Feralis Tarot

Pile 1 - Drakengard 10th Anniversary (The Tower, Death, 5oW rx, The Fool rx) 

Heavy scorpionic♏ energy for you, right off the bat, my pile 1s! Some of you may have heavy plutonic influences in your natal chart, and this is something that you probably have noticed for yourself in your life as it has progressed; my pile 1s are no strangers to turbulence and navigating changes that left your world tilted on its axis more than once. For the image you picked, it depicts the protagonists of every Drakengard/Nier game from 2004-2014, and the one who's catching my attention the most is of the only girl in the front, Zero. *** (heavy spoilers and cw, mentions of some dark stuff) Zero was initially called Rose/Usubeni and was a peasant girl who lived alone with her mother, who sold her into prostitution as soon as she came of age. Rose/Usubeni gained her name there, and did her best to escape multiple times and dealt with everything from betrayal to being robbed and held captive by bandits. She then became a merciless killer herself, apathetic to everything but surviving until she was caught and put to death, only coming back to life with the parasitic, alien flower that rooted itself in her eye (yeah, you did read that right, it's weird). But the thing about Zero is that once she is reborn, she decides to devote the rest of her life to saving the world from her fuck-ups, because she didn't want to be the one responsible for ending it. The other central figure, who I'm focusing on for a very similar reason, is Mr. Caim Drakengard himself. I think most would hesitate to call Caim a fully-fledged hero (he definitely... did a lot of bad stuff, definitely ended a lot of things in his quest for vengeance), but as a prince who lost his kingdom and then lost himself in revenge afterwards, he inadvertently ended up saving his own world at the cost of himself and his bonded dragon Angelus from a threat that was universal in its potential destruction.

I think that what you may have in common with these two anti-heroes, is that you are no stranger to seeing horrors appear in your real life. While everything didn't necessarily have to be world-ending, I definitely feel for much of your life, you learned very quickly to make *yourself* the most reliable person in your own life, and there's definitely been entire time periods where you'd have to battle and deal with the exhaustion of it. You're not a stranger to people betraying each other, exploiting each other, and hurting each other, and probably needed to fight tooth and nail to extricate yourself from an environment where this was the normalized way to treat someone. If you've ever sat back to yourself at night and wondered what the fuck you were doing here and why things seemed to unravel at the seams, it's cause you were meant to be the cycle-breaker that all this repetitive agony died with. I don't know if you necessarily subscribe to the idea of generationally-accumulated karma, but I have no doubt that ancestors in your lineage were also dealt similar (or worse) hands and played out their lives in this cycle, too. The reason why nothing's felt stable, and the reason why every time you walk away from something feels like another version of yourself has burned down... it's because it has, pile 1s. I don't know if you've realized it yet, but you are the cleansing fire wherever you go. The people who fear you are the ones who fear themselves, and fear looking inwards because they *know* that they'd be absolutely disappointed with what they find. Everything that shrinks from you, shrinks from your fire because they do fear being cleansed and transformed by it. I'd like to reiterate that you're not "fixers," my pile 1s, and it's never going to be your job to fix everyone and everything that comes your way... It's just that your very existence, and very authentic commitment to yourself and your own growth and transformation is a rebellion. You were the one who questioned religious doctrines in a highly religious society, not out of malice, but out of genuine curiosity and wanting to understand beyond what was in front of you. You are the one who challenges established order by refusing to lie to yourself anymore when it's been the 'tradition' of doing so for maybe thousands of years. You don't shy away from pain anymore, not because it's all you know, but because you now know that the familiar ache of shedding your skin also comes with a fresh new spring, a new perspective, and lots of things worth loving and believing in. Your soul purpose is to transform the world you interact with every time that you transform yourself, and every time you choose yourself, you leave a mark on the people, land and living things around you. Many people may seek to villainize you, pile 1s, but just remember that there are those who love you so dearly, it's impossible to put into words how you're a light of their worlds. Keep choosing yourself, pile 1s, and you'll walk into your most fulfilling life yet. It's been a privilege to interact with your energy in this way, pile 1s, and I forever send my love!

Some extra messages which may or may not resonate with you:

Bitch-fire - Stand up for yourself.

Feather - Think first before you judge.

Witch - Justice is coming.

Pile 2 - Zero, A Rain to End and a Flower to Begin (9oS, KioP, 6oW, AoS)

Similar to pile 1 (which you may have also felt drawn to, pile 2s!), the image you chose contains the chronological "start" of the franchise, Zero from Drakengard 3. (cw warning, some dark backstory stuff ahead) Sold into prostitution at a young age by a bitter and distant single-mother, Zero initially went by the name of Rose and was a scrappy one who fought for an escape and later for her survival. Her life is characterized by being on a razor's edge of getting caught and getting killed, but eventually, her killings drew attention where she was caught and hanged. The artwork is actually from her novella, where it describes her tragedy when she was still more-or-less human; Zero was eventually caught, given lashings for every person she killed (they got her kill count wrong, so she muses that this was the only reason she lived) and left to die in the town square besides 5 revolutionaries. There was one girl who showed compassion, and whose strong sense of justice left an impression on a slowly-dying Zero, and one particular paragraph stands out to me. "I felt something constricting my sight. I wasn't able to shut my eyes, so I kept gazing at the flower. It was so lovely... My life may have been wasted, but this was not such a terrible final thing to behold. As its widening petals filled my field of vision, I greeted the flower with a quiet smile." In her last moments as a human, Zero tried to reach for meaning, for gentleness, for another window into what life itself was before she died, and it's in that moment of seeking that I feel compelled to point out to you, pile 2s. After she was reborn as an Intoner (by merging with the parasitic, alien flower that sprouted from inside her own body), Zero embarked on a mission to right her wrongs that would have doomed the world, and sought nothing else for herself other than seeing this through.

I think that my pile 2s are also such people who feel a very strong calling in your lives, and your challenge to yourself has been to push the boundaries of something like a spiritual and/or intellectual enlightenment. I see someone who feels at home and a sense of wholeness amongst ancient tomes and the wisdom of ancient civilizations long-passed, and I also see someone sitting in lotus-position, wearing the orange robes of Buddhist monks in a monastery. This doesn't necessarily mean you have to pursue either of those paths if you don't feel called to, but the feeling of peeking at something much grander, an inner peace that's all-encompassing is what's an important guiding feeling that should push you into motion. Truthfully, I am thinking of other examples, such as when a surgeon could be in a very long operation, spanning many hours of concrete, dedicated attention, but then they get into such a zone that they don't even realize how much time has passed until they're suddenly at their 10-hour break. This card feels like the card of a Master, and I think that you have a particular skill, or a particular idea that nobody else in the world can see or experience like you do. It really could be anything, but similar to the mind-blowing shift in perspective and the inner peace that Zero embraced in her final moments, I feel like whatever it is that you're destined to be a master in allows you to exist in that in-between state where the entire universe is accessible at your fingertips. The strongest theme that I see here for your life is 'ascension' pile 2s, and whatever your contribution to the world is, it's destined to leave future generations with new pathways, new ways of seeking wisdom and experiencing life... and a sense of mystery about the mind that was able to create such a thing. I do also want to raise a word of caution for you, pile 2s, and it is not to forget your very human body in your pursuit of this enlightenment; just as many artists can lose the hours, maybe even lose days when it comes to composing/creating, the way to ensure that your craft is at its pinnacle is when you also remember to eat, treat yourself and your earthly attachments well. Never doubt that you are meant for more, pile 2s, but don't forget to make the most of your earthly experience, too.

Some extra messages which may or may not resonate with you:

Princess - You can be your own knight.

Red - Forgive.

Escapist - Come home to yourself.

Pile 3 - Young Nier, Nier Replicant Ver 1.22474487139.. (6oS, QoS rx, KnioP rx, PoW rx,)

Hello to my pile 3s, who have chosen the image of Brother Nier! I know many players of the original western release were used to Papa Nier, but I personally enjoyed Nier Replicant a bit more because the tragedy of Nier's story hits just a bit differently... Nier was a little boy who lost his parents at a young age from the illness of the Black Scrawl, and even though he was just short of ten years old, he also had to become the sole caretaker for his even younger sister Yonah and grew to be known around their village for taking on literally any odd job to afford the medicine for Yonah, a roof over their heads, and food. Despite the tragedy of these circumstances, Nier is a perpetually cheerful and cute kid, and people around their village and the neighboring ones reflect on him quite fondly, and he is an excellent big brother to his little sister... However, it's not brother Nier (the Replicant) that's exactly coming to my mind's eye, it's actually Nier the Shadowlord who I'm thinking of in reference to you, pile 3s. ***Spoilers*** In actuality, the whole of humanity, in an effort to save itself from the plague released by the corpse of the Queenbeast (final boss of Drakengard 1, and also my background from this PAC!) that turns people into pillars of salt and/or mindless monsters, they separated the souls from the bodies from each remaining human, and created other bodies "replicants" that will one day be reunited with the original corresponding soul... And Shadowlord Nier was the original "gestalt" or soul who's been hanging on for more than a thousand years to save his sister. While the Nier the Replicant goes to great lengths, and actually does some pretty messed up shit in order to save the sister he pretty much raised by himself, Nier the Shadowlord was equally determined in his patient sacrifice.

I think, for my pile 3s, you have this in common with every version of Nier in that you probably are not a stranger to giving out huge chunks of yourself or taking on the lion's share of burdens so that the people/things you love can continue to thrive and be happy by your side. And this characteristic of yours also stems from the unconditional nature of your love, because you give it freely without demanding things in return for what's the most important to you. For you, maybe love is one of those things that comes as easy as breathing, so the loved ones who sit at the very center of your heart are always basking in the warmth, acceptance, and support that you mean from your soul. And it's truly beautiful, pile 3s, because sitting in your love's light is like sitting in the warm sunshine after a long, dark and cold night. However... I do feel that one of the bigger lessons that you have likely faced in your life is learning how to discern and enforce your own boundaries, because there probably have been those who wanted to suppress your light, covet it and possess it for their own, or turned away from it. For Nier, he learned about how utterly despicable some people could be at a very young age, so it effectively hardened his heart to all but his dearest companions of Weiss, Kainé, and Emil... who he would still use if it got him closer to saving Yonah. While I don't think you're meant to close yourself off in such a way, you have needed to put up walls and gentle redirections of good energies and love towards yourself. While everybody dear to you has the amazingly great fortune of being loved by you, the real ones who are genuinely worthy of it will not only reciprocate it, but also be encouraging of you taking up space and time to love yourself too. You may or may not struggle with the idea of cutting off people, or not baring your soul to bring others closer together to you... but while the soul may be eternal, your flesh is finite, my dears. We only have so much time in this body, in this form, so we have to spend it wisely. You encourage people to believe in love again, pile 3s, and to embrace the inner kindness, nurturing, and warmth that everyone is capable of and make them want to embrace the love inside of themselves, but you are also destined to attract those who would do the same for you, and become a little older, and a little wiser about those things that make you phenomenal, and keep spreading that love wherever you may go!

Some extra messages which may or may not resonate with you:

Confidence - It comes with time and practice.

Villain - You can always rewrite the story.

Escapist - Come home to yourself.

Pile 4 - YoRHa Type A No. 2, World Guide pt. 2  (KioC, 7oP, QoS, PoW)

Ooohhh, I may or may not get flack for not putting the franchise faces of 9S or 2B, but my love for A2 as a character burns bright, and she is the underrated hero of Automata in my opinion. A2 begins the story as the renegade YoRHa soldier who abandoned the organization and had kill-on-sight orders in the years after her defection, and managed to survive nearly being killed by all former comrades. In world of machines and androids, A2 manages to be one of the characters closest to human because there never was a second chance for her after leaving. No redos, no backup data-uploads, no spare bodies. The only others in Automata who could claim a similar experience were the machines of Pascal's village, who lived off the machine network in relative peace together. ***Spoilers*** A2 initially served as the prototype for combat androids after her, including 2B, but she was initially sent on a mission that had very little odds of success as the commanding officer... and all comrades but one perished. Despite not 'really' having emotions, the survivor's guilt and ensuing rage at being sent as a sacrificial pawn fueled her apathy and wish to be left alone, believing that it was best to complete her own solo mission against the machines in vengeance, and detach from an uncaring world until the end of her days.

Of course, that's not what happens, but A2 proves that despite her stoic exterior and painful past that she was someone who was capable, reliable, and had a moral compass that belied the hopeful girl she once was. To me, I think what you and A2 might have in common, my pile 4s, is a hardened, warrior-like exterior that gives off the same feeling of competence and detachment... but I also think you have a squishy center that blooms like a flower of all good things inside of you, too. In this deck (called the Tarot of the Divine, if you want to look it up!), the King of Cups is represented by the tale of the boy and the dragon pearl, a myth from Sichuan/四川 in China in which a little boy who finds a magical pearl when he's out searching for food/things to sell to provide for his mother, and when greedy people come to take it away, he accidentally swallows it, develops a thirst so great that it brings the rains and becomes a dragon and the protector of that land. And this is what I think you're about, pile 4s! I think events in your life have certainly shaped you into being more of a cautious person, more hesitant to let people know what's going on with you at your most vulnerable, but there are many people in your life who absolutely love you, and are grateful to you because they know that your actions speak far more than your silence and they have trusted and believed in you when they probably don't for many others. You probably never asked to be a protector, pile 4s, just as A2 never asked to be entrusted with 2B's sword and memories that she held so dearly, but just by being yourself and holding on to the values that you hold dearly, you have created a feeling of safety and protection that feels like a soothing balm to those who have maybe even never felt safe before in many ways. Despite her solitude, despite the injustices that were done to her and others around her, A2's final choices involve making decisions that mean that her long-perished comrades' deaths actually meant something, and to minimize the future losses and save what she could. She is prone to bouts of aimlessness, and wonders more often than not what she was really around for, but the impact of her on others throughout the story is immense, and far more reaching than she could have ever imagined. My pile 4s may also wonder this often, but you are destined to live in the memories of those who felt protected by you and inspired by you, and your energy definitely resembles the feeling you get by entering a warm, sturdy cabin at the end of a difficult day. Let yourself rest and be loved when you can, but you know to keep walking forwards, pile 4s, you carry the legacy and blessings of those before you and shall eliminate obstacles for the ones after you, too.

Some extra messages which may or may not resonate with you:

Nostalgia - Focus on the here and now.

Garden - Something lovely will grow from this.

Throne - Your potential is endless.

Pile 5 - Mama and Carrier, Nier Reincarnation  (The Chariot rx, 4oS, The Empress, 7oS)

Welcome, my pile 6s! You are last but not least, and you have come to the grand spectacle that was Nier Reincarnation! Sadly, this installment is no longer available to play (at least, at the time of writing this!) but this whimsical undertaking explored the data and memories of all that was left of humanity before its extinction (between the ending of Drakengard 1 and the end of the prologue of Nier!). Guided by the cute little ghost-like creatures of Mama (the cute white sheet) and Carrier (the black sheet ghost with the little hat), it's the player's job to fix corrupted memories or "stories" and put things/characters back in their proper place... but the more you interact with the people in the stories, and the more their cycles/lives play out, the more they begin to involve, creating singularities where different realities branch out and contain different endings. In a sense, Mama and Carrier both act as overseers to this journey, but their methods and purposes are quite mysterious, and neither are quite so benevolent as they may seem. *** Spoilers*** Mama ends up being Pod 006 in disguise, whose mission is to assist YoRHa unit 10H to maintain the rest of humanity's data and records on the moon, and Carrier ended up being a corrupted Pod 012 infected with a virus who would help meddle and "delete" them alongside the primary antagonist to "free everyone from the cycle of suffering".

Similar to both Carrier and Mama, I do think that my pile 6s are old souls, and perhaps you get the distinct feeling of having done all of this before. If that's not the case, maybe you're souls who come from somewhere else, and you sometimes feel like you're observing humanity through some far-off lens you can't fully explain. With the Empress being present here, it does feel like you are someone with authority, pile 6. In Nier Reincarnation, all the little cute ghost-pods do not defy the authority of the prime Mama, especially because she has potentially millions of subordinate copies of herself. Like the primary antagonist, the administrator called Her, Mama (Pod 006) has observed the endless agonies of humans suffering, killing others in their grief and madness, and starting over again to repeat the same deadly choices. But unlike Her, Mama still wishes to protect everyone, and believes that people can eventually learn and make different choices. It's not an easy choice to witness such suffering and continue to hope that things can get better, but I think this quality is what my pile 6s and Mama may have in common. Mama eventually succeeds because those she protected, her unwavering belief in them, and her willingness to sacrifice herself enabled some of the characters in the Cage to become singularities and change the nature of reality itself around them. While my pile 6s may not be exactly involved in extinct human data, I do feel a guiding hand on me that feels like encouragement to keep striving and keep bettering myself just to meet another beautiful sunrise, and I think that's very much the effect that you have on people.

You take movement that has stalled, and help light the fire underneath so that life can propel itself forward again. You help uncover the truths that people are hiding from themselves and make them realize that they should be the protagonists of their own lives, and that there is still hope and good things to be found despite things seeming bleak. To be a Mama/Pod 006 in this world is to hold your head up high even when things looked uncertain, and inspire others with your example that they can transform their worlds by transforming themselves, and enough Mamas in this world can create a wave of change large enough to break through the noise and stagnation. But, my dear pile 6s... Remember that this is not all on you, though. Even Mama had assistance, and the dear friend 10H to rely on to save the precious memories of all that remained, so find some like-minded fellows that can share in your burdens on your mission here!

Some extra messages which may or may not resonate with you:

Expectations - Don't seek anyone's approval.

Voyage - You already have all the answers.

Pile 1 - Hermes, c 5th Century B.C.E (3oS, AoP rx, AoC, 4oW rx) 

I never get as specific about talking about the nature of the card itself, but I feel inclined to do so for at least one specific one I pulled for my pile 1s today. Firstly, with the 3 of swords in reverse, this card already speaks of heartbreak and the sense of lingering disappointment, but in this deck, it is visually represented by a crane woman pulling swords out of herself. This legend is actually the Tsuru no Ongaeshi (鶴の恩返し) story from Japanese mythology, where a man saves a crane from being shot by hunters and she arrives at his door as a human to say she is now his wife. He says he can't support her, but she asks for privacy while she is in a room and instructs him to take a bag with him to the market to sell. She does this often enough and makes them both wealthy, but comparable to the Greek legend of Psyche and Eros, he finally spies on her and finds out that she is the crane he saved, and that she was pulling her own feathers out to sell and making herself sicker. She then leaves to never return. Because my mind is catching on the act of crane wife pulling out her own feathers, I believe this pile may potentially be engaging in behaviors that are keeping you trapped in this painful situation. You might be "comfortable" in a sense where you are at, but it's a behavior/situation that's slowly eating away at you. For a lot of you, this could be a career that's "just enough" to get you by, but each time you go in, it's harder and harder to stay motivated and not burnt out. For others of you, it's a living situation/relationship situation, such as living with family members or friends where you are taking on a large burden in supporting others but are not feeling supported enough yourselves.

The good news is that you have the potential to accomplish a lot, as I'm seeing someone who is capable enough to spin gold out of cloth, and the cards for material abundance and emotional fulfillment are present in your spread, so I'm definitely inclined to say that this is still a strong potential for your future, but you can make it come in faster by taking a strong, critical look at your current circumstances. Does this situation fall apart if you're not in it? If so, then you should probably let it, since it's not one that was destined to be sustainable anyway. There's a magical new and happy reality just waiting for you to step into your power first, and Hermes believes that you are more than capable of creating this, but there is some rebalancing that you need to do first. If you feel like you're thinking about it and not quite landing on what exactly that is, I am hearing that Hermes enjoys pitted fruits and you can offer some of those for mental clarity and clear-sightedness! There's a part of me that wants to potentially add more into this pile, but I feel like you are aware of what actually needs correcting in your life to achieve your goals, or at the very least, you know how to go about finding the answer. Hermes applauds your steady pace and self-sufficiency, but encourages you to towards him if you do find yourself needing direction/guidance.

Some additional messages that may serve as confirmation for specific yes/no questions:

Indeed

Looks like yes

Your answer is in the cards (LOL)

Pile 2 - Statue of Mercury, 140-160 C.E. (5oS, 10oS, 5oC, 2oW)

Holy shit, pile 2s, the SYMBOLISM in your pile 😭. There's probably a lot going on in your life if you chose this pile, or perhaps you're about to have a very busy time coming soon. Firstly, Hermes is also recognized as correlating to the Egyptian god Thoth, also known as Hermes Trismegistus as the amalgamation of both. (And also, you picked the Roman version with the Statue of Mercury, so you may be someone who comes from a very diverse background/mix of cultures.) This is particularly relevant, because the card I pulled initially depicts Isis weeping after Set slew Osiris, and I immediately thought of Osiris and Anubis judging the souls of the dead, with Thoth as the Divine Scribe recording the verdict. In this form, Thoth is associated with the moon, judgment and scholarly practices such as developing mathematics, science, the Gregorian calendar, and governance. This is comparable with Hermes, who occupied a unique role in Hellenism by taking the souls of the deceased to the Underworld, and serving a similar role in presiding over scholarly practices, oratory skills, and communication. For my pile 2s, it seems as if you've been dealing with circumstances where your voice is blocked. Perhaps that might be literal, where you are physically unable to speak because of illness, injury, or any other condition. For others of you, I feel the distinct impression of kicking so hard trying to stay afloat that it feels like your own individual ideas, wants, and even sense of self have been taking a backseat to the chaos of what's around you.

I can compare it the circumstances of let's say... wanting to move into a new house/apartment/place. You know that you need to pack, start cleaning, sign the new agreement(s) to move in, but then you had a bunch of stuff suddenly hit you at work. And then your pet/family got ill. And then all of a sudden you were caught in a major storm/natural disaster so you were out of internet/utilities for a while and you had no idea what the next five minutes would even look like. I'm really seeing someone who has been going through it, in a lot of ways that make you feel a little less than centered. You've been busting your ass for so long just trying to make sure that you and what/who you love was okay that you probably barely remembered you even thought about moving in the first place, or whatever your dream was. Some of you maybe also even thought of moving to a different country, but it's like there's been a delay in accomplishing that goal because a bunch of things seemed to pile on top of you at once. However, there is good news on the way to you, for even as swiftly as the wind changes, a gentle breeze is coming to you now in place of a hurricane! For quite a few of you, I am seeing that the time of this chaos and fires for you to put out is passing, and you have done well in surviving through it! I also see that this new, calmer and more fruitful future will be accompanied with two choices you have that may be related to your first goal/dream. For example, maybe you were aiming to study at a specific university in one country, but you suddenly get an offer from that one and a second one at an equally notable/reputable one somewhere else. Perhaps you applied for one job, but get a callback from a second one, or you hadn't heard from a potential love interest, and then suddenly they came back AND you hear from a second one, too (lol). Hermes shares that you have done well in surviving through what you NEEDED to survive, and now you will have multiple choices presented to you to follow your dreams with. If you want some additional clarity, you can burn some incense to both seek his guidance and soothe your frayed nerves, you'll be able to relax now. (I will also say that the number 5 was presented a few times here and caught my attention, so if you're looking for timeframes, could be the 5th of a month, in 5 months, next May, and 5 is the number of change!)

