Category Archives: Supernatural

#WaywardTarot #Supernatural – I want to go to college but my family doesn’t support me (#Wonderland #Tarot)

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I’m once again going to borrow a page from James Ricklef’s KnightHawk technique and do a Tarot reading for a fictional character.  I’ve decided Sam Winchester, the younger brother in the TV series Supernatural is reaching out for advice on how to handle his family’s resistance to his leaving for college.

“I’ve had an unusual upbringing.  My father’s job forces us to travel all over the country, never staying in any location for very long.  My older brother enjoys this but I find it chaotic. I want to live a stable, more normal life. In order to achieve this goal, I plan to attend college.  Despite this chaotic childhood, I managed to manage an excellent GPA and have been offered a scholarship to Stanford University but I’m conflicted.

Despite our contentious relationship, I love my father but I don’t want to live the life he has planned for me.  My older brother, Dean, who practically raised me, will be devastated at my leaving but if I stay  I’ll resent him.  I know what I’m going to do – Stanford is my future.  What I’d like advice about is how/if I can make my family understand why I need to do this.  Thank you for your help.” – Sam Winchester

Hi Sam,

Thank you for choosing me to provide you with additional insight and advice regarding this issue.  It must be difficult for you to leave your family behind and pursue your dreams, especially if you are close to them.  I’m going to pull three cards for you to see what clarity we can find.

What underlies their resistance?  Page of Peppermills They’re afraid that you’re still very young and too eager to get out into the big, wide world without being fully aware of the dangers you might face.  You’re full of excitement and enthusiasm, piss and vinegar, for college and can’t wait to explore what “normal” looks like but  despite what lessons you’ve learned and how prepared you believe you are, your family is worried about your safety.  They’re afraid you’re impetuous and too hot-headed for your own good.

How to address their concerns?  10 of Hats Rx

I don’t think there is an easy answer for this one.  The truth is that your family may be loyal and fierce in your defense of each other but any resemblance to a happy family is illusory at best.  You aren’t comfortable dealing with this but I get the sense that you left “happy” in the rearview mirror at some point.  That means discussions about how you feel about college and using an emotional argument to sway your family will probably be useless.  They are set against your leaving and I don’t think you’ll be able to change their minds.

What will support you in your choice?  Page of Oysters Rx

In your core, you see yourself as a student.  You thrive on learning new things and acquiring knowledge.  In addition, you believe you are practical and grounded with a realistic view of what’s out there in the world.  You may be young but you’re not stupid or naive.  You believe this works in your favor and it seems that your past experiences and scholarly pursuits will serve you well in your academic career.  You consider the world to be your oyster and you’re chomping at the bit to enjoy it.

In summary, you and your family don’t see eye to eye on this matter and probably never will.  It boils down to subsuming your desire for college to their need to keep you close and safe.  Ultimately, only you can decide which option is in your best interests and serves your long term goals.  Best of luck whatever you decide to do.

As any fan of Supernatural is aware, Sam Winchester left his family and attended Stanford University in Palo Alto.  He is offered a scholarship and in the series premiere, we learn he scored a 174 on his LSAT and has a meeting scheduled with Stanford Law School in a few days to discuss his admittance (most likely with another scholarship).  Things don’t work out according to Sam’s plans and at the end of the episode, he leaves Stanford and returns to hunting supernatural monsters with his brother Dean.

John Winchester (Sam’s father) and his brother Dean don’t want Sam to leave for college because they fear they cannot protect him from supernatural creatures.  They know how many monsters lurk in the dark and how dangerous they can be and worry Sam won’t be able to protect himself.  As the series progresses we learn that a powerful demon is interested in Sam and John is aware of this (although he doesn’t reveal this to his sons until much later).  This demon’s interest in Sam endangers anyone he cares about, as is revealed when Sam’s girlfriend Jess is killed the same way his mother died – pinned to the ceiling and burned to death.  Although Sam believes he knows how to protect himself and is aware of what’s out there, the truth is that it was much worse and bigger than he ever imagined.

Despite Sam’s desire for a normal life, the show has shown time and time again over the years that’s just not practical.  The supernatural will always use anyone they care about as a way to hurt the Winchesters.

