Last week, I opened the Oracle Outlook by stating how excited I was to be breaking in a new Tarot deck for that reading.
Well, I’m opening with the same level of excitement for the deck I’m using for this week’s reading.
The deck I’m using is The Hermes Playing Card Oracle by Robert M. Place (and published by Hermes Publications).
The deck arrived in my mailbox on New Year’s Eve last year, so you know that’s a sign the deck wants to be used throughout the year, right?
I’m really excited about this deck because, like The Urban Tarot I used last week, it brings me back to my roots.
As I’ve shared many times before, I got into cartomancy (card reading) as a result of having a dream in which I was doing a reading for myself using playing cards, which I’d never done in waking life, so I knew the dream was significant.
The dream signaled an important chapter in my life.
I’ve been working with this deck daily since it arrived, and I have to say that I’m really enjoying it; it’s on its way to becoming one of my favorite decks to read with. I’m really excited to see what it wants to say about the week ahead.
So I’m taking the deck in hand, shuffling the cards, and asking the general question, “What do we need to know about the possibilities for the week ahead?”
This week’s video reveals the cards for our reading:
If you prefer to read the post, here it is:
After shuffling the deck, I pulled three cards for this reading: the first for the beginning of the week; the second for the middle of the week; and the last to round out the rest of the week.
Cards for the Week
For the beginning of the week, we have the 9 of Diamonds, and its message is that your accomplishments have created a rich, safe, stable, and secure life.
The 9 of Diamonds can indicate a self-made person, and that being self-sufficient and financially independent is important, as Diamonds is associated both with finances and what we value.
This card tells us we all have the ability (the suit of Diamonds represents our resourcefulness) to attain (the number 9) this level of independence.
The 9 of Diamonds can also represent any teaching, training, instruction, and guidance we need to learn—and apply (Diamonds also being about practical application)—to create that type of life.
This card says it will take dedicated training, discipline, hard work, and self-mastery to attain the life that many see as an alluring dream.
The 9 of Diamonds is telling you that life, right now, is quite good. You’ve worked hard for what you have. You have every right to appreciate, enjoy, and indulge in all the wonderful things you have accomplished and attained.
Since this card is associated with gain, as you go through the experiences of this week, ask yourself, what you’ve gained from each one–for that will be the value of those experiences–and making them valuable lessons.
There’s a secondary symbol of Coffin on the card, which connects to another meaning for the 9 of Diamonds. The 9 of Diamonds can also suggest a need for some down time and engaging in activities of leisure. Coffin reinforces those meanings, as it can refer to rest and sleep.
Moving to the card for the middle of the week, we have the 10 of Clubs.
Now that last bit about rest and relaxation from the previous makes sense!
When the 10 of Clubs appears, it warns you of having too many responsibilities—and being burdened by the load you’re carrying.
But do all those responsibilities belong to you? If not, the 10 of Clubs is asking you to consider allowing other people to be responsible for themselves. You are not supposed to carry the weight of the world on your shoulders!
You may be thinking you’re being helpful, but are you really? The 10 of Clubs warns that you may be enabling other people not to take care of their own situations in life—especially when they are able and capable. If that’s true for you, why is that?
In working environments (Clubs being the suit of work and business), the 10 of Clubs can suggest having new job duties and responsibilities. It can suggest you’re in a position where a lot of work is put upon you.
You may also believe you have to do it all yourself. If this is true for you, the 10 of Clubs is cautioning you: If you’re not careful, you’ll experience exhaustion and fatigue, and put yourself on the road to burnout.
It’s not too late to learn the art of delegation—which is really learning to let go of control. Not everything has to get done by you—whether you believe it or not. It’s a matter of acknowledging that things may not get done the way you would do it—and that’s because not everyone works the same way you do, or has the same motivations about the work as you (Clubs being about motivation).
Sometimes we think holding on to everything gives us control. But does it? It may very well be that those things we are holding on to are really controlling us.
And that brings in the card’s secondary symbol of Bear, which can represent a boss, manager, or supervisor—basically someone in a position of authority.
Bear is also a symbol of power and strength. Pairing Bear with Coffin, there’s a message here about a limitation or restriction (Coffin) of power (Bear), and that a power nap (Coffin + Bear) would be helpful to restore strength (Bear).
Bear could suggest that if you decide to take some things off your plate, give tasks to those are resourceful (Bear is a card of resources and resourcefulness) enough to complete them (Coffin being a symbol of completion)—meaning they are doing the things that play to their strengths (Bear) and not their weaknesses (Coffin being a symbol of limitation).
For the end of the week, we have Ace of Hearts, and its message is that you’re about to experience a new chapter in your emotional and/or spiritual life.
Aces suggest the beginning of a new phase in life. The Ace is the root, the seed; it suggests potential for the future. The suit of Hearts is the suit that rules the heart; it’s about emotions, feelings, and relationships—the way we connect and relate to others.
When the Ace of Hearts appears, you may be in the throes of a new relationship—and all those exciting feelings and sensations that go along with it. Or, this card can suggest a birth of some kind (a child, a project, or even a business endeavor), and it’s something you have a great deal of love for, and that you’re putting your whole heart into it.
If you’re feeling the need for a new emotional experience, the Ace of Hearts asks: What would you need to know, consider, or do—to be open and willing—to have that new experience you are seeking? Are you as receptive as you might think you are?
With all this talk about love, consider if you might be needing to have your “love tank” filled up. If you’re the giving type, be mindful of your giving nature—and when you’ve given so much that you’re now depleted and running on empty (remember the 10 of Clubs?). It might be time to step back and allow yourself to get filled back up. Take the time to give to yourself (Aces are numbered 1, which is the number of the individual)—because you can’t give to others what you don’t have yourself.
The secondary symbol on the Ace of Hearts is the Gentleman, which can point to a man in your life, if you’re a woman, or to yourself, if you’re male.
Since the Gentleman is facing Bear, this can indicate that he’s in a position of authority, or that he’s seeking such a position in the future. Either way, Bear can suggest the position plays to his strengths.
On the challenging side, there may be a situation with a man who comes across as overbearing (yes, I went there).
With Gentleman facing Coffin, a man may be finalizing something in the future, or seeking some form of closure. One possibility is becoming a finalist (I went there again) for that leadership position suggested by Bear.
Or, another possibility is that a man (Gentleman) looks forward (looking ahead) to a leadership position (Bear) coming to an end (Coffin). In this possibility, it could be that the man is retiring and looking forward to some long, overdue rest and relaxation (9 of Diamonds and Coffin).
Closing with the Outlook and Theme
For the outlook of the week, things could happen in which we’ll need to be patient (Diamonds) so we don’t become frustrated (Clubs). If we can remain optimistic (Hearts), we’ll be happy (Hearts) in the end.
Adding 9 + 10 + 1 (Ace) for the theme, we get 20, which reduces to 2 (20 = 2 + 0 = 2). As a theme, 2 centers around relationship concerns, but not necessarily romance. The reading is most likely focused on issues of cooperation, sharing or compatibility.
With a 2 theme, it’s a time to make choices and it’s often necessary to divide your time and energy between two areas of life. There may be a period of waiting after the start of a project and you may have to take a passive stance and cultivate patience.
And with that, I’ll bring this week’s reading to a close.
Hoping you have a wonderful week!
life of HIMM 