Some additional messages that may serve as confirmation for specific yes/no questions:

Why are you asking me? (LOL)

Surely not

For sure

Pile 3 - Souls on the Banks of the Acheron, Adolf Hirémy-Hirschl, 1898 (7oS, AoC, The Wheel of Fortune, 3oS)

My pile 3s have picked Hermes in all of his chthonic glory, and a unique energy surrounds this pile, too. For those of you who may or may not know, the "Underworld" aspect of Hermes comes from his role of taking souls and delivering them to the Underworld, marking his unique disposition as one of the only Olympians to regularly cross between the realm of the gods, the realm of the living, and the realm of the dead. The first card that I pulled had the Salish-speaking indigenous peoples' legend of the trickster coyote, who through cleverness and capacity, was able to accomplish many feats such as shaping the land around us, and leading the other animals through winning contests. There's even more of this energy present with The Wheel of Fortune, represented by the Akan deity Anansi, whose feats included tricking leopard, python and a swarm of hornets to come back with him to earn the title of Lord of Stories. Like the depictions seen here, I feel like my pile 3s may also share some of these wily and cunning characteristics with these legendary figures, which has been helping you get to where you want to be in life. With the 3 of swords, I am seeing that you had been disappointed in the past before, by people, by circumstances, maybe even by yourselves before, too. This left you with the resolution to be a lot sneakier about holding your cards closer to your chest and getting others to reveal theirs before you made your moves and truthfully... there's nothing wrong with that, really. At least not more so than any other thing. Did you have ever have to lie to eat? What's the alternative if you can't/are unwilling to? The way you conduct yourself and the ways you choose to engage with your environment are what have allowed you to progress as far as you have come, but the only warning here is to not let unscrupulousness cheat you out of a satisfactory outcome, too. You seem like someone who truly understands the depths and the heights that humans can attain, and you instinctively grasp the truth and potential about a lot of situations. However, after a certain point of paranoia, your only worst enemy pretty much becomes yourself. This specific scenario maybe applies to only a few people, but I'm seeing someone who met somebody recently and they get along really well, perhaps this relationship/situationship is shaping up into the potential for something even larger and more committed, but all you can focus on are the ways that it could fall apart. Soon enough, always looking for an excuse for failure would eventually put enough strain for this relationship to fracture, but then it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you'd just tell yourself it was all doomed from the get-go anyway.

That's not necessarily the case, and what could have been a good thing (whether it lasted forever or not) was subsequently cut short at the potential for blooming. Everything in life is a calculated risk (at least, in my opinion), but even if you get burned, making the conscious choice to try for it anyway and see how far you can go can lead to a bigger, better thing more often than you might think... but it's up to you to learn those lines and address that in yourselves. Use your big brains to see when exactly the line of self-preservation moves into self-sabotage, and then you can find a lot more good shit coming your way. For mental clarity (and clearing out bullshit), I am hearing that you can consume/burn sage and lavender to connect with Hermes and seek assistance in discernment here.

Some additional messages that may serve as confirmation for specific yes/no questions:

Of course

Ask again

Pile 1 - Take Over The Moon (KnoP, 2oW, AoP, The Chariot) 

Hello, my pile 1s! You have chosen the 2nd EP by WayV, the incomparable Take Over The Moon! Maybe quite a few have even heard the impressive vocals on the iconic Love Talk already, too! Speaking of which, I think 'Love Talk' may be a good place to start because of the major differences between the English and Chinese versions of the song, which I feel called to focus on. As some of you may already know, the Chinese lyrics are pretty romantic and have a lot of metaphors about people who may seem initially incompatible but are coming together despite the hesitance and uncertainty, with lots of star and moon imagery... and then the English version (which is still quite good ofc) seems quite a bit more explicit 😄. Specifically, it's this difference that I'm picturing in my head when it comes to the person that you're thinking of. If it's romantic, it's like one of you is heavily romanticizing an experience inside your head, while the other is excited (maybe physically, too) but not seeing it as indicative of anything other than a momentary excitement. It's definitely reminding me of an FWB situation where one party maybe caught feelings and the other is just there for what they wanna get out of it. For those of you that aren't looking at a romantic situation, I still think it represents a mismatch in perspective or ideals about the same experience. This may apply to only a specific amount of you, but I'm picturing that maybe one of you was angry about something the other did, and although you were both there at the event you're describing, the other person is not understanding why you would be angry about it, because it wasn't a big deal to them and they're not getting why this event/situation was to you.

This doesn't necessarily represent a toxic energy to me, but it can be, if that makes sense. For whatever reason, it feels like you and this person aren't exactly on the same wavelengths, and one person definitely views the situation as bigger/grander than the other. I will say that I am also getting the energy of forwardness or progression here, so if it's romantic, then it's like this situation is slowly evolving into something more concrete and promising, but I'm getting that it's going reallllllyyyyy slowly, until all of sudden, it might not be. Think of a small amount of snow aggregating enough momentum and weight until it's a giant snowball hurtling down the mountains. However, I feel like I need to warn some of you though, because not all forward progression is actually positive, and if this was a situation with a person (regardless of whether the dynamic is romantic/platonic/anything else) that seemed like another big red flag on a series of other red flags, then forward progression means that it could snowball into something worse. So, use your best judgment, here. If you feel like this person is slowly but positively reciprocating whatever vibes you're putting out, then it may be a good indicator for a more solid relationship with lots of potential in the future. However, if you feel like things have just not been sitting right with you and this person is not seeing things the way that you are.... you're probably right.

Some other guidance that might be relevant (pulled from Love Oracle but if it doesn't suit the dynamic you're asking about, only take what resonates):

Time Apart - Some distance will help bring clarity.

Wait! - The timing is not right.

Chemistry - The attraction you feel is mutual.

Additionally, some WayV songs channeled from this album that may contain messages:

Love Talk - ofc, the main single which basically inspired this whole reading, look at both the english/chinese version if you want!

Yeah Yeah Yeah - Surprisingly a song about having having the dark night of confusion clear up into a sunrise of motivation/clarity.

Moonwalk - This is definitely the song of treading new land/creation and walking where nobody has before, lots of possibilities on the horizon (also Xiaojun's beautiful vocals shine especially bright💚~)

Pile 2 - Awaken The World (QoP, Judgement, 9oP rx, 2oC)

Welcome, my bad bitches of pile 2! Before I pulled any single card, I already heard "Bad Alive" in my head - specifically the Chinese version - cause of the lines "深陷在我的身旁 (身旁), Drink some, fill it up 留言極度瘋狂" which loosely translate to gossip, jealousy, and madness deep at the side of the narrator (their haters can drink it lol), and the Chinese version of this song is really just about being a bad bitch across the land with no shortage of people wishing your downfall from the peak of the mountain you're standing on. So it's pretty funny that I got those specific lines in my head at the exact time I was shuffling and pulling out cards that showed me exactly this. I think that wherever you go, pile 2s, you are a head-turner 'cause people can feel the vibes of owning yourself radiating off you, and I'm not going to lie... it probably makes a lot of them envious as hell. It's like no matter the situation, you know yourself enough to get through it and it brings an unshakeable self-confidence that leaves those who don't trust or know themselves with a bad taste in their mouths. Definitely have a lot of people in your life who want to be you or be with you (or both) and they know they can't... so instead they project their feelings of low self-worth onto you.

Whether or not the person that you're asking about is a potential romantic interest or not, I'm getting that they're definitely aware of just how impressive you are! For the most part, you are absolutely a regal monarch to them and they generally have positive feelings tinged with admiration because you seem like you've got your shit together in a way they don't see lots of people in their life. However.... with that reversal, I'm getting that even though their feelings towards you are largely positive and impressed, they also swing between their admiration of you and their own envy towards you, too. It's like they enjoy basking in your light and enjoy being around you, but being around you can also highlight their own insecurities and where they feel inadequate (which is not your fault, it's definitely a them thing they're working on), so it stings them sometimes. If you are asking about a romantic connection, I'm hearing that this also may be insecurity of theirs; they might be susceptible to occasional bouts of possessiveness and jealousy because they know you're such a damn catch. Either way, the energy that I feel from this is not too heavy or negative, so I feel like your person is actively working on dealing with these feelings within themselves to avoid souring the relationship you do have (romantic or otherwise!) together, but there's not much you should be doing on your end besides being your amazing self, tbh. Hmmm, I will say, there's probably a camp of you that were also wanting to see about a potential romantic interest here, and I am seeing that there's definitely mutual attraction here if that's the case, but they're internally wondering if they have enough to bring to the table for you, so they're probably gonna feel things out and see where it goes and how you respond to them before they'd even think of laying all their cards out there and letting you know their feelings for you.

Truthfully, pile 2s, I think more than anything, you know what this person's been feeling towards you, you seem like you're pretty aware of the situation and I am serving as more confirmation, than anything else (which I am always happy to!)

Some other guidance that might be relevant (pulled from Love Oracle but if it doesn't suit the dynamic you're asking about, only take what resonates):

Soulmate - Your soul mate loves, accepts, and respects you unconditionally.

Forgiveness - Forgiving yourself or another will help you move forward.

Go Slow - Take time to get to know each other.

Additionally, some WayV songs channeled from this album that may contain messages:

Bad Alive (Chinese version) - The English version is also quite good, but being the baddest across the realms just seems to capture your vibe

Up From Here - Romantic song about slowly getting closer and the happiness bubbling up with every degree~ (also Xiaojun's vocals💚~)

Turn Back Time - Really deep song about critical self-reflection to ascend to new heights, includes interesting buddhist sutras

Pile 3 - Phantom (8oP, The Sun, The Hanged Man rx, 4oW rx)

Out of the album covers that I have on here, I think Phantom is definitely one of the most visually interesting that I have! I'm remembering being obsessed with the photoshoots and concept art released for it, and that brings me to an interesting thought already... Phantom is another one of those songs where the meaning changes between the Chinese and English version, where the English-version of it makes it explicit about an unsettling love that can be potentially toxic/ obssessive as well as positively transformative, but the Chinese version is a lot more ambiguous and seems like it could be about discovering the self through the chaos and haziness of obfuscated truths and lies. This leaves me with a really interesting feeling, because it seems like a couple of you may be even asking about yourself (as in, you chose a pile wondering what you might actually think about yourself) as a marker of where you are on your own journey of personal development. However, in any case, I feel like this is my pile who has been re-evaluating themselves against everything in their life recently to see what suits you and what doesn't, and I feel like a lot of things are getting a fresh new start! I know The Sun typically represents Leo and the height of summer, but it feels like a fresh spring breeze moving in to invigorate your life and infuse it with a bit of sunshine.

For some of you, I think maybe there's a specific person who's been making you happy recently, or at least taking enough breaks to actually stop and smell the roses. It's a sweet, uncomplicated feeling of joy, so I'm hearing that whoever you're asking about, this is someone who you make happy, too. Some of you may actually be asking about your child if you're a parent, and this can serve as confirmation that your child is growing up feeling like they are happy, warm, and safe with you. I am seeing some hesitance and waiting, but I mostly feel like this may be on your part more than it would be on theirs, pile 3s. If you're someone that's dealt with a lot of things not panning out for you at other points in your life, you might be dealing with some lingering worry about things with this person going downhill or falling apart, but I'm feeling that it's okay for you to breathe easy and not overthink this. The 4 of wands suggests that there's a lot of happiness to be found in this dynamic, whatever dynamic it is, so it's also safe for you to bask in it and stop holding your breath or waiting for the other shoe to drop. Oooohhhhh I don't mean to necessarily spoil the surprise, but if some of you are asking about a long-term committed relationship and you feel like you might get asked about marriage soon... you're probably right (!!!!🙈). Your wisdom is probably hard-won, pile 3s, and you've worked on yourself and your life a lot to improve it, so it's understandable that you might have some lingering hesitance around accepting things at face value, but you also know that you're not one to be taken for a fool, so if it actually genuinely feels like this is a great thing, then it probably is!

Some other guidance that might be relevant (pulled from Love Oracle but if it doesn't suit the dynamic you're asking about, only take what resonates):

Patience - Everything will unfold in divine timing.

Protected - You are safe and divinely guided.

Here and Now - Your true love is already part of your life.

Additionally, some WayV songs channeled from this album that may contain messages:

Phantom - This song really does feel like escaping the dark tunnels and seeing things for what they are, and it seems like there's lots of things in your life that felt like a dark tunnel before this point.

Try My Luck - "Take the chalk powder of your old dreams and draw a new silhouette" this song literally embodies the energy of saying "fuck it" and giving life a go even when there's no safety net or guarantees, you miss 100% of the shots you don't take

Good Life - "I wanna know what that's like, no problems, good life" - your time of sweetness can be now, pile 3s!

Pile 4 - Give Me That (7oW, The Tower, QoW, 8oW rx)

I wasn't even finished pulling cards yet when I heard the title track and Xiaojun's iconic "let's get close, 這是關鍵的時機..." cause MAN this song just gives off such a playful, flirty energy and I feel like most of you in this pile are going to be asking about some sort of romantic dynamic here. If it's not romantic, then at the very least it's going to be fun and playful, just like this song! It's interesting, because I get that you're someone who's normally a little bit guarded and it's not always easy to get to know the real you, so perhaps you leave lots of passersby with the feeling of mystery. I think you're someone who's used to turbulence in your life, so you've naturally just kind of closed off to things that seem like they wouldn't pay off in a positive way and you're discerning about who you let close... which is why this person is interesting. I get the feeling that most of you are specifically asking about someone you know/someone who's already in your life and interacting with you in some ways, cause I'm getting the visual image of two people giggling and engaging in witty banter. It seems like this person is really intrigued because they're getting to see a side of you that maybe very few people do, and you might be equally interested in seeing where this goes at the same time you're very wary about what they actually want from you.

Other lyrics from the Chinese version of Give Me That talk about how familiar someone is despite just meeting, so I think maybe many of you haven't known this person that long or had enough interactions with them to rationally explain why you may feel so familiar or close with them right away, and that's what's throwing you off. While I'm not getting any necessarily bad intentions from the person that you're thinking of, I will say that it also feels like they're getting swept up in their interactions with you and feel more instinct-driven than they usually would, too. They really enjoy their dynamic with you, and they do fully see you as a person worth admiring (this feeling is straight-up attraction if it's a romantic interest), and if it helps you to know pile 4s, they also seem to be startled about how quickly they're falling into this with you. Use your judgement to keep your wits about you and determine what's best for you, but if this is something new and exciting and you feel like it's worth exploring, they likely feel the same way.

Some other guidance that might be relevant (pulled from Love Oracle but if it doesn't suit the dynamic you're asking about, only take what resonates):

Abundance - You've done the work. Abundance flows to you now.

Trust - It is safe to trust in this situation.

Time Apart - Some distance will help bring clarity.

Additionally, some WayV songs channeled from this album that may contain messages:

Give Me That - The title track, about the good ol' fuzzy feelings of wanting to get closer and closer until fireworks pop!

Might As Well - "I don't wanna waste no time, get it on" maybe y'all's souls/bodies are burning but it's your logical brain that's lagging behind lol

She A Wolf - I feel like with your queen of wands, this person definitely sees you as a powerful, mysterious person that's deeply magnetic

Pile 5 - Frequency (PoP, 9oW, KnoC, The Devil)

In true, channeling fashion, I pulled out the cards at the same time I started mentally yelling "WIP WOP GET UP ON MY FREQUENCY!" so I knew I was definitely going to be talking about how you come off to others first 😂 Firstly, I feel like your confidence is off the charts here. Pile 5s definitely walk around like they're the shit so you have other people for sure believing it lol. Even if you're relatively unfamiliar to your environment (for example, I'm seeing that some of you are at a new job/school with new people who maybe don't know you that well) but despite that, you don't really carry the nervousness or hesitance that someone else in your shoes might, and it throws other people off, mostly because they believe that they'd be nervous if they were in your position. Interestingly, this ties into what the person you're asking about thinks towards you, because they definitely see this projected image of competence and self-confidence, but I'm getting that they seem skeptical about how 'real' it actually is. I don't know if some of you are potentially asking about a boss or senior in your work/field, but it seems like this person is withholding judgement to see if you can actually put your money where your mouth is. Until they can see what they want to see from you, I feel like they will have their guard up for a little while yet.

For those of you that are asking about a potential romantic interest, I see that this person is intrigued by you, but they're not going to let on that they're interested because you may come off as non-committal or possibly playboy-ish to them. They might think that you have lots of options, so they don't want to put themselves out there and have you move on from them just as quickly. For some of you, this also could be some sort of ex, because I'm seeing that it seems like both of you had to move on from something disappointing in the past together, so they don't really want to lock themselves in another cyclical relationship with a bad ending because things haven't changed. Either way, whether it's romantic or not, I'm seeing that this person is definitely keeping an eye on you to see what you do, even when you might think that they're not necessarily looking your way. I think this is my pile with a lot of different, diverse situations going on here, so some of you might be getting evaluated on a professional level and that's why this person is watching, others are asking about romantic/social dynamic, some of you are asking about a familial one that you're having trouble gauging, it really depends, but that's the one thing that is consistent between them all that I'm seeing! I'll point out that the feeling I'm not getting is necessarily bad/negative, but in some cases, if it wasn't a negative experience that they had with you specifically, they might be someone prone to expecting the worst out of lots of different situations/people in general, so don't be too hard on them or yourself if things aren't warming up the way you might want at first. The advice here is to honestly keep showing up and doing your thing and letting others make their judgements; they're going to anyway and you can let others decide for themselves if they want to approach you and find out what you have to offer the world.

Some other guidance that might be relevant (pulled from Love Oracle but if it doesn't suit the dynamic you're asking about, only take what resonates):

Twin Flame- This is a divine counterpart connection.

Soul Mate - Your soul mate loves, accepts, and respects you unconditionally.

Awakening - Someone is undergoing a spiritual transformation.

Additionally, some WayV songs channeled from this album that may contain messages:

Frequency - Oh yeah, you definitely want people to get on your level!

Twist - Yeah honestly this one's just a playboy song, maybe they're wondering how committed you are lol

Pile 1 - Zeus with eagle and lightning, c. 5th century BCE (The Magician, The Tower rx, 10oW, The Wheel of Fortune rx) 

For many of my pile 1s, the first thing that's coming to mind right now is the myths surrounding Zeus' birth. Or more specifically, why his birth was so special in possibly the worst and best ways depending on who you ask. Cronos, his father, had overthrown his own father Ouranos and ruled the realm, but soon received a prophecy that his own son would overthrow him. And you know what he did? Each child that his sister-wife Rhea bore him, he would swallow whole and trap within his stomach, up until Rhea tricked him by swaddling a stone in baby clothes and making him swallow that while she had her handmaidens steal baby Zeus away to the island of Crete, where he was raised and trained enough to lead forces against his father and free his siblings.

It is this particular part of the myth that I'm honing in on; I feel that for most of you, you maybe feel like you've had your destiny stolen from you or had others impose their will excessively onto you, and if it's not that drastic, there's still a lingering feeling of having the rug swept from under you trying to make certain strides in life. Maybe you were trying to set up a business or get famous off social media, but every time you had tried, there was some weird delay or obstacle that would prevent you from achieving the reach that you wanted. For some of you, I am getting that there really is a third-party in your life who was actively hoping to see you fail on this matter or projecting their insecurities onto you because they were afraid to see you reach these high heights and lofty goals, and for that, I would really suggest taking a hard look at who's around you right now and what they're contributing, because it may not all be good. Additionally, if it's not a person, it might be a situation or a habit that is undercutting your own efforts; think of Cronos, who likely set his own downfall into motion when he decided that eating his children seemed like a surer plan than actually raising them with respect and his values. While it's not a guarantee his children wouldn't have usurped him anyway, acting on those fears pretty much guaranteed that they would. My pile 1s are definitely onto something, if you always felt that something big and great was on the horizon for you, you were right. There's a lot that you're meant to be doing, and the way the cards appeared tells me that this is still coming to you, but you can help its growth by cutting out whatever is detracting from it.

Like removing weeds from a garden so your prized plants can grow, Lord Zeus also suggests that you need to be decisive and prioritize where you should put resources right now. He conveys that you don't always need to smite with your sword, but you need to be willing to pick it up anyway (what a strange sentence I thought, but it sort of makes sense, doesn't it?). At this phase in your life, if there's anything that you need to embody, it's the saying that 'fortune favors the bold.' Lord Zeus appearing to you suggests that you have this bravery in you to leave what's dragging you down behind, but you mustn't make yourself blind to it.

Perhaps, Cronos actually did know that he was swallowing a stone instead of his son, but instead of addressing it, he let it happen anyway because he knew that he had already sabotaged himself by letting a prophecy decide for him. Zeus was his karma, here. And he's sharing that you don't need to worry about those obstacles/people/circumstances anymore, because karma will come for them, too. But if you want what you want, be brave and take those steps. It doesn't matter how big or how small, what you want and have is special, so pick up the sword anyway.

If you want additional guidance from Lord Zeus, or even a dash of bravery to help walk away with your head held high, I'm hearing that sage, thyme, and laurel leaves are great to burn for him.

Blessings upon thee.

Additional messages that may resonate for you:

Expectations - Don't seek anyone's approval.

Phoenix - How's that for a happily ever after?

Lighthouse - Don't doubt your worth

Pile 2 - Jupiter and Thetis, Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres, 1811 (9oS, PoW rx, QoP, The Emperor rx)

If you chose the painting of a stern-faced Jupiter being addressed by the pleading, vulnerable form of Thetis, then I sense that there's something to be said on 'greatness' about you, my pile 2s! For those of you who don't know who the other subject of this painting is, it is the Nereid Thetis, who is the mother of the legendary figure Achilles. There's a lot of murkiness about Achilles' and Thetis' origins, but their capacity for greatness was one so feared that other actors endeavored to control their destinies throughout their lives. The other subject in this painting, the legendary ruler of Olympus, is also one who ironically shares this trait with them. For my pile 2s, I'm getting that perhaps even more so than pile 1 (though you may have been drawn to that one too), people are actually intimidated by you. Cronos ate his children to prevent them from overthrowing him, gods far more powerful than Thetis tried to marry her off for the whisperings of prophecies, and Achilles' potential was so feared that they tried to kill him when they couldn't use him. While things may not be so dramatic for you, pile 2s, I think you're the kind of capable person that can go really far without bending to the established order, and that is why you are a threat.

