Photo by Edz Norton on Unsplash

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Editor’s Note: The following is a guest post by Aerwyna Marvin, sophomore and resident elf fortuneteller.

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Hello! Thank you so much for joining me this week for The Arcane Citizen’s remixed segment: Wyn’s Weekly Insight! I am Aerwyna Marvin, but you can call me Wyn for short. I’m an elf, the heir to the Merfyn Clan, and a sophomore at AOA.

You’ll notice a couple of key differences between my style of tarot and that of Mortimer, my predecessor. First things first: no, you are not crazy, today is not Sunday. With the new school year, it was decided between Aspen, the president of the Journalism Club, and myself that we would abide by the school’s schedule and post the tarot on the first evening of each week. That way, you can now read the Insight right before the school week begins, so that it is fresh in your mind!

Another thing I would like to address is my deck and spread choices. I’m sure by now, you’ve grown accustomed to Mortimer’s wonderfully illustrated cards and their specialized spread–however, I do things a bit differently. Instead of an actual deck of tarot cards, I prefer to use a pack of playing cards in my divination. The deck I use is the Story of Rose deck by ACELION.

While some believe that using playing cards as tarot cards can be limiting, since there’s no Major Arcana, I personally like using playing cards because of their streamlined interpretations. Besides, this deck is super cute!

In conjunction with my smaller deck, I’ll also be using smaller tarot spreads, though the type of spreads I use might shift over the course of this year as I try things out. They will all be three-card spreads, though I might branch out eventually. Feel free to let me know the spread you like best in the comments below!

Now then, let’s get on with this week’s Insight.

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Our Cards This Week:

You’ll notice that one of our cards is a Joker. That’s right, I include the Jokers in my spreads! They’re stand-ins for The Fool, a card in the Major Arcana.

Keep in mind that these cards are positioned as follows: what will help you, what will hinder you, and what is your unrealized potential.

Since the suits depicted in a deck of playing cards are different than the suits in a specialized tarot deck, here’s a table comparing each tarot suit to its playing card suit that you’ll see me use.

Tarot	Playing card	element	traits
Wands/Rods/Staves/Batons	Clubs	Fire	action, creativity, inspiration, passion
Cups/Chalices/Goblets/Vessels	Hearts	Water	emotions, relationships, fulfillment, loss
Swords/Blades/Daggers/Sabres	Spades	Air	communication, intellect, ideas, logic
Pentacles/Coins/Disks/Rings	Diamonds	Earth	physical body, home, finances, practical

It is also worth noting that there is no “page” when using playing cards in divination. Some may consider the Jack to be the Page, while others consider it to be the Knight. Some interpretations may blend the two tarot roles into one playing card role, so it really depends on who’s doing the reading. Me? I prefer to leave the page and knight out altogether, and treat the Jack as its own role.

1. What Will Help You?

This position explores the people and circumstances that will aid you throughout this week.

Our first card of the week is the eight of clubs in the upright position. As I mentioned in the table above, clubs is a suit with an affinity for fire, and it is associated with ambition, creativity, and action. That last trait is very important, as the eight of clubs signifies that events in your life may be moving too quickly. Maybe you’re getting your ducks in a role much faster than you anticipated, or you volunteered for something that has snowballed into back-to-back events. This card portrays the need for change and how it can be difficult to keep up with change. Either way, you may be wondering: how does this benefit you?

Well, this position is about highlighting that which will aid you throughout this week. What will help you the most is your adaptability. You need to lean into your resourceful nature and jump into the fray. Don’t be intimidated by everything going on–go ahead and hit the ground running.

2. What Will Hinder You?

This position contemplates the obstacles you may experience in the week to come.

Our second card is the ace of hearts in the reverse position. Recall that this suit has an affinity for water and is associated with emotional and psychic traits, such as feelings and imagination. The ace of hearts is generally positive, representing the beginning of something grand, like a new relationship, emotional healing, or the support of loved ones–however, we see it here in the reverse position, so that positive message is soured by a warning.

Your obstacle: you might experience a drop in optimism, drive, or self-esteem. Are you too concerned with circumstances outside of your control? Are you not giving yourself time for self-care? Take a step back and try to figure out what’s holding you back–it’s the only way you’ll be able to move forward.

3. What Is Your Unrealized Potential?

This position reveals your unrealized potential in relation to your week and its challenges.

Our third and final card for the week is the Joker in the upright position. Remember, the Joker in a deck of playing cards is representative of the Fool in a tarot deck. The Fool symbolizes an individual in the middle of metamorphosis as they navigate the ups and downs of life on the journey of self-discovery. To put it simply, this card is saying that you need to roll with your potential mistakes since they’ll help you learn more about yourself in the end. Recognize what you need in order to become a better, wiser you.

This Week’s Insight

Things will progress quickly for you, but don’t be discouraged or doubt yourself. Let fire fuel your passion and urge you to take the appropriate risks. Let water fill you with confidence and wash away your self-doubt. Every step you take is just another on the road to your future. You can do it!

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That’s it for my first Insight! What did you think, readers? Please like this article, leave some feedback in the comments, and share this blog with your friends! Your support is greatly appreciated.

Aerwyna Marvin

Guest poster

By the way: want a personal tarot reading? Leave a one-time donation of $3 or more on our Ko-fi with a message that includes your first name, star signs (any and all would be great), and your Twitter/Instagram/Tumblr username, and we’ll post your cards and reading on your preferred social media within 24 hours! Readings can also be delivered privately upon request.