PCO: Got hired. What should I expect from my first month in this job?

After a couple of months sending resumes and going to interviews and tests, I finally got an opportunity at a local book publisher. They'll hire me for three months as a trainee and, if they like my work, they might keep me. I start there on the 10th of May.

So, I did a playing cards reading asking what should I expect during my first month there. I removed the first three cards from the top of the deck (as they represent the three weeks from here to the day I start working) and read the four following cards, according to Ana Cortez's method.

Head (♦/Fire): 5♦

.

Throat (♣/Air): 9♣

.

Torso (♥/Water): 2♠

.

Feet (♠/Earth): 7♥

Well, the reading is very balanced... all suits present, and the same amount of red and black cards. I think the experience will be complete... it'll touch me in all aspects, emotional, mental, physical etc. Each card represents not only an area of our lives, but also a week in a month. In this reading I'm considering each position both things.

The first card in Head position is the 5 of Diamonds, The Peddler's Ace. Because it's in such a good position (the position of it's own suit), this card loses its most negative meanings, and stands for exchanges in transitions in general. I believe that it captures well the feeling of the reading, since I'll be giving and receiving in this moment, and especially during the first week, in which I'll have lots to learn. This position is also related to self-esteem and creativity issues, and the card... it gives me a feeling of instability. I'll not be at my best concerning my self-esteem, I'll probably be feeling a bit insecure (but nothing serious).

The card in the Throat position is 9 of Clubs (Galahad) - again, the card is in it's own suit place so it's dignified. This card has such a quietness about it... make me think that I'll not be much communicative during this first month, but rather concentrated (not to say devoted) to my tasks. As the second week of the month, it gives me a feeling or introspection, but also looking at the final goal with a more positive view. Things will be calm.

The third card is the 2 of Spades, The Enemies (uh-oh!), is in the Torso position. This card is not in it's suit position, but Spades and Hearts are good partners, so it's no completely bad here, although it does point to the possibility of a conflict. I see some inner struggles about this job, like two voices inside my heart debating whether it's worth it or not. It may also mean some fights in the job itself, during the third week... not a huge thing, because the card is well-placed, but enough to sting. I think the third week will be the one of my first mistake, the moment in which I'll give them the reason to chide me.

Last, but not lest, the fourth card 7 of Hearts (Sword of Healing) in the Foot position... like the 2 of Spades, it's not ill-dignified here. This card somehow cures the conflict of the card above, soothing the wounds. I believe it means that this job will help me to heal some of my inner conflicts during this first month. As for the fourth week, I think it might be a more peaceful one, though I'm not safe from some eventually "cutting" situations (my fault, because I tend to be frail around others). I believe this card is telling to take care of myself & my body, because there might be some illness lurking during that time (and the new routine may mess with my immune system).

Now a bit of Geomancy to finish: Puer + Conjunctio = Puella. The geomancy complements the reading, saying that the month will start aggressively because I'll be the odd man out (and this usually makes people a bit aggravated), but eventually I'll be able to mingle more and thus feel more peaceful, more connected. The peace will turn hostile Puer into friendly Puella, making the environment more pleasant.

PCO: 3 of Diamonds - A wish? A luck charm? Or things that are still being created?

Traditionally, the 9♥ is the card known as "the wish card". But in the Playing Card Oracles, the 9♥ (Gilles de Rais) is a kinda creepy character, showing an excess of emotions - good and bad ones. So I was wondering... if I had to pick one card to be the "wish card" of the deck, which would it be? The first one that came to my mind was the 3♦ (The Necklace).

 
Curiously, this is one of the most confusing cards for me... I never know exactly what is it supposed to mean, but then I decided to think more about it... and it began to show in the readings. Forcing me to think about it even when I didn't want to. Oh well - cards can be demanding sometimes, in a 'decipher me or I will devour you' sort of way... In Ana Cortez's book she says:

"The 3 of Diamonds suggests an alignment of energies that creates something new, something vibrant and transformational. People possessing "The Necklace" have a calling, so to speak. They are messengers of light." (p. 39) 

That's the first thing that lead me to think that this could be the wish card of the deck. This alignment of energies, this calling... these are actually the sort of thing that help our desires to come true. To be ready at the right moment. This card is about the right moment knocking on your door - answer it now or miss it.

I don't really buy that notion of wish card that means your desires are coming true without you moving a finger. Nonsense. Even Cinderella had shed some tears to get her Fairy Godmother to show her face. And in real life, not always crying will do it... you have to keep working and stay alert until the right opportunity shows. The 3♦ is this opportunity.

But this card has a whole plethora of interesting meanings, that until now didn't make much sense to me. Ana Cortez also says that this three can be "a string of events"... facts that are connected. I always liked this meanings, but truth be told, I don't think I understood how it worked... until yesterday.

So, I turned the telly on and the film The Other Boleyn Girl was coming on. I had a couple of decks with me, because I like to shuffling them while watching television in order to "break" the stiff cards and make them more comfortable to handle. Also, I enjoy doing readings about the films and series I am watching, to practise.

As I shuffled my playing cards deck, I watched the Duke of Norfolk plot and scheme to get the king's attention by using the Boleyn girls. Their destiny was about to change, and so I did two readings, one for Mary and the other for Anne. Both had the 3♦ in the "head" position of the spread, the position that usually determines the general "feeling" of the reading.

