Free Tarot Card Draw!

[rowyn]

So, while I was in Seattle, I bought shatterstripes's Tarot of the Silicon Dawn, because it was very shiny.

I have no discernable psychic or precognitive abilities*, but the deck is very shiny, and I rather want to, you know. Do something with it. Other than leaf through the pretty pictures. And offering card readings is something people seem to do on LJ fairly often, so hey, why not?

So leave a question on this entry if you like, and I will draw a card or three from the deck and reference the short descriptions helpfully written by queenofstripes and provided in the deck's accompanying book. Based on these, I will give you a most-likely-not-very-useful response to your question. I will even link to the image of your card from shatterstripes's website. It'll be fun!

Edit: If you would like to ask for a question on behalf of a fictional character (like a character from a book you're writing, or a game you're playing), feel free! My fictitious psychic powers* will work just as well if not better on fictitious people, after all. :)

Edit the second: I should mention that this Tarot deck is NSFW: it has quite a bit of nudity, as well as kink and gender genderqueer. You are warned!

* No slight is intended here to people who take tarot readings seriously or find spiritual import in them! I am only making fun of myself, I promise. I do think that tarot cards can be interesting problem-solving or meditation tool, in terms of making one think about different angles or approaches, even absent any divinatory abilities. But I'm not even sure I do a good job at that, hence the disclaimers.

Comments

[beetiger.livejournal.com]

Tell me what I need to know right now to keep grounded in my own self.

[rowyn]

Yay! A question!

For you, I drew < href="http://egypt.urnash.com/albums/Illustration/King%20of%20Cups.jpg">The King of Cups, upright, Temperance, inverted, and the Progeny of Void.

From this, I get a sense that making plans, as the King of Cups is doing, is smart, but the King of Cups is having a glass of wine while he's doing it, and Temperance is inverted, so it's okay to get a drink and relax when you're figuring out what you're doing. The Progeny of the Void is alien arms reaching out towards an alien landscape: from that, I would say that when you feel alienated, you should reach out to people you don't normally reach out to.

[zeeth_kyrah]

What do things look like after this month?

[rowyn]

For you, I drew: The High Priestess, inverted, The Five of Pentacles, inverted, and (untitled), inverted.

Apparently, next month will look inverted. And somewhat Major.

The Five of Pentacles has an unhappy and rather worried person listening to people argue, probably about money, but it's inverted, so I'd say July will either be peaceful or a good time for productive, if contentious, discussions. The High Priestess in this deck is a priestess of technology; being inverted, I'll interpret that to mean that the important things of July will happen offline and in low-tech arenas, probably spiritual. The (untitled) card of this deck is the Card Formerly Known as the Traitor, aka the Hanged Man. She's a rather cheerful looking woman in rubbery bondage; I'll go with her inversion meaning that bondage is illusory: July will bring you realization of a freedom you didn't know you had, although not necessarily one you will be glad to have.

[terrycloth.livejournal.com]

What do I need to do this summer?

[rowyn]

Is this a question from Terrycloth or * Black Griffons? n.n

[ladyperegrine.livejournal.com]

Hmm...general "what do I need to know?" reading, please. Thanks! I think you're a natural. :-)

[rowyn]

You're quite welcome. It's a lot of fun! :)

For you, I drew: The Empress, upright,the Ten of Pentacles, upright, and the Lovers, inverted. You need to know that you are mostly upright and major!

Your cards are feminine and POWERFUL! The Ten of Pentacles is Girl Galactus ready to feast on Saturn! Empress, ruler of all she surveys! The Lovers are sexy flying furries that everybody wants!

If you look closely at the Empress, you will see that she is two-faced: she wears a mask that looks towards the viewer, while her true face looks away. Look closely at the Lovers (you need the actual deck for this -- it shows via a difference in the gloss on the card, and therefore not at all in the online version) and you will see that one of those pairs of hands-hiding-genitalia has a little male symbol over it, instead of the little female symbol the other two have. (She's the red one, with green hair.)

My interpretation: you need to know that you are Powerful! Sometimes you need to be able to look in two directions at once, which you can because you're a mom, and sometimes you just need people to believe that you can look in two directions at once, which also works. Occasionally, it helps to wear a mask, in doing the things you have to and don't want to, and in getting away with the things you want to do and are embarrassed by. You also need to know that you have Power over Money (that's what pentacles are about, after all): Money does not have Power over you! But you must not abuse your power, lest you become a tyrant and consume Saturn. Or your household. That would be bad. Don't worry, though, those stinging teeny starships are never going to be able to take you down. The Lovers is there to let you know that you are gorgeous and desirable, and to show that hidden masculine streak you have inside that you think everyone has forgotten about but nooooo, the Tarot know it's there. The inversion of the Lovers signifies that you can't afford to let your desires run unchecked (the Ten of Pentacles reflects that too, actually). That much power is dangerous! And could distract you from the responsibilities that you need to use your power to fulfill. So behave yourself. Some of the time. Not all of the time. No need to overdo it on the behaving-yourself end. n_n

[alltoseek.livejournal.com]

My son and I are both suffering from a complete lack of motivation around chores. How can we Get Things Done?

