How can I rescue family from Hell?

A Tarot reading by Madame Zora in Argent.

Significator, where you are now The Hanged Man (reversed): over-reliance on the concrete mind; materialism; a warning of impending psychic disorder; an inner struggle resulting in defeat; unfair punishment; unreasonable delay; frustration due to being unable to act; needless sacrifice; a professional martyr

Aspirator, where you are aiming Death: an unexpected change in circumstances that is the natural outcome of the prevailing situation; destruction which is a blessing in disguise as it clears the way for something better; the removal of that which is outdated or superfluous, so that one may move forward into the future unhindered – an actual death or deaths

Instigator, what brought you here Justice (reversed): injustice, lack of fair dealing, bias, prejudice; legal tangles that delay administration of the law; complex and expensive law suits; an inability to decide or failure to employ rational thought; false accusers and fence-sitters

Cryptic, hidden influences King of Coins (reversed): this is ‘the King that is Dead’ (Oberon) and his influence is baneful in more ways than one, past and present

Event 1 Fortitude: moral strength and determination; opportunity to put plans in to action if one has the courage; the defeat of base impulses; reconciliation with an enemy; a strong man

Event 2 2 of Cups: love, emotional affinity, understanding, sympathy, joyous harmony, the reconciliation of opposites in mutual trust and fealty; friendship, co-operation, the signing of a treaty; the end of a feud or rivalry – a team of 2-3 people acting in unison

Event 3 Temperance: moderation – avoiding excess; co-operation; a slow fuze; success is possible through the control of volatile factors; circumstances and people must be skilfully combined for progress to continue; an harmonious partnership

Event 4 2 of Coins: cycle of change at work; planning for natural fluctuations of fortune; imminent movement & change; communications, journeys & news connected with business, money, material preoccupations; skilled navigation of existence & manipulation of the rules to maintain success

Culminator, where this is heading The Hierophant: good counsel, advice, exposition or teaching; a giver of wisdom or enlightenment; the revealer of that which is hidden; freedom through knowledge – You Shall Know the Truth and It Shall Set You Free; inspirational help; the comfort of religion; mercy, humility, kindness, ritual and conformity; a spiritual person

Pivot, the focus The Devil: occult powers; the need to sublimate the soul into usable power; the possibility that hidden arcane forces are at work; (reversed): lust for power; temptation to abuse one’s position for personal ends; dark magics and evil occult happenings; evil within you or directed at you – the Devil himself.

If Madam Zora is surprised by the question, she keeps it well hidden. “The reversed cards are weighted in the past so the outlook is favourable – there are a lot of duos in the spread. The Significator and Instigator both refer to injustice, false accusation, needless sacrifice and deliberate martyrdom. At first glance the Aspirator seems unfavourable but if these people are dead then this card suggests some sort of release is possible.

“The Cryptic declares that ‘the King that is Dead’ is a baneful hidden influence – both in the past but also in the present, in more ways than one.

“The events suggest a small team of two or three, one of whom is a ‘strong man’, preferring negotiation to direct confrontation – but their intervention will trigger ‘imminent movement and change’, I suspect widely.

“I feel the Culminator is not a person but indicates that the Truth will free those incarcerated unfairly, which has to be very favourable indeed. However, the Devil as the Pivot is deeply disturbing and I feel this refers to an actual devil, hence the need for Temperance.”