Dear Collective,
At the UK Tarot Conference in London last month, I had the opportunity to sit down and have a good chat with the wonderful Liz Dean, who created the Game of Thrones Tarot Deck with Michael Morris and Craig Coss. Having had such a lovely conversation, I decided to give her a packet of my Queen of Cups Chai. When I saw her the following day, she smilingly handed over a copy of the Game of Thrones Tarot for me to have – score! So I decided then that I would use it for my next Tarot Reading for the Collective.
I used to be an avid watcher of Game of Thrones, though there was a point (I can’t remember precisely when) I had to stop as I couldn’t stand the anxiety: the story was too gripping for my nerves! But I watched it long enough to come to love and hate several characters, long enough to realise that the Justice card in the Rider Waite Smith Tarot Deck is a dead ringer for King Joffrey (anyone with me on this? Check your RWS deck and let me know!) and long enough to know how to answer Theresa Reed’s (a.k.a The Tarot Lady) question to me at the 2015 Readers Studio (a huge and amazing tarot conference in NYC), “which Game of Thrones character are you?”. My answer? Arya.
I realised recently that I had stopped watching it longer ago than I thought as I felt like I was up-to-date due to Theresa’s generous rundowns of each episode on Facebook. They were highly entertaining and kept me in touch with all the plot developments I wanted to know about but without the heart palpitations and horror of yet another awesome character being tortured/killed!
The Game of Thrones Tarot is a beautifully crafted deck – visually splendid, it shuffles nicely and with an appropriate character selection for each card. I really hope The Lovers card comes up in this reading, as it’s so touchingly beautiful. If it doesn’t I’ll just include it at the end!
This month’s questions are:
How can we recognise the best opportunities?
How can we commit to self-love?
How can we decide what is real and what is false?
How can we stay on track, no matter the distraction?
The responses will include quotes direct from the show, as said by the characters featured in each card.
Let’s begin!
How can we recognise the best opportunities?
Queen of Coins ~ featuring Lady Olenna Tyrell
“The cheese will be served when I want it served, and I want it served now.”
You will recognise the opportunities, my dears, because if you don’t you will be left in a very silly situation where you will likely moan and whine horrendously. So there’s that: the need to avoid silliness and moaning, as an enthusiastic motivator for forward momentum and excellent decision making.
Beyond that, you need to be able to trust yourselves a lot better. So when you are considering all that is on the table, ignore those little arrogant grandiose visions of your future and feel out instead for the quieter egoless kick from within. You’re more likely to choose well with your head thoroughly out of your arse. Now bring me my cheese!
How can we commit to self-love?
Knight of Swords ~ featuring… Ramsay Bolton… yikes!
“You’re no good to me dead. We need you.”
Okay, so my first reaction when picking this card for committing to self-love was to shuffle again and pick another! But something made me go hmmm. And this quote of his is so appropriate, right? Of course, if you are at all familiar with Ramsay Bolton you know that there’s nothing gentle or kind in his words… but nonetheless those words were spoken and this card was chosen. When I told my partner that the card with Ramsay Bolton came up for this question she gasped and said, “Aren’t you tempted to pull another card?!” My response was, “No, I found the perfect quote and I think I can spin it.”
Try if you can to commit to a plan that defies the limited future others had mapped out for you. Commit to your own plans as an act of self-love, in a way that is straightforward and unwavering in intent. If no one else believes in you right now, then your actions can show the power of your own self-belief, and though you may be misunderstood at times, at least you can trust yourself to stay on track. Try and stay alive. There is work to be done.
[note from Psychic Sarah: I encourage you to follow this advice in a way Ramsay Bolton would NOT. Keep it kind and loving. Thank you.]
How can we decide what is real and what is false?
Nine of Coins ~ Daenerys Targaryen & one of her young dragons
“He was not a true dragon. Fire cannot kill a dragon.”
You will know what is real and what is false when you are willing to make choices that forces life to reveal reality to you. If you can enter situations with an honest and focussed objective, you can perceive what sits well with you, and what puts you on guard. Welcome the feeling of contentment that can occur even when life is throwing obstacles in your path. Notice what you have the drive to build upon, and what you naturally leave behind. Observe who tries to solicit you to behave in a way different to your usual actions, and observe who stands beside you, openly, without prejudice.
How can we stay on track, no matter the distraction?
Two of Swords ~ Arya Stark
“A bruise is a lesson… and each lesson makes us better.”
Always come back to the breath, the present, the now. If it’s not time to move, it’s not time to move. Be mindful that there will invariably be events scrambling for your attention – the words and actions of so many. Remind yourself of what you most need to focus on, so that you don’t get caught up in noble actions that may bring a defeat of your spirit. Unchain yourself from the wicked words spoken by those who do not know how to accept your particular way of existing. Sometimes we need to wait a bit longer before we can accomplish our plans, but the acceptance of the obstacles means we are more likely to act justly when things align.
And, as promised, seeing The Lovers didn’t turn up – here it is:
Ygritte & Jon Snow – one of the few moments in Game of Thrones where we can go awwww!
© Sarah Barry ~ Tarot Readings with Psychic Sarah 2018
This Tarot Reading for the Collective was done with the Game of Thrones Tarot – design by Michael Morris, text by Liz Dean & illustration by Craig Coss, © 2017 Home Box Office, Inc.
If you want a more personalised reading, go here to make an appointment. To find out more about how I work go to sarahthepsychic.com/about/ and sarahthepsychic.com/faq/
Follow me on Instagram: @sarahthepsychic
Game of Thrones Tarot by Michael Morris (Design), Liz Dean (Text) & Craig Coss (Illustrations)