People have likely tried and failed to win you over to their side, but they know that you're far too set on yourself and your own goals to compromise everything that they want, so they try the opposite to diminish your power in the ways that they can. Whether you set out to be or not, pile 2s, you are a leader in every sense of the word. No matter your profession or status, people will look to you when shit hits the fan or they need inspiration, because you project such self-confidence and competence that they cannot help but seek you out like you're a lifeboat in the churning waves. To me, this is a slightly different circumstance than pile 1, because while you both have people/circumstances that may be holding you back, for my pile 2s, I'm hearing that it's more like periodic bouts of self-doubt that have been plaguing you as of late. You are absolutely someone that can spin thread into gold, pile 2s. But if you've been hearing from outside sources that "oh it's impossible to do that" or "you need x, and y, and z before you can even try it..." It's not necessarily true, pile 2s. I usually don't get quite so much into conspiracy theory on here, but I feel very called to point out that you have to realize when you're in the matrix to understand how to exist outside of it, and it's like when these thoughts hook onto you, they're forcing you to try and stay back within it. Simply because someone walked x path to get to y, it does not mean that you will walk that same one, or that you even should at all. Lots of people aren't meant to be prescribed life as it was a medicine, and when you find yourself doubting that, Lord Zeus wants you to cut the threads of confusion and malignment from your head. You are a leader, a reigning monarch, and those who occupy this role have to think on a far larger scale and make moves that may not seem understandable to those who don't occupy the same role or vision. So why do you listen to them? Lord Zeus invites you to seek counsel when and as you need it, but you always need to measure the truth of a differing perspective against your own. He is proud of all you have accomplished and all that you will, and should you wish for more clarity/discernment, burn thyme, imagine the laurel crown on your head, and ask for him.

Additional messages that may resonate for you:

Tree - Let them go.

Lavender - Surround yourself with love.

Evil Queen - You deserve sugar, not salt.

Pile 3 - Statue of Jupiter, 1st Century CE (6oP, 7oC rx, QoW rx, AoS)

As per my modus operandi, I always save the Romans for last 🤣 But unlike my other piles, I didn't dive very much into the different cults of Zeus or feel the need to expand beyond what is relevant to the situation at hand... which I feel like is the energy you're going for in this moment or what you're meant to embody soon. Firstly, I'm drawn to the theme of generosity within your pile; there's the generosity and love of the nymphs at Crete who nursed and raised Zeus as if he was their own child. There's also the generosity between Zeus and his subjects, for he was so venerated and the blessing of Zeus was seen as quite the boon. For you, pile 3s, I'm seeing that maybe you're considering the nature of generosity and reciprocity within relationships in your own life, and deciding what you have worth defending here.

This seems like it's quite specific to a handful of you, but perhaps you were raised by someone different than your birth parents, and if they came back into your life at a later point, you're considering where to put them in relation to the people who may have actually nurtured and influenced your growth to where you were today. For others of you, there's quite a lot of emphasis on the "defending what you love" part of it, and if you've had to recently make some tough decisions about letting certain things. situations, and/or people go in your life, this pile is probably for you too. I'm hearing that those in this pile might tend to be more guarded or keep certain things close to their chests, so you might get unfairly labeled as "cold" or "unfeeling" when it's more like you just wait and test the waters before trusting someone with your soft parts. But rest assured, the guidance I am seeing is that it's not bad to be careful like this, since it helps you approach situations with a much clearer head and see them for what they are. However, the issue lies in when it's your trauma and/or bad previous experiences that are guiding your actions, since that is what can push away what you actually care about since you keep projecting your bad outcomes onto it (thereby making it a self-fulfilling prophecy).

However, if you were prone to overthinking and projecting in the past, I am happy to see that you are moving away from this tendency, and I'm seeing a newer progression of taking the time to think things through, identifying what you feel and what your gut is telling you about certain situations, and then deciding from there... And it's this process that's going to lead you to your best results! It's weird, but I heard 'wholesale integration' lol, which I take to mean that you're not going head vs heart vs gut, you're using all three to parse out what's going on and what should happen next. Lord Zeus presides over kingship as well as the skies, and I'm hearing that one cannot rule their kingdom without ruling oneself, so you are definitely on a fantastic journey here to doing just that, pile 3s.

There's 100% a life out there where you do not have to sacrifice your autonomy, clear-headedness, passion, or what/who you love in order to have the best of each, and you're well on your way to finding exactly what that is for yourself! Should you wish seek further wisdom and clarity from Lord Zeus at any point, I'm hearing that you should burn sage, and write whatever comes to you in a blank notebook; you might land on something special!

Additional messages that may resonate for you:

Grey - Endings are inevitable.

Protest - Start a revolution.

Clover - Release your guilt.

Pile 1 - Nerium Oleander (9oC, 7oP, 10oC, The Fool)

Oleander comes in bright, vivid shades and look as beautiful as any other flower in a well-cultivated garden. However, one can never be too careful, as all parts of every oleander are highly toxic, especially when dry. However, just as the beautiful flowers appear to give an effortless performance, I feel like you, too, have been putting all your energy and high level of performance into appearing effortless. My pile 1s are likely the perfectionists and experts who have given your all to whatever you put your mind to, but you've also likely hit a point in your life where you're maybe burnt out by this process and/or the expectations of others. Maybe your parents wanted you to be a rich doctor or top-level management in business, so you put in all those years of schooling, went out of your way to make opportunities, and were perhaps even playing that role well for a few years before you realized that it left you feeling emptier in what was supposed to be your life. Perhaps it doesn't even have to be that drastic, but that feeling of having others scrutinize the things you do has probably tired you out, and you're already at that point (or you've already passed this point) where you want to drop all those plates you're carrying and not care about the clatter on the ground. For some of you, all of these efforts have been to thread together your dreams and achieve goals that you had set for yourself, but you've been finding it hard to keep yourself motivated after every setback.

The reasons may be different, but that overwhelming taste of burnout is heavy with this pile, and I feel called to really push and acknowledge that it wasn't for nothing! I have talked a lot about the oft-unpleasant circumstances in your life that have brought you to this sense of discomfort and achy tiredness... but in acknowledging what you have toiled, I see how your blessings are coming in, too. Visually, I see someone digging through the mud; their hands are dirty, bruised, and covered in little scars and callouses, but I hear a yell of triumph because they finally found a vein of gold. This is what's coming in for you all, pile 1s, but this is coming in with a hint of a lesson, too. If you were searching for meaning, wealth, riches and/or love without finding it inside of yourself first, then this incoming blessing (I'm seeing quite literally "what you asked for x10") is coming to show you that if you haven't completed this inner work, then this isn't going to solve your problems, either. For example, you might get a sudden promotion/raise, get lucky with the lottery or inherit a piece of valuable property, but if you were still trapped in cyclical behaviors and patterns that were sabotaging you, then even all this money in your hands is going to show you that nothing actually changed, because it had to begin with you to fully enjoy this abundance to the max. I'm hearing that for others, the ones who have worked until you bled to create opportunities, you're reaching those goals you put your heart and soul into, and now you're getting a blessing at the same time you will learn that not everything in life has to be a struggle. To be honest, those are mainly the two camps that I see in here, but after doing that inner work of self-reflection and being conscious of actively shaping your life through your actions/output, I am seeing a life of wealth, riches, and ease that feels like the decadent frosting on top of a life very seasoned in experience; you knew you were always going somewhere, pile 1s, and you knew you were never going to stop until you reached it... And you were right! Don't let the naysayers divert you from your truth, you were definitely meant to come out on top, my dear pile 1s!

Some additional channeled messages that may be relevant include:

Evil Queen - You deserve sugar, not salt.

Bitch-Fire - Stand up for yourself. (!!!!)

Sword - Make that change.

Pile 2 - Cicuta Douglasii (PoP, AoC, 10oP, QoW)

If you're on a quiet trek through the continental United States, perhaps on the wet banks of a river or marsh... the beautiful, clusters of white flowers swaying on delicate stems might tempt you to look closer, but be wary of taking a bite, only a small amount of the Water Hemlock's tree sap is enough to be lethal for animals and humans. Thriving in wet soil with just a bit of sunlight, I feel like that's something that my pile 2s have in common with this spriggy, abundant plant; perhaps you, too, come from very humble beginnings, and were able to spin gold out of the very little you had. My pile 2s, for some reason, I'm channeling that you have a lot to bring to the table here. You have ways of supporting yourself and others and can make a good quality of life, and perhaps you are already at a point where you have those things. However, in your march to build your life brick-by-brick how you want it, I feel like you've seen a lot of things and people drop in and out, sometimes they stay for longer than you expected, but in the end you always note that they still leave, anyway. While I'm seeing a cozy little house that feels homey and welcoming, maybe even with a pet or two, I am still getting the feeling of loneliness in here, in a sense. My pile 2s might look like they have everything on the surface level, and I do feel that you are quite creative and determined to find ways to live your life well, but it seems like you were probably never quite around a community where you felt like you could identify with and belong to.

In terms of material independence and self-sufficiency, I feel like my pile 2s can take care of themselves quite well. I would go as far as to say that many of you have probably needed to become self-reliant from an early age, and those habits have stuck with you even if your life circumstances are no longer the same as they were before. You likely treasure your independence, because you know that you can get the job done in the way that you want it, but there's an isolation that comes with it that might creep up on you sometimes and it can be hard to ignore when the mood really strikes. Perhaps you really don't need other people in your life to be content, pile 2s. However, I think that sometimes being around the right people can add value to the life that you already have and help you create other meaningful memories and experiences, but you probably haven't found them yet if you're reading this pile. I can sense that my pile 2s have definitely gone through periods of time where you did put yourself out there, maybe you joined social/hobby clubs, joined apps or even forced yourself to talk to strangers every once in a while (lol I'm hearing "even if it doesn't come naturally to do it" lol) to see if you could find anyone who sees things the same way you do, or could understand and connect with you on a level beyond meaningless small talk. Every once in a while, you'd have a great interaction, a spark is lit, and then it seems to fizzle out and disappear like it was never there in the first place, but this was because those connections were only meant for that small spark, not necessarily your long-haul. However, I'm hearing that the blessing of genuine community, companionship (romantic, platonic, or otherwise!) in the way that you may have secretly wished for in the quietest corners of your heart is what on its way to you! There's something authentic about you, pile 2s, in that you tend to be someone that prioritizes your personal growth, but you never want to be anything other than what you are (and you won't pretend to be, either), so you are going to be attracting people who seek these things for themselves and the world around them, too. For some of you, these special people may already be trickling into your life, and you can recognize who they are because even through your hyper-independence, you find yourself being more open to sharing burdens, thoughts and willing to rest in their presence, which is more than you would have given to others in your life. You've done well in taking care of yourself throughout all these years, pile 2s! However, you are also bringing in those who would care for you and be cared by you in return by standing in your truths, and they'll bring with them ever more joy, laughter, and contentment to your cozy inner dwelling.

Some additional channeled messages that may be relevant include (btw pile 2s, when I was shuffling for you, a whole bunch of cards fell out at once so I think the nature of your blessing will also hit all at once lol):

Expectations - Don't seek anyone's approval.

Shark - Swim away from this situation.

Sundress - Do it for you.

Pile 3 - Atropa Belladonna (8oS, Death, 10oC, 3oC)

Belladonna is one of those famous plants that got its name in a very interesting manner; back in the Renaissance era all the way through the Edwardian age, gentry women would 'enhance their attractiveness' by using eye drops made out of the deadly Nightshade to make their eyes look brighter and dilate... and it also caused severe eye damage and potential blindness, so the risk incurred was quite large here. The violet blooms here along with the deceptively succulent-looking berries have led many a fool to his death, but my pile 3s will not be the victims here. There's an interesting note ringing in my head about self-sabotage, and I seldom take reversals, but in your case, Death has popped up upside down for you. For my dear pile 3s, I'm seeing that you know deep down that you should have let go of a certain habit, person, or situation that you still have not (or maybe, you said you would do it and you're still dragging your feet on actually doing it). This can be anything from committing to improving your physical health or even quitting that job that you know has given you a lot of anxiety and grief. Or maybe, you've been holding onto a relationship because the other person always says they'll do better, but months and years down the line, you're realizing that nothing's changed at all. This is not to tear you down or scold you (tbh you're probably already doing that all on your own without anybody else's input), but affirm that yeah, humans are indeed creatures of habit... even when we recognize that those habits aren't good for us, they're still familiar, which is unfortunately a reason many stay. However, once you're aware of this, the best option in pretty much any case is to cut your losses and go, because complacency leads to stagnation... and if you've had any big dreams, goals, or desires that you've carried inside you, then you already know that you can't get them if things don't change. This isn't the only example, but I do think of someone who's daydreamed about a romance that leads to a healthy, stable marriage with kids, but they're in a revolving door relationship/situationship with a shitty, uncommitted ex, so reasonably.... how are you going to get that ideal relationship if you're giving your time, energy, and efforts to a dying one?

The blessing coming towards you, my beloved pile 3s, is the blessing of internal realignment. Truthfully, you may not even see this as a blessing at first. I'm hearing from your guides that this is the collapse of a situation that you knew was going to fall apart, and whether you're ready or not, whatever's not serving your highest good is getting cut out of your life. Had a friend group that left you feeling icky and gross after spending time with them, but you thought it would be preferable than being alone? NOPE, not anymore, say bye-bye👋to that ickiness. One of the greatest lessons that one can learn is that you do not control life... Everything that you could ever do has a risk, but instead of letting that scare you into a state of paralysis (whereby you let others decide your own life for you instead of actually living it yourself), you can take charge of what you can actually understand and influence, which is yourself. There's a million different worlds out there that seem miles away from the one you're currently experiencing, so you're going to get the chance to see this for yourself once the other things keeping you locked in place disappear. Big changes are coming for you, my pile 3s. Are you going to resist it or are you going to make the most of it?

Some additional channeled messages that may be relevant include:

Grey - Endings are inevitable(!!! love it when a message lines up like this).

Library - Take control of your own narrative (!!).

Feast - Slow down and celebrate yourself.

Pile 4 - Aconitum Variegatum (KioS, 8oC, KioC, 7oW)

The origins of the name of this plant are suggested to have come from the Greek word for javelin (ἀκόνιτον), which may have actually been laced with this poison to kill large animals, including wolves, which is where its other name "Wolfsbane" comes from. Shows like Teen Wolf also have this as a highly effective toxin for werewolves, but what is understated is that a majority of its 250 species are highly toxic for everyone, including aconitum variegatum. It's important to note though, that despite its high toxicity and infamous reputation, it has also been used in folk remedies in various cultures throughout human history. Resembling this duality of aconite, my pile 4s are also likely to be people who have great capacity for cruel purpose as well as healing; with this King of Swords, I see that you are likely my quick-witted pile who can be quite clever, but your tempers may also be equally mercurial and you don't always give warning before you pull out the swords and knives. Perhaps my pile 4s have often found themselves in positions of authority because you were more likely to get everyone organized quickly and efficiently, and you were often the most equipped to react to quick changes, but I do feel like this came at the cost of engagement in other manners. This is likely my pile that had a couple of career changes, and you definitely are successful at picking up new and useful skills wherever you go, but I sometimes feel like despite all this efficiency, you may suffer from the lack of a purpose or direction that motivates you enough to stick around. You have been the writer, you have been the leader, you have been the scholar, and the warrior... but maybe you are starting to look in directions you had previously never considered, to see if something inside of you can click and keep you interested. To be entirely truthful, I feel that more than anything, you are looking for something that's actually fulfilling to you; a challenge and a resource that you can keep pouring into at the same time it pours into you, but where you've looked so far, you're not finding it.

This is because you need to change how you're looking; with my previous example, maybe you saw an interesting challenge with picking a field like law, so you studied law, went to school, passed your bar and became a lawyer.... and then you felt nothing after that, as if the spark and enjoyment you got from climbing that mountain suddenly disappeared. I empathize a lot with this pile, because truthfully I am very similar, and it wasn't until I was older that I realized that although I was nurturing my own intellectual and career developments, I was not giving the same attention to my emotional/spiritual/social development, which resulted in my disillusion and dissatisfaction even though I accomplished everything I wanted on paper. This is also likely what you are being asked to look into here, my dear pile 4s. For what good is reaching the top of the mountain in one area when the view from every other one has never changed? Regardless of gender, my pile 4s are Kings of their fields, Kings of the mind. But you also need to become the King of Cups, too, who knows himself and is fully in tune with the ocean-deep flow of his own emotions. Your next blessing, pile 4s, is the spiritual/inner quest to understand yourself and your own humanity as deeply as you understand every subject you've tackled. What is it that you want from this life, truly? What makes you tick? What fear freezes your blood? What morals/ways of living can you embody, and why do you choose to embody them? Learning to be unafraid and face the bloody, messy truths of being human and being okay with understanding where you fall on this spectrum is going to bring in a fullness to your life that you hadn't been able to see beforehand. With this soul-searching, you would have no difficulty prioritizing what's important, understanding what things you are willing to risk, and how to nurture this inside yourself and the others who are important to you. Be proud of yourselves, pile 4s! Every step you have taken has been rounding you out as a monarch, and you are this close 🤏to fully developing the other things you need for that kingdom you've dreamed of!

Some additional channeled messages that may be relevant include:

Gold - You don't need someone else to fix you.

Morning - The world awaits you.

Pile 1 - Romeo and Juliet (6oP rx, AoS, 4oS, The Lovers) 

"These violent delights have violent ends And in their triumph die, like fire and powder, Which they kiss as they consume." - Friar Lawrence, II. vi. 9-11.

Perhaps one of the most perpetually famous plays that is often still referred to in various modern works, Romeo and Juliet genuinely set the stage (haha, pun!) for exploring the passionate pangs of first love, familial duty, and ultimate tragedy. Despite the fact that Romeo and Juliet were literal teenagers, I feel like most of my Pile 1s are not, but you might get swept up in the feelings with your person as if you were one again. Romeo and Juliet spotted each other at a party, and it was love at first sight. Some of you might be believers in such romantic phenomena, and maybe tell yourself that when it's your time that you will really know it. And if this doesn't sound like you exactly, there's a really good chance that your person is the one who believes in those love-at-first-sight moments. For various reasons, both Romeo and Juliet are the prized scions of their houses, and those houses have been consistent enemies for generations. What this scenario could translate to for you is that perhaps you may both come from different cultural upbringings, but it doesn't necessarily have to feel like direct enmity. This person will simultaneously feel like they're a home to you and will feel familiar despite you both coming from seemingly different worlds. For those of you that are very passionate in relationships, or you are drawn to relationships that bloom with intensity, your guidance here is to not let yourself get swept up in the romance of it and ignore the red flags.

Since I am reading for a longer-term relationship, I think this person has the potential to be your forever person if you are looking for one, but you're being asked to not completely lose yourself in it all, because it seems like this person's enmeshed feelings could add to the chaos of it all to the point where it doesn't feel like a good thing anymore. Despite the whirlwind of their romance, Romeo and Juliet's relationship and lives came to an end in a dramatic escalation of outside influences, impulsive planning, and lack of communication (also lots of other involved people died too, 😅 RIP Tybalt and Mercutio lol). Though you may not face the drama that our titular two did, I'm feeling that this intensity comes with the potential for increased possessiveness and obsession, where you feel like you're both drowning and neglecting the world outside of yourselves. Never fear though, you're a match made for a reason, and as long as you stand firm in the values you have set for yourself and have open and honest communication, this is fully a crisis that can be averted. It is likely that you would not have felt this way in your life before for anyone, so it's 100% understandable that you might get swept up into it so hard at first. But this is also reciprocal, that baffling, compelling first-love feeling is something that your person will be feeling, too, especially if both of you were more of the cerebral, pragmatic types before you met each other. Speaking of which, I am drawn to the 4-6 appearing in your cards, so it's entirely possible that if you have not met this person (I think most of you haven't, there's no way you wouldn't KNOW with this strength of feeling, you should probably check your birth chart synastry and see if you've got intense taurus and/or scorpionic aspects), you might within 6 months. For some of you, it's the 6th of a month or in June! Either way, I feel like for most of you it's not going to take more than a year on the later end unless you're really young and reading this. It doesn't seem like you have to do much when it comes to meeting them, either. Like how Juliet and Romeo were attending the same party together and happened to meet, I feel like whatever habits you have set for yourself are already propelling this into motion; perhaps you go to the same grocery at the same time, or the same gym, or workplace, or concert, or something. You can't miss this, pile 1s, this will not be a thing that only passes you by.

Some additional messages that may be guidance or potential confirmation from the Love Oracle tarot:

Protected - You are safe and divinely guided.

Release - Radical acceptance and surrender can help you let go.

Warning - Don't dismiss the red flags here. (what'd I say about not getting too swept up in it that you ignore the problems? 👀)

Pile 2 - The Merchant of Venice (9oS, The Emperor rx, 4oP, Wheel of Fortune rx)

"In measure rein thy joy. Scant this excess. I feel too much thy blessing. Make it less." - Portia, III. ii. 117-118

There's a lot that I can say about Elizebethan-era social norms and practices that are absolutely barbaric by today's standards in many parts of the world... and if you know the Merchant of Venice, it definitely highlighted a lot of attitudes towards certain groups in Europe (iykyk), which of course is a pretty valid point of criticism. However, the reason for its inclusion is tied to one specific character, because I can't help but think that either you or your person (or both!) encompass the cleverness, complexity, and downright ruthlessness of the one-and-only Portia of House Belmont. Bound to her late father's will about potential suitors choosing from three caskets to win her hand in marriage, Portia shines far too brilliantly from most of the men who come to marry the wealthy heiress. She finds many potential suitors too banal, and the one who actually does catch her attention (Bassianoooo, the one who spent his $ and is technically an impoverished noble) gets into a money scheme so cartoonishly complex, it almost results in his friend dying. Queue his brilliant, beautiful, cunning and determined wife Portia coming in to exploit their understanding of the law and privileges to ensure it doesn't come to pass. This is where I can see the parallels of where you and your special person might find your dynamics from; I feel like both of you might be someone who's really an Ace in your career, socially, academically, etc. but you find yourself constrained by certain circumstances that are not so easily escapable. For Portia, she did not necessarily have to adhere to her late father's will for this marriage, but the potential risk to her reputation as someone unfilial and/or uncooperative was possibly not worth remaining untethered. For Bassiano, he was actually a decent man and noble, but found himself unable to move financially by tying his money to ships at sea.

