Exercise CT #4: Emperor Spread
Date: Sun, 12 Oct 2003 15:06:04 +0200
From: Moonchild
To: Comparative Tarot http://comparativetarot.com
Spread from Ariadne Tarot Site http://www.thaliatook.com/tarot.html
> This is a general spread for looking at your situation, goals, maintenance, general upkeep of your life.
> 3 1 2
> 7 9 8
> 4 5 6> Shuffle the deck and lay out the cards per the diagram above, face down,
> turning them over as you go.Since there are so many cards in this exercise, I think I will do it a
bit different this time, doing one spread with the two decks rather than
two spreads. The first deck is Thoth, the second Rider Waite. (How
could I not use it, after it won the Emperor of Tarot Decks poll?)
> Card 1: This card represents you in command, how you go about things.
Four of Wands--"Completion"
Four is, as the BoT says, "Order, Law, Government." Also: "In the
symbol, the ends of the wands touch a circle, showing the completion and
limitation of the original work. It is within this circle that the
flames (four double, as if to assert balance) of the Energy are seen to
play, and there is no intention to increase the scope of the original
Will. But this limitation bears in itself the seeds of disorder."
RW--'festival' (personal mental shorthand)In the RW, this card is frequently associated with a wedding. When I
think about my wedding, yes, it was completion, and a limitation. The
Will was accomplished. It was a moment in time to just stop and enjoy
culmination of a six-year, 5000-mile relationship. It was also a
limitation in having to give up personal freedoms, as well as other
heads-of-household, so to speak. These are things that the Emperor also
asks of us. We have to limit our personal freedoms to a point, in order
to have order, law and government. And we have to choose one leader.As for how this relates to the position: me in command. I'm satisfied
with the completeness of (nearly) every day; each one is a fest. So I
basically just maintain things the way they are, complete. I don't feel
any need to impose order, or anything like that. My Emperor energy is
contained within the circle, with "no intention to increase the scope"
of my realm.> Card 2: This card represents things you can control.
Seven of Cups reversed (the only reversed card)--"Debauch"
RW--"fairy favors, imagination," etc.
Could this be the lethargy? The phlem I hack up from smoking too much?
Is my sense of completion leading to a lack of keeping up with reality?
This is pretty hazy. The RW (rev) reminds me of writer's block. (Which
is, more or less, the reason I'm doing all these exercises.) Or better,
that scene in Amadeus, when Wolfie giggling tells his patron that he's
got the music finished--in his head. The guy gapes at him and says,
"Write it down!"
I did. I am. I'm not. I don't know.> Card 3: This card represents things you can't control.
Prince of Disks--While Crowley's description reminds of many of my man's
traits, my first thought when I saw the card was the stock market. Also
relates to completion, as I don't really care if the stock market goes
up or down, as long as I have some money.
Also, time, fruition of earthly things.> Card 4: These are things to discard, situations or attitudes that no longer serve you.
Adjustment/Justice--Why would I discard this???
Oh, wait Š I see it Š it's the tip-toeing. (If you spot it, you got it.)> Card 5: This card represents things to keep in a modified form, things to prune.
The Emperor! But the inner or the outer one? It's obviously important
that this card turned up in this spread, but Š?> Card 6: These are things that need maintaining.
Six of Disks--"Success"; RW--'charity'
Maybe I'd better keep an eye on that stock market!
Also, the way I give (esp. to my family), which is key to a successful
"product" (esp. my child).> Card 7: This is the result or goal you would like to reach, your ideal
> ordered situation or world, or, where this is headed.The Star--need I say more? Yes!
This card makes me realize that I'm essentially an anarchist, that
"every man and every woman is a star" and doesn't really *need* a lot of
governance. There is a natural governance. I believe that in most
normal humans, it is powered by the Virtues. Personally, I would like
to express my Star energy (dance sky-clad!) with a less order, law, government.> Card 8: This card represents an unexpected result, unforeseen or
> secondary consequences, something to be aware of.Three of Swords--"Sorrow"; RW-'sorrow'
Ooh, I don't like to see that. Will you think ill of me if I just
acknowledge it, and move on?> Card 9: This card represents your willpower, your desire for this thing,
> which can overcome the odds.Nine of Wands--"Strength"; RW--'defense'
Strength, but not aggression. I don't know if this is my "desire for
this thing," but it is my desire: not so much to go out and get
something, or to try to change the world, rather to maintain and defend
the circle, wherein we are truly blessed.
One Love All Love,
Moonchild~~~~~~~
A planet of playthings, we dance on the strings
Of powers we cannot perceive. <Rush>
This page is excerpted from my original contributions to the Comparative Tarot discussion group.
Graphics created and generously shared by Full Moon Graphics.
http://www.moonchild.ch/Tarot/personal/exercise/EX04.html
