UK 2019 Grand Tableau: An Update
How did I and the Lenormand cards do with our predictions?
Let’s take a look at the story so far:
As of June 2019:
- The delay to Brexit (Scythe + Mountain): the UK’s leaving date was indeed postponed from March 31st to October after Theresa May’s deal was rejected time and time again.
- Continued public uncertainty & division. Almost a direct split – evident throughout the reading and certainly still true in a country bitterly divided between Leave and Remain pretty much evenly. (The original Brexit vote was 52% to 48%, recent opinion polls show the same half and half split but with remain in the 52% position.)
- A huge demonstration of support & success for the newly-formed Brexit Party in the European elections (see Letter-Scythe-Bouquet, which I interpreted as a vote for Brexit)
- Theresa May widely seen as having ‘betrayed Brexit’ with her deal. The reading doesn’t actually say a great deal about her, in retrospect, and I’m not entirely convinced the Woman in the reading represents her. Nonetheless, she has resigned after betrayal by most of her cabinet (Woman-Snake) and the battle for the leadership and premiership is now down to two men – see my predictions around the Man-Crossroad cards – Jeremy Hunt & Boris Johnson, both of whom are (rightly, in my opinion) despised by the left. Johnson is the favourite to win. Update July 2019. Boris Johnson elected as Prime Minister.
- A charismatic man back on the scene. This would be either the popular populist Farage (who unsurprisingly made a reappearance for the Brexit party) but even more likely leading Brexiteer & former London Mayor Boris Johnson. As for the high profile Snake – well, at the time of writing, the papers are full of even his former Conservative colleagues saying Mr Johnson, while charming many with his blustering persona, is a known liar who cannot be trusted. It is almost certainly him, although the wily Farage would fit the bill too. Boris, of course, did a brief recent (and disastrous) stint as Foreign Secretary (see the Ship card). He was described by one diplomat as “the worst we’ve ever had.”
- Fake news and misinformation abounds. A lot of issues around Snake and Letter a lot of emotion involved in both alliances and decision making. There do appear to be a lot of secrets also, and issues around frankly dodgy alliances and allegiances. There is certainly going to be a change in government (Tower-Storks), and new hopes, but from within the ruling Conservative party right now rather than the opposition
December 2019 Update
So let’s assess the 2019 Grand Tableau I did for the UK back in January. I won’t reproduce all of it bit by bit, but you can see the original reading here.
I picked 2019 because, whether you liked or loathed the idea, with Brexit on the horizon, it did look to be a big year for the UK.
So where did the Grand Tableau get things right – and what, if anything, was off-base or is still uncertain?
What The Reading Got Right
If I do say so myself, I’m pretty impressed by how many of the “big news messages” of the reading came to pass – including some surprises. Which is something I do love about the Grand Tableau, I have to say.
The Delay to Brexit
This came up again and again with the Mountain and indeed most of the UK political year was absolutely dominated by the issue. At the start of the year, under Theresa May, Brexit had been earmarked to happen on 31st March. This was then delayed until 31st October, and put off again until the end of January 2020. As suggested by the cards, it always looked as if it would eventually happen, despite attempts to prevent it, and with the landslide win by the Brexit-supporting Tory government on Dec 12th, it now looks certain to happen.
Public Uncertainty & Division
The cards indicated that the battles would continue throughout the year, and that uncertainty (Clouds) would also continue, both with the public and with business (Fish). Moreover it also hinted that usual alliances would be broken. I had assumed that this was mainly with Europe, but as we’ll see in a moment, there were other alliances involved. Again and again, clear splits, battles and divisions emerged.
Ultimate Support For Brexit
The Bouquet and other influences indicated again and again that Brexit would eventually win out (I’m not saying I agree it’s a “blessing” necessarily, but that it was the “reward” supporters were hoping for.) Not just one but two elections (the European and the General Election) gave the message that there would still be a strong public support for Brexit (although the Remain & Leave camps stayed relatively half and half). With the eventual election of a Brexit government determined to push it through, and a dismantled opposition.