In both of their cases, them coming together was able to open up new avenues and opportunities that they would not have access to otherwise. There's this recurring theme of personal freedom both within the play and for my pile 2s. Perhaps there is a transactional element or perk that you get for uniting with this person, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, especially if it puts you both on more equal footing with each other in your relationship. With marrying Portia, Bassiano gained an incredibly formidable ally and partner and access to her wealth, and Portia married someone who she actually liked and preserve the lifestyle and freedoms she already had. There's another dynamic that I would like to point out, too 👀. In recent years, re-examination of the extremely strong emotional bond between Antonio and Bassiano has resulted in the interpretation of a romantic dynamic between them both; Antonio took a predatory loan and served as the collateral that could potentially result in his death for Bassiano to achieve his dream, and Bassiano fought so desperately for his friend to live that he would sacrifice everything in the world for him (Some of my pile 2s may also be part of the queer 🏳️‍🌈 community here so perhaps confirmation). So, for my pile 2s that may have been worried that the connection with your person wouldn't result in love, that's not true. I think that more than anything, you guys are my pragmatic pile that take time to think through actions you know that would affect your life, and a romantic relationship with this level of intention and commitment is definitely one worth thinking through. For some of my readers, this may actually be an arranged marriage if that's something that applies to you, but just like the relationship between Portia and Bassiano, and Bassiano and Antonio, the potential for you to become each other's rock, safe space, and biggest defenders is very high here. It's very sweet, but I'm seeing a lot about a united front here, so this person is very much willing to take on your challenges as if they were their own, and there's a reciprocity of support for dealing with whatever challenges come up in the home you're trying to build for yourselves.

In terms of timeframe, I am seeing a wider variety of potential meeting times depending on your circumstances, but I can see that this is going to come in at a time where you perceive a block in trying to move forward with something big; this can be like hitting a ceiling in your career, maybe you've reached the limit of what you want to achieve in a particular project or learning a particular skill, and this will come when you're trying to figure out where to go next. That block may also be in circumstances, like I said earlier. This can maybe look like a couple of things at once like in this scenario; you may have recently hit max pay for your current position at Company A, but you've been looking into Company B in another city that has another career/industry path that's more lucrative, but it's in a more expensive city so you're going to have to spend some time figuring out a plan to finance at it all, and perhaps you meet this person through LinkedIn who's also a recent hire at Company B, or they live in that city you want to move into. I know that scenario was highly specific, but I feel like you'll see that it takes several big and small pieces lining up in a special way until you turn it to the side and see the kaleidoscope of new possibilities. There's quite a bit of earth energy that I'm picking up here, which includes Taurus, Virgo, and Capricorn, which may be relevant to one or both of your charts!

Some additional messages that may be guidance or potential confirmation from the Love Oracle tarot:

Children - Children are important to this partnership.

Denial - Detach with love to clearly see the truth.

Regret - Someone feels remorse for the way they treated you. (Some of you, this might actually be someone returning from your past, but it's up to you if you feel like they're worthy of a second shot with you.)

Pile 3 - Macbeth (The Fool, The Devil, QoC, 5oC) 

"....All hail, Macbeth, that shalt be King hereafter!" - Third Witch, I. iii. 55.

My wonderful pile 3s, how often does your ambition feel like it's drowning you? Maybe you've had friends who been content with wherever they drift towards in life, even if it means they've never gazed at that horizon and seen all the possibilities of where their future can go. You might love them, but you can't understand them. Maybe, once upon a time, you tried to lie to yourself and say you'll be happy if you just do what your parents, friends, and mentors tell you to do. But you can't be content with the same shit day-in and day-out. You've already tasted the brightness of life in other ways, even if it's only in your imagination, and you can't go back to pretending that stagnating in the same place mentally is where you want to be. Like Macbeth, once the humble and heroic Thane of Glamis, gets cursed or mired (were the Witches real? Did they curse him and Banquo for coming across them? Or was this a shared delusion by war-weary men returning home) in such ambitions that they ended up swallowing him hole and condemning his kingdom. While my pile 3s may not actually seek to commit regicide and install yourself on a throne, I get the sense that your ambition is definitely at least tied to forward momentum in your life; you want to keep trying new things, climbing upwards and all around to see where you can go and what you can do. You feel that way for a reason, and you have probably already seen that when you try and force yourself to stay still when it's not what reflects your innermost desires is when it costs you the most.

Your person feels the same. Like Lady Macbeth who enables Macbeth to raise the stakes and dive deeper into this quest for power, I feel like both you and your person are on the same page about this constant drive to level up and reach dizzying heights together. While things didn't end well for either of the pair (it is a tragedy), when I first read Macbeth, I was struck by the genuine bond of love between both Lord and Lady. It was perhaps unusual for the time, but Lady Macbeth was very much able to speak to her partner as an equal at the beginning, and her counsel was welcome and adhered to. It's this sort of dynamic I can see you having with your person, where you're supportive of each other's dreams and receptive to the advice of your partner because you have a strong level of mutual respect between you. In addition, I keep thinking back to the scenes with The Witches, so I think that you may also have similar levels of spirituality/openness to mysterious things out there. However, I am hearing that one of the pitfalls of both of you being so goal-driven and ambitious is that it actually does have the potential to push you two some sort of edge (maybe not regicide and seizing the throne of Scotland levels lol). But this can result in other things being neglected such as your home life or relationship if you keep pressing the pedal too insistently. The key to making this succeed is not going to lie with your capacity to help push each other to the limits of where you can go, but instead in challenging you both to slow down, rest, and reflect when you were both less likely to before. Pile 3s, if you've always been the type of person who's juggling a million things and capable of going quickly and getting good at all of them, your person is very much going to match this energy. This is why it makes sense that your energy together is going to include periods of slowing down together that you didn't have the patience for before, because you're still growing and moving forward, it's just going to be alongside another person and taking in new perspectives that way.

I feel like my pile 3s are more likely to be well on their way to meeting whatever goals they set for themselves, so I think if you're already reaching some sort of personal peak, this person would come in around this time as well. This person coming in is simultaneously seems like it'd be tied in with reaching another key milestone that opens up some new directions (think about getting a new promotion at work, or you just graduated school, or maybe you went pro with a sport/instrument/performance, something like this). I do really get that this person might come in when you reach something career-related, even if they're not exactly in the same career as you, but you are on the right track to meeting if you're pursuing your personal development. In most cases, I see 1-3 years, but truthfully, some of you could already have this person in your orbit and not know it yet, so there's some variety here!

Some additional messages that may be guidance or potential confirmation from the Love Oracle tarot:

Wait! - The timing is not quite right.

Time Apart - Some distance will help bring clarity

Soul Mate - Your soul mate loves, accepts, and respects you unconditionally.

Pile 4 - Antony and Cleopatra (2oW rx, Judgement, 10oW, AoW)

"I made these wars for Egypt, and the Queen Whose heart I thought I had, for she had mine." Antony, IV. xiv. 15-16

Finally, we get to a meaty, delicious play that is a little less in the limelight (but no less beloved) than the previous piles. Antony and Cleoptra is a deeply interesting play for both its roots in the historical events that influenced its creation, but in addition for the captivating (and fucked up) dynamics between a literal Queen and her beloved triumvir in the midst of political instability. From both Cleopatra and Antony, there's arrogance, conceit, pride, and passion in waves, and there's various points where their dynamic pretty much reads "I absolutely should detest you and distrust you, but instead I'm entranced," which is definitely the stuff not even some modern dramas can pull off so well as this. But also, I definitely acknowledge that while their love story ended in a tragedy (as in usual Shakespearean fashion, deaths in the most dramatic ways possible), yours doesn't have to. With your pile having so much fire energy with it, I'm hard-pressed to not read you guys as Leos or the equally fiery Sagittarius or Aries with all the royal energy I'm getting from here. Like the divisive, yet deeply intriguing Cleopatra, you guys probably know you are the shit and the highest authority you answer to is yourself. You know your worth and have probably kept more grace, dignity, and composure going through some of the worst lows of one's life than people would assume. It's like you guys already know, it doesn't matter if the world's on fire around you, you've still got that crown on your head and your inner royalty doesn't leave you.

Instead, you carrying yourself like that has drawn attention for probably the whole of your life, and like the clever Cleopatra, you know not all of this is benevolent. There are some who seek to suppress your shine, are viscerally jealous of it, or they want it so badly they'd rather smother you so nobody else can have you. You've probably seen no shortage of extreme responses, maybe you've been burned by this negative attention before, and you've learned your lesson about letting people in so easily. Truthfully, I think even if you feel more aligned with the high-ranking and accomplished Antony, you've definitely also had your fair share of people pursuing you for lots of shallow reasons, which makes your potential union all the more interesting; what happens when happens when people who have such a strong, magnetic effect on others come together? According to Shakespeare, empires fall lol. Although, I think he may be onto something when it comes to encapsulating the effect such a power couple may have. If you identify more as the Cleopatra partner, you may be attracting in someone who's very accomplished in their field, very popular, but maybe at least a little emotionally immature when you first meet. This is somebody who's used to getting what they want, and in some cases, I don't think they got told "no" for a lot of points in their lives. This can have the effect of making them appear spoiled, but don't hesitate about enforcing your own boundaries and protecting your peace. If this Antony person is worth it, then they will double back to reflect on their own behavior and approach you with more respect and consideration. If you identify with being the Antony person, you might find yourself at a loss with how to approach this extremely high-value, guarded Cleopatra. You correctly identify that this is someone who would be deeply important to you, but you understand that you have to approach them in the right way or else you risk driving them away from you. This is probably the first time in your life that both of you have felt so connected and enthralled by another person like this, but in order to make this dynamic work, both partners have to be communicative and adherent to boundaries so that you can ease into managing this intense chemistry and magnetism instead of letting it control you. (I just heard 'I'd rather burn the world for you, than burn you for the world - so intense, man! they'd be devoted!)

For a lot of you, I am seeing that if you haven't met this person yet (most of you haven't, believe me you would know) I am seeing the number 2 stick out to me a lot, so it could be the second of a month, in two months, or February out in the later end. In most cases though, I am seeing as less than a year, generally. You don't have to really do anything specific to meet this person, either. Just keep working on yourself and protecting your worth!

Some additional messages that may be guidance or potential confirmation from the Love Oracle tarot:

Warning - Don't dismiss the red flags here.

Release - Radical acceptance and surrender can help you let go.

Chemistry - The attraction you feel is mutual.

Pile 5 - Twelfth Night (9oW, 3oS, QoW, QoC)

"Make me a willow cabin at your gate And call upon my soul within the house." Viola, I. v. 271-272

Finally, we've reached probably the one play on this list that doesn't end in absolute tragedy haha. Congrats, my pile 5s! 🎉 On a personal level, I deeply love this play in its silly comedic elements yet poignant meditations on very human thoughts and feelings. And for those of us that are queer or pondering stuff related to gender, there's quite a bit of that and identity to dissect in this, too. Of course, being a Shakespearean comedy, it usually involves a plot around love triangles, love quadrangles, and then an eventual resolution that conveniently involves pairing each other off. However, I feel like this dynamic reads very interestingly for you; Viola, the main character, is primarily disguised as a man in the service of Duke Orsino out of necessity to keep herself safe and needs taken care of. Things start getting complicated when Viola is sent on behalf of the Duke to woo the mourning Olivia, who ends up falling for Viola in disguise. And Viola herself starts to have feelings for her employer. Shenanigans happen with other characters, including when her brother shows up (who she conveniently looks exactly like in disguise) and her brother ends up with Olivia and Viola dons her feminine dress and marries the Duke. Right now though, there's something I feel specifically worth talking about that applies to you, pile 5s. I feel like in a more symbolic sense, you're probably like Viola in that you've had points in your life where you probably had to assume a pretty complex mix of roles to survive and thrive, so if you live in a society that prescribes certain social norms and expectations to different genders, you've probably already crossed those lines a few times over in some ways. As some examples, we can think about idols in Kpop, for example; everybody's going to have makeup, everyone's on a diet, everyone's putting on specific brands and cuts of clothes for a photoshoot even if that's not what they actually do/wear in their daily lives. Or, I'm thinking about a few of you who had to parent yourselves and younger siblings from a young age yourself, so you've actually already assumed the role of a mother and a father for others. Some of you may actually participate in drag shows, and/or are additionally under the enby, genderfluid and/or trans umbrellas 🏳️‍⚧️ since physical transformations are still highlighted here, too so you can take this as a confirmation as it applies. It's definitely more of the overall feeling of discarding whatever others think you should be doing and throwing together your own mix of unique approaches that work for you.

Viola is someone who is versatile, and aside from the initial deception of hiding her identity (and her feelings for the Duke later), she is still forthright, earnest and helpful, which earns her the affections of lots of people she crosses paths with. Some of you in this pile are the charming Viola and may identify with some of these traits, but some of you also may identify with the Duke/Olivia. Despite being two different characters (take this a poly dynamic only if you feel it applies to you), the Duke and Olivia are both of noble birth, of well-renown and are highly sought after. I think we can go a step further and think of these two as potentially different sides of the same coin; Duke Orsino is very romantic, loves the idea of love and wants to experience it, and Lady Olivia is guarded, lonely and grief-stricken. It is Viola's forthrightness, charm, and bright disposition that ends up being the key to both their hearts, and it feels like this is a very similar dynamic as to what may occur for you and your beloved! Perhaps one person is a little bit more closed off than the other, and even though they want to be able to experience that ideal, sweet love, they've been hurt before or they haven't met anyone that can facilitate those sides of them opening up. If you're the Viola person, I think that by experiencing your little corner of the world, you make this person actually want to take the leap and try something with you. They catch your spark and appreciate the warmth and intrigue you bring into their lives. And if you're the Duke/Olivia person, then your person is entranced by the way that they can see you start to open up, and love bringing out parts of you that neither of you have ever really seen before. They definitely see it as precious. Your dynamic here is one that's joyous, light-hearted, and you feel very seen with each other, because neither of you has to be anything other than what you are for the other person. This definitely gives me black cat/doberman energy lol, but both of you (or all of you if poly) are invested in keeping the joy and safe space in your relationship, so that's what makes it more suited for stability in the long run. For you, I didn't get too much on a specific timeframe to meet this person, but in my head I heard "the springtime." Some of you may already know who this is, too!

Some additional messages that may be guidance or potential confirmation from the Love Oracle tarot:

Trust - It is safe to trust in this situation.

Here and Now - Your true love is already part of your life. (! what did I just say?!? woah!)

Pile 1 - Hades and Persephone, c. 4th B.C.E. (Wheel of Fortune, PoP, 5oC, 7oW)

For my pile 1s who have picked the amphora, I sense that things have felt a little unstable for you lately. This does not have to be a bad thing necessarily, but I am picturing someone who was used to a particular routine (maybe you could pretty much guess what you'd be doing from your 9-5 job all the way to what time you would get to bed that night). Additionally, something interesting happened to where I almost went straight into channeling without the use of the tarot cards lol (which I have done, but not so often and never before for a larger group such as this). The point is that I think this transitional stage has truly carried a lot more changes/surprises than you would have expected, which makes sense if you read this at the time that I posted (Mercury Rx in ♓ now goes direct into ♈). But even if you aren't reading at the exact time I post, there's still very much a message about rocking the boat here, and needing to keep yourself steady even when you don't necessarily know what tomorrow will look like. Within that vein, it feels like some of you are handling some of these incoming changes better than others; perhaps you had great fortune winning an interesting prize, but you ended up losing a customer/potential commission at work the next day. It seems like a lot of things like this. The context seems especially relevant to my pile 1s right now, because it very much ties into what facet of Lord Hades that you should potentially seek to embody/welcome right now. While he is indeed the ruler of the underworld and presides over all souls who enter, he is also known as the god of riches and fortune. The name of 'Hades' was seldom invoked as it was, and people didn't always line up for days to watch the processions to the Temple of Pluto like they would for those of other Olympians (for many, it was considered bad luck to have the attention/scrutiny of the Lord of All Below on you), but those who called upon the "other Zeus" (Ζεὺς καταχθόνιος) or Dis Pater for the Romans would ask for the blessing of wealth, riches, and better tidings. In this, I am hearing that if you so feel called, even a few whispered words in his direction is enough for you to stumble onto better opportunities.

While a few of you may be seeking a new way of making specifically, and others are navigating general, big life changes (a new addition to the family, moving to a new home, etc.), but I'm hearing that you already likely have the inner wisdom to help keep yourself grounded and prioritize what is important to you as these changes roll into your life. To tie Lord Hades' influence into other spiritual aspects, the association of Pluto with the western sign of Scorpio is also all about personal transformation and sweeping change. Some of you may have scorpio placed prominently in your chart and are heavily affected by changes (I don't see many of you as being at the same place/same time/same mental and emotional state for 20+ years), so I'm hearing that if you're already an old hand at needing to look inwards and restructure your outer world, you will continue to find fortune and success as you continue to adapt. Since you chose the only depiction of Hades with Persephone (venerated Queen of the Spring and the Underworld, she gets her own PAC later LOL), for those of you who are looking for love/partnership, it is likely that you will have the opportunity for connection the more that you progress through this movement in your life. I am also seeing a lot of emphasis on the number 5, so perhaps some of you were born on the 5th or in May, or this will be an important time for you. Spiritually, the number 5 also represents the bridging of this earthly realm and the realm of the divine, so I think this phase is an important and defining one for the next part of your life. LOL however, I feel like most of you already also know this, or are at least aware of it on some level. This is a good time to set intentions for yourself and be open to guidance and redirection to find what you really want. Should you wish for any further wisdom and blessings from Lord Hades, I'm seeing a vision of the smoke from lit incense, so go ahead and burn incense to him and ask whatever it is that you need. However, you need not be worried too much, you have a good head on your shoulders and you can trust yourself to navigate through the turbulence.

Some additional messages, pulled from the Moonology deck, may also potentially serve as confirmation for some of you, to include:

Full Moon in Capricorn - The end of a tough cycle approaches.

New Moon in Aquarius - Bring love into the situation.

Fixed Moon - Hold your vision.

Pile 2 - Hades/Pluto and Kerberos, c. 2nd-3rd Century C.E. (AoC, KioW, PoP, 10oS)

Oddly enough, the image you chose is one that not only breaks the pattern of using traditional ceramic arts or paintings for my deities PAC, but it's also one of the real-world artifacts out there that is listed as stolen (!).  This bronze votive was stolen from a private collection (though there is the debate of whether it should have been 'privately owned' in the first place as an important cultural relic in the ancient Mediterranean), and as far as we know, remains missing. It is this that my attention has caught on, along with the phrase that "somebody has been taken for a fool." Seldom have I ever gotten so clear a warning in my head before, but for you pile 2s, I have no doubt that this is what it is. More specially, I am hearing that some of you are already in this situation, or it is one creeping up on you; there is a less-than-honest person or entity that is either already taking advantage of you by playing to your sympathies, or it is something to be aware of for the future. If it's a person, this person gives the impression of being very emotionally attentive and charming, but it's because you have something they want. Whether it's money, stability, or a strong sense of self, they want to be able to approach you and leech it for themselves. This applies whether it's a job/organization, too, but be aware that no matter how much you give them, they only see you as a resource, not a person.

For quite a few of you, this may serve as a harsh-but-necessary wake up call for something/someone who was already taking advantage of you, but this situation can't go on anymore because you're already approaching your breaking point. Maybe you already knew that deep down none of this was sustainable, but I am hearing that the longer you wait, the messier it gets. For some of you that have been in relationships (romantic, friendly, or even familial) that reflect this toxic dynamic and you find yourself a lot more drained than you used to be, I am hearing that it's definitely time to cut those ties. It might seem difficult to let this whole thing go and rebuild from the bottom, but I'm hearing that your foundation is much sturdier and better than you think it is. For those of you who are contemplating making an entire career switch, it will take you much less time than you think to get to where you want in that new field. It's still going to take effort, and it does take lots of bravery to walk away from the shitty-but-familiar circumstances, but this is something that if you don't make the choice on now, I'm hearing that the choice will likely be taken from you, and it will be much harder in the future.

So where does Lord Hades come in? You may or may not know this, but in addition to being the God of the Underworld and riches, he is also the Lord of Hidden Things. Any situation or person that seems unclear or shady, you can ask for his wisdom and guidance on to bring everything hidden to the light. This is reflective in his association with the sign of Scorpio, which is the zodiac sign most suited to uncovering the mysteries of the self and the world. In this case, it seems prudent to carefully monitor your surroundings and make sure you're not getting sucked into something you'd later regret. For both groups of people who are either already in a troublesome situation, and those who have not faced something like this yet, you can offer nuts (I'm seeing pine nuts, especially) and burn some incense for Lord Hades to help you see the truth of this situation, leave it, and if it applies, dodge the incoming turbulence.

Some additional messages, pulled from the Moonology deck, may also potentially serve as confirmation for some of you, to include:

New Moon in Leo - Confidence is your key to success.

Disseminating Moon - Take time to breathe out.

New Moon in Pisces - Meditate and contemplate.

Pile 3 - Hades and Kerberos, c. 1st Century B.C.E. (8oC, 9oC, The Tower, The Magician)

Ah, my dear pile 3s, you have been through it. I'm seeing that you are already in the process of walking away from something that no longer serves you or you have already done so, and you feel an immediate difference. You've likely been a long, spiritual journey that not only tested your faith in yourself (and perhaps the divine, in whichever divine you believe), but it also likely physically felt arduous as well. This is an extremely specific example, but BTS' Suga once had a debilitating shoulder injury in 2012 before their debut in 2013, and I remember he described working desperately to hide it because they had all worked so hard towards their dream and didn't want to push anything off. So he put up with the chronic pain and limited ranges of movement until he received surgery for it in 2020. For some of you (LOL you may be Army 💜), perhaps you've experienced an analogous set of circumstances where you had to be in survival mode for years, and didn't always have the time or capacity to make long-term plans until suddenly, lots of things fell into place (or out of your life) and then you could. For some of you, there might have also been something with your dental health because I'm picturing a tooth rotting for a while and then suddenly getting it taken out and that disconcerting sensation of healing afterwards. If it's not tied to your physical, bodily health (although I am feeling that for many of you, it is), then you probably have noticed a large change in your mindset, as well. Using Suga's timeframe of about 8 years from injury to surgery, I feel like looking back on these past 8 years would reveal a lot of changes you have made to yourself, your appearance, and the life you have been working towards.

