Readings 29 April and 10 May 2022
Left hand column represents Ukraine
Top to bottom
Aspect/Issue-present-future
Right hand column represents Russia
Top to bottom,
Aspect/Issue-present-future
We all see the issue although we may have different interpretations, depending on where we are living in the world, and our own historical and cultural perspective and personal outlook.
The reader is not free of bias. However, the reader exercises absolutely zero conscious control in selecting the cards, which are drawn blindly and at random. No- one knows what the ultimate outcome will be. Everyone is ‘looking in the glass darkly’, and although the reader may be influenced by personal prejudice when it comes to interpretation of the cards drawn at random, the rules of Tarot divination allow the reader only so much freedom of latitude.
Anyone can look at these cards and form their own intuitive impressions, based on the imagery alone, helped by their own experiences of reading faces and situations in their own lives.
Possible Outcomes (as we all know)
-Russia will completely overrun Ukraine, install a puppet government in Kyiv and then possibly invade other territories, Moldova, Estonia.
-Ukraine will repel the Russian invasion and recapture the Donbas and Mariupol, if not Crimea, though this seems unlikely.
-There will be ongoing guerilla warfare in Eastern Ukraine drawn out over years if not decades. This war started in 2014.
-Ukraine will remain an independent nation state but Russia will succeed in taking the Donbas/Mariupol and Ukraine will become further partitioned.
The Runes
You will notice two stones drawn against each column of cards. These are old Norse runes.
Ukraine has drawn SOWILO and ISA. These runes signify happiness (sunflowers) and success. However, this happiness has been frozen by ISA, the rune of Ice, cold and stagnation. Reading these runes in another way, the Sowilo rune looks like the Z on the Russian tanks, while Isa suggests Russian tanks are stopped. These runes suggest eventual victory at great cost, Russia stopped in its tracks.
Russia has drawn DAGAZ and HAGALL, meaning Daylight and HAIL/Storm. These runes are saying that Russia dreams of a new Imperial dawn (and every dog will have its day) but HAGALL brings a great blow.
The Cards
Card One: The disruptive (quite an understatement) Five Wands REVERSED. Meaning: Conflict/competition/unsettled market forces. This suggests active fighting continues at least into early summer. In terms of timing the Five of Wands represents the first decan of Leo which spans 21 July-22 August. The first decan is the last week of July, 23-1 August. Perhaps we will see a ceasefire about this time.
This is a massive simplification, but these cards suggest the last scenario as the most likely outcome.
The Justice card is drawn opposite The Hanged Man- a sacrifice made for a return to Law and Order.
Ukraine is fighting for ‘Justice’- the rule of Law. By this we mean its own autonomous law, and the principle of international law and order. Russia is fighting for the surrender of Ukraine. The Hanged Man means surrender of sacrifice. Russia wants the removal of Zelenskyy, who has personally been represented by The Hanged Man in previous readings (see archives) Russia has made a series of attempts on Zelenskyy’s life starting 23 February. Ukraine has made plans in case of his death, and this is unpleasant but only prudent.
It would be wrong to make predictions of death, but in previous readings, the cards have indicated that while the risk is very real, Zelenskyy survives the conclusion of hostilities. The central Ten of Swords however suggests a fresh blow to Ukraine or to Zelenskyy personally, possibly another attempt or added risk in June, correlating with third decan Gemini,around 11-20 June.
At the same time, perhaps directly connected to that Ten of Swords or its aftermath, we have the Four of Swords for Russia -or for Putin personally. This is a classic card of rest and retreat. The Four of Swords is nicknamed the sick bed card or hospital card. This reader does believe that President Putin has a serious health issue. By the same token, this card of retreat could mean a peak in the conflict, and in consequence, a pause, truce or ceasefire.
But what’s the process in play here? This reading is merely a snapshot in time. The reader is asking themselves, “what am I feeling about this situation right now?” Using the cards to reflect their own feelings back at them, the better to articulate them.
