The Free Radical

There seems to be a great deal of consensus in the cyberspace circles I frequent that right now is the time that things really get moving in terms of global drama and fundamental change. With that in mind, I thought I’d do a full 11-card Celtic Cross tarot spread for the world– in particular, humanity. I was just curious; I’ve never done this before– for the whole world. It’s pretty darn interesting, if I do say so myself!

At the turn of the very first card I knew that this would be pretty much on the money!

1. Position one represents us: humanity. The card is the 13th of the major arcana: Death… which represents deep transformation. (Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that we’re all going to die!) Personally, I’ve always viewed this as a very positive card, especially when drawn in troubling times. I would say that the world is currently in a desperate need for change. “We need to profoundly transform ourselves and our situation. What has outlived its time must pass away to make way for new growth.”

2. The second position represents what surrounds us– the circumstantial and energetic atmosphere. The card drawn is the 3rd of the major arcana: The Empress… who represents creativity. “Creativity is priceless now. Something new is being born. This is a fertile time.”

3. In the third position, we have the Queen of Pentacles who represents Good Fortune, attempting to block our progress. “See how the unfortunate live or risk forfeiting your humanity. Wealthy persons and/or pretenders to wealth may very well be the problem.”

4. The fourth position represents the foundation upon which all this is built. Here we have drawn the Ten of Swords: Ruin. “Crucial to our situation is our ability to cope with a ruinous situation. Though the hopes and dreams of the past may be gone, new ones will arise in time. We will require expert help in order to deal with wounds so deep.”

5. What has gone before occupies the fifth position, and here we have the Queen of Swords representing independence. (This is the only card in the spread which is a bit of a stretch, but Toby, the puppy, jumped up on my lap just as I was drawing it. Nevertheless…) “Past ideas of independence (every man for himself) affect the present situation. The influence of such ideas is waning.”

6. At the crown of the spread, the sixth position represents the goal and a visualization to be kept in mind. Here we have the 18th of the major arcana, The Moon, representing A Night Journey. “We need to believe that we can navigate through this time of darkness, fear and confusion. Visualize the fact that even on a cloudy night the moon is beyond the clouds trying to push back darkness and show us the way.”

7. The short-term outcome, in this case one month, so the beginning of May finds us in the company of the Prince of Hearts who is really Prince Charming. “We will be called upon to develop a romantic spirit with a poetic view of love and life. All intimate relationships will be explored carefully.”

8. In the eighth position we have the Six of Swords informing us how we are to conduct ourselves through this ordeal. It represents Passage. “We shall present ourselves as going through an important rite of passage successfully and moving into a much better time in our lives. We will show each other how profound our transitions are. We will demonstrate to each other how changing our beliefs changed our lives.”

9. The ninth position represents the perspective of “others.” In this case, those who struggle to move along with the rest of humanity. The card drawn here is the Three of Swords: Sorrow. “The outsiders will experience loss, pain and sorrow. Defences will appear to not be working; some will succumb to wallowing in self-pity.”

10. Our collective hopes and fears are expressed in the tenth position. Here we find the Four of Pentacles: Possessiveness. “We hope we will be able to hold on to what we have, managing and protecting what we are each responsible for, but fear that doing so may divert us from exciting new opportunities. Some may fear to appear greedy. Some will fear for an executive.” (executive… execution?)

11. In the eleventh position we find the longterm outcome, in this case three months, or the beginning of July. This position is filled with the 20th of the major arcana: Judgment or Reckoning. “We will enter a time of reckoning and judgment. Prepare for accounts to be settled and past karma to be balanced. Surprising revelations will cause beginnings, endings and the resurrection of things thought long dead or resolved.”

Interesting, no?