A Change of Government & The Sense Of A Fresh Start
The Tower and Key cards in particular indicated that big and significant changes would happen in the government. After the defeat of her Brexit Deal in Parliament (Woman-Letter) Theresa May resigned her premiership and was replaced by Boris Johnson. Despite his perceived untrustworthiness, his Brexit stance and the electorate’s even bigger distrust of the opposition Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, the December General Election gave Johnson and the Conservatives a landslide victory. Be warned though, Boris: It comes with big responsibilities (Cross) and there are strong hints that after the initial wave of positivity, energy and movement as I am writing now in December 2019, you will eventually be seen as letting people down (Snake). Probably by new supporters from the former Labour strongholds in the North of England.
An Election
Two, in fact, the European and the General, which marks a key historic turning point in the fortunes of the UK. As a reminder, this is what the cards had to say
Crossroads in the House of Stars Choice of ambitions. Education, Learning (Book), Support, Allies (Dog). Cuts, Brexit (Scythe). Talks, Speech (Birds), Freedom, Independence, Business (Fish), Worries (Mice), Success (Sun), Significant (Key), Betrayal (Snake): Hopeful & ambitious choices, options, more than one way or hope. Suggests choice between paths. Support and ally choices, knowledge and information choices. Split options, two paths, two sides. Talks options, business options, business discussion. Anxious path and success path; positive concerns. Betrayal & lies are significant & fated.
A key betrayal. Betrayal & lies are significant and fated.
This begins to hint at the ‘betrayals’ involved in the election and how it connects both with the issues of Brexit and with allegiances and support and the very entrenched divisions involved. The theme of betrayal & untruth hangs over much of the political landscape; what people saw as a betrayal of the Brexit vote, the constant sense of being lied to and accusations of fake news on both sides of the divide, and the eventual ‘betrayal’ for Labour of so many of Labour’s long-held heartlands voting in great numbers for the once-loathed Tories
A Significant, Charismatic & Untrustworthy Male
Boris, Boris, Boris. Popular “character” figure, but renowned among both political allies and enemies for his loose relationship with the truth, the seemingly Teflon-coated Boris has managed to evade most political interviews and wangle his way into the PM position and a historic election victory. The stakes are high for him now, though; he’s gained the support of the working class Labour heartlands, but now has to deliver to a not-naturally-Tory crowd, and with Parliamentary obstacles removed Brexit may not prove as easy to deliver in reality as he’d like. Boris and the concept of responsibility are not, if rumour is to believed, known to be natural bedfellows.
The Downfall of the Labour Party & Long-Held Alliances. Betrayal
The party’s over I said in the Coffin (Endings) section. And sadly, so it turned out to be, or at least, a particular version of it. The scale of this, though, I would say is one of the “surprises” of the reading. See below for a reminder, appearing particularly with the Dog – the card of Friendship and Support in the House of the Ring (alliances, agreements)
Dog in the House of Ring Friendship & alliances. Choices (Crossroads), Decision, Cut (Scythe). Knowledge, Learning (Book). Hardship (Whip), Confusion (Clouds), Older People, Past (Lily), Work (Fox), Contract (Ring), New Start (Storks). Alliance, deal, promises to friends. Many or choice of friends or allies. Broken friendship, alliance cut. Knowledge, information support, or secret alliance. Unclear, murky and possibly punitive alliance. Obscured trouble or conflict. Old friend, sneaky or deceitful friend, deceitful individual or job from the past, or an older person. An agreement, new friendship or alliance. A new deal or agreement.
What The Reading Got Wrong Or Was Unclear
There were very few areas where the reading was actively wrong, although one or two where the meaning is or was unclear or too vague to call.
Most notably for me, this was around the Woman card, as it wasn’t entirely clear if it was ex PM Theresa May (as I would have expected) women in general or specific public figures, the Queen, for instance. Certainly, the SNPs Nicola Sturgeon looks as if she will be a key figure in the coming year, and the looming battle for a second Scottish Independence referendum which will likely spell the end of the UK in its present form. She certainly had a very positive election, with the whole of remain-supporting Scotland turning yellow. Boris has said he is going to refuse the request, which puts the two of them on a direct constitutional collision course next year. Sturgeon, of course is certainly not the type to back down without a fight or to have much patience with Boris’s machinations.