Our country’s past, present, and future, as predicted by a mystical iPhone app 
The record of international analysts at predicting worldevents is so hopeless it would put a third-rate palm reader to shame. in ivorytowers, think tanks, and intelligence communities across America, the Ph.Ds, models,and theories pile up, but the professionals have failed to anticipate almostevery epoch-shaking cataclysm of recent years. the end of the Cold War? Virtually no one saw it coming. the 9/11 attacks? sorry, didn’t predict that one either.the wave of revolutions shaking the Middle East? no idea. It’s enough to makeyou give up the models and theories–and embrace the tarot.
So that’s what I did. I performed atarot card reading of America’s past, present, and future on the world stage.After all, if the experts can’t forecast what will happen with any accuracy,it’s hard to see the tarot doing any worse.
I should begin by putting mysooth-saying cards on the table. Do I have extensive knowledge of mysticism andthe occult? the short answer is no–my fortune-telling experience extends tobrief impressment as a palm-reader at a children’s party.
I do, however, have access to theInternet’s tarot resources and the iPhone app Tarot Pro (which costs $2.99 butyou might already have foreseen that). To keep things simple, I used thestandard 78-card tarot deck, and went for a three-card reading: past, present,and future.
Here is the fateful spread, which Iwill decipher one card at a time.
America’s past: the five of Swords (Reversed)
Let’s start with America’s past on the world stage. here,we turned over the five of Swords, which is from the Minor Arcana, or the 56cards in the deck that represent the swords, wands, cups, and pentacles.
The image shows a strong figure inthe foreground grasping three swords, with two more swords lying on the ground.the man looks on confidently, in possession of the field of battle, as twoenemies retreat in dejection. the card signifies conquest and the completion ofobjectives.
But the card is reversed, meaning anopposite interpretation, or a restriction on the original meaning. the reversedFive of Swords can signify loss or an empty victory, a sense of victimization,and feelings of failure and humiliation.
So how does this apply to America’spast? the picture of triumph and conquest in the original five of Swords couldrefer to World War II, when the United States won the spoils of victory.
The reversed image may captureAmerica’s difficult military experience since 1945, including stalemates likeKorea, defeats like Vietnam, and successes that felt hollow like the first GulfWar. We’ve struggled to recapture the glory days of D-Day. Where did all thevictories go?
America’s Present: the Empress (Reversed)
What about America’s present? here, we turned over theEmpress, which is one of the heavyweight cards from the Major Arcana (the 22key images in the deck).
The empress sits on a throne,wearing a crown emblazoned with stars, and carrying a scepter. Bountiful grain,forests, and a waterfall surround her. the Empress card symbolizes creation,nurturing and sustaining–a harmonious and natural balance.
But again, the card is reversed,meaning an opposite or restricted interpretation. this could refer to America’sdifficult recent experience of creation–or building stable regimes inAfghanistan and Iraq. the high hopes with which we began these adventures havegiven way to conflict, uncertainty, and unintended consequences.
With the card upside down, thenatural harmony is lost. the empress falls from her throne, the trees areuprooted, and the water drains away. this suggests ecological damage, which maysignify America’s failure to lead on environmental issues like climate change.
America’s Future: the two of Wands
Tell me something I don’t know: what about America’sfuture? here, we’re back to the Minor Arcana with the two of Wands.
A man stands on the battlements of acastle, holding a globe in his right hand, while grasping a wand in his left. Asecond wand is attached to the wall. Mountains stretch away into the distancebeyond the sea.
Finally, we get an image that is notreversed. the wands signify growth, energy, creativity, and patience. the cardsuggests caution and determination–taking stock before striking out on a greatproject. the man is confident in his self-knowledge and in the individual pathhe has chosen.
The card may signify that America’sfuture lies in Asia. in the picture, the figure seems to be looking at China onthe globe.
In the wake of interventions in theMiddle East, the United States will pause and contemplate its true path. Frombehind the barricade of Fortress America, there may be a period of wariness andreflection.
But an idealist and visionarysociety like America cannot forever stare out to sea. the United States willembark on grand projects again–perhaps next time in Asia. the idea of independence andnon-conformity may refer to American exceptionalism. the country will continueto sing its own song, and strike out alone if necessary.
Overall, the three cards tell thestory of a troubled past and present, and a cautiously optimistic future.should we shut down the international relations departments, and hand professionalforecasting over to Mystic Meg? I hope not because this would put me out of ajob.
But what does it say about the stateof expert prediction that a tarot reading is not clearly worse than manyanalyses we read?
