Tarot is best used as guidance rather than fortune-telling. The cards draw attention to elements in your life that require focus.

The major arcana, cards 0 to 21, represent the major lessons of life in sequence. The minor arcana are split into four suits – cups, pentacles, rods (wands), and swords. The suits represent emotions and relationships, physicality and practical matters, action, and intellect respectively.

The reversal of a card flips its meaning, but no card is inherently negative.  The position of each card in a spread represents what it is directing you in.

Six Steps to Fulfilment

The Eight of Pentacles, the card of learning and productivity, indicates your current position. You are working hard at developing a skill – perhaps honing your subject to university level if you’re a fresher, or working on something more serious further along. If you continue to work hard, you will prosper.

The next four cards show the lessons you must learn. The Eight of Swords demonstrates your awareness of a number of choices before you, yet you still feel some sense of entrapment. Perhaps as a finalist you’re overwhelmed by the idea of choosing a career after Cambridge, or as a fresher concerned with socially settling down.

The reversed Magician highlights that you are not yet ready for the start of the journey the card represents – there’s no need to rush! Wait until you feel prepared before diving into a life-long career path or a group of friends.

The reversed Seven of Cups further shows that you are feeling a little lost right now – there is too much going on, and you need some peace and quiet to sort yourself out. Give yourself some respite in the chaos of term.

However, the Queen of Rods highlights the need to learn how to be socially comfortable: she is a lioness, full of authority, highly trusted. You need – at some point, but not necessarily now – to learn how to settle, not only into a social group but into your own self.

Unfortunately, the reversed Six of Rods indicates you might be waiting a while for all this to resolve itself. You might have to re-evaluate, and you may be feeling a little frustrated. But don't worry, this is normal in a transitional stage of life.

Quick Look: Academic Work

The reversed Devil shows that until now you have felt stuck in a situation in which you lacked agency. However, the reality is that your own feelings are harming you. Perhaps you are overly stressed about work, and this is hindering your full potential.

The Ten of Rods re-emphasises this, It shows that you are shattered, and it is likely from carrying burdens for no reason.

The Four of Pentacles indicates that, into the future, you may continue to hang onto these feelings of stress. You might be afraid of what will happen if you change, but it is these fears that are limiting you.