Pathworking the Tarot

Pathwork is deep work. You want to use the tarot to improve yourself, to explore your spiritual path, and to get to know the cards better but feel stuck, maybe it’s time to take your study to the next level. Maybe it’s time to really dig in. To give you a good understanding of what this work is like, below is a lengthy excerpt that gives an example of how Leeza Robertson approaches the Minors.

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The Sevens

The Sevens in many respects are ambiguous, with each of these cards seeming to have an ‘either or’ type meaning or representation. Just when you think you have a seven sorted it out, it throws up another possibility. I guess this is why the Sevens in numerology are associated with lessons and learning. It could even be said that there is not a lot of action in these cards. We are either distracted and taking a stand, but not actually moving, daydreaming about what will be when our manifestation ripens, or worrying about what we have, don’t have, and what we think we should have. So what lesson have you come here to learn?  Have you wandered into the Sevens to learn how to set boundaries, or have you come here to learn how to refine your feeling and decision-making? Perhaps you have to learn patience. There is no doubt that lessons are abound within the Sevens, be they emotional, mental, spiritual or physical.

The Seven of Swords is the first of our ambiguous cards. Is this the card about stealing or reclaiming? Is the character stealing swords or taking back what is theirs? Are there any indicators in the card itself to even let us know what the truth is about what we are seeing? Considering that the swords are a mental/mind card, could it be the mind clearing out thoughts and beliefs and ideas that are no longer needed? Maybe it’s your mind reclaiming boundaries around thoughts ideas and beliefs. This is where the other cards around your Seven of Swords in a reading will help you decide whether something is being lost or something is being retrieved. So what’s up with the Swords that get left behind? One of the very interesting elements of this card is that there are things that get left behind, but what are those things, and how do we know what to take, reclaim and what to leave behind? Could it be that we are trying to gather elements of our lost goals or dreams? The Seven of Swords is connected to both the Moon and the High Priestess which also adds to the mysterious duality of this card. Nothing is quite as it seems, and maybe that is the lesson. Don’t trust everything you see or think at this time, because not all of it is illuminated.  There may be important things hidden and left out of the light, in order for you to make good life affirming decisions.

 The Seven of Wands is our second ambiguous card, because let’s face it, can you tell if the person in this card is being attacked or gathering support? Just like the Seven of Swords, the Seven of Wands really is up for personal interpretation. Your emotional triggers will dictate how you interpret the image on this card. You will either see it as supportive or combative. So which is it?  Do any of the cards around it in a spread or reading make it’s meaning even clearer or do they just confuse the matter even more? To be fair, there could be both elements playing out in this card at the same time, for when one takes a personal stand, and rallies others to support that stand, there will always be those who are in opposition. In other words, you can’t please everyone. You may very well be doing what is right by your personal definition, but that doesn’t mean everyone around you will see it that way. In many respects, we see elements of the strength card here in the Seven of Wands, maybe due to its connection to Leo. It takes courage and strength in order to define one’s boundaries, even if at times we can’t tell if we are defending them or reclaiming them.

The Seven of Cups looks like a hoarder’s delight with cups filled to the brim with God only knows what. There seems no rhyme or reason or logic in order to anything that we find stuffed within the Seven of Cups. Maybe they are filled with fantasies and images, fresh from the imagination, offering up possibilities and opportunities. Perhaps they are nothing more then hoarded collectibles gathering dust and serving no real purpose. Maybe they are treasured memories from important times, important places, and important people. Each of these cups could be anchoring you to a past that feels more real than the current moment you now find yourself. Remember that the decision you made back in the Sixes has influenced what has happened here in the Sevens. If you were able to let go of the past and the nostalgic hook that was wrapped around the Six of Cups, then what you see before you now could be a possibility for a new future, a new journey and a new experience. If, however, you have clung to those past experiences and those past memories and carried them with you into this moment, then the Seventh Cup is you just making more space to fill with old memories. None of the Cups serve a purpose, except to fulfill fantasies of a time that no longer exists. So, which is it? Are you clinging to a time, space and feeling that no longer exists, or are you daydreaming of the possibilities of this new and exciting journey?

