Tarot Reflections: Past, Present, Future Insights

Divination as Triage

Hey, so today I’m standing on a ledge, rebuilding from the rubble. A new day, new chapter.

As you all know, I’ve got some pagan roots. If you wanna check out that side of me, you can always take a look at unpluggedpagan.com. And although this particular post may be more suited there, I’m doing it here.

Today, I’ve decided to dig out my tarot cards, something I have not used in a while. We’re going to do a simple three-card spread right now: past, present, future. And then I’m adding one more card that represents me.

The Spread

  • Past: Five of Pentacles (Reversed)
  • Present: Nine of Swords (Reversed)
  • Future: King of Swords (Reversed)
  • Me (Clarifier): Knight of Pentacles

Divinatory Meaning (Past / Present / Future)

Past – Five of Pentacles (Reversed):
This is the “coming in from the cold” card when it’s reversed. The past has been rough, no sugarcoating it, but the reversal points to a shift: recovery, help showing up, a door cracking open. It’s the moment where hardship stops being the whole story and starts becoming the thing you’re climbing out of. If the upright is isolation, the reversed is “I’m finding my way back to warmth,” even if I’m still limping a bit.

Present – Nine of Swords (Reversed):
Reversed, this is the pressure valve starting to release. The mind has been loud: worry, worst-case spirals, late-night doom thinking. But the reversal says I’m not completely trapped in it today. It can mean the beginning of healing, confession, reaching out, or simply realizing: “This panic is not a prophecy.” It also comes with a warning: sometimes reversing the Nine of Swords is what happens when you’re exhausted and your brain finally shuts up because it has no energy left. Either way, it’s a present tense message to de-escalate the mental battlefield and let the nervous system catch up.

Future – King of Swords (Reversed):
This one’s the sharp edge. Upright, the King of Swords is clarity, truth, structure, fair judgment. Reversed, it can be misuse of authority, cold logic without compassion, rigidity, harsh decisions, or someone (including me) getting stuck in “all head, no heart.” It can also point to paperwork, legalities, contracts, and bureaucracy showing up in a way that feels controlling or delaying. The warning here is pretty simple: don’t let frustration turn into self-sabotage, and don’t let someone else’s power trip define my next move. Read the fine print. Stay calm. Keep it factual. Don’t give away leverage because I’m tired.

The “Me” Card

Knight of Pentacles:
And then there’s me: the Knight of Pentacles. If there’s any card that screams “paperwork, receipts, slow steady grind, show up anyway,” it’s this one. It’s not flashy. It’s not magical thinking. It’s: do what needs doing, in the right order, one brick at a time. It’s the part of me that keeps moving even when momentum is low. It’s also the reminder that slow progress is still progress. The Knight doesn’t panic. The Knight builds.

How This Lands for Me Today

As a side note, for me, for today, things are going reasonably well. It snowed yesterday, so I went out last night and did a pile of snow removal. Those snow piles got pretty high.

Still waiting on some things that I put into motion. I’m still waiting on some documentation that I need to sign. Proceed, hopefully. I thought I was going to get it Friday. Hopefully I’ll get it by mid-Monday. Otherwise, I’m not sure what I’m going to do.

Most of my paperwork is done that I can do. I still got to upload receipts and whatnot for the business, get my taxes done. But that’s pretty much it.

So if I stitch this spread together in plain language:

  • I’m not living in the worst of it anymore (Five of Pentacles reversed).
  • I’m actively trying to stop the mental spiral from driving the car (Nine of Swords reversed).
  • And the next challenge is keeping my head clear when systems, authority, or bureaucracy get sharp and rigid (King of Swords reversed).
  • My advantage is consistency: slow, deliberate follow-through (Knight of Pentacles).

That is a wrap for today. Have a good day. Godspeed.

Discover more from Standing on the Ledge

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Unknown's avatar

Published by Lugh Sulian

Lugh Sulian Standing on the Ledge · Rebuilding from the Rubble Lugh Sulian is a working name for a working moment. This profile exists to hold Standing on the Ledge: Rebuilding from the Rubble—an ongoing, real-time record of what happens after collapse, when old rules stop functioning and new ones haven’t yet earned trust. This is not myth reenactment. Not spiritual bypass. Not curated healing. It’s a field journal from the threshold. The name Lugh points toward skill, clarity, and responsibility carried with awareness. Sulian gestures toward sight—what can be seen when illusion drops away and pretending becomes too expensive. Together, they frame the posture of this work: to look clearly, act deliberately, and refuse to rebuild what already failed. Through short-form video, spoken reflection, and long-form writing, this project explores: Collapse without spectacle Responsibility without authority Burnout as a systems problem, not a personal flaw Pagan cycles as lived practice, not aesthetic Small fires instead of grand rebuilds This space is intentionally unfinished. It documents: Standing still without freezing Moving forward without rushing Learning from rubble instead of hiding it Unplugged-Pagan.com serves as the grounding—seasonal awareness, ritual stripped of performance, and meaning built from experience rather than doctrine. Standing on the Ledge is one expression of that grounding, focused on the human cost of broken systems and the slow work of rebuilding integrity. This is not a teaching platform. It’s a shared watchpost. If you’re here, you’re likely between versions of yourself—tired, alert, uncertain, and still standing. You don’t need answers yet. You need honesty, boundaries, and permission to move at the speed of truth. No conclusions offered. No certainty promised. Still on the ledge. Still watching. Still working the rubble. Godspeed. Optional Short Versions (for profile headers or bios) Short bio (Facebook / site header): Threshold work. Pagan-rooted, process-driven. Documenting collapse, clarity, and the refusal to rebuild what failed.

Published

Leave a comment