PCO: A little pictorial reading

I recently attended an Ayahuasca Ceremony. While the previous Ceremonies had their rough moments, they usually took me to a better place afterwards, reaffirming a sense of trust and re-connection to the whole. The last one, however, was... very difficult. I won't delve too deeply here in exactly how difficult it was; it suffices to say that it took me to the limits of my sanity.

So, I want to share a quick reading I did about what happened to me during that Ceremony. I am always fascinated by spreads that answer the question rather pictographic way, such as this one. Follow me!

As the top card of this spread, we have the merry K♥, Nicomiah, with a glass in his hand. Of all the male cards in the pack, he is certainly the most receptive one, as well as the one most willing to surrender to Dionysiac excesses. Here, he represents this very receptiveness, combined with a desire for that oceanic feeling that mind-altering substances and rituals often bring us.

However, his head is covered by the second card, Ignita, the A♦. Nicomiah's face is covered by what looks like a hellish maw! It gives our king a rather voracious appearance, like he's eager to drink everything in his glass and then some! The lack of Spades/Earth cards in this spread is a bit of a warning in this regard: Hearts/Water needs earth to give it form and make it stable. Nicomiah is instead combining with Diamonds/Fire, which usually makes for a wild ride.

The third card could not be more to the point: 7♥, the Sword of Healing, reminds us that the Ayahuasca Ceremony is not a place to 'get a little crazy' and 'have fun'. It's a healing ritual, so when you open yourself to it, you will receive some degree healing whether you are ready for it or not! So Nicomiah (K♥) is opening his mouth (A♦) to both receive the healing and release the purification implied by the 7♥ (in case you don't know, it's part of the process to vomit during Ayahuasca Ceremonies).

And who is holding the hilt of the sword? The A♣ the Dream Moth himself! Ethra has a prominent position in this reading, because it's the only black card. While the top three cards refer to the external part of the Ceremony, the A♣ is talking about what really happened on the inside.

For some reason, I found this card a bit scary in this particular spread. Something about the eyes glowing in the darkness... Ana's description of it in The Doors of Somlipith helps elucidate it: "He [Ethra] is emissary of the dream, the keyhole into the recesses of your own mind. To fear him is to fear but your own secret wishes, your own secret knowing" (p. 56). Ouch! So yes, the violent healing process came from my own unconscious, and what turned it into a frightening experience was my own secret fear.

Fear of what? To be honest, this is something I am still trying to figure out myself.

The cards were very clear: the Ayahuasca tea did exactly what it was meant to do. Nothing went wrong, except my extreme negative reaction to the things that the tea unearthed from my own self. That is not to say I should not take what I saw seriously. The message, as hard as it was to receive it, still rings true. But this reading helped me to put the horror of the episode itself in perspective, as a part of a much longer journey into the truth of my unconscious fears, which still have a forceful grip on me.

PCO: The future of a company

I actually did this reading at the end of July, but I only got around to posting it now. I first shared it at the Black Ace Academy, hoping to get additional insight from other members. Then I decided to record it here, along with my interpretation, so that I can check it later for accuracy.

This reading was done for a friend, who asked about the future of the company she has worked at for more than 10 years. They had a big lay-off recently and, although her sector wasn't touched (yet), she wonders about what is to come – especially since there have been rumours of severe financial problems being kept under wraps.

The first interesting aspect of this spread is the absolute lack of Spades in a reading about work. It denotes a lack of pragmatism on the part of the company in dealing with their problems. And the only Diamonds card – Livia, the Queen – is upside down, with her diamond literally falling out of her bowl. So money is flowing out more easily than it's coming in.

This spread has only high numbers, aside from the Ace, which suggests that whatever is affecting the company is, indeed, big. The Top card is a Seven, and 7s are always about challenge – here the challenge is related to healing. Three of the cards are odd numbers, and only one, the single court one, is even – again, the Q♦. This reinforces her importance in this spread.

I asked my friend if any of the higher-ups is a woman, and she said no, they are all men. In any case, Livia is supporting the rest of the reading, and she's upside-down – definitely not comfortably on her feet! She can represent someone who comes from money, so I read this as the company still having financial resources that come from family, instead from the work they do. But as I said above, this money looks like it's draining out, and propelled by some intense Clubs energy (A♣ + 9♣).

