Since I've been in an old-school mood lately, and this particular friend of mine is interested in Tarot mostly as a fun diversion, I chose to go with a new spread and a new deck. This is the Papus Tarot, created in 1981 and republished by US Games in 1982. It's a nice deck, which is said to follow Papus's original designs quite closely; though not owning a copy of The Divinatory Tarot myself, I can't say for sure.
This spread, according to the little white booklet of the Papus Tarot, apparently originates from Papus's book Tarot of the Bohemians. It requires that you divide the Major and Minor Arcana. Twelve Minor Arcana cards are drawn and laid out counter-clockwise in a circle to represent the twelve houses. Then seven Major Arcana cards are drawn; four are laid in an inner circle and three in a triangle inside both circles. The four in the inner circle represent commencement, culmination, decline, and fall. The three triangle points are the past, present, and future. I'm looking to the little white booklet for meanings, so while they seem genuine to me, I'm not sure if they're entirely in-line with Papus's ideas.
Of the twelves houses, cards 1-4 represent the past, cards 4-7 represent the present, and 7-12 pertain to the future. The Queen of Cups talks of a poetic or loving person, the King of Batons of a fatherly person, the Queen of Batons of an understanding yet honorable person, and the Queen of Swords as a quick-witted or intelligent person. The Major Arcana card for the past is the Emperor, and the card representing commencement is the Magician. Right away, I notice that all of the cards from the past are court cards, and the Majors can represent people as well. This tells me that my friend's past decisions were mostly influenced by others, but most especially by a man of strong will and self-confidence.
Next is the Queen of Swords, the Three of Cups which speaks of healing and compromise, the Eight of Cups which tells of discontinuing your effort and disappointment, and the Five of Cups is an unsatisfied desire, and struggle. The Major for the present is the Tower; culmination is the Popess, and decline is Temperance. These cards are telling me that a wise and intelligent woman and the thought of being a healer are pulling my querent towards medical school, but he is currently struggling in school and fears he won't be able to attain his goal. He is in a crisis 'Tower' moment, which will resolve soon towards a more balanced emotional state.
The Two of Coins tells of new troubles, but the Valet (Page) of Batons bears important news. The Queen of Coins tells of wealth, and the Six of Coins speaks of charity and kindness. The Ace of Batons tells of creation and invention. The Major card for the future is the Star, and the card for the outcome of the situation is the Lovers. These cards are telling me that he will continue to struggle with his medical classes, but will receive an important push or piece of news from an outside source - perhaps a scholarship or grant. The Star tells of hope and optimism, and the Lovers tells me that his decision will enable him to work on relationships as well as intellectual pursuits.
Knowing what I know of his situation, I told my friend that the cards are advising a change to pursue a graduate degree in chemistry. His biology and anatomy work are becoming more and more demanding, and he feels he is unable to rise to the challenge. While pursuing upper-level chemistry courses, he feels much more of an affinity for and understanding of the material, requiring that he spend less time away from his family. I advised him to continue to do his best in all of his classes, and keep on the look out for scholarships or grants he can apply for; it's likely he will find a newfound optimism and creative drive that will aid him in his task of choosing his life's path.
