The Velvet Room (aka the Tarot Thread)

[MahluaandMilk]

*Insert fitting music here*

(Ahem)
Welcome, to the Velvet Room.

As some of you may know, I am a practicing pagan studying under the Kemetic Orthodoxy (a legally ordained religious society as of the 90s thanks to the efforts of our Nisut (ankh udja seneb) and many Shemsu priests). I am also by definition a witch, and I dabble from time to time with my trusty tarot deck (the Gilded Tarot by Ciro Marchetti).

For a little history:
Tarot is a form of divination that started arguably back in the Italian Renaissance that involves a deck of 78 cards, 52 of which are the minor arcana that came down to us as modern playing cards (four suits of ten numeric cards and four court cards), the other 22 of which are the major arcana. Originally, like a standard card deck, it began as a game and became known for its divining capacity later. The most popular deck, which most tarot decks are based on today, is the Rider White deck from 1910. Even my deck shares some symbolism with this deck.

For a little FAQ:
1. No, tarot is not evil/the devil (although there is a card called "the Devil" in many decks). It's just a deck of cards. Whether or not you believe they hold power is irrelevant. Besides, if you look at most tarot decks, especially the Rider White, you'll notice immense influence from Christianity, which makes sense given that it was originally a game during the Italian Renaissance.
2. You don't have to believe any bit of this. In fact, I encourage skepticism. I personally see tarot as one of many tools to help me view my life with different eyes, which often times helps me approach difficult situations in a different way, which can make things easier. Just because I received the Seven of Swords (a card of deceit, theft, and/or hidden agendas) in the work position during a reading, and then a few months later had a terrible experience of my manager basically letting me go without actually informing me that I had been let go until I asked about my schedule for the next week does not mean you have to believe that they predicted the future. The future is abstract. It can change with the most minute of a touch.
3. It's not me, it's the cards. Don't shoot the messenger. Sometimes, even if you don't believe in all this divination nonsense, the information that comes through can strike you as surprisingly relevant. This has happened to several people I've done readings for when I have offered free ones out in the park-like area in the middle of campus. They say the human mind readily seeks out patterns, and this can explain this phenomenon, even if a skeptic views the cards as being randomized and meaningless. I may say something about the meaning of a card that strikes you, especially if the question you ask can have a difficult to face outcome.
-will add more here if further common questions arise.-

With that out of the way, now, the actual purpose of me opening this thread:


Super brownie points to the first raider who knows who this character is...

I'm offering to do readings for any and all raiders.
Readings should only take a half hour to an hour at a time, but I ask that you be courteous if you see many requests still untaken.

I can offer one of five types of spreads, each with its specialization and card count. The longest of which is supposed to actually take two decks so that one part of it is solely done in major arcana; however, seeing as I only have one deck, I've found that the 74 cards I have do suffice and can still answer many questions. The different spreads, in order of length, are as follows:

1. The Daily Spread. This five-card spread is good for general information and awareness. It's great if you don't have a specific question, as it covers any number of things. It's also good if you know that you're in a transition period in your life at the moment and want to know what changes you can expect.
The first card represents works, and can refer to your personal projects or a literal workplace.
The second card represents the home, which can relate to family, friends, or your close personal life.
The third card represents the unexpected, or an upcoming change, or in general something you might want to watch for.
The fourth card represents your role. That should be pretty self-explanatory.
The fifth card represents the outcome. Here I'll put that disclaimer again that you don't have to believe in this as fortune telling. I personally see "outcome" as a general statement of "this is how the energy of the situation looks as of right now, and may be viable to change if you follow the advice of the cards."

2. The Cross of Truth Spread. This is another five-card spread, although it's better suited for specific questions, as it offers advice for dealing with a situation.
The first card represents the basis of the situation.
The second card represents your hopes and/or fears regarding the situation.
The third card represents matters in your favor.
The fourth represents matters not in your favor.
The fifth, once again, represents outcome.