Lots of things have fallen apart, and maybe new things you didn't expect came into full bloom, but I am hearing that you are someone that has mastered the art of the change. There are probably lots of moments where you felt like you were drowning and like you couldn't breathe, but you have let yourself be pushed along with the ocean waves until you eventually landed in calmer waters. For many of you, you are still healing from the last big adjustment you had to make (or literal physical procedures), but I hope that you realize by now that you are very powerful, pile 3s. There are things that you likely lived through that could have knocked you down for the count, but you got back up somehow anyway. *** CW For a small percentage of you, I do see that you may have been victims of war, abuse, and/or human trafficking, but you have done supremely well in keeping yourself alive to see another day, and while the scars remain, every small victory you have taken for yourself deserves to be celebrated too, pile 3s. 🫂*** Resilience should be a word embedded in your crown, and with that fantastic drive and willpower you have, it's only natural that you would sit on top of your own kingdom, as well.

Lord Hades is referred to as such because he rules the underworld. Just as they call Zeus the Lord of the Skies and Poseidon the Lord of the Seas, there's nothing that enters his domain that he's not aware of, or doesn't have a heavy hand in guiding the movements of. The underworld may seem like a dark and gloomy place, but it also holds so many mysteries and truths like nobody could imagine. My pile 3s are the ones that may long for the sunshine and gardens of golden apples, but you do not turn yourself away from the dark after having been in it for so long. To emerge from the underworld is to be reborn anew, having lived your old life and learned the many lessons that you needed to. In the eyes of Lord Hades, you are probably most like the Orpheus from the Cult of Orphism, who wandered the world after his trek (and failure) in the underworld to document and experience all sorts of marvelous things, and stopped seeing change as something to fear and more like something to use. I feel like the messages from this pile were all over the place (for which you have my apologies), but it also feels like I'm trying to cram a whole lifetime of an amazing individual into just a few words, which as you know, is impossible. For gods who look at our lives on a far grander scale, it makes sense that they see the bigger picture of our transformations and contributions, too. From Lord Hades, I'm hearing that you already know that there's more places to go and more left to do, but what you've already done bears merit, and you're already a ruler on your own. Should you wish for any clarity or guidance along your tremendous journey, then you only need to speak his name and meditate on what you seek. But between us, pile 3s, he's really not that worried about you, because you've already grown up so well and come so far!

Some additional messages, pulled from the Moonology deck, may also potentially serve as confirmation for some of you, to include:

Full Moon in Sagittarius - Look at the bigger picture.

Supermoon - Emotions are running high!

New Moon in Leo - Confidence is your key to success.

Pile 1 - The Downward Spiral, 1994 Pt. 1: What's going on in there? (5oP, 4oW, 6oS, The Lovers) 

While it is not the first album produced by Trent Reznor (that honor belongs to Pretty Hate Machine as the first full-length official album), this is the album that forever changed the libidos and psyches of every teen and young adult who happened to catch the Closer premiere at midnight on MTV. More than the sexual components that happened to permeate in songs like Closer, Reptile, and Piggy, what resonated with audiences was the raw struggle of existing and self-loathing that underscored every song like a dissonant note. For my pile 1s, you want to stop feeling the cold. This may be in a literal physical sense for some of you if you live somewhere cold or have circulation issues, but in the metaphorical sense, you may experience the world in a way that feels very cold and harsh. Perhaps you have constantly been in environments where your company isn't appreciated and where alienation and distance is common in your 'closest' relationships. You probably felt that the only way you could move throughout the world is if you relied on yourself and nobody else, and this has gotten you through some very tough times. My pile 1s are probably tough-as-hell survivors who have taken it step-by-step through the unthinkable, but for all of this solid dependability you have built by yourself, it likely came at the cost of shutting out any emotions or vulnerability that could be perceived as a weakness. Maybe you don't consider your innermost thoughts and feelings as a weakness, but you knew that others would try to weaponize these things against you. Perhaps you were the child who was scolded for crying (which is something very natural) and were treated harshly to stamp that behavior out of you, so now crying is something you struggle with as an adult.

You've had your guard up so long that it feels like a second skin; and so what you want is not only the chance to shed that and take a breather, it feels like you just want to be able to exist for a moment without having to fight or struggle for it. You don't want people and circumstances barging through your front door to remind you of the ugly and painful things, for once. I think there's a very soft part of you inside that's been shut away for years, and it's been wanting to come out regardless of what other people say. And you know what? You deserve it. Yes, you are right that existence can be very painful, I probably don't need to tell you what it is that you have seen and experienced for yourself to understand this. However, you want to be able to experience softness and sweetness and all the things that you probably lacked. Your innermost truth is reconciliation at the nexus of all the things you are and all the things you want to be. You're a pragmatist, a survivor, and a resilient badass who's learned to never shy away from the brutal work to live. However, you also want your little slice of the inner peace pie, and want a safe space where you don't have to struggle for every bite that you get.

Pt. 2: Advice to get there? (The Moon, 10oW, 2oW)

With the presence of The Moon here, I'm hearing that instinct will be quite helpful in leading you to this sacred safe space. While it may initially seem paradoxical, considering instinct has likely been keeping you in this critical survivor-mode for a long time, it will also serve as a good transition to a life where you can relax your nervous system. If you find yourself with the urges to seek quiet, tranquil, and comfortable moments, you should lean into this to see where it goes. LOL for those of you that are stubborn, however, I feel like regardless of whether you intended to go in this direction anyway, your body will make the decision for you to slow things down. Humans are not meant to operate as if we are reacting to danger for the long-term, since it does quite a bit of damage to release a lot of cortisol. So, I'm hearing that you won't miss the signs of when it's time to kick your feet up and just exist without any expectations. (LOL I also heard "Nobody can take being a bad bitch away from you, but even bad bitches gotta relax," so I'm inclined to think your spirit guides have a sense of humor lol).

Some NIN songs that might be relevant:

A Warm Place - one of the more ambient tracks on The Downward Spiral, it's also probably one of the most hopeful and quietly optimistic.

The Downward Spiral - Not many people recall the actual track that the album is named after, but it's one of the most cathartic by far because sometimes you just need to scream into the void, so why not have Trent do it for you, too?

March of the Pigs - Like the ideal marriage of your softness and your hardcore resilience, March of the Pigs reflects the bite and grit you have when you face obstacles. There isn't a wall you can't get through!

Pile 2 - The Fragile, 1999 Pt. 1: What's going on in there? (Temperance, The Hermit, AoP, The Magician)

Depending on my mood, The Fragile is one of my favorite albums to listen to because I feel like it encompasses a diverse range of emotions that I'm more likely to feel in my reflective moments, and I feel like there's more of an underlying sadness for the human condition to be found here. For my pile 2s, I think that you can go really abstract when it comes to pinpointing why you feel a certain way about certain things, and it enables you to take on more of a bird's eye view to find the root causes. I feel like this is my pile who recognizes that they feel really tired and burnt out and then you follow the logical chain of questions ---> why do I feel tired and burnt out? ---> I'm working too many jobs ---> Why am I working too much? ---> I'm making some greedy billionaire richer even though I don't mean anything to them, and then you can get abstractly pissed off, if this analogy makes sense. You see living things around you in your environment suffer and you feel the burn of frustration and helplessness when you don't have the answer that can save yourself and everyone else. No, actually more likely than not, you may ask yourself how you can save what you care about in your life when you can't even save yourself, and it's sometimes the bitterest pill to swallow. Your innermost truth is almost a righteous rage that burns you up from inside, because you don't ignore what many people choose to ignore, and you are very conscientious about the roles you occupy in your environment but recognize that these systemic issues that are far bigger than you. You are someone who likely desires security in an insecure world, but you are cognizant and intentional about how you want to get it.

This is my pile who wants to maybe be a millionaire without bankrupting a country or completely sacrificing your morals, and it is this code that draws some hard lines about what lengths you allow yourself to go. If we all lived in a world of superheroes and supervillains, you guys would be my antiheroes; you are ready and willing to get your hands dirty and go where nobody else would want to go, but you have a strict moral code only applicable to you that guides you in an often-vicious world. In a way, your conscious decision to actually participate in your world and not just let things happen to you has also become a way of protecting your identity and your heart of gold. You do give a shit about other things and other people, but you wish that others in your life understood why you operate the way that you do. This is already getting to the second part of your PAC pile, but I feel like you seeking the payoff of living life the way that you have been, almost as validation for you walking your own path all these years.

Pt. 2: Advice to get there? (The Devil, 8oS, KnioP)

My dear pile 2s, maybe this message could come off as both frustrating as well as validating, but you are actually right in not listening to others who try to dissuade you from your overall path. With The Devil and the 8 of swords, I am actually seeing that trying to fit yourself into the mold suggested by others is equivalent to self-sabotage, and you know the ways how; this can look like people giving you well-meaning advice to end up in a mid-level career and work mindlessly for 20 years and spend your twilight years ideally in married retirement... but if the thought of something like that makes your stomach roll, or fills you with a restlessness that has your leg bouncing and you maybe feel like screaming, then it is not for you. Same with other advice people try to give you; if everyone in your circle learned to be an engineer by trade but you knew that you always wanted to lean in another direction, then you're definitely onto something. If you feel like your soul's calling is leading you to things that are unknown and unfamiliar, then you will likely find more misfortune and dead-ends if you do not listen to that. You have been working towards something probably the whole of your life, and you have done so for a reason. You may not know the end result, or what specific twists and turns your life would take on this path, but if you believe you are meant for more than what is currently in front of you and what you can see, you're absolutely right, and you're meant to trust your instincts to guide you when the unknowns come up!

Some NIN songs that might be relevant:

The Big Comedown - one of my favorites, it speaks on specifically what I said earlier, about trying to make things fit where they don't belong, they just drag you down.

The Wretched - Your path has often been difficult and unusual, so it makes sense that the lows got to be pretty fucking low, especially if you have naysayers in life who want you to be just as complacent as them.

We're In This Together - Despite circumstances and other people trying to smother your spark, you persist through the noise and claw your way out to your destiny, dude. Good job!

Pile 3 - With Teeth, 2005 Pt 1: What's going on in there? (The Lovers, 4oC, QoP,) 

Despite its relative popularity with tracks like The Hand That Feeds and Only, 'With Teeth' as an album hasn't achieved the same legendary status as The Downward Spiral, but to be fair, some extremely beloved and cherished things are not meant to be shared between all! In this case, I feel like this is a mindset you are moving towards or already encompassing by this point in your life; you know that it's not your job to be appealing to everyone, so you're starting to live your life without giving too much credence to what other people say about you. And I feel called to talk a little bit about how you got to this point, as well; I feel like with that 4 of cups that very petty people and situations started to grate on you and your tolerance for a lot of bullshit slowly but heavily drifted downwards. For many of you, it could have been a matter of following the same routine, doing the same thing with a bunch of friends and loved ones when suddenly it clicked in your head that you were stagnating and nothing in your life was going anywhere as it was (Damn, this seems drastic, but I keep visualizing somebody having this moment of horrified realization so I feel like that applies to at least a few of you). You realized that taking the backseat led to other people in your life making choices for how you live, and when it hit you, you probably felt the need to do something about it motivate you like nothing else. For some specific ones of you, I'm hearing that perhaps you realized that you were on your way to 'replicating the mistakes of your parents,' so you wanted to take steps to prevent that for yourself (please take as it resonates).

However, you're in luck my pile 3s! Cause I am seeing that you guys are actually amazingly powerful manifesters, and you've probably seen proof of that within your daily life before! Your innermost truth is that you didn't like where life was at for you, so you had to muster up everything in you to find a new path for yourself and seek the things that support the positive changes you want to make. So, with this realization that you were heading down a path you didn't want to be on, you were able to switch your mindset (or you will be switching your mindset) to support the new reality you want to be a part of, and you're going to rapidly see a lot of changes that facilitate you following this new path. New opportunities are popping up at the same time others are dropping out of your life, and you're going to find that your time is occupied with things that fulfill you more than what was there before. Not only this, but there's this concurrent theme of emotional and material abundance, so you're going to be among crowds that give back all the love and energy you can send out and leveraging your authenticity to financially support you, too. For some others that it applies for, there's a message about a potential partner coming in that also will support and uplift the lifestyle you are moving towards, so you are encouraged to keep an eye out for this if it is something that you want!

Pt. 2: Advice to get there? (5oW, The World, The Star)

The advice, my dear pile 3s, is to FIGHT lol. Perhaps not physically (but idk, maybe some of you have to physically fight your way out of something, take as it applies lol), but there will be some exterior circumstances/people who try and keep you where you're feeling stagnant. In a lot of cases, I feel like this is not intentionally done with malicious intent; think of a parent pressuring their child into settling into a marriage because for them (the parent) it meant something like security and stability, even though that's not what their child is feeling that they want for themselves. In this case, that parent equates potential material safety and security as a high priority, and wants to see their child in circumstances that reflect that, but we each know that everybody's personal circumstances are not so cut and dry, are they? In a case like that, people in your life may not realize the damage they're doing in trying to keep you in certain lanes, but in other cases, it's 100% intentional. Perhaps you might live under the rule of an intentionally oppressive government, or a large entity that benefits from actively keeping you in poverty, without education, or without stable resources to support yourself. In either case, whatever it is, you are actively encouraged to fight for what it is that you believe in. It may seem daunting and scary (it might also actually represent a dangerous path for those of you where it applies), but no matter where you go, you will always have people and things who actively will try to dissuade you no matter what it is that you choose to do, but on the other side of the coin, you will always have like-minded supporters out there in the world who want to see you succeed and actually help you. Out there exists a life you could only have imagined for yourself, and if you feel that strong tug telling you to move forward and take action, it's definitely for a reason. You have everything to gain by following your instinct, just be mindful of who you let accompany you in your journey because not everyone deserves to be there.

Some NIN songs that might be relevant:

Sunspots - for this, I'm getting the specific lyrics of "and nothing can stop me now, there is nothing to fear, and everything I'd ever want is inside of here." Your spirit is quite indomitable, pile 3s, never forget that!

Every Day Is Exactly The Same - Exactly what it says on the tin, this is definitely about the emptiness that comes with living not for yourself.

The Hand That Feeds - Easily the most famous song off the album, but lots of people still lose the central message in the catchy riffs; how far will you go to free yourself of oppressive circumstances? Will you fight for it?

Pile 4 - Broken EP, 1992 Pt 1: What's going on in there? (KioS, 3oW, The Hermit, 10oP)

As the second major release after Pretty Hate Machine (1989), the Broken EP basically switched up the synth and riffs to harder, grittier sounds that served as the blueprint for the legendary The Downward Spiral, but there's a special rawness and edge to the Broken extended play that I think is a quality that you might embody at this point in time. Even as early as the first NIN album, Trent Reznor established himself as someone who was self-aware, a bit melancholy, and extremely critical of oppressive systems across the world. With that King of Swords present in this reading, I think you're definitely at a point where nothing can fool you so easily. Nobody in your life can sweet-talk you into trapping yourself into something that you know is going to fuck you over (whether it's a relationship, a shady job with lots of strings attached, a multi-level marketing scheme or beyond). This is extremely specific, but I also feel the bitter tang of disappointment that tells me that unfortunately, some of this hard-won wisdom about the world came at a high cost to you. And considering that a few songs on the Broken EP are about a relationship to another human, some of you may have come out of a bad breakup that left you with some scars, too. Right now, you're trying to heal and you're keeping your castle high in the sky so nobody can reach you, and honestly I think it really is the right time to incubate and focus on yourself. You've seen for yourself how easy it is to get hurt, for others to exploit you, and in some ways, you recognize that at this point you need to be better equipped to dodge those attempts.

With the 3 of wands and The Hermit, if you've withdrawn into the quiet of yourself and are focused on recalibrating and filtering out all that isn't serving you anymore, I'm hearing that this is one of the best things you could have done for yourself at the moment. Your innermost truth, pile 4s, is that you want a quiet space to rebuild yourself at this time. You're right in that you probably need to clean house and re-evaluate all your attachments, because there is definitely shit that shouldn't be there alongside you anymore. For some of you, I'm seeing a literal tidying of a home, too, like if you're preparing to move out and make a new beginning somewhere else. Some of you may also be Virgos or have this sign prominently in your charts, and satisfying the virgoan need to have shit accounted for and spiritually dusted off does you a world of good for clearing out negative and unnecessary energies. Fall may also be a good time for you to come out of this incubating period, which is likely when you're also going to find your circumstances metamorphosizing into something completely different! With that 10 of pentacles, whatever really dragged you into this low point at the first quarter of the year is going to feel so distant from the wealth, opportunities, and security you're stepping into. You'll basically go from needing to rebuild your home/safe space/self from scratch to having your life and dwelling as cozy, rich, and fulfilling as you want it to be. You've really been through it, my dear pile 4s, but I'm happy to share that there's actually a fucking light at the end of this dank, terrible tunnel, and you're getting there faster than you think!

Pt. 2: Advice to get there? (AoW, PoW, 2oC)

Huh, so I have an interesting phrase coming to mind for this moment, which is "lean on your feelings." I think I can see where it's coming from, which I'll try to explain in a way that hopefully makes sense. For this example, what happens when a person feels like they've lost everything, or lost a big part of themselves? Everything gets stripped down to instinct, reaction, and impulse, even if it's not necessarily a life-or-death scenario. More specifically, a big cortisol and adrenaline-fueled rush like that is responsible for flight, fight or freeze responses and stress management in what your brain equates to disaster-like situations where safety and survival odds seem compromised, your body can basically push itself to its limits to survive the next day and keep existing. There's not a lot of room for logical thought in this level of stress, there's not a lot of room for anything except making it through, and those alarm bells that are telling you that something about this person or that situation aren't right are ringing for a reason. There are lots of studies about the long-term effects of high cortisol levels and too much adrenaline (it's bad, it makes your body shut down literally if you're in this state for too long), so you'll want to be cognizant of when and what triggers these fear spikes, but if stuff about your situation feels unsafe, listen to that.

For a potential very few of you, I am getting that there's at least one person in your life that you do not feel comfortable being alone with or vulnerable with, and please take that if it applies. You don't want to make monsters out of things that aren't there (full-on paranoia is also definitely bad for long-term health), but if you find yourself with people and situations that are constantly putting you into that high-stress mindset, recognize that and get the fuck out of there as best you can, tbh. I've said a lot about the negative sides of it (mostly because I feel the heavy warning here), but the same can also be said for the other side of it; if there's something that you do, or somewhere/someone that you go to that makes you feel safe, then let yourself have that security and feeling of safety. It takes a lot of work to weed out what is a huge stress point in your life and establish good safe spaces (physically, emotionally, and otherwise) especially when you're in this high-stress state, but it's the only way to really fully leave it behind. You achieving the life with the security and stability that you want for yourself is going to take some serious commitment to removing a lot of things/people from your life and consistently surrounding yourself with what and who benefits you, but I wouldn't be telling you this at all if I didn't think you could do it. You've made it this far, haven't you?

Some NIN songs that might be relevant:

Help Me I Am In Hell - 😭 this song doesn't even have words, just a sad, reflective, and tense guitar riff (giving you all my love in support in the 5D 🫂~).

Last - The lyrics "this isn't meant to last, this is for right now" seem like they'd really apply for all this shittiness you're dealing with right now, so it definitely won't be forever that you sit in this!

Wish - You might feel alone and isolated with how you view the world right now, but you can craft your reality more than you think! If Trent Reznor could get a grammy for saying fistf*ck in this song, you can definitely do anything you want, my pile 4s!

Pile 5 - Tron Ares OST, 2025 Pt 1: What's going on in there? (6oC, 3oC, The Hermit, The Magician)

WOOOO! I know lots of people had issues with the latest Tron installment, but for me, it was a three-hour Nine Inch Nails music video on some cool light cycles with some nice fight scenes, so there aren't very many complaints from me lol. ~Some light spoilers for Tron Ares~ But, as you may know by now, Ares is a security program designed by Julian Dillinger who is basically broken down, scrapped, and rebuilt potentially thousands of times before the program begins to... evolve. To reference another famous Sci-Fi franchise, it definitely feels a lot like leaving The Matrix in your case. Like Ares, I feel like my pile 5s were likely to be products of their environments, but you've recently started to feel (or you've felt this for a while now, each one of you are at different stages) that you're evolving into something that's different from those around you. I know some people who have never left the same county in their lives before; they're born in one place, their parents were born in that place, and they themselves never want to leave it, so it gets to be really interesting talking to them about things that occur outside of the Shire. This is not a critique on how folx like this live, because it does actually make some people happy, but I think specifically for you, if these might have been your circumstances before or maybe you come from this sort of insular environment, you're realizing that now you don't fit with that idea anymore. You've started to adopt mindsets and explore avenues that aren't shared or supported by the environment you're currently in, so it's almost out of necessity that you're ready to depart and seek your truths elsewhere.

I'm seeing a lot about family/loved ones here, so I feel like quite a few of you have genuinely good ties and memories to where you are, but if it's helpful to conceptualize it this way, you choosing to leave and seek other things doesn't mean that you don't treasure those people and memories; you've simply gone on to the next stage of growth to learn more and do more. I'm seeing lab coats and microscopes for this pile, so I feel like some of you are choosing to embark on a new scholarly career that involves scientific discoveries; some of you are definitely meant to make massive contributions to the field you are seeking to study in! Your innermost truth, pile 5s, is that you have outgrown your current circumstances, and as much as your ambition gnaws at you for more, so does your misplaced sense of guilt and possible imposter syndrome for wanting more. Ares went far beyond the scope of his programming to achieve the unthinkable, so the level of potential and personal power represented by this pile is quite high! So high, that even though you might feel nervous/guilty about setting off to accomplish all that you want to, you will. This is definitely my pile that stand at the summit of the mountain after climbing the whole way. You can accomplish a lot, my pile 5s, and you'll quickly learn that concentrating your amazing willpower can take you sky-high! You've already taken your first step, just keep moving forward and you'll reach the dizzying heights you seek!

Pt. 2: Advice to get there? (The Devil, 10oS, 4oC)

Like Ares, I feel like my pile 5s face a lot of skepticism about your chosen path/interests in your daily life; maybe your friends and/or family don't think you're serious about pursuing what you want, or maybe they're surprised that anybody wants to leave where you currently are, so they write it off as a joke. I can feel that this gets to you sometimes, and it makes you potentially doubt yourself when you think about working towards your goals. However, my pile 5s, it's far too late to put this genie back in the bottle; you want to do these things for a reason, and it's not something that you can ignore or un-know once you do. To borrow from the Bene Gesserit (lots of sci-fi references in this one lol), the first few lines of the Litany of Fear that Lady Jessica chants to herself goes something like:

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me."

Your will and your capacity is such that the biggest obstacle preventing your success is yourself, pile 5s. Wherever you go, you are nobody to write off, so this is something you need to remember every time those doubts take ahold of you, 'cause you are a legend in the making!

