Today's Tarot for Ulysses S. Grant
| 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 Benedetti Tarot is a highly stylized deck painted on gold leaf. 7 years in the making, the images were inspired by the Visconti Tarot, the earliest Tarot deck still in existence. The Benedetti Tarot is the favorite deck of those who seek simplicity and elegance in their lives. |
 | The first card, the significator, is placed in the center of the cross. This card represents the prime energy manifest in your life. The Hierophant, when reversed: Authoritarianism. Inflexible and dogmatic thinking. A calcified old regime. Bad or incompetent advice. Inability to hear a higher or inner voice, or pretending to hear it for personal gain. |
 | The second card, placed above the significator, represents Air. It describes your spirit, process of thought, and the influence of reason. Three of Swords (Sorrow), when reversed: Unsettling news that helps you to distance yourself from a destructive relationship. Painfully honest communication that needs to take place. Not letting yourself be dragged by your emotions into a negative situation. A trust or confidence betrayed in an attempt to help someone in need. The revelation of a painful truth. |
 | The third card, placed to the right of the significator, represents Fire. It describes your motivations, creative energies, and the influence of passion. Death, when reversed: Stagnation or petrifaction. The refusal to let go of the past. Resistance to change because of fear. |
 | The fourth card, placed below the significator, represents Water. It describes your emotions, meditations, and the influence of love. Ace of Swords, when reversed: The seed of defeat - perhaps as yet unseen. A challenge met with the invocation of force, leading to disastrous results. Reason and intelligence misdirected or cast aside, resulting in injustice and falsehood. An excessive power abused. May suggest new ideas or information with dangerous implications. |
 | 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. Page of Wands: The essence of fire behaving as earth, such as wood or coal: The surprising appearance of a new passion. An adventurer who blazes through life, acting as a catalyst that others may harness. The intense enthusiasm and childlike imagination that fuels any new venture, needing only the application of mind and material to make it a success. Inner fire that can drive away fear and replace it with fury. Can represent a person of some timidity, but whose innate passion can be easily ignited. May indicate the birth of a child. |
 | 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. Seven of Cups (Temptation), when reversed: Daydreams and fantasies brought into realistic focus. The contemplation of many options leading to a conclusive choice. Inner clarity that dissipates illusions and false choices. Remaining connected to reality in the face of intoxication, delirium, or hallucination. Under rare and extreme circumstances, may indicate the failure to recognize a transcendental spiritual truth. |
 | 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. Seven of Pentacles (Assessment), when reversed: Labors abandoned before completion. Impatience, lack of effort, and the wasting of time. Idle and unprofitable speculation. |
 | 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. Judgement: A swift and conclusive decision. The resolution of a matter long unanswered. A change in point of view, most frequently towards greater enlightenment. Final balancing of karma. |
 | The ninth and final card, placed in the center bottom of the triangle, represents the final outcome unless you change course. Six of Wands (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. |
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