Scradam Reads Tarot Vol. 2: Career and Finances for Y.P.

Mr. Scradam crafted the Scrad-Collage Tarot deck based on the design of the popular Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Here is the second recorded reading of the deck using the Celtic Cross configuration. Scradam's friend Y.P. asked for a reading. No specific question was asked. The reading was focused on the general realm of career and finances in Y.P.'s life. If anyone has more experience than Scradam in reading and interpreting the Tarot, he welcomes suggestions and feedback.

Scradam Reads Tarot Vol. 1: Romance for C.L.

2016/12/6

Mr. Scradam crafted the Scrad-Collage Tarot deck based on the design of the popular Rider-Waite Tarot deck. Here is the first recorded reading of the deck using the Celtic Cross configuration. Scradam's friend C.L. asked for a reading. No specific question was asked. The reading was focused on the general realm of romantic relationships in C.L.'s life. If anyone has more experience than Scradam in reading and interpreting the Tarot, he welcomes suggestions and feedback.

Background music: https://youtu.be/Tj4VUrHKdpA

The Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck

My homemade tarot deck, the Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck, in its entirety for the first time.

Today's Tarot Reading - October Twenty-sixth, Two-thousand Sixteen

2016/10/26

For today's reading I focused my attention on a short film I am currently producing - The Ravisher #RavisherMovie - In one sense the results can be viewed as a direct correlation to The Ravisher, but in another sense this reading is revealing to me ideas, thoughts, and emotions surrounding my entire career as a video professional. It is clear to me now that my current plan of action will unfold successfully, although not always to plan. Bring it on! My spirit is willing. Where there is a will, there is a way.

Today's Reading - October Twenty-first, Two-thousand Sixteen

2016/10/21

Today continued the trend of powerful readings provided by the Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck. I focused the energy of this reading into a romantic relationship of mine that recently ended unfavorably. I still have hope that the relationship could be rekindled at some point, even just as a friendship. Today's reading was very insightful.

Rider-Waite / Scrad-Collage Tarot Comparison: The Devil

I modeled the Scrad-Collage tarot deck after the tradition of the Rider-Waite tarot deck, which was my introduction to the world of tarot. I am aware that there are different traditions and variations, but I am also aware of AE Waite's scholarly approach to researching the symbols inherent in the tarot. I want this to be an academic endeavor, my own approach to understanding tarot, human archetypes, and the use of symbolism in story telling. I thought Waite's school of thought was a great place to start. In the same breath I will once again mention my source for much of my information, the great website "Biddy Tarot". 

The first card placed during my first reading with the Scrad-Collage tarot deck was The Devil. My loose, collage-based interpretation of the Rider-Waite imagery shows a couple, man and woman, flanking the devil that looms above them. They are bound to him like a person bound to their vices, which may not be completely apparent in my card, honestly. Still, I thought it was fun to layer my imagery over my own drawing of a goblin-faced guy projecting out mental energy. In some way this represents, for me, that the devil is an imagined concept. The devil is a dark manifestation of human nature, rather than a physical being. I pulled the devil face from a pack of collectible trading cards, and the people are from a Nightmare on Elm Street trading card .(You might recognize the mom on the left. She was a drunk in the movie! Perfect right?)

Today's Tarot Reading - October Nineteenth, Two-thousand Sixteen

10/19/2016

Today I finished the Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck! It's been almost two weeks in the making. I feel very accomplished! For the first reading, I decided to read the possible future of the deck itself. Any experienced Tarot practitioners in the audience would probably instantly recognize this as a foolish endeavor. As soon as I started shuffling the deck (ten times) with my question in mind, I started having a sneaking suspicion that a reading on the deck would be reflected back at me. After all, the deck that I created is merely a reflection of myself.

So, there I was, reading a reflection of a reflection of a possible future. And it was hauntingly accurate to my current life struggle!

Card after card I realized that the Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck wasn't predicting its own future, it was predicting MINE. Here are the results, displayed more clearly:

I am a rank amateur when it comes to reading the Tarot. However, "Biddy Tarot" has been a wonderful online resource for deciphering some of the hidden meanings in the symbols of the deck. Using their help, and my own insight, I have deciphered today's reading as follows:

1. The Present = The Devil (Reversed)

The Devil is largely regarded as a symbol of vice, but I've read that the reversed card represents a growing awareness of one's own dependence on these vices. I've been aware of my own habits for years now, but I'm increasingly becoming aware of the obstacles they represent in my life. I am overly dependent on alcohol and other substances, as well as women. Each is a powerful vice that I am aware of in my life, each being detrimental to my goals.

2. The Challenge = 6 of Swords

The six of swords represents a major transition that should lead to a better place in life, often at the cost of leaving something behind. This could not be more appropriate for my current challenge in life. Next month I will be moving away from most of the people I know and love. I will move out of California and into a small mining town called Wickenburg, Arizona. The move is designed to put me in a better financial standing... very in tune with the ideas behind the six of swords.

