China – True Tarot Tales

In The Glass Darkly, Tarot, China and Taiwan 2023

All readings are to be regarded as for entertainment and personal interest only.

The history of Taiwan is complex. Wiki History of Taiwan

Given the long rumbling tensions, and in the wake of recent further air incursions by China into Taiwanese air space, what does the Tarot and what does cartomancy with playing cards detect in respect of the likeliness of an attempted land invasion by China of Taiwan, 2023, 2024 and 2025?

The cards shown below are from The Gilded Tarot Royale, author Barbara Moore, illustrator Ciro Marchetti.

Tweeted 10 January

#Tarot China. Invasion of #Taiwan 2023, 2024, 2025? CARDS The Hanged Man, Ace Swords REV, 6 Cups. Air ‘threat’-Fighter jets, yes. Likelihood of attempted land invasion LOW. Pres Xi doesn’t NEED to. Other finance/tech strategies already highly effective+Covid/economy/US/Ukraine.

Card One: The Hanging Man

The Hanged Man steps back, hangs back, takes time to think, weighs the cost. President Xi may personally yearn to make a decisive move, but deduces it is not a logical move at this time, and perhaps, while desirable, the cost may outweigh any future benefits, and is it even necessary?

Astrologically The Hanging Man or Hanged Man depending on the deck corresponds with the planet Neptune, watery, fathomless-lacking boundaries. It deals in dreams. The planetary rulers of the water sign Pisces are fiery Mars, its traditional ruler, but Neptune is its modern ruler. Where is the limit of our domain?

The Hanging Man does not indicate readiness for action. But should hostilities commence in the Strait of Taiwan in 2023, then a couple of timings to watch out could be during Pisces. Another window to watch could be during the transit of Mars in Cancer.

This starts right at the end of Pisces season, 25 March 2023-20 May 2023. Why might this be significant in real life events? Mars in Cancer symbolically translates as Mars/initiation/war/action) in Cancer/sea/early summer.

This may also refer to events in the Black Sea. ‘Fire at Sea.’

Card 2: The Ace of Swords reversed

The Ace of Swords is a card of decision, decisive action- or attack. This is an air suit card suitable to describe aircraft or aerial invasion or bombardment. It is also a card of stress, strife and issues to do with authority and control, as well as Information technology.

Drawn reversed, as it has been here, it appears to be reflecting the fact that President Xi has a lot on his plate at this time. Not least covid, civil unrest and Putin’s invasion of Ukraine which seems to be more of a nuisance for Xi than a green light to make any further moves on Taiwan.

In addition, while Europe has not so far put on a measured, carefully calibrated, costly but still, not particularly impressive show of unity or strength in supporting Ukraine against Putin’s total war- neither has the US- President Xi-despite his extensive intelligence networks- seems unsure as to the likely strength of military response from the US should China escalate aggression against Taiwan. Has the US really not got more Patriot missile systems to spare for Ukraine? Or is it doling them out sparingly, measured just sufficiently so as to prevent a Russian takeover in Ukraine, forcing Putin to expend evermore resources, while keeping its powder dry with a weather eye on China?

The Ace Swords, drawn in the central position, clearly reflects the stakes, and is confirming the issue under discussion. If we wre looking at the Ace Swords in the third, future position, the Tarot would be flagging up a possible yes answer, especially if it had been drawn upright.

Card 3: The Six of Cups

This is generally a peaceable card, but it does suggest that President Xi looks at Taiwan with a kind of nostalgia. That he genuinely believes it is a part of China, and is an asset that should come within China’s direct control. But he does not need to take this risk. China is consolidating its sphere of influence hegemony through ‘soft strategies,’ makings itself ‘local’ pretty much everywhere. Quietly. Barely noticed. The number 6 is a number of health, service, community and heritage.

This card of childhood seems to reflect an awareness of the youngest generation. China seems to be planning for a future in which there are fewer ‘young people.’

The population of China has more than doubled since the 1950s. The country was the first in the world to hit one billion people in 1980.

However, in 1979, in an attempt to control the burgeoning population, the infamous one-child policy was introduced, putting controls on how many children Chinese citizens could have.

While the government eventually recognized the negative implications of this policy, it appeared to be too little, too late. The two-child policy was introduced in 2016, but it has not yet reversed the current slowdown in population growth.

