Upon receiving the Tarot of Oneness, a beautiful and alluring deck, I expected to have an effortless rapport with it. However, my assumption was challenged during a recent reading using a spread by Arith Harger, where the messages proved elusive.
So my friend, Yael, suggested that I engage the deck in dialogue through a series of questions. In this post, I consider the insights that emerged from this unusual interaction.
Who are you?
I am the Queen of Cups gazing into the cup of vision, the primordial sea, our collective soul. Beyond my compassion and understanding, I am also a source of creative solutions.
What kind of questions do you most like to consider?
As the Page of Wands, I am filled with wonder and excitement, preferring questions that are grounded in reality, but that also seek the spark of the divine in this world.
What are your strengths?
As the Nine of Pentacles, I offer a time of serene contemplation and wholeness. I can lift you beyond current limitations, nurture gratitude, and foster a sense of self worth.
What are your weaknesses?
With the Three of Wands, I acknowledge my limitations in the realm of action and implementation of plans. Although I can share my foresight and guidance, I cannot travel the path with you. You must be your own agent of change.
How do you see me?
I see you as the Ace of Pentacles, a seed bursting with potential, brimming with the creative energy and the capacity to nurture growth and abundance—but only if you seize this time!
What can I do to create a strong connection between us?
Make offerings of fresh water to me as Temperance. Recognize me as a bridge between earthly and celestial realms. Cultivate patience, balance, and reverence when interacting with me to create a harmonious bond between us.
What mindset should I take upon myself when I reach out to you so I understand your answers better?
Embody the symbolism of the Ace of Swords by approaching me with clarity of intention and mental focus. Let my insights resonate deeply within you.
These insights from the Tarot of Oneness offer me a path to self discovery and self improvement. As I continue to work with this magical deck, I will embrace not just its answers, but the transformative power of inquiry itself.
A proud stance hides wounds.
A dreaming queen avoids the truth.
But high above, the wise one waits,
his lantern lit for those who dare to seek.
As I drew the cards, a message emerged: the dangers of illusion and the need to confront life as it truly is.
The first card, the Five of Pentacles, portrays an alley behind a church, where two homeless people struggle to keep warm on a gray and snowy afternoon. One figure is huddled under a patched blanked, her hand out in forlorn hope for charity from a passerby. Nearby, a veteran who has lost a leg and an eye stands proudly, his once-grand uniform now in tatters. He maintains a fashionable mustache while relying on a makeshift crutch. Although injured and alone, he appears ready to move on.
There are no passersby to offer comfort. There is no aid in sight. Can this man find meaning in his pain? Can he humble himself to seek shelter and warmth, or will he vanish into the snow, holding onto pride?
The second card is altogether different. The Queen of Cups is lost in fantasy. Crowned with an ornate tiara and enthroned upon a majestic shell that echoes Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. The pink glow inside the shell mirrors the ethereal hue of the setting sun. The scene is alive with bright clouds, crashing waves, a sandy beach strewn with starfish and other treasures, ghostly seals singing with longing, and the cry of seagulls. Wrapped in luxurious robes, one hand touching her own heart, the queen is absorbed in gazing at a veiled cup that glows with untold visions.
Yet she does not the veil from the cup. She gazes at the cup dreamily, choosing hopeful anticipation over the potential disappointment of reality. The queen of this card is the mirror image of the hopeless woman in the Five of Pentacles, neither one able to take action. Hope remains suspended, hidden beneath the veil of illusion.
Lastly, The Hermit appears. A gray-cloaked figure stands atop the Mountain of Knowledge, his long white beard flowing in the moonlight. The sky is dark and silent. A red feather dangles from his staff and his feet are wrapped in crimson. Holding his lantern aloft, he looks down at the city he left behind. Is this the man from the Five of Pentacles?
What do the red feather and red shoes mean? Do they mark a transformation forged by determination? Does he now carry wisdom shaped by experience, truths earned through struggle and solitude?
These cards deliver a clear message: See clearly. Step forward. Let go of illusion, and face your life with courage and truth. We are not meant to remain huddled in despair or gazing at veiled dreams. We are meant to rise, to question, to endure.
May the Holy One of Blessing walk beside me as I make this journey, offering insight, strength, and grace along the way.
