Astrology is the Language of the Stars

This is how I interpret this suit in personal readings, with the meanings adapted to match the context of the question. Here is why I don’t do the same in general readings.

Ace of Cups

Upright: God is handing you a soul to cherish for the time being, perhaps for longer.

Reversed: Your prayer cannot be answered at the moment.

Two of Cups

Upright: A friendship will blossom into romance. Or a lover will prove himself to be a true friend also.

Reversed: Cannot be reversed.

Three of Cups

Upright: Expect a happy conclusion to a terrible ordeal.

Reversed: A warning against excess, hedonism and debauchery.

Four of Cups

Upright: You will be exhausted by life. The arrival of comforting suicidal thoughts.

Reversed: Excitement will arrive through a new job or a new relationship.

Five of Cups

Upright: A marriage will bring you grief. Or a death will bring you wealth.

Reversed: You will grieve an unexpected separation or death.

Six of Cups

Upright: Happiness will find you through a past connection or situation.

Reversed: Someone from your past will curse your future.

Seven of Cups

Upright: You will achieve multiple successes but they will be fleeting.

Reversed: Someone will answer your prayers. But it won't be God.

Eight of Cups

Upright: Your soul will force you to walk away from hollow gold.

Reversed: You will be ridiculed for walking away from something good.

Nine of Cups

Upright: Upcoming material gain or worldly advantage.

Reversed: You will make a mistake that will reverse your standing.

Ten of Cups

Upright: You will have perfect happiness as a result of love or friendship.

Reversed: Expect violence from someone you consider trustworthy and true.

Page of Cups

Upright: A young man will be sent by God to be of service to you.

Reversed: A young man will be sent by God to be helped by you.

Knight of Cups

Upright: A beautiful man will arrive as an omen of a dream come true.

Reversed: The arrival of trickery in your life. The source will appear beautiful.

Queen of Cups

Upright: A beautiful woman will arrive as an omen of happiness and satisfaction.

Reversed: There is a woman around you who is good to others but will be cruel to you.

King of Cups

Upright: A man will be sent by God to assist you in law, art or science.

Reversed: A two-faced man will bring injustice, scandal or loss in your life.

If you find it all a bit religious, remember that A.E. Waite, the mind behind the Rider-Waite tarot deck, was a devout Christian mystic.

This is how I interpret this suit in personal readings, with the meanings adapted to match the context of the question. Here is why I don’t do the same in general readings.

Ace of Swords

Upright: You will win through great force (great love or great hate).

Reversed: Great force will be used successfully against you.

Two of Swords

Upright: You will lead a harmonious but unglorious life.

Reversed: You will lead a life of dishonesty, lacking dignity.

Three of Swords

Upright: You will fail in three different aspects of your life.

Reversed: The failure will occur only internally, in your own mind.

Four of Swords

Upright: You will lead a peaceful life and enjoy a painless death.

Reversed: You will be blinded, literally or metaphorically.

Five of Swords

Upright: Expect dishonor upon you and/or your family.

Reversed: Expect your victory to bring dishonor upon an enemy.

Six of Swords

Upright: International travel or relocation will bring you luck.

Reversed: A curse, literal or metaphorical, is blocking your success.

Seven of Swords

Upright: Your overconfidence will cause your failure.

Reversed: Someone will bring you information against your enemy.

Eight of Swords

Upright: Expect bad news about violence or illness.

Reversed: A hidden enemy will cause you unexpected losses.

Nine of Swords

Upright: A loved one will die. If pregnant, you will miscarry.

Reversed: Expect imprisonment, literal or metaphorical.

Ten of Swords

Upright: Something will make you feel you'd rather die. Actual death if paired with Death.

Reversed: You will profit from someone’s death or failure.

Page of Swords

Upright: Someone is spying on you, in real life or on social media.

Reversed: You will be caught spying on someone, and it will bring shame.

Knight of Swords

Upright: A war could result in your ruin. War being either personal or official.

Reversed: Your impulsiveness will ruin a part of your life.

Queen of Swords

Upright: Expect to be widowed. A confirmation of your infertility.

Reversed: A malicious, powerful woman is working against you.

King of Swords

Upright: A man will have full power over you and your happiness.