3. The Star of Discovery Spread. This spread takes six cards, and I took it from a book that uses tarot as a tool for dealing with personal struggles. This spread is the introductory one of the book, and is specifically designed to point out areas in your life that you may be struggling in and why. It's also meant to be meditated upon and thought over for many days after the fact, but ain't nobody got time fo' dat. Still, when I did this one for myself today, I took notes so that I could keep them in mind, as the cutting accuracy actually hurt a little.
The first card represents an aspect of yourself that you are in denial about, or something that you're denying yourself access to.
The second card represents something causing you anxiety.
The third card represents something that triggers your inferiority.
The fourth card represents something that causes you anger, or something that anger is preventing you from doing.
The fifth card represents secrecy and things you aren't communicating that you perhaps should.
The sixth card represents self-loathing, either what you hate about yourself unduly or something that's causing you to do so.
I forewarn that this one could really hurt if you're not prepared to think about these things. Please consider it carefully before asking for it.

$1.00 4. The Past Life Spread. This one takes fourteen cards, and thankfully its name is self-explanatory for what it does. I've found that many decks like to give you an idea of what's going on in this life the first time this spread is done for a person, and many of the elements sound familiar to the receiver. This happened to myself when my friend first introduced me to this spread by doing it for another friend of ours and then myself.
The first card represents your soul's nature going into the life in question.
The second card represents environmental influence on the early portion of the life.
The third card represents the early years and may deal with family upbringing.
The fourth card represents the kind of education you obtained in the life.
The fifth card represents your accomplishments in the life.
The sixth card represents your primary occupation in the life.
The seventh card represents your social status overall in the life.
The eighth card represents your relationships and how they went in the life.
The ninth card represents your family life in adulthood in the life.
The tenth card represents circumstances surrounding your death.
The eleventh and twelfth cards represent lessons your soul learned through this life.
The thirteenth and fourteenth cards represent how this life affects your current one.

And if that wasn't enough for you,
$2.50 5. The Life Spread. Please go easy on me with this one. It takes 28 cards, and it can take me a while to fully explain a card and how it's dealing with the other cards in a group.
The first seven serve as the "anchor", and they give an overview of the five main groups of the spread and work as a lens through which to view the cards that appear in the corresponding groups. In order, these seven cards represent the basis, lovelife, worklife, the central theme of life, the immediate future, current wishes, and the far future.
The first group deals with the personal life, as in you, yourself, and you. This is an internal reading. The order for it is the same for the next four groups, which is another key card and a past-present-future type layout.
The second group of four cards each deals with the home life, or generally speaking, family and close friends.
The third group deals with career and worklife.
The fourth group deals with relationships and lovelife.
The fifth group deals with the future and can relate to any and all other areas of the spread. Generally it correlates with consequences when dealing with the past positions.
The last card is one last key card. It is the "what you should probably keep closest in mind right now" advice card, or the "here's what you can do with this information" card.

---

With all that said and done, I am open to questions. You do not have to tell me your question if you don't want to. Just pick a spread and I'll tell you as best I can how the cards relate to each other. If you would prefer to contact me in PM or would prefer to have your response given to you in PM, let me know.

Post edit: If you request a Past Life or a Life spread, the payment can be made through PayPal. PM me for my information.

Senebty. <<lit, "in health" or "may you be healthy".>>

[Manimal]

Oh boy, well I'm actually interested in this. I don't know about all this stuff but I can't deny interest, I admit to being stupidly superstitious about stuff like that first one so I would request #3 for myself to see what it gives me. Could be something...

[Flames]

This seems like fun! :O Hmmm, I will choose the 4th spread, interested in seeing what it comes up with. Let me know if theres anymore information I need to provide.

As for your picture... There is a way to cheat the answer out... so I wont say it anyway. Someone is bound to though.

[MahluaandMilk]

All right. Here goes. Bear with me, as I'm typing without my glasses (I don't do readings with them on. For some reason, it feels wrong to do so).