Galahad (9♣) in the Heart position combined with Livia (a rather optimistic queen), points to a certain idealisation of the situation. They are willing to make sacrifices (like the recent lay-off), in order to not lose their 'vision', even if it's impractical or not as financially rewarding as it could be. The A♣ in a dignified position gives off a more positive spin though – that their vision is not wrong, but perhaps it could be better channelled.

In my initial interpretation of the spread, I was very confused by the 7♥ (Sword of Healing). From a more superficial perspective, it seems to predict that the company will heal somehow... But the way it looks like it's piercing through all the cards below it (a cartomantic 'shish-kebab'!), which are all upside-down, implies that it's not that simple.

Thankfully, Geomancy helped a lot here. And the one for this spread is quite telling too: Cauda draconis + Carcer = Caput draconis. It’s like the company is 'imprisoned' in a situation that is coming to end, but rebirth is possible. Only, for that to happen, the company will have to go through a 'surgery', so to speak.

And here is where the 'shish-kebab' that I mentioned before makes more sense. Firstly, it seems all attempts to far to 'heal' the company are based on wishful thinking, hoping for a miracle and spending even more money... which isn't very sound. On the other hand, we do have compatible suits (Clubs and Diamonds), and the Top card is a card of healing, so not all hope is lost. Recovery might involve cutting through these attitudes, and adding a bit more of pragmatism (Spades) to the mix.

In the end, I told my friend that although things are not crumbling just yet, she should definitely heed the rumours and prepare a Plan B. The financial situation of the company isn't strong and it's not wise for her to have all her eggs in one basket. The company still has potential to heal itself, but it will probably demand significant changes and perhaps even more cuts.

Knowing when to quit

There comes a time when you realise that you are insisting on things that no longer make sense to you. It's either due to an over-inflated sense of responsibility, or because you want to prove something to yourself and/or to other people, but the fact is you no longer feel any joy, or spontaneity about what you are doing. You are just going through the motions. I felt that happen to me during the past year, and that's when I decided it was time to confront what was no longer working for me, and let it go.

As a consequence of this realisation, I ended up closing the PCO Discord server, which I created back in 2022. It was difficult decision, but one that had been months in the making for me. The truth is that ever since Ana Cortez moved on to her own platform, interest and engagement in the Discord server plummeted. Many people were (rightfully) disappointed with the shift, to the point of giving up entirely on the community. The server became mostly a place where members played with the bots and little else, so, on the 25 of July 2025, I closed it for good.

Even though it felt like a weight had been taken off my shoulder, I was still sad about the end. I had high hopes for that server and, for a while, it seemed like it would take off... but it didn't. Ana was the binding element, but even when she was around it never really became a close-knit group, like some other servers I am a part of. And I believe that collectives must grow organically – you can create a group, but you cannot force it to become a real community.

Nevertheless, it was a worthy experiment, and I am grateful to all members who joined and shared their Playing Card Oracles knowledge and experience.

The Triple Goddess in the cards?

Recently I had the opportunity to explore something I never paid much attention to: past lives. The reason why is because I never truly felt that I believed in them, even though most pagans (at least the Wiccan-inclined ones) do. And it's interesting because on my mother's side of the family, which has many Umbanda practitioners, reincarnation is a common belief.

But you know me. Too sceptical for the mystics, too mystical for the sceptics. It's how I roll.

I had the opportunity to be participate of two past life regression sessions, and the results were... interesting. They certainly gave me food for thought. I won't delve much into what I saw during the sessions, but it suffices to say I was shown that my path has not begun now – I have been doing what I do for more than one lifetime, and at some point I was punished for my beliefs.

And I have been thinking a lot about it. Whether past lives be real or not, if the images came to me as specific as they did it's because they hold meaning for me. It's a story I need to tell myself because it reveals something about me... like my intense feelings of loneliness, isolation and inadequacy when it comes to my own spiritual urges. The constant need to hide, to protect myself from the scrutiny of others, even though I am not doing anything wrong. And so on.

So this week, I did a small ritual asking for guidance, before the statue of the Triple Goddess I have on my altar, and afterwards I pulled four cards. My question was something along the lines of "what do I need to know about these past life experiences I had?". I was asking for a sign. These were the cards:

My first impression upon looking at the cards was of... disbelief! It couldn't be, right? Not that obvious and clear. And yet, that is what I saw: the top three cards as the Triple Goddess herself! Morgana (Q♠) as the Wise Crone, Dèja (Q♥) as the Fertile Mother and Terrene (10♠) as the Earth Maiden. It felt like confirmation that my petition has been received and that the Goddess, in Her three aspects, is with me.

