What follows here isn't real news, strictly speaking, but the reader may find it fun . . . depending upon how you look at things.

I just did a Tarot reading on the Democrats: What are they up to, how are they trying to accomplish their goals, and who is involved in that?

After I got an answer, I started to put the pack away, then decided it was relevant, and might have some additional interpretations. So I got the cards out again and laid them out. I'm sure I got all but one of them right, and in the right positions, but I'm not sure about the one for the Base of the Pillar (the present). For that one I chose the King of Coins, Reversed -- it felt right, somehow. No other card seemed to fit there.

Anyway, here's the layout, and my immediate interpretations:

Pack used:

The Tarot of the Witches (the one that was created specifically to be used in the James Bond flick Live and Let Die; the artist was Fergus Hall -- it's one of the weirdest packs I've ever seen, and it seemed to fit the situation here {G}).

The layout:

Method: The Celtic Cross spread

Significator: Trump XVIII, The Moon. In Hall's pack, the one I used for this reading, that card shows a huge crescent Moon with a face in profile -- and a tiny mouth which, if you use a looking glass to get the details, is filled with sharp, crooked teeth. A really spooky-looking card. That card is associated with Pisces and everything governed by Pisces and the 12th House of the horoscope, including all covert, hidden, and concealed actions, such as saboteurs, spies, the stab in the back, treason in any form, ninjas, guerilla warfare, etc.; the oceans, great lakes, and mighty rivers; murkiness, confusion; the past; past lives; etc. What were they thinking, nominating Obama for high office?

1) Covering: What is in the situation at this time, the elements of that situation, regardless of pattern, things and people involved. Trump XVII, The Star, Reversed. The Star is associated with Aquarius and everything ruled by Aquarius and the 11th house of the horoscope: climate and weather, meteors (shooting stars), humanity in the mass, the people of a nation, a society or nation built on revolution, Communism, Socialism, populism (these last three are not necessarily equated), unions (ditto), ecosystems, the mechanisms that keep communities and societies functioning, one's associates, friends, and co-workers, labor and laborers (in the mass, generic), fortune given to one by God (as opposed to that which comes about through one's own efforts, which is ruled by the 5th House), etc. Upright, The Star also signifies hope and bright prospects. Reversed, as here, it can signify despair, turmoil, things set on to boil, conflicts among members of a society or other group. Interpretation: after the national financial debacle and what came of it, the Democrats are in great turmoil, staggered by reversal of fortune, frightened of their future as a party, at least in its current configuration, by recent events. The voting public got to see everything involved in the events of the last few days, such as the voting on the bailout, and people are not happy about it. I predict that a lot of members of Congress aren't going to be returning to office next year.

2) Crossing: The trend of events, factors opposing ideal outcomes or even bad outcomes (card (3), karma, dharma. The card here is the Knight of Coins (Pentacles). Knights signify men under the age of 40, or even boys, though in this reading boys would not be an issue. Coins/Pentacles signify the Element Earth, as well as people with dark, curly hair, dark eyes, and olive or dark skin, and thus can signify those with obvious African ancestry. Knights are also associated with Tiphareth (Beauty), Sephirah 6 on the Tree of Life, hence with the Sun, and with the mutable signs (Sagittarius, Pisces, Gemini, Virgo). So this card also signifies the sign Virgo (Mutable Earth). This is a card that comes up frequently in readings about Obama; interpret that fact as you will. I don't know his actual age, but he is relatively young. By itself, this isn't one of the most powerful cards of the Tarot -- it has far less power than the Aces and Trumps, and less power than the Queens and Kings, though more power than the Pages and the Lower Arcana minus the Aces. So while a lot of the current turmoil among the Democrats revolves around Obama, he himself isn't a driver of the situation, because there are much more powerful cards in this spread.

3) Above: The best or worst possibilities that could come out of this situation, though the Crossing card will probably modify or eliminate any tendencies in that direction. Here we have Trump II, the High Priestess, Reversed. This card is associated with the Moon (the celestial body), women in a generic sense, the nurturing mother in a generic sense, the prophetess, the seer, the wise woman of any age, rivers, the tides, secrets, mystery. In a sense, the Moon is the lower octave of Neptune, ruler of Pisces, and rules in individual cases what they do in a collective sense. Reversed it can mean anything from the most negative expressions of its upright meanings to superficiality, female illness, black Magick and sorcery, a poisoner, witchcraft (in the traditional sense of someone doing black Magick, not Wicca or Wiccans), running water, a leak (!), superficial knowledge, emotional turmoil or mental illness. In this case, it might signify Nancy Pelosi, who is now in the cath- er, doghouse; to that could be added any of the other interpretations, above.

4) Below: This card signifies what has gone into the question, the origin of the matter being asked about. The card here is the Two of Wands, Reversed. That card is associated with Chokmah (Wisdom), Sephirah 2 (the Twos/Deuces of the Tarot) on the Tree of Life, and with the Element of Fire (Wands). It expresses the fiery aspect of Neptune/Chokmah. Upright it signifies great accomplishment and the world-weariness that sometimes follows that; a ruler; the state of ruling others, or of being a majority, as in Congress; control, domination, etc. Reversed, it can signify the reverse of any of the things associated with it when it's upright; also, surprise, wonder, a state of enchantment, emotion, emotional turmoil, trouble, fear. Currently the Democrats enjoy a slight majority in Congress, but that could change. And they seem to have become divided among themselves in the last few weeks, perhaps strongly so.