Star of Discovery, for Manimal:
1. Denial: 0, The Fool. This is a powerful card which I associate with beginning, as in a time such as before the Big Bang. In it, there is infinite potential. If you recall, court jesters in antiquity could get away with jokingly insulting even the king. Perhaps you are denying your potential.
2. Anxiety: Queen of Pentacles (and this is where I facepalm at myself for forgetting that this spread is supposed to be done with only the major arcana, but I digress. Perhaps it is supposed to be this way for you). The Queen of Pentacles is associated with the modern card "Queen of Diamonds" and typically represents a feminine energy (not exactly a female person, although it can be) who is financially minded. Typically, it represents a career-minded and independent person who puts their all into their work. Practical-minded and very capable, they can act like nobility of old, generous and moral. I can see how this can relate to the first card, in that the Fool deals with potential, and this is a card of action and initiative.
3. Inferiority: Ace of Cups. New emotional venture, sometimes in reference to relationships or the home. Regardless, the suit of cups (associated with our modern suit of hearts) deals with things of an emotionally charged nature, and aces almost always represent a new start. Typically this card suggests a success in the future, although in this position, it refers perhaps to your feeling of insecurity when trying to develop new social bonds.
4. Anger: Four of Swords. This is a tough card. The suit of swords (spades) is associated with the mind, the intellect, the drive, and often this suit deals with the challenges one faces in that area. The Four of Swords in particular represents a time of rejuvenation, although it may be an uneasy time to do so. I mean, seriously, the card doesn't even look nice:

Basically, what this says to me is that you've hit a time that you probably really need to take a break, but it's a frustrating situation to do so, like maybe closing a book while you're in the middle of a sentence in the middle of a long paragraph. The fact that you aren't allowing yourself that self-care time could become dangerous. Rest. You can come back up for a fight when/if the need arises.
5: Secrecy. Nine of Pentacles: A time of success and financial or material security. There are many ways I can read this card being here, but the fact that we've had a major arcana, a pentacle, a cup, and a sword come up, along with a court card and an ace, and yet not a wand, I can't help but feel that this calls back to the anxiety surrounding the Queen of this suit. You might be holding back on what you have, or you might not be communicating what you have adequately enough to yourself. What might you be being too humble about, be it financially or materially?
6: Self-loathing. Ten of Swords. (Sighs) At least it's not the Tower. Remember how I said that swords sometimes communicate challenges? The ten is considered among the worst of them. It represents something to the tune of "you've bitten off more than you can chew" or "you're in over your head" or "you've exhausted yourself". Don't get too scared, though. This is in the self-loathing position, so it mostly hearkens to the part of you that you feel causes you to fall into those habits.

Remember, everything in this thread is meant to be something for you to think about and address in your personal life, and things to observe for the upcoming week or so in order to discern how these patterns play out for you. Honestly, I don't know you super super well on a deep heart-to-heart level, but it does pain me to have done this reading, since I can see how much this could resonate with you. I hope that this can be a springboard for you to use to start helping yourself. It's nothing to feel bad about. We all have our struggles, and these are simply the ones the cards say are the more important for you to work on right now, so you don't have to worry about every little thing, just six things, and in small ways.

Senebty.

(P.S.: @Flames: Yeah, I know. I would hope that people wouldn't do that, but y'know. I'll start working on yours in another post.)

[MahluaandMilk]

All right, now a Past Life Spread for Flames117.
First of all, two cards jumped out of the deck when I was shuffling for you. This can happen because tarot cards are much larger than regular playing cards, and you're not supposed to shuffle them bridge style, as bending them is seen as offensive. In this practice, when a card falls (or flies, or jumps) out while shuffling, it means that the deck has some added things to say, so I'll start with those two cards now:
Four of Pentacles: A fear of material or financial loss, a warning to keep your possessions close, but not too close, also a potential sign of miserliness. When this card flew out, my instinct was that it refers to something in your past life that you should not repeat in this one.
Knight of Swords: Swift-moving news, with a masculine energy of a charismatic and quick-witted person. Knights are strange in that they can represent a person or an event, and I felt that this one was more associated with this life. Keep your eye on the horizon.

