Atalanta Indómita

O limite é a agressão iminente.

Cards reading in a crazy night

In a very special Saturday, after a day in a sunny beach with some crazy friends, I found myself in a table with a little set of cards among bottles, ashtrays, glasses, bikini lost pieces and other funny stuff. I started to fool around with the cards. I was not intending playing or reading them. I was actually slightly drunk. But then I heard the voice of a gipsy lady whispering sarcastically in my ear – c’mon old tramp, pull out ten cards, there are no Major Arcana in there, but you could find a hell lot of words in the Minor ones to write down and think about.

I always obey a gipsy lady's voice. There are no ways of ignoring them, so I pulled out ten cards and organized them in the Celtic cross position, a way of reading I have been practicing while studying tarot cards. The words were amazingly popping out from the cards, as though as I could hear the gipsy lady whispering each tale, and it took me a while to accomplish writing about them. But here they are, a hell lot of words.

1- [Querent/Significator - heart of the matter] The King of Swords

       The King of Swords, represented by Greek Mythology’s Odysseus, is a wise and strategic leader who relies on intellect and objectivity rather than compassion and emotion.

He may be a person in your life — a boss, mentor, parent or authority figure — and if so he’s here to show you how to lead with wisdom and grace. He may also represent qualities within yourself that are necessary for you to bring forth. Qualities like discipline and neutrality.

It may be a situation that requires you to act with authority, even if you’re not comfortable in that role. It may require you to “lay down the law” or pass down judgment where there is no easy answer. The King of Swords is able to cut through the nuances and extenuating circumstances to arrive at an impartial decision.

Odysseus was a shrewd and inventive leader. He not only thought up the idea for the Trojan Horse (thus securing victory for the Greeks), he led his people with a firm and lawful hand, never wavering from his solid principles.

The King of Swords is honorable and just. He has noble ideals which he applies to himself as well as others. He insists on fairness and equality for all.

This card can refer to a need for justice and symmetry in your life. Or it can mark the presence of someone whose sense of authority and justice overrides personal investments. Is this you or someone you’re dealing with currently who’s encouraging you to embrace these qualities?

Whether this refers to you or to another, the underlying message is the same. Step away from emotional attachments and make your decisions today based on what is right, fair, and most importantly best for you in the long run.

Reading source: http://www.asktheastrologers.com/free-daily-tarotscope-may-30-2015/

*power words from this card*: shrewd; fairness; equality; symmetry.


2- [Obstacle/Challenge - challenges the issue] Six of Swords

Orestes stands with arms crossed in a boat that doesn’t seem to have a source of power as it heads towards Argos. Six swords stand straight up with their points embedded in the hull of the boat. Storm clouds and turbulent water accompany him while clear skies and calmer waters are around Argos.

Overview
• moving away from turbulent, difficult feelings toward a calmer and more serene state
• a calmer, if still sad, path is ahead of one
• harmony from coming to terms with one’s limits and tasks
• being at peace within oneself as one leaves behind the anxious, distressing and fraught state suggested by the choppy waters
• serenity brought about by a tranquil mind and not a tranquil heart
• insight and understanding allows one to see how one has created their own fate, which in turn releases anxiety and promotes a calm acceptance which then allows one to move into the future
• knowledge of why one is on a particular path, how one got there, and what it all might mean can make a world of difference in accepting one’s lot in life
• the easing of tension
• a smooth passage, either externally moving away from unpleasant surroundings or internally moving away from anxiety towards peace
• relief after having finally made a difficult decision

Random Thoughts
• being resigned to one’s fate
• doing what needs to be done, whether or not one likes the task or wants to do it
• “I’ll do it, but you can’t make me like it!”
• since it’s unclear how the boat is moving, being impelled towards an action or path

Reading source: https://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=143475

*power words from this card*: limits; tasks; harmony; moving ahead; understanding; knowledge; decision; relief.


3- [Influences/Conscious - rational or external influences] Three of Cups

Psyche and Eros get married. Standing on a rock in her wedding gown and with flowers in her hair, she holds a bunch of white lilies. Behind her is Eros, who she still hasn’t seen. Three ondines (water nymphs) rise from the water holding chalices in celebration of the marriage.

