Here’s another “current events” reading I published on Medium back in May of 2021, a few short months following January 6.

. . .

Like many of you probably have, I’ve been watching a lot of the news lately about how Republicans are pushing back against President Biden’s efforts to help regular Americans survive and thrive during a pandemic.

Voter suppression laws popping up in Republican-dominated state after state; excuses justifying toxic policing; refusal to support bills like the George Floyd Justice Act, the American Family’s Act and Biden’s infrastructure bill are just a few examples highlighting this desire to resurrect a cruel past that keeps Republicans in power.

It can get so depressing that I often resort to turning off the news and binge-watching something funny or inspiring just to take the edge off.

On the other hand, I am an eternal optimist, always looking for ways to view what’s happening from a mindset of empowerment that comes from focusing on what I WANT to experience instead of putting too much attention on what I don’t want.

Yes, I acknowledge that what I don’t want exists NOW. I’m not putting my head in the sand and ignoring it. But I don’t want to wallow in it. Instead, I try to let it guide me towards what I DO want so that I can focus my attention and energy on it.

The tarot card readings I do for myself are excellent vehicles for helping me understand what’s going on beneath the surface of problematic life events and showing me what I need to do to move forward.

Is it possible to do a similar reading for the entire country? I had to find out, so I did one!

Tarot Card Readings on Current Events Can Be Tricky

… at least for me.

Because I’m coming from a particular political point of view (Bernie Sanders progressive!), my challenge is removing enough of that filter in order to give an “objective” reading.

I tried a little over four years ago in a spread that was supposed to tell me who would win the 2016 election. The answer was staring me in the face (that Trump would win), but I didn’t want to believe it. Four years later, I’m willing to give it another try.

And while it’s next to impossible to COMPLETELY remove the filter through which one views the world, my goal will be to interpret the cards as objectively as I can, based on each card’s meaning, its position in the spread, and the intuitive insights I receive about it.

The New Era Elements Tarot

I chose The New Era Elements Tarot deck by Eleonore F. Pieper, PhD because it brings the imagery of the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWH) and Crowley-Harris (CH) decks into the 21st century and is a bit more reflective of our times as opposed to the “feudalistic” imagery of these older decks.

Keep in mind that each deck creator presents their unique understanding of the cards’ meanings which is reflected in the images they choose to represent those meanings. So I may need to refer from time to time to the LWB or Little White Book since this is a pretty new deck.

The “Elements” in the name refers to the fact that the four tarot suits are represented by the four elements of Nature, namely — Fire (Wands), Air (Swords), Water (Cups) and Earth (Pentacles).

In addition, the court card characters emerge from their medieval setting to become members of one version of the modern family, namely Fathers (Kings), Mothers (Queens), Sons (Knights) and Daughters (Pages).

The USA’s Question and a Spread to Answer It

“What can my citizens do to ensure that their President’s agenda, which is designed to address many of the inequalities and injustices that my citizens face, so that we can move into the 21st century, stable, secure, and productive?

Whew! That’s a tall order! I’ll need to create a tarot spread that will answer this question in a way that empowers the USA and gives her citizens hope for the future.

These are the spread positions I’ve come up with to answer the USA’s question.

(1) What is the current environment that has given rise to this question?

2–4) What are three underlying reasons that would explain why there is an attempt to amplify and perpetuate these injustices?

(5–7) What are three actions my citizens can take to heal these injustices so that they can move forward toward a more equitable and just society?

(8) What can my citizens expect as a result? OR What’s the next step they need to take to move forward?

I like using 3-card spreads and positions because they have an internal flow, from beginning to middle to end, that lends itself well to storytelling. This spread is also divided roughly into past, present, and future, beginning with the bottom row and proceeding to the top rows.

Here’s the sequence in which I dealt the cards.

8

5 6 7

1

2 3 4

Okay USA, Here’s Your Reading

(1) What is the current environment that has given rise to this question? — THE SUN REVERSED

The Sun symbolizes the energy without which growth is impossible. It pours its rays on ALL of us, not on just a select few. Joe Biden wants the USA’s Sun to shine down on everyone. Reversed, this stream of energy and support is being blocked.

The potential for massive growth and renewal is present, but something is standing in the way of its full expression.