Now, for the actual spread itself, I had fun trying to fit all the cards on my iddy-biddy dorm desk table.
1. Soul Nature going into this life: III, the Empress. This card doesn't have to represent a woman, but it has a femininity to it, as it is ruled by Venus with huge symbolism in my card especially. It represents a nurturer, fertility, but do not mistake it for passive weakness. It is a champion of its aspect.
2. Environmental Influence: Four of Wands. This is a card of completion, jubilation, a time of stability, harmony, and typically all is well. I read this as that you were born into a time of peace and prosperity, likely with a stable family and income.
3. Early Years. Eight of Wands. Creative energy soared, and the potential of projects taken on typically fell to success.
4. Education: Three of Pentacles. Often called "the Craftsman" card. Basically you probably learned your trade by doing it. It's a very tactile and sturdy card, and suggests you might've worked with your hands, but we'll see that later.
5. Accomplishments: Page of Cups. Pages are strange, like knights, as they kind of stand in for the jack in modern playing decks melded together with some aspects of knights. It can represent a well-behaved and sensitive child, or a sign of news of marriage, birth, or other emotional event.
6. Occupation: Eight of Swords. Interesting. This card typically gives the advice of "Yes, you're in a bit of a bind, but it's not as hard as you think to get out". Perhaps you struggled with some aspects of your lifelong occupation, although your education seems solid.
7. Status: Ace of Swords. Quick, intellectual, the start of many successful projects. This is a card of victory and clarity. Perhaps you worked in government?
8. Relationships: Five of Swords. This perhaps isn't a great card, as it can represent taking credit for things that one did not do. This may or may not relate to you, or perhaps you either wronged some of your relationships in this way or were wronged by someone close to you in this way.
9. Family: Knight of Cups. Can represent a romantic and idealistic person, or news of love proposals, or even work developments. If you were a person in power, it makes sense if then you married someone powerful.
10. Death: King of Pentacles. Now this is very interesting seeing as the Four of Pentacles jumped out, as miserliness is one of the negative associations with this card. Typically this represents a masculine person who is very financially minded and associated with things such as property and other investments. In the death position, this could mean that your success came back to bite you.
11. Lesson Learned: II, High Priestess: another feminine card of power, although this one deals with the mysteries of the world. It's a card of instinct and emotional/subconscious understanding.
12. Lesson Learned, part 2: IV, Emperor. Holy s---. I have never seen this much power and balance in a spread before. The Emperor is like the quintessential card of success, rationale, status, and authority.
13. Effect on Current Life: Two of Cups. This card typically shows up in correlation to the start of a new relationship, typically a romantic one. It's like a silent understanding and growth of an emotional bond.
14. Effect on Current Life, part 2: Nine of Pentacles. As I said with Manimal, this is a card of prosperity. I would take it to mean that the things you learned in the life this spread is talking about have helped or will help you reach a state of security brought about with your own two hands.

  Seriously getting the vibes that you were a really important person. WTF. Just so you know, I'm keeping a picture of this in a folder for future reference because this is just cool.

[devola]

Holy crap your cards look really good haha. I made my own Dark Soul's theme'd tarot cards a while ago but they were pretty bad. I've been using the free ones that came with my copy of Persona 4 Arena 

Well here we go... I request #1! The daily spread if you will. 

[Flames]

Thanks for taking time to do this!
Hmm it does sound intriguing. So this essentially pinpoints of being someone in power or a successful businessman in trade, correct me if im wrong.  Wonder what would have happened for it to be so or what exactly was my craft. Apparently it brought about my death/downfall I presume. Which kinda, now that i think about it happen to many successful people.

It was interesting reading through all of these so thank you again! :O Looks like you also got a keeper of a spread reading. Would love to see more! If you would be so kind I would love to get another reading sometime after some other requester.'s of course.

[Manimal]

Thanks for doing this, hhhm interesting. Indeed I see how some relate, I don't quite get what the Queen one means in context, but otherwise it makes sense as a whole. Cool that you're doing this.

[MahluaandMilk]

Just as a note, I will not be available to do tarot for a few days because I developed a fever last night for no apparent reason, and it's a weird thing regarding purity and all that jazz that basically says "don't do magic things for three days after an illness". I also don't want to get germy ick on my deck.