3. The Past = Justice (Reversed)

In the past, I have been dishonest to myself and others regarding my break up. I broke up with my fiancee about six months ago and life has not been the same since. The reversed Justice card reminds me that I need to examine the reasons for my break up in an honest way, and own up to the underlying conditions that brought me to the present moment.

4. The Future = 4 of Pentacles

The majority of my recent efforts have been aimed at securing financial stability. The four of pentacles in the future position indicates, to me, that I will achieve my goal. I will become financially stable, perhaps even wealthy. However, this card can also be read as a warning to not be miserly with your wealth. I will have to remember this in the event of future prosperity.

5. The Goal = 6 of Pentacles (Reversed)

The reversed six of pentacles "suggests a one-way stream in terms of charity" (according to Biddy Tarot). I believe this card, in the fifth position of the Scradic Cross, represents my ideal state of prosperity. My goal is to be generous to others without needing to worry about a return on that generosity.

6. The Emotions = The Sun (Reversed)

There are two strong but conflicting meaning suggested by this card in the sixth position. Both that I may have trouble seeing the positive, or that I may be too optimistic. I believe that both are true in my current scenario. I regret some of the moves I must make... leaving California and making sacrifices in my personal life. However, I hope these moves will lead to success in my career. This perceived gain may not be as great as I anticipate. Or so I feel. 

7. The Advice = 5 of Pentacles

I am personally fascinated by the five of pentacles and I was glad to see it represented in my first reading. This card suggest a period of financial hardship, but appearing in the advice spot, I find it to be a reminder of the financial stress that I currently find myself in. It's easy to be burdened by a lack of money, but the five of pentacles also reminds you to find support in the people around you, which I am doing by relying on help from my family.

8. The Influences = Queen of Pentacles

The queen of pentacles is a motherly figure and is found, in this reading, in the eighth spot. I find this representative of my own mother in my current living situation. I am living with my mom, and I sometimes come into conflict with the living situation. I am coming to terms with the fact that I cannot control my mother's influence in my life. Additionally, I find this card to represent my own nurturing nature, which often leads me to make decisions that affect my living situation.

9 The Hopes & Fears = 6 of Cups

I've read that the ninth position is often the hardest to get a reading from, but I find the six of cups to be a clear cut example of how one card can represent both hopes and fears simultaneously. I've read that the six of cups represents nostalgia and looking backward. Looking back can be both helpful and detrimental. I can look at my past failures and struggles, but I can also gain strength from that insight.

10 The Outcome = Page of Cups (Reversed)

I wish I got a better outcome from my self-reflexive Tarot reading, but there it is! The reversed page of cups is STRONGLY linked to my initial card, the reversed devil. This clearly shows me that my vices are an obstacle to my financial success that WILL overcome me... IF I don't do something about them. I have to get my habits under control!

/// Overall Analysis \\\

There is an obvious link between the first and last card, both reversed, and the page of cups correlates to the devil card. This shows me that this must have been a strong reading. But did you also notice that the devil was followed by three different sixes? The devil and 666! Sheesh! It's quite the ominous initial reading for the Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck. 

Introducing the Scrad-Collage Tarot Deck

Hi! My name is Mr. Scradam. I started this blog to talk about my new tarot deck. I was inspired to create my own deck after watching the BBC miniseries based on the novel Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell. I've been fascinated by the Tarot for as long as I can remember, since my brother showed it to me as a child. Since then I've done some readings (with the help of a book) and I've been read. However, this is my first attempt at creating my own deck.

I'm a visual artist, writer, and film maker. There are many aspects of the Tarot that enticed me to create my own deck. As I previously mentioned, the miniseries Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell was simply the nudge I needed to get started. Monkey see monkey do! The way I think about it, a further understanding of the Tarot will aid me in my general understanding of symbols and their prevalence in the human experience.

In the past, I've felt very enriched by the process of collage making. I currently have a book for sale online, Scrad Book, which has reprinted collages I made over a two year period in Santa Cruz, California. Feeding off that history of collage making, I decided to make my Tarot deck a collaged Tarot deck. And I couldn't be happier with the results!

It took me less than two weeks to collage the entire deck, Major and Minor Arcana. Now that the deck is finished I plan to BLOG THE HELL OUT OF IT! While researching this endeavor I became enamored with the Tarot blogs I've found online. I'm hoping to share my own thoughts on the fascinating world of archetype analysis that IS the Tarot. And I would adore anyone brave enough to leave me some feedback. I'm a well-meaning amateur with nothing but humility when it comes to this process. There is much to learn in the Tarot! And I've only begun to dive in.

I plan to post my readings as often as possible, along with card analysis and cross-comparisons! Check out my mat I just laid out today for my first reading. Check out the next post and let me know what your thoughts are on the results of the first ever reading! Cheers.