But I was puzzled by that 4♠ in the Foot position, since the North Wind it is a card I usually associate with situations that make us lose our footing and/or the need to look for protection (a warning). The description in the Doors of Somlipith book says: The cold force this Wind delivers will either strengthen and fortify you or shred you to pieces. Ouch!

Thankfully, I received some interesting insights when sharing this reading at the Black Ace Academy. Nicky, bless her soul, proposed the following interpretation:

I have received the 4♠ quite a lot recently and I've found that it makes a big difference when it's in a dignified position. For me that brings out the more positive sense of fortification – not necessarily easy but you'll feel stronger for it. In fact, I wonder if this period will blow those courts upright to their rightful position, correcting the recent imbalance.

...which makes absolute sense! Of course, the card is in dignified position, so it would manifest its most positive aspect, like a force that strengthens through challenge. The experience might be intense and unsettling, but the goal is to reorganise and rebalance, thus making us stronger.

There is also special attention to be paid to Dèja (Q♥), since she's the only red card in the whole spread. Her closed eyes seems to invite me to take seriously that which my inner vision and emotions say. She's an intuitive queen, connected to the waters of the collective unconscious. She knows that events do not have to be factual in order to be meaningful to us, because inner realities exist by different rules.

New Moon Reading: April-May 2025

I am super late for this reading, as the April New Moon of 2025 was on the 27th. I have been busy, yes, but there is also the fact I am finding this spread a bit difficult to relate to. It's very red and very Diamonds-dominated, which indicates a period of activity, extroversion, impulsiveness and potential for transformation.

And yet, the top card is Water/Hearts, and it's the 10♥, Theramina, a rather delicate figure. Not only that, her head is covered (and by the 4♦ no less!), almost as if she wish she wasn't put in such position.

Ignita in particular can be seen as the potential for financial gains, creative endeavours and/or spiritual transformation. But in general, the Aces can also be interpreted as sources of energy, that usually feed the cards nearby (especially those of the same suit). We see the A♦ between the 4♦ and 9♦, Gawain, feeding them. Which is strange because the South Wind and Gawain have such... opposite tendencies in my view. The 4♦ is the unexpected, the imp energy that creates little fires everywhere. And the 9♦ is that powerful, solar present, that comes for the rescue when needed.

If I had to sum up my impressions is that this will a cycle in which we will have to fight fire with fire. The unexpected will come at us and, like Gawain with his sword, we will have to take that energy and organise it, discipline it. And to be able to do that, we may have to 'hide' our sensitivity, like Theramina covering her head. On the other hand, it's possible that all this activity and outer demands will make us feel more vulnerable, compelling us to nurture our own mental health more consciously (10♥ in the Head position)

I feel like Theramina, being more sensitive, truly wishes she was doing something else rather than putting out fires. As the only water card, though, she might not have a choice.

I haven't so far 'seen' this spread manifest in a personal level for me. Perhaps it is intended to be a more collective advice? I don't know, but we have until the next New Moon to find out!

New Moon Reading: March-April 2025

So, the first thing that gets my attention in this spread is the only red card, 10♦, in the Heart position. The Lady of Diamonds is a card that changed quite a bit from the original Playing Card Oracles (Tendra) to the Alchemy Edition/Doors of Somlipith (Séraphine)... To me, it is as if this Lady has matured, going through a baptism of fire (or a 'shedding of skin') which made her into a more 'balanced' character.

In any case, Séraphine has become my personal significator card when using the DOS, so when it shows up, it's a sign I ought to pay attention. And here the 10♦ appears brandishing the 7♣, the Sword of Enchantment. The 7♣, being the only non-court card, gains extra significance in the Foot position, as this is position of manifestation, of the ethereal being brought to the earthly realm. So ideas, thoughts, knowledge and the ‘invisible’ will be the driving force in this cycle and, most importantly, their effect will be palpable.

Now, it's interesting that the two lowers cards are upside-down, looking like a reflection of the two upper cards – the 10♣ and the Q♠. This is an idea developed with the help of Nicky, one of the members of the Black Ace Academy (thank you Nicky!):

"I'm also intrigued by the mirror effect of Morgana and Séraphine as it reminds me of 5♥ Fata Morgana - does the more serious-minded Morgana need to remember her hidden passions that lie just beneath the surface? That sword below is blowing air upwards to fuel her inner fire."

