Final Reading : Wofford's Earthly Home

The tenth and final question pertains to Wofford’s physical body and earthly home.  Geographically, it makes sense to do the reading somewhere between the campus’s soccer and baseball fields, but the train tracks by Marsh are so much more dear to the college.  Sorry, athletes, but think of all the generations of Wofford students who went to sleep hearing trains go by, who sat on that concrete ledge by the rails, who maybe even jumped onto a boxcar and rode off for the weekend.  There’s something about that spot, some feeling fit for a tarot reading.

Scary :o

The cards have a dark message (Why are all these readings so dark? I promise I’m trying to make them as positive as I can!).  Again there’s the Death card (for the fourth time), the symbol of transformation and growth.  Again there’s delay and stagnation.  Again there’s possibility for failure. 

The spread is unique in a way.  Friends and relatives, often a source of support, here see Wofford suffering, being dominated by others.  The Devil shows up in Wofford’s hopes – a card that doesn’t mean evil as much as corruption and revolution.  And what’s this?  The card that usually praises Wofford’s character here talks of disorder, confusion, and possible loss.  Where are these cards coming from?

A part of me wants to say its all about how the average local sees the school.  After all, the reading was done by the train tracks (pretty blue collar) and Spartanburg has been going through some tough economic times (second highest number of foreclosures in the nation).  It’s possible that some less-fortunate residents have a negative opinion of Wofford.

However, I think the reading may be more about Spartanburg itself.  After all, it is the home of Wofford College and has significant influence over the school. 

Instability

Well, just because it's the city doesn’t make the reading any better.  Basically, times are changing and the city’s changing.  Spartanburg’s coming from a fairly good place but those successes were temporary and the opportunities that were once there are no longer present.  In the near future, we can see a lot of positive activity that will benefit the city – though not necessarily economically.  Here, the greatest obstacle to the city is actually a pretty positive card, the three of pentacles.  It represents skill, mastery, construction, and glory.  In this situation, I can only think of Greenville – one of the most progressive and successful cities in South Carolina that’s also just thirty minutes drive outside of Spartanburg.  Spartanburg wants quick fixes to catch up with its neighbor and may even resort to shady means (the Devil card) to attain that goal.  All of this manic activity creates instability, and people see the city as more of a lackey – rather than a leader.

Although this interpretation doesn’t bode well for Spartanburg, it does give a more round picture of the Wofford’s whole Tree of Life.

Third Readings : Wofford's Subconscious

The third Wofford reading pertains to the subject’s subconscious, and let me tell you, reading a college’s subconscious is just as difficult and abstract as it sounds.  By far, this has been the most challenging (and unclear) set of readings I’ve seen – perhaps because these new readings feel similar to earlier results.

Instead of initially bringing the three items together as one (as I’ve done with concepts of the college’s ideals and “soul”), I’m going to break them down more independently and hope that some sense of coherency is revealed in the end.

"A powerful choice means responsibility"

The seventh spot pertains to love, lust, artistic self, and instincts.  This reading was done at Gibbs Stadium, the sacred site of Wofford football.  To a certain extent, the chaos of a game comes out in the reading.  However, this game feels more like the board game Risk rather than any college sport.  Instinctively, Wofford is all about companionship, movement, responsibility, and the fear of treachery.  Drawing from the past is also important, but there is a feeling that Wofford needs things outside of itself to succeed.  There is a fear of mistakes, and relying on others (as in Risk) certainly comes at a cost.  Choices mean responsibility and choosing who to side with is a big decision.  Siding with others and integrating new ideas feels dangerous.  Potentially, Wofford could gain a new sense of spiritual harmony with the help of another, but in the end, it is likely that this new companion – outside of ourselves – will betray our intentions. 

The eight spot is about procreation, arts, and crafts.  Some sources also say it is the place of scientists and designers.  The reading was done at the Marsh dormitory and, in many ways, I get the feeling of freshman year.  In the first two cards is an immaturity, a feeling that things will get better but our own powers are currently misused and miscalculated.  I believe these cards represent the present.  However, the resounding idea here lies in the unique opposition of career (embodied by pentacles) and passion (embodied by cups).

Now of course, the conflict of career and passion isn’t novel (its often a theme in many readings), but here, the interesting element is way the subject sees passion and career.  Passion leads to instability, frustration, and disappointment, yet unconventionality and new relationships (coming again from the cups) are shown as some of the greatest hopes for the future.  The greatest strengths on the career side come from the Queen of Pentacles (who I never knew was so loving).  This card is just amazing: intelligent, thoughtful, generous, opulent, secure.  She is the rich matriarch who – in her maturity – understands the importance of giving and humanitarian aid.  But, this particular strength is tragically misunderstood by friends and relatives and will ultimately make Wofford stand apart from others.  This distance can make the college look like a prodigy: unique and insightful but at odds with the times.