Overview

• represents a stage of initial completion
• the end of the first stage of falling in love and a suggestions that a commitment to a future has been made
• celebration, an experience of emotional fulfillment, completion of the initial attraction
• naiveté
• the stage of enchantment where one has yet to see their real partner
• an initiation into life, that’s full of promise
• a card of transition (from maiden to bride) with more to come
• marriage as the first step on a long road and not the end goal

White Lily

• purity, virginity, innocence
• peace
• Aphrodite hated the flower for its chaste appearance and added the pistil, which resembles a donkey’s penis, to it
• associated with that which is beautiful or humble

Random Thoughts

• the beginning of mother-in-law drama
• two people who really don’t know each other in a relationship with one another
• the rock could indicate a strong foundation to the relationship
• being in love with one’s savior or Prince Charming
• representation of blind love

Reading source: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=138787

*power words from this card*: chaste; blind love; fulfillment; attraction; naiveté.


4- [Root/Subconscious - unknown influences] Nine of Pentacles

Daedelus stands with his hands folded and a contented look upon his face. His workman’s clothes have been replaced by a gown and he wears a laurel wreath. Nine pentacles are stacked before him and he is surrounded by a trellis that is laden with grapevines.

Laurel Leaves/Wreath
• laurel was used to crown victors in contests; the striving spirit and crown of victory are aspects of Apollo
• symbol of victory, peace, purification, protection, divination, secret knowledge and immortality
• laurel wreaths were worn by those worthy of honor, especially poets (poet laureate)

Overview
• a state of great satisfaction
• the solitary enjoyment of good things
• the pleasure in self-sufficiency and accomplishment which can only come from within oneself and which one offers to oneself
• satisfaction in knowing that one’s wits and efforts have ensured one’s survival, wealth and position for the rest of one’s life
• reward and achievement in one’s own eyes
• worldly achievement
• a deep and permanent sense of self-value that has been earned through meeting life’s challenges and surviving them all
• the ability to rely on oneself without needing the constant support of others

Random Thoughts
• an unconventional path to success
• risk that has paid off
• I have survived
• that which doesn’t kill us makes us stronger
• the potential shown by the grapes in the 8 has increased even further since there are now six bunches hanging from the trellis
• perfected work since all nine pentacles are finished
• someone who has a spotty past finally makes good

Reading source: https://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=144217

*power words from this card*: satisfaction; self-sufficiency; laurel; protection; divination.

5- [The Past – influences from the past] Queen of Swords

Atalanta sits on her silver throne upon a barren plain. She holds an upright sword in her left hand while she pours water from a jug onto the ground with her right hand.

Atalanta, known as The Huntres because she devoted her time to hunting and became really skilled at it.
she was disappointed in love through having too high ideals
- her name means unswaying (impossible to control)
- her father wished for a male heir and he abandoned her on a hill where she was rescued and suckled by a bear sent by Artemis-Hecate
- she grew to womanhood among a clan of hunters
- Meleager, son of Ares, fell in love with her, but she refused to become a housewife
- after winning many contests, her father finally recognized her and promised to find her a noble husband; because she had been told by an oracle that she would be unhappily married, she agreed on the condition that the man must either beat her in a foot race or let her kill him if he lost; as the fastest human on earth, she knew no one could beat her
- with Aphrodite’s assistance, Melanion was able to beat her in the footrace and wed her; Atalanta actually loved him, but they lay together in a grove sacred to Zeus, who turned them both into lions; as the Greeks believed lions only mated with leopards, the two were never able to be together again

Overview
- the reflective, stable, contained dimension of the element of Air
- aloofness and the inability to touch the mind, which can hold onto an ideal of perfection to the exclusion or devaluation of sensual concerns
- her identification with the masculine world of the mind and spirit made her fit for friendship, but not for erotic love
- regal and dignified, , she is lonely because her ideal of perfection doesn’t allow anything too human to interfere with it
- the inherent duality in Atalanta’s story is that while her ideal of perfection may drive love out of her life, it also has a creative side, spurring both her and others to become more than they are
waiting fruitlessly while the water of feeling spills, wasted, on the ground
- has loyalty, integrity and the ability to bear sorrow without breaking, but is also emotionally frustrated and isolated because she’s untouchable
- the need to prove oneself to someone who is ultimately just beyond one’s reach
- expecting perfection because one has been expected to be perfect and failed

Random Thoughts
- pricing oneself out of the Market
- rigidity and frigidity
- a tomboy
- to dream the impossible dream
- strong shoulders to lean on

Reading source: https://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=143480

*power words from this card*: unswaying; womanhood; air; aloofness; loneliness; untouchable; rigidity; loyalty.


6- [The Future - hopes and goals] Ace of Cups

In Greek Mythology, you meet Aphrodite (goddess of love) who was born, fully grown, from the foam formed when Cronos castrated his father (Uranus) and threw his testicles into the sea. The Mythic Tarot Ace of Cups shows a storm bubbling in the sea with Aphrodite rising from the waves holding an enormous golden cup.

