WTF is Tarot?: ...& How Do I Do It?

by Bakara Wintner

Possessing a chameleon-like quality to blend into his environment, he adjusts his behavior accordingly.

he is anticipating what you want and reflecting...

The struggle of the Son of Wands is that he doesn’t know who he is, and that is a lonely place to be. He is ruled by a fear that vulnerability, being honest about his uncertainty or allowing true intimacy, would bring rejection.

Mother of Wands—The Real Housewife

She’s internalized her fire and seems to radiate with it.

Her role as a matriarch only emphasizes her sensual presence, and she combats the notion that one must choose between sexuality and motherhood.

the Mother of Wands is useful medicine to anyone struggling to balance their sexuality alongside other feminine expressions and responsibilities.

The most amazing fact about the Mother of Wands to me is that she has balanced these parts of herself—heart and pelvis, love and sexuality—with perfect integrity.

This archetype will, in a heartbeat, kill for what she loves, and under threat we see the shadow side of this powerful feminine.

Father of Wands—The Mogul

Everyone loves this guy. He possesses a physical presence that electrifies any room he walks into.

The Father of Wands harnessed the latent charisma and intuition of the Son and grew it up. Here, fire meets structure, and where the Son is unfocused and destructive, the Father is a potent and dynamic energy.

He is in his full power, creativity and sexuality all at once and isn’t sorry about it, and no one wants him to be. You feel bigger in his presence.

What’s most disconcerting about this man is that he knows he is capable of using his powers in light and dark, and has done both over the course of his lifetime. His sensitivity and ability to read people makes him capable of great compassion, and also masterful manipulation.

Gemini / Libra / Aquarius

Though the intentions are good, living in this atmosphere is both creatively and emotionally stifling. They probably don’t believe in magic.

Daughter of Swords—The Killjoy

A chronic overthinker, she will suck the life out of a possibility before it even happens by mapping out every possible negative outcome. The curse of this Daughter is that she cannot be fully present in any situation.

It can also illuminate where we are too harsh with ourselves, or where we hold ourselves back out of self-consciousness.

Her powers of observation are uncanny, and her advice is fair and balanced. You trust her as an objective source on emotional matters, and her energy is an antidote to hysteria or weepiness. Her practicality is especially appreciated when we are feeling helpless, and she can see a possible course of action that we may have missed.

Son of Swords—The Agro

Intensity is not a negative characteristic, but the type displayed by the Son of Swords can feel a little bloodless.

he’s not what you’d call a people person. He’s scary and intimidating and makes others uncomfortable. He might be the friend you feel like you have to invite to a party but secretly hope he doesn’t come.

A balanced relationship will not occur here, and he tends to attract partners who are either insecure and enjoy being worshipped or are heavily guarded because he has no problem ignoring boundaries.

Mother of Swords—That Bitch You Don’t Wanna Fuck With

Honestly, she’s a bitch. She is sharp, jaded, mistrustful and quick to assume the worst about others. She rarely forgives and never forgets. Hurt people hurt people, and her cruelty is extra, utilizing her intelligence, pain and whatever she knows about you to go in for the kill. She confuses coldness for strength.

When the Mother of Swords shows up in a reading, we are asked to examine the fortress built around our hearts. How thick are the walls, how strong are the reinforcements, why did we take these protective measures in the first place and do we need them anymore?

This dad has his shit together, and he has your shit together too.

Organization is how he makes sense of the world around him.

fair, hardworking and pragmatic.

excellent leader and fair boss.

Cancer / Scorpio / Pisces

She pursues what she finds to be beautiful and interesting with no real end—a novelty in this goal-oriented and career-motivated world.

In the Son of Cups, we see a harmonious reconciliation of femininity by a masculine energy.

He’s mysterious but also knowable, a hopeless romantic with a rich emotional landscape. When imbalanced, he can be depressive, moody and retreat into fantasy. He’s probably a generous lover.

The (Slightly Co-Dependent) Nurturer

She’s an old soul.

she is naturally inclined toward helping others.

The shadow of the Mother of Cups is that she doesn’t know who she is if she’s not taking care of other people.

The inevitable eventuality the Mother of Cups lives with is that she will have to reckon with this co-dependence at some point, but rarely will it be a product of people convincing her to do so. It could be that her kids leave the nest, or she otherwise finds herself alone. A crisis or spiritual awakening could also lead her to seek fulfillment internally.

Father of Cups—The Broken Man

The Father of Cups appears in readings in varying degrees of absence. He could be an alcoholic or addict, or suffer from mental illness or chronic depression. Maybe he physically abandoned his family. Maybe he never resolved shit with his dad and is rife with unhealed trauma. Or he could...

the Father of Cups seems very successful. He abandoned what he wanted and needed and was called to do in favor of what he thought he should do, and it’s likely he’s good at it. He is respected for his diplomacy, generosity and ability to manage a positive working environment. He may even show hints of a former, abandoned self at times, but it’s a drop of water on a sun-scorched landscape.

If I’m reading for the Father of Cups, the message is to rediscover yourself. You may have to dismantle a lot of long-standing structures in order to do so, but whatever mess may be made in this process carries less consequence than staying the course. If I’m reading for someone who has the Father of Cups in their life, the urging is to walk away. The shadow of this person is quicksand. They probably won’t change, and in the ways that matter, they are already gone.

Taurus / Virgo / Capricorn

The Nice Girl

First and foremost, the Daughter of Pentacles is a student. She is open-minded and willing to consider new experiences. When she shows up in a reading it is an indication that there is a lesson available. Keep your eyes open for it. More literally, you may be called to go back to school or seek additional training, bring in a mentor or otherwise get learned.

The Nerd

He’s not going to push boundaries or take wild risks, and he’s probably not going to invent the next Internet. He will, however, accomplish his goal. A more sustainable energy than his Swords counterpart, he understands that some efforts just take time.

If the Daughter of Pentacles was waiting on or deciding between opportunities, then the Son of Pentacles got it and is grinding away.