When you’ll never be a royal (Or, on being who you actually are, right now)

Lately, it feels like court cards are coming up an awful lot when I do readings, sneaking in no matter what question I’m contemplating or what story I’m trying to explore. They turn up in the simplest spreads and the most complex. I’ll be hoping for a poignant major card to reveal itself, so I can smile knowingly while feeling wise and connected to deep universal truths, like a real tarot reader. But instead, here’s yet another page or queen, looking smug, forcing me to think up even more possible meanings for these images I’ve been seeing over and over for weeks.

(I get it, court cards. I’ve always shunned you a bit, and now that I’m listening, you have all sorts of things to tell me about what’s up with my shit. Okay. Just stop trying to forcibly take over my blog, maybe?)

Today when I threw my cards, the story was one that comes up a lot for me. I’ve mentioned before that I’ve got a very swords-heavy personality. But I’ve always been drawn to the wands, in real life as well as in tarot. Wands people are warm and sharp at the same time, like a shot of cinnamon liquor. They make you feel like something special is happening no matter what, and like you’re right in the middle of it. Or at least, they’re right in the middle of it, and maybe if you’re lucky you’ll be along for the ride.

A quick spread trick, because sometimes a quick spread is all you can do

Unexpected Life Event of the week: I’m a rock climber, and on Monday I had my first real injury. I don’t get sick or hurt too often, but apparently when I do, I make it count. Now I have a broken wrist. Yaaay.

(Behold! Evidence that tarot cards really don’t reveal your future, or I’d have gone to a movie that afternoon.)

My doc’s putting in some pins next week, but for now I’ve only got one hand for things like typing, general existence, and using my cards. I started journaling some big-picture ideas in my tarot notebook over the past couple weeks – more thoughts about gender, and some about approaching the mystical/spiritual elements of the tarot as a mostly non-mystical reader. But it looks like these will have to wait until I can write again, and until I can type faster than twelve (misspelled) words a minute.*

In the meantime, here’s a simple method I like to use for quick spreads.