To hear me read this post, use the embedded audio player below.
So I’m not particularly following Trump’s case in New York this week. But I caught a blip of it today and noticed how very sad and pouty he looked in court. I was wondering what’s going on with his facial expression: What does it mean? I drew a quick few cards, using my go-to four card quick spread: situation and what to know (so two cards for the present moment), advice (but in this case, there’s no need for advice, since I’m just being nosy, so this time it’s more like his plans), and immediate outcome (so here we have a glimpse of a possible future).
The first two cards really have the same feel as Trump’s expression: the Eight of Cups and Five of Swords. The first shows a person walking away and the second shows a person who would like to fight and is still perhaps thinking of it. I was startled at how well these two cards represent Trump’s facial expression. I don’t think he wanted to be there.
Then we have the plans card, the Eight of Pentacles. And I think this is why he was there. He needs to bring money in, one way or another–and, of course, this case puts his own money in jeopardy.
Finally, the King of Swords. I think in this case, this is the judge. I briefly worried that this related to the presidential campaign. But in these cases, and I mention this for those of you who are learning this art yourselves, the question is key to the interpretation. All I asked about was the expression on Trump’s face. I don’t think it’s likely that his facial expression on a given day has such a long arc as to extend into next year. I think his expression had to do with this case on this day. And that’s why I think the King of Swords is showing us the judge. Because when you think about it, the first two cards, the Eight of Cups and Five of Swords, also show Trump’s actions today. He didn’t mouth off to the judge in the courtroom. He slunk outside and threw a tantrum for reporters.
But the judge can watch the news like anyone else.
And Trump knows that. That’s the audience he has in mind, on one level. Of course he also has his supporters in mind. But you can play to more than one audience at a time.
What does that mean? It just means he has to face the judge, that’s all.
And that’s also a little more insight into his pout, because we know that Trump has a phobia of jail. This case does NOT put him in any danger of losing his freedom. But it’s still a court case, and it cannot help but trigger his feelings about his criminal cases too. This is what I think his expression is revealing.
I’m not writing this to make fun of Trump (though if you follow me you know I’m not a fan). I’m writing this as an educational exercise. If you’re learning the tarot, reading about a public figure is great practice, because you might be more objective–though almost nobody is truly objective about a politician. But at least the result is at some distance from you. And additionally, thinking through what the tarot means gives us a tool for thinking the situation through as well. We can practice holding ourselves accountable for objectivity, even if we are unlikely to be truly objective. We can still try and practice it. Moreover, running a situation through the prism of an image on a card is kind of like moving Scrabble tiles around to try to jog your brain into thinking of other possibilities. Even for those who think tarot is absurd, you can see how using art (which this is) to view a situation differently could be a useful tool for encouraging ourselves to think more creatively and make more space in our heads for other considerations. That’s why this is a useful exercise.
Quiet Mystic 