PCO: The scary Nine of Hearts

The Nine of Hearts is a card that tends to scare most of people who start using the Playing Card Oracles, because of the "bleeding hearts" and the scary face in the middle of the card. Also, in traditional cartomancy this is the "wish card", but in the PCO, it apparently has a more negative connotation.

Personally, I believe the Nine of Hearts presents a huge challenge: allowing yourself to be filled with positive emotions. At it's best, this card stands for humanitarianism, the need to serve the others, the ability to love and feel compassion without letting your personal judgements interfere. Think Buddha, Jesus Christ, Mother Teresa...

No, this isn't easy - none of the Nines are easy.

In a more "down to earth" level, it could mean not letting your feelings suffocate you or turn into poison inside you. This can be achieved by cultivating altruism and other noble emotions.

At it's worst... it's very bad. Extreme emotions and mood changes, obsessions, feelings that "drown" you, paranoia, inability to control your impulses, distress, decadence, excessiveness... Like all in Nines, it may mean surrendering yourself completely to one "element" only (water/emotions, in this case), and forgetting all others. The necessary balance is lost.

Of course, the "meaning" of the card will be determined by the whole spread, the position in which it appears, the question asked etc. There's not need to be afraid whenever this card shows up - it looks ugly, but it has a beautiful potential. Try to figure out where the excess is, how it may be hindering you (or your sitter) and what can be done to restore balance.


The Playing Card Oracles © Ana Cortez & C.J. Freeman

Ridiculously simple tarot reading...

This is to prove that tarot is not always so esoteric and complicated to understand as people usually think. In fact, it can be pretty obvious sometimes. A person close to me asked if now was the time to go on vacations after one year and a half of hard working non-stop. This the reading I got using the Gummy Bear tarot:

 I assigned no specific positions to the cards - and I didn't even need to. The first card, Seven of Pentacles, shows a bear that has been working hard for a while. Unlike the original Waite-Smith card, that shows a guy looking tired and unmotivated, this bear look tired but happy about what he has accomplished. It wasn't easy, but it gave the desired fruits.

Now, the central card shows a little Page of Pentacles holding a coin. I completely ignored the "traditional" meanings of this card, because here it showed me one thing: the green bear is taking a coin from the 7 of Pentacles to the next card - the Three of Cups. A card of celebration and good times.

The reading was very simply - it's time to use the fruits of your work to have some fun! Yes, definitely go on vacations! Use your hard-won money to give yourself a gift!

Of course, the Gummy Bear isn't the most complex deck around. But sometimes the message is very clear. It's literally just a matter of reading the story that's in the cards.

Gummy Bear Tarot © US Games Systems, Inc.

PCO: Crossing the bridge of the elusive heart...

I did a reading about a relationship. I used a layout called "The Bridge", taught by Ana Cortez in her book The Playing Card Oracles.

The spread is simple - you place the 6♣ (called "The Bridge") in the middle. Then you place one card before it, one above it, one below it and one after it.  The card before the 6♣ is the past; the card above is the gifts of the present; the card below is the obstacles of the present; and the card after the 6♣ is the future.

Easy, uh?

Let's see.

~*

............... 6♠ ..................

.......................................

2♦.......... 6♣ .......... 12♣

........................................

............... 5♥ ..................

In the past polarities met. The 2♦ is called "The Rivals", but it's not necessarily about enmity - it's more about a clash between two people have opposite characteristics. Since this is a love relationship reading, I do not see competition here... for me this is how they started. A sudden and unexpected bump created a spark between two people that would have never even talked otherwise. Their differences were attractive, and they somehow made the game more interesting.

I also believe they were distant - like night and day, completing each other but never touching. A bit like the eagle and the wolf in Ladyhawke.

The gift of the present is a scary gift - the 6♠, also known as "The Ruins". It cannot be seen separately from the obstacle of the present, the 5♥ ("Fata Morgana"). First, because the two suits complement each other, making this difficult present better. The obstacle is the illusion - emotions here are lacking any depth. Still, they make the heart restless! But how can ruins be a gift? I believe this shows that the querent already had a similar experience in the past, regarding the same sort of illusion... now it's time to recall is and learn from it. It also reinforces the essentially "empty" nature of this relationship. Like Ana Cortez says in her book "a form without substance of life". To realise that is truly a gift - an important advice to avoid the trap.

The future card shows Leah, Queen of Clubs. She looks like she's about to fly, her eyes seeing beyond... she is flying away from this reading, and facing the future. The blackness of this suit (and the overall reading) makes me believe the querent will go through a moment of retreat... she'll turn her inner eyes towards something else in order to leave this all behind.  I sense here something like going throw a "dark night of the soul". In this process, she'll mature, and then open her eyes to new dreams...

The Playing Card Oracles © Ana Cortez & C.J. Freeman

Interview with the Gummy Bear Tarot

I just received my Gummy Bear Tarot from a friend at Aeclectic Tarot! I immediately felt the urge to "interview" it and here's the result!

1. Tell me about yourself. What is your most important characteristic? ~ 8 of Swords

People take time to see my true value as a deck., so they usually keep me simply a collection item. I seem too limited and lacking of depth because of my child-like appearance, but in fact I'm just waiting for the readers to free me from their own judgement start using me.

2. What are your strengths as a tarot deck? ~ 8 of Swords

I'm a great working deck. I'm a good deck to use at any time, to anyone. I'm a jack of all trades. I am the right deck to choose when you need something that simply works.

3. What are your limits as a tarot deck? ~ Ace of Swords

I'm sorta simple... I have problems at dealing with really complex matters. Also, I'm a tad too tied to the RWS imagery, which can be limiting.

4. What are you here to teach us?  ~ 9 of Cups

I'm here to teach you to enjoy. Relax. Forget those complex decks and the deep studies... just sit down with a drink you like and talk to me. I'm your friend.

5. How can we best learn from and collaborate with you? ~ XII - Hanged Man

Use me, please! I look better in your hands than inside your drawer. Besides, I get very annoyed when I'm left hanging!

6. What is the potential outcome of our working relationship? ~ 4 of Cups

Hum... I think we may become bored of each other after a while. I'm not a really challenging deck. But hey, I'm cute. And fun.


Gummy Bear Tarot © US Games Systems, Inc.