[rowyn]

Umm, if you figure it out, can you let me know how?

OK, OK, I will consult with the cards. Maybe they know!

I draw: the Eight of Pentacles, upright; the Nine of Pentacles, upright, and the Nine of Wands, upright. You need to be upright about your reasons for wanting chores done?

The eight of pentacles is a very game-like card, and represents swift action. The nine of pentacles represents Strength and is all about Getting Things Done: look at her hammering downwards! The nine of wands is about gain and wealth: two people trade a necklace of pearls, in an opulent, leisurely setting.

This is a very monetary selection of cards (pentacles always seem monetary to me, and even the wands card invokes wealth), which suggests to me that you and your son need to feel more rewarded for doing your respective chores. Perhaps you could make a game of it: compete to see who finishes first! Or get points for every chore accomplished, which could be traded in for valuable prizes (like time on the computer to play videogames, or ice cream before bed) when enough are accumulated. Although not too many points: if you were into deferred gratification, having the chores be done would be reward enough.

The swift-and-strong theme of the eight and nine of pentacles suggests "Just Do It". Instead of thinking about how you don't want to do the chores, do a chore as soon as you start thinking about it. Don't worry about doing them in the right order. If you need to vaccuum the living room but can't get the vacuum under the coffee table because it's too cluttered, then just vacuum around the coffee table -- it's still an improvement! Don't worry about prioritizing What Needs to Be Done Most -- just do whatever seems least objectionable at the moment.

That's the best I can get out of the cards, anyway. I would not vouch for them being any better at this than I am, but good luck. :D

[shatterstripes.livejournal.com]

Let's make this a little more complicated and see what happens when someone else tries to read it for its author!

What should I be on the lookout for this year?

[rowyn]

Eeee! Let's see:

For you, I draw: the Four of Wands, inverted.Fortune, inverted. the Nine of Swords, inverted. You got my first sword!

Fortune, inverted,gives me the sense that you should look out, not for bad luck, but for risk aversion; that you shouldn't be afraid to play Fortune's game. I don't know why I think that, but this is tarot card reading so I'm going with my gut.

The inverted four of wands suggests that your solitude is unstable: you are going to fall out of the cage you've made for yourself, but that's okay because you didn't love it anyway.

The nine of swords: Betrayal, inverted. I think this means you should watch out for misunderstandings: someone you think is acting against you next year will actually be trying to help you -- although they may be going about it wrong.

I would add this all up to signify "don't be afraid to take chances on making new friends or renewing old acquaintances, don't assume the worst if things look bad, and don't be afraid to take risks with your business either".

... I think this also signifies that I am much too prone to reading the best out of things, because that is a pretty happy interpretation to derive from a rather unhappy-looking set of inverted cards. :D I stand by it though! So there.

These are very fun cards to read, I must say.

[jimmy-hollaman.livejournal.com]

what do i need to know?

[rowyn]

For you, I draw: the Ten of Cups, inverted; the Nine of Cups, upright, and the Six of Cups, inverted.

These are all Cups, so you need to know that it's okay to focus on your emotional state and well-being. The Ten of Cups is Dream, three wild, happy aliens carrying their abundance into space. Inverted, it suggests that you should stay grounded in reality -- don't let your daydreams distract you from the world, but make your dreams be real.

The Nine of Cups is Happiness, a cheerful woman photographing herself in sexy get-up amidst an elaborate array of shiny, sexy toys. You need to know that you're Happy! And it's okay to be happy! And to show everyone around you that you're happy, too, and why you are. Go for it!

The Six of Cups is Pleasure, a serpent-woman arising from the desert into an overflowing abundance of water and welcoming sunlight. Inverted, it suggests you will need to work to get what you need. I think the juxtaposition of inverted pleasure & dream and upright happiness means that the important thing is to be happy with who you are, and not to obsess over unrealized dreams or worry about missed pleasures.

[bard-bloom.livejournal.com]

What should I do about Nexterie that I'm not doing?

[rowyn]

For you, I draw: the Four of Wands, inverted; the Queen of Pentacles, upright; and She-is-Legend, upright. I cannot find a copy of She-is-Legend on the tarot website, curiously, so I've linked to a version available on Peggy's VCL site.

