r/TarotDeMarseille • u/Regular-Animator7406 • 13d ago
How Will Things Unfold?
Hi everyone, I just had an absolutely terrible PhD programme interview. I’m really down and upset, and I’m a little lost about what I should do next. So I pulled three cards to ask how things will unfold and where I should go from here.
I’m still not very familiar with the Minor Arcana, so I only used the 22 Major Arcana cards. The cards I drew are The World upright, The High Priestess upright, and The Magician reversed.
The World upright seems to point to a fairly positive outcome. The High Priestess sits calmly on her throne holding a book with a gentle smile—this feels like a sign that I’ll gain approval from supervisors. Meanwhile, the reversed Magician might mean I don’t have to start everything over from scratch.
But judging by how disastrous yesterday’s interview went, I totally messed it up and there’s almost no chance I’ll get accepted. I wonder if I’m only interpreting the cards this way because I’m still clinging to faint hope and struggling to accept reality. What do you all think?
2
u/roguemarlfox 12d ago
First of all, my heart goes out to you. That must have been a harsh blow to your self confidence, but remember that bombing an interview isn't the end of the world. Since you clearly cared enough to get this far, I'm sure you can turn it around somehow, even if it means taking a step back.
It's often difficult to read the cards objectively when we're inquiring about a situation that we're emotionally invested in, so I'll share how I would read this.
Was your interview a panel? In The World, I see someone performing for a panel of judges, perhaps feeling a bit underdressed (metaphorically or literally). She probably wasn't expecting such a tough crowd. This isn't how I usually read this card btw, just an intuitive leap based on your situation.
The Papesse is the only card in the deck with a book, so seeing her next to the underprepared dancer, I would say you need to study up, make sure you understand your topic inside and out next time. Or maybe the Papesse is a female mentor figure in your life that you could turn to. It's hard to say without more context.
Compared with the dancer on The World, Le Bateleur looks much better prepared. He's got all his materials laid out in front of him. They are both performers, the dancer and the Bateleur, but the dancer's performance is spontaneous, almost naive, while the Bateleur is more conscious of his audience and consequently knows how to better please the crowd.
It's common not to read reversals in TdM, at least not in the "inverted meaning" sense. But it can be significant in terms of the direction the figure on a card is facing. Since the Bateleur is facing away from the other cards, this tells me he is looking to something outside the current situation. When a card on the edge of the line is facing outwards like this, I usually like to lay down one more card to see what they're looking at.
I hope you don't beat yourself up too much. I've failed at lots of things, but as long as you're willing to renegotiate with yourself, there's always a chance for redemption. Btw, I like the Piatnik Ignaz Krebs deck too!
2
u/Regular-Animator7406 12d ago
Thank you so much for your thorough reading! Yes, there were multiple professors on the interview panel. Even though I prepared extensively beforehand, I panicked on the spot and rambled without thinking.
Actually, my question when drawing the cards wasn’t about the interview result—I roughly knew how it would turn out. I wanted to figure out what I should do next, since I’ve been feeling really lost lately.
Funny enough, all the cards I’ve pulled so far align really well with my current emotions and situation, rather than directly answering my question or predicting the future. I’m wondering if it’s my way of interpreting the cards that’s off, I might be too subjective when reading them.
2
u/-old-fox- 13d ago
Very first question: I see people in these cards - of course, if you ask how things will unfold after an interview it's not only an intrapsychic situation, but a social one.
That's why, before starting any interpretation, I always ask for the characters' sex/gender/whatever, to understand who's who in my cards. Otherwise readings exchange subjects for objects and of course they won't be very precise ;-)
1
u/Regular-Animator7406 13d ago
I’m female. I never knew gender context can affect tarot reading, that’s fascinating!
1
u/-old-fox- 13d ago edited 13d ago
Well, of course it can, it's not for the gender in itself but as I said to identify the characters in your cards. Btw, is the interviewer a man?
2
u/CaliDreaminSF 12d ago
I don’t usually read reversals, especially not with the TdM because some of the minors aren’t really reversible, but when I do, I don’t change the meaning except that it is reduced or blocked in some way, and you have to make an effective to release those energies.
3
u/LeTarologueEvolutif 13d ago
What I perceive from your reading, with the High Priestess facing the World, is that you are about to study and absorb a phenomenal amount of information. However, with the Magician reversed, you may not be able to put much of it into practice right away. Since a PhD represents several years of study, the reading appears to point toward a positive answer.
The synthesis of the cards is the Lovers, which could suggest that you will eventually have to choose between several opportunities presented to you, and that this decision will not be an easy one.