Some NIN songs that might be relevant:

As Alive As You Need Me To Be - The lead single, this speaks on Ares' evolution from lines of code to something alive, for all of the terrible and marvelous things it entails.

I Know You Can Feel It - This song is like a pivotal point where the change in Ares is so prevalent that others outside of him recognize him as something different/other.

Pile 1 - Apollo, fragment of a funerary stele, c 2nd Century BCE (2oW, The Star, The Hierophant, 2oP) 

Firstly, I have to say that I started singing a couple of old-school Disney songs in my head (lol think golden-age Beauty and the Beast), so I'm definitely getting a burst of boisterousness and song with your pile! Are you guys my musically inclined ones? It's actually quite sweet and lively, pile 1s! I think the core of this message revolves around your potential star-qualities and your capacity to be in front of a camera or on a stage somewhere. Apollo, true to form, had a little bit of a reputation for being flashy, but it was well-warranted! People all across the realm spread tales of his legendary music, poetry, and he has also always been regarded one of the most beautiful of the gods, as well. While there is some emphasis on his other aspects here (light, healing, archery), I feel like there's more on the mousike for my pile 1s, so if you are someone who writes poetry, sings, dances, or plays any sort of instrument (such as a lyre or harp), then this message is for you! With The Hierophant, I do see that for those of who are aspiring to break into the arts or take your skills into a higher level, I am seeing that there is a potential chance to meet a mentor who is well-established and who can offer you the advice and tutelage you desire! I liken it to potential musical theatre actors getting to meet a Broadway star and building a helpful relationship with them (this may actually be the case for a couple of you.) Regardless, there's a lot of natural talent in this pile for the written and musical arts, so I feel like if you wanted to let those skills take you places, you definitely have the makings of a star!

The number two is also standing out to me, and with The Star and The Hierophant being bracketed by the 2 of wands and the 2 of pentacles almost looks like a gate to me, so I feel like if the field you wanted to explore was subjected to gatekeeping, there's a pretty strong possibility that this potential mentorship/professional development would open doors to you that you maybe would have struggled with more before. I feel a bubbly, happy energy in my chest, so I feel strongly inclined to take this as the feeling you'd probably get if you were to lean into your creative passions a bit more; they can definitely lead you to new opportunities! As the one who drives the Chariot of the Sun each morning, Apollo reminds us that the sun will rise again, so for those of my pile 1s who have been feeling a bit of a low point, you can look forward to a correspondingly joyous period of happiness very soon. I feel like I was struggling to get more of your message out, but I feel that upon reflection, this is probably indicative of that balance between conciseness and eloquence where you want to say enough to paint the whole picture of what you mean, but you don't want to get redundant and remove the mystery. So, I believe this message is also for my perfectionists and overthinkers who maybe are inclined to be initially dissatisfied with what they put out. Apollo would like to share that all artists struggle with this output, but you are encouraged to think of your art as less of a "product" and more of an expression of your authentic self. Who are you doing this for? Are you doing this to make your audience love you, or are you doing this because something in your soul moves you to express things this way? You're encouraged to determine the answer to this question, because authenticity genuinely can be one of the strongest determining factors in your work. You've got star potential, my pile 1s! Apollo is excited to see where you want to take it!

As a final part of your message, I also pulled messages from the Believe in Your Own Magic deck, you can take these as confirmation for something you've been asking or general messages in general:

Spaceship - Don't be afraid to sing(! Can't make this up, some of y'all are really meant to step into the spotlight)

Shark - Swim away from this situation

Library - Take control of your own narrative

Pile 2 - Apollo, Attic red figure amphora, att. Bowdoin-Eye Painter, c 520-500 B.C.E (AoC, 6oP, AoP, KioC)

My wonderful pile 2s, in the art for today's PAC, did your eyes catch on a woman in the bottom left corner, sitting with a dish in her hands? If so, I think you might be the pile who's resonant with Apollo Pythios, or Apollo in his form as the deity at the Temple of Delphi. For those of you who may not know, the Temple of Delphi on Parnassus is extremely historically relevant as the home temple of the Oracle of Delphi. Given the title of Pythia, the high priestess of the Temple of Delphi was one of the most powerful and venerated women of classical Greece, with the position having emerged as early as 7th century BCE. Everyone from rulers of kingdoms to the local cities would travel up the mountain to hear the Pythoness' prophecies delivered under divine possession by Apollo, and the Pythia grew to have an extremely prominent diplomatic, political, and spiritual role. If you have ever had sudden bouts of strong feelings or some sudden insight/knowledge appear in your mind, and you have no idea why or how you could know something like that, this pile is probably for you. I'm also getting that some of you may have also have experienced something like divine channeling, where you suddenly open your mouth or start writing or producing something that you don't really know where it came from. In short, this is my pile of intuitives who likely have the gift of prophecy within you, and you are at various stages of realizing/dealing with it.

I feel like I want to give a more specific example of this because it might resonate with you; it is not exactly a happy one, so I apologize in advance, but it is one of the strongest, earliest examples I have of what I'm talking about (CW, non-graphic descriptions of a murder). ***When I was still a pre-teen, I had a close friend at lunch who got a boyfriend, and her boyfriend came to join my table and hang out with us. He was cool, and I remember chatting about nothing special until he mentioned that he greatly disliked his mom's new boyfriend. All of a sudden, I felt horrifically sick to my stomach and broke out in a cold sweat. I dropped the remainder of my lunch in the tray before I went to the bathroom to splash water on my face and see if I could calm myself down. I felt a blind panic seize my throat and stomach and thought it was very weird. However, I went back out and tried my best to brush it off, and assured my friends that I was okay. However, it was almost a month to the day that I learned that his mom had actually been found dead in her home, killed by that boyfriend, and I never saw my friend's boyfriend at school again.*** It's been a really long time since that happened, and I don't often get strong feelings and messages like that, but that stood out to me so much because it was the very first one I felt. My mother culture and family have encouraged me to lean into this, and we grow up teaching daughters (more than sons, anyway) to trust our instincts and heed the superstitions we grew up with, which I think bears some commonality with a few other cultures, especially where there are those that have a phenomenon that resembles the shaman sickness. Across several cultures in Eurasia and in some Indigenous American tribes, there's been lots of stories about those who feel plagued by visions, feelings, and all sorts of spirits that often appeared in their family line, until they take the time to understand them and integrate their lives with their spirituality until it's not a burden. While it doesn't have to be that drastic to apply to your circumstances, it might still be something that you notice and have experienced at a few points throughout your life. You're the type of person to arrive at a place and it doesn't matter that it's a highly-rated restaurant or a famous and cool hangout, if you don't feel comfortable with the energy that you pick up there, you might be inclined to leave it faster.

This is because you are someone who is good at picking up the unseen, and even if you don't necessarily believe it at first, it doesn't change the fact that you're likely to be more sensitive to these things. I think whether you have acknowledged this in yourself or not, you know that the world at large is much more than what we can see in front of us. Which brings us to Apollo's gift (even if it doesn't always feel like a gift  –mine didn't feel like a gift at first, for something painful like that–, but I'm hearing from him that it actually is), because he's offering to be a guiding force to you in helping you develop this sense and integrate it. You don't have to drop everything and go become a priestess/shaman/religious leader, but I think you have this gift of prophecy because it was supposed to play a larger role in your life somehow, and this is one specific way that you influence the world around you, too. Perhaps you were meant to be healer in a capacity where your sense helps tell you things about your patients to help care for them, or maybe you're a fledging tarot reader and diviner yourself, but if you ask for the guidance and protection of Apollo, you will receive it as he had done for his priestesses at the Temple of Delphi. It's a shame that lots of people don't venerate the Pythonesses and Oracles the way that they used to, but your gift is beautiful and adds a lot to the wholeness and mystery that is you, pile 2s. This already ran long as hell, but I felt the very strong need to let you know that you have something so special inside of you, and you don't have to walk your path alone in learning how to hone and use your innate gifts. Lean into your divinely-guided instincts, pile 2s; you have a wellspring of knowledge inside of you and working on it, drawing it out, and understanding it can only bring out the best of you and change your world.

As a final part of your message, I also pulled messages from the Believe in Your Own Magic deck, you can take these as confirmation for something you've been asking or general messages in general:

Storm - Every hurricane comes to an end

Universe - We're all just stardust

Wings - You never needed those wings to fly

Pile 3 - Apollo and The Muses (or Mount Parnassus), Simon Vouet, c 1640 (AoP, The Hanged Man, PoP, Justice)

For my pile 3s, for some reason I immediately thought of "abundance" and "putting in the work." I feel like some of you are in professions or circumstances where you have to work A LOT, and not just work hard, some of you have been working absolutely tirelessly with minimal pay or really long hours. I'm seeing a scalpel and scrubs so I do actually feel that some of you might be Doctors of some sorts or med students. In this case especially, Apollo Ascesius might apply to you especially if you work with healing or vulnerable populations, like protecting children and cattle. With The Hanged Man, I feel like you've been waiting for something for a while; perhaps your daily routine has been dragging on for you, and you feel like you should have already advanced or changed your circumstances, but instead, you may have felt stagnated and burnt out. For others of you, perhaps this applies to living with a chronic illness, such as a longer-term medical condition for which you have needed consistent treatment throughout your life. In every case, whether it relates to the medical or not, I am very much getting the tiredness of dealing, and the hope that things are actually getting better.

Fortunately, pile 3s, I'm happy to share that in a lot of ways, you are due to see improvement! In some cases, I feel like even though you haven't always been in a position to see your progress, you are still actually making it, but it may be hard to measure in the daily grind of your life. For others of you, perhaps it has been an issue related to health that is making you feel this way (understandable, really), but you are encouraged to celebrate every win that you make towards feeling and seeing improvements, a step may be tiny, but it is a step nonetheless. No matter the circumstances, I am hearing that you fully have an ally in Apollo. Known for his reputation in lots of ways as a champion and protector of the people, and the god of healing (Asclepius, the ascended demigod Son of Apollo is actually a hero and the god of medicine, and his symbol of the staff with the twirling snakes can still be found on modern medical organizations!) he wants to let you know that connecting with him can be helpful in matters like these. I have some loved ones who deal with some complex medical conditions and have one myself that can be deadly if I don't pay attention to it, so I definitely feel the pressing need myself as well as some frustration about needing to keep on top of this every day. Apollo fully considers himself as an ally of humanity in a lot of different ways, but if you're reading this, I am hearing that you can consider yourself under his protection in the advancement of your career and the management of your health. Should you wish to ask for something specific, I am hearing that you can burn a laurel leaf (or if no Mediterranean laurel is available, a bay leaf) and make your request!

As a final part of your message, I also pulled messages from the Believe in Your Own Magic deck, you can take these as confirmation for something you've been asking or general messages in general:

Library - Take control of your own narrative

Villain - You can always rewrite the story

Pile 1 - Scream (1996)  Pt. 1 - What makes you a survivor? (3oW, Temperance, The Star) 

The original Scream was a delightful frightfest that sparked controversy among older adults when it first aired (too graphic, too crude, was seen as irreverent when the discourse was that violent media made others more violent). However, the critics and audiences that loved and related to it understood that real life itself was messy and it could feel a lot like fending for yourself out there. With this energy, you are the star of the show herself, Sidney Prescott. What stands out to me is that Sid was a girl who was trying to mind her business and keep her head down after the very publicized murder of her mother, and it was hard to escape the whispers constantly trailing after her. Sidney gets caught in the machinations of others, but instead of letting her agency be stolen from her, she critically assesses her circumstances and reacts quickly afterwards, and will think on her feet and fight back even when it appears like she's outmatched. For my pile 1s, I feel like this ability of yours to roll with the punches is going to enable you to stand on top this year. In a lot of ways, I'm getting that you will have quite a lot of eyes on you this year (perhaps some of you are already in the public eye or you're moving into a position where you're in the public eye!), but you keeping your head clear is not only going to guide you through most of the obstacles you might face, but it will guide you to where your opportunities will be greatest, too! My pile 1s are resourceful and great at thinking on their feet, trusting yourself and your instincts will help you be at your most powerful this year. You're not only the survivor, you're the star of your own movie and you know it!

Pt. 2- What makes you Ghostface? (QoC, 9oC, AoS)

As soon as I drew your spread, I heard "GREAT TEAM PLAYER" and then it was confirmed to me by your cards lol. The thing that was most notable about these pair of Ghostfaces was their elaborate team work (lol well at least until things unraveled)! Billy Loomis and Stu Macher shocked Woodsboro by a slew of murders that they were on the verge of getting away with until the very end, which was coincidentally when their teamworking efforts faltered and allowed for the survivors to retaliate. To be even more specific, this happy, bubbly sort of energy reminds me of Mister Knife-Swipe himself, Stu Macher! One of the things that shocked many characters and audiences alike was actually that the popular, well-liked jock Stu was the other Ghostface and I feel like Stu's sociability, emotional intuition, and carefully projected front allowed for him to escape suspicion for so long. For my pile 2s, I'm getting that a similar quality of attunement to people and projected extroversion (you could just be reallllyyyy good at faking it it till you make it, if you're naturally more introverted but in a job like customer service requires lots of energy and social engagement) hides how sharp you actually are. I know Billy Loomis is Stu's friend and probably was also a popular kid, but there's a lot of focus on these particular qualities of Stu that helped him go as far as he did. The other message I'm really strongly getting is that as long as you're able to 'keep your eyes on the prize,' you are well-equipped to get everything you want and meet your goals, even if it's in a more traditionally competitive field. For example, if you're in a position like sales where your coworkers are actually your competition, that attitude of affability and cooperativeness that you project would probably make them more likely to help you and see you as less of competition, even if you still are and you're actually winning! (This is a very specific scenario, but I feel like a couple of you are out there in these specific circumstances). The final advice here is to be warm and friendly as you can, but keep your boundaries and goals a little bit closer to your chest and you can actually make it to where you wanna go!

Pile 2 - Scream 2 Pt. 1 - What makes you a survivor? (The Emperor, 3oS, The High Priestess)

Scream 2 was notable for solidifying the core trio who would basically be in almost every Scream movie thereafter, and what do they all have in common? Surviving the initial brutal tragedy of Woodsboro. For Gale, Dewey, and Sidney, Woodsboro left a mark on them that they each coped with in different ways. Having lost someone precious to them personally in the murders committed by Billy and Stu, Sidney tried to move on with life and have a fresh start in college, but she struggles with bouts of suspicion and paranoia, even with her new boyfriend, because her last one ended up being a serial killer. Dewey, on the other hand was left physically injured with a limp and wounded arm from lingering nerve damage and channels his grief from losing his sister into protectiveness over Sidney. Finally, the ever-pragmatic Gale Weathers turns her experiences into a best-seller to skyrocket her career, but it doesn't stop the alienation she feels when it estranges her from Sidney and Dewey, who she actually cared about and were also affected by her works and dealing with their own scars. For my pile 2s, I am very much seeing this feeling of recuperation and healing after an event that left its psychological (perhaps even physical) mark on you. For a lot of you, like the core trio, you might have put your faith in someone or something (like a greater institutional body, for example) and were very much let down afterwards. But, you haven't given up, you carry yourself like the healing, wounded warrior that you are, and try to make it through each day as okay as you can be. In a lot of ways, this event has caused you to withdraw inwards as well, and it's far from a bad thing because now you have the chance for internal recalibration. You are now breaking down the person you were before and taking only the things that matter to you going forward, and becoming someone who trusts their own internal compass and intuition more. You should, because at that exact point in your life when everything is stripped away, you're the best equipped to see people, things, and situations as what they are instead of what they pretend to be. Your personal power this year is tied to renewal and rejuvenation of yourself, but you're going to have the additional superpower of seeing right through the heart of things. People will try, but they can't fool you anymore!

Pt. 2- What makes you Ghostface? (10oC, AoW, 2oW)

In contrast to the previous Ghostface partners, your individual pursuit of your own goals is what sets you apart this year. Mickey and Nancy were merely partners of convenience, each holding their own reasons for taking up the mantle of Ghostface, which is why their partnership ended in betrayal. However, the dogged determination and careful planning to circle and isolate their targets is what enabled these Ghostfaces to have such a high kill count. Mickey might have wanted fame and Nancy may have wanted revenge, but you, dear pile 2s, only want your own peace. You want to chase your own happiness and drop any weights holding you back from pursuing your passions like yesterday's garbage, and it's that desire that is driving you forward. While this reading is not necessarily intended to be read in a specific temporal format, I get the feeling that for you, it kind of is a progression this way; perhaps you might have started this year with your foundations rocked and your trust shaken, but as you move through the year, you will find yourself going from incubation to hatching and darting forward. You will know yourself and know what you want, but you're not gonna let the pursuit of your goals be only the means to an end; you will enjoy the process as well as the endgame, and it doesn't matter if you have to do it by yourself. But what does matter is that you actually enjoy the ride there, because it's all about you this year. Perhaps it was this sentiment that enabled Mickey Altieri to continuously hold the title as one of the most prolific Ghostfaces to this day; he absolutely had a hell of a time wearing that mask.

Pile 3 - Scream 3  Pt. 1 - What makes you a survivor? (3oP, The Sun, The Chariot)

Scream 3 is in a really unique spot, and it served as the blueprint for how future films were produced in the future. Scream 2 in 1997 was one of the earliest examples of a script being leaked to the internet (the Ghostface killers were supposed to be different people, and you could kind of tell it was set up this way!) so future Scream films after this point had several fake-out scripts, something which is even addressed in-movie because each fictional actor cast to play a Woodsboro had a different script. Scream 3 itself went through a couple of re-writes because of an increase of mass shootings in schools (The Columbine high school shooting had an especially large impact on Scream 3's original plot), so this film has an all-around reputation for being very odd even by longtime fans. However, there's an interesting element of unresolved and unaddressed issues for characters who are a little older, a little wiser and a little more jaded as adults, but there's another interesting theme of supporting each other through addressing collective traumas, more so than the first two films. Our core trio, even though they might not want to be, are old hands at dodging serial killers and sniffing out nefarious intentions, in a way that doesn't even necessarily faze them as much anymore. Sidney, Dewey, and Gale have actually started to look past the killings in a sense to ascertain why they are happening, and have stepped into a more proactive role when it comes to keeping themselves safe as a unit, too.

Devastating things have not stopped happening to them by this point, but where it may have left some unable to cope with these extreme circumstances, these three have incorporated their experiences and produced things that only they know how to do. Sidney works as a women's support hotline counselor for California, with her experience helping her be an empathetic and safe space for others who are also suffering. Dewey has become an adviser for the Stab 3 film, helping inform the film's producers on what actually occurred in his life. Gale Weathers continues to be on top of her career and very much in the spotlight. The three may have some issues between each other, but it is so quickly put aside and they collaborate quite effectively as the new Ghostface resurfaces. In a weirdly similar way, I get the energy of mastery through collaboration for my pile 3s. Maybe you are involved in some projects at work or in school that have taken up a good chunk of your time and resources that will finally wrap up this year, and you'll be all the more skillful for it. Like our survivors, I expect that what you have learned through your life experiences is going to be synthesized in a way you didn't necessarily expect, but in a way that ended up bringing you a lot of fulfillment and potential opportunities for future development. Even through the record-high kill counts and issues arising from a checkered past, Sid, Dewey, and Gale are in top form as they rise to the occasion, and the constant underlying thrum of forward momentum drives not only the movie, but the franchise forward. This already ran SUPER long lol, but I feel like this is also reflective of a long and winding journey for you that is also coming to an end, but the skills, experiences, and connections you have accumulated will shape your next few decades probably (some of you might be hitting your Saturn Rx, there's definitely a maturity-through-hardship energy that seems very Saturnian lol). Your personal power this year is tied to laying out your foundations for the next big chunk of your life here; you have aggregated lots of wisdom and experience and putting those lessons into practice is going to bring you the greatest yield and growth!

Pt. 2- What makes you Ghostface? (The Moon, The Sun, PoC)

The first thing I thought when pulling out this spread was that some of y'all might be in the family way! LOL it's a phrasing that I usually don't use, but perhaps some of you are on the verge of becoming parents or welcoming other additions to the family you are building. With the sun and the moon coming out in both of your spreads, it really does seem like this is a bridging of your internal and external circumstances that makes me think of accomplishing some goals you had for a long time. For example, perhaps you recently accomplished the goal of being a doctor, which took you years of study, residency, licensure exams, etc. And then somewhere in studying to be a doctor, you also started to have thoughts about having a child or a specific pet or improving your singing, and then after becoming a doctor, you suddenly find the perfect partner(s), come across the exact breed of dog you were thinking of, or find an opportunity to join the local karaoke club. If this example makes any sense sense (sorry if it's a lil disjointed!), I see that the efforts you have physically concentrated towards your goals also have influenced and attracted the other, more subconscious desires you wanted but hadn't worked on as extensively. This is very similar to our singularly operating Ghostface (at least, pending no retcons lol) Roman Bridger. Roman's primary motivation was revenge, and he concentrated his not-inconsiderable wealth and resources to becoming the only solo and most prolific Ghostface killer, but his secondary one was also family (he did it all sorts of wrong, of course). Having been denied the family that he was born to and craving their acceptance, he might have terrorized, killed, and finally pushed away the very last blood family he had left, but he did get some of that acceptance and recognition in the very end. For the longest time, he knew he was an abandoned child and brother, but by the end of Scream 3, he made sure that the world knew this, too. The idea of family comes up a few times throughout this part of the reading, so I think that for those of you who are in the process of actively building up your family/working on family dynamics, this may be a core driving force for you this year. Keep an eye out for interesting happenings around Leo season as well, since you got The Sun twice!

Pile 4- Scream 4 Pt. 1 - What makes you a survivor? (9oW, 8oS, QoW)

Scream 4 came after an 11-year gap between it and the last Scream release, and with it, a whole new generation to boot! We're taken back to high school with Sidney's cousin Jill Roberts as the seeming protagonist, and she's just trying to have a good time with her best friend Kirby, her film club friends, and welcoming Sid back to Woodsboro. But, things never stay peaceful in Woodsboro, and despite the focus on the new girl Jill, Kirby is actually the traumatized new final girl by the end of it. With Scream 4, the tension between the established legacy (represented by the classic characters of Sidney, Dewey, and Gale) and the desire for newness drives the narrative, which culminates in a horror that simultaneously feels new and familiar. There's this tiredness and resignation to Sidney, somebody who aches for peace but knows that she's too used to not getting it, along with the desire to protect her little cousin Jill and preserve her innocence and safety for as long as she can. For both her and Kirby, it's the level of betrayal occurring and being left for dead, really the closest anybody's come to killing Sidney in a long time, that brings up the stakes. How does this relate for my pile 4s? Well, I'm definitely sensing the exhaustion, the anxiety, and the feeling of being burnt out and operating on fumes for a long while now. I think for quite a lot of you, you've been in less-than-ideal circumstances for some time, and been stuck in a situation which has been draining you bit-by-bit. And at this point, you'd probably thought you'd seen all there is to see about this shitty thing, and then you got hit with another whammy, which was maybe why it felt so familiar but new at the same time. This is really specific, but maybe some of you live with an extremely difficult partner, family member, or roommate who had been pissing you off for a long while now, but then you just learned that they did something else that left an extraordinarily bad taste in your mouth. You are likely a survivor in the true sense of the word, meaning that you've been only just surviving, for a long time. However, just like all storms pass, you're coming into an energy where you get back up and leave that energy/situation for good. The Queen of Wands is all about reclaiming that personal power, passion, and energy for yourself. You're going to stop spending it on things and people that never add value to your life, and you're going forward to make your own kingdom as you want. In the movie, the media refers to Sidney as a "celebrity victim," but while Sidney is certainly victimized, she survives, and gets back up to march forward with her own life, and so will you.