The lineup so far for readings I still have to do I think is just a Daily Spread for devola, Coryn, and Robin.

[Coryn]

Why not, I'll spring for a daily spread once you recover.

[Robin Rain]

Curiosity killed the cat... I'll bite.

I don't really have a special request though so I'll let you pick whichever feels like it would be the most interesting, easiest, whatever you get the sense I should hear, or something.

[Shane]

F&*% ME i was gonna try it then she gone sick.

[MahluaandMilk]

More like I opened up the thread and got sick a day later. Only one more day and I should be good. Today was/is not a good day because yay being assigned female at birth and hormones, and also I'm having difficulty focusing and I keep spacing out, so probably just not a good day in general to be trying stuff.

But soon.

[Misyne]

Hell, I'm not too touchy about this stuff (although who knows once it's going to be 100% on point)

I'd like a #3 sometime if that's alright.

On a sidenote, I like the font color change in this thread. Not only is it easier on the eyes, but it makes me imagine the color to signify talking in a mysterious, sultry and misty voice.

[MahluaandMilk]

Okay, this is totally inglorious as all Hell. I'm doing these readings in the middle of the central cafeteria on campus, altar cloth sprawled across a table and my laptop on the edge of the table so that it isn't on the cloth, and I'll probably have some people come up and try to talk to me while I'm in the middle of all this. I will note if so.

Anyway, first up, a Daily Spread for Devola!

1. Works: Ten of Wands. This is a card of overwork, or maybe biting off more than you can chew. It's more helpful than the Ten of Swords, but it still carries with it the fact that determination will be imperative to complete the tasks at hands. Hard work and devotion will be necessary.
2. Home: Two of Wands. This is a card of a crossroads and choice. You are on your way along a phase of your life, and there's an important decision to be made. Reflect on what you truly want and act accordingly.
3. Unexpected: the Knight of Wands: The card being in this position suggests to me that some news is coming your way. The suit of wands is very energetic, so it can often represent travel or moving. For some reason I get the feeling that this will involve family, although nothing in the cards suggests so.
4. Your Role: Eight of Pentacles. This is honestly one of my favorite cards, and it is often called "the apprentice card". It conveys honing your craft and working diligently, often with the promise of a new job or new start in education. This card once appeared when I was doing readings out in the grassy park area on campus, and the recipient looked amazed and said that they weren't a student here yet, and they were thinking about all their college options. Being of pentacles, it's likely that your hard work will be returned to you materially.
5. Outcome: III, the Empress. This is an interesting one for me to see here, as my first inclination with this powerfully feminine card is to think of fertility, nurturing, and possibly marriage. Nothing else in the cards suggests the lattermost, but it's clear that the outcome of your situation will be healthy.

Senebty.

Up next on the list is a Daily Spread for Coryn.

Firstly, the Ten of Wands jumped out of the deck for you, so apparently my deck wants you to heed the same cautions. As for the spread itself:
1. Works: XII, the Hanging Man. Simply put, this is the card of delayed satisfaction, usually in a self-determined sense. You might be saving up and keeping your head down for now for bigger things later. This suggests that your efforts will come to fruition, although it may take a while, but you probably knew that going in.
2. Home: Two of Swords. If you're feeling stuck somewhere or especially at a stalemate, that's why this card came up. There are some conflicting sides, but never underestimate the power of an outside-the-box compromise or solution. It might be easier than you think to resolve the issue.
3. Unexpected: the Page of Pentacles. Generally this card is a bringer of good news, typically of financial nature. It's not exactly a party-animal type of energy, as pentacles are a very practical suit, but it should ease things up.
4. Your Role: Four of Swords. This will be a time of resting and recharging your batteries. I think it goes well with the Hanging Man, as it seems that you're conserving energy for something coming up.
5. Outcome: IV, the Emperor. Another down-to-earth and rational card, this one suggests success in your ventures which I can see correlating well with the Hanging Man as well as the Page of Pentacles. All around, it looks like if you keep your eye on the ball and work at it without exhausting yourself, you'll find progress. I don't like to say things in my readings like "you'll get a raise", but it looks likely with this set.

