#t001

The Fool

Seven of Pentacles

Upright - Long Term View, sustainable results, perseverance, investment

Reversed - Lack of long-term vision, limited success or reward.

Two of Wands

Upright - Future planning, progress, decisions, discovery

Reversed - Personal goals, inner alignment, fear of unknown, lack of planning

Ten of Cups

Upright - Divine love, blissful relationships, harmony, alignment

Reversed - Disconnection, misaligned values, struggling relationships

The Magician

Six of Cups

Upright - Revisiting the past, childhood memories, innocence, joy

Reversed - Living in the past, forgiveness, lacking playfulness

Five of Cups

Upright - Regret, failure, disappointment, pessimism

Reversed - Personal setbacks, self-forgiveness, moving on

Six of Pentacles

Upright - Giving, receiving, sharing wealth, generosity, charity

Reversed - Self-care, unpaid debts, one-sided charity

The Emperor

Two of Pentacles

Upright - Multiple priorities, time management, prioritization, adaptability

Reversed - Over-committed, disorganization, reprioritization

Queen of Pentacles

Upright - Nurturing, practical, providing financially, a working parent

Reversed - Financial independence, self-care, work-home conflict

Knight of Swords

Upright - Ambitious, action-oriented, driven to succeed, fast-thinking

Reversed - Restless, unfocused, impulsive, burn-out

The Lovers

Nine of Cups

Upright - Contentment, satisfaction, gratitude, wish come true

Reversed - Inner happiness, materialism, dissatisfaction, indulgence

Four of Swords

Upright - Rest, relaxation, meditation, contemplation, recuperation

Reversed - Exhaustion, burn-out, deep contemplation, stagnation

Four of Cups

Upright - Meditation, contemplation, apathy, reevaluation

Reversed - Retreat, withdrawal, checking in for alignment

The Chariot

Knight of Wands

Upright - Energy, passion, inspired action, adventure, impulsiveness

Reversed - Passion project, haste, scattered energy, delays, frustration

Eight of Swords

Upright - Negative thoughts, self-imposed restriction, imprisonment, victim mentality

Reversed - Self-limiting beliefs, inner critic, releasing negative thoughts, open to new perspectives

Ace of Cups

Upright - Love, new relationships, compassion, creativity

Reversed - Self-love, intuition, repressed emotions

Strength

King of Swords

Upright - Mental clarity, intellectual power, authority, truth

Reversed - Quiet power, inner truth, misuse of power, manipulation

Eight of Wands

Upright - Movement, fast paced change, action, alignment, air travel

Reversed - Delays, frustration, resisting change, internal alignment

Knight of Cups

Upright - Creativity, romance, charm, imagination, beauty

Reversed - Overactive imagination, unrealistic, jealous, moody

The Hermit

King of Wands

Upright - Natural-born leader, vision, entrepreneur, honour

Reversed - Impulsiveness, haste, ruthless, high expectations

Six of Swords

Upright - Transition, change, rite of passage, releasing baggage

Reversed - Personal transition, resistance to change, unfinished business

Knight of Pentacles

Upright - Hard work, productivity, routine, conservatism

Reversed - Self-discipline, boredom, feeling ‘stuck’, perfectionism

The Star

Queen of Cups

Upright - Compassionate, caring, emotionally stable, intuitive, in flow

Reversed - Inner feelings, self-care, self-love, co-dependency

Seven of Swords

Upright - Betrayal, deception, getting away with something, acting strategically

Reversed - Imposter syndrome, self-deceit, keeping secrets

Seven of Wands

Upright - Challenge, competition, protection, perseverance

Reversed - Exhaustion, giving up, overwhelmed

The Moon

Page of Pentacles

Upright - Manifestation, financial opportunity, skill development

Reversed - Lack of progress, procrastination, learn from failure

Page of Swords

Upright - New ideas, curiosity, thirst for knowledge, new ways of communicating

Reversed - Self-expression, all talk and no action, haphazard action, haste

Five of Pentacles

Upright - Financial loss, poverty, lack mindset, isolation, worry

Reversed - Recovery from financial loss, spiritual poverty

The Sun

Ten of Pentacles

Upright - Wealth, financial security, family, long-term success, contribution

Reversed - The dark side of wealth, financial failure or loss

Four of Wands

Upright - Celebration, joy, harmony, relaxation, homecoming

Reversed - Personal celebration, inner harmony, conflict with others, transition

Six of Wands

Upright - Success, public recognition, progress, self-confidence

Reversed - Private achievement, personal definition of success, fall from grace, egotism

The World

Nine of Swords

Upright - Anxiety, worry, fear, depression, nightmares

Reversed - Inner turmoil, deep-seated fears, secrets, releasing worry

Three of Swords

Upright - Heartbreak, emotional pain, sorrow, grief, hurt

Reversed - Negative self-talk, releasing pain, optimism, forgiveness

Eight of Pentacles

Upright - Apprenticeship, repetitive tasks, mastery, skill development

An August dawn had blanketed the town of Lucrece in a fog, the cool air of the morning combining with the warmth of the earth and bayou. Dominick had been awake for hours, unable to sleep. In times such as those, he found himself walking the lengths of the property, running his fingers along flowers to see them open up and turn to him. Even that bored him, and as the sun began to show its lovely face, he found his way back to his little home tucked away in his garden, to have a morning cup of tea. It was a Sunday, the last Sunday before the beginning of the semester, and he thought he ought to cherish it.

The dogwood that obscured most of his house from a distance seemed to glow in the morning rays, a dazzling display of whites, greens, and pinks. It felt natural to sit and inhale its aroma, and let its energy work its roots into him. Nearly 5,000 miles from his childhood home, the tree was the closest thing he had to it, a near twin of the one in Hastings. His head against the wooden trunk, he took slow sips of black tea. Closing his eyes, he could almost feel the English grass and soft wind, hear the twinkling of his mother’s piano. All that was overtaken by his father’s scowling face and a disappearing license plate, the smell of smoke and gravel filling Dom’s lungs and forcing him to open his eyes. 

His tea had quickly disappeared with just the saturated leaves left. Studying them for a second, all he could see were his father’s eyes, then his mother’s hands. He decided, his Sunday morning would not be a happy one, his subconscious had decided to ruminate on a day burned deeply into the folds of his brain, the day he was disowned. 

That day, a Sunday too, was plagued by rain. That day, he had informed his parents of his engagement to Virginia only to be met with anger, yelling, slamming doors, and ultimatums. He recalled his mother weeping and his father swearing at him. Truly, their response had been his fault, and he knew that. They’d told him before that his wife-to-be was no good, that she was evil and manipulative, among other things. They had seen the writing on the wall, Virginia’s desire to isolate him entirely from his own blood. But Dominick had been young and rash, certain that the woman they called demoness was his soulmate, his twin flame, and everything in between. He didn’t believe his father when he told him that he had to make a choice between his family and Virginia. After all, he had been the favorite child, the crutch his valetudinarian of a mother relied upon. But Leon had been telling the truth, and intended to fulfill it. 

Leon’s last sentence to his first born son was simply, “Ich hoffe, du bist mit deiner Entscheidung zufrieden.” I hope you’re happy with your decision. He did not hug Dominick or shed a tear, merely led his weeping wife to their car. What Dominick remembered most was the last parting glance the two had from the rearview window. His father’s eyes were filled with an emotion he didn’t learn until many years later - grief.