5) Behind: The recent past, usually the last 30 days, but it can be somewhat longer. The card here is the Queen of Wands, Reversed. Queens signify the cardinal signs (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn), and are associated with Binah (Understanding), Sephirah 3 of the Tree of Life, which is associated with the planets Uranus and Saturn. Wands represent the Element Fire. So this card represents the fiery aspect of Binah and the sign Aries. Queens signify mature women, especially women who have acquired political and financial power (Pages signify girls, or young women, or women who have little or no power). Upright, this card signifies a dark woman, a countrywoman (goodwife), a woman who is friendly, chaste, loving and honorable. If the card next to her signifies a man -- in this case, that card is the Knight of Pentacles -- she likes him and likely to do him good service. This card can also signify business expertise, savvy, and experience, practical abilities, managerial skill, a successful businesswoman. Reversed, it can mean the reverse of any of these qualities, as well as an angry woman, opposition from a woman, jealousy, malice, deceit, or infidelity. Can you say "Hillary," who has good reason to detest Obama? She may have contributed to the turmoil the Democrats are undergoing, possibly with some justice.

6) Ahead: The near future, usually within 30 days, though it can signify a somewhat longer period, say, 3 months or so. The card here is the Page of Swords, Reversed. The Pages are associated with the four quadrants of the Earth, girls, and women without much power or experience, as well as the Element Earth and Malkuth (Kingdom), Sephirah 10 on the Tree of Life. Swords are associated with the intellect, thought, theory, and legal or scientific models. The Page of Swords is associated with Europe and Africa, the Airy aspect of the physical Earth, and girls or young women or powerless women of Air signs. Upright, this card signifies watchfulness, vigilance, perceptiveness, insight, agility, finesse, talent (which, however, must be developed in Earth to become manifest), alertness, the uncovering of the unknown or hidden. Reversed, it can signify the negative and undesirable forms of the qualities associated with its upright configuration, as well as a short journey, paranoia, that which is unforeseen, lack of preparation in the face of a dangerous or difficult situation, mental illness, physical illness. I'd go for paranoia, and/or a maladaptive, inappropriate reaction to the events of the last few days or weeks.

7) The Present/Base of the Pillar. The current state of the situation. The King of Coins, Reversed. Kings are associated with the fixed signs (Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, Taurus), and Coins/Pentacles with Earth, hence this card is associated with the sign Taurus. Kings are also associated with Chokmah (Wisdom), Sephirah 2 of the Tree of Life, and with men over the age of 40, and men with great power and wealth. Hence this card represents the Earthy aspect of Chokmah. It can signify a man above the age of 40 who has dark, curly hair and dark eyes, perhaps with dark skin or olive-colored skin, with Africans or Mediterranean people among his ancestors. It is associated with those who have great experience, leaders, intelligence, acumen, success, aptitude, loyal friends, valor, practical intelligence and skill, experienced engineers (the Knight or Page of Coins/Pentacles can mean apprentices, especially in craft-related or engineering careers), business and practical aptitude, mathematical and scientific skills and talents, and career success. Reversed, it can signify the negative versions of any of the things signified by its upright position, vice, weakness, ugliness, perversity, corruption, peril, bribe-taking or -giving, abuse of trust, wisdom, understanding, or ability in the service of evil, an evil older man with great wealth and power, etc. Somebody nasty is in charge of what's going on with the Democrats right now.

8) The environment of the situation of the matter of the question, the surrounding influences. The card here is the 2 of Pentacles, which represents the Earthy aspect of Chokmah. We now have three cards related to Chokmah and, thus, Neptune and all He rules: the Two of Wands, the Two of Pentacles, and the King of Pentacles. This means that the influence of Neptune and the wisdom, for better or worse, associated with Neptune is very strong in this spread. Again, Neptune, Pisces, and the 12th House rule all things covert and concealed, spies, saboteurs, ninjas, the stab in the back, treason, etc., and also hospitals, mental illness, ashrams, monasteries, the oceans of the world, the Navy (Jimmy Carter was the captain of a nuclear submarine, so this could signify someone with a naval career), and the chemical element Neptunium (Trump XVII, The Star, Aquarius, and the 11th House of the horoscope are associated with uranium, and Trump XX, The Last Judgment, Aries & Scorpio, and the 1st and 8th Houses of the horoscope, are associated with plutonium). Be that as it may, the Two of Coins/Pentacles upright signifies gaiety, recreation, and news, but also written messages about obstacles, troubles, difficulties, worry, and such conditions themselves. Lots of communication everywhere about trouble, especially financial trouble, and everything connected with it. That communication is among the American public and all their elected representatives, as well as in other nations, about what will happen to them because of the trouble.

9) Hopes and Fears. What the Democrats hope and/or fear. The card here is Trump V, The Hierophant, Reversed. This card is associated with the astrological sign Taurus and the 2nd House of the horoscope, which have to do with income, possessions, and values and valuables, and, for a nation, its economy. Upright, it can signify marriage, an alliance, captivity, servitude; mercy and goodness; inspiration; the man to whom one has recourse. Reversed, it can signify society, a good understanding, concord, overkindness, or weakness. One account says it may signify someone who has sold his soul or become enslaved by his passions or something addictive, and is worried about what will happen to him because of it. Thus there may be a wealthy and powerful individual or group to which the Democrats are looking in this matter, hoping to get bailed out of their troubles by him or it, but also worried about what will happen to them if he/it does help them now.

10) Outcome. What ultimately will come of this. The card here is the Page of Pentacles. This card is associated with Asia, Australia, and the western shores of the Pacific Ocean. This card may be associated with an apprenticeship; study; and rule and management. It could predict a new direction for the Democrats, possibly involving a leader who is currently an unknown young woman who could be a Congressman or who is being groomed for one or another political appointment or elected office.