Reversed: A cruel man will have full power over you and your happiness.

It gives you a map of your destiny. If you fight it, you could still win but you will suffer a lot. If you flow with it, you will win quickly with the least amount of agony.

Your Glory

If your First House is occupied while your Seventh House is empty, it doesn’t matter if you’re the man or the woman in your life partnership. Or if you’re the older one or the younger one. You will be the more prominent partner. You will enjoy more fame, more popularity, a better reputation than your other half. But if your First House is empty while your Seventh House is occupied, you are meant to be the trophy wife. Or husband. Fight it or enjoy it.

Your Wealth

If your Second House is occupied while your Eighth House is empty, you are meant to make your own money. Check out the lyrics of Independent Women Part 1 to get a preview of your destiny. The people who love you will be proud of what you will achieve through your own hard work. But if your Second House is empty while your Eighth House is occupied, you can still make money, don’t worry. But the brightest and biggest gold you will ever have will come to you through a partner, a parent, a relative or a windfall. 

Your Brain

If your Third House is occupied while your Ninth House is empty, you will be book-smart. Someone who excels in school. Someone eloquent. Someone people think of when they hear “intelligent”. But you will be foolish in the bigger things in life. But if your Third House is empty while your Ninth House is occupied, you could still have book smarts, technically. But your true knowledge lies in the philosophical, spiritual and the occult. You’re someone people think of when they hear “deep” or “wise”.

Your Joy

If your Fourth House is occupied while your Tenth House is empty, you are meant to find true happiness in your private life. In your home, with your family, with yourself. Think Hobbits. The cherished memories you will have in old age are a movie, a book or a dessert you loved. But if your Fourth House is empty while your Tenth House is occupied, you are meant to find true happiness in your achievements. Your medals in school. Your awards at work. Titles and promotions. You will take pride in how you’ve conquered your world.

Your Identity

If your Fifth House is occupied but your Eleventh House is empty, you will define yourself through your likes, interests and hobbies. “I am a baker.” “I am a Potterhead.” “I am an artist.” This is how your soul identifies itself. But if your Fifth House is empty while your Eleventh House is occupied, you will define yourself through your politics, network and community. “I am a Christian.” “I am liberal.” “I am a feminist.” Your soul doesn’t think of itself as separate. It identifies as part of a tribe.

Your Existence

If your Sixth House is occupied but your Twelfth House is empty, you are a material person. You see yourself as a body that has a spirit inside. But it’s the body you prioritize. Health, fitness, financial stability. You will stay in a toxic job that pays well. But if your Sixth House is empty but your Twelfth House is occupied, you are an old soul. You see yourself as an immortal spirit that happens to have a mortal body. So you prioritize your wellbeing. Virtue, morality, tranquility. You would rather starve than work in a place that reeks of toxicity.

For a lot of charts, it’s not that clean. Axes don’t always behave as empty on one end and full on the other. In such cases, identify your stronger House. The one with more planets or the one with stronger aspects.

About three years ago, when I told my elders that I want to make manifestation a bigger part of my practice, because it is safer than spellcasting, they said, “Well, your version of it is safe.”

This is theirs. Do if you dare.

Step 1: Lock yourself in the darkest room you can find.

Better to do it at night.

Make sure it is quiet, and you are undisturbed.

Stand up and keep your eyes open. Then...

Step 2: Imagine five versions of yourself in front of you.

Each is seated in their own chair: tied, blindfolded, gagged.

Perhaps the loving wife & mother is the first.

Maybe the successful lawyer is another.

And the billionaire celebrity is the third.

Think of two more.

Step 3: Ask yourself, “How do they make me feel?”

Which one makes you happy?

Which one do you pity?

Which one do you admire?

Your feelings might be gray. That is perfectly okay.

Take as long as you need.

Step 4: Pick a favorite.

Which is the you, you like the most? 

Imagine yourself walking up to her.

Remove the rope that binds her. Take off her blindfold and her gag.

See yourself leading her to the door.

Witness her turning her back to you, and claiming her freedom.

Step 5: Kill the rest.

Imagine yourself holding a gun.

Now aim it at the head of the first spare.

Shoot.

Watch the blood pooling by her lifeless body.

