"Difficult" cards as advice

[Page of Ghosts]

In my daily spread I've sometimes been getting difficult/challenging cards in the advice posistion and I've started to think about what they can mean when they come up like that. I'm talking about cards like The Tower, 9 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles etc. Are they saying I'm a jerk who could do with some of the trouble sometimes implicated by these kinds of cards or is it more of a "it's not as bad as you think and you've survived this before" sort of message? Are they softened by coming up as advice or is that just wishful thinking on my behalf? Hoping someone more experienced than me could chime in on this!

[RavenOfSummer]

Well I would say it depends on the card, but in general, no I don't think the cards are saying you a jerk! Unless you are being a jerk, which we can all be sometimes, lol. So with your examples...9 of Swords, I might take that as I am getting caught up in my anxiety, so I need to ground myself, or I need to take REAL action to rest and rejuvenate myself, or just really do something to address my anxiety head on. 5 of Pentacles, I sometimes see that as my comfort/sanctuary/truth is RIGHT THERE but I am choosing to stay out in the cold. So I need to really take a good look around me and maybe realize that what I'm looking for IS there and available to me and I haven't been seeing it, for whatever reason (I've been too busy with something else, I'm too stubborn to change my ways, etc). Tower...this one comes up a lot for me in "positive" positions, so I know it can sometimes be a struggle to figure this one out. But lately I've come to embrace it more. It could mean for example that you need to embrace what you have experienced as destabilizing or upsetting- see the opportunity there. Or that you need to make a dramatic change. Or that you should change course, because the course you're on will lead to disaster- like a warning you're on shaky ground. All of those I would see as options for advice meanings, just as some examples.

 

I think it can be an opportunity to think really deeply about something, when you get a card that is more associated with positivity in a "negative" position, or vice versa. It can be a reminder that things aren't always as they seem, that all types of experiences are parts of the wheel or life, that we may be hiding the truth from ourselves by refusing to see past the veneer of something, etc.

 

In short, I don't think the cards are saying you're a jerk, because you are NOT a jerk. It's possible they ARE trying to give you a kick in the pants, or open your eyes to something, or address a problem you've been ignoring, or make you think more deeply about a situation.

[Page of Ghosts]

Thanks for having faith in me as not a jerk, haha. Most of the time anyway 8) It was the best way I could think of to phrase it.

 

The Tower is probably often about embracing something I lived through as very disruptive now that you mention it! What also throws me off is that the challenge card in my spread can be a card I associate with something positive, and then the challenging card as the advice. I struggle a lot with depression so it might indicate that I find it hard to focus on what I got and what's to be grateful about.

 

The usual daily spread I use is this: Situation, Challenge, Advice. It sometimes feels like a bit overkill to do it every day but it's still good practice for card combos.

[sandrang123]

In my daily spread I've sometimes been getting difficult/challenging cards in the advice posistion and I've started to think about what they can mean when they come up like that. I'm talking about cards like The Tower, 9 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles etc. Are they saying I'm a jerk who could do with some of the trouble sometimes implicated by these kinds of cards or is it more of a "it's not as bad as you think and you've survived this before" sort of message? Are they softened by coming up as advice or is that just wishful thinking on my behalf? Hoping someone more experienced than me could chime in on this!

 

Dearest Page of Ghosts:

 

You have just the nicest energy to me when I see your posts, so I'm sorry you're getting dreaded cards. Look, these kinds of cards are never easy (and they happen to us all!). We don't always know or see our greatest spiritual lessons (or strengths), either.

 

So "advice" for (or from!) spirit: There's something big you need to clear away, something traumatic that you might have put high stakes on (even a home or some type of establishment or a person who represents that huge stature or a burden? Sorry...really fuzzy there. I feel like there's a few things tangled up...but something with home and place...) Side note: Do you live in an "unstable" area? Just a bizarre side note there, but that didn't serve you regardless, and there is great anxiety around this situation. Is it financial, too? Are you looking to leave someplace but financial comes to play?

 

I really wish I could just sit with you, if you're in need.

 

Regardless: The cards never say you are a jerk. Spirit always serves your highest needs.

 

Much love your way.

Sandy

[Page of Ghosts]

In my daily spread I've sometimes been getting difficult/challenging cards in the advice posistion and I've started to think about what they can mean when they come up like that. I'm talking about cards like The Tower, 9 of Swords, 5 of Pentacles etc. Are they saying I'm a jerk who could do with some of the trouble sometimes implicated by these kinds of cards or is it more of a "it's not as bad as you think and you've survived this before" sort of message? Are they softened by coming up as advice or is that just wishful thinking on my behalf? Hoping someone more experienced than me could chime in on this!

