A valuable practice is to associate Tarot cards with … well, with anything. It is great practice for doing readings, it is a great way to expand your understanding of the cards, and it encourages thought about things in general.
With that in mind, I decided to take a shot at considering which cards go well with various phrases or “statements” in The Desiderata by Max Ehrman.
I made these choices by reading each passage and seeing which card(s) came to mind, which was an intuitive (versus analytical) process. This is not meant to be a definitive set of associations by any means, and I invite your thoughts on this.
Note that some cards appear more than once, since every card has more than one meaning. Also, I have picked just one or two cards per instance, even though several cards may have come to mind.
Again, this is just an exercise. I hope it inspires you to do the same thing, either with this “prose poem” or with something else.
…
Desiderata
Go placidly amid the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
High Priestess; King of Cups
As far as possible without surrender
be on good terms with all persons.
Three of Cups
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Ace of Swords; Queen of Swords
Avoid loud and aggressive persons,
they are vexations to the spirit.
Five of Swords; Knight of Wands
If you compare yourself with others,
you may become vain and bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Temperance; The Devil
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Four of Wands; Two of Wands
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Eight of Pentacles; The Wheel of Fortune
Exercise caution in your business affairs;
for the world is full of trickery.
King of Pentacles; Seven of Swords
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals;
King of Swords; The Star
and everywhere life is full of heroism.
The Hanged Man; Seven of Wands
Be yourself.
Especially, do not feign affection.
The Fool; Knight of Cups
Neither be cynical about love;
for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment
it is as perennial as the grass.
Four of Cups; Ace of Cups
Take kindly the counsel of the years,
gracefully surrendering the things of youth.
The Hermit
Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
Strength; The Tower
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Nine of Swords
Beyond a wholesome discipline,
be gentle with yourself.
Strength; Nine of Pentacles
You are a child of the universe,
no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
The Fool
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
The Wheel of Fortune; The World
Therefore be at peace with God,
whatever you conceive Him to be,
The Hanged Man; The Hierophant
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace with your soul.
Five of Wands; The World
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams,
it is still a beautiful world.
Five of Cups; Five of Pentacles
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy.
Queen of Wands
…
Bright Blessings,
James Ricklef
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Thanks for this James. I’ll use this in a class that I am teaching. I believe it will spark a great discussion. It is a wonderful learning tool. BTW, have a super experience at RS10! ~David
That’s great, David. That’s what I like about this sort of exercise — it causes us to think and discuss.
Best,
James
Thanks James, this is a very clever idea and I never get tired of this creed. There was a song version that plays in my head every time I read it…
Helen,
Thanks! And thanks for the “reverse reading” in the next comment. Yes, that sort of thing is a valuable process and exercise.
Bright Blessings,
James
You inspired me to do my own reverse spread here:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=14653&id=109695432381915&saved#!/album.php?aid=14653&id=109695432381915
I love this James! Of course, I’m not surprised. I love your work.
Thanks Kimberanne! 😀
Oh wow… I am loving this. Printing this out. I tend to “think in tarot” and this struck a wonderful nerve. I love that you called the Hanged Man the Hero.
Thanks Donnaleigh! In that the Hanged Man can indicate self-sacrifice to help others, I see him as a hero sometimes. Of course, there are other cards that can be “heroic” sometimes (like the Strength card), but that’s what came to me as I read this piece.
By the way, if you like this post, you may like this one too: https://jamesricklef.wordpress.com/2010/04/10/tarot-images-everywhere/
PS: “Think in Tarot” is a great way to put it. 😀
Hey Donnaleigh,
Here’s another example of “thinking in Tarot” —
Wow. This is amazing! I absolutely love and live by the words of the Desiderata, but applying the Tarot to it is epic! I would love to share this, with permission and giving credit, of course.
Feel free to share this link, but please do not copy this post in its entirety. You might, for example, post something like this:
“I absolutely love and live by the words of the Desiderata, but applying the Tarot to it is epic! See how James Ricklef did just that on his blog! — https://jamesricklef.wordpress.com/2010/04/14/tarot-and-desiderata/”