Prompt : Shuffle your deck of choice, then pull out every ninth card.

Of the eight cards now sitting in front of you, which card do you relate to most strongly and why?

At this time, I feel like I relate most strongly to the Nine of Swords. There’s a lot of changes going on in my business right now and I’m finding it difficult to stay open to the feelings of uncertainty I’m experiencing instead of falling into catastrophizing. Although insomnia is not a part of the experience right now, constant worry and anxiety issues thrum beneath the surface.

Of the seven cards now left sitting in front of you, which card do you relate to the least and why?

I feel that I currently relate least strongly to The Emperor. I definitely do not feel like I have all my ducks in a row, nor that my influence is having much of an impact on what’s going on with my business at this time. Instead, I feel like I’m struggling unnecessarily hard due to others choices and influences that I have no control over and no agency to change.

There are now six cards left. Assign a real person in your life, a fictional character, a movie, a book, or a song to each of these six cards and then tell us why you made the choice you did for each. (I chose to use a handful of the books I’ve read so far this summer.)

Wheel of Fortune – The Storyline of How Bad Things Can Get by Darcy Coates

Every time you think you know what’s going on in this storyline, something happens that takes things off on another left turn. No one has solid footing, not in the book, and not you as the reader. There’s a lot left up to chance, and this story tells you just how wrong (and sometimes right) things can go when there’s no solid footing with which to make a plan.

Ace of Swords – Fionn Kane in Scythe & Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

While Fionn is away overseas, he does the absolutely most surprising thing and writes numerous letters to Rose even though he couldn’t tell her where he was or when he’d be back. Through these letters, Rose (and you as the reader) get to see a side of him that he’d never shown her in person and it creates a connection over distance in a way that wouldn’t have been possible through any other means.

Seven of Cups – The donor recipients in A Killer Harvest by Paul Cleave

I spent a good part of this book, especially toward the end, wondering how it is that one donor’s personality and desires were able to out-weigh or overwhelm the other’s in young Joshua. It doesn’t feel like the fact that one of the donors was his foster father should be enough to make a difference. This might have been further explained in the book with the introduction of other characters and their own experiences, but although presented as uncontrolled, it felt more like there was definite choices involved every step of the way.

Knight of Pentacles – Louisa Halder in Wolf Worm by T Kingfisher

She took her time showing up (finally) at the end of the book, eventually appearing to step in like a knight on a white horse to provide some stability (especially in the monetary/resource/hearth and home areas) that was needed when everything fell apart.

Ten of Wands – Ash Harrington in His Cocky Valet by Cole McCade

This guy is so overwhelmed and out of his league when he’s left in charge of his father’s business, and even when help arrives, he doesn’t know how to ask for it or what to do with it. He’s drowning in his responsibilities. Part of the storyline for Ash is learning how to ask for help and how to lean on others instead of taking everything on his own shoulders until he’s ready to break.

Nine of Wands – Finlay Ashowen in The House Witch 3 by Delemhach

In the initial battles of the war, Finlay Ashowen uses his magic again and again to protect his home and those he loves and cares for, and again and again we see him beaten down and exhausted. He continues to rise up and fight again, though, finding ways to use what is not a “battle” magic in ways to protect those around him and what he values most.

DECK USED:  THE TAROT OF COLORS AND LIGHT