The ninth spot is of the psychic self, the imagination and, to some extent, the creative mental and physical forces.  I read the cards at the Tony White Theater, a place that’s quite accustomed with the questions of the self and imagination.  Here, Wofford’s psyche comes off as very conservative: methodical, patient, hardworking, responsible, practical (the Knight of Pentacles).  But there is also a quality of a poet, a wisdom here gained through time and experiences with sadness.  This sadness has led to privation as well as the love of a private life.  Currently, the struggle lies in the conflict between privation and prosperity.  Wofford (as we all know) has been doing well and the community senses change (as mentioned in previous posts).  But despite this optimistic feeling of transformation coming from others, the psyche conservatively fears making weighty decisions – the impulse is to continue in private.  Seeking to continue methods of the past (handling simple tasks one at a time) will cause stagnation, doubt, and – potentially – shame.  However, meeting new responsibilities with tact and hard work can lead to a success that is actually more simple than expected. 

These results sound similar to Wofford’s ideology, its spirit.  However, the feeling I get from reading them is quite different.  Earlier, with questions of spirit, I felt the presence of forward-thinking, unseen board members, making deciding policy from above.  Those cards stressed Wofford’s economic goals and relationship to the community as being the most important.

Alternatively, in these new readings success doesn’t always mean material wealth and loss doesn’t always mean sour investments.  Rather, success seems to come from within.  Instinct, service, and the psyche are focal points, and in drawing these together, we get a interesting picture of a rarely seen Wofford personality.

In this light, Wofford resembles a garden.  Proper attention and care have made this place a greenhouse of prosperity, thriving through seasons bitter and sweet.  However, with success the college overgrows and must make a decision.  On many levels (economically and spiritually) this is a very difficult choice.  However, true strength lies in the untapped realm of arts, crafts, and procreation.  Procreation (a word that once seemed out of place) now makes complete sense.  To expand, the college needs to create.  Becoming more ingrained with the community outside our garden’s walls will not only benefit those around us but also give us an inner strength and source of pride that will be unique to the college.

The cards consistently show uncertainty with the future, but perhaps this is a necessary discretion.  Relying on the school’s strength at being methodical may someday make seemingly complex problems more approachable and clear.

Given this perspective, Wofford’s fortune looks good.

Second Readings : Wofford's Soul

According to Eden Gray’s The Tarot Revealed, the second triangle on the tree of life “represents the intellectual and moral nature of the subject” (107).  But in this case, I found this triangle to refer to the student body more than anything else. 

I read the fourth card in the gravel parking just behind Old Main.  This spot is actually a bit controversial because it borders several houses whose owners have refused to sell their property to the college.  In my experience, Wofford has rarely been the subject of harsh criticism, but I’ve definitely heard people talk of the “good people” who were “forced” off their land for Wofford’s needs to expand.  In this place I asked about Wofford’s good qualities, its virtues.

The answer is that Wofford students are traditionally humble, sharp, intelligent and forward-thinking.  Age is certainly a factor here but not immaturity.  It’s more about the Page of Swords – a young, sword-toting boy.  His tense eyes show that he’s critical.  And his blade (which he carries with two hands) shows that he expects the worst.  These qualities aren’t out of place – the final card, the five of pentacles, reveals that through exercising these virtues he will find success in love, good companionship, and new, rewarding, spiritual interests.

The second reading was done at Frat Row (the traditional place of college debauchery and vice) and, interestingly enough, asks about the college’s intellectual and physical strength, its feelings toward conquest and competition.  The result is that this notion of conquest is closely linked to students’ frustration, their impatience with the state of transition and conflicts of interest.  Nothing is clear for the Wofford student.  To a certain extent, they know their potential and they know what they’re capable of attaining.  They want to be the Knight of Wands – an American badass of sorts, who attacks with calculated control, upsetting order and creating conflict – but they're stuck in a liminal phase.  This frustration fuels competition amongst themselves and will one day serve as a motivation to act and stand apart in the “real world.”

