by Marcus Katz
TAROT LIFE
MONTH 3
MAKE DECISIONS BETTER
Marcus Katz & Tali Goodwin
Authors Note: This is Month 3 of our 12-booklet Tarot Life series; you will require the previous Month 1 & 2 booklets “Discover Your Destiny” & “Remove the Blocks” to follow the sequence over the year. Most of the exercises in each booklet may be carried out as stand-alone pieces of self-discovery or re-purposed for use in daily, personal or client readings.
Published by Forge Press (March, 2013)
1 Wood Cottage, Old Windebrowe, Keswick,
Cumbria CA12 4NT
Cover: ‘Queen of Swords’, Tyldwick Tarot © by Neil Lovell
http://www.malpertuis.co.uk/tyldwick/
Tarot Life © Marcus Katz & Tali Goodwin, 2013. All rights reserved. No part of this book shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise – without written permission from the publisher.
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The private Facebook Tarot Life group to share your experiences and gain further insight from Tarot Life Companions is linked at the back of this booklet.
INDEX
Introduction 4
Making Decisions Better 5
A Simple Method for Beginners 7
The Two Minds Method 7
The Sword of Perseus Method 9
The Court Cards as Deciders 11
The Cards as Additional Advisors 18
Conclusion 33
Bibliography 37
Websites & Resources 38
TAROT LIFE: 12 STEPS TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE
A linked series of Gated Spreads to be carried out over a full year.
Introduction
In this series of Kickstart books of Tarosophy teaching, we take a break from the reference work of Tarot Flip, the seventy-eight innovative Tarot methods in Tarot Twist, and the spiritual considerations of Tarot Inspire to offer a unique practice of our work.
You are about to change your life with Tarot, and whether you are a newcomer to tarot or experienced reader, you are about to do something totally new. In using what we call a Gated Spread – a linked sequence of tarot readings whose questions are determined by the results of real-world activities – you are going to fundamentally alter the way you experience your life.
We have combined here the wisdom of the Tarot with years of practical testing and the latest research in psychology and the biology of willpower, belief, habit and other aspects of our being.
This series is designed to be experienced a month at a time, and in the sequence given. You can start at any time, although New Year, your Birthday, or the Spring Equinox are all powerful starting times.
This series is accompanied by a private Facebook group for discussion and questions about your experiences as you make this journey. We look forwards to your engagement of tarot with your life – it is about to become a truly Tarot Life.
Marcus Katz, The Tarosophist &
Tali Goodwin, TaliTarot
Making Decisions Better
“There’s something unsettling about seeing the brain as one big argument. We like to believe that our decisions reflect a clear cortical consensus, that the entire mind agrees on what we should do. And yet, that serene self-image has little basis in reality.”
Jonah Lehrer, How We Decide (2010) p. 203.
In this third month of Tarot Life we encounter the sign of Gemini in the zodiacal sequence; the third of the twelve signs. This sign corresponds to the Tarot card of the Lovers. It is important that we see in this card a way of making choices and decisions, the key theme of this third month. Whilst earlier versions of this card depicted a man between two women, representing perhaps two different choices – or a choice between vice and virtue – it is to the Golden Dawn variant of this card that we will turn.
The Golden Dawn modified this image by depicting the “Lovers” card as the myth of Perseus rescuing Andromeda from the Kraken. They described this image as “the impact of inspiration on intuition, resulting in illumination and liberation”. They saw the chains of Andromeda being “habit”, the Kraken being “fear” and the ocean as being “stagnation”.
In Kabbalah, this card corresponds to the path between Binah (Understanding) and Tiphareth (Beauty), which in turn equate to the formative nature of our unconscious (Binah) and our sense of self-awareness and centre of consciousness (Tiphareth). In uniting these two aspects of our being, the card illustrates how our conscious mind is impacted by the depths of our unconscious mind. This is no more noticeable than in our habits, routines, automatic nature – and the bursts of clarity that come from nowhere to rescue us from this robotic nature.
Mathers suggested that rather than “proof”, this card signified “wise disposition”. It is certainly a wise disposition which is required when making decisions.
Illus. Perseus & Andromeda (from a woodcut), & ‘Lovers’ from the Golden Dawn Tarot.
