I’m working through Mary Greer’s book “Tarot for Your Self” this year as part of my tarot studies. I decided to do some of the exercises in the permutations chapter (6) on the Bloomington reading to see what insight they might offer.

The original layout of the cards was as follows:

Significator: The Star
Situation (1): 2 of Wands
Crossing (2): Ace of Pentacles
Below (3): 9 of Cups
Before (4): 8 of Swords
Above (5): The Magician
Ahead (6): 7 of Cups
Me (7): Death
Environment (8): 5 of Wands
Hopes/Fears (9): 3 of Wands
Outcome (10): Justice

The first permutation I’m going to work on will be in respect to cards 3-6, the arms of the cross. The current situation has resulted from past actions that may be influencing current behavior. The cards are rotated three times to shed light on (1)what past behaviors have influenced the current situation, (2)what my subconscious has to say and (3) what future actions might be. In their new positions, the cards signify the stages of a thought or action — the first turn, an idea or ideal; the second, action/assertation, which becomes; the third, habit/intuition, and finally; the fourth, letting go of old patterns and being receptive to new ideas. This permutation is called The Turning Wheel.

To begin with, I’ll reiterate my original interpretation of these cards. The 9 of Cups in the Below (3) position is about wanting happiness. The 8 of Swords in the Before (4) position reflects the State Farm experience and that is definitely behind me, though the door was opened again recently. The Magician Above (5) is, appropriately, my soul card, which assures me that I am being guided through this decision-making process by my higher self. Ahead (6) is the 7 of Cups, which shows a human form shadowed by his or her own fantasies. This makes me wonder if I’m being realistic about staying, about what could happen here. This could also be about Jeff, about his career search and whether or not he’s being realistic.

The first rotation — the past scenario: The 8 of Swords is in the idea/ideal position, indicating a knowledge of being bound, or being limited. I could be bound by my own ideas, bound by circumstance, bound by too many choices. The action/assertion I would do would be based on The Magician, that is, seeing what tools are available to me, and using those tools. I would find a way to gain control of the situation and make it happen. The habit/intuition I would develop would be the 7 of Cups, a fantasy or maybe an illusion of happiness. And to let go and be receptive to new ideas, I would have the 9 of Cups, or a more realistic view of what makes me happy. As I read through this rotation, it reminds me of old patterns I had where I would be aware that something was binding me, then I would desperately search for a way to manipulate the situation rather than really take the time to get to the root of it. It might buy momentary happiness, but it wasn’t real. The past three years — and my training at the Grove — have helped me see this pattern. That’s the 9 of Cups. In regards to this reading, that way of dealing with things is exactly what I’m trying to avoid in making this move decision.

The second rotation — my subconscious: So here the 9 of Cups is in the idea/ideal position, which I thin kagain, reiterates a desire for happiness. The 8 of Swords in the action/assertation position means I need to be aware of what binds me. The Magician in the habit/intuition position means I have the skills to do this with wisdom, and the 7 of Cups in the letting go/receptivity position means I need to let go of any fantasies I have and be real about this decision. I need to look closely at what the 8 of Swords is saying and connect it with the 7 of Cups.

The third, and final, rotation — my future: So with this knowledge, my future actions might look like this — I recognize the dangers of the fantasies in the 7 of Cups, perhaps also acknowledging that good ideas come from day dreaming, as long as they are in alignment with my higher goals. I act on this with the 9 of Cups, separating the useless fantasies, those that don’t serve me, from the useful ones, those that will advance the happiness and fulfillment of my family. I use this information to work with my habit of being bound by too many choices and ideas and let go by finding wisdom in using the right tools to do the right job.

Does that seem like utter bs? Those of you who read this know me well — am I missing anything that seems glaring to you?

What I got out of doing this exercise was a deeper understanding of the relationship of these four cards. When I return them to their original positions, I see that I need to remain aware of the relationship of being bound by too many choices and ideas and trying to resolve that choice by manifesting a fantasy, which would inevitably lead to unhappiness. Is this pairing of cards talking about my expectations around staying in Bloomington, or moving to Arizona? If it’s about Bloomington, then it seems like it’s about employment, strengthened by the fact that the Ace of Pentacles is the bridge between the two. I’ll stick with that since the question of the reading was about Bloomington, not Arizona. The Magician guiding me make sense, as long as I make wise use of those tools and don’t manipulate unnecessarily. That’s the lesson of that card, which brings me to the 9 of Cups, happiness and sensual pleasure. I really feel now that this cross is about employment, and more clearly, Jeff. Staying in Bloomington will force him to face his employment demons, which is scary for both of us.