Nonetheless. The population of China currently stands c 1.44 billion, more than the populations of the US, Canada, South America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand-and then some. And population growth is slowing in these other regions. Read more HERE

The Six of Cups is usually anything but a warlike card. It has all the ease of a long summer afternoon.

However, it may be worth noting, the beautiful Six of Cups corresponds with the elemental quality of fixed water, and with the second decan of Scorpio 2-11 November. Mighty Scorpio, ruled by Mars and Pluto. The major cards that correlate with this minor card are The Sun and Death. The lower the sun, the longer the shadow, however golden the sunset.

This Sun card connection prompts me to observe that China, in watching Taiwan, does not forget its history with Japan. The United Kingdom, this day, has signed an historic Defence agreement with Japan, also a former ruler in Taiwan.

Read more HERE.

Cartomancy

The playing cards below represent three spreads -three ‘Lines of Five’. The reader is asking, what is the likelihood of China invading Taiwan in 2023, 2024 and 2025?

The reader notes the overall balance of the red suits/black suit cards, then notes the order of the cards, paying particular attention to the central card and the final/prediction card, and then considers the individual card meanings.

A dominance of red suit cards generally indicate a yes answer. A dominance of black suit cards generally indicates a no answer. Why is that? How does that work? Well, it works on self-programming. The reader establishes the ‘code’, telling ourselves that this is the drill, these are the meanings, this is how we’re doing it. With time and practice-or even right away, this instruction to the self starts to function as an inner algorithm.

Row 1 -2023

5 Diamonds/7 Clubs/8 Clubs/ Jack Clubs/ 6 Spades

China’s current priority, as it is being shown here is Business. The economy. This is shown by the central card,the 8 of Clubs. It’s doing well and will only do better in the near future, despite the problems of covid. Why does it seem to get better in 2023? The 98 of Clubs is followed by the Jack of Clubs. NEW business. The 6 Spades signifies progress, recovery fro covid, economic recovery, and boosts in tech and space tech later in 2023. The 6 Spades correlates with the last decan of Aquarius. China has plenty else to be getting on with.

1 red suit (yes) card. 4 black suit (no) cards.

Likelihood of invasion of Taiwan detected as LOW.

Row 2 -2024

9 Diamonds/King Clubs/8 Spades/King Hearts/7 Spades

There are 2 King cards in this row. Do they represent Xi himself? The King of Business and Government is looking back at the 9 Diamond of 2023 with a degree of satisfaction. He has chalked up some economic success despite the challenges of covid. But then he hits a rock. Maybe it is a personal health issue. The 8 Spades can mean a hospital. Or maybe it is the public health bill in the aftermath of covid and now it is coming home to roost. Unless, God forbid, it is yet another covid lock-down in 2024.

The final card in the row, the 7 Spades, signifies temptation,frustration,surveillance, and sometimes espionage.

The 7 Spades is also the card that talks about diplomacy and national security. China may find during 2024 that there is a push back from other countries, who have become increasingly anxious that they have allowed China to invest too great a stake in their own national infrastructure.

2 red suit (yes) cards, 3 black suit (no) cards. Likelihood of Taiwan invasion detected as unlikely but possible. That 7 Spades could be provocative. Twitchy.

Row 3- 2025

8 Diamonds, 2 Clubs, 3 Swords,7 Diamonds, 6 Hearts

The first card on this row, the 8 Diamonds denotes power, and a greater economic and social stability. China is rising. But will it be the same China we know right now? The central card, the 3 Spades denotes separation, loss, departure, sometimes death, suggesting that China may see a new leader before the end of 2025.

The second card, the 2 Clubs says it can unify business with Taiwan and in time, this will become a form of mutual governance.

This is the row with the most red suit cards. 3 red suit (yes) cards 2 black suit (no) cards. Likelihood of invasion of Taiwan detected as not highly likely, but somewhat more likely than in either 2023 or 2024.

What cards would most clearly indicate an outright military conflict? I am looking at the central card and also the last card on each of these 3 rows, to see the Ace Spades, Ace Wands, 2 Spades, 10 Spades or even The Joker drawn in either of these positions. None of these have appeared. The closes we’ve come is with the 3 Spades drawn in 2025.

None of which is to say there will be no invasion of Taiwan now or ever. But the signs are not there, indicative that China is ready or prepared to mount such an effort, and nor may it feel the need to, based on the way it sees the wheel turning. And what is its actual military capacity, actually, at this time? Even if it not averse to being seen to flex its muscles in a public invasion of Taiwan’s airspace.

