Cards that might mean general 'uneasiness'

[Chariot]

By the way, the illustration below isn't a layout or a reading.

What cards might mean 'uneasiness'?

 

Not outright fear, or worry (like you would get from the 9 of Swords, etc) ...but just that naggy feeling you get when everything seems fine, but something just doesn't feel right. And you can't tell (yet) what that something might be.

I do use reversals when I read, so these cards are the way I'd read them, if they were to appear in a layout.

 

I went through the RWS deck and chose 8 cards I think MIGHT represent cards that might make you uneasy.  You might caution yourself not to count chickens even AFTER they've hatched. Obviously the cards can apply to situations you ARE aware of, but when they just appear out of the blue and don't seem to attach themselves to the rest of a reading? They just hang there, making you go 'errmmm'....?

 

High Priestess (reversed) - you get the hunch that your intuition might not be working well at all

Wheel of Fortune (reversed) - feels like some downturn of fortune is lurking on the horizon somewhere

 

The Sun (reversed) - you expected everything to be hunky dory, basking in warm sunshine, but somehow that warmth isn't there

 

Knight of Pentacles (reversed) - things might NOT be slowly progressing, the way you assume they are

The Moon - you just CAN NOT TELL what's real, and what isn't

8 of Wands - something is moving quickly towards you ...but what?

2 of Swords - you're in stasis, waiting for the other shoe to drop

4 of Pentacles - even though you seem to be materially well-off, it just doesn't feel safe

 

...........

Wondering what you folks think.  Do you get that general 'uneasy' feeling from these cards, too?  Or with any other cards?

[Eugenie]

@Chariot, thank you very much for sharing your considerations! I am so new to all this, I don't yet get feelings from cards, really. I need to internalize a lot before I do. But I will be delighted to listen to what the others have to say. 

[Chariot]

@Eugenie  I was just playing around with the idea this morning. What card best depicts the notion of 'uneasiness?'  I woke up feeling a bit uneasy about nothing in particular, and that set me off!

 

It's fun and instructive to think of a situation, emotion or problem, and try to find a card that depicts it.  It can be even more complicated, if you want it to be. Choose two cards, look at them together, and imagine what they might be depicting.  A person can do this at the drop of a hat, and it really does exercise those tarot muscles.  🙂

 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Chariot

[November]

Hi @Chariot, I would add the 7 Swords too to your list. I think this card conveys well the idea of uneasiness.. You're sneaky in what you're doing, as if you were hiding something and well, I wouldn't feel at ease in a similar situation.

 

Also the 4 Cups may be included: you got what you wanted, but it's not enough, you're bored, although you don't really know why. 

[Chariot]

59 minutes ago, November said:

Hi @Chariot, I would add the 7 Swords too to your list. I think this card conveys well the idea of uneasiness.. You're sneaky in what you're doing, as if you were hiding something and well, I wouldn't feel at ease in a similar situation.

 

Also the 4 Cups may be included: you got what you wanted, but it's not enough, you're bored, although you don't really know why. 

Yeah, I nearly included the 4 of Cups myself—because it conveys that attitude of dissatisfaction.  I hadn't thought of the 7 of Swords, though, and you're right.  Unless I revel in sneakiness, I'm bound to feel a bit uneasy, even if I'm 'winning' under the radar.  It would also signal uneasiness if the 7 of Swords were reversed—because whatever I think I'm getting away with, I'm not.  I can certainly relate to those choices. 

Edited November 24, 2023 by Chariot

[DanielJUK]

I was looking up to define "uneasiness", it's really difficult to pick tarot cards to fit moods or feelings, in a way it's possible for so many cards to reflect different feelings. It's a bit of a fluid area for me as the cards change in the reading. Anyway Uneasiness means feeling anxiety or discomfort.

 

The High Priestess (upright) and Queen of Cups (upright) also can reflect this, it doesn't scream uneasiness, but this energy is so feeling and intuitive, these people just know! Like a hunch when something is wrong. Queen of Cups (rx) not though as they run from their problems through escapism.

 

I think Death is not, renewal might bring up mourning but not this. The Tower always makes people uneasy in a reading and you have to calm people down but it turns to be sudden out of the blue and the people in the tower don't know it's about to collapse. I think I would add the 9 of Swords and 10 of Swords, they are such anxiety and discomfort feeling cards. With the 9 of Swords (rx) someone is so anxious or in discomfort, this is a terrible situation.

 

Thinking about the Moon, the lesson there is to sit with the energy. It's one where you sit in the uneasiness of it and it improves.

[Guest]

Mine is the reversal of either the 4 of Cups or 4 of Swords, with the groundedness and stability of the fours turning slightly off-kilter. 

[Misterei]

This is a tough one. As @DanielJUK mentioned "uneasy" can cover many different feelings. Really strong emotions like devastation are easy [Tower, 10 swords] but unease is more subtle.

 

For me, 4 cups hits unease. It has that meh quality of subtle dissatisfaction or feeling something "off".

 

Other cards I would take as highly contextual.

• 4 coins might be unease or minor anxiety around finances.
• 9 swords doesn't always have to be a panic attack. In an otherwise positive spread ... I might call 9 swords as minor anxiety or unease.
• Priestess reversed or in negative yogas? This would be the unease that comes when you suspect people are gossiping about you. Likewise Moon if the anxiety is due to a suspicion someone is lying to you. Either might be the uneasy sense of people talking behind your back.
• Devil may be a harbinger ... you sense something wrong ... but you're not sure what it is yet.
• Fool might lack confidence b/c they're new at something and still feel uncomfortable in the role or task.

There are so many different types and causes of unease ... I think different cards will evoke different contexts for the feeling.

[Barleywine]

I think the Thoth Minor Arcana have the best examples of this because as a group they are so emotionally evocative (even if we don't consider the titles). My choices would be:

5 of Cups
7 of Cup
8 of Cups
5 of Swords
8 of Swords
5 of Disks
7 of Disks

I generally don't see reversal as adding negative connotations to a card, just changing the "mode of delivery" and the way the basic influence is received.