Today's Tarot for Stephen Colbert

	The Cross and Triangle spread is a powerful means of understanding complex situations, developed by the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. This spread is rich in occult and mystical symbolism, and one of our favorites here at Facade. The Sola Busca Tarot is a color embellished reproduction of the only known extant 15th century Tarot deck engraved on metal. It is the choice of purists and those seeking a direct channel with the dawn of Western occultism.
	The first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. 10 Anfore (Satiety), when reversed: Dissipation, debauchery, and stagnation. Taking one's good fortune for granted. Problems in domestic and social matters. A false love or infatuation, leading to a lack of fulfillment.
	The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. 6 Dischi (Success), when reversed: Insolence and conceit with material things. Overconfidence, bad investments, and imprudent handing of acquired wealth. Contempt for those less fortunate. Deception and petty disputes driven by greed and envy.
	The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. 1 Mazze (Ace of Wands), when reversed: The seed of a new crisis - perhaps as yet unseen. The start of an explosive situation threatening to consume all who get too close. The herald of birth, invention, or upheaval. An innate and primal force unleashed. May suggest a surge of vitality, creativity, or fertility that can set dangerous events in motion.
	The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. 7 Mazze (Valor), when reversed: Failure to stand up for your beliefs in the face of a hostile majority. A self-fulfilling fear of failure or embarrassment. Great challenges met with cowardice. Quarrels, perplexity, and indecision at a crucial moment.
	The fifth card, placed to the left of the significator represents Earth. It describes your physical presence, position in life, and the influence of the material world. 6 Mazze (Victory): A sense of honor and satisfaction at the resolution of an important matter. Triumph after great struggle. Jubilation at the hearing of good news. The realization of hopes and desires.
	At this point the cross is complete and the triangle is formed. The sixth card, placed on the bottom left of the triangle represents one of two opposing forces. Sabino (The Sun): A time of contentment and freedom from restraints. Creative inspiration. Achievement, success, and warmth. Light and love in personal or business matters. Happiness and faithfulness in a relationship.
	The seventh card, placed on the bottom right of the triangle represents the force that opposes the bottom left card. These forces may be external, but they are frequently one's own inner archetypes in conflict. Cavaliere di Spade (Knight of Swords): The essence of air behaving as fire, such as a tornado: A fearless and skillful warrior, unfettered by emotion or material concerns. One able to boldly take on challenges that others consider terrifying or insurmountable. A person who inspires fear and awe through the purity of their purpose and the intensity of their intellect. Speaking frankly, in an outspoken manner, and with great influence. May portend the swift initiation or conclusion of a conflict, through the decisive invocation of force.
	The eighth card, the reconciler, is placed below the cross in the third vertex of the triangle. This is the force that will resolve the conflict between the bottom left and bottom right cards. By meditating on this force and bringing more of it into your life, you can bring the matter at hand to a swifter conclusion than would naturally occur. 4 Spade (Truce), when reversed: Restlessness and mental disharmony. Deserting a struggle in progress. A temporary retreat from stress that turns into a permanent rout. A lack of vigilance that could lead to disaster.
	The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. Fante di Spade (Page of Swords): The essence of air behaving as earth, such as a steady wind: The approach of an unexpected challenge, to be met with clear thought and just action. A person filled with an eager appetite for all matters of mind and logic. The gathering of information through unfaltering vigilance, careful examination, and subtle spycraft. The use of reason or eloquent speech to penetrate the veil of confusion and cut to the heart of the matter.