by John Rogers and Angela Rawlings
"Focus on the fifth chakra, just below the throat, which governs speech and expression. It is a supremely positive card for a young publication."
In our tarot reading for the Radical Art Review, three people appear prominently: in this way, we could call it “a populated spread.” In the case of the Radical Art Review, there appear to be three significant figures in the organisation that these cards could represent, or reveal aspects of.
First comes the King of Wands: a Leo card (Leo runs July 21st-August 21st, which could be a significant time frame). King of Wands is fiery and passionate, directed and motivated. He is possibly a curator; he is looking left—to the past. He thinks about all of the awesome shit he’s encountered in his life, and thinks about drawing on this experience and connections. Wands is the suite of creativity, endeavour and building. The King is someone who sees things clearly, and can confidently put plans into action; a builder, organiser, or leader.
Second comes The Magician: a Gemini card (May 21st-June 21st is a possible significant date range). The Magician comes with ideas, and the energy to make something from nothing. The Magician is a Major Arcana card, and stands in the centre of the three people represented here. He can utilise aspects of all of the suites: swords, pentacles, wands and cups. He is adept, optimistic, creative and energetic: an alchemist who is fluent in all things. The Magician can take improbable ingredients and transform them into something magnificent. For the magician to be surrounded by a good curator (King of Wands) and someone who is perhaps good with planning and budgeting (Page of Rings) is a positive combination. The magician brings a certain wild creativity that may define the spirit of an endeavour.
Third comes the Page of Rings (or Pentacles, in a traditional deck). Rings are the suite of material things: finances, employment, or corporeal matters. In a magazine, this could be photography or layout—the manifestation of the publication. The page is possibly the person best suited to looking after a budget or design. This person is not yet a queen or king, and is therefore still learning the ropes, and enthusiastically so. The Page is an optimistic and bright presence, with something concrete to offer; new suggestions from this person should be listened to.
We also have cards in the positions of good advice, and bad advice.
Bad advice: Two of Swords. This can be read as decision making—in this position, and reading for a magazine, it’s possibly about an approach to decision making. A clarification card was pulled to further elucidate the meaning, and that card was The Moon: a Major Arcana, and therefore particularly significant. If faced with difficult decisions, The Moon is a call to light the way ahead by listening carefully to instinct and intuition.
Good advice: Four of Rings (or Pentacles, in a traditional deck). This card is a call to pay some attention to finances, and/or protecting physical or mental energy. It’s a card of reserve and conservatism: whether in establishing a model that allows for longevity, or guarding against burning out. The Fool was the clarification card—the first of the Major Arcana, and therefore the beginning of the Major Arcana journey—underlining the need to preserve energy and stay fresh and open for what is to come.
To bear in mind along the way: Five of Rings—the card of finding sanctuary. This card could relate to mindful inclusion; making sure nobody feels left out in the cold; providing a welcoming environment for others.
Bonus card: The Black Egg. It’s a card of truth; of finding or possessing an authentic voice. It suggests focussing on the fifth chakra, just below the throat, which governs speech and expression. It is a supremely positive card for a young publication.
The tarot deck used for this reading was The Marigold Tarot by Amrit Brar.
The Black Egg was pulled from Kim Krans’ Animal Spirit Guidebook deck.