The Bright Side To Negative Cards

[Wanderer]

I always feel that Tarot's biggest benefit is that it shows us different ways to see our troubles and work through them. This is especially true of the more 'negative' cards... because how can we work through difficulties unless we can recognise them, and draw them out into the open? If the worst is inevitable, then the best we can do is come to acceptance... which means facing up to it. If an apparent catastrophe is looming, then we need to be able to see it in context in order to move past the problem to what lies beyond it. As Misterei says, it's about tact and compassion rather than sugar-coating... but we have to take the readings as they come. It's by bringing our fears into the open and considering them that we can work through crises.

The bright side, then, for me, is that negative cards are often the ones most able to help, because to most clearly speak to the issues at hand – irrespective of whether there is an obvious positive angle to the card in a particular context. They shove the problems at us so forcefully that we can't ignore them. The Ten of Swords itself epitomises this, in a way: it is so absolute, so categorical, that there is no longer a point in fighting the reality. I always see it as a conclusion, needing resignation and acceptance, and a fresh start. A sort of, "OK, this has happened. No getting away from it. But... I'm still here. Now what?" There's comfort to be had in that!

[KiMo]

I had a situation yesterday involving the five of pentacles (using the RWS). I did a reading for someone that outlined the potential elements and outcomes of two choices. Two of the spread positions for each choice are the pros of that choice and the cons of that choice. The five of pentacles fell into the pro position of one choice, and at the time it was as clear as day to me that the message was one of finding sanctuary, support and community after a long struggle. Later, however, after I'd packed the cards away, I began to second guess myself. I'm a realist and a pragmatist and I'm very conscious of looking at 'difficult' cards through rose tinted glasses... Had I interpreted the card correctly? Even though the thought did not make any sense in my gut, I wondered if I should be seeing this as a message of a necessary period of hardship in order to gain something as of yet unknown.

 

I'd taken a picture of the spread and after some hours of mulling the reading over in my mind, I decided to look at it again. Straight away that feeling hit me again, that without a doubt this was an image of people who had already been on their difficult journey and all they had to do was walk around the corner of the church, knock on the door, and be let in. 

 

As others have said, I believe that any card can be read in a countless number of ways, depending on its position, the situation, and its context relative to the other cards. And I feel that as long as we approach the cards with the knowledge that they will always present us with ups and downs, our intuition will show the way.