Welcome to this page which is packed full of complimentary tarot readings for everyone to enjoy. I hope you find these resonate with you and are helpful in some way.

If you would like your own personalised reading from me, I can provide readings via email or video links. Please click here for more details.

Nine of Swords and Ten of Swords

It’s a New Year and I have a new pack of tarot cards (thanks to my son, who picked up on the not-so-subtle hint of sending him a link to these ones!). I am mentioning the new cards because, when I normally get a new pack, I tend to sit with them for a while and get to know them. I work with a different card each day and journal the synchronicities and messages that I feel from them. But, this time, I didn’t want to do that. This time, and this year, I am doing things a bit differently.

Along with the urge to share these tarot cards with you all immediately, I sensed the first message call loudly from them, which was, “Let’s all do things a bit differently this year.”

If we have learned anything from the last three years of unexpected, unimaginable, upheaval, it is that the world has now changed and we must learn to change with it.

This week’s cards are the Nine and Ten of Swords. I was expecting two cards very close together as, (with any new pack of cards), they were set out in order and – regardless of my shuffling– some of their new shiny surfaces had stuck together. But, I was struck by the freedom and optimism that I felt when I saw these two cards which are often feared or disliked.

The Nine of Swords shows a lady with her head in her hands. You may just be able to make out the faint outline of a bed, suggesting that she is sitting in a room alone. But, the wider picture is that the landscape which surrounds her is beautiful. The Northern Lights poke through the clouds and turn the night sky and calm sea a variety of shades of blue and green. Above the lady, crows are circling above, but, one of them is a spirit crow seen in a bright white light, reminding us that there is always someone looking down on us offering us protection and reassurance and even when we feel very alone, we are not.

I was drawn to the “bigger picture” of this card, and it reminded me of all the times in my life of (nearly) five decades where I have felt alone, anxious and afraid whilst sitting in bed in tears. We have all done this, and can resonate with the lady in this picture. But, it led me to wondering how many times had the anxiety or fears that kept me in that place been unfounded? How many times had my mind taken me to a dark place when, in fact, I was surrounded by beauty and just couldn’t see it?

We tend to reflect as we move from one year into another. We have all had our challenges and difficulties and been tested mentally, physically or spiritually. I feel this card is coming in today to acknowledge that there have been times when we have all felt like this but, it seems that this card is coming in to remind us that we have got through hard times and are starting a new year wiser, stronger and braver than we ever imagined we could be.

The Ten of Swords is often seen as the Minor Arcana equivalent of the Death Card. It signifies painful endings or upsetting losses, which can include friendships breaking down, loved ones passing over or institutions we felt safe in crumbling such as our job or our home. These are signified by the group of ten crows who are now flying away on mass and leaving this woman on her own.

The difference between this lady and our previous one is that she is standing tall and proud, facing the sunrise head on and ready to start a new day – or possibly a new year. The crows are not bothering her and, as they fly out of the scene, their screeching noises go with them, leaving behind a peaceful quietness so the lady can listen to her own quiet intuition and make her next move.

I feel these are the perfect two cards to walk into the bright (yet unknown) future of a New Year with. As we all stand tall and face this New Year, we are being invited to look upon the blank canvas of life with hope and optimism.

As I look at the Ten of Swords I certainly feel hopeful. These cards have struck a chord with me personally as I remember 2022 as the year where I cared for my sister as her health deteriorated and when I was overcome with grief as I had to plan her funeral and deal with her Estate. But, when I look at the Nine of Swords, I do not feel the sadness, as I am looking at the white, spirit crow and seeing it as my sister who is now at peace and no longer in pain. I dare say, I will have more moments in 2023 when I have my head in my hands but, like the times that preceded them, I will get through them and feel positive again – as I am sure you will too with your own personal challenges and obstacles that you face.

So step into the New Year embracing the sense of freedom that these cards are giving us. The times for fear, worry and fretting have gone, and it is time to stand tall with a sense of empowerment and freedom and bravely walk towards your future.

---