Career Path Query

Heartchakra, too, is asking about her career path. Heartchakra says:


I'm a friend of Joanna's and I am blown away with how accurate your reading was for her. I am struggling with similar issues. In my case, I am a book designer and published writer struggling with debt and trying to find work. My degree is in fine arts, something I left behind a long time ago and never fully embraced. I would like to go into illustration, while continuing to write and design, as a way to reconnect with that side of myself. I am wondering if illustration is the right path for me.


Miss Michele did another five card reading for Heartchakra. Well, tried to. Some sticky cards made that difficult... (No, they weren't really sticky, they're clean! But two kept coming out at a time.) Let's explore the original five cards, and also see if the clarification cards add greater insight.

In the past, the Six of Swords, Heartchakra began to move away from hard times. She may have taken a literal journey, or this could indicate leaving one path (which she found challenging) for another.

The present shows still more Swords, the Six, (and the Nine, holding on for dear life!) There have been a lot of shake-ups in Heartchakra's life in the recent past, and she faces the potential for yet another move and career change.

Additionally, she's been cheated or wronged in some awful way. The Nine of Swords, the Nightmare Card, corresponds to this. The damage was very bad and Heartchakra is left wondering how she will recover.

The Hidden Influences, shown in the Major Arcana, the Hermit, demonstrates a need for isolation, for Heartchakra to be alone with her thoughts. Her desire for solitude to nurture her creativity is influencing her career move. The Hermit is the number nine card, the second nine in this reading, which shows a life cycle coming to an end. The focus is on letting go of the old.

Nines also indicate possible self-deception (supported by the Seven of Swords.) Is this change really what you want, or are you just running away from a bad situation? Make sure you are running toward something, not away. Nines say that this is the time to tie up loose ends.

The Tarot's Advice is to wait, exemplified in the Hanged Man, the proverbial card of "slow action." Take time to look at things from a different perspective, re-evaluate goals and priorities, and be true to yourself.

Now, Miss Michele is not saying "don't follow your heart" if you believe illustration is the path for you. The tarot isn't written in stone and it only shows one possible outcome. Just explore your motives carefully before making any changes in your life and go slowly. Build a strong groundwork.

Rarely does Miss Michele do a reading where so many cards say the same thing. They are practically screaming answers. The King of Swords, throwing in his two cents in the Advice position with the Hanged Man, is a card of truth, careful consideration, control, rationality and objective judgment. And, again, he speaks of tumultuous change, as shown in the suit of Swords.

The last card, The Lovers, points to a very positive Outcome. Three major arcana in this reading definitely point to a major life change on the horizon! The Outcome says you will make a choice between two divergent paths--it could be an either/or situation in your career--not both--which is why the tarot advises caution. But the Lovers is all about Choice, and you are entirely free to choose.

You will face a test before you discover which choice is correct, and it may be quite an ordeal, but you will know which answer is the right one when the time comes.

What kind of day will I have today?

It's amazing how a tarot card can change your outlook!

I woke up tired, cranky, cold (the first signs of autumn are here!) and in no mood to work. I was going to ask the tarot which project I should focus on today. At the last minute, as I shuffled my Hanson-Roberts deck, the question popped in to my mind: "What kind of day will I have today?"

After a bit more shuffling, I drew the...

Wheel of Fortune



After The "World", the Wheel of Fortune is one of the most propitious cards in the deck. Its number, 10, reduces to the number one, which corresponds with the beginning of a cycle. But 10 is better--indicating an advanced cycle, the first step of the next phase.

The card shows good luck, a change for the better, advancement and opportunity.

The reading says all my fears about RECON Magazine will be unfounded. The contract jobs I applied for yesterday may yield positive results and increased income. Perhaps the checks I've been waiting for will come in today.

Sometimes, the Wheel of Fortune forecasts the purchase of a new vehicle. That wouldn't be all bad either, considering the battery died on the Blazer this morning. But I don't think that's what it means right now.

With my e-mail box full of monthly bills, seeing this card gives me the ambition to plow ahead. Things will get better if I keep working.