Firstly we will present a simple spread/method based on decision-making. We will then see how individual cards relate to decisiveness and how to utilize the entire deck to make decisions better.
A Simple Method for Beginners
During this month, you will be paying particular attention to your decision-making. There will be a daily practice for you if you wish to use it, but here below is a method which you can apply several times during the month to more significant decisions.
The purpose of the daily practice and/or that given below is to provide you experiences which you can examine with the sixteen Court Cards as “Deciders” – which will provide cards for later gates in your Tarot Life journey.
This is what we call a split-deck method in Tarosophy and can be used for any decision-making, particularly those where there are two choices or proposals to consider.
The Two Minds Method
1. Sort your deck into five piles – placing each of the suits (pentacles, cups, swords and wands) and Major Arcana (22 numbered cards, Fool to World) into each pile. So stack all of the Swords together, all of the Pentacles together, etc.
2. Select out the pile with the Majors. These represent the archetypal forces of the world.
3. Select out the pile which relates to the situation in which you are two minds:
Pentacles: A financial or material situation
Cups: An emotional or relationship situation
Swords: An intellectual or educational situation
Wands: A lifestyle or spiritual situation
4. Place these 14 cards (the Ace to 10 and the Court Cards of that suit) with the 22 Major cards and discard the other three piles.
5. Shuffle the 36 cards of the chosen suit and the Majors whilst considering your question.
6. Decide whether the cards you are going
to lay out to your left represent one option and the cards to the right will represent the other option (you can do a variant of this with more than two options by having more than two columns for your spread).
7. Lay out SIX cards in a column to your left (representing option 1) and SIX cards in a column to your right (representing option 2). These are your “Two Minds”.
8. Read each column.
9. The column with the MOST MAJORS represents the option with the most energy, whether for positive or negative depending on the reading of that column.
10. Add up the NUMBERS of any MINOR card in each respective column. The column with the highest total of numbered cards is the option which is closer to completion or manifestation.
11. The column with the widest range of numbers is the option most difficult to manage.
These methods of reading the two minds should assist you clarify the decision in step with your own common-sense, knowledge, experience and the general reading of the cards involved.
You can also consider the top card in both columns to be an additional advisory card, and look up that additional decision-advice in the list we have provided later in this booklet. The decision card on the more positive column will show you how to proceed best with that decision now that it is more likely.
The Sword of Perseus Method
For daily use in prompting your decision-making and working out which Court Cards best reflect your style, we also recommend this short reading method. You can use it on a regular basis to hone your decision-making until you get your sword really sharp!
For any decision, consider it as the myth of Perseus and Andromeda. Make a note as to how the decision can be broken down into:
Andromeda: What would be released by making any decision?
Kraken: What is worrying (fear) about making this decision?
Ocean: What will happen if you make no decision (stagnant)?
Begin to consider all the decisions you have made in the past, and how they appear now time has passed. Consider this current decision in the light of the past and possible futures.
Get ready to act. Decide if nothing else that you will make at least one action, one willed decision, based on the card you pull. Prepare to do so, and only take a card when you have determined and have space and time to act immediately on the card.
Draw one card as your Sword of Perseus.
Consider it breaking the chains and slaying the Kraken. What does it call you to do – how does it help you make that decision to act?
Act upon it.
Only then, afterwards, go back and pull 3 cards, one each for the Andromeda position, the Kraken and the Ocean:
Andromeda: What has actually been released by my decision?
Kraken: What can I do in my next decision to face the fear faster and better?
Ocean: What activity/approach should I undertake until my next decision to avoid stagnation and be even faster to decide?
Then consider which of the Court Cards reflects your own style of decision-making, and repeat this exercise whenever you approach a decision over this month.
You may find that your approach to making decisions changes radically as you pay more attention to this process and engage the cards in this dynamic way. In effect, you are using the cards as a model of better decision-making, which builds over time.
As ever, the cards are not the only considerations in making any changes in your life. View them in context but allow yourself to be surprised and challenged by them beyond the obvious.
The Court Cards as Deciders
“The other side of her character is that she may have a tendency to brood, come to a wrong decision thereon, and react with great savagery”.
Aleister Crowley, on ‘The Queen of Wands’ in The Book of Thoth (1985) p. 152.
