#smith-waite

a new perspective, enlightenment, a realization

"what got you here, won't get you there"

“A paladin interacts with a mature lioness. He attends to the creature with obvious affection despite the potential danger and immense physical power she possesses. Strength, as a card, reminds us that bodily force is not the only type of strength in this galaxy. Patience, care, vulnerability, trust; all of these more reserved abilities exemplify a strength harder earned and just as valuable. When strength shows up in a reading it may mean you are confronting an issue that requires you to make the hard choice. Remember that you, young warrior, already have the powers necessary to take on the challenge.”

02/04/20

Focus of query:

What would you like me to think about today?

Card:

The Lovers

First impressions:

Love, romance, relationships, connections, union/meeting, vulnerability, judgement/declaration, harmony, balance, duality, affection, desire and passion, Aphrodite, energy, openness, commitment, faith. Pay attention to the relationships around you and the way you connect with others. It is important to show affection and make sure our loved ones know they are loved. Consider the links not just between people but ideas, and the environment too. Isn’t everything connected in one way or another? Where might there be conflict, and how can you maintain sympathy and unity? Do you need to practice some self love? Being open to your emotions means being open to them all, embracing love and fear alike. Strive to be honest and bring down your defences, and sincerity and devotion will follow (though this doesn’t mean you have to bare all, and social distancing is still Important™️).

Guided reading:

Definitely an intense week, and I still seem to be fairly early on in my journey. Upright, The Lovers represent partnerships, union, duality, choice, trust, bonds, attraction, beauty, and trials overcome; reversed, they may indicate loss of balance, one-sidedness, failure, disharmony, or foolishness. It’s important to consider all the connections around us, and how we can influence them. Though intense emotion often has its perils, there is something charming in the way people consistently reach out to one another, often with acceptance, loyalty, and candour, and something enduring in the way we show our affection. How can you encourage harmony and acknowledge those around you? How can we maintain connection, communication, and contact right now? Are there conflicting themes that you need to embrace, or things that you need to reconcile?

Reflection:

An interesting and somewhat surprising pick today. Though I have my sentimental side, I’ve never considered myself gushy or romantic, and didn’t immediately connect with this card. Like everyone’s, my relationship with love, whether romantic, familial, platonic, or otherwise, has been complicated. I’m sure I still have a lot to learn. Perhaps this card serves as a reminder that it’s good to be a little starry-eyed from time to time, to be free with your affections and appreciate the beauty around you. Right now it’s important to reconcile ourselves to any oppositions we may face, to seek peace and solidarity in each other. It’s easy to feel frightened and unprotected at the minute, to be selfish and miss the whole picture, but if we are mindful, the choices we make can bring tranquility. It’s also fine to indulge your sentimental side, so wax poetic about the the strip of light on the ceiling, or the breeze; moon over art and writing and humanity; bring in some flowers or bake something heart shaped; cherish the ones around you as well as those who aren’t - and you may as well rewatch that chick flick or play that cheesy song while you’re at it (Taylor Swift’s most recent album Lover is wonderfully cheesy magic of a different kind if you need inspiration).

‘It is good to love many things, for therein lies the true strength, and whosoever loves much performs much, and can accomplish much, and what is done in love is done well.’ - Vincent Van Gogh

...In the spirit of (belated) Women’s Day, why is it usually officially known as just the Rider-Waite, and on the rare occasion Smith is tagged on there, her name is always last?

She did, like, 75% of the work by herself. As far as I know, Waite pretty much just commissioned her and gave her an overall arch for the cards, and Rider was just the original publisher. All of the art and the specific invocations of the images were created by Smith herself.

So why is she either not mentioned at all, or mentioned last and least? Even on my tuckbox, she’s mentioned second, in smaller print, even though it doesn’t credit Waite with anything except the concept. So Waite wanting a new tarot deck is greater in the process of manifestation than Smith actually creating it?

Fuckin’ Edwardian frat boy ceremagi... I’m tempted to start calling it the Smith-Waite. That’s the order it should be in.

And Rider shouldn’t be there at all, let alone ahead of the actual artist. That’s like calling Terry Prachett’s books, “Discworld-Harper-Collins.” What the fuck.

I broke down and ordered a couple more decks that have been on my wishlift for a while...

1) Food Fortunes - so much fun! Quirky, slightly incomprehensible, entirely irresistible. I can’t get enough, and I can’t wait to work with it more. 

2) Smith-Waite Centennial Deck (in a tin) - I have mad love for playing card sized tarot decks (bridge or poker). It’s mostly because they’re so easy to shuffle. I also adore the muted colors of this version.