Article:Manny Stiles presents Sports Augury - Super Bowl XLIV Edition

In a continuous effort to bring fresh sports opinion articles and ideas to the 'chair, Manny Stiles presents Sports Augury. Of all the Sports Augury readings this version was performed with the most haste and least defiled setting – I apologize, but life has its devious clenches on my ‘free time’ these days. Nonetheless… the reading occurred as follows:

Manny Stiles’ Super Bowl Tarot Reading
This is a description of actual events. The reading took place with a Crowley adapted Rider-Waite deck. The readings are actual and true and were not altered by any of my "wishes, wants or anticipations" but in parenthesis is my take on the translations. Those unfamiliar with tarot readings need to understand that the laying out of cards is NOT a future telling method, but similar to the laying down of a picture and interpreting it's meaning.

The reading consists of two standard "cross" readings (see attached diagram), one for each team. A double sacred coin selection method is administered to determine with one coin who will be heads and who will be tails, then a flip of a second coin to see who gets ‘read’ first. Colts ‘win’ the first coin toss deciding which side of coin two they will be (heads) but the Saints win the second coin toss determining they will have their spread drawn first.

There is the triple shuffle, triple cut, off-hand selection method used to lay the cards.

New Orleans Saints Spread
The cards are reshuffled in the prescribed manner and five cards are laid face down in the "cross" and are turned over one at a time.

Saints Card One - Center/Present Position
Two of Cups – “Love” – Venus in Cancer

Two overflowing cups entwined with the dolphins of Venus. Harmonious union of male and female.

(Manny's take – Clearly, everybody loves the Saints. Perhaps it also alludes to a balance of offense and defense/running and passing?)

Saints Card Two - Psychic/Spirit Position
Five of Wands - "Strife" - Saturn in Leo

Disproportionate size of the characters represented on the card indicates following the coordination of spirit that disunion has begun. Motives are battling for control between three controlling factors – two lotus and a phoenix. Quarreling, fighting.

(Manny's take – The ‘phoenix’ is the up and comer. Perhaps there is discord in the football minds about the game plan? Strife can’t be good in a spiritual realm, but events can change that once the game begins. Sitting above the present realm of Love might signify that it’s not that big a deal.)

Saints Card Three - Instinct Position
The Empress - III

A trump card under Love. Represented by Venus. In the instinctual position, feminine power. Love, Peace and Harmony. This bodes well for a team entering their first “Big Game”…

(Manny's take – These guys are happy and in position to succeed. Perhaps they should guard against being ‘just happy to be there’.)

Saints Card Four - Past Position (leads up to present position)
Princess of Wands 

The earthy part of fire. Brilliant and daring with great energy. Sudden and violent in love or anger. Enthusiastic.

(Manny's take – Ask Kurt Warner or Brett Favre about the earthy part of fire… I think it’s clear the Saints defense is going to be as big a part of the Saints’ fortunes as their highly advertised passing offense.)

Saints Card Five - Future Position (travels beyond present position)
Knight of Wands

Purely male creative force in fire or spirit. Represents the fiery part of fire; impetuosity, pride and swiftness. A Dark figure ready for war riding a horse of fire, carrying a joust of fire.

(Manny's take – The Saints are coming to do work (wands represented well) BUT… are the Saints going to move away from the feminine into the male?)

Saints Spread Translation
They have love, harmony and peace presently and now are going to change what got them there once the game begins? Uh oh… Potential for strife and cross feelings exists. The transition of strong feminine characteristics into a dominant male force is not representative of weakness moving to strength but perhaps the other way around. Maybe the Saints know more about themselves than we do – maybe they have a game plan no one expects.

(Manny's take – Everyone expects the Saints to be a passing team, I have a feeling they will be more balanced and I also think their defense will mean more than we expect. We’ll see how the rest of the reading goes to clarify.)

Indianapolis Colts Spread
Five cards are laid face down in the "cross" and are turned over one at a time in the same manner.

Colts Card One - Center/Present Position
Prince of Swords

Conveys two ideas, hail and the restriction of the scientific outlook which uses but restricts the imagination (the Prince’s horse is harnessed). Thinking… lots of thinking. Full of ideas and designs. Clever but inelastic and unstable of purpose. Slays as fast as he creates.

(Manny's take – Can you say Peyton Manning? Now that Peyton has already won a ring and shed his choker label, THIS is his personal game. Maybe he finds a way to raise the choker label by being too much of Peyton Manning.)

Colts Card Two - Psychic/Spirit Position
Knight of Swords

Represents the fiery part of air, a man active, skillful and clever. Courageous but often unreflective. Much action and not as much thinking.

(Manny's take – Could this be the coaching staff? Caldwell might be letting Peyton – and the Aura of #18 – run the show a little too much?)

Colts Card Three - Instinct Position
Queen of Swords

Swords, swords, swords… thinking, thinking, thinking.

The watery part of air. A subtle interpreter. An intense individualist, confident gracious and just. The Queen is holding a sword in one hand and a severed head in the other… no clarification on whose head it might be.

(Manny's take – This line in the cross is very, very swordish. The Colts are over-thinking things and are in their own heads. I have a feeling this has a lot to do with Dwight Freeney’s ankle injury and how the will adjust and how it affects the team.)

Colts Card Four - Past Position (leads up to present position)
Five of Disks – “Worry” – Mercury in Taurus

A very dark card and troublesome. Bent and torn by strain. Supressed action. (Manny's take – Some things here are pointing to the stress the Colts put on themselves by not going 16-0 and the fallout of saying how “it wasn’t our goal, winning the Super Bowl is”. They put even more pressure on themselves in doing that.)

