Here is something I discovered a while back “by accident.” Cards pulled one day can manifest a few
days later. I call this phenomenon Time Lapsed Tarot. Why might this happen? Tarot cards reflect or mirror the prevailing energies
surrounding you at the time you draw the cards. Major Arcana or Trump cards mirror
particularly strong energies that are impacting you while minor Arcana and
Court cards mirror more mundane or ordinary influences. Sometimes these
prevailing energies, particularly the Major Arcana influences, manifest over a
period of days or even weeks, months or years! (These energies often correlate with
your astrological transits, but that is out of the scope of this article.) Here’s an example of Time
Lapsed Tarot in action: One recent morning I pulled the following cards:
| The Cards | VIII-STRENGTH FIVE OF SWORDS / Cross Words or Arguments XVI-TOWER |
Note: The
cards used for this Reading are from the Hanson-Roberts Tarot Deck, U.S. GAMES
SYSTEMS, INC., Stamford, CT 06902 USA.
 |
VIII-STRENGTH – passion, creativity, ability, responsibility, power. |
 |
FIVE OF SWORDS – conflict, defeat, destruction of self and/or others through cross words. |
 |
XVI-TOWER – breakthrough, healing, busting the pattern, freedom, complete sudden change, breaking down of old beliefs, unexpected events, accidents. |
I was not thrilled...
The Missing Clue cards were XI-JUSTICE (fairness) and Ace/Cups (blessings, abundance, joy).
The cards didn’t seem to relate well to what’s been going on in my life. And I have to admit, I felt more than a tad uneasy seeing XVI-TOWER show up in the spread…
I finally decided the cards suggested a possible event where I needed to remain strong and focused (VIII-STRENGTH) and that there was potential to find myself arguing (5/Swords) to a degree that might jeopardize a relationship (XVI-TOWER). Thoughts of a potential accident also crossed my mind, but I pushed them aside, not wanting to focus on something I did not want to happen.
As the day progressed, I kept in mind the potential of arguments (5/Swords), (especially with a co-worker who had recently been undergoing stress over a personal matter at home). I was especially careful to take their comments with a grain of salt and not say anything that might set them off. By the end of the day I determined that the cards had reflected properly, if not weakly. I had remained strong and in my own power (VIII-STRENGTH), and had avoided cross words (5/Swords) that could had led to altercations (XVI-TOWER). By staying conscious of my own words and actions I had remained balanced (XI-JUSTICE) and able to tune into the joy or blessings of my day (Ace/Cups). I did, however, make the following note in my Tarot notebook that evening:
Nothing really happened today that qualifies as a TOWER event – unless I managed to deconstruct a potential altercation with _____ by watching my tongue (5/Swords)…
The following day, as per my usual routine, I drew three new cards, and life went on.
The next day, however, two days after pulling XVI-TOWER, I narrowly escaped being in a car accident!!! I was on my way to pick my son up from his part-time job when a young girl blew a stop sign. Fortunately, I had noticed her car approaching the intersection and managed to swerve to the left sharply enough to avoid getting struck broadside. The God/dess must have been with me because in my haste to get out of the way, I hadn’t even checked my rear-view mirror to see if a car was either behind me or in the process of passing me on the left hand side.
And the very next day, three TOWER events happened to me, bam, bam, boom!!!
All four events “shook me up” (XVI-TOWER) and, I must admit, threw me a little off balance (XI-JUSTICE). Later that evening, I identified the blessing (Ace/Cups) – the fact that even while undergoing XVI-TOWER energies I had remained protected. I found myself thinking, Oh, so that’s what those cards were all about!
Now does this mean every time you draw cards that do not manifest the day you draw them that they will manifest a day or two or three later? No, not necessarily. However, sometimes they will.
And while the example described above is not the first time I have experienced Time Lapsed Tarot, its recent manifestation in my life impulsed me to want to describe the phenomenon to you and give you a “head’s up,” so to speak. Time Lapsed Tarot is something you might want to keep an eye out for, in case it happens to you.
Blessings,
Mary Hawkins
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