How to read Tarot Cards #4

The TOTEM Tarot Deck: secret tarot card meanings from the witchier side of life

As we head into the Cancer Full Moon on January 6th, 2023, the importance of dreams, intuition, and past lives comes to the forefront of spiritual work. Cancer, my sun sign, is ruled by the Moon and, with its connection to the ancient archetype of the primordial mother, this particular Full Moon is a natural conduit for all things from the deep end of the witchy woo. This is the best time of year to dig into our past lives and childhoods to undertake a kind of energetic archeological dig, one that reveals our soul’s purpose across time and space and brings us closer to existential truths.

Given this shift in the energy- as well as the natural inclination to reassess, re-evaluate, and set intentions for the New Year- it’s a perfect time to leverage our TOTEM Tarot Deck for more in-depth, mystical work. A standard tarot reading is always a good thing, and can offer a powerful spiritual diagnostic. But the world of tarot is so much bigger than love, work or other “mundane” goals.

And, while our TOTEM Tarot Deck booklet contains the best rough order of magnitude card meanings and explanations, there are a few secret tricks of the trade a seasoned shaman learns about alternative- and metaphysical- tarot card meanings.

Below, I share a few of these mystical TOTEM Tarot Deck cards, as well as a bit about their alternative meanings to help you go a bit deeper in your own exploration this winter.

The 4 of Metals

This image (above), taken in my TOTEM Readings client room, features a piece of framed art. This art is in fact four panels of vintage, Italian wallpaper depicting clouds in the sky. I have a few tarot decks that feature an image of similar low clouds for their 4 of swords card, including the Mary El Tarot (see image, below):

I chose this framed art for my reading room because of its somewhat hidden connection to the 4 of swords tarot card and its “secret” interpretation.

Effectively, the 4 of swords tarot card embodies the energy of air on air, the element that facilitates spiritual communication and psychic downloads. In addition to its more traditional meaning- a direction to take a break in the action, seek sanctuary, rest and do nothing, the importance of sleep, recovery, and the need to release and surrender in the short term- the 4 of swords also symbolizes the psychic messages the ride on the air.

The 4 of swords tarot card holds within it the energy of the negative ions that gather in the air just before a storm. It is a card of psychic electricity: a moment literally energized with magical potential. Makes sense. I’ve never met a psychic, medium or similar that didn’t love the vibes of a cloudy day.

When this 4 of swords card appears- as it did for me, yesterday- it suggests that we’re not going to make progress on pragmatic matters. This is because we should be in 100% receiving mode, which requires we do nothing and remain still.

As many of you know by now, I have a particularly hard time doing nothing- it’s skill I’m actively working to cultivate;) So, when I got this card- my 4 of Metals version from the TOTEM Tarot Deck is below (see image)- I should have known it was time to just stop everything to receive a crucial download:

When I pull my own cards, I often ask, “What would I say to a client?”, and last night I gave myself the interpretation of the 4 of Metals that I would give to a client in a session:

“If you try to push on things right now, you won’t make progress. It’s one of those times where you’re being held in place, forced to slow down to a complete stop, such that you can hear the subtle messages of spirit and receive a psychic software upgrade. Much like the software upgrade on your iPhone, the human biocomputer needs to be shut down, and then given ample time to restart in order to integrate a new software enhancement with new features. Sit in silence. Create space and time in your day. Sleep whenever you’re tired. The dreams, downloads and flashes of insight you receive will be extraordinary, and will likely a.) reveal your soul’s purpose and b.) offer you insight you can use to leapfrog progress in mundane reality.”

In other words, the 4 of Metals is about a retreat from mundane reality such that we can move forward and make progress spiritually.