Ukraine Future cards
Seven of Pentacles, slow progress, patience, persistence, disappointment but there is a harvest. This card equates with third decan Taurus ie now, if we are to read the card in this way. Why might this be? M Macron has apparently said it would take ‘decades’ to admit Ukraine into the EU, although the EU will seek other ways to help Ukraine. Macron proposes to create a new Pan European body- which countries like Ukraine could join. Read more about that here
The Fool card: Destiny. There is no card more numinous, more powerful than this one in the Tarot deck. It is the card of the Portal, Ground Zero. Again, like The Hanged Man, it is Odin who sacrificed an eye in exchange for knowledge. Ukraine has already worn so many identities in the past, but will be reborn with a new constitution. How is that, when they are fighting with such determination to preserve their current identity? Does it mean that Russia is going to conquer Ukraine?
Knight of Swords The reader looks to the next card for the possible answer. The Knight of Swords represents anything but a defeat. This knight is swift, agile, ruthless. The god is Mercury, the zodiac entity is Gemini. The Knight of Swords is intellect, law, cool air, a rushing wind, an east wind. The Knight of Swords attacks. This is an aspect of Zelenskyy himself, and his deployment of the modern media has been masterly, Mercury in action. Zelenskyy is a modern leader. Tech savvy,media savvy, and a match for Putin intellectually. Maybe more than. He represents the future. Putin is non tech savvy, essentially a leader from the nineteenth century.
This card suggests a fierce fight back. Ukraine seems likely to move from fighting in defense mode to counter offensive, and may already be doing so, with an effort being made at this time to retake Snake Island and deny Russia that strategic position on the Black Sea.
Ukraine is mobilizing social media, Art and Beauty.
Knight of Swords says Ukraine will build a new air force. Never again will it allow itself to lie defenseless and naked to the skies.
Russia Future cards
The Hierophant is Taurus (now) The Hierophant is the Church. Putin has the endorsement of the Russian Orthodox Church to go take the two separatist republics, as represented by the two keys shown on the card. and also, kill sexual deviants and decadent people while doing so, because there is nothing deviant about the rape of unarmed civilian women. And children. The Hierophant is orthodoxy and tradition. Putin is an Imperialist, not a Communist. The Hierophant does suggest to the reader, that, like it or not, Russia may ultimately succeed in annexing the Donbas because of those two keys, and because The Hierophant speaks of tradition and conservation. Reclaiming the past.
The Two of Swords is the central card drawn. Here it has been drawn reversed. Again, added to that Hierophant, this suggests a severance of two entities. Partition. It also means the end of a period of indecision or the end of a long stalemate or deadlock. Someone may be experiencing headaches or eyestrain; either Putin himself or someone very close. I have known this card to mean exactly this too many times before for me to discount that interpretation.
The Two of Swords may additionally refer to Putin’s undoubted chagrin in respect of the applications of Sweden and Finland to now join NATO in response to the perceived threat to their own borders as a consequence of Putin’s unbridled aggression in Ukraine.
King of Swords. Libra (October) and Aquarius (late January-late February) 2023 could be definitive for Putin personally. Other card readings have suggested that he leaves or has left power no later than February-April 2024, but other cards, including The Joker, suggest it could well happen sooner.
Zelenskyy is astrologically a King of Swords, born 25 January, 1978 if the information is correct, and is quite possibly going to prove to be Putin’s nemesis, although at this terrible cost, with that cost still mounting. What can one do with an opponent who simply does not care how much damage he inflicts? There is a spitefulness in Putin. Astrologically he is a Queen of Swords. This card has come up on repeated occasions, usually drawn upside down or and when draw reversed, this otherwise savvy, wise and subtle Queen becomes bitter and vindictive.
In metaphorical terms, Zelenskyy, being drawn as a King of Swords drawn upright, is capable of steely ruthlessness in a desperate situation, and will cut off your head if he judges the emergency warrants it, but it isn’t personal.
