Powerball Predictions
By Allan Ritchie
Newly out of the Tarot closet I am asked by my friend and family why I haven't won the Powerball? I know that they are being funny, jesting with both the lack of information and respect for what Tarot can do and ribbing me on the cultural levity we see towards Tarot and divination. I try to explain to them about how Tarot is necessarily a tool of fortune telling. I realize it falls on deaf ears so I laugh along with the joke. I can take a joke. Then I began to wonder. My honest answer would have to be that I haven't tried.
The idea of predictions, fortune telling, and prognostication are volatile in the divination community. In many areas of the country, it is strictly forbidden by the law. Therefore in a professional practice, there are strict guidelines to followed and adhered to at all times. I have a strong belief in the power of the individual to create the future they desire through work and action. Free Will is a strong concept I also see at work in the world around me too. Therefore the idea that I could pluck from the ether the randomly selected numbers of the lottery is ludicrous to my western mind. Still, I have seen things in the spreads, tosses, and castings I have done that has come to pass.
My favorite thing about Tarot is that I have given myself permission to experiment. I have never attempted the lottery in any form. This is likely due to my traditional Midwestern upbringing that considers the lottery to be a voluntary tax. Powerball numbers are an independent, future event in which I have zero influence. In other words perfect event to attempt a predicting experiment.
There are several different lotteries to choose but this is the one I have chosen. The Powerball is played by picking 5 numbers from one to sixty-nine. Then you pick a single number for the Powerball between one and twenty-six. I also chose the Powerball also because I like the way it sounds. Powerball. Boom!
Predicting a series of numbers is not something that the Tarot does easily. Even more, I want to create a bit of scope to the experiment so I will put a few different systems to the test. I have looked at how I could use a few different oracles to come up with sets of numbers. Then I would track which if any of them were effective in picking the numbers. I want to stress as we begin this that this is for my entertainment purposes only. I am not giving advice, suggestions or promises in any way.
I worked hard to decide how to get numbers from the different systems I was going to use. I decided that since there are five entries on each Powerball ticket I would end up with five attempts.I decided to use Tarot, I-Ching, a pair of Dice, Lenormand, and the Heart of Faerie Oracle. So on a peaceful, sunny afternoon with clear intention I worked to predict the future and win the lottery.
After coming up with the numbers, I decided to do two things additional things. The sets of numbers were all different, as you would imagine, but I found there were five numbers that had been duplicated in the draws. I compiled those numbers into a single set. Finally, as a control experiment, I bought a ticket that was drawn at random by the computer.
I bought seven sets of tickets. Then I waited in that delicious time of considering what I would do if I won. The potential jackpot was $127,000,000. Waiting for the results my emotions are truly mixed. It is tough to consider what will happen. I am unsure what I will do if I actually win. Also, it was hard to consider the ramifications if this worked. What would it mean to win the grand prize lottery from numbers I received from a tarot reading?
I started to do what I do with my oracular tools. What was interesting were the readings that came up from the draws. Looking at the cards drawn from the Tarot deck the reading speaks of mastering change, a strong message of structure and choosing wisdom. This reading spoke of how I manifest my own change through personal efforts and correct choices.
The Lenormand cards spoke with a bit more bluntness as all Lenormand readers would expect. Cards like Snake, Mice showed me that things were not what I would want. I don’t use reversals with Lenormand normally but here two occurred that made me laugh. Reversed Clover then paired with Fish reversed really told me all I needed to know. The Bear card just assured me that I didn’t need to give up my job just yet.
So the day came and I anxiously looked at the winning numbers with greedy excitement. To say that I didn't win is an understatement. With the tickets, I bought I had chosen a total of thirty-six digits. Two were winning numbers. Two single digits. Not only did I not predict the future this showed that I am also unlucky.
Even though I did not win the lottery I would say my experiment was a success. I learned that I can't predict the lottery numbers. Sure this is what I expected and even more, the readings told me that I wouldn't win and that I needed to continue to work my plan and work hard to master my own future. But wait . . . . so did I predict the future when the readings told me that I wouldn't win? It is enough to make my head spin. I now just wish I still had my fifteen dollars.