One by one, do the same to the others.

Step 6: Close your eyes and breathe.

You have successfully manifested the future you, you want.

She is out there, walking her path.

Wait for her to find you.

Some say that to manifest, you have visualize it… imagine every detail... think about it each night before you sleep.

But then others say that to manifest, you have to surrender… to let it go… to never obsess over it.

And here you are, thinking, “What the fuck?” Both can’t possibly be true.

The trick is to do them one after the other, not at the same time.

First, make it real in your mind. That involves creating the details in your head… perfecting them… knowing exactly what you want.

Then you let it go.

Now the Universe knows the What. You leave the How and the When to them.

Just like when you’re at a restaurant:

You look at the menu and decide — chicken, fish or beef? Should the steak be medium or well done? Should the side be potatoes or a salad? Should the sauce be mushroom or barbecue? How about the drink? Do you pair it with wine, or are you thinking more casual, like soda?

And once you’ve decided, you give your order, and you wait for it to be served.

You don’t invade the kitchen and check to see how big or thick or fatty the steak is. You don’t hound the chef and demand to see the sauce so you can inspect the color. No, you stay in your seat, and you trust that your dinner will be served when it’s ready.

In the meantime, you don’t pass the time worrying. You chat with your date or your friend. Or if you’re alone, you read a book or you scroll on your phone.

While we must respect another person’s free will, when their lie threatens our safety or peace of mind, we owe it to ourselves to perform a remedy.

STEP 1: Come clean.

Magic is all about balance. If you wish to obtain a truth without being asked to pay for it, you too must declare one.

Think of a lie you have spoken to another soul. One with the same weight as the lie you believe you are now faced with. Confess it.

Traditionally, you would have to say it in person to the one you lied to. In this modern day and age, a phone call would do. Written messages are not acceptable. Neither is voicemail. The confession needs to be spoken out loud and instantly received.

Feel free to skip this if you do not wish to pay in advance. But payment will be taken, one way or another, some time in the future.

STEP 2: Form an alliance.

Call upon the Princes of Lies. So that for a short period of time, they will be on your side, and their armies cannot support the person whom you think is lying.

Prepare an offering. Three servings of something dark and delightful. Red wine. Chocolate. Grilled meat. It does not need to be expensive, as long as you believe it is worthy.

While alone in any part of your home – your bedroom, kitchen, backyard or balcony – set the offering in place and say:

“With my own hands, I prepared this for Pytho, Belial and Xezbeth, Princes of the Spirits of Deceit. In the time that it takes you to enjoy this meal, do not let anyone speak a word of lie to me.”

STEP 3: Extract the truth.

Immediately afterwards, ask the truth from the person whom you suspect to be lying. Unlike with coming clean, you can do this any way you want: face to face, a phone call, a letter, a text, an email.

They need to reply within the hour. Any later, and they will be capable of lying again, for the Princes will have already left.

Whatever their response is – be it a confirmation of your suspicions or a repetition of their previous statements – it is the unadulterated truth. That much you can trust in.

Amulets and talismans need to be activated. Otherwise they're just pieces of junk from China.

For real occult protection, acquire:

1) An evil eye ring made of metal, not plastic. It must be white and dark blue, not turquoise or mint green. 2) A piece of handmade natural paper, that is, anything made from plant, such as papyrus and banana, and uncoated by chemicals like polymers. 3) A pen owned by your birth mother or father. Whether the owner is dead or alive, ask for permission.

On the first night of the next full moon…

1) Open the windows to gaze upon the moon while taking four deep breaths. 2) Stay by the window, and write on your paper with your marker: PORTO HAMASIAS F EMANUEL F DORENUS 3) Wrap the evil eye ring with the piece of paper. 4) Close the windows, but leave the wrapped ring by the window sill where the moonlight can reach it. By sunrise, you will have created an amulet that will protect you from curses — both intentional and not. 5) Wear the ring, and keep the paper in a safe place. Return the pen to its owner.

As long as the ring is on your finger or touching any part your skin, you are shielded from bewitchment.

Never let it get wet. Do not bathe or swim with it. Water drains its power.

For an amulet to keep working, it needs to be fed. Every full moon, wrap the ring in the same paper you used when you forged it. Leave it overnight by the window sill where the moon can shine on it, as you did when you created it.

