Tarot Prediction: 2016 Democratic Presidential Primary

I don't generally use the tarot for prediction, but on February 18th, 2016 I drew three cards and asked about the outcome of the 2016 primary campaign. Here is what I posted (on Facebook) after thinking about the cards:

I see a number of interesting interpretations, so I will throw them out. This is how I teach people to read Tarot—first, to put aside the idea that this card means this and just look at what is happening in the pictures laid out before us, free associating and seeing which associations are the stickiest. In that way, a number of equally interesting probabilities can be seen as valid.

Although the question was about Bernie and Hillary, sometimes the cards go beyond the question and supply additional information. In this case, the Tower could easily be associated with Trump, for rather obvious reasons. It is crumbling and on fire. Might something happen to Trump that causes him to self-destruct? is he feeling the "Bern" of the flames, perhaps?

I do get a Bernie vibe from the Emperor. As others have noted, he's an older man and there are two young people possibly praying beside him, and we've all heard how much of Bernie's support comes from the younger generation. Note they are also looking at the crumbling, burning tower. And, if we consider the Tower again, what is the blue sphere above it? The earth? Maybe the pressure of the collective is causing the tower to crumble?

Or is the tower representative of our republic, and the Emperor the U.S. empire? The ruling elite watching (without much emotion) as things fall apart/collapse and the people hold their hearts praying for it to stop? Or have the people SET the fire in the tower—do they want it to fall apart and burn?

The World card I find extremely compelling in this reading, and I think it's the conclusion of the story (as it is the final card in the series and the last one I drew). I was shocked at the similarity of the World figure and Hillary. Also, note the world she is standing upon is composed of hills. She is looking at the Emperor and the children/subjects but they don't see her. They're too busy looking at the Tower as it is falling into ruin.

Note the partial blue sphere in the Tower card has become the complete, worldly sphere on which the woman stands. It is lifted in a bank of clouds.

But what is fascinating to me is that the World woman (what the hell, let's call her Hill-ary) is holding a scepter (symbol of power) and a golden globe (symbol of worldly power). She is holding the *same items* as the Emperor (and this is a special characteristic of this particular deck). Now, if we look at the flow of cards from left to right as the flow of time, might it mean Hill-ary has taken the scepter and globe (both symbols of rule and worldly power) from the Emperor? She's holding the globe away from him, like a kid playing a game of keep-away. Or is she winding up to throw it at him and whack him upside his head?

So I roll all these assorted ideas and associations around in my head while looking at the imagery. And, going out on a limb, I cobble together this interesting story—which is only one of many, and clearly personal. Others will have drawn wildly different scenarios.

1. Trump begins to self-destruct. Possibly, too, the DNC is shaken by the increasing rancor between old-guard traditionalists and the rising tide of Bernie supporters arguing for very real revolution and destruction of the Democratic machine.

2. Meanwhile, Hillary (woman of the hills) manages to acquire the nomination by capturing the super delegate vote, despite a flood of popular support for Bernie. She takes the scepter and the globe, hence the nomination, but the world below her is devoid of people. So despite getting the nomination, there will be a lack of popular support among democrats who feel she was unfairly crowned, or even possibly that she stole it. Bernie/Emperor and his acolytes cannot accept the outcome, and they are still focused on the need for dramatic, earth-shaking changes in the political system.

Now do I BELIEVE this is a PREDICTION of what is going to happen? No. In the same way I don't believe the cards predict what is going to happen to someone when they come to me for a reading. But do I think this is a valuable, even illuminating exercise in exploring possibilities that lie ahead? I think you can guess the answer.