 'what can help u' card - jump out and take the risk when the opportunity is there. grab it and charge forward!

[baphomeme-archive]

for a tarot reading if its still availible, what can i expect from the upcoming school year ?

u were actually the first person to respond!

for this i decided to do a really straightforward spread; a positive and negative for your physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual spheres in the coming year, so eight cards.

physical (this means everything from yr literal health to very down to earth practical stuff like money and housing):

positive: the empress. confidence and power!! you're gonna have a good solid base, you're gonna feel ROOTED. also since this card is very physical i'm gonna say it probs bodes well for yr physical health too - solid foundation.

negative: 2 of swords. there's gonna be a stalemate - probably having to choose between two things that feel like necessities, or a conflict about rlly barebones stuff in yr life. things like rent, jobs, health - there's gonna b a tough decision and u won't be able to move forward til u make it.

mental (thinky thoughts, personality, mental health, academic stuff!)

positive: nine of pentacles. so far that's two posi cards that have to do w confidence, to some degree! rather than the earthy empress that's v much about a sense of place and groundedness tho, 9 of pentacles is more focused on confidence in relation to independence, self sufficiency - basically having everything u need. in a mental context this might mean yr gonna have no dearth of intellectual resources!

negative: six of pentacles. in a negative position i'm gonna read this as giving TOO much, not thinking enough about yrself. this card is about charity, about giving selflessly - and in a mental context that can be pretty dangerous. be careful not to burn yrself out trying to help others w their problems.

emotional (p self explanatory i think):

positive: the emperor. neat! that's the emperor and the empress in one spread, and while the empress is naturally about physicality, it's cool that the emperor showed up as emotional bc he also tends towards that by nature. more confidence, but in this case it's about, like, being really sure that what yr doing is right, being really sure that u have control over things. yr gonna gain some resources and abilities that will make it easier for u to keep a handle on yr emotional health and yr relationships in the coming year!

negative: the hermit. this one is pretty in yr face re: emotions - don't shut other ppl out! it's gonna become pretty easy to feel alone in the coming year and it's gonna be tempting to try to handle it by yrself, but since this is in a negative position i'm gonna caution you to avoid that. sometimes solitude is good and healthy, but in the coming year work on reaching out to others instead.

aaaand spiritual! (doesn't have to be religious if u aren't - this is about stuff that's even deeper than emotions, stuff that really makes you you, the big questions and larger arcs of yr life):

positive: knight of cups. this is about new opportunities and options that are offered to u by someone else. it doesn't necessarily have to be a new person, but the ideas and options that they bring up will be new. they won't be easily digestible nuggets tho - they'll be threads that lead to new, very long journeys. if u feel up to embarking on one of those, keep yr eyes open for these new opportunities. follow up on new things that crop up if they interest u, especially if they're brought up by someone else.

negative: knight of swords. ooh! interesting, in relation to what we just pulled. so, an addendum: follow up on that stuff, pursue it, but be CAREFUL! the knight of swords is about charging into things thoughtlessly, so this is a pretty clear caution against being reckless. make sure yr thinking about all the steps u take as u explore The Big Stuff, and don't let yrself get too caught up in the excitement.

welp! that was ,... a really fun read, dang. hope it makes sense/is helpful!

[baphomeme-archive]

Hi mama I need tarot advice. I hope this isn't silly, but when I look up a new spread online I can never figure out where I'm supposed to put major arcana and where I'm supposed to put minor arcana. Also, how can you tell if you should account for inversions? Is it just preference? Thanks in advance!!

uhm, i'm not really sure what you mean by "where you're supposed to put" either of the arcana. most spreads are meant to be used with random draws so you don't really have any input or responsibility on what goes where! if u can clarify what u meant i think i'll be able to answer yr question better!

and yeah, inversions are just preference, and usually it would vary based on deck rather than based on spread. like, i personally don't use inversions, but if i DID i would use them w my shadowscapes and rider but not with the gill, russian tarot of st petersburg, or ukiyoe tarot.

[baphomeme-archive]

i have a question, i just started tarot and i am a bit overwhelmed and i don't know how i'm going to memorize all 78 cards, and i have looked online for things, and they are all vague. do you have any tips or anything to help me?

honestly i used to try to like, sit down with the deck and the little instruction booklet that came with it and go thru them one by one trying to memorize them and i ALWAYS got bored and frustrated and it never worked

for me the absolute best way to learn stuff has always been to just jump directly into doing readings and then don't be shy about looking meanings up or referencing the deck instructions

when i first started reading it was really just like. i would set up the spread, flip the card over, try my best to read it myself (sometimes not even by remembering it but just by looking at the image and trying to figure out the symbolism by myself), THEN i'd look it up once i'd given it a good effort. and i did that one by one for the whole spread

it meant that reading spreads took FOREVER for me and it honestly didn't feel very glamorous or cool or witchy but! with that method i was surprised how quickly i learned

and even now i frequently look up meanings just to be sure, or to see if maybe there are any alternate meanings that could be relevant to the spread i'm doing, so like. there's never a point where you've memorized enough that looking stuff up ceases to be useful imo

also an online resource i like is biddytarot, her explanations of card meanings are usually really thorough and helpful. take w a grain of salt tho bc they're VERY rider-waite-centric (some of my decks vary a LOT from rider-waite meanings even if they're the same format) and i even just find myself disagreeing w a lot of her interpretations so! it's really useful but remember that it's really important for u and yr deck(s) to develop yr own personal understandings and vocabulary 2

[baphomeme-archive]

someone did a tarot reading (i don't think i'm saying that right) a couple of nights ago and it was actually really accurate which i ? don't understand because the things they said, i've never told anyone. how do tarot readings work

you said it fine! and yeah, that’s something that can definitely happen with tarot

i mean. mmmm. there are a lot of different theories and beliefs about how tarot works, and i can really only reliably tell you how *i* think they work. the way i read, tarot cards really just act as a conduit for energy between the querent (that’s u!!) and the reader - energy that u bring from yr own situation, esp the situation the reading is about, and the reader’s own energy as a diviner, wherever that comes from. basically i believe that tarot cards and spreads are tools we can use to direct that energy to form recognizable patterns, which in turn make it easier for us to interpret and draw conclusions about situations - with that in mind, i don’t personally think tarot cards can predict or guess solid future events, or that they can “tell” a reader private information about the querent or the querent’s past, just that they can make it far easier to guess/figure those things out.

but again!!! that’s just what i think, and i have no way of knowing for sure. 

[baphomeme-archive]

mama, tarot stems from kaballah, which has a very long history of being a closed aspect of jewish religion, pretty much reserved for elite among religious intelligentsia, as even many rabbis would 'pervert/misuse/over-exert its wisdom.' I know that tarot is pretty central to your worship and practice, but I'm inclined to believe that you don't have as much agency as you might like when it comes to preserving the sanctity of the practices that you observe, and I'm not sure what to think abt that.

okay, i'm going to strongly consider this and research it over the next few days whenever i can.

so far everything i've found has basically said that there are aspects of tarot that probably originated in kaballah, but there's no firm historical record and that modern tarot as it is practiced today is a lot more broad and general. if you have any more information on this i would really appreciate you sharing it with me so i can be more informed.

thank you very much for bringing this to my attention. i want to be transparent and say that for now i am still going to be practicing tarot and talking about it based on the information i've found so far in my own research, but again i'm really open to considering information that would indicate that i should stop - i just haven't really come across any until you sent this message.