​#Supernatural #TarotReading Saving Adam from the cage

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My youngest brother has been imprisoned and I need to save him.  I’m not sure where he is but I’m afraid he’s being tortured and hurt and it’s driving me a little crazy.  What can we (my brother Sam and me) do to help Adam and free him from this situation? – Dean Winchester

Hi Dean,

Thank you so much for entrusting me to do this reading for you.  I’m so sorry to hear about this situation with your youngest brother and I will do what I can to answer your question.  I pulled three cards in answer to your query:

What is Adam’s current situation?  6 of Pentacles reversed suggests that Adam might not need your help.  He might not where you fear that he is.  Looking at the figure on this card I am struck by the sense that he is moving towards the sun, the light above his head. He’s moving towards something, not being held in place.

Factors influencing this situation?  2 of Pentacles reversed – I believe this card reflects your own sense of being off-balance and out of sync.  You feel guilty about this situation and are carrying that weight on your shoulders.  As a result you’re off your game.

Next best move?  3 of Cups suggests that what you really need to do is celebrate.  Maybe these three figures represent you and your brothers.  Perhaps Adam is already free and now you can celebrate that fact. 

†***********†***********†**********†**********† 

Adam Milligan is the half-brother of Sam & Dean Winchester, the result of a relationship their father had with Kate Milligan while on a hunt.  Sam & Dean did not learn of Adam’s existence until Season 4 and by then it’s too late.  Adam is brought back into their lives when the angels try to use Adam as Michael’s vessel because Dean refuses to be.  At this point we learn that Winchester bloodline is what allows them to act as hosts for archangels – Dean was created to be Michael’s perfect vessel and Sam was created to be Lucifer’s perfect vessel.  Adam Milligan or John Winchester might be acceptable but imperfect substitutes.  

Adam is believed to be in a cage in Hell trapped with Michael the archangel and Lucifer.  However, I believe that while Adam’s body might be in Hell, his soul already ascended into Heaven.  According to Castiel, an angel, in Season 10, when a vessel (a host body used by an angel) is destroyed its original inhabitant’s soul is released.  Adam’s body was destroyed in the Season 5 finale by a Molotov cocktail using holy oil (which can fry angels “extra crispy”).  His body is brought backed with Michael now inhabiting it but it is my belief that Adam’s soul remained in Heaven.  Once he gave permission for Michael to inhabit his body, I don’t believe his soul was needed anymore.  So Adam’s soul is not trapped in the Cage the way Sam’s was, so he does not need to be saved.

If you’d like to learn more about the show visit the Supernatural Wiki

You can also watch all 12 seasons of the show on Netflix.  

Sheila O’Malley also offers some amazing recaps on episodes from the first three seasons (well she’s working on Season 3).  I highly recommend reading them!!.

#Supernatural #TarotReading for Mary Wincester – Healing my relationship with my boys

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Now that I’ve completed the Comparative Tarot essays for the Major Arcana, I’ve decided to try some different Tarot focused blog posts before attacking the Minors (if I decided to do that). I’ve been inspired by James Ricklef’s wonderful KnightHawk readings that focused on 3 card readings for fictional characters. I hope I can do this technique justice.

Three card reading for Mary Winchester of Supernatural

Dear Tarot Hunter,

I have recently reconnected with my two grown sons after a 30 + year absence. I have no idea how to communicate with them; how to interact with them. They don’t need me they way they did the last time I saw them. What would be my best way to repair this broken bond?

Mary, thank you so much for entrusting me to do a reading for you on such a sensitive topic. I cannot provide any insight into your sons’ thoughts or feelings but perhaps we can look at the current state of this relationship and see if it can be healed. I will pull three cards and see what the universe has to say.

The current state of this relationship? Page of Cup Rx – Your sons are still those broken-hearted boys devastated by the loss of their mother. You are a mother devastated at what you missed in your sons’ lives. All three of you are relative neophytes when it comes to expressing and dealing with your emotions. I get the sense that none of you are especially comfortable with introspection and examining your motivations.  This reluctance for addressing emotional issues underpins this relationship even if you never acknowledge it.