Did you know that tarot can help you determine what someone looks like, long before you meet them?

Your soulmate, your future kids, even yourself in a past life.

In this video, I’ll teach you how! 🥰

Lenormand is a dream. 💕

Start Reading Lenormand in Just 5 Minutes

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FOR PROTECTION

Instant Protection Spell

Traditional Amulet Against Human-Caused Harm

How I Sanctify a New Home

Traditional Spell to Keep a Loved One Safe

How to Enchant Your Tarot Decks

Happiness Transference Spell

How to Create a “Mother’s Love” Amulet

Spell to Prevent a Gun from Firing

How to Use Tarot to Protect Someone

FOR BANISHING

Simple but Potent Traditional Banishing Spell

Traditional Amulet to Banish Fear and Negativity

Spell to Forget a Nightmare

Powerful Traditional Unbinding Spell

Pain Relieving Spell

Simple and Effective Banishing Spell

FOR LOVE

Traditional Spell to See the Face of Your Future Husband

How to Speak to Any Living Soul

Spell to Dull the Pain of a Broken Heart

FOR SUMMONING

How to Respectfully Invoke the Immortals

Ritual to Call Someone to You

How to Summon Your Guardian

Problem Solving Spell

How I Speak to My Ancestors

The Ritual of Meeting the Fates

How to Use Tarot to Speak to Someone’s Higher Self

FOR VENGEANCE

Spell to Weaken an Enemy

How to Avenge Yourself with Tarot

FOR CONTROL

Spell to Make Someone Dream of You

Spell to Keep a Person Inside a Room

Spell to Discover if Someone is Being Dishonest

Spell to Ensure Peace Between You and Another

FOR GRANTED WISHES

The Spell to Make Your Wish Come True

Birthday Wishes Ritual

Rituals for Attracting Abundance

Wish Upon a Supermoon Spell

Solar Eclipse Rebirth Ritual

The Other Myth: You should clean your house on January 1 because that will sweep away the previous year's bad luck.

Never hurting the undeserving proves your kind heart. But not letting people get away with hurting you proves your self-love.

Step 1: State your case.

In a dim, quiet, private place… shuffle your cards, as you recount to them every detail of how you were cruelly injured. As if writing in a diary, divulge aloud your agony. Let your heart fill with ache. Let your body swell with rage.

Step 2: Choose the punishment.

When your pain and fury are at their peak… find the card in the deck that in your soul you believe to fit the misdeed.

Death: Serious illness

The Devil: Emotional abuse

The Tower: Sweeping chaos

The Moon: Damaging secrets revealed

Five of Wands: Friends turning foes

Seven of Wands: Crippling stress

Nine of Wands: Paranoia

Ten of Wands: Bone fractures

Five of Cups: Bouts of depression

Two of Swords: Significant errors in judgement

Three of Swords: Sudden loss of love

Five of Swords: Defeat in competitions

Eight of Swords: Mental or physical imprisonment

Nine of Swords: Insomnia and anxiety

Ten of Swords: Festering cuts and bruises

Knight of Swords: Physical and verbal abuse

Five of Pentacles: Financial ruin

Step 3: Decide the duration.

Find a second card in your deck. Remember that even the smallest cut left unchecked can lead to death. So unless it is warranted… be fair and be prudent.

Ace of Wands: A few days

Ace of Swords: A week

Ace of Cups: A month

Ace of Pentacles: A year

Step 4: Carry out the sentence.

Hold both cards in your hands, with the punishment on top, and the duration behind it, hidden in the back.

Gaze at the card… and with every fiber of your being, imagine it moving.

If it is the Knight of Swords, watch him gallop on his way to cut your oppressor in half. If it is Death, see your oppressor lying lifeless by the Reaper’s horse. If it is the Ten of Swords, let your oppressor take the place of the corpse in the card. Watch their back ooze with blood from every wound, gash and slash.

Step 5: Let it go.

Your raw vulnerability in admitting your injury has connected you to the higher power you have faith in, be that the Universe or a deity.

They have heard your appeal, which will soon be fulfilled. Offer them your gratitude in advance. Your wounds are now in good hands.