The golden cup indicates a sudden spiritual awakening connected to love. This spiritual awakening reflects the time to open the heart to give and receive unconditional love.

In Mythic Tarot, this Cup represents the beginning of your journey, a time when you are willing to risk it all to fall in love again.

The Ace of Cups represents a new beginning of love, joy, and a spiritual awakening. The spiritual awakening represents a message revealing an impending life change connected to a time of giving and receiving unconditional love. The Ace represents emotional happiness, rekindling of an existing relationship, a new love interest, marriage, and fertility. The heart chakra opens, indicating the beginning of great possibilities.

The heart chakra regulates our emotional health. When this chakra is balanced, you’re able to give and receive love. You’ll love yourself and you’ll be able to love others unconditionally with compassion, trust, forgiveness, wisdom, stability and patience. You’ll make your wishes come true. When this chakra is off balance or blocked, there is a lack of love, unity, compassion and acceptance. You’ll feel rejected, mired in sadness, disappointed, hurt, depressed, and angry.

Positive Position: You’ll experience a new beginning or spiritual awakening about an impending life change. This is the time when you’re ready to give and receive unconditional love, rekindle an existing relationship, or move forward with a new love interest. It may be the time of marriage, a birth, conceiving a child, or the time when you are ready to adopt a child.

Negative Position: You’ll make a heartfelt decision because your heart is pulling at you to stay in a relationship, but your head is telling you to move on. This position also represents a relationship loss, separation, divorce, or the time when you’ll move on because the relationship was not fulfilling, or lacked commitment.

Timing is related to 1 – 11 days, the fall season, or the Phases of the Moon.

New Moon or Solar Eclipse (not visible, making a wish and starting a new plan). First Quarter Moon (growing in size, action oriented, pushing ahead to a testing point). Full Moon or Lunar Eclipse (wishes come true, or the release of what is not working). Third Quarter Moon (shrinking in size, strong beliefs of what you want – acting on these beliefs or releasing what binds you).

Reading source: http://www.psychicscoop.com/tarot-card-of-the-week-ace-of-cups/

*power words from this card*: awakening; love; beginning; compassion, trust, forgiveness, wisdom, stability; patience; pushing ahead.

7- [Attitude - your self-image] Eight of Swords

You arrive at the path of the furies visiting your thoughts… The Eights represent the status of your relationship. In the distance, there are nasty storm clouds hovering over the mountains. These storm clouds represent the storm of uncertainty that is brewing in the Archetypes thoughts.

The Story About Orestes: The Furies Visit Orestes’s Mind… In the past, Orestes withdrew into isolation because his father (King Agamemnon) was killed by his mother (Queen Clytemnestra) and her lover (Aegisthus). Aegisthus became the King, and Prince Orestes was taken to a place of protection (Phocis). He escaped in exile to heal his mind, body and spirit, and come to terms with the fact that the life he once had has changed and he can’t go back.

Meanwhile, Orestes fears that he’s doomed because he has two difficult choices: the first choice will be to suck up his fears and follow Apollo’s orders (kill his mother), and the second choice would be not to follow through with Apollo’s orders and lose his Kingship and possibly his life. Orestes feels that he’s not going to come out of this situation in one piece. Even if he makes it through this toughest time in his life, he fears the Furies will haunt him until he dies of regret.

Apollo stands to the right of Orestes in his mind’s eye. Apollo visited him in the past to tell him about his fate and destiny, which required him to avenge his father’s death by his mother’s hand. The terrifying Furies stand to the left of Orestes in his mind’s eye. They are embedded in his thoughts and represent his paralyzing fears that nothing will ever be the same.

Sometimes you might feel trapped in an uncomfortable situation that is self-inflicted through fear, or the consequence of a choice you need to make. You’ll need to make the effort to free your thoughts from being jailed in the situation, or feeling hopeless, or feeling sorry for yourself, or feeling like you’re experiencing another stinging event that is out of your control.

You need to remember that fear will paralyze you straight in your tracks if you let it, and you won’t be able to act on what needs to be done. Do you fear confrontation? Do you fear hurting someone and burning your bridges? What do you fear?

You’re going to break out of this self-inflicted situation rather quickly because the mountains in this card are close. When the mountains are close they represent a fast timing, but when the mountains are far away they represent the opposite.