(2–4) What’s are three underlying reasons that would explain why there is an attempt to amplify and perpetuate these injustices? — THE MAGUS (MAGICIAN) REVERSED — SON OF WATER — 7 OF AIR (SWORDS)

The Magus (Magician) reversed is Donald Trump, “the pitchman, the go-getter who can communicate and persuade, who is always firmly in control“ (New Era Elements Tarot LWB, pg. 9). He’s out of power now, hence the reversal, but his influence remains.

The Son of Water, for me, is the perfect example of how masculine and feminine energies combine to counter toxic masculinity. The only person I can think of who fits this description is Joe Biden, although he’s far from young. But he’s a caring, sensitive man who wants to do as much as he can to help the citizens of this country.

Perhaps the youthful aspect of the card symbolizes the fact that this kind of energy expression is new for us after four years of Donald Trump’s narcissism and sociopathy.

In the RWS deck, this card would be the Knight of Cups which depicts a knight on horseback holding forth a cup, symbolically offering his love to whoever is open to receiving it.

I definitely had to refer to the New Era Elements LWB to understand the 7 of Air (Swords). It looks nothing like the RWS 7 of Swords and focuses on one aspect of that card’s meaning, namely Deception.

On the other hand, I don’t have to look at the LWB because it’s clear from the card’s keyword that the country is being gaslighted with The Big Lie that Trump won the election, as well as all of the lies the Republicans are telling now about how terrible Biden’s plans for the country will supposedly be, not voting for them, and then taking credit for them when they work.

In the New Era Elements Tarot, we see a cuckoo chick in the nest of another bird species where its mother laid her eggs. Now the mother of the other bird species has been deceived into feeding the cuckoo chick as well as her own, that is, if they even survived.

Mother Cuckoo can now head down to Mar-a-lago for a round of golf.

Bottom line, Biden’s efforts to bring light and healing to the country are being hampered by Trump’s continued influence as well as the Republican Party’s desperate attempt to regain control through lies and deception.

(5–7) What are three actions can my citizens take to heal these injustices so that they can move forward toward a more equitable and just society? — SON OF EARTH (PENTACLES) REVERSED — 4 OF EARTH (PENTACLES) — 9 OF EARTH (PENTACLES) REVERSED

Interesting. All in the suit of Earth or Pentacles. Well, the USA did ask how the country can be “stable, secure, and productive,” so it makes sense that Pentacles would show up here. Let’s see what each card reveals.

The New Era Elements LWB describes the Son of Earth (Pentacles) as “a calm, practical young man” who is “steady and dependable and rarely deviates from his path once he is committed to a course of action” and “[H]is somewhat fastidious get-up” symbolizes his focus on the material and “his own appearance.” [Ibid, pg. 102].

Reversed, I think this card refers to how the pandemic knocked all of us out of our regular work routines, shut down so many businesses, and destabilized our finances, causing a lot of stress and hardship for many of us.

But it has also expanded the definition of work or, at the very least, WHERE we work such that we’ve had to shift the way we think about how and where work gets done.

The image of the 4 of Earth (Pentacles) shows three “ancient fig trees” whose roots run deep into the ground, giving them the stability they need for their trunks to grow strong and their branches to reach high into the heavens.

Biden’s infrastructure bill and the recently passed $1.9 trillion COVID-19 bill are aimed at doing just that, strengthening the country by providing a solid foundation in the form of money to support its citizens and to rebuild the country’s failing infrastructure, from the ground up.

The New Era Elements 9 of Earth (Pentacles) has a meaning that’s different from the card’s meaning in the RWS deck.

In that deck, this card typically refers to someone enjoying the fruits of their labor after an extended period of hard work.

In the New Era Elements’ version, the image suggests new growth that’s sprouted enough that it’s ready to be planted.

The infrastructure bill and all of the other bills that have passed through the House of Representatives and are awaiting Senate action are ready to be planted in the ground so the country and its citizen can grow and expand, thanks to the support these bills will give us.

But again, the card is reversed, meaning something is standing in the way of their passage, namely Republican members in the Senate and the filibuster.

Bottom line, in order for the country to grow like those three “ancient fig trees” in the 4 of Earth, we’ll be required to adjust to new ways of working and get The President’s bills, currently blocked, through the Senate.

(8) What can my citizens expect as a result? OR What’s the next step they need to take to move forward? — 7 OF FIRE (Wands)

The 7 of Fire (Wands) is the perfect card to describe what we need to do to actualize the promise of cards 5–7! And the card is upright which tells me it can be done!

Bottom line, let’s not let the country burn down. Instead, let’s be brave and work together to confront the raging fires that want to destroy democracy and put them out with a big blast of the waters of unconditional love, compassion, and empathy.

