“There are many different types of Tarot decks, too,” Gabriel continued, “but most of them are based on the Rider-Waite deck.”
“They’re beautifully designed,” Drew said, admiring the artwork on the cards.
“They are,” Gabriel agreed. “I have a few different decks. We could get you one from Irma’s store, later, if you wanted.”
“Do you believe what the cards say?” Drew asked. “I’m curious. I’m not trying to be skeptical or offensive with that question.”
“It’s not offensive,” Gabriel said. He thought about his answer before speaking. “Tarot reading, and real divination in general, aren’t like what you see in the movies. It’s not like I’ll pull a card and it will say exactly what’s happening next in your life. Like I said, it’s more about your intention. I guess that you could say that the cards offer suggestions, or maybe guidelines for your own thinking. Then, you have to trust your own judgment and critical thinking to figure out what they mean for you.”
“I like that, actually,” Drew said.
Gabriel shuffled the cards. “When I read cards, I like to pull three. The first one represents the past circumstances of a specific situation, the second card represents the current circumstances, and the third card represents where things are going. The first two help me understand where I’ve been and where I am, and the third helps me understand what might be next.”
“And does it always make sense?”
Gabriel smiled at him. “Somehow, yes, it does.”
“The skeptic in me says that’s confirmation bias, but I’m putting the skepticism aside.”
“I want you to cut the deck,” Gabriel said, and Drew did.
“Before I read, I like to set an intention in my reading, like a focus. For instance, am I going to be reading about my career? About my personal life?” He looked at Drew. “What do you want your focus to be?”
“Is it too broad to think about life generally?”
“Probably not, as long as we know that’s what we’re focusing on. I might need your help in interpreting some of the cards, because some of them might resonate with things I don’t know about you.”
He started shuffling again. When a card didn’t settle with the rest of the deck, he picked it out. When he had three, he laid them out, facedown, on the coffee table in front of them.
“How do you pick the cards?” Drew asked.
“I let the energy guide me,” Gabriel said. “If a card sticks out, literally, or if I feel drawn to it intuitively, I pick it. It always seems to work. Remember, it’s about your intention.”
“Let’s see the first card.”
“Just to confirm,” Gabriel said, “the first card represents where you’ve beencoming from. Your past, basically.”
“Recent past or big-picture?”
“We’ll see.” Gabriel flipped the first card. The artwork displayed a red heart pierced by three swords. Gabriel laughed. “The Three of Swords,” he said. “See what I mean?”
“No, but hopefully I will after you explain.”
Gabriel cradled the card. “Each card has two meanings, which are often similar to each other but in the inverse. The upright meaning, like this, and the reverse meaning.”
He rotated the card upside down.
“Upright, the Three of Swords is often known as a heartbreak card. It represents emotional pain, separation, or grief. In a reading like this, it could represent that you’ve had a recent heartbreak, something that you’re still holding onto, and which could be holding you back from moving forward in your journey.”
“You’re making that up,” Drew said with a laugh. “There’s no way it could be that accurate.”
“I’m not making it up. You can look it up online if you don’t believe you.”
“No, I believe you. I’m just surprised.”
Gabriel looked thoughtfully at the card. “I’m always surprised at how the cards resonate with me. Maybe it’s because we, as people, are hardwired to see patterns in things, or maybe there really is something magical about them.”
“It’s nice to think there might be some magic in the world,” Drew mused.