Before you ask, yes, I did shuffle it well.

I barely had time to raise an eyebrow at this, when it hit me... this card had shown up because these girl's destinies were still being shaped. Both had received opportunities to change their lives forever, and all would depend on how they used them. This was the right moment that would connect their uneventful past with their dramatic futures, the one choice that made all the difference.

I kinda had a ta-da moment, because I could watch how this card really worked. The 3♦ is about opportunities, about the right moment, about the spark of inspiration that can change our lives. But it's also about the dots that connect mysteriously and unseen by us... only when we look back we see how everything ended up like a necklace, with many moments strung together.

Like Steve Jobs once said: "You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.". 

The 3♦ is a card that tells us that dots are being connected right now, even though we can't see, even though it doesn't make sense to us for the time being.

The Horoscope Spread

 This is a very nice, and rather popular spread. Many readers dislike it because it is big, and appears to be rather mind-boggling, but I have seen many readers using it to answer direct and objective questions with great success.

This spread requires 12 (or 13, if you want an Outcome card) cards, and it is based on the Zodiac wheel and the 12 Sun Signs. So if you know a bit of astrology and the 12 Houses, that should add even more depth to your interpretations.

The good side of this spread is that it can answer many questions using only one spread. It helps you to see a certain issue form the point of view of more than one person. Each house is related to one area of the sitter's life (finances, love, self-esteem, family, career etc.), so you can see all possible factors that can support or hinder the querent and how they connect.

Below I give short descriptions of what each position means. If you like this spread, it is advised that you study a bit about the Twelve Houses and what they symbolise, because this will help you to understand the dynamics of the layout better. And it'll help you to find where the answer to your question is.

1st House: the Self, identity, physical characteristics, attitude, something that is beginning. It also gives you the general "feeling"of the reading.

2nd House: wealth, belongings, properties money, resources.

3rd House: communication, siblings, neighbours, short-term studies, short/local travels.

4th House: family, parents, house, heritage, foundations, the maternal parental figure.

5th House: creation, self-expression, fun, children, pleasure, sex, games.

6th House: health, well-being, routine, duties, jobs (less long-term than a career), care-taking, services you do.

7th House: partnership, marriage, close relationships, agreements and contracts, open enemies and rivals.

8th House: sexuality, taboo matters, occultism, hidden resources, joint funds, gifts, death & rebirth, fight between the ego and the soul, transformation.

9th House: higher education, long travels, religion, knowledge, learning, expansion, goals.

10th House: career, ambitions, motivation, social status, authority, the dominant parental figure.

11th House: friends, acquaintances, groups, clubs, social connections, benefits generated by the career, hopes & wishes.

12th House: the unconscious, hidden influences, hidden enemies, difficulties, addictions, mysticism, places of seclusion, regret, dissolution of the ego.

13th Card - the Central Card: I consider this card to be an optional position in this spread. Some people use it for the card the represents the sitter, other consider it an advice card, and others use it to see the most likely outcome of the situation being analysed. It is not a part of the real zodiac wheel, so you should only use if you feel comfortable, and if you believe that the extra information is important.

Divination à la Samuel Hart & Co.

Chocolate eggs were not the best gift I received this Easter. Nope. In fact, I daresay they were pretty much forgotten after I got a historical reproduction of a 1840 playing cards deck by Samuel Hart & Co. The replica was made by Fournier.

I have been looking for a plain playing card deck to read with. I use the Playing Card Oracles deck, and as much as I love it, I wanted to challenge myself by using a deck without any illustrations whatsoever. Just the pips. The problem is that I failed to find a deck that spoke to me... until now. I'm surprised at how this old-looking reproduction is... talkative. I had lots of fun with it over the weekend.

The deck is small (8.8 cm x 6.2 cm), and has very simple images. The pip cards don't have numbers, but it doesn't make much difference in the end. The background colour of the deck is not that stark white, but a lovely beige that makes it even more old-fashioned. And the corners are not rounded, which I love. The deck has only four colours: yellow, red, dark blue and the light beige of the background. The back of the cards is light blue filled with tiny stars... no, it has absolutely nothing to do with the deck, but it does look cute and mystical!

It comes with the 52 playing cards plus 2 Jokers that don't look like they belong in this deck, because they are rather modern-looking. So I just leave them out, since I don't use them for divination anyway. The court cards are amazing... they are not the usual reversible court cards. The Kings and the Jacks have feet, and the Queens, long exquisite dresses. They all are staring somewhere with the corner of their eyes, as if searching for something... I just love this!

To get more acquainted with the cards, I made up a little game. I'd draw two cards from the top of the deck and read them as a pair... It was meant to help me read without the usual imagery of the Playing Card Oracles, and also to practise card combinations. Below are three examples:

South Wind + Gawain = and unexpected help that arrives just in time.

 

The Necklace + The Enemies = a good development of business hindered by fights and conflicts.

 

Mardoc the Heartless + The East Wind = a practical and serious man thinking something over very carefully... he has no hurry to act at all.

1840 Samuel Hart Reproduction Playing Cards © Naipes Heraclio Fournier