And indeed, Morgana looks like she's contemplating her own reflection in a lake, and seeing a version of her younger self, with a heart of Fire and magic in her head (since the sword is covering Séraphine's face). Perhaps this is something the cold Q♠ needs to rediscover in her reality?

Lastly, we have the 10♣ as the top card, Fortuna, another lady. I get the impression that she is another aspect of the Q♠, representing a side of her that is very preoccupied with intellectual pursuits, and not at all interested into looking at the reflection below.

All in all, this reading gives me two ideas: first, that the coming cycle for me will involve a lot of contact with different aspects of the feminine - both inside and outside of myself. Secondly, that although the rational mind wishes to focus on creating the present, there will be a pull from the heart to examine and perhaps recover parts of the self that got left behind, in order to re-actualise them. And it is an auspicious moment to do so, as the 7♣ adds the necessary pinch of magic and synchronicity to help along the journey!

Autumn Equinox: The Flight of the Plumed Serpent

We had another collective meeting at the Black Ace Academy, and this time we did the The Flight of the Plumed Serpent, along with the unique talisman that goes with it (and that you draw based on the cards that appear for the coming cycle).

Below is my spread for the Autumn Equinox, along with the resulting talisman. 

Now, I need to sit down and interpret each of the cards properly. To be completely honest, I found it a bit hard to 'feel' the cards of my 2024 Spring Equinox reading... It was my fault, because I forgot to check which was the ruling card for the period (each card 'rules' approximately 10 days of the season), and analyse how it corresponded to my personal journey. I was lazy.

But there is another aspect that got in the way – I find single-card readings with the Playing Card Oracles (and, by extension, the Doors of Somlipith) to be very difficult. The numerical and elemental interplay between the cards in this oracle method is so important, that reading a single isolated card feels incomplete to me. Not to say that there aren't times a single card is absolutely in-your-face, but this is not a common event.

Ana Cortez tells us to connect the previous cards with the coming ones – to see them as a continuum – which I suppose allows you to study the numerical and elemental interactions. Nevertheless, my impressions of the cards always seemed disappointingly... vague. Each card could relate to many different things, so it ended up not being very informative.

I guess practise makes it perfect. The Flight of the Plumed Serpent is complex, ritualistic reading, and it's not surprise it takes a while to master it. Perhaps in the coming season – Autumn, here where I live – I will unveil its true power.

New Moon Reading: February-March 2025

This is my spread for the February-March New Moon reading. The Geomancy is Via (number witness) + Populus (colour witness) = Via (judge) which kinda of point to a situation that is not final, but still developing. It also seems to me to pose a question: between the collective (Populus) and the singular (Via), which one do we choose? 

As for the cards themselves, the first things that get my here attention is the absolute lack of Black. This points to a rather impulsive energy–decisions are made in the heat of the moment, actions are taken without much planning. The two top cards are Courts, and they are looking in the same direction. And the characters... the K♦, a domineering figure, and the J♥, younger and apparently less powerful, but shrewd. I see a team here, two minds working for the same goal, the leader and his spy...

And we can see that the K♦ seems to be holding the Sword of Truth (7♦), pointing it straight to the heart of the A♥, more precisely, to the Eagle perched on the heart, which symbolises the heart's prerogative of flying free in the currents of desire.

I can't help but see both a collective an a more personal interpretation to this spread. In a more personal level, I see the two courts as external and unpredictable forces or agents, that will invade our reality and force us realise certain truths that may 'cut the heart'. Forces of the collective that will greatly impact our own singular paths (the Populus vs Via ). We may feel exposed by those in positions of power. 

[Edited to add - 1st Apr] I confess I was totally at loss with this spread as I could not really connect to it personally. To be honest, it seemed to speak more about the political atmosphere of the world during the lunar cycle of March (you know who I'm talking about) than anything else. But while discussing it with Ana Cortez, she posed the following question:

"I’m wondering if during your “red cycle” you felt divided affections? Or that you had to hold something back emotionally? The Jack of Hearts, King of Diamonds, the Sword AND the Ace of Hearts with its one-eye-open and one-eye-shut depiction ALL point to division within the red sphere."

And then it suddenly made a lot of sense. I am a bit of a 'Diamonds' person (long gone are my halcyon 10♥/Allegra days!) and during the last Lunar Cycle, I felt like I had to keep my fiery self on a tight leash... Especially because I have just started a post-graduation course and I don't want to scare my new colleagues and teachers off!