The Queen of Pentacles and and She-Is-Legend both reflect aspects of yourself: the Queen has a dragon tattoo(?) on her body and a dragon head above her own, but she cannot see the dragon head when she looks in the mirror. That doesn't mean it isn't there: tilt the card to the light, and you can see the serpent's shape in the gloss. She-Is_Legend is an androgynous cat-person: maybe a catgirl, or a boy, or neither. Perhaps the cards think you should put more of yourself into Nexterie: lose yourself in the story for a little while. The Four of Wands is Solitude, a woman alone in a tower/prison of her own making. Inverted, it suggests to me the cage is about to fall apart. Maybe your characters -- or you -- feel unduly constrained by the plot you have planned for Nexterie? They need space in which to be themselves, to be interesting and entertaining figures in their own right, and not merely in service to the greater story. She-Is-Legend is a fluid card, embodying multiple possibilities, and also suggests that a fluid, flexible approach is called for.

[sythyry.livejournal.com]

How can I defeat those wicked Vepri?

[rowyn]

For you, I draw: History, inverted; the Magician, upright; the Six of Swords, inverted.

History is inverted: the Vepri are just another part of the pattern of World Tree's history, of corruption, partisanship, and greed. It is the pattern that must be broken, not the Vepri. History is also the story you tell yourself: it is the story that binds you, as it wraps around History's arms. Inverted, it can be the story that sets you free. Tell your tale well, and you can change its course.

The Magician is, of course, you; she is seated at her keyboard, a writing device of my own world; her presence in the drawing suggests that you, personally, do have the power to defeat those wicked Vepri. In connection with inverted History, I think it means you are at least as likely to defeat them with words -- with the way you present their actions to the greater Tree -- as with magic. But magic will have a part to play as well.

The Six of Swords represents Science, a master craftsman working over her latest weapon. Inverted, it represents the failure of your initial attempt to disprove the Vepri theory logically. You need to undermine not just their theory, but actually attack the underlying pattern: the prime need to claim superiority over perceived lessers, the prime desire to factionalize into small groups, and to claim that their own group is best. That is an emotional craving, and that's the problem. Free primes of the need for status, and the Vepri obsession will serve no purpose.

Of course, that's a pretty tall order. It might take you a few millenia to reach enlightenment. In the meantime, perhaps fostering a love for justice and the rule-of-law, over corruption and cronyism, would help start the way.

[minor-architect.livejournal.com]

Tell you what: if you draw a card for me, I'll draw a card for you from my Ways & Means Deck (http://minor-architect.livejournal.com/162695.html). Sound good? :)

My question is a fill-in-the-blank: to achieve a calmer mind and a more peaceful outlook, I need to ______.

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

Oo! Oo! Trade (both of) you a rune reading for a card reading! :D

[rowyn]

Sure! Yours first:

For you, I drew: the Princess of Wands, the Ace of Pentacles, and < href="http://egypt.urnash.com/albums/Illustration/2%20of%20Cups.jpg">the Two of Cups, all upright.

The Princess of Wands is a dryad far above a planet, and either falling back to it, or being blown away from it. The text in the book talks about which it is -- is she leaving or returning? -- but I think what's important to your question is her joyful expression. It doesn't matter which way she's journeying: she's having a great time going there. So don't worry about where you're going right now; just enjoy the moment.

The Two of Cups is Love, a sort of four-armed satyr sharing drink with a naga who twines and rises around her. Choose your actions based on the spirit of love and generosity.

The Ace of Pentacles is a dancing elemental fire, with teeny salamanders exploding out from her body. I think she's reinforcing the message of the Princess of Wands: enjoy the moment. "Sufficient unto the day", as it were. Stop worrying about what's going to happen next, or what happened last. Act with love and enjoy the things that you're doing right now. Even when they're scary or tedious or just ordinary, see the good in them and savor it.

(And if you figure out how to do all that, tell me.) :)

[rowyn]

And for my question to you:

How can I inject some fresh enthusiasm into my creative life?

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

Team Butterfly has had a number of setbacks recently. For the sake of morale, they could certainly use a win. Taarna wants to know how to make it happen. :)

[rowyn]

Note that I still don't have psychic powers, so no guarantee that advice to Taarna will be any good, any more than my advice to real people is. n.n This is the advice that Rowyn interprets the tarot cards to be offering Taarna, not the advice the GM is giving her PC. If Taarna wants actual prophecy, she should ask Eve!

For Taarna, I drew: (untitled), inverted (the Hanged Man/the Traitor); The Empress, inverted, the Five of Pentacles, inverted.

(untitled) is a cheerful half-blindfolded woman in a rubber coccoon, hanging upside down. Inverted, she suggests the you need toshed your bondage. Stop being a sub! Stop being tied up by everyone else'e |rules|! You have great powers: use them!

