This post was originally published in May 2016. It’s one of the most popular Angelorum Tarot spreads, despite having only two card positions. Read on to find out why.
Some quotes arrive politely. Others kick open the door and hand you a Tarot spread.
“The truth will set you free, but first it will piss you off.”1
This saying echoes John 8:32: “And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
The morning after I came across this quote, I woke up with a two-card Tarot spread in mind for it. Instead of the usual, “Just five more minutes,” I couldn’t wait to grab my cards.
Doing a reading with this spread seemed like a fun thing to do at the time. But you’ll soon see why it came with a big “Ouch!”
The Two-Card Tarot Spread
Shuffle your deck and lay two cards side by side:
- The Truth That Will Set Me Free
- Why This Truth Will Initially Piss Me Off
That’s it. Two cards. No comforting clarification card tucked discreetly to one side. No spiritual sugar-coating.
The second card does not represent something objectively bad. It reveals where the truth meets resistance. Even a conventionally positive card can show pride, fear of visibility, increased responsibility, difficulty receiving help or another demand that your established identity would rather avoid.
My Magician and Star Reading
I used the Frideborg Tarot, which contains 79 cards because the deck has one extra. From that well-shuffled deck, I randomly pulled two Major Arcana cards: The Magician and The Star.
Two Majors for two positions meant a BIG lesson and a potentially life-changing truth.
Secretly, I had hoped to begin with something small. Ha!
The Magician: The Truth That Would Set Me Free
The Magician corresponds with Mercury, the messenger between the Otherworld and this world. The card points to skill, communication, creative agency and the ability to bring something from the imaginal realm into tangible form.
It can also mean that the time has come to stop preparing and start using what you already possess.
The Magician had appeared twice during the previous year when I asked, What am I here to do?
My liberating truth was hardly subtle. I had gifts to use and work to do. Remaining hidden no longer served me.
The Star: Why This Truth Pissed Me Off
The Star carries hope, beauty, faith, grace and transparency. It follows the trauma of The Tower and restores our willingness to believe that healing remains possible. Hebrews 11:1 expresses this relationship between hope and faith beautifully: “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
So why would The Star piss me off?
Because the defensive voice in my head immediately went for the softest parts:
Tchea, right. You? As if! Who do you think you are? Your mother didn’t even love you well enough to stick around. You failed your own children monumentally. You struggle with mood swings and depression. You are utterly worthless. Go and hide under a rock somewhere. You’d be doing the world a favour.
That morning, my youngest had overslept and arrived late for school. I already felt like a terrible mother, so the cards hit an exposed nerve.
I spent the rest of the morning working while choking back tears, anger and humiliation. At lunchtime, I went for a run. The frustration certainly improved my speed.
As I moved, my Higher Self finally managed to get a word in.
Why Liberating Truth Can Provoke Resistance
The ego protects an established identity and the defences built around it. When a truth threatens that structure, resistance can arise as anger, ridicule, shame, disbelief or the urge to dismiss the reading altogether.
My established story said that I was unworthy and should remain hidden. The Magician and The Star challenged that identity. If I accepted their message, I would have to use my gifts, risk visibility and take responsibility for shining my light.
Hope can feel dangerous when disappointment feels familiar.
Resistance does not prove that an interpretation is correct. Nor does discomfort mean that we should ignore it. The feeling gives us something to examine honestly. We can let it speak without allowing it to make every decision.
My difficult experiences and mistakes do not disqualify me from serving others. I can apologise when necessary, learn from failure and rely on grace without pretending to be perfect.
When a Positive Card Appears in a “Negative” Position
A positive card in the second position has not suddenly acquired a negative meaning. Instead, ask what its gifts would require from you.
The Sun might expose a fear of being fully seen. The 6 of Wands could confront pride or discomfort with recognition. The 3 of Cups might reveal how much you dislike asking for support. A card associated with success could point towards the additional responsibility that success would bring.
Look at what the card asks you to admit, receive or do. Which familiar identity would it disturb?
For me, The Star revealed that hope itself felt threatening. It asked me to risk disappointment, remain transparent and shine anyway.
Try the Spread for Yourself
The next time you sense that an uncomfortable truth sits just beyond your conscious awareness, pull these two cards.
Let the answer surprise you. Let it annoy you if it must. Then sit with what the resistance is trying to protect.
The truth may set you free. It simply might not do so without an argument first.
Check out the world’s largest collection of FREE Tarot Spreads for personal & spiritual development!
1This line often gets attributed to Gloria Steinem. However, Quote Investigator found its earliest strong published match in Joe Klaas’s 1990 book Twelve Steps to Happiness, where he called it his favourite motto. Who actually coined it remains uncertain.