I originally saw the K♦ as the one wielding the Sword of Truth (7♦), but maybe he's actually controlling it: keeping it's sharp blade away from cutting the the still fragile emotional potential (A♥) of a situation before it can develop. Getting used to new groups and new people is kinda difficult to me, so it often makes me fall back on old defence mechanisms such as wearing a mask as to appear untouchable (J♥) and being too critical (the shadow of the 7♦). The K♦, however, doesn't let the Sword nor the shrewd Jack get out of control - he represents a more mature aspect of fire, while still 'protecting' a side of himself.

Definitely an interesting way to look at this spread.

New Moon Reading: January-February 2025

Yesterday, we had a live meeting at the Black Ace Academy. But this time, instead of doing one New Moon reading, we did readings... for the entire year! It was a very exciting experiment, using the whole deck as a year-long calendar (you can see here what the spread looks like). We laid the cards in 13 piles of 4 cards each, and then wrote down which spread corresponded to which New Moon in 2025.

We did not, however, interpret all 13 spreads in advance, and my plan is to revisit each spread during the corresponding New Moon and analyse it for the upcoming lunar cycle. One strange aspect of this year's New Moons is that they all fall in the cusp of the months, so the January reading is actually going to reflect the lunar cycle of February.

Anyway, here is the January 2025 reading:

My first impression when seeing this spread was of two intense cards (4♠ and 8♥) surrounding milder cards (Q♣ and J♣). It looks as if the two Courts are bracing themselves for the powerful blows of the North Wind and mischievous influence of The Faun. They seem very centred, as if observing the surrounding hullabaloo before deciding how to react.

I take this as meaning that the coming cycle will be a bit chaotic, sometimes to the point of appearing threatening (the 4♠ gives off that vibe) and emotionally tumultuous, 'drowning' our roots (8♥ in the Foot position). That said, being able to stay balanced (Lancelot - J♣) and to observe without immediately reacting will help organise the apparent chaos. Leah, the Q♣, is a priestess, and she’s in Heart position – she tells me that we must keep Faith in our hearts, and seek the spiritual not only for comfort, but also for better understanding of the collective patterns.

As I mentioned above, the Geomancy was Rubeus (number) + Cauda Draconis (colour) = Amissio (judge). Rubeus reinforces an idea of chaos. Cauda Draconis and Amissio combine to speak of the necessity to 'shed' the old skin and let go, which also suits the vibe of the Year of the Serpent, which has just begun according to the Chinese calendar. We have to accept that some things will no longer be as they were, and must be willing to adapt and change – abilities that are under the rulership of Clubs/Air.

Lancelot is in a dignified position, so he feels to me like the 'teacher' of the spread. Which means I will have to study him more!

[Edited to add - 25 Feb] I’m really surprised by how true the threatening aspect of the spread has been during the last cycle, especially concerning world geopolitics. It's like we are being surrounded by violent and rather mad vibes (4♠ + 8♥), and it's up to us to uphold the values of the Clubs suit of rationality, friendship and open communication.

Weekly Reading: Let your challenge be your spark

So, I decided to try again to cultivate the habit of doing routine readings. After all, as with any language, it is constant use that makes us fluent. Besides, I am fascinated by the idea of possibly perceiving certain patterns in my reading, relating to my own self or to the collective tides around me. We will see how it goes.

The current gate is the 2♠, known as The Enemies in the original PCO (or Medusa in the Doors of Somlipith). For me, it represents a period in which cooperation is more difficult than usual. Finding a common ground, either between individuals, or between one's inner and outer worlds, requires a lot more of work (a typical Spades issue), so it's easy to stay 'frozen' in a negative place.

The two cards of the week, however, are of compatible suits (Diamonds and Clubs), and there's something about them that seems to be challenging the heavy atmosphere of the 2♠. The 2♦ is a card of rivalry, not enmity, showing that we can use the 'clash' between differences as an inspiration to our own improvement, instead of a reason to fight. And Fortuna (10♣) is always willing to change and to adapt to make most of a situation.

So in the coming week, learning to make lemonade out of the lemons your give is the most important lesson. A light-hearted approach, combined with a willingness to see difficult as a challenge, rather than a declaration of war, will help ease the load of the current gate. And like Lady Fortuna, don't miss any opportunity to have some fun!