Back soon.

Till next time.

Putin and Xi: a Tarot’s Eye View 19 -28 March

An esteemed astrologer friend Patrick Arundell messaged me this morning to say had I seen this article by John Varga via The Daily Express online?

Xi loses patience with Putin as China pulls plug on £380m deal in blow to Russian economy

The decision will come as a huge blow to the Russian President, who had been counting on Beijing’s assistance in overcoming Western sanctions. China’s president has up until now been a staunch supporter and key ally of the Russian strongman in his fight to take on the West. Prior to Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the two leaders met in Beijing ahead of the Winter Olympics, where they reaffirmed their commitment to one another.

In a joint statement both Xi and Putin declared there were “no limits” between Moscow and Beijing.

However, there are signs that Beijing may be re-evaluating its relationship with Moscow.

China’s state-run Sinopec Group has pulled out of a $500million (£380million) deal to market Russian gas for Sibur in China due to fears of being targeted with sanctions.

One of Sibur’s directors and investors is Gennady Timchenko, a long-term ally of Putin.

Mr Timchenko has already been sanctioned by the West in the wake of Russia’s annexation of Crimea in 2014…...

click to read more SOURCE

Patrick was following up on a conversation we had online a few days ago discussing an astrological chart he had posted, President Putin’s own natal chart.

Patrick is one of the few astrologers who publicly forecast the invasion in the days before it happened, while Putin was still assuring the world these were purely mass military exercises, and many very seasoned political commentators did not believe he would actually go ahead and do it. I didn’t either. I felt in January I had a bad feeling about 2022. I did not like this Jupiter in Pisces business one bit. I didn’t like that astrological vision of Jupiter expanding in a fathomless ocean, and I still don’t, and I wrote that I expected tsunamis and a number of other things besides. But Patrick expressed an explicit concern that Putin was about to attack Mariupol.

Patrick later tweeted Putin’s natal chart 25 February: commenting (Patrick has kindly given me permission to quote):

“Putin’s Mercury conjunct Neptune in the 12th and with Saturn close by, despite its exaltation in Libra, shameless cold detached lies. Classic smoke-n-mirrors. Dmitry Peskov, Putin’s PR’s Sun is exactly conjunct Putin’s Mercury”.

Here we are, only a few weeks later, so much destruction and death has happened since, sadly hideous beyond belief.

19 March I drew the card spread below asking to be shown “Putin’s thinking at this present moment in respect of the situation in Ukraine.”

Tweeted 23 March

Cards 19 March, see that 10 Swords central, then top far right, the 9 Swords. China bottom right, 9 Pentacles. Lovers. P(utin) gone too far to withdraw and pretend he is ready to settle for less but is constantly recalculating options (Lovers, Gemini) World reversed up ahead. Non completion.

Card meanings in summary:

Putin looking very unhappy (central 10 Swords)

Putin frustrated with slow progress re Mariupol and Kyiv (top card 8 Swords) He has to get that control of the sea of Azov (Queen of Cups reversed, at the bottom =seaside/port)and he has to have it by the summer (Queen of Cups = the zodiac sign of Cancer, late June-late July.)

Putin had a major decision coming up (strategy) Awkward choices (The Lovers means unequal or conflicted decisions and choices, not just romance.)

The least Putin might settle for (?) will be that Zelenskyy concedes the territory of the 2 republics of Donetsk and Luhansk (2 Pentacles)

Putin is having sleepless nights (9 Swords)

A decision or agreement may possibly materialize in Gemini time, late May- late June (Lovers again plus the 9 Swords can correlate with second decan Gemini.)

Putin frustrated with slow progress re Mariupol and Kyiv (top card 8 Swords- a city by the sea under siege.)

Putin wants this signed, sealed, done and dusted before the end of this year (3 Pentacles = job done + it correlates with Capricorn, December) The World card reversed shows the end of the year and suggests a task enterprise or cycle has that not been completed. On occasion, the World reversed can indicate a death, as in, someone leaves this world. ( Reminder: the focus here is on Putin individually, his own situation and surroundings.)

Putin is worried about China and money…that 8 of Pentacles card at the bottom right reflects a pressing concern or preoccupation.

Here is that same card again in close up.

