What does Australian Open tennis have to do with Tarot?
Probably not much… However, with more than one Nadal fan in the house (myself included), a Tarot reading suddenly seemed like as brilliant idea, as we watched him suffer and lose the first set in today’s quarter-final match against Dimitrov…
Was Nadal okay? (the cameras repeatedly zoomed in on the ‘ouch’ looking blister on his hand, which made us all doubt the ‘okay’ part very much) Double-faults, missed balls… would he lose the match? (after Djokovic going out last night, it was a scary thought that another great player would bow out of our annual 2 week tennis feast). Could he refocus and turn the match around?
Instead of tearing the couch to pieces, I shuffled my cards and did a quick reading with 4 cards to see if they would shed some light on where Nadal was at. I should point out that I don’t normally do readings for people on the television screen, so please don’t take this one too seriously :) That said – the cards were quite interesting …
The four cards :
[1] The Hierophant, [2] The Tower, [3] Queen of Cups, [4] Temperance
The meaning of each card position + interpretation:
- The Hierophant – Nadal the person
Nadal lives for the high-end competition in tennis, he knows the game, the drama, and the ceremony, and has developed his own rituals, which he maintains throughout every match he plays… - The Tower – His fears/hopes/concerns about the situation
There is a sense of foundations being rocked in the match, which is at a point where a big change is inevitable. Chaos, defeat, pain, and even exhaustion have marched around the court long enough, something has to give.
- The Queen of Cups – His strength
He needs to rely on his ability to turn the match around. His strength lies in self-belief, his love of the game, and wanting to be there with his coach and supporters; knowing that he can and will go on.
- Temperance – The way forward (or outcome if you like)
An outcome providing balance and healing can be achieved with his natural flow. Through drawing on his strengths and understanding of self, he can rediscover rhythm and flow in the match.
The real outcome – Nadal went on to win the match: 3-6, 7-3, 7-6, 6-2
… and the couch is still in one piece :)
That was all quite amazing. He was also amazing, playing with such blisters on his hand. I do hope that he has lots of healing creams and nice soft bandages…
Thank you for stopping by :) Yes, he was quite amazing – and now he’s through to the final after playing again tonight :)
Hi I’m your biggest fan you don’t know how many tarot websites I have looked at and finally a website with true meaning. I love your posts so much not only are you a great artist but your blog is set out fantastically. By the way love the bit about Rafael Nadal! Anyway look forward to the next post!
Yours sincerely the magician
Hi Magician, welcome to Nine Lives blog and thank you for your many kind words. I think that there is a lot of great Tarot art in the world, but I’m glad you like what you see here, as I truly enjoyed creating each card in the deck :)
thankyou i do love a warm fuzzy welcome i was just wondering what does the magician mean
Thank you Magician :) – this card can be about creative power and resourcefulness: being at one with the elements and having the ability and knowledge to realise your dreams through skill and action. You are more than welcome to read more about the meanings for each card here: Nine Lives Tarot card meanings