 

Dearest Page of Ghosts:

 

You have just the nicest energy to me when I see your posts, so I'm sorry you're getting dreaded cards. Look, these kinds of cards are never easy (and they happen to us all!). We don't always know or see our greatest spiritual lessons (or strengths), either.

 

So "advice" for (or from!) spirit: There's something big you need to clear away, something traumatic that you might have put high stakes on (even a home or some type of establishment or a person who represents that huge stature or a burden? Sorry...really fuzzy there. I feel like there's a few things tangled up...but something with home and place...) Side note: Do you live in an "unstable" area? Just a bizarre side note there, but that didn't serve you regardless, and there is great anxiety around this situation. Is it financial, too? Are you looking to leave someplace but financial comes to play?

 

I really wish I could just sit with you, if you're in need.

 

Regardless: The cards never say you are a jerk. Spirit always serves your highest needs.

 

Much love your way.

Sandy

 

Thanks for your kind words Sandy. I'm not getting these cards every day, that would be very intense for sure. I get them often enough that I'm starting to feel a bit stumped... especially the Tower keeps showing up as advice. I think it's been at least 3 times in the last 2 months or so. My old stalker card 7 of Cups has started to show up in the advice position too sometimes. It's a card I associate very strongly with mental illness so that's not very fun. The thing I find most weird in this is that they come up as advice and it's sometimes hard to combine that position with the card... seems I need to think more out of the box with a lot of them!

 

Your description sounds a lot like the appartment I moved out of last year. I was attacked in my flat and I didn't feel very safe in my home or in my neighbourhood (it was kind of a bad neighbourhood I think), but I had to put off moving for almost a year because I didn't have the money or energy. The place I live in now is probably the nicest and most stable flat I've ever lived in - the owners share the same house as me, are very serious about their tenants, will help me out if I need them to and it's mostly families with kids or elderly people who live in the neighbourhood. I think you're right a lot of things are tangled up in each other. Even though I left the physical place a lot of the memories from there, and other sketchy flats I've lived in over the years, lingers.

[sandrang123]

Oh, good about not getting the cards all the time! And I'm sorry for the delay in responding. For some reason I miss it when people reply to my posts on this site.

 

I'm so sorry to hear you had to go through such a traumatic event, Page of Ghosts, and I hope that despite it you've been able to find some measure of peace and healing. I can see how the Tower could indicate such an incident.

 

Happy to hear news of your positive relocation, though. 

 

Much love your way,

Sandy

 

 

 

Thanks for your kind words Sandy. I'm not getting these cards every day, that would be very intense for sure. I get them often enough that I'm starting to feel a bit stumped... especially the Tower keeps showing up as advice. I think it's been at least 3 times in the last 2 months or so. My old stalker card 7 of Cups has started to show up in the advice position too sometimes. It's a card I associate very strongly with mental illness so that's not very fun. The thing I find most weird in this is that they come up as advice and it's sometimes hard to combine that position with the card... seems I need to think more out of the box with a lot of them!

 

Your description sounds a lot like the appartment I moved out of last year. I was attacked in my flat and I didn't feel very safe in my home or in my neighbourhood (it was kind of a bad neighbourhood I think), but I had to put off moving for almost a year because I didn't have the money or energy. The place I live in now is probably the nicest and most stable flat I've ever lived in - the owners share the same house as me, are very serious about their tenants, will help me out if I need them to and it's mostly families with kids or elderly people who live in the neighbourhood. I think you're right a lot of things are tangled up in each other. Even though I left the physical place a lot of the memories from there, and other sketchy flats I've lived in over the years, lingers.

[Trogon]

Having "negative" cards coming up in an advice or other "positive" position can be one of the bigger challenges of interpretation for us. And the opposite is true, of having "positive" cards in a "negative" position (such as a blockage or challenge position).

 

One of your examples was The Tower in an "advice" position. Of course, a lot depends on what the topic of the reading was (if there was one) and what other cards might come up with it. But in general, the first thing I thought of was perhaps The Tower might be saying; "it's time to tear down and do away with the things that are holding you back - it might be painful to do it, but it needs to be done." Or in the example of the 5 of Pentacles, there might be a suggestion to pay more attention to, be more forgiving and work on understanding someone who has been pushed to the side for one reason or another. Sometimes these "negative" cards come up to remind us of painful things that need to be done or attended to.