Colts Card Five - Future Position (travels beyond present position)
The Hermit – IX

A trump card in the future. Represented by Virgo. It’s pretty significant. The hermit holds the lamp of secret wisdom. He protects the snake of life from the hounds of hell. Represents divine inspiration. Also, retirement from participation from current events… withdrawing from others as a hermit.

(Manny's take – Is this the last run of the Colts’ “dynasty”? This card is pretty tough to pin down. Does Tony Dungy come back? Does Peyton Manning get hurt? Is Marvin Harrison showing up to the game with a gun to shoot up the place?)

Colts Spread Translation
The Colts are over-planning, over-thinking, preparing too many contingencies and forcing too many shenanigans into their plans. They are drifting into being something other than what they are. Manning is getting himself into a place outside of his comfort zone and the pressure they have put on themselves over the past two months will unfold into a game that will not be spectacular.

(Manny's take – Football is not a thinking game. It’s a brutal game. The Colts are primed for a beat down.)

Cut Readings
Cut readings are made by shuffling the deck in the standard manner and reading the card pulled. For this part, we chose to do individual readings for the offense, defense and special teams for each team. The card would define significant questions and strategic realities they will encounter.

Saints Offense
Ace of Disks - Venus in Virgo 

“The root of the powers of earth”. Material gain, power, labor, wealth, contentment; materiality in all senses. Primitive earth as a whirling planet and as a substance. A very significant card to Crowley as the affirmation of Sun and Earth.

(Manny's take – The reading is coming more clear. The Saints are going to pound the crap out of the Colts with the running game. Expect big gains on the ground and/or short passes.)

Colts Offense
Nine of Disks – “Gain” – Venus in Virgo

Good luck attending to material affairs. Completion of material gain. The disks with their beams of light show a condition in which chance and management give an increasing good fortune. (Manny's take – OK. The Colts will move the ball too. They are the Colts. It seems that if they limit their risks, it will pay off…. No duh. A trick play might give them false expectations.)

Saints Defense
Two of Cups – “Love” – Venus in Cancer

This card was also pulled in the present position for the Saints. The defense is the Saints’ strength and center of harmony.

(Manny's take – The guys in uniform for the Saints are all on the same page. Darren Sharper and the Saints’ D is the real difference maker for the Saints, not Drew Brees and the passing game, since the Saints will be pounding the Colts run D.)

Colts Defense
Prince of Disks

He drives an impetuous bull and is a symbol of the fruits and seeds of earth. A capable manager and steadfast worker who is competent and perhaps considered dull. A very strong looking football card. (Manny's take – The Colts are going to bring the heat to Drew Brees but it seems the Saints are already planning to keep the pressure off Brees with runs. The Colts will wear themselves out as much as the Saints will pound them.)

Saints Special Teams
Ten of Cups – “Satiety” – Mars in Pisces

Pursuit of pleasure crowned with perfect success but incomplete. Exhaustion from expanded energy is expressed. (Manny's take – The Saints will get some decent gains and big plays with special teams – a great punt or two? - but won’t score a TD.)

Colts Special Teams
Prince of Cups

Airy part of water. Ruthless in his own aims, caring intensely for power and wisdom.

(Manny's take – This card is very bland and insignificant in representing kickers, punters and special teams. I don’t have much to make with this card, so don’t expect a chance of a game winning field goal for the Colts.)

Overall Cut Readings
Two simple questions, Two cards that's it.

Question One: I draw the card...

How will the game play out?
The Heirophant – V

Divine wisdom, inspiration, stuborn strength, toil, endurance, persistence, patience. Represented by Taurus, the cardinal sign of earth. (Manny's take – The Saints are going to make this a grind-out, punch ‘em in the mouth, ol’fashioned football game! In other words, a nightmare for the NFL’s braintrust which dreams of a big play circus extravaganza, exciting scoreboard exploder.)

I draw the second card to answer...

What is the Outcome?
Princess of swords

The earthy part of air. Stern and revengeful with destructive logic, firm and aggressive with great practical wisdom and subtlety.

(Manny's take – With all the swords representing the Colts in this reading, the outcome card seems to allude to the Colts winning but the Princess coming up seems to signify the Colts simply out-thinking themselves while the Saints are going to stay to the earth and employ brute force.)

The final analysis of the reading
The game isn’t going to be the great shootout everyone assumes it should be. There should be some scoring, no doubt but take the under on passing yards and the over on rushing yards… especially for the Saints. The other “Payton” (Sean) is going to stick to football basics when it matters most. Possession and limiting mistakes on offense leaving his defense to be fresh and aggressive. The game will be won by a harmonious team (in football, teams win games, not great players) with the simple game plan – win the game.

I have a strong indication that there will be a score on a Colts trick play – who does the scoring will be determined. The Colts are coming into the game over-complicated and with lingering questions (will Freeney’s injury make more problems for planning than simply losing him to injury?)

Not only will the Saints look to pound the Colts on both sides of the ball, they will get a lead and shorten the game by rushing the clock out toward the end of the contest. I guess I’m not getting my Overtime Super Bowl this year, either. Manning will be forced to adjust at halftime but by then, it will be too late. He might not even finish the game. Not a total stinker of a game but certainly not an instant classic…

(Manny’s take - Saints 27, Colts 19. Archie Manning's head explodes and between Super Bowl parties and Mardi Gras the levees break flooding the city again.)