Pt. 2- What makes you Ghostface? (9oC, Strength, 9oP)

It's very fitting that the same qualities which make you a survivor also count towards making you a great Ghostface; all of these cards reflect the idea of getting what you want and having the guts to persevere through obtaining it. While Charlie makes for an interesting Ghostface, it's Jill who actually embodies this ambition the best. Jill Roberts thought Sidney was old and washed up, and thought it was her time to get a slice of the fame pie, so she cooked up a web of murders and betrayals so she could end up on top. The ambition, self-centeredness, and the consistent concentration of efforts to this end goal make her almost admirable (most Ghostfaces are flawed and have many pitfalls, after all, it's why they never win!). However, where Jill tripped up in her arrogance, I feel like my pile 4s can actually pull off what they want. You have big dreams and you know you want more than the life that you are currently living, these cards are showing me that you do already have the skills and the wherewithal to accomplish them. Perhaps, in reference to the first part of your reading, you have to cut out what's holding you back. Anything Jill deemed was an obstacle was swiftly and calculatingly removed by her, and while you don't need to be as ruthless, your bullshit-cutting sword is there for a reason. You have many great things that you want and that want you back on the horizon for you, and embodying these particular Ghostface energies will help you accomplish whatever you set your mind to.

Pile 5 - Scream 5 Pt. 1 - What makes you a survivor? (The Star, 3oC, 4oW)

Coming off another 11-year gap, Scream 5 hurls us into another generation of "requel" characters who are loosely connected enough to old legacy characters to be interesting, but definitely fresh enough to capture the attention of younger viewers who can get drawn into the franchise. With this in mind, we have a new protagonist entirely in Sam Carpenter, the secret daughter of Billy Loomis who struggled greatly with her mental health, addiction, and family throughout her youth when she became aware of the secret of who her biological dad really was. In a strong parallel to how Sidney began the franchise, Sam feels a striking sense of paranoia with anybody getting too close to her, because she knows that other people learning that she's the daughter of one of the most infamous Woodsboro serial killers will put her and her sister's life in danger, and the sudden, phantom-like visions she has of the dad she's never met popping up to encourage her violent impulses push her to take anti-psychotics to suppress them. All-in-all, Sam begins the film as a mess, (which is completely understandable), but, I'm drawn to the liberation she feels at letting those secret weights rattle off her and the realization that hits her when she learns that she doesn't have to be alone in all of this. Since she was young, Sam has needed to lie about some things that were fundamental to her understanding of who she was, and could never be her whole self because she internalized that being Sam would be enough to break people apart. So, it is after the terror of having those secrets exposed and brought to light in the ugliest fashion that she stopped giving a fuck about holding on so tightly to them and being more proactive in how she addressed situations in her life.

Sam stood her ground when others forced her hand, and stopped holding herself back to successfully defend the things and people that mattered most to her. While these circumstances might not exactly be yours, pile 5s, I do get the sense that like Sam, you attract attention pretty much anywhere you go. However, also like Sam, I feel like some of you may have struggled with the negative/unpleasant scrutiny for things that you couldn't help about yourself, and maybe you struggled with whether to hide them away and pretend they don't exist or fully embrace them throughout a couple of points in your life. However, also like Sam, I feel like quite many of you either have or you will embrace yourself much more fully this year, and it's that action that will draw marvelous outcomes towards you. You may have also felt that despite the attention on you, there weren't a lot of people around you who hadn't bothered to really get to know you, but this is something that's changing as well! You're going to end up among like-minded others who will love and appreciate you for who you are instead of only what you present as (for some of you, this may be in a romantic sense as well if it applies to you!), and you'll feel very free and uplifted by people who genuinely want to see you thrive. Your greatest personal power this year is tied to a more authentic expression of your genuine, whole self, for it will bring you so many others who can be your people for life!

Pt. 2- What makes you Ghostface? (The Moon, PoW, The Chariot)

Scream 5's Ghostfaces were a very interesting departure from previous movies, because all previous Ghostfaces up to this point had a very direct tie to either the main protagonist (Sidney) or a previous Ghostface (Billy). Instead, Scream 5's Ghostfaces were literally just obsessive fans lol. Though I think this made the motivations a bit weaker than their predecessors, one thing I am lingering on is the level of integration and the longer-term nature of this planned Ghostface attack. This was one case where the Ghostfaces were actually extremely integrated into their target groups, with Amber becoming a core friend of Tara's in high school (potential ex? the older scripts I think had Amber as Tara's ex) and someone that she turned to for safety and care, while Richie found Sam in Modesto and became a serious and seemingly supportive boyfriend across a longer period of time. This very much mirrors the dynamics and planning of Stu Macher and Billy Loomis as the original Ghostfaces, whose teamwork and integration allowed them to almost successfully complete all their goals at the 1996 Woodsboro Massacre. (Also like Billy and Stu, their bond is also romantic, but it's far creepier because 20-something Richie groomed teenager Amber) The capacity to appear as such a concerned friend or concerned partner while knowing you're the one holding the knife the whole time actually does take quite a bit of skill to pull off, and for my pile 5s, I think it's the quality of being to mask your real emotional reactions while projecting something else that can help you a lot this year.

This is slightly different than my pile 1s' Ghostface attributes (though, you may feel drawn to that one, too!) because theirs tended more towards extroversion, lighthearted affability, and a general social bubbliness to mask the sharpness and cleverness of the moves they were actually making. Yours comes off as more of a mysteriousness, more like people don't actually know what you're thinking, but it comes on more of an afterthought of what they project on you. To illustrate what I mean, I do have a really specific example coming to mind; perhaps a loved one or close friend of yours was dating a really shitty person, and although you may have hinted that they were far from your favorite person, you likely did not outright say that you disliked them. And then one day, your friend comes to you sobbing saying that their partner broke up with them, and they'll remember you saying kind things and being sad for them, but in actuality, your face may have only changed a little and internally, you were cheering for this asshole leaving... but you infused just the right amount of care into your words and gestures for their minds to fill in the blanks for you. This ability to be a chameleon based on whatever you pick up from your environment while being very discretionary with what you're actually thinking and feeling is definitely a quality that can help you this year, especially if you are in an environment where people around you can be less than trustworthy (think competitive work or school environments where there's a blind eye turned to sabotage). You can sit, you can plan, and you can read the room without putting yourself too much at risk for it... Deploy this ability accordingly, and you'll glide through lots of turbulent environments.

Pile 6 - Scream 6  Pt. 1 - What makes you a survivor? (7oP, AoS, 9oS)

My sweet, sweet hard workers and overthinkers, what say you? If you're anything like dear old Sam Carpenter in Scream 6, you're tired of being tired and paranoid as hell. After the big secret about her parentage (good ol' serial killer daddy Billy Loomis) being outed by her murderous boyfriend and her sister's murderous high school classmate (ex?), Sam has been dealing with the repercussions of those events in the age of social media, where everybody has an opinion and will stalk her and her sister from insta posts in minutes. Sam's seriously stepping up into her guardian role and making up for lost time by taking care of her sister and caring for the other survivors of the most recent Woodsboro Massacre, but it's not been easy because she's always constantly paranoid of both another poser Ghostface attack and assholes on the internet who want the Carpenter sisters dead for what Billy and Stu did. Like the movie's setting in the Big Apple, the energy around you, too also feels frenetic, fast-paced, and potentially crowded. It can honestly be a killer combo to navigate all sorts of internal panic and chaotic thoughts while simultaneously fielding a chaotic external environment, too, so I feel like most of y'all need to catch a breather, like Sam. I feel like one of the biggest things about this movie was how much Sam pushed herself into assuming this hyper-vigilant carer role after almost losing everything in the Woodsboro Massacre, and her lack of safe spaces is further exacerbated by being spurned the few times that she does actually try to seek help for herself by going to therapy. And what she found out was that this was a coping mechanism, not actual recovery.

While my pile 6s might not have a Ghostface after them, I do feel like that you are juggling a bunch of things right now and you're trying to keep your effort and attention on not dropping them all. However, I think you are also at least a little aware of what burning the candle out from both ends does, so I'm here to tell you that your greatest personal power is tied to your capacity to sit the fuck down for five minute increments at a time just to stare at the ceiling and empty your mind a bit. Let your shoulders drop, even kick your feet up and blast some music, too if it helps. You don't have to give up your dreams and if you feel like you're working through something important, it probably actually is important. Buuuuut, your body is probably going to be screaming at you for system maintenance sooner rather than later, so really get ahead of the curve here and disengage as often as you possibly can. You're not really resting if you're doing other stuff in the meantime, and you'd be surprised with how much of a difference slowing your pace a little is going to make towards your overall stamina and capacity to keep going. Pace yourself, it's going to be important this year.

Pt. 2- What makes you Ghostface? (10oP, 4oW, 3oC)

I have to say, I had an inkling about which Ghostface you'd best channel.... And I think the cards confirmed my hunches lol. Uniquely, this was the only Scream movie where we had both a cop and an entire family be Ghostface killers, but it's also not about them lol, so much as it is about the impact they had on one particular character. Sam Carpenter has been carrying the shroud of Billy Loomis on her back for most of her life, and had plenty of people accuse her of or actually try to manipulate her into becoming another serial killer exactly like her father, which is what the Bailey family tried... and kind of succeeded at, to their downfall. They dragged out and nearly killed all of her remaining loved ones, challenging her to put on her father's Ghostface costume so they could pin the deaths on her, but when she does, none of them were left alive to say anything at all.

Pile 1 - Golden JK (6oP, The High Priestess, QoS, 7oC) 

Dear ____, thank you for waiting patiently for my butt to get it together. I know the roads we walk haven't been easy, but you've been feeling me this whole time, right? Just like how I've always felt you next to me when I felt like nothing could get me through. You tell me to keep going, and encourage me to be bold and cut out the shit that isn't serving me anymore. Not too put too much pressure or on you or anything, but I really want you to know that it's your voice that guides me the most. Sometimes, I don't listen to myself, and I know I'm working on getting better about that... But I do know that even if I don't listen to me, I always listen to *you*. Lots of things come and go, but you've stayed. I know I can be hard-headed, but I hope that it doesn't drive you away and you can keep staying, too. I want to go everywhere with you, because food tastes better and the world looks prettier if I'm sharing it with you. There's so much to create together, and I feel like I'm DONE with spending any more time without you. I'd rather all my remaining moments go to you, honestly. I promise, I'm almost to you, and I won't make you wait any longer,

With all the love, -------

Dear pile 1s, whether you already know this person or not (some of you do!) I think you've probably felt their energy pop in and out of your life. I think they've probably detoured on their way to you, (maybe even a couple of times) but their higher selves always knew that they were going towards you anyway. It's interesting, because I'm getting the feeling of being "lost," in the sense where it's hard to see what's in front of you, but you know how to read the stars and know you've been heading north the whole time! I think your person has a lot of noise to filter through on the daily (I actually got the image of multiple cameras and stuff going off, so for some of you, your person literally always has people talking at them) so it makes it easier to lose their sense of self, and I feel like they did for a while and suffered from living around people who didn't have the best intentions and making themselves small to fit with them. Buuut, in some good news, it feels like they're out of the woods now or almost completely free of what was holding them back before! For some of you, maybe this journey was years in the making, but you'll notice that once you're actually in the same orbit of each other, it'll progress pretty rapidly. There's a saying in Minan Zhangzhou (漳州閩南語, which is a hyper-specific reference that may apply to some of you） that goes "The sugarcane is sweet end-to-end. The gooseberry is sweet in the end." This was meant to show that some experiences in life are enjoyable from start to finish, but some others are only so after experience. In this case, I feel like y'all are my gooseberries, which means your sweetness is not only coming, but it'll hit you all at once. Remember, only you know what's good for you to pursue, but if this is something that feels right to you, then something good is waiting here!

Some songs that came to mind for this (lol some of them may be JK's): Standing Next to You - JK Forever - Papa Roach Forever Only - Jaehyun (lots of forevers! Your person is hopeful about one with you!)

Pile 2 - Black Swan JK (9oS, The Lovers, 3oP, 3oW)

Hello lover, How are you today? I've had a rough go of it recently (you know how I get), and it's been hard to muster up the strength for another day in this routine, but I'm so close to meeting you in person, now! Just like the sun always comes out again after the deadness of the night, I know there is a reason for the things that I've suffered and what I worked through. I want to feel warm again, I want to bring my fingertips to your face and know that you're real, too. I didn't grow up around a lot of love, and I had a really hard time believing that someone ever could love me, but in the shadows, when nobody was looking, I prayed so hard that you could come find me. I prayed that anyone could, but when nobody came, I tried to learn and love myself. I worked myself to the bone, I made everything I have with my blood, sweat, and tears! I'm proud of myself, but I guess I can only tell you that I secretly hope that this is enough for you, and that *I'll* be enough for you. I don't know if you have the same feelings that I did, if you grew up looking for love and you never found it... but I want to be the one to give that to you, too. I hope you love yourself, because I already love you too, probably loved you from the moment I had a thought that you existed out there. Don't you worry about finding me, you just keep walking in any direction, and we'll meet. We're already in alignment, and my home, my soul is yours if you want.

Your lover, --------------

Dear pile 2s, firstly, AHHH! I want to hug your FS/FP's soul (platonically ofc) because I felt a wistful sort of sadness and loneliness in their memories. They are so, so special and have basically never felt like they were at home with whatever communities/groups they were a part of, so it's out of necessity that they had to learn how to be a home to themselves, you know? I get the feeling that you might be the same (a hug for you too~ 🫂) so I feel like you will definitely KNOW when you meet them because you basically will recognize the same "otherness" that you might see in the mirror. It's such a stark feeling that I feel like you could be in a stadium feel of people but the minute you lock eyes, you recognize that THIS is the only person who could possibly understand you and who you would WANT to understand you in the moment it happens. For most of you, I feel like you haven't met this person but it definitely feels like you are on a collision course because the way that you are and the way that you live your life was always going to put you in contact with each other. (You're both black swans, like the BTS song tbh!) You're going to have so much in common with this person that it'll make you feel seen, and it's going to be a really nice energy passing between you both. I get the sense that although you've made your peace with feeling like the only one of your kind out there, you'll actively make the choice to go and swim along with this person because you want to, which is going to be such a thrill regardless of whether it's romantic or not!

Some songs that came to mind for this (lol some of them may be JK's): Black Swan - BTS Ghosts Again - Depeche Mode Cyberpunk - Ateez

Pile 3 - Go Go (고민보다 Go) JK (PoS, AoS, 4oW, 7oP)

Hi there, I know my greeting is casual, but how I feel for you is anything but. I know I'm not always the best at expressing things, and I know you'd get on me for rationalizing my feelings instead of, y'know, actually *feeling them* and sitting with it, but that's something I'll probably need to work at the rest of my life, if I'm honest. But even when I'm relying on that logic I prize so fucking much, I need to tell you that the thing that makes the most sense for me is *you* in my life. Every way the math works out, I'm less happy if you're gone. I know sometimes you want to pull your hair out, and sometimes, I know you want to pull mine out, too, cause I minimize your feelings or sometimes act so dismissive of them... And I will never stop saying sorry for that. I'm learning to not operate from my own ego so much, and I know the world doesn't revolve around me, so I promise I can get my shit together. All that money, all those connections and all that material promise doesn't mean anything compared to you. Whatever of mine that you want, you can take it. I'll build you a house with my own two hands, I'll do a million hours of overtime if it means I can buy you whatever you want, I mean it. If you stay, I'll get better at expressing how much you really mean to me and listen to make sure our partnership is actually a partnership, and not just me overriding you. I've already committed to this, and you know how good I am when I put my mind to the task, right? If you want to, give me a bit of time to learn this task, too, and it's the rest of our lives.

Looking towards a future with you, ----------

Dear pile 3s, you seem to have the potentially interesting case of opposites attract here. 👀 Also, I get the feeling that quite a few of you actually do know who this person is already. This is a person who was (at least if they already met you) super-set in their ways and thought that life could only be as it appeared in front of them. I think this person met you and it was like they were suddenly hit in the face by a bunch of things they never considered before, and it made them terrified to both get close and lose out on something good with you. I don't want to be mean and say that this person didn't self-reflect a lot before they met you, but I'm actually gonna do exactly that because it sounds like they didn't. It seems like they were coasting by on life (probably on whatever privileges they had to do so, too) and meeting milestones in life like a 9-5 position in a company because it's what other people did until meeting you suddenly shed light on the possibility that actually they wanted something different. I do get the sense that they mean what they say about wanting to build something with you and wanting you to be happy, but you don't have to be anyone's parent here and raise them to get their shit together. Use your intuition and find out if this person actually can put their money where their mouth is and decide if you want to stick around for it!

Some songs that came to mind for this (lol some of them may be JK's): Go Go (고민보다 Go) - BTS (yeahhhh hope they're moving out of this immature mindset frfr) 46 & 2 - Tool Hell's Bells - AC/DC (I had the guitar riff stuck in my head, maybe they like rock/play guitar?)

Pile 4 -  War of Hormone (호르몬 전쟁) JK (QoC, 6oS, 8oP, KnoC)

Hi,~ I know you've got a lot of stuff going on right now that's really important (because you are so cool and amazing!) but I wanted to tell you that no matter where you are on this big, blue world, you are always loved. You have lots of people in your life that love you, but even though I might not be next to you just yet, *I* love you, and I always have and always will! You don't have to do anything with that and I don't want you to feel obligated to give me anything either, but I wanted you to know, as you continue being badass and running your kingdom, that you are always loved. Sometimes I get mad when people don't appreciate you and make you feel bad about it, because I would totally yell at them if I was there to see it happen, but I am really happy that lots more others still see your greatness for what it is. It's hard to explain the impact, but you being the way that you are has influenced my growth even from so far away, and I feel like I can be strong and tackle big things and set good boundaries because I felt you do it first. I am still building myself up, but I don't want to let things sit for much longer, just enough to have something worthwhile to approach royalty like you. If you find me worthy, I'd be the happiest person alive, but even if you didn't you deserve all the good things in life regardless. You don't know me in person yet, and I don't know you, but I love you and you're amazing. I'm always cheering you on no matter where we go!

I hope I can meet you soon, -----------

Dear pile 4s, your person is such a sweetie pie for you. They had such a bashful, yet happy and exuberant energy which makes me suspect that they might be a little bit younger/less established than you. It's so cute, I feel like many of you don't know this person yet, buuuut... Maybe they know you. 👀 My pile 4s might have a steady online presence or you're decently well-known in your field, so this is perhaps someone who's already crossed paths with your work but doesn't know you personally yet! You can believe me when I say that they really want to, though. Despite their youth/inexperience/shyness/whatever, I feel a determination to come towards you while simultaneously being courteous and respectful of you, your time, your boundaries and everything you have built. They might be nervous, but a hint that it may be them is the fact that they will likely approach you first. I feel like you're going to be minding your business and running your kingdom when this person knocks at the door with something authentic of theirs (like, picture someone hamming it up by bringing you a dozen bouquets of roses and a carnival but they don't mean it, but this person shows up with a single, beautiful rose they took the time to cultivate from their own garden, just for you sort of thing). It's a pretty sweet energy I'm getting, but as always, it's up to you to determine if it's a good offer!

Pile 1 - Aphrodite on a Swan, c. 460 CE (The Lovers, The Star, 2oP, The Hanged Man) 

For me as a tarot reader, there's something sort of poetic about pulling cards that match the things I have been channeling. So it's extremely gratifying to pull the Lovers and the Star for your pile, in all of their raw bareness, because it tells me that you are more in touch with your Venusian side more often than you're not. Aphrodite has historically usually appeared naked in her artworks, and despite the rigidity of her cult, she remains the patron goddess of prostitutes and ports. Shame is the invention of man, and like Shakespeare's famous sonnet of Venus and Adonis, it is Venus who fully lives according to herself and her temptations, with lust and wild abandon. My pile 1s are likely my group that feels the restrictions of your desires and may be relatively suffocated by them, and who can blame you? Aphrodite adamantly agrees that we were not put on this earth to work 40+ hours a week or suffer the exploitation of fools simply to find a roof over our heads and food in our bellies. And truthfully, if your shirt has ever felt too itchy or gelling and slicking your hair back has always irritated you in a special way, this pile is for you.

You are in touch with yourself and you know your desires, and you recognize that sensuality is ultimately more than only sex; it's the way that food and wine tastes in your mouth, how lounging around in the grass feels, or laughing and playing with good company lights a happy spark inside of you. These are the things that Aphrodite encourages you to pursue and blesses you in. Even through the bullshit that you have to juggle and the masks that you have to put on and take off, she encourages you to play, taste, and touch, for as many moments as you can. For a few of you, I'm hearing specifically that you've had some hang-ups about certain sexual experiences, and she wants you to know that there is nothing that you should be doing that doesn't feel right for you, so if it feels like there's an external pressure (society, a partner, or otherwise) pushing you towards specific attitudes/actions in sex, you should ditch it. However, on the other side, if you feel a certain curiosity blooming or willingness to try something, she encourages you to dip your toes in the water at your own pace, and she supports your endeavors. And for those of you abstaining from sex for various reasons, she wants you to know that she is there to brighten and guide you towards other experiences that can give your life a floaty, happy feeling. I'm not a particular subscriber of the specific divine masculine/feminine dichotomy, but I feel called to point out that part of receiving life's other blessings is to properly be in an energy to receive in general. I really do sense that this is my venusian-energy dominant pile (Taurus and Libra may be heavy in your natal chart somewhere), so I sense that in terms of manifestation, self-pleasure may be a good way to bring about some of your other desires. Regardless, if you keep yourself centered in enjoying the fruits of life all the while you dedicate yourself to accomplishing your goals, she knows that you will be successful and fulfilled, in all the ways that you want. Should you wish to ask her for something or leave an offering, she likes honeyed things and dried, sweet fruits.