The third reading was done outside the Success Initiative room, facing Old Main, and it inquires about the spiritual health of the student body.  In a big way, the reading feels specific to my generation, angst-ridden and weathered by disruption.  There isn’t a desire to break the mold here; rather, we’d be more inclined to go with the flow and ride the tide.  We will find success but it will come with time.  Society will try to bind us to past conventions but our greatest fear is narrow-mindedness, so there will probably be more growing pains and difficulty finding a place in the world.  Water plays a large part in the reading.

Overall, I feel very happy with this reading.  It’s an interesting interpretation of the student body, which I feel is really the soul of the campus.

First Readings : Wofford's Spirit

Over the past few days I’ve done quite a few readings.  For friends (particularly seniors), many questions have revolved around career and relationships, but for the Wofford project, the questions have been about the first three ideas in the Tree of Life.  

In the Tree of Life layout, the first card reveals the subject’s “highest intelligence,” the second corresponds to the “father side” or creative force, and the third has to do with the “mother side” – revealing truths about the subject’s bond to life and wisdom.  The three locations were (roughly) the entrance fountain, the construction site at the senior housing, and a stairwell in the Milliken Science Center.

At the beginning, I had difficulty interpreting the cards – the questions were abstract and the locations didn’t seem to want to “talk back” to me.  However, after the first two readings an unlikely story began to emerge.

The face of the "Father Side"

Basically these cards reveal Wofford’s spirit, and Wofford’s spirit is greatly tied with the community.  It’s greatest strength comes from its support and the reliable, valorous character its built up over the years.  This is very much in line with the concept of “Shining in untarnished glory” (or whatever the school slogan is).

But there is conflict.  Wofford’s done well at completing simple tasks better than its competition, and these successful baby steps have led to more praise, recognition, and confidence than ever before.  However, with this new confidence comes a question: conventionality or individuality?  Particularly on the “mother side,” a sudden disruption (recession?) has led to serious reevaluation and interest in Wofford’s dreams of standing apart.  Interestingly, on the “father side” the problem is less severe – here, Wofford wants to indulge in its creative potential, it wants to break the mold; the same card (the nine of pentacles) that embodies the “mother side’s” greatest fear is the “father side’s” present obstacle.

Despite this conflict of interests, the result is quite clear.  The unseen, guiding forces of Wofford will use practical solutions – rather than idealistic – to solve monetary problems and ground its more ambitious dreams.  This will mean more quick, weak solutions (such as quickly expanding the student population, increasing tuition, laying off faculty and staff, and quick-fix construction). 

The Tower - Disrupter

Obviously, this isn’t the path of a leader but Wofford isn’t destined to be the ambitious leader some want it to be.  Rather, Wofford is rapped up in the more conservative “mother side,” favoring a country king of sorts, one who maintains excellence and stability against the change of the seasons. 

For Wofford’s spirit, the future is cloudy and indecision will continue.  The ambitions that are present now may not be there in the future.  There’s a feeling of immaturity in the air, a lack of wisdom despite the age of the college.  Very interesting readings.

Project WoCo Tarot

Wofford Campus

 
      The idea with this one is to do use the Tree of Life method/layout to give Wofford College a reading.  Wofford is a place with its own history, set of ideals, and (in a way) spirit.  By turning the campus into its own divination table, I'll choose select spots that correspond geographically to the Tree of Life card layout. 
      At each spot, I'll ask a specific question (i.e. What's Wofford's creative force?  What's are it's virtues, good qualities? etc...).  To answer this question, I'll do a reading at the location using the Celtic Cross method - the gold standard in card reading - and document my findings on this blog. 

The Tree of Life

      At each location I'll also leave a signature of sorts, a tarot card with information on how to get to this site and learn more about the project.  My goal is to give everyday places new meaning, or mystically speaking, reveal a meaning that has always been there and to share that meaning with others.

      Also, just learned the Tree of Life method is a staple of the Jewish Kabbalah tradition.  More on this later!

Introduction

WoCo Tarot is a blog about the nature of tarot, the practice of card reading, and the meaning we ascribe to interpretation and intuition.  There's a lot of power in these little cards, and although I'd consider myself an amateur card reader, I've already seen how influential and clear tarot can be. 

Carl Jung said tarot cards contain archetypal images that are present within the collective unconsciousness.  One card reader, Sandy Anastasi, theorized that tarot cards were once an essential part of training to be a psychic (a word I'm not particularly fond of).  Her idea is that learning to recognize the images on the cards and understand their meaning allows one to see these images in life as second nature.  Imagine being able to pick apart elements of real life or a dream and give them greater meaning, using some sort of heightened intuition.  Amazing.

I'm interested in these kinds of discussions and the potential of tarot.  If anything interests the reader, feel free to comment and share.