Tarot reading in book ten, was: Trelawney's predictions in "HBP"

[leslie41]

No: HPFGUIDX 154457

I've got a bit of experience with tarot cards, enough to make 
Trelawney's reading in book ten very interesting (at least to me!).

As she passes Harry, she pulls out the two of spades (conflict), 
seven of spades (ill omen), ten of spades (violence), and knave of 
spades—"A dark young man, possibly troubled, who dislikes the 
questioner." She doesn't understand it at first, and mutters 
something about it not making sense, but that's because essentially 
what happens is Harry's presence influences the reading.  In other 
words, Harry becomes the "questioner," not Trelawney.  When she 
started out she was not doing a reading for Harry, but his proximity 
most definitely lurches the cards towards his fate and his future, 
and her reading provides clues as to Harry's future in this book, 
and perhaps in the next one.  As Trelawney made the prophecy about 
Harry before, we definitely should listen to her now if we want 
clues to what happens next.
    
Spades are the lesser arcana's version of swords, and the brief 
interpretations that Trelawney gives as she walks support this.  Her 
explication of the cards as she walks is extremely brief, and needs 
fleshing out for it to make more sense.  

Swords symbolize the life of the mind, and logic, and mental 
acuity.  They are the least "beneficent" suit, the cards most 
associated with trouble and anguish in human affairs. The cards 
themselves are fixed, but I'd encourage anyone to do their own 
interpretations of them and see if they can find even more clues. 
All of my quotes are taken from Frater LUC's Astrology and Tarot 
Corner.

http://www.hawkman.org/tarot/tarot/

Two of Swords:  I would suggest that this is probably the card that 
represents Harry and his situation. Remember that at this point in 
the narrative Harry has just discovered the HBP's potions book, and 
is wondering who he is.  The reading is a direct outcome of that 
specific situation in Harry's life.

http://www.hawkman.org/tarot/tarot/card_detail.cfm?cardid=52
 
"The woman is blindfolded, showing that she is confused about her 
situation. She cannot see the problem or the solution clearly. The 
swords are perfectly balanced, showing a balanced and stable mind. 
The water signifies emotions, and the rocks show tension. One of the 
divinatory meanings of this card is tension in a relationship, 
needing a cool head to solve the problem. A need to look at both 
sides of the situation. The waxing moon shows a new beginning 
arising out of the solutions found for this problem. The 
preponderance of grey shows a need to be neutral, and to look at 
both sides of the situation. The balanced crossed swords signify the 
same thing. Crossed swords, in Native symbology, is a symbol of 
truce. A truce needs to be called, and the problem needs to be 
resolved using logic (the suit of swords deals with logic and the 
use of the intellect). Both sides of the situation need to be 
addressed." 

The relationship, of course, is with the HBP, and in a larger sense, 
with Snape overall.  The immediate suggestion is that Harry doesn't 
know who the HBP is, whether or not the book is "dangerous," etc.  
But in a larger sense, since Snape is the HBP (which the cards seem 
to know, but Harry of course does not), there's an indication that 
Harry is not neutral about him, and needs to "look at both sides".  
This is something the text supports as well, because in no other 
book do so many people around him defend Snape, and make Harry try 
to see that his opinion may be skewed.  

Seven of swords:

http://www.hawkman.org/tarot/tarot/card_detail.cfm?cardid=57

The seven of swords forecasts to the situation with Snape, and the 
man on the card can only be interpreted as Snape.  The man depicted 
in the seven of swords is a thief, who"gives the impression of 
having secret, solitary plans...."  It's a card of "deception and 
betrayal."  There are figures in the background depicted on the card 
that see what he is doing, and one of them is holding a sword 
(Harry?).

Interestingly enough as well, "this card sometimes represents the 
lone-wolf style - the desire to run lone and free
the lone-wolf hero 
always acts totally on his own. He discovers, investigates and 
solves every problem using only his own wits and resources. He's 
successful because he ignores the fumbling efforts of ordinary 
people."

This card also has associations with cunning, trickery, and deceit.

Is this a card that condemns Snape?  Yes and no.  Arthur Edward 
Waite, probably the most famous and consulted source on the meaning 
of the tarot, interprets the card thusly: "Design, attempt, wish, 
hope, confidence; also quarrelling, a plan that may fail, annoyance. 
The design is uncertain in its import, because the significations 
are widely at variance with each other."

The "design" may indeed be the plan to make Snape seem a traitor; 
that in fact may be the "wish," in fact, the only "hope" for the 
situation.  

Ten of Swords:

http://www.hawkman.org/tarot/tarot/card_detail.cfm?cardid=60

Clearly, this forecasts Dumbledore's death at the hands of Snape.  

"The Ten of Swords depicts one of the most painful and sad images in 
the entire Tarot deck. A man lies face down with ten long swords 
embedded in his back. The sky above is pitch black and the general 
feeling is one of sadness, loss, and misfortune." 

Well, of course.  But
.

"However, despite these ominous images, there are positive aspects 
to this card. The sea before which the body lies is glassy and calm, 
and the sunrise is appearing in the distance beyond the mountains. 
The fire of the sun is burning the clouds of darkness away as it 
rises and the darkness will soon be dispelled." 

!!!!!!!!!  Indeed!  This is very much a "darkness before the dawn" 
type of card.  Now, whether it implies resurrection of Dumbledore, 
or just forecasts to the overthrow of Voldemort, that's the 
question.  

Knave of Spades: The last card is the "knave of spades," the jack, 
which corresponds to the page in the tarot deck.  So the last card 
is the Page of Swords.  It is this card we should look to, one would 
suppose, to give us clues for the next book.  Perhaps this is 
the "outcome" card.   

http://www.hawkman.org/tarot/tarot/card_detail.cfm?cardid=61

It seems clear to me that the knave of spades is the HBP, Snape. 
Here's a couple of trenchant quotes:

"The Page of Swords
has the ability to find out the truth regarding 
all matters. He has both mental and physical agility." 

"In readings, the Page of Swords offers gestures of challenge. He 
suggests that an opportunity for growth may come your way in the 
guise of a problem or dilemma. Such gestures will not be your 
favorites. In fact, you will probably want to say `Thanks...but no 
thanks'."

"The Page of Swords asks you to embrace a difficult situation and 
meet its challenge. You could think of these as trials designed to 
test your mettle. If you accept and prevail, you will become 
stronger and more resilient."

This site tends to emphasize the more positive, youthful aspects of 
the page, which isn't necessarily wrong since Harry is contemplating 
the HBP, not Snape as he knows him. But what is also associated with 
the page as well is vigilance and spying, which, it is also 
stressed, can be used either for evil or for good.

Waite's interpretation of the page of swords: "Authority, 
overseeing, secret service, vigilance, spying, examination, and the 
qualities thereto belonging."

These readings are neutral in terms of their judgement on the 
character.  The negative aspects are balanced out by the positive.  
We are also reminded by this interpretation of how clever Snape is, 
how he is master of "concealment and revelation." These are readings 
that are completely ambiguous as to Snape's loyalties.  He's a 
brilliant master of deception.

I'm a Snape fan, and I have no problem with him being an utter 
bastard, but I do have a problem with him being irredeemably evil, 
and I'm hoping that Rowling is building towards a final alignment of 
his character that preserves this.