Ok, so in this post I touched on the idea that the less specific your cards are (i.e. a deck that does not speak to you, or one with very basic card meanings), the more specific your layouts have to be. So here is a short reading to illustrate the point. I pulled these three cards for a general feel of things, assigning them very definite meanings:
Card 1= Love
Card 2= Wellbeing
Card 3= Work
This is to give as little room as possible for confusion as to what each card might mean. As I have mentioned elsewhere, a lot of people find this deck to be frustrating, and vague.
The three cards I drew were:
Love= Officer
Wellbeing= Falsehood
Work= House
It helps to begin by putting the cards in some kind of context. You can make a lot more sense of things by using knowledge you already have: Officer, for example, does not mean I am about to have a romance with someone in uniform, as my circumstances (being in a relationship) quickly rule that out. But does the card have to represent a person? It could refer to an attitude, a need to take precautions, and be more grown up about things. It could also be a gentle nudge to 'make it official' and tie the knot!
Falsehood is another tricky card. In terms of wellbeing, I would read it as things seeming better or worse than they really are - someone bottling up emotions, or crying crocodile tears; false recovery from an illness, or symptoms which are more harmless than first suspected; a lack of faith, or cynical facade. It need not be a negative card, but merely urges us to be thorough, and to always be certain.
Work/House is very straightforward, and encourages projects in the home, self employment, and self reliance. Since this has been my main concern of late, the interpretation is very straightforward, and very encouraging.
But what if the cards had come out in different positions? How would it alter their meanings?
Wellbeing: Officer
As a card relating to wellbeing, Officer takes on a much more serious tone. It calls for watchfulness, caution, vigilance - perhaps even professional assistance. Of course this may take many forms, depending on the kind of wellbeing you are talking about - it could involve going for a checkup, seeing a counsellor, or speaking to a priest. But it certainly suggests that one must go through official channels in order to succeed.
Work: Officer
In a work context, the Officer is a new card all over again. This time, he warns of audits, of sticking to the rules and not taking unnecessary risks at work - but, if surrounded by positive cards, can also indicate promotion and professional respect.
Love: Falseness
Quite simply, deception or insincerity of the heart. But fret not - it is not always a sign that your lover is untrue, although it certainly can mean that. Often, when Falseness is one of the cards drawn in a love spread, you are not being true to yourself, or are not sure what it is you really want.
Work: Falseness
If you are a procrastinator, if you like to seem busier than you really are (guilty!), you can expect to see this combination. Also, if you are stuck in a job you don't like, as opposed to the one you really want. Think misapplied energy, putting things off, and a general lack of commitment.
Love: House
Here we see that love does not always equal romance. While the House card may mean a long weekend in bed with that special someone, it also indicates warm exchanges at home with family and friends, and suggests a person who really thrives in a homely environment.
Wellbeing: House
The message here would most likely be to take things easy, advising a period of convalescence during which you should not push yourself too hard or try to do too much. It may also indicate that for a general sense of wellbeing, one must first take care of more mundane matters, and take care that all is harmonious on the domestic front.
As you can see, depending on card positions, each card can mean any number of things. But there are common themes - Officer pertains to officialty, regulation, what is right and proper; House is a card of family, our home life and most private moments; and Falseness encourages us to take a closer look, and pay attention to what goes on around us, and ask questions.
Now, this is the reason I haven't posted in a while - The Hallowe'en Deck, by Kipling West. It has absolutely stolen my heart, and I've been off in my own little world with this wonderful deck.
In the Hallowe'en deck, the four usual suits of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles are replaced with Imps, Ghosts, Bats and Pumpkins. While this may seem like a cute gimmick from the outside, with Major Arcana cards represented by, among others, mummies, werewolves and even Frankenstein's Monster, the level of research and attention to detail in this set quickly becomes apparent.
A lot of the artwork is directly inspired by the original Rider-Waite deck, and where the cards differ, this serves only to enhance the overall meaning of the cards. Previously 'difficult' cards such as the 3 of Bats/Swords and the of Pumpkins/Pentacles take on a new, more thoughtful light - the feeling of doom and gloom is not gone, but the cards are imbued with a fresh sense of possibility, and potential for change.