 

An example has come up in a couple of my readings lately. I've had two readings on days when I've been struggling especially hard with urges to binge-eat, or at least eat junk-food. In these two readings, I've had the King of Swords reversed show up in the "contemplate" position (something to kind of ... contemplate through the day). To me the reversed King of Swords is cruel, heartless, unforgiving - But in this case, the card is telling me to cut through the urges and be extra firm on the days I struggle. (And yes, keeping that card in mind does help on these difficult days.)

 

To look at the "reverse" of this, a "good" card in a "bad" position, we can look at a couple of recent discussions of The Sun. The Sun might come up as a blockage, for example, when we are just enjoying ourselves so much that we are ignoring things that need to be done. Or the 10 of Pentacles - this card shows a happy family gathering, but (in the RWS and several others) it also shows the old man sitting there being ignored by all but his dogs.

 

Sometimes it is difficult to see the up-side, the positive aspects of some of the difficult cards, but they are there. Conversely, the down-side of the "happy" cards is there too. I hope I've been of some help.

 

Also, sounds like you've gotten yourself into a much better flat! Excellent!

[Page of Ghosts]

Having "negative" cards coming up in an advice or other "positive" position can be one of the bigger challenges of interpretation for us. And the opposite is true, of having "positive" cards in a "negative" position (such as a blockage or challenge position).

 

One of your examples was The Tower in an "advice" position. Of course, a lot depends on what the topic of the reading was (if there was one) and what other cards might come up with it. But in general, the first thing I thought of was perhaps The Tower might be saying; "it's time to tear down and do away with the things that are holding you back - it might be painful to do it, but it needs to be done." Or in the example of the 5 of Pentacles, there might be a suggestion to pay more attention to, be more forgiving and work on understanding someone who has been pushed to the side for one reason or another. Sometimes these "negative" cards come up to remind us of painful things that need to be done or attended to.

 

An example has come up in a couple of my readings lately. I've had two readings on days when I've been struggling especially hard with urges to binge-eat, or at least eat junk-food. In these two readings, I've had the King of Swords reversed show up in the "contemplate" position (something to kind of ... contemplate through the day). To me the reversed King of Swords is cruel, heartless, unforgiving - But in this case, the card is telling me to cut through the urges and be extra firm on the days I struggle. (And yes, keeping that card in mind does help on these difficult days.)

 

To look at the "reverse" of this, a "good" card in a "bad" position, we can look at a couple of recent discussions of The Sun. The Sun might come up as a blockage, for example, when we are just enjoying ourselves so much that we are ignoring things that need to be done. Or the 10 of Pentacles - this card shows a happy family gathering, but (in the RWS and several others) it also shows the old man sitting there being ignored by all but his dogs.

 

Sometimes it is difficult to see the up-side, the positive aspects of some of the difficult cards, but they are there. Conversely, the down-side of the "happy" cards is there too. I hope I've been of some help.

 

Also, sounds like you've gotten yourself into a much better flat! Excellent!

 

You've very much been of help! I don't use reversals and so I think the cards coming up that way can be kinda helpful in learning the nuances in both those difficult cards and those we're usually happy to see.

[Trogon]

You've very much been of help! I don't use reversals and so I think the cards coming up that way can be kinda helpful in learning the nuances in both those difficult cards and those we're usually happy to see.

 

Of course, there is much discussion over whether or not to use "reversals" in readings. I learned to use reversals when I first began studying the Tarot, since the book I was studying used them. I suspect that by using reversals right off like that may have slowed me down in my learning a bit, since I was learning two ways of looking at each card. However, for me, in the long run, I believe it was better, in large part because it does help me with these kinds of nuances. So, for the most part, when asked my opinion on it, I do recommend reversals. That's my opinion on it anyway. ;)

[Page of Ghosts]

You've very much been of help! I don't use reversals and so I think the cards coming up that way can be kinda helpful in learning the nuances in both those difficult cards and those we're usually happy to see.

 

Of course, there is much discussion over whether or not to use "reversals" in readings. I learned to use reversals when I first began studying the Tarot, since the book I was studying used them. I suspect that by using reversals right off like that may have slowed me down in my learning a bit, since I was learning two ways of looking at each card. However, for me, in the long run, I believe it was better, in large part because it does help me with these kinds of nuances. So, for the most part, when asked my opinion on it, I do recommend reversals. That's my opinion on it anyway. ;)

 

I can never make my mind up on reversals so I don't use them, but I make sure to read what a book or LWB says about the reversed card too. I'm open to incorporating them at a later time if I can ever decide  ;)