Tarot Reading Predicts McCain Victory in 2008 Election?
Just for fun I decided to do a tarot reading to bring some clarity to the madness surrounding the current presidential election. While most polls are currently calling it an easy victory for Barack Obama on November 4th, the McCain campaign has shown signs of a late-stage comeback. And besides, many people predicted that John Kerry would win back in 2004, and we all know how that turned out. While few people today use tarot cards for divination of major future events, this practice was actually quite popular in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. As I said, this is all in good fun, and can be taken however you wish. Now, let’s see what the cards say to the question “What will be the outcome of the 2008 Presidential election?”
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Wow. I was actually laughing as I laid the cards out on the table, because of how uncanny the significance of each card was to the question at hand. I would say that this spread heavily suggests a McCain victory, wouldn’t you? For those of you who aren’t familiar wit the meaning of tarot cards, continue reading as I walk through the significance of each one for this reading.
Position 1 — The Hermit
This first position in the Celtic Cross spread is where the spread begins. Naturally, it starts with a card describing the person asking the question. It is partially covered by another card that we will get to in a moment. The first card is “The Hermit”. The hermit card in tarot signifies inward looking, introspective behavior. In the context of the election, this card probably sums up how most of us feel at the moment — confused, in need of answers, and spending a lot of time thinking (or worrying) about the future.
Position 2 – The Seven of Pentacles
This card is often called the “blocking” card. It signifies the negative energy that is preventing the querent from moving forward. The Seven of Pentacles card depicts a laborer working creating decorative medallions that hang from a nearby tree. Usually this card is positive, meaning that we will one day reap the fruits of our labor. In this blocking context, it could signify the opposite – our economy is in shambles and we have over-borrowed against the future (the current credit crunch?).
Position 3 – The Chariot
The card in position 3 is what “crowns” us – the attitudes and beliefs that guide our behavior. The presence of the Chariot card here is interesting. For those who aren’t familiar with the art of tarot cards, that is actually Julius Caesar riding his chariot triumphantly back from the battlefield. Normally, the Chariot signifies those characteristics normally associated with the military: discipline, determination, and self-reliance.
Position 4 – The Two of Wands
Position 4 in this spread is the card that signifies one’s foundation. Here, we find the two of wands, a generally positive card. The card depicts a merchant standing by the shore and surveying the coastline (waiting for his ship to arrive?). This card evokes the qualities of boldness, risk-taking, and entrepreneurialism that arguably are at the foundation of American society.
Position 5 – The Nine of Cups
This position signifies what lies in the past. The nine of cups is interesting in this context, because it is normally a positive card. It depicts a man sitting confidently in front of nine cups (after having presumably drunk from all of them). It signifies satisfaction, and wish fulfillment. Except when it shows up in this position. Here, it can signify dissatisfaction, a hope for the future that went terribly, terribly wrong. Hmm, what were we saying about 2004 again?
Position 6 – The Tower
This position takes the querent into the near future. The card in this space describes situations that will affect us and test our qualities at some point in the future. The tower is NOT a good card to see here: notice the lightning bolt hitting it and flames coming out of the windows. In its most positive sense, it signifies an abrupt change. In its negative sense, an impending disastrous event. Perhaps something will happen between now and November 4th that will put the election in a new perspective?
Position 7 – The Fool
This position in the spread is the card that describes us the way we see ourselves. Evidently, we see ourselves as flighty, capricious and completely at the whim of whatever flashy object captures our attention in the moment. The meaning of the fool is not always bad – sometimes it’s a relief to unburden ourselves of responsibility. But it can definitely be a dangerous way to make decisions about things like who the next president should be.
Position 8 – Upside-down two of swords
This location in a tarot spread signifies how others see you. In its normal (right-side up) position, the two of swords signifies fear and paralysis. It is interesting that it appears reversed in this reading. An upside-down two of swords can mean that outsiders see the American electorate as divided and fearful, but willing to make compromises when faced with new circumstances.
Position 9 – The Queen of Swords
Well hello there Sarah Palin, we were wondering when you would show up. Traditionally, this position in the reading signifies our hopes and fears. The Queen of Swords in tarot is a strong, independent figure. Her qualities are honesty, tactical intelligence, and humor. She is forthright and does not take herself too seriously. In this reading, the queen of swords might signify that Sarah Palin is connecting with voters through her appeal to the hopes and fears or regular Americans.
Position 10 – King of Wands
This final card shows the overall outcome of the spread. Here we find the King of Wands, but does he signify an Obama or a McCain victory? I’ll let you decide. The King of Wands in tarot is a confident, forceful actor, who possesses strong convictions and belief in himself. He is charismatic and willing to take chances, even when the stakes are high. However, he can also be violent, immature and selfish. We might even go so far as to call him the maverick of tarot cards.
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October 28th, 2008 at 4:39 pm
Hi I was amazed to see your spread of the election night results had the exact same outcome card as the spread I did today for the same exact question! I got the King of Wands, too! However, I think you may be interpreting the results incorrectly. I admit when I first saw the “red” king of wands card, I immediately thought John McCain, too! But then I remembered the Tarot depicts people by their astrology sign! I have been reading Tarot since 1993, and whenever people show up in a spread, it is almost always by their sign. John McCain is a Virgo, therefore an earth sign, so he would appear as the kind of pentacles. He came out in my spread in the 7th position.
The king of wand depicts a fire sign, and is even shown in the Rider-Waite deck with lions on the throne! Guess what…Barack Obama is a leo, the lion! So I do believe that the cards are telling us to expect a Barack Obama victory! I don’t know about you, but I’ll be holding my breathe in anticipation…to see if the Tarot truly called it!
Oh, and if you don’t mind if I point out one small mistake in your description of the spread. The 2nd card is the Eight of pentacles, not the seven, and it generally shows how the 1st card will be influenced. But I know some do interpret it as opposition instead.
Thank you so much for doing that spread, I leaped when I saw you got the same outcome card for the same exact question!
– Cheryl
October 28th, 2008 at 5:23 pm
Oh, btw…in my spread I got the Queen of Wands in the 6th position, indicating what was in the immediate future. After I did my spread, I searched online to see if anyone else had conducted a reading for the election results and found your site. Are you (site owner) by any chance a fire sign…Aries, Leo, or Sagittarius? Assuming you are a woman, that is!
Cheryl