You may also want to keep an eye out for specific things signaling her presence, such as the swan (which she is riding in this terracotta dish) or the white dove, which is her personal bird!

As a final message, I also pulled messages from the Love Oracle, you can take these as confirmation for something you may have been asking or general messages for your potential present/future:

Passion - Try something you've never done before.

True Love - This love is emotional, physical, and unconditional.

Finances - Financial challenges are blocking this connection. (You may also pray to her for this, because she governs bringing the appropriate people together, including those for opportunities!)

Pile 2 - Judgment of Paris, c. 2nd Century CE (2oW, 6oC, 7oW, 6oS)

As some of you may be catching on with this second post, I like to use really, really old artistic depictions of the aforementioned deities I am channeling for these PACs. I don't really have a specific reason for them generally, but for this pile, I had to choose a depiction of Aphrodite with a weapon. Why is that? As a goddess who was 'imported' from other pantheons and Hellenized, Aphrodite had already been associated with love, fertility, and war as the ancient Sumerian Goddess Inanna, or the Akkadian deity Ishtar, or Astarte to Canaan. She was said to have appeared on the shores of Cyprus or possibly Lesbos (sapphics❤️), and Cyprus especially was coincidentally a huge copper trading area in antiquity, serving as the bridge between several cultures from the Levantine, Anatolia, and ancient Greece. It is this Aphrodite we channel today, the one with the sceptre, armor, and willingness to kill her enemies (Aphrodite Androphonos, indeed). As for how this relates to my pile 2s, I think a lot of you probably already know that love can be quite messy, and it can leave bloody scars behind. I'm seeing someone standing sentry with a sharp spear, patrolling in front of stone walls that hide a soft, child-like heart well within. Perhaps this is my pile who has formed a spear and shield out of love, and wields it as a weapon to protect yourself within.

I feel like this didn't come out-of-the-blue, but it was a calculated decision based on some cruelty that you either witnessed or experienced firsthand for yourself. You know that someone's honeyed words can be used to slowly drip poison or conceal the knife behind someone's back, and you are determined to never let yourself be the one ensnared by it. From Aphrodite, the killer, I am hearing the message of genuine applause. You have kept yourself alive and your wits about you, and this has enabled you to move towards your goals in the way that you needed. However, I am also hearing that with all the walls you've built, and with all the thorns around your childish heart, that you don't let it die; you must nurture and feed the child inside of you, or else it shrivels and withers. You've built amazing walls for safety, but you have to ensure your inner environment is thriving, too. This does not have to mean that you fall in romantic love with anyone else necessarily, but this does mean that you have to sit down with your child-heart every once in a while and go play. When was the last time you had a meaningless outing with yourself (meaning, it didn't directly serve your agenda for something) and went bowling? Or to the movies? Or played hockey? And if you have been doing that, when was the last time that you nourished the deeper, perhaps more unpleasant emotions that you hadn't dealt with? Aphrodite applauds your warrior's disposition, your pragmatism, and mental fortress. However, she also notes that the strongest of warriors must also be strong of heart and soul, so if you feel abandoned, resentful, distrustful, sad and/or angry, you need to face it, work through it as best as you can so you can feel at peace within yourself. If not, (and not to stroke your paranoia, more to explain another benefit as to why you should do this) any unresolved issues and lack of self-accountability could become another point of exploitation in the future, soooo, don't forget to play and do some internal reflection every once in a while.

The Goddess Aphrodite sends you love, and she sends you the power and willingness to accomplish your goals, but she also wants to tell you that you don't have to let go of your dagger, instead, just strap it to your thigh for a bit every once in a while you eat a cookie or play some games. Self-love and self-nurturing will be one of your greatest fortifiers. Should you wish to invoke her and ask for a blessing, offer red fruits in her name.

As a final message, I also pulled messages from the Love Oracle, you can take these as confirmation for something you may have been asking or general messages for your potential present/future:

Abundance - You've done the work. Abundance flows to you now.

Twin Flame - This is a divine counterpart connection.

Regret - Someone feels remorse for the way that they treated you. (Don't worry about somebody who may have fucked you over, Aphrodite promises karmic retribution in full.)

Pile 3 - The Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli, c. 1484-1486 (The Emperor, PoP, 10oS, AoS)

Out of every artwork that I had chosen to represent our PAC's visiting goddess, I don't think any come anywhere near close to the level of fame of Botticelli's The Birth of Venus, and many of you have probably come across this before without knowing exactly what it is, and for those of you that do know, it was the pictured event that inspired the imagery of the PAC, too. Despite Venus belonging to the Roman pantheon (which does include a LOT of incorporation from the Greeks, who in turn incorporated from the Sumerians and other pantheons of the Near-East), the magnificence of her emergence and why she was subsequently such a big fucking deal throughout millennia. Like my pile 2s (which you may or may not be drawn to), you may also be drawn to the more warlike-representations of Venus, including Venus Victrix, or the conqueror who was victorious in matters of love and war. The image of the conqueror is particularly strong with the presence of The Emperor, but the message may be split for some of you; for some, I feel like this somebody else in your life who embodies this overbearing presence, so perhaps somebody like a father, a husband, a brother, or another masculine-presenting figure in your life. For others of you, this is the energy that you are meant to embody to some extent in the upcoming phase of your life.

Either way, the message sings of a new beginning, perhaps you have already conquered some huge undertaking or accomplished a large goal in your life, or you yourself have somebody else's flag planted on your territory, but you are meant to start something over. I'm getting the image of pulling the swords out of your back with the 10 of Swords, so I feel really inclined to say that someone or something genuinely did you dirty in some way. This is slightly different from pile 2's message, because I feel like my pile 2s was a more amorphous defense and sensation of constantly keeping one's guard up, but this one contains the specific devastation of loss and the necessity to take your pride and build yourself back up piece-by-piece. You may know the story of Julius Caesar, another one of Rome's legendary figures, who was ultimately betrayed by good friends Brutus and Cassius and stabbed in the senate (23 times too, man).

While I don't think (many) of you might have been physically stabbed, I feel like you definitely have at least been recently metaphorically been backstabbed and I get the feeling of somebody trying to cheat you out of something you have. Perhaps the story went something like this - you were the top dog at a previous place of employment, or in a social group, or something of the like - and then, somebody close to you guided you into a bad series of actions, or a bad gamble, and left you alone to pick up the pieces that remained afterwards. If you still feel fucked up about it and you've been sitting in your fury and embarrassment for being played, Venus Victrix sits by your side and is helping you lay out the foundations for a fortress. All's fair in love and war, and if you want to come in with a clear head, a battle plan, and a brand new sword and shield, Venus Victrix is more than happy to help you step into the game. It has been said that this iteration of Venus is the one who breaks and makes wars; by whispering into Mars' ears, she either decides the final battle or she kicks off the first march. She is still the goddess of love, fertility, and all things beautiful, but she more than understands that love in all forms (between the self, friends, family, lovers, and enemies) can be complicated and cruel. Whoever or whatever it is that has caused you to fall so low will not keep you down, and Venus Victrix can help give you the clear head and emotional control you need to build yourself back up better. To me, as your reader, I am not one to advise you on seeking retribution, I don't know your circumstances for me to do such a thing; however, Venus Victrix does, and should you want the guidance on whatever bloody path, from either building yourself up stone-by-stone or throwing yourself headfirst into the warpath, the Goddess more than welcomes you. You only have to ask for her assistance, and she'll give you the spear. If you wish to invoke her, as Venus Victrix, she quite enjoys fruits soaked in cream with a sweetener.

Venus Victrix sends you her love, support, and a bloody smile reserved for your enemies.

As a final message, I also pulled messages from the Love Oracle, you can take these as confirmation for something you may have been asking or general messages for your potential present/future:

Wait! - The timing is not quite right. (I got the additional message that the focus should be on you, right now.)

Stability - This relationship can stand the test of time.

Passion - Try something that you've never done before.

Pile 1 - House Arryn of the Eyrie Pt. 1: The Good Thing (9oS, Temperance, KnioC, The Hierophant)

"As high as honor." The house motto of the Arryns calls to mind a bird in flight, and the treacherous heights to reach the Vale on the Giant's Lance. While Lysa Arryn is in power, the house grows inhospitable and isolationist, but when Jon Arryn, the last great head of the house lived, the Vale of Arryn was a place of safety, trust, and companionship. Both Lord Eddard Stark and King Robert Baratheon were fostered under Jon Arryn, and the ensuing alliance and friendship was enough to start an entire rebellion, with Jon Arryn being named Hand of the King and Ned naming Jon Snow after his beloved mentor. Jon Arryn was also very clever and diligent, being able to critically follow leads and reach conclusions with scant pieces of info. He's also someone that was decisive and adhering to his own moral code, and rather than give up his young wards, he called his banners to war and kickstarted the War of the Usurper. My pile 1s probably have some of these characteristics in common with Jon Arryn, from your cleverness and diligence, to people finding your commitment to your own values genuine.

However, you probably know that taking the "right way" for you isn't always the easiest, and you probably had been met with hurdles that you didn't take the easy way out of. This, I am told, is paying off for you, pile 1s! Your Good Thing is, that by not compromising yourself and your values in order to set things into motion, you're actually going to see lots of big things coming together for you. I know other tarot readers are inclined to read Temperance as the card of achieving balance (which, each to everyone's own tbh!) however, when I think of Sagittarius energy (which Temperance is supposed to correspond to), I think of an energy that takes opposing energies, smashes them together, and then that magic makes the impossible happen. A sign of powerful alchemy, I do feel like these new energies in your life will include an incoming offer. For some of you, it's indicative of a relationship, for others, it's an opportunity for an alliance, but your forward momentum and innovation has been noticed! This formal offer will also be "solidified in writing," I hear, so it may also be an offer of employment, a grant/sponsorship, or tying assets together legally (omg, like marriage for some of you! :D)

With that 9 of Swords though, I am hearing that you should definitely give yourself more breaks and time to rest, though. My pile 1s are likely hard workers, and you should give yourself grace to actually enjoy your incoming blessings, you definitely deserve it!

Pt. 2: When does this good thing happen? (The Star)

With The Star, I'm really getting the sense of "not long now!" For some of you, it really can be as early as Aquarius season (which already starts in a few days, if you're reading this when I first posted!) The 17th of a month might also be relevant to you. Could be two weeks, as well. The end of winter/beginning of Spring on the later side. However, it's definitely not a thing that you will miss, and I don't see a very long time in waiting, I think for the absolute latest, it may be next Aquarius season, but even that seems a like a while for me.

Pile 2 - House Stark of Winterfell Pt. 1: The Good Thing (10oP, 8oW, AoP, 2oC)

"Winter is coming." As the only (?) Great House with a motto that is a warning, House Stark has certainly suffered their fair share of hardship across more than eight thousand years, resisting the invasion of the Andals and surviving as First Men in the vast, eternal cold of the North. With a history spanning so long, there's a lot that can be said about the central family of Game of Thrones, but I'll begin by saying that the Starks are survivors, above all else. From the eyes of the southern dynasties, the northerners appear brutish, wild, and far too direct for the politics and games of fancy that they play for power and influence, but the north has avoided extinction by being precisely so discriminating and concentrating on the visions of things far beyond the moment. Another known characteristic about House Stark is the idea of loyalty. While southern monarchs draft marriage, trade, and assassination contracts in the shadows, House Stark has earned the loyalty of other northern houses through its commitment to transparency, directness, and support offered to its neighbors. *Spoiler* This is partially why in their brief tenure occupying Winterfell and taking over House Stark, House Bolton was ultimately unable to hold their seat and command the respect of the other northern houses.

For my pile 2s, I really feel that like the Starks, you too have some traditions that feel like they're embedded in your DNA. While the southern houses follow the Faith of the Seven, the northern houses are far more likely to worship the Old Gods and adhere to the traditions and spiritual beliefs surrounding their long-lived culture. You may also have some spiritual and/or cultural beliefs that play a decently big part of your upbringing and have some influence over how you are now, so I am very strongly inclined to believe that whatever win is coming for you, it's a win for your ancestors, too! **Another spoiler for GOT** Like how the Starks basically walked away as the only relatively intact Great House, I feel like whatever big thing is coming for you is a HUGE endeavor, that maybe you, your parents, grandparents or any others have been pulling in their hopes and dreams or even resources in for. However, instead of eternal darkness and white walkers, I feel like your Good Thing is tangible and clear success is coming for you rather quickly. And fortunately, I think this is the kind of success that fully puts your mind at ease and in a state of abundance where it will only multiply. As an example that may actually apply to a few of you, perhaps you started your own business or venture, with support from loved ones around you, and it seems like overnight, your sales/services/clients multiply ten-fold. It's almost dizzying, but I am very much getting happy tears and a great sense of relief. If my pile 2s had to go without for a long time, I am really, really happy to tell you that extremely soon, this will no longer be the case. For a select few of you, I am getting that around the same time, there may also be an offer of love or a strengthening of a current relationship, but you are definitely advised to be cautious about who you share your success with! Either way my pile 2s, it's almost time to break out the music and food, and celebrate your success when it hits!

Pt. 2: When does this good thing happen? (7oC)

With the 7 of Cups, I think the timing is going to be a bit staggered considering where you are on a different set of circumstances, think about it in the sense of some of you who started studying for the same major together, the people who are already close to finishing their thesis are a lot closer to graduating than the ones who are in their first semester, right? For some of you, it can definitely be seven months, for others, maybe seven weeks or the 7th of a month (or July!), but I do not see it taking even as long as seven years unless you're really, really young. I am also getting that you will also likely notice some signs along the way too, like perhaps small-ish changes in your daily habits or circumstances before all of a sudden, your life is then very different, too! Those littler signs would be good to look out for, too, because I think the big manifestation itself hits very quickly!

Pile 3 - House Targaryen of Dragonstone Pt. 1: The Good Thing (PoW, KnioP, The Tower, The Star)

"Fire and blood." The conquerors from Old Valyria, there is nobody else that quite ruled Westeros the way that the silver-haired dragonriders did. What's really interesting to me about House Targaryen is that back in Valyria, they weren't even one of the strongest families (I swear I read somewhere not even the top 50 strongest families?). With many dragonriders conquering the majority of Essos and ruling it for over 5,000 years, Valyrians were feared across the continent until they were all suddenly wiped out along with their dragons in an event known as the Doom of Valyria. What makes House Targaryen so notable is that among every other dragonrider clan out there, only they made it out by listening to the prophetic dreams of Daenys the Dreamer, whose keen intuition warned her clan members that they needed to leave. And only then, after arriving at Dragonstone, did the Targaryens settle and begin a conquest so thorough that Westerosi lands feared the birth of another Targaryen. While I personally love all the Targaryen drama and absolutely cool dragons, I feel like the most pertinent part of this message is not the Great House's 300 years in the crownlands as the ruling family of Westeros... it's actually the necessity of escaping the Doom of Valyria that's the most important for me to convey, right at this moment. Like Daenys the Dreamer, my pile 3s probably have a strong and connected intuition, and it's probably helped you and loved ones out throughout the years, and it's going to help you out again, soon. I may be talking to people that live in war zones, unsafe situations, or extremely difficult circumstances where listening to your intuition very much equals survival, so if you have made it another day (another hour, another minute, all of it), please believe me when I say that is definitely a fucking victory to be proud of.

My pile 3s are probably used to what I just heard as "explosive" circumstances, where you keeping yourself on your toes is what has enabled you to move very slowly and steadily towards circumstances that are better. It hasn't always been easy, and for a few of you, you're so concerned that even the smallest misstep will result in something you can't recover from. I think, very quickly, you will see that your Good Thing was that you were right to take the steps that you did and move in the directions you did, because something huge is going to happen. Just like Daenys the Dreamer foresaw the destruction of the Valyrian Freehold, I think you have also been moving away from something you subconsciously know is going to fall apart in a pretty big way. While it's probably been extremely stressful and trying to slowly untangle yourself from this situation and circumstances, your suffering was not for nothing, and your slow and steady steps will propel you to leap past that downfall. Daeneys' father, Lord Aenar Targaryen, was mocked by the more powerful dragonlords for selling his holdings in Valyria and taking off... but what was there to mock when Old Valyria is still a smoking ruin 400 years later, you know? With The Star following the destruction of The Tower, after this, you will find yourself much freer, more hopeful, and living in better circumstances. The difference in your life before and after will be like night and day, once all the shit clears. While this pile includes lots of people facing different, difficult challenges in their lives right now, you'll know if it applies to you if you can imagine an escape to your current situation and feel tentative relief afterwards. Keep envisioning it, I promise you can stop holding your breath really soon.

Pt. 2: When does this good thing happen? (5oW)

I very much think that for some of you, you'll know it's your cue to leave when you see a conflict breaking out. In temporal terms, the 5 of Wands indicates five weeks, five months, possibly five years for some of you. Or May, or the 5th of a month. You are really encouraged to rely on your own intuition here, it has guided you before and will do so again.

Be safe and well, beloved pile 3s.

Pile 4 - House Tyrell of Highgarden Pt. 1: The Good Thing (8oS, The Chariot, 7oP, Strength)

"Growing strong." In the fertile lands of the Reach, Highgarden sits within a lush sprawl of gardens, surrounded by good food and music. No doubt, it's the very perception of its softness and abundance that lures people into forgetting that the verdant greens and vibrant colors carefully hide the thorns and poison. Like those of House Arryn, House Tyrell also came with the conquering Andals, and they were not the initial rulers of the Reach. By the time of Aegon's Conquest, the Tyrell family had actually been servants to House Gardener, the Kings of the Reach before they failed to bend the knee and were wiped out by dragonfire. As the family who surrendered Highgarden to House Targaryen, it was the Tyrells who were elevated into a position of glory. House Tyrell then survived by throwing themselves in with the winning lots, and for the notable exceptions when they didn't (not siding with Robert Baratheon, for example), they gave a great fight and were able to rebuild stronger afterwards. On the surface, prominent members of House Tyrell are friendly, affable, and do have a sense of loyalty to those that they call friends. However, while they may appear somewhat like southern counterparts of the grounded, steadfast, and loyal Starks, the Tyrells also do know how to play the game, and play it well!

For my pile 4s, I feel like that if this wasn't you initially, perhaps circumstances have pushed you to assume more self-serving characteristics recently. When you're in a pit of vipers, you have a couple of options, right? Sometimes, fighting is one, sometimes, you also dress and act the part of a viper, too. There's not really a right or wrong answer as to what that balance between your moral code and self-serving interest is, but there's definitely an answer that reflects what you can live with. And I feel like for a bit, this ambiguity and the circumstances that created it have been getting to you. It's hard not to when you are basically forced into situations where hustling makes you king, or the constant grind and playing nice is what folds you into rooms you want to be in, but I'm happy to tell you that it served a purpose in your forward momentum! Your Good Thing is that all of your hard work, careful planting of seeds, whispering in the right ears for your big break is paying off faster than you think! You may have been stuck in a mental rut for a while by not seeing any of the payoff, but your harvest is coming in, you should take note of the numbers 7-8. While I will pull a separate card, the cards I pulled for you follow the pattern of 8-7-7-8, which to me indicates the balance of spirituality and truth with material ambition and personal power (if you follow numerology too, this might be something to note for you!). So, just like how House Tyrell curled careful vines into the heart of crownlands through the marriage between Margaery Tyrell and Tommen Baratheon, biding your time, picking your allies carefully, and casting lots with sure bets will get you the things you desire. You have done well in holding out for your fortunes to fully bloom!

Pt. 2: When does this good thing happen? (The Fool)

The Fool is one of my favorite cards, because it symbolizes the energy and freshness of a new beginning. You're due for a reset soon, possibly around Aries season or spring time to start seeing results. I also feel called to say that July and August might be pretty important to you. The interesting thing about your blessing is that I get the impression that it's a large one, directly tied to your goals and the efforts you've put into reaching them, but it's like you start to reap the rewards at different points. Some of you will see some good yield as soon as March, followed by something even bigger in July and August. I'm definitely feeling this year though, for most of you!

Pile 5 - House Nymeros Martell of Sunspear Pt. 1: The Good Thing (AoW, 6oP, 9oS, Judgement)

"Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken." House Martell, despite being one of the seven kingdoms united under the Iron Throne, has its reigning monarchs still referred to as Princes and Princesses. The reason? Despite its distinct lack of dragons, Dorne still held out against Aegon, Visenya and Rhaenys on their dragons for about nine years. It is said that the Targaryens burned every Dornish stronghold minus Sunspear at least once (and only the fear of the presence of a dragon-slaying weapon kept them from doing so), yet they still returned to retake and rebuild every time. In addition, it was Dorne who successfully killed Meraxes and her dragonrider Queen Rhaenys, cementing their reputation as the kingdom who was never conquered. Even throughout the covered events in Game of Thrones and A Song of Ice and Fire, Dorne is consistently invested in maintaining its own power and independence, and is generally quick to remind the other kingdoms why they are still relatively independent in the first place.

The ferocity, resilience, and cleverness of House Martell, who are descendants of the Andals and warrior-like Rhoynar, have enabled it to withstand even the most trying of circumstances. In addition, another stand-out characteristic for House Martell is that title is passed down to the eldest, no matter the sex, making it one of the only kingdoms where a Princess wouldn't have to go through the backchannels of "lady regent" or marriage to rule. There's a lot of flowing with circumstances here, but I feel like it would be a mistake to underestimate both House Martell and my pile 5s. I feel like the generosity, creativity, and passion of Oberyn Martell especially are represented well with my pile 5s, and you are authentic in your desires to live life to your fullest. However, in your genuine and enthusiastic approaches to others, I feel like you've also gotten burned at times. I think some of you have been taken advantage of ways that pissed you off so badly, you torched that bridge for good. And you know what? That's fucking GREAT for you! 🔥👏Fire isn't only for Targaryens, it's also for angry Dornishmen fighting to defend their homes, and my pile 5s! Perhaps this is my pile that may have often been told that they should cut off parts of themselves to fit in more or make themselves smaller for the sake of others. But why? You've probably already been there and done that, and what did it get you? You probably felt awful, tired, drained, and very de-centered in your own life where YOU are actually the main character. I really feel that The Good Thing coming your way is karma, for all the good things that you have tried to do for yourself and others, the obstacles (including shitty people) are absolutely gonna be tasting the genuine hurt and bad things they dished out to others. You're going to feel a renewal, and those things that worked so hard to bring about your downfall are going to feel the sun's rays burn so acutely on them. Meanwhile, you'll be shining better and brighter than ever, like you're supposed to be!

Pt. 2: When does this good thing happen? (7oW)