It is the holiday season and a time of parties. If you have had a visitor whose energy was toxic, this is how you can cleanse your house of their footprint and make sure they never come back.

With a handful of sea salt in your dominant hand, open your front door with your other hand.

Then speak the person's full name with contempt, as you throw the salt outside the door as if it's the ashes of someone you despise.

Close the door and lock it, chanting once, "Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas".

Do not sweep away the salt. Let the wind, rain or snow take care of it. Wait until most of it is gone before cleaning your porch.

Traditional fortunetellers believe tarot to have a life and a heart of its own. So when your readings have stopped resonating, consider apologizing.

STEP 1: Stop the misdeed.

How did you mistreat your deck? Did you use it to read for someone after they called tarot a joke? Did you use it on a table sticky with coffee rings and honey spills? Did you keep drawing more and more cards until you found the one you were hoping for? Whatever it is… never do it again.

STEP 2: Rewrite your contract.

Today, we can track our Amazon deliveries on the spot. But back then, I don't need to tell you that things weren't half as easy.

So when a wife wanted to know when her husband would return home from business, or when a ship would reach port, and perhaps when the gentleman a lady likes would come to call on her... they would go to a fortuneteller.

And when that fortuneteller has a Sibilla deck, she would shuffle it while asking her customer's question. Then she would take the card at the top, or at the bottom, and declare her prediction:

January

Donna maritata: January 4-10

Mercante: January 11-20

Messaggiere: January 21-31

L’Amante: January 29 to February 13

February

Gran Signore: February 11-20

Il Nemico: February 21 to March 6

March

La Nemica: March 7-13

Sacerdote: March 14-20

Imeneo: March 21-27

La Superbia: March 28 to April 2

April

Viaggio: April 3-8

L’Amica: April 9-14

Fortuna: April 15-20

Stanza: April 21-27

La Lettera: April 28 to May 2

May

Casa: May 2 to June 2

La Donna di Servizio: May 3-8

Falsita: May 8-14

Malinconia: May 15-20

La Conversazione: May 21-27

June

Belvedere: June 3-8

Amore: June 9-14

Allegrezza al cuore: June 15-20

Dispiacere: June 21-27

La Vecchia Signora: June 28 to July 2

July

Il Vedovo: July 3-8

Ammalato: July 9-14

Morte: July 15-20

Consolante sorpresa: July 21-27

Gran consolazione: July 28 to August 1

August

La Riunione: August 2-7

L’Allegria: August 8-14

La Leggerezza: August 15-20

Il Pensiero: August 21-27

Bambino: August 28 to September 2

September

Presente di pietre preziose: September 2-7

I Deliranti: September 8-14

Il Ladro: September 15-20

Denari: September 21-27

Letterato: September 28 to October 2

October

Speranza: October 2-7

La Fedelta: October 8-14

La Costanza: October 15-20

Sospiri: October 21-27

Disgrazia: October 28 to November 1

November

Disperato per gelosia: November 2-7

Prigione: November 8-14

Militare: November 15-20

Domestico: November 21 to December 3

December

Giovine Fanciulla: December 4-10

Your shadow self is the one who gets angry when someone disrespects you.

The one who fights back when someone hurts you.

The one who tells you to leave a partner, a friend, a job that is harming you.

Yes, your higher self cares about your karma, your wisdom, your peace.

But it’s your shadow self who makes sure you are safe, loved, cherished.

The position is the key.

If it keeps appearing in the Present, the Environment, the Subconscious, the Hopes, the Fears… it only means the essence of the card is currently alive in your reality.

The Nine of Swords is simply stating that you are battling anxiety, while the Two of Cups is just observing that you are engrossed in love.

If it keeps appearing in positions such as the Advice, the Past, the Goal… it means you are being asked to heed its message.

The Two of Wands urges you to think strategically and warns you against deciding impulsively, while the Seven of Pentacles reminds you to be patient and trust in divine timing.

But if it consistently shows up as the Future or as the Outcome, then it is certainly a prediction.

Death guarantees an upcoming painful or pleasant transformation, while the Ace of Cups promises a new romantic connection.

However, if it appears across different categories, with no discernible majority, it is only picking up on your wishes and desires.