What’s on the cards: Week Eight

Violet’s resident tarot reader, Eve Hodgson, looks at what the eighth week of term has in store for you

Eve Hodgson

ALBANYCOLLEY

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 split into four suits – cups, pentacles, rods (wands), and swords. Each suit represents, respectively, emotions/relationships, physicality and practical matters, action, and intellect.

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.

We have a Bridgemas tree spread this week to round up the readings for the term and the year, and give some advice on how to ring in 2019 – fair warning that there will be Christmassy reference shoehorned in throughout.

Eve Hodgson

Your current situation is the tree trunk, the ten of swords. This card represents the beginning of the end of a period of trial – term is nearly over – but you have make a clean break. Try to finish any work possible before going home and forgetting about your degree for six weeks.

One of your gifts this year is in the reversed seven of cups. Reversed, this expresses confusion over the options before you – if you’re a fresher, you might be thinking about settling into a family, or a third-year panicking over what graduate schemes to apply for. Sort through these options using intuition.

The reversed nine of rods represents how people in your life show love. While this is a defeatist card, indicating the need to acknowledge that you’ve lost a struggle, it could show that those who love you teach you how to cope with hard times (surely much needed after Michaelmas). The wheel will keep turning.

The reversed Hermit shows you something to celebrate – time alone. You need some solitude to reflect on yourself. Enjoy this time rather than seeing it as lonely – soul-searching is important in building yourself for the wider world.

Similarly, the two of cups shows coupling or partnership as requiring attention. This combination indicates the need to celebrate yourself as an individual, and to be aware of yourself before focusing on relationships.

The ten of pentacles, an idyllic family life, represents something in need of care. Perhaps you’re returning home for the first time since coming to Cambridge, or haven’t had much contact with family recently.

You have the leisure to focus on your personal life now you’re out of term, so take the opportunity. (Alternatively, it can represent marrying into money, so try and find a rich husband while you still can.)

The three of cups, aptly, signifies yourself – completion, and celebration. This is a time of joy, since you don’t have any supervisions for six weeks. The reversed five of swords represents a traditional or familial lesson.

Much like the nine of rods, the need to take control of your own situation is at the fore – it’s up to you to confront the reasons for any crisis or pain you’re encountering.

The reversed ten of rods shows you how to proceed in the future. This shows burdens being lifted from you. Either you’ve taken steps to resolve your problems – getting any holiday work done before it’s too late – or you’re simply learning to take on less and put less pressure on yourself, as many people in Cambridge are wont to do.

The king of rods indicates some hidden gifts or unexpected events. Fittingly, he represents good luck, or unexpected help or advice that leads you to grow. As you advance through your immediate future, you’re in for a good time!

Lastly, the King of Swords represents the star on the top of the tree. The swords are often linked with intellect, and the King with strength and authority. You are ready to communicate your opinions – be honest (don’t take any rubbish presents).