You can see this is a money card, and the China connection is suggested by virtue of the artwork itself. Had I been using a different deck, I would not have drawn such an obviously relevant image, but that’s how it goes. I did choose this deck and not one of the several others I might have used instead. The lady, ‘China’, holds her hawk on her wrist. She controls the hawk of her own wild impulses. She is watchful, she keeps her house in order, she will delay gratification if need be. She has many beautiful things but she has known what it is to do without. China is playing it cool here.

As for the article, one supposes it is possible that £380 million is still only chickenfeed to President Putin.

But what if it is a straw on a changing wind now blowing in from Beijing?

China’s business heart: the city of Shanghai is now contending with a whole new and massive wave of covid with millions locked down again and oil prices falling within the last 9 hours at the time of writing..

Things are moving so fast.

What if we look at President Putin today?

Illuminati Tarot 28 March 2022

These cards suggest that Mr Putin is feeling less fraught than last time we looked but still, he is seriously not happy on a number of points.

Putin’s war could be in serious trouble by late October. The 5 of Cups is Scorpio 23 October-2 November. The Crowley meaning of the card is ‘Lord Of Loss in Pleasure’.

Closer in time The Four of Wands is showing me the Turkish government. Four = building/place of work/business/government. See the Crescent moon on top. I feel Putin is not pleased with Erdogan. Why not? Perhaps he thinks Erdogan is using him to try and cozy up with the West for his own gains.

The Nine of Wands reversed. This central card drawn upside down, means someone loses their nerve or strength, backs down or bottles out. Perhaps Putin feels that Turkey is trying to cozy up with the US at his expense?

Reminder: the reader doesn’t claim to know anything we don’t all know. This is an exercise with the Tarot, a demonstration of divination in modern usage, illustrating a process that readers generally don’t tend to discuss with non-readers.

The Chariot Reversed is the third card in the row. Card meanings: progress is slow, halted, lack of unity, problems of communication. Two horses not working as a team, loss of control.

The Charioteer here is Mr Putin himself. Not fully in control. He really does not like it. He fears a ‘car crash.’ This is likely purely metaphorical, but may also refer literally to tank regiments -or more.

What else?

We have The King of Pentacles drawn reversed. Taurus time is coming soon – this card is ruled by Taurus. It will likely bring even more money troubles for Putin. In addition, this card is President Xi himself….drawn upside down because ….Putin has had/will have some further bad news from that quarter?

See the card when it is drawn the right way up. China + Mr Moneybags.

Yes, this card is clearly meant to be saying Japan and this king looks Samurai and does not look remotely like President Xi personally, but the Tarot is doing its best and we can’t ask for everything. Notice he wears the horns of Taurus, the heavenly Bull, 20 April-20 May approx, and with a partial solar eclipse on Saturday 30 April. In astrology eclipses, even partial ones, are always, but always considered significant trigger points or turning points in world events, even if the consequences are a while coming. Taurus is at about 10 degrees in that forthcoming eclipse. (I was born 30 April at 9 degrees of Taurus. Oo-err, I had better beware of the bull.)

In practical terms it can mean big world banking woes for Putin in addition to whatever is happening with China.

What next for President Putin?

That last card on the right, the 5 Cups is about reckoning with losses, seeing what can still be achieved. recovered or retained. This figure has lost 3 precious cups, but 2 remain to him. Here is the hope that a ceasefire may happen soon, possibly in April soonest has been previously suggested by multiple appearances of the Queen of Wands (Aries season, 20 March-20 April)

President Putin still confidently expects to acquire the 2 breakaway republics, Donetsk and Luhansk – Mariupol too, once he has battered Ukraine and Zelenskyy into a frame of mind more amenable to his demands, but which is taking a whole lot of doing as they are defending their own, and there is no more powerful human motivation.

These are not predictions but are purely the Tarot’s impressions in respect of President Putin himself, as seen in the cards between 19 March and today, 28 March.

Dark days, troubled times. Every day in some corner of the world, someone’s crying in this ‘vale of tears’.

We are all walking the winding road. But spring is coming, and something good is never impossible. The best news indicated at this point in the cards, is the indication that this old-new former Russian territory state Ukraine, survives as an autonomous sovereign entity. The worst, well it is happening, and Putin may still get what he ought not to get- the Donbass -and all its potentially lucrative minerals.