So there you have it, USA. I hope I’ve answered your questions to your satisfaction. Your citizens have a lot of work ahead of them, but I’m more than confident that they can accomplish the goals that will benefit so many Americans, regardless of political affiliation.

Here’s an article I published on Medium back in July of 2021 when the wave of voter suppression bills started being passed.

. . .

Watching Rachel Maddow a little over a week ago about the Texas State House Dems who left the state to come to DC to keep the Texas legislature from passing a restrictive voter suppression bill got me thinking.

Can I look into the future to see if the two Federal voting rights laws – The Four the People Act and The John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, will be passed by the Senate and signed into law?

I typically shy away from “predict the future” questions because the future is not set in stone; it can be changed by what one focuses on in the present.

On the other hand, classic spreads like the Celtic Cross or even a simple Past-Present-Future spread include a “future” position.

I’ve come to realize that HOW we interpret this position in a tarot spread is the key to whether the reading is “deterministic” or opens us up to possibility.

The latest discoveries in science, especially in quantum physics, are telling us that there are infinite, probable futures in the quantum field that could unfold. And the one that has the best chance of manifesting is based on the attention it receives via our conscious focus on it.

So while we can’t guarantee that the reading will reveal a specific future event, we may still be able to glimpse what is possible and focus our attention on it in order to manifest the best possible outcome.

Question and Spread Positions

The main purpose of this reading is to discover how we, as a country, can ensure voting rights for all.

My original question was: Will the two voting rights bills be passed and signed into law?

But a future prediction isn’t going to help one way or the other. If the answer is yes, then we can sit back and let the chips fall where they may. If the answer is no, we may feel discouraged and give up any hope of securing voting rights for everyone.

A more empowering question would be — What can we do to ensure every U.S. citizen has the right to vote?

In order to answer this question, we need a deeper understanding of where we are now, how we got here, and what we can expect in the future as we focus on ensuring voting rights for all. I added positions 8–10 to make sure we are doing all we can to ensure the passage of these bills.

Here are the spread positions I came up with to answer this more empowering question –

(1) What is the current situation with regard to voter suppression and denial of voting rights in the U.S.?

(2–4) What past factors contributed to the current situation?

(5–7) What’s the most probable future we can expect if we focus our attention on everyone having equal access to the ballot box?

(8–10) What additional steps can we take as a country to ensure voting rights for all?

(11) Additional insight; something we’re not aware of with respect to this topic, pulled from the bottom of the deck.

Simple and sweet if I use one card for each position, making it a 5-card spread. But I decided to deal three cards for the past, future, and “what we can do” positions, turning it into an 11-card spread. The number three lends itself well to storytelling, which is why I like to use it in my spreads.

Here’s what the spread looks like when dealt.

A final note: Keep in mind that this reading is being filtered through my belief system. As much as I try to be objective (is that even possible?), I can’t rule out that my own personal opinions and beliefs will influence how I interpret the cards.

The Deck

My current “go-to” deck for doing “current events” readings is the New Era Elements Tarot, a 78-card deck based on the Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) and Thoth decks, but with images that are reflective of the 20th and 21st centuries.

The four elements of nature represent the tarot suits — Fire (Wands), Air (Swords), Water (Cups), and Earth (Pentacles).

The Reading

(1) What is the current situation with regard to voter suppression and voting rights in the U.S.? — 7 OF FIRE (BRAVERY)

How interesting that the 7 of Fire (Wands) shows up in the first position representing the “current situation.” This card appeared in the final position of a spread I did for the USA back in May. It appeared in the “What do we need to do to move forward?” position.

Voter suppression is one of the many fires that those who value democracy need to put out in order to ensure voting rights for everyone. Again, it’s upright, so we have the will, confidence and belief in our ability to succeed. As Rachel said in her 7/23/21 broadcast, it’s going to be a “high summer of action” with respect to voting rights.

(2–4) What past factors contributed to the current situation? — JUDGMENT REVERSED — FATHER OF EARTH REVERSED — 5 OF AIR REVERSED (DEFEAT)

When I see the New Era Elements’ Judgment, I can’t help but start singing to myself –

“ I’m looking at the man in the mirror. I’m asking him to change his ways.”

Thanks for the perfect performance, Michael Jackson, and Siedah Garrett for the powerful lyrics.

But the card is reversed so he may be disinclined to change his ways. There are people who are unwilling to look too closely at how their behavior is negatively impacting others.