The Seven of Pentacles is often depicted in a garden setting with a tree housing the pentacles. However, are these pentacles ripe and ready for the taking or are they still unattainable and offering only a hint of something that you must wait to receive? I have often heard this card described as the card of harvest, yet we do not actually see anyone taking the pentacles from where they are growing. This often leads me to believe that the fruit of our labor is not yet ready to be harvested at all. Instead, it teases and taunts us with expectation and possible potential. You could think of this card as a window into your own personal garden of manifestation, where you can check how your dreams, goals, and hopes are growing. You can see if there is work to be done in your garden based on the cards that surround the Seven of Pentacles in a reading or a spread. Have you neglected your manifestation garden? Have weeds overtaken all that you were growing and are now strangling your creations,or does your garden thrive and prosper? Check the other cards around Seven of Pentacles to see whether or not you are good at this gardening thing, or whether this is a skill you are going to have to sharpen.

Path Work

Intentional

You have made it through the change of the Fives and reset your commitment to your goal or dream in the Sixes.Now it’s time for a little course correction. The Sevens of the Minor Arcana are linked to the Chariot in the Major Arcana, and even though it doesn’t always look like there is a lot of movement in these cards, there really are some very firm decisions about direction being made. As you learned with the Chariot, movement is best served when it is done deliberately with a firm, conscious intention behind it.  One of these four cards holds the key to your next move, and just like the watery undertows of the Chariot, you are going to have to feel your way through your choice. Remove the four Sevens from you deck and place them face down in front of you. Give them a little shuffle, just enough so you don’t know where each one is. Then pick each card up one at time. Do not look at it, rather hold it to your heart chakra. Take a couple of nice deep breaths and see if there is a connection there. If not, just place it to your left and keep going until you find the card that you ‘feel’ is in sync with the direction you know you need to go. Once you have selected your card, and yes you have to chose one and one only, place it somewhere you can see it and leave it there for a couple of days. Pick it up at least a couple of during the day and reconnect with it on a heart level. You may close your eyes as you make your heart connection and see if the card itself has any messages for you. You can also journal about what you see on the card itself, such as the colors, the mood, the environment and anything else that catches your eye and peeks your interest. But most importantly, move in the direction you card suggests.

Intuitive

Go ahead and grab the four Sevens out of your deck and lay them face up in front of you. Just take your time and really look at the pictures. Forget about the meanings for a minute, and just let your eyes room over the four cards, letting your vision register the colors, shapes or anything that just catches their attention. As you roam your eyes over the cards, write down the things that pop out at you. They don’t have to be in any sort of order, or in any detail, just jot them down. I am sometimes taken in by the lazy, yet longing expression, that is often drawn on the face of the person in the Seven of Pentacles cards.My eyes focus on the Seven of Cups trying to make out all the things that are stuffed inside them. What is currently catching your eye and pulling at you? The moment you find yourself seeking or deliberately searching for something in the cards, stop. Check over your notes and have a look at what you have written. What is the one thing in your notes that stands out the most and which card is it on? Zoom in on it, pick up the corresponding card, and examine it further. Literally talk yourself through the item, color or thing that stood out the most to you. Describe it, name it, claim it and give it a narrative that is relevant to your current goal or dream. This exercise allows you to connect with the card on its terms and does not rely on an already predetermined meaning. Take you time with this exercise and just allow the card to speak to you both visually and intuitively.

Wandering

The Sevens are linked to movement as well as lessons. Have you ever wandered your way through a lesson or learned something while engaging your body? This is known as kinestheticlearning and is a very effective way to remember details and absorb data. This form of teaching is often used with children and adults who have ADHD, as it grounds the information in a way that the brain recognizers. It is also a very cool hypnosis tool. The idea is simple in that you associate a physical movement with something you are trying to learn. This could be remembering an answer to a math problem by pulling your left ear or tapping the end of your nose to recall a specific task on your to-do-list. Funny enough, we all learn some form of information this way. Before you do anything, you need to decide what piece of information you want to engage with in this physical aspect. Is it a reminder to set boundaries with the Seven of Wands? Is it to check in and see what you feel you have left behind in the Seven of Swords? Is it a reminder to stop daydreaming and get back to work with the Seven of Cups, or do you want to learn how to know when your manifestation garden is ripe and ready to harvest with the Seven of Pentacles? The best part about this exercise is you can make it as fun as you want it to be. Get into the same pose as the figures on your card, as you affirm your lesson. For example, stand like the figure in the Seven of Wands, but beat your chest as you say, “I make no apologizes for setting clear boundaries to protect myself and all that I am creating.” If you do yoga this might feel familiar to you, as often times you are asked to affirm or repeat mantras as you hold specific poses. Now go pick your card, get your body in on the act, and have as much fun as possible learning how to activate, engage and interact with the lessons of the Sevens.