To test my archetypal “Yes-No-Maybe” template, I asked the question “Will Donald Trump be indicted for sedition due to allegedly encouraging insurrection in Washington DC on January 6, 2021?” This was before I learned that an indictment for Espionage Act violations may be even more likely because it is seen as an “open-and-shut” case (if there is such a thing at that profound level of prosecution). I used the Cosmic Tarot of Norbert Losche for this reading, with reversals (copyright 1998, AGM- Urania/Koenigsfurt-Urania Verlag GmbH, D-24108, Kiel, Germany).

The answer I got was an emphatic “No.” This forecast must be viewed in two ways: for Trump and his legal team, this side of the judicial picture looks like a victory; for those intent on keeping him out of political office and hopefully putting him in jail, the significator in the Strong No (“Disaster”) position could be their worst nightmare. But there is more to the story.

The Prince of Swords suggests that Trump’s chief adversary is aggressive and sharp, but the 9 of Pentacles reversed could mean that his hands are tied by numerous procedural hurdles that slow things down considerably. I chose the Emperor as the significator for Trump’s situation, and its reversal shows obvious duress in his future. However, the Ace of Cups (like the old Alka-Seltzer commercial) signals “relief.” On the other hand, the 7 of Pentacles definitely implies that he won’t come away unscathed. Perhaps the “court of public opinion” will derail his political ambitions where legal challenges can’t. Even moderate Republicans might find it a blessing if Trump owns his mistakes and slinks away like the dour man in the image. As a final note, the way I do the “quintessence” calculation yielded a “6,” The Lovers, for this 5-card line. Although there is no indication that any such compromise is forthcoming, the “quint” card may mean that some kind of backroom “sweetheart deal” is possible on this specific charge. It may also simply reflect the magnitude of the choice facing US Attorney General Merrick Garland.

To address the other aspect of Trump’s legal woes, I asked “Will he be indicted for violations of the Espionage Act (specifically, removal of government documents from the White House)?” I used the 1983 “Three Magus” edition of the Thoth Tarot by Aleister Crowley and Frieda Harris for this reading, with reversals (copyright U.S. Games Systems Inc, Stamford, CT).

The significator (once again the Emperor) turned up in the “Mild Yes” sub-pack, indicating that there is a better-than-even chance that he will be served. The “back-story” here is interesting (all of the cards are upright). The 4 of Wands indicates that he felt he was “within the law” in doing what he did; Trump being Trump, he probably didn’t consult legal counsel in advance since other departing Presidents have done the same thing (perhaps making this case more defensible for his attorneys). The Fool most likely means that he didn’t have a clue there would be consequences. The 3 of Disks looks like more procedural maneuvering by his lawyers in the days ahead. The Ace of Swords can only be the “legal thrust” that he can expect to receive despite their best efforts. The quintessence card for this line is straightforward: “12,” the Hanged Man. This is the clearest testimony of all that his chances of escaping legal repercussions are slim.

There is no indication at this point whether he will be convicted or acquitted, but it seems to be a reasonable likelihood that he will be hauled into court unless his attorneys can put off a potential indictment until closer to the 2024 presidential election, when the Democrats don’t want to be accused of trying to manipulate the outcome. The “window of opportunity” could close if they delay acting much longer, and the fact that the answer here wasn’t a Strong Yes implies that they may lack the political clout to make it stick without damaging their own cause. According to political analysts, resolution is expected within the next 60 to 90 days.

Images are from the “PoMo” (PostModern) Tarot of Brian Williams, copyright 1994, HarperSanFrancisco, a Division of HarperCollins Publishers, New York, NY.