The Empress is a powerful woman, two-faced and masked, upon a throne. Inverted, she suggests that your masks and efforts to look in all directions at once are failing you. Focus on one thing, and be honest about what you're trying to do, why you're trying to do it, and who you are. The Empress's inversion reinforces the message of (untitled): you have great power and accompanying responsibility: your sense of helplessness is artificial.

It is brought on by your fears, as represented in the Five of Pentacles: a woman listening to, and shirking from, two people arguing. She thinks the argument is about her: maybe it is, and maybe it isn't. The message is "stop worrying about what other people think" and "everything isn't about _you_." If your morale is low, maybe it's because you keep blaming yourself for things that aren't actually your fault. So there's fighting in Somalia! Is that really about _you_? The inversion of the Empress reinforces the "stop worrying about what other people think" message. The mask is not helping you; it's just giving you one more thing to fret over ("who's seeing through it now?")

[genkitty.livejournal.com]

*giggle* It looks like you're having fun with this!

My question to your cards: Gamemastering feels more like drudge work than fun; how do I re-find the fun?

(Sunday is my first real session of the new 4e campaign, using EN World's War of the Burning Sky saga)

[rowyn]

... I hope the Tarot cards know the answer to this, because I don't. If you figure it out, tell me how?

For you, I drew: The Empress, upright; the Three of Swords, inverted; and the Nine of Pentacles, inverted.

The Empress is a two-faced woman on a throne: with a mask she looks at the audience, while her true face is turned to the side. Her role as ruler, and that she came first, represents yours as GM, the final authority in the games you run. Like her, you need to be able to look in multiple directions at once, or at least look like you are, to your players. You also wear a mask, taking on the roles of the NPCs. Perhaps you should focus more on that mask: fully inhabit the characters you play! Think about their hopes and dreams. Take joy in being them for a while, although like the Empress, you can't lose yourself in the part: you must remember that it's the NPC's job to lose. Ultimately, the PCs are the stars. But that doesn't mean you can't have fun playing their nemesis, or companions, or inscrutable Wise Old Person.

The three of Swords made me laugh when I drew it: it's a monster-woman stabbing herself in the stomach with three swords, and -- paradoxically -- enjoying it, a big smile on her face. Quite the metaphor for GMing, where you let the players kill off the villains you create, and enjoy it as it happens. The card is inverted, though, and it took me a while to think exactly what that might mean. Reading deeper into the symbolism, I note that she's stabbing her womb, the source of her creations. I think she's here in cautionary fashion: don't do this! You're working too hard at your GMing, and while it was fun at first, you've gone too far and it's killing your ability to create. Relax some. Wing it more. Make your players do some of the work -- let them tell you what their PCs' homes and familes are like, let them pllay minor friendly NPCs when you have too much on your plate. That sort of thing.

The nine of Pentacles is Strength, a woman thrusting downwards with a blast of pure power as she falls. Inverted, she suggests you shouldn't just bull through the drudgery on willpower alone. Mix things up! Be devious with yourself. Plan your plot points in the shower. Ignore the stats if they're getting in your way: make it about the story. Or if the story's getting in the way, ignore it and give them a good fight. Make a new story! Or let the PCs pick what interests them and develop that into your plot. Be lightfooted, with a handful of different options little-developed, rather than focusing a lot of energy on one thing.

[koogrr.livejournal.com]

Sure, I'd like one.

Tell me how the next few months are going to go.

[rowyn]

For you, I drew: the Two of Swords, inverted. The Fool, inverted; and the Nine of Cups, upright.

The Two of Swords is Peace, but this is an ominous sort of peace: a bride with two swords in the foreground, a gunslinger in the background. It's inverted, so I think this means the next few months will have some peace to them, but you may not recognize it as such, because you will be busy bracing for renewed strife. Make the most out of the tranquil moments: they won't last.

This is the deck's first Fool, a woman leaping off a cliff into the maw of a binary techno-world. See that little canine yapping at her? It's Yotee, telling her not to go, or maybe encouraging her to jump. She's inverted, so I don't think she's telling you to fall. Look at the card closely -- not the digital one, the printed one. She has wings. Butterfly wings. You'll get a chance to fly above the technical details of the modern world. Seize it! Don't let gravity drag you down.


The Nine of Cups is Happiness, a woman showing herself and a collection of carefully-arranged toys off. That's how your summer will end: happily. There'll be strife in the next few months, but it's going to settle some long-outstanding issues. By the end of summer, you'll have made something you'll want to show off -- maybe something you're a little embarrassed or shy about, like ponyart or soft porn, but something you'll be proud of nonetheless, something that makes you happy. Don't be afraid to exhibit it. It'll make other people happy too.