Senebty.

And now, one last Daily Spread for Robin~

1. Works: Ten of Wands....again. Gods, y'all need to chill. MR just needs to take a chill pill on the works. Y'all're stressing yourselves out.
2. Home: IV the Emperor. In this position, it suggests a masculine authority and a rational stance on relationships. Of course, "masculine" is a loose term as far as tarot is concerned. Basically take some initiative. This is a very "Aries" card, so it's all about making the decision and starting things.
3. Unexpected: the Knight of Pentacles. You know that thing you've been waiting on? Yeah that's probably coming now. Life says sorry for the delay.
4. Your Role: I, the Magician: BE THE BOSS. Basically the Magician is a card of mastery of one's craft and generally being cool and good at things, so use that to your advantage. Probably ties in with where life is also showing you the Emperor. It helps that they're both Major Arcana.
5. Outcome: Six of Pentacles. This is a card of generosity, charity, and giving, but it can also be a warning not to give too much. You may experience a time of surplus. Probably related to that thing you've been wanting that the Knight is bringing you.

Wow, that was all generally positive. And then Misyne had to go and ask for the depressing spread.
Here you go:
1. Denial: V, the Hierophant. This is a card of traditional values and typically represents institutions of authority. It might be a good idea to think about what compliments you aren't accepting or what you might be shying away from. Seeing as this is a card of authority, it might entail the suggestion to start becoming a little more independent and trusting your own authority on things.
2. Anxiety: III, the Empress. This is a card of femininity, nurturing, fertility, and power. As this card is associated with Venus, it may also represent relationships to an extent, and when positively aspected can be a a sign of marriage. In this position, it may be good to ask yourself to be more open about your emotions. You will probably need to make sure that you feel secure before opening up to yourself. Since this is about anxiety, you may want to pry into this a little further, and I'd highly recommend professional help for sorting out if your emotions are getting too difficult to handle alone, which brings us to the next card.
3. Inferiority: XVII, the Star. This is a card of deep emotional healing, usually of a sort that needs to happen in order to move on. It's quite a pretty card, and it depicts a woman pouring cool water. This speaks to me slightly differently as a Kemetic, as pouring cool water is also seen as a very good general offering to...anything really, be it the dead, the spirits of the land, the gods, whatever. Perhaps you feel behind in where you're at emotionally, or you feel like you haven't healed enough and you feel like you've fallen behind others.
4. Anger: XIII, Death. Okay, don't freak out. This card has very little to do with actual physical death. It simply refers to the phases of life, death, and rebirth as a constant cycle. This is the close of one cycle and the start of rebirth. A good image for this card is a phoenix, recently burned, but the promise remains of rising from the ashes. This is a card of change and transition, so it makes sense for even the average person to receive this card in the position of anger. Most people hate change, especially on an emotional level, which it looks like you'll be undertaking. By addressing your anger with it, you'll make the transition a little less difficult for yourself.
5. Secrecy: XV, the Devil. This combination of card and position makes entirely too much sense, as the Devil is often a card of things kept secret. It is a card of self-indulgence, sometimes over-indulgence. It is the desire that can sometimes enslave us, and is thus sometimes associated with addiction. This doesn't mean, of course, that you're suddenly an alcoholic crackhead smoking meth and hailing Satan, but you might want to look at the smaller versions of compulsion that can become destructive behaviors, such as procrastinating.
6. Self-Loathing: VI, the Lovers. Basically the vibe I'm getting is what you hate about yourself is your difficulty with forming and building relationships. Considering the order of events, I'd say the other cards (especially the Empress) corroborate this story. It looks to me like you may need to face the earlier issues before tackling this one.

Take care of yourself and Senebty.

Oddly no one came up and interrupted me. It's probably because there are fewer people here over the summer so it's just me and my two shamanic friends.

(Also, @Misyne, the color is cornflowerblue.)