by Jason
Auntie Sophia is a sassy auntie who loves to dispense advice to those with dilemmas. In this article, Auntie Sophia addresses an eternal question which is causing conflict in her friend’s relationship.
My friend Tara came over for tea the other day, and during our confab she worried about the fact that she uses tarot reversals and her boyfriend doesn’t. Her tarot friends told her that he’s going to be stuck in the junior high of tarot, while Tara goes to high school and beyond.
Well! I’ve heard this one before, and I suspected that Tara was succumbing to peer pressure. High school? Even Auntie experienced peer pressure there. I wanted to impress the popular girls so I tried to be just like them. Wear the right clothes, date the right boys, laugh at anyone else… then Cynthia Beasles moved next door.
Cynthia was a student with thick-lens eyeglasses who always seemed to wear a baggy sweater, no matter the time of year. A young Auntie Sophia was secretly bothered by this newcomer who seemed to have no regard for fashion or the unofficial “girl code.” How could she survive independently? She was the opposite of the popular clique. They dressed in bright colors; Cynthia was drab. They would laugh and giggle and simper at anything; Cynthia always appeared solemn and serious. You get the idea.
Then one day the most popular girl, Wendy Salsworth, wanted to look good in front of her friends – at Cynthia’s expense. Wendy jeered at Cynthia, called her “four eyes” and “bag lady” and asked how she expected to ever find a boyfriend.
Cynthia stood calm and stared back. Her silent strength was the opposite of the popular girl’s loud posturing, and it was obviously making Wendy uncomfortable. Cynthia said something very quietly to Wendy, who turned pale and slunk off. Wendy’s popularity fell a bit that day, whereas Cynthia won respect and some new friends. Including Auntie Sophia, who learned from Cynthia how to be oneself.
Well, Auntie is sure that anyone reading this has spotted the lesson tucked inside these memories of mine. There are different approaches to life, and just because one is popular among peers doesn’t mean it’s the best or the only way to do things.
As it turned out, Cynthia and a more mature Wendy later developed a truce that grew into friendship. While they were opposites in many ways, each had her own strengths and weaknesses, and each brought something useful to the table. This blending of opposites is a lesson of Temperance in the tarot.
Similarly, reversals aren’t good or bad. They just are. They are a tool like any other, and some readers will find them helpful while others do not. Auntie tends not to use them, but occasionally she does. It depends on her mood.
After I shared these memories with Tara, she began to realize that she and her boyfriend could continue to approach the cards differently. Reversals work for her, while he doesn’t need them — and that’s okay. It doesn’t mean she’ll have a faulty relationship. Perhaps they can each learn something useful from the other, and together create something stronger and more beautiful.
Oh, this romantic resolution is bringing a tear to Auntie’s romantic eye. I think a sip of sherry is called for.
Jason is a tarot enthusiast who started working with the tarot in the early 90’s while studying computers in college. He once created a personal deck (possibly during high school), which is ridiculously thick due to contact paper lamination. His first “real” deck was the Albano-Waite. A modern favorite is the Lo Scarabo Tarot. Jason has explored a variety of cards and other divination systems over the years, including geomancy and Lenormand. Jason lives in northeastern Ohio with three cats, a rabbit and a partner who supports his card habits. He works in the IT industry by day, and enjoys exploring the world of divination by night. He is currently exploring approaches to working with cards that involve visualization and hopes to develop skills for locating missing things via tarot readings. More of his writing can be found at his blog, JaseOnCards.