The Minor Arcana representsyour choices and actions throughout the realization of your destiny. The Swords usually indicate a struggle or conflict, or a possible decision that you’ll make, or separating from your past attachments because you need to heal your mind so you’re not jailed in your thoughts. There is a desire to find the truth that will shed light on your situation, so you’ll act on it and find closure.

The Eight of Swords is enumerated eight and represents regeneration and transition. The sky is cloudy, which represents something unclear that feels paralyzing. An Archetype, dressed in white, with his hands over his head, can’t turn off the thoughts in his mind.

There is a struggle between the Archetype’s emotions because he is thinking about two situations that are haunting his thoughts (3 bat-winged creatures dressed in black, with snakes for hair = the furies), and the wishes of Apollo asking Ordestes to follow through with what he needs to do (a sun crown with pointed spikes = Apollo). This situation feels very intimidating to the Archetype. The subconscious never sleeps and it’s in a battle with the self, the conscious, and the time of now to make a heartfelt decision.

The eight swords planted in the ground in front of the Archetype are symbolic of restriction and impaired clarity of vision (the Archetype is jailed in his thoughts). The Eight of Swords represents bondage of his thoughts imposed or caused by outside sources that are in opposition with the Archetype’s personal power (how the Archetype initiates what he wants to do, and act on it).

The brown mountains represent a goal and also a timing, but the color of the mountains suggest that the Archetype feels burnt to a crisp right now, stuck in his fears and regrets.

The Archetype in this card is restricted, in limbo, and feels imprisoned and jailed by his surroundings. He is plagued with fear and guilt because another person put him in this situation. He feels powerless, uncertain as to where to turn and what to do.

The Archetype needs to realize he is not trapped and he can move freely, only his thoughts make him feel this way. This feeling of powerlessness will fade when he lets go of old patterns and beliefs that hold him back. When the Archetype realizes he is no longer a victim, he’ll be able to break free from bondage and make a fresh start, just like the Phoenix that rises from the ashes to start anew.

Positive Position: This position indicates the beginning of breaking free from a bad situation. It represents the bondage of your thoughts imposed or caused by outside sources. You’re feeling restricted, in limbo, imprisoned and jailed by your thoughts and surroundings. The Eight of Swords represents that you’re coming to the end of this unfortunate time. You’re at the end of this struggle and you’ll break free and see the new path ahead, moving away from your former environment and the people who made you feel restricted. You’ll make a fresh start, just like the Phoenix.

Negative Position: This position indicates that you can’t move forward, but you might leave at a later date because you’re walking on egg shells, stuck in bondage, and living in your fears.

Timing is within 8 hours, 8 days, months, or the winter season.

Reading source: http://www.psychicscoop.com/eight-of-swords/

*power words from this card*: furies; trap; uncomfortable; mountains; decision; struggle; choices; actions; limbo.

8- [Environment - how others see you] King of Wands

Theseus sits on a golden throne whose arms are adorned with ram’s heads. He holds a flaming wand in his left hand. Behind him a ram can be seen. Further in the distance as the white pillars and porticoes of a city that contains an acropolis.

Theseus

- personification of all the exciting, outgoing, impulsive, bad-tempered and tremendously infectious spirits of fiery energy

- was jointly fathered by both Poseidon and King Aegeus of Athens

- at sixteen, when he discovered his origins, he set out on a number of dangerous adventures to claim his place as Aegeus’ heir

- he destroyed the Minotaur, with the help of King Minos’ daughter Ariadne and returned to Athens in triumph

when he became King, he had lots of new and brilliant ideas on how to unite the constantly warring Greek city-states, and through a combination of charm, good salesmanship, physical prowess, a flair for the dramatic and a brilliant mind, he managed to persuade the lords to pull together under a country which he presided over as King

- his love life was equally checkered and turbulent

- he chose as his wife Hippolyta, an Amazon warrior woman who chose to fight by his side in all his battles

- when he became a widow, he roved the seas as a pirate, returning to Athens every so often, but always pursuing the next dream or conquest

- he married a second time, to Phaedra, who ended up falling in love with Hippolytus, his son by Hippolyta; she ended up committing suicide and Hippolytus died; after these events, Theseus steadily deteriorated until he threw himself off a high rock into the sea

Overview

- the active, dynamic, and lordly dimension of fire, which symbolizes the creative imagination

- the fiery enthusiasm that makes one a true leader

- one who has innate nobility and strength in addition to the impulsiveness, restlessness and fresh ideas of the Knight

- a strategist and shaper of world events, one who has vision and the steady power to manifest his vision and the warm, infectious personality to convince others that his vision is correct