Deo Gratias et Serviam
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Comments
Queen of Cups, reversed and 8 of Swords – in relation to a question about moving to another country.
I’m out of touch with the reality of this move isn’t happening, because I just don’t want to believe it it won’t. I need to acknowledge this is a kind of running away, and I’m interfering with my own forward movement because I’m not trying that hard. Additionally, my spouse (who is passive aggressive) doesn’t really want to leave and is interfering by not doing anything (including refusing to talk to a couple of companies who contacted him about work and visa sponsorship).
Your thoughts?
If you want it to happen, you’re going to have to make it happen. These two Water Element cards are showing you why it’s not happening. You’r stuck at the dreaming stage. If there is literally no way to make this happen now (or as soon as you want to), you have to think much longer term and break things down into achievable short- and long-term goals. Recognising that you are out of touch with reality is a good insight to begin with but then you have to decide what to do about it.
Ha. Eight of swords and ten of wands. I’m battling self-imposed limitations and I can’t keep doing it all by myself. Argh.
Ouch! Right, you know what you must do then 🙂
Grumble and pout? 😀
Haha, I was thinking seek out a mentor/counsellor…?
Indeed…and you did warn us that it would piss us off, LOL.
LISA, your explanation of this two card spread seemed spectacular to me…..thank you so much for this….Love and light….
Thank you – Love and Light
I loved this and needed it, too. Thank you! My whiny ego is playing with massively as of late and this is exactly what I needed to read.
So glad you found this helpful 🙂
I get The High Priest as nr 1 and the Hermit as nr 2.
Think it means that I want go to courses in real life and study more of tarot, angels, healing etc but I am forced by the hermit to do it alone at home because I need to take breaks, naps because of my pain. And of course that piss me of
How would you read the cards?
Yes, that sounds spot on but there is another layer to this message… you ARE the High Priestess and you don’t to take courses to step into your power as the High Priestess. The Hermit would confirm this in meditation and contemplation of your own spiritual truth… and that would make you angry at first because your ego won’t like it. Your ego will keep telling you are not ready to start shining your light unless you take this course and that course.
Thank you so much for the second message!
You’re welcome!
Lisa, you are amazing…. I’ve been finding you so inspirational in so many ways & you just keep gaining even more transformational energy & power – I’m so glad I found you!
Your tarot spreads blow my mind!!!!!
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Lynne! Have a great weekend. Blessed Be!
Ohh, lol this is an interesting spread and quick to the point! I pulled the high priestess and the 7 of swords after. I’m still pondering all the scenarios with this. Thank you so much for sharing this layout, I think I will be using it frequently as I learn to read clearer.
Thanks Diane… Yes, I’m still pondingering my reading. Thankfully, I’m no longer pissed off 😀
I pulled 9 first. The fool is last.
Sorry, I wasn’t clear – I mean, please give us your interpretation and I’m happy to help with any part of it you may be stuck on.
I pulled the 5 of Pentacles and the 6 of wands.. any thoughts are appreciated..
Hi Annie, please share your own interpretation. I’m happy to help with any aspect you are stuck on.
I feel like it’s saying the struggles I’ve been through really are part of a greater plan. I have been left out in the cold by someone, but probably for my own good. I will be rewarded if I accept this, but of course I’ll have to admit maybe I was wrong about some things.. the victory will be bittersweet.
Hi Annie, the 6 of Wands is something that will seriously piss you off and I don’t thinkyou’re seeing that aspect yet. One aspect of the 6 of Wands that would piss the ego off is to have it’s pride (one of the keywords for the 6 of Wands) exposed… Any resonance?
The 5 of Pentacles as a truth then could mean a need to humble yourself and ask for help.
Ha should have went with my first thoughts which were I need to swallow my pride and ask for help… I’m def not an ask for help kinda person he he yet another lesson this little spread taught me… Stop over analyzing things and trust my gut.. Thanks Lisa!
You’re welcome, Annie!
I pulled 9 pentacle and the fool. Not sure about that.
Happy to help but please give me what you’ve got first and let’s see if we can make sense of it 🙂
Powerful and honest sharing, Lisa. Thank-you for that. Mine wasn’t quite as dramatic – card 1 is 4 of swords (I don’t think I have ever pulled this card) and card 2 – Knight of Wands. They seem quite opposing, no?
The truth is that you need to be still and meditate (4 of Swords) and the Knight of Wands is restless so that will piss you off 😀
You’re so right!! I need to set up my life so I can spend more time, alone, with myself. And I am so restless – even as a child. Thank-you!!
My initial interpretation is that I need a break (4 of swords) – from my life, relationship, etc. – and the problem is that I want to do it yesterday already (Knight of Wands) and that does not work. But I also like your view on it 🙂