Today’s September Tarot Challenge prompt is “What Can I Do To Rise Above That Which is Holding Me Back?” I like the phrase “rise above”, it reminds me of several of my favorite major arcana cards: Judgment and the World.
Wisdom and Experience to Rise Above
The first card for this spread is the Page (Knave) of Cups. My first thought when I saw this card? That figure looks like Nori from the Lords of Power series on Netflix! We are only two episodes in when I’m writing this, so I’m looking at her from that point of view. There is a sense of spirit, openness, and friendliness in this card that I really like.
There are a lot of symbols in this card: Lotus flowers on her clothes, the fish, the swan, and the tortoise. Lotuses symbolize purity and rebirth, the fish can represent both surprise and wisdom, swans represent trust and loyalty (did you know they mate for life?), and tortoises symbolize wisdom gained from life and experience. The figure is also standing in water; she has deep roots in her own unconscious knowledge.
This card tells me to set aside my preconceived feelings about new experiences and knowledge. Use the wisdom and experience of 56 years to evaluate those experiences after they happen. This is muddy for sure, so let’s look at the other cards.
Speaking of Wisdom and Experience…
The Emperor’s whole identity centers on his wisdom and experience. He uses what he knows to create order and protect boundaries. Notice how he is focused on the past? Also notice how his legs are crossed with his toe pointing to the future. There’s an awareness of both the past and future while sitting firmly in the present, so my interpretation of this card is to stay in the present.
I’m actually having trouble with this right now. I’m writing this as news of Queen Elizabeth’s death seems to be imminent and my brain is having trouble focusing on what I’m doing. I’m just a casual royal watcher, but my energy is all over the place, so this is a good reminder to ignore distractions and center my focus.
Let My Cups Rise Above
The Nine of Cups features symbols similar to the Page of Cups. Nine lotus flowers pour honey into ten cups with the owner sitting at his ease surrounded by his golden bees and a honeycomb. This card is redolent of luxury and ease. It tells me I have everything I need, sit back and enjoy the fruits of my knowledge.
I like how the Emperor is the center card in this spread. He’s overseeing the new experiences, processing them, and then sending them to the future to enjoy the results!
What Can I Do to Rise Above What Holds Me Back?
Yesterday I learned that my compulsion to organize holds me back. Today I’m told to stay in the present, observe my actions and the knowledge I collect, evaluate it using my wisdom gained from experience, and use my new knowledge to create something new. If I can do that, I’ll find it easier as I go along, with nuggets of pure “honey” automatically raining down.
I feel I’m on the right track. I continue to follow the idea of small steps. When I bump up against a routine I ask myself “Is this what I should be doing right now? What else could I do to move forward?” It is challenging for sure, but also rewarding.
What Clients are Saying about Sophrosyne Tarot
I was advised to ask open-ended questions instead of predictive questions which I thought was helpful because I never would have known if it weren’t for the reader. The reader provided the reading along with some advice too so the entire reading was very thorough and explained in an understandable manner.
Everything said was accurate and helpful for me to identify my flaws in order to grow as a person. I have learned a lot about tarot and what it does to help me.
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