- one who hates limitation, is impatient, is always certain that he’s right and is a sore loser

- one who lives by the “male” pursuits of adventure, conflict and conquest while undervaluing the quieter and more “ordinary” dimensions of emotional and material life, which he finds demeaning, boring and therefore not worth wasted time or effort

- a larger than life person who is both irresistible and dynamic

- one who is warm and exciting but also selfish

- embodiment of the true hero who believes that humanity might be more than it is

Aries

- desires adventure and action

- outgoing, impulsive and brimming with grandiose ideas

- enthusiastic and dramatic, always willing to experiment with something new and adventurous

- has child-like spirit and is full of energy and life

- has little to no patience and dislikes being bothered with details

- easily angered, but rage is short-lived and grudges are quickly forgotten

- bossy, self-centered and opinionated, yet generous and kind-hearted

Random Thoughts

- one who has an axe to grind or something to prove, possibly because of his father

- a daredevil, one who lives life on the edge

- a visionary and thrill seeker

- a lover and a fighter

Reading source: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=142951

*power words from this card*: adventure; action; impulsive, bad-tempered; checkered; rove; sea; pirate; steadily; selfish; brimming with ideas; grudge; daredevil; visionary.

9- [Hopes & Fears - guidance and warning] Six of Cups

Psyche sits on a rock looking pensively into the golden cup that she holds in her left hand. In her right hand is the remains of her bridal bouquet of lilies. A calm sea is in the background.

Overview
- all is lost and all that is left is pleasant memories
- learning something about oneself through the loss brings one tranquility and harmony
- the stillness and serenity of the scene echo the stillness and serenity that often come after a crisis
- through testing and disappointment, the unreal dreams and expectations of the past have changed into something real and solid
- the decision to regain what has been lost brings peace within oneself
- being haunted by the nostalgia of the past
- an acceptance of the past and the way things happened
- a positive turn in one’s journey towards one’s goal

Random Thoughts
- “after a storm comes a calm” means that a period of anger or trouble is usually followed by a period of relative peace
- Psyche is still holding onto her bridal lilies, which at this point is quite bedraggled, suggesting that she is living more in the past than in the present; but this may be necessary in order to help her move forward
- returning to a place that holds happy memories (Psyche is sitting on the rock where she first encountered Eros)
- realization that the material things aren’t what’s important – instead it’s the person who was important 

Reading source: http://www.tarotforum.net/archive/index.php/t-138791.html

*power words from this card*: memories; loss; crisis; harmony; disappointment; bedraggled; nostalgia.


10- [Overall Outcome] Nine of Cups

Psyche and Eros are reunited as they stand on a rock facing each other. Aphrodite looks on, glass raised as they all share a toast at the couple’s reunion. Six more golden cups are carefully stacked below them.

Overview
- satisfaction and the fulfillment of an emotional dream amid great ecstasy and genuine love
- a great emotional joy
- the second marriage of Psyche and Eros
- a relationship between two people who have understood each other’s failings and forgiven each other
- the power of unconditional human love is strong enough to sway even the goddess of love
- fulfillment that has been earned through hard work and Psyche’s inner commitment
- everything Psyche has done has been done out of loyalty to her own feelings
- a commitment to loving another through resentment, betrayal, separation, despair and readiness to give it all up if required
- a marriage based on lies won’t last, but a marriage where both partners are aware of and accept each other’s faults can flourish
- marriages that survive the greatest trials often yield the most fruitful relationships
a wish of great emotional importance coming true

Random Thoughts
- a relationship between two people who have been through the wringer with each other
- the proof is in the pudding – one person has proven the lengths they would go to in order to prove their love for the other
- since they are looking at each other, they are as equal as a human and a god can be

Reading source: http://www.tarotforum.net/archive/index.php/t-138795.html

*power words from this card*: fulfillment; joy; sway; commitment; resentment, betrayal, separation; yield; wringer; equal.

==

I’ve spent hours and hours studying these cards. The Archetypes and tales made me think of how hard we are on ourselves and many times also with others. We feel the pressure, we go ahead pursuing a better place, trying to become a better person. And we fail. We fail in communicating well our feelings and fears. We fail in letting things go, and instead we get poisoned with resentment. We often loose our goals from sight and just go with the flow like dead fish.

We forget how joyfull life can be, as long as you can survive through the pain, loss and deceive. We forget we don’t have to be so serious about anything.

“Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player,
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage,
And then is heard no more. It is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

Sheakspeare, in Macbeth

The gipsy lady must agree. She’s always talking about the fool anyways.