Table of Contents

 

Tarot Reflections

January 2006

 
     
 
Finding the Warrior Within
Stephanie Arwen Beck

Stephanie Arwen Beck lives in Denver, CO with a small zoo that includes a partner and three kids somewhere in there. She's been studying and teaching the Tarot for over 20 years. She specializes in reading for writers with spreads such as Muse of Inspiration and What Happens Next. As the presenter of the popular Tarot For Writers workshop, she's helped many authors past writer's block and plotting issues.She is Pisces with a Scorpio moon and Aquarius rising which means she loves to be a bit different and indulges herself by creating Tarot spreads. She helps her clients question the patterns in their lives based on what they see in the cards. Reading for her is a partnership-based activity.

You can visit Arwen at her online home Tarot By Arwen, http://www.tarotbyarwen.com. Compassionate, Caring, Confidential for over 23 years

 

 

I have been creating my own Tarot spreads for nearly five years. I take a psychological approach to Tarot rather than a predictive one. I am far more interested in how things will make me feel and change me than I am in how things will turn out.

In our lives we take on battles nearly every day. Some are small battles while others are large ideological wars that take up a lot of our energy. That energy is a precious resource. I have found that I often waste my stores on the wrong battle. I developed this spread so that I could delve into battles I undertake in life. It is meant to see into why I want to fight and what I will gain as well as lose from it.

Lay the cards out one at a time and read them as you lay them. Do not turn them up until you have made the decision to move forward. The reading is meant to be ended at any moment for a true warrior knows when to end a battle. This is a circle to represent the shield of a warrior. This spread is designed to try to help look at all the ways embarking on a battle can affect. It is not meant to deter from a fight, but rather to see all the possibilities.

The reading can be ended at any moment. What we seek to find in this reading is a way to win a battle. Sacrifices must be made in war. Each card will require something from you. Like Ishtar’s descent, you must strip yourself down to prepare for this. Do not be deterred. If this is truly your battle to engage in, then you will be given what you need.

British warrior goddess Andraste was evoked the evening before battle. The soldiers curried Her favor so that She would bring them victory. This card represents what sacrifices you will make in your battle. It asks you to look within yourself and make sure that you are willing to move forward in this endeavor.

Her focus question is “What will you do for victory in this battle?” She will offer you advice on how much you may be asked to give up for victory. Remember that She likes Her favor to be asked for.

Durga, Hindi Goddess, is invincible. She is composed of the radiance of all the gods of the Hindu pantheon. This offer came so that She might defeat the forces of destruction that threatened Their very being. Here we see what you will bring to the battle. What of yourself are you willing to give up so that you can win? The Durga card is very important since you may not be willing to take this step.

Her focus question is “What will you bring to this battle?” Look to this card to see how others in your life may be affected.

The Celtic Goddess Brighid has a warrior aspect to her. Look to this card to learn what will help you. This will be something within yourself that is a flame of passion within you. This flame is what will carry you throughout this fight. As a smith, she creates weapons for others and as a healer, she is the one who patches up the fighters.

Her focus question is “What will help you in this battle?” Look closely at this card. Do you have enough help to continue forward? Remember that you can end this reading at any time.

Now to Sekhmet who is the Egyptian War Goddess, lion-headed and representing the destructive nature of the sun. What are you willing to destroy in order to win? In all wars, things are lost. You will lose things as well even in winning. What are you willing to lose? If this card shows something you can’t live without, think again on how important this battle is to you.

Sekhmet focuses on the question ”What will be destroyed in this battle?” She is not a forgiving goddess. She asks that you understand that much could be lost by you in this endeavor. Are you truly prepared?

Now to the card that represents the Artemis energies of this reading. Artemis can be unforgiving in her wrath. She will lend her skills to endeavors She sees as fitting. This card will reveal what skills you will need in order to win this warrior’s quest you have undertaken.

The focus question here is “What skills will you need?” Don’t rush into battle without knowing everything you can. A legal battle requires that you research everything you can. Let Artemis offer clarification here for you.

The final of the Goddess cards shows the face of Athena. Athena is the goddess of strategy. She brings you ways to win, but they may not be things you have thought of. Can you relinquish your own plans to incorporate some of hers? Don’t dismiss what Athena offers. It could be that Her ways will win the day.

Athena’s focus question is on “What will you learn?” Remember that not everything is a wanted lesson, but almost all lessons are necessary.

And in the center of the shield is yourself. Here you will turn up the last card that will predict the final outcome of this battle. It may show what the results will be or it may show how you will be changed by this task.

Your final focus question is “Who will you be after the battle is done?”

Once all the cards are laid out, read them again to see how each Goddess energy will work with another. You can read them diagonally so that you can see how Durga and Artemis will affect you. Perhaps you are more concerned about what following Brighid’s path will bring to you. Read the cards as paths to walk. I have found better ways of approaching things with this spread.

I hope that you can apply this reading to situations in your own life. If you have Goddess you prefer to work with, then most certainly you should apply them here. May your battles be wise and well chosen and may you win the ones you need the most.

 

         
 
 
 

Subscribe to Tarot Reflections, and receive notification of each update!

Request to be added to the list by sending email to TarotReflections-subscribe@yahoogroups.com!

  

 
 
 


All articles remain the property of their respective authors.
Tarot Reflections is a publication of the American Tarot Association - Copyright (C) 2006
Questions or Comments? Contact Us.