Issues that fester or harm this relationship? 10 of Wands – There are a lot of burdens still being carried by members of this family. Considering that you mention not having seen your sons in over 30 years, I’ll guess that guilt is part of this burden – you missed their childhoods. How did they cope? Perhaps there are things in their past that haunt and weigh them down too. 30 years is a lot of history – both good and bad.

How can this relationship start to heal? 7 of Pentacles Rx – Upon seeing this card the first thing that popped into my head is you all need to stop revisiting the past, harvesting that guilt, and instead work to build a new future together. Although the past will always impact your lives, if that’s all you focus on then it will taint your future together. I’m not saying to ignore the past, perhaps discussing it will bring some closure, but don’t allow it to linger between you. It could create a toxic environment that will prevent anything new and healthy from growing.

The overall message from this reading seems to be that you can repair this relationship but it will be a slow process and will require understanding and honesty. You will need to look within yourself and be honest about the emotions this situation brings up for you as well as trying to understand what it brings up for your sons. You’re almost strangers to each other but a willingness to stick it out may go a long way towards repair this fractured relationship.

As fans of Supernatural know, Mary Winchester not only disappeared from the boys lives 34 years ago, she died. Her death became the catalyst for the story arc for the first five years of the show. The boy’s father, John, devastated by the death of his beloved wife, becomes a hunter to discover what killed Mary and cursed their youngest son, Sam. John Winchester trains and raises his sons to be hunters, sometimes acting more as a drill sergeant than a father.

Mary Winchester is brought back from the dead at the end of season 11 by Amara, God’s sister, as a gift for Dean Winchester. Over the course of season 12, we watch as Mary, unsure how to deal with her rebirth and her adult sons, distances herself from the boys, but this reading takes place early in the season before any of those conflicts have arisen. It’s interesting to interpret this reading knowing both the backstory and its ultimate resolution.

If you’d like to learn more about the show visit the Supernatural Wiki

You can also watch all 12 seasons of the show on Netflix.  

Sheila O’Malley also offers some amazing recaps on episodes from the first three seasons (well she’s working on Season 3).  I highly recommend reading them!!.

 

Dean & Me – Burlesquing because we don’t want you to know who we truly are

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Have you ever done a burlesque act? You know what I mean, done a song and dance number to hide the truth about yourself from someone else? It’s probably a defense mechanism you’ve developed to protect yourself after feeling hurt of victimized at various points in your life. I do it all the time. I joke about the pain and difficult experiences I’ve gone through to deflect questions I’m uncomfortable answering. I don my “tough broad” armor to repel any attempts to breach my defenses and get to the heart of me.

I realize this can be counter-productive simply because it’s creates situations in which I’m isolated and feel abandoned but that’s my own doing. I create self-fulfilling prophecies in which I don’t let people in because I’m afraid to trust them but then when I need them no one is there because I pushed them away. In my script, however, I’ve been “abandoned”. It’s screwy and I own it but I’m also taking steps to change this pattern. Quite frankly I didn’t even realize how often I do this until I was reading several blog posts by Sheila O’Malley about this tendency in the Dean Winchester character on Supernatural. As I was reading her analysis something clicked in my brain and I realized how often I do exactly the same thing. I think Dean and I might both be like Charles Durning’s character in Best Little Whorehouse in Texas – dancing my little side step.

This can be diverting and a very useful survival tool for brief periods of time. Over the long haul it can eventually create more problems than it solves. As I mentioned, when you are constantly burlesquing people don’t know when to take you seriously. They aren’t sure what is a true issue versus a humorous skit. I’ve done this myself, I make my pain into a comedy routine so people are never sure how serious the pain is. Hell, sometimes neither am I. Don’t misunderstand, I’ll never completely give up the burlesque act because it also serves as a filter – people who are repelled by the burlesque act probably aren’t folks I want to incorporate into my life anyway. Those that are willing to stick around will eventually see the more serious me. In fact they may quickly grow to regret that. Either way the point is that there isn’t anything wrong with putting on a burlesque act. I think it can be healthy and a powerful survival tool. It only becomes problematic when you can’t stop the act; you can’t allow anyone beyond those defenses. It might seem safer but I imagine it’s a lot lonelier too.