Putin, being drawn as a Queen of Swords drawn reversed, will cut off your head after you have already surrendered, and it’s personal.
Henry v111 has been used as the model for this card in this deck, and I’d say he was both a King and Queen of Swords reversed in terms of his behaviour, although astrologically he was a sun Cancer subject, born 28 June and his rising sign was Virgo; exceedingly sensitive emotionally, and at the same time- that Virgo Mercury influence- highly analytical and detail focused.
But the appearance of this powerful court card does suggest Putin gets something for his efforts. He has to, or he is toast.
7 May I drew playing cards asking when Putin leaves power laying out the cards in rows, each card representing a month.
I asked my cards, ‘show me the Ace of Spades or Ten Spades to show me when Putin goes from power’.
The Ten of Swords turned up in the time slot representing March 2024 and this card was flanked by two Aces which struck me as significant. Aces mean new starts. The Ten of Swords was flanked by the Ace of Diamonds,representing February 2024, and the Ace of Clubs representing April 2024.
These Aces suggest a new leadership. Either one of them can mean a new government.
However, The Four of Swords drawn for late 2022 and the Joker drawn for January 2023 suggest big changes could happen far sooner, on the Russian side.
In particular The Joker, denoting change that is as sudden or surprising as it is momentous.
The Joker is no laughing matter. He never was. He is The Fool on The Hill, neither good nor evil but still, a portal. The Joker says…a great destiny is in play here that will help shape the future world order for a long time to come. To those who say ‘what is this to do with us in the UK?’ (That is, if we leave the nukes out of the question, and no, the UK is not going to get nuked, much as Putin may be itching to teach us a ‘lesson.’)
To those people, The Joker says, what is freedom? What is justice? The rule of Law? Self-respect? Self determination? What do we mean by these words? How much do they matter to us based on our understanding of what they mean when applied in action? In every day living? What is their value? What is their cost? What would we pay, what would we sacrifice to guarantee them for ourselves or our own people? Not to live under the boot.
April 2024 for Putin’s departure may seem a long way off, but it could chime with that Two of Swords reversed on the Russia timeline, which brackets a time frame running from October 2022 Libra- or up to another two years in duration from today 10 May 2022.
One can see that scenario is perfectly credible and realistic, but I somehow don’t feel this will continue so long as 2024, not at this intensity, partly based on that appearance of The Joker.
Putin preparing for a long war, say US officials
Vladimir Putin appears to be preparing for a long war in Ukraine, top US intelligence officials said.
“The Russians aren’t winning and the Ukrainians aren’t winning and we’re at a bit of a stalemate here,” Lieutenant General Scott Berrier, the head of the Defence Intelligence Agency, said before the Senate Armed Services Committee.
Russia, which calls the invasion “a special military operation,” poured more troops into Ukraine for a huge offensive last month in the eastern part of the country but its gains have been slow.
US Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, also appearing before the Armed Services Committee, said: “We assess President Putin is preparing for a prolonged conflict in Ukraine during which he still intends to achieve goals beyond the Donbas.”
She added that Mr Putin was counting on the Western resolve to weaken over time and as the conflict continued, there was concern about how it would develop in the coming months.
Source: The Independent
The reader has got things right before, Brexit, tsunami of January 2022, the election of Boris Johnson first as party leader and then as PM. But readers also get things wrong. Of course they do. This is divination, not black magic. This reader was pretty wobbly on the re-election of Donald Trump, not seeing that the Ace of Swords, which she mistook for a likely election victory was in fact, the armed incursion on Capitol Hill in the aftermath (and- declaration of bias- she is not a Trump fan, but nor is she a Biden fan)It’s all in the archives.
As ever only Time will tell. But meantime, I will keep looking.
We ‘look in the glass darkly’ to ‘see the world in a grain of sand’ or a drop of water – or a mote in the Mind’s eye.
True Tarot Tales 