Okay, so I decided to really dig into practicing tarot combinations today, specifically focusing on sets of three. Sometimes single cards feel too isolated, you know? I wanted to get a better feel for how they talk to each other.
Setting Up the Practice
First thing, I grabbed my go-to deck. It’s worn in, comfortable, feels right in my hands. Found a quiet spot, cleared my table, just wanted to focus. Didn’t have a specific question in mind for this practice, it was more about the process itself. I just wanted to see what stories three cards pulled together might tell.
Gave the deck a real good shuffle. Not just a quick flip-flop, but a proper, thoughtful shuffle, concentrating on the intention of just learning, just observing the interactions. Cut the deck a few times, just felt right. Then I was ready to pull the first set.
First Combination Pulled
Alright, drew the first three cards off the top. Laid them out side-by-side. What came up? Let’s see… it was the Four of Swords, the Page of Wands, and The Hermit.
- Four of Swords: Okay, rest, taking a break, quiet contemplation.
- Page of Wands: Then this guy shows up. Energy, spark, new ideas, maybe a message coming.
- The Hermit: And finally, seeking inner wisdom, solitude, looking inward.
Putting them together was interesting. It felt like: you need to rest (Four of Swords), but there’s this new energy or idea bubbling up (Page of Wands), and the way to understand it is by retreating and looking within (The Hermit). It wasn’t about big action, but internal processing of a new spark during a quiet time. Took me a few minutes to sit with that and see the flow.
Second Combination Pulled
Shuffled again, same process. Focused intention, cut the deck. Pulled the next three.
This time I got the Ten of Pentacles, the Five of Swords, and the Queen of Cups.
- Ten of Pentacles: Stability, family, long-term security, legacy. Nice solid card.
- Five of Swords: Oof. Conflict, loss, winning at someone else’s expense. Always a tricky one.
- Queen of Cups: Emotional maturity, intuition, compassion, holding space.
Okay, this combination felt a bit more complex. You’ve got the solid foundation or goal (Ten of Pentacles), but there’s been conflict or a hollow victory (Five of Swords) impacting it, or maybe within it. The Queen of Cups at the end suggested handling this situation with emotional intelligence, compassion, and intuition. Maybe needing to manage the fallout of that conflict (Five of Swords) to protect or heal the stability (Ten of Pentacles). It felt like a call for careful emotional navigation around a potentially painful situation affecting security.
Third Combination Pulled
One more time. Shuffle, cut, draw three cards.
The final set for this session was Justice, the Three of Wands, and the Six of Cups.
- Justice: Fairness, truth, balance, cause and effect.
- Three of Wands: Looking ahead, planning, expansion, waiting for results.
- Six of Cups: Nostalgia, past kindness, harmony, giving/receiving.
This one felt… lighter, somehow? Like a decision made or balance achieved (Justice) is allowing for future planning and looking ahead (Three of Wands). And the Six of Cups added this flavor of maybe reconnecting with something positive from the past, or that the future plans involve revisiting something harmonious, maybe based on past connections or generosity. It felt like fair decisions paving the way for hopeful future plans rooted in positive past experiences. That clicked pretty quickly.
Wrapping Up the Session
So yeah, that was the practice for today. Just sitting with three sets of three cards. It really forces you to think differently than just pulling one card. You have to look for the narrative, the way the energies flow or clash. Sometimes it’s obvious, sometimes you really gotta stare at them for a bit. Didn’t get any earth-shattering revelations, wasn’t looking for them. But it was good, solid practice in seeing the connections. Felt productive, like I exercised that tarot muscle a bit.