What comes immediately to mind is the behavior of many Republican State legislatures that don’t really care how the voter suppression laws they are trying to pass are hurting the people they are supposed to represent and imperiling democracy as a result.

These voter suppression bills are hurting not only people of color but every citizen, regardless of race.

The Father of Earth is the New Era Elements Tarot’s depiction of the RWA King of Pentacles. In the former, he’s your average, everyday Joe trying to make a living, doing the best he to make ends meet. The latter is a King on his throne, bedecked in jewels and clearly a person of considerable wealth. Quite a contrast!

The deck creator describes the Father of Earth as “practical, circumspect, and careful.” Sounds like someone on a limited income who has learned to survive the best he or she can. No fancy clothes; just practical wear to get through the work day. Voting is the best way to ensure that citizens like the Father of Earth can elect representatives who have THEIR interests at heart.

And his reversal allows him to stare at the unconscionable man in front of the cracked mirror and ask,

“WTF? Why are you doing this?”

In the New Era Elements Tarot, the reversed 5 of Air (Swords) is described as a “[f]ailure to recognize the destructiveness of one’s ideas.”

If that doesn’t say it all, I don’t know what does. And just in case you weren’t sure, the image and keyword — Defeat — drive that point home.

Things look pretty bad, but keep in mind, the Air element represents the mind. If we remain focused on how hopeless things look as our voting rights are slowly chipped away and do nothing, trembling in fear and despair, then we ensure the demise of democracy.

BOTTOM LINE: The Father of Earth refuses to be defeated, taking a stand to hold accountable his representatives who are pushing voter suppression bills.

(5–7) What’s the most probable future we can expect if we focus our attention on everyone having equal access to the ballot box?— THE MAGUS — 3 OF CUPS (ABUNDANCE) — THE EMPEROR

The Magus (Magician) is another card that appeared in my May USA reading. In that reading, the Magus was reversed, and I attributed it to the former President.

In this reading, I’m seeing the Magus in its traditional sense, as someone who knows how to create reality using the resources supplied by the four elements of nature. He has created his plan and has the confidence to move forward and execute it. Perhaps the Father of Earth has decided he’s going to take an active role in helping pass the For the People and John Lewis Acts.

On the other hand, I could interpret the image literally. Perhaps major corporations like CNN and Facebook, if they haven’t already, are going to start more vocally supporting voting rights and challenging these recalcitrant States in significant ways we haven’t seen yet.

The New Era Elements’ 3 of Water (Cups) symbolizes an outpouring of emotion in the form of three gushing waterfalls. Could this mean the two voting rights bills and maybe even an infrastructure bill make it through the Senate and onto the President’s desk for signing?

Hard to say specifically, but there’s an outpouring of emotion and joy about something (maybe three somethings?) that has (have) a good chance of manifesting.

And who’s looking over it all, making sure democracy prevails? None other than Abraham Lincoln, an interesting choice to depict The Emperor. On a symbolic level, the Emperor represents the masculine principle personified, in all of its patriarchal glory.

But the intuitive sense I get from this card is that the principle of democracy is so sound and firmly entrenched in our society that it will prevail. And Abe is going to make sure it does.

Or it could be that the present-day Lincoln Project will continue to produce those hard-hitting ads that speak out against the enemies of democracy.

BOTTOM LINE: Things are looking hopeful with respect to securing voting rights for all, but we have to not only believe it, but take whatever action we can to ensure it.

(8–10) What additional steps can we take as a country do to ensure voting rights for all? — 8 OF AIR REVERSED (INTERFERENCE) — 4 OF WATER (CUPS) REVERSED (COMFORT) — 2 OF WATER (CUPS) (LOVE)

The 8 of Air (Swords) Reversed (Interference) is telling us not get distracted from the goal, whether distractions come from within or without. And don’t take on more than you can handle. Do one thing to secure your right to vote, and do it well.

The 4 of Water (Cups) Reversed is basically telling us to get up off our rear ends and DO something. There’s no time for complacency (or Netflix binge watching … well, maybe a little). We may need to take some steps outside of our comfort zones, and change can be difficult. Take little steps, but do something.

Finally, as we work together to ensure access to the ballot box, the 2 of Water (Cups) (Love) reminds us to treat each other with dignity and respect. Being divisive, judging, name-calling, and bullying simply won’t do. Let’s substitute those divisive behaviors with cooperation, compassion, understanding, and kindness. These are the qualities that will ensure success.