During this month, whilst you practice with the daily Sword of Perseus or the Two Minds method, you are asked to consider the sixteen Court Cards as Decision-makers. Over the course of the month, we would like you to realize the two or three cards that most correspond to your way of working with decisions in your everyday life. These cards are the outcome of this gate and the keys to a later gate – so it is important they accurately reflect your actual character and personality in this context.
If there is one really close card, that will be sufficient, but do not choose more than four – if there seem to be many, choose the two or three that most closely fit your decision-making style.
We will then use this information which will be gathered at the end of this month of your Tarot Life, later in the year as part of the whole “gated spread” presented by Tarot Life.
We will provide a brief overview of the sixteen Court cards in this light. You may also wish to add your own findings over the month to this list as it can never be comprehensive. It will also add depth to your readings for yourself and others as you experience how the court cards can indicate decision-making strategies.
We have given their titles as Waite-Smith and Thoth for convenience. We would recommend the Thoth deck for the exercises in this book, although any deck will suffice.
You can also join the Tarot Life Facebook group to ask questions and discuss this exercise. A link is given in the appendix.
Page of Pentacles/Princess of Discs
I make decisions by dwelling deeply upon the issue at hand. I am always able to see the beauty and wonder in even the most mundane situation. I possess a down earth mentality that people speak of being my inner strength, for me to make a decision it has to have a very practical element to it.
I have to be certain of a decision being right before I decide, as I do not give up easily, once I embark on a venture. However, this resilience/enthusiasm with regards to decisions that I have made, enables me to progress while others fall at the wayside.
In decision making I possess equilibrium of mind, body and emotions.
In regards to decision making I am far seeing, I plan well into the future. I am a visionary individual. I am able to morph into any situation that arises; this can be seen as a positive or negative trait depending on the situation. It can give rise to people saying that I am inconsistent in my behavior; the truth is that I possess great adaptability that equips me well in life.
I avoid decisions by holding back, and procrastinating and by over planning. I can also be difficult to pin down about a decision as I can easily change direction along the way. I have a tendency to bewilder with my changeability.
Knight of Pentacles/Prince of Disks
I make decisions by taking time out to meditate on the situation at hand and once I have decided upon the course of action I give the very best I can, I imbue it with brute force and energetic vigor. I am make the decision based upon sound practical considerations, there is no half way guess work for me! I have to trust a situation and the people involved before I decide upon an important decision.
I avoid decisions by cutting off from the situation at hand. I have a tendency not to act if the outcome of the decision does not interest me enough. I avoid decision making if it is not obvious, I do not like intangible things, I have to be able to touch something, it has to have a ring of practicality about it, I do not do ‘pie in the sky!’
Queen of Pentacles/Queen of Disks
I make decisions by absorbing the information about me, I have to become something before I can be part of something. I make decisions based upon how functional the outcome will be. I make decisions based upon how much good this action will bring to others around me. My decisions are also made on consideration of what my instincts tell me what to do, where I am lacking intellectual acuity I make up for it with intuition.
I avoid decisions by becoming too carried away with what is happening around me, I become so overwhelmed with everybody’s stuff I cannot decide what to do.
I avoid decisions by becoming too obsessed with how useful something is, thereby disregarding something which has potential at a later date.
King of Pentacles/Knight of Dis
ks
I make decisions based upon how secure and comfortable it makes me feel. I am often described as being very self-interested. I think as I go along and decide as I go along without too much intellectual consideration getting in the way. I am an instinctual animal, earthy and primitive and I like to be sure of my space.
I avoid decisions by distracting myself with material possessions. I plod along avoiding risk taking in order to keep things just as they are; this is safe but ever so boring.
Page of Swords/Princess of Swords
I make decisions that are influenced by my sense retribution, if something riles me then I am quick to judge and then take action. I like to make decisions that will have an impact on the lives of those around me. I am the sort of person who likes to campaign and be the leader of a protest.
I avoid making decisions for myself by constantly involving myself in the causes of others; I am so preoccupied with the external world that I avoid looking within and to my own actions.
Knight of Swords/Prince of Swords
I make decisions based upon intellect and reasoning, I have to pick through an issue before taking action.
I avoid making decisions by making the excuse that I do not have enough information, the time is never right. My many clever ideas and plans fail to come to realization, I talk more than I do the walk. If I avoid doing, then I avoid failing.
Queen of Swords/Queen of Swords
