A full spread.
YOU DREW TEN CARDS:
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Environment
The Emperor
Stability, power, protection; a great person; aid, reason, conviction. Reversed: Benevolence, compassion, credit; also confusion to enemies, obstruction, immaturity.
Material power and authority. Safety and security. A reminder that even the mighty will fall. The necessity for earthly power to work in tandem with spiritual values. The fate of one’s kingdom, whether it be a nation, an office, or a home, depends on the spiritual state of its ruler.
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Obstacles
Ace of Cups
Ace: There’s a first time for everything. Beginnings. A seed that will grow.
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
The waters are beneath and thereon are water-lilies; the hand issues from the cloud, holding in its palm the cup, from which four streams are pouring; a dove, bearing in its bill a cross-marked host, descends to place the wafer in the cup; the dew of water is falling on all sides. It is an intimation of that which may lie behind the Lesser Arcana. Divinatory Meanings: House of the true heart, joy, content, abode, nourishment, abundance, fertility, holy table, felicity hereof. Reversed: House of the false heart, mutation, instability, revolution.
A new outpouring of emotions: first love, new appreciation for life, a spiritual awakening. A journey that begins with special blessings. Good fortune shines on you. An acceptance of life and all the joys it brings. A sign of fertility. Reversed: Emphasis on material over spiritual. Closed off from nurturing love or from your true feelings. Denying the wonders of life. Not ready for emotional involvement. Neither giving nor receiving love.
A hand reaches out from a cloud holding a cup from which five streams of living water fall into the lake below — a symbol of the subconscious mind. A dove of peace holds a wafer marked with a cross as the dew of Spirit descends onto the water lilies, which are symbols, like the lotus, of eternal life. A reminder here, that when you keep your mind filled with the Spirit it will fill your material cup to overflowing. Divinatory Meaning: Abundance in all things. Love, joy, fertility. Nourishment from spiritual sources. Reversed: Hesitancy to nurture love, instability. The good beginning is cut short. Materiality.
Filled with love to overflowing, great abundance.
Symbol of Love in Potential
Symbol of love in potential, a cathedral that is still closed yet full, it can symbolize all the feelings, all the possibilities of the heart from amorous enthusiasm to mysticism; a great disposition to loving and being loved; a capacity for love that is as yet unemployed but immense. With the Ace of Cups, love appears like a chalice, a question on the horizon that will color the quest of the reading’s subject. It is also the base of communication, religion, in the sense of connecting to the Other and of transcending yourself to reach the Divine. Its negative aspects would be suffering, jealousy, bitterness, lack of affection, a never-sated neediness, and smothering affectivity.
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Above
Seven of Swords
Swords: Defending. Self-defense and setting boundaries. Think of drawing a line in the sand with a sword point.
Seven: Going deeper. You become aware of deeper levels of meaning and hidden motivations. You’re no longer satisfied with superficial answers.
A man in the act of carrying away five swords rapidly; the two others of the card remain stuck in the ground. A camp close at hand. Divinatory Meanings: Design, attempt, wish, hope, confidence; also quarrelling, a plan that may fail, annoyance. Reversed: Good advice, counsel, instruction, slander, babbling.
Your attempts to deal with your problems are feeble, incomplete, and not well-planned. In the process, you are hurting yourself. Trying to solve things alone may not be a wise decision. It may be more than you can handle by yourself. Reversed: It’s a good time to seek advice from someone else, to learn what you need to know, to do a little listening, seek constructive criticism. Good results may follow.
A man is shown escaping with five swords, with two still remaining stuck in the ground. A nearby military camp is depicted. Divinatory Meaning: Unstable effort, partial success. Uncertainty; a plan that may fail. The seeker finds someone trying to make away with that which is not his. Reversed: Good advice, counsel, instruction.
Difficulties abound; be brave and conscientious.
An active meditation turned to the needs of the world. The pacified mind can put its potential and spirituality into service of the Other.
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Below
King of Wands
Staves: Creating. Creative energy. Think of building a house with wooden planks.
King: Controlling. Using force and authority to impose one’s will.
The physical and emotional nature to which this card is attributed is dark, ardent, lithe, animated, impassioned, noble. He uplifts a flowering wand and wears, like his three correspondences in the remaining suits, what is called a cap of maintenance beneath his crown. He connects with the symbol of the lion, which is emblazoned on the back of his throne. Divinatory Meanings: Dark man, friendly, countryman, generally married, honest and conscientious. Reversed: Good, but severe; austere, yet tolerant.
Looking forward to challenges, new pursuits, healthy competition. Give to others and reap the rewards of self-fulfillment. Lead and others will follow. In a position of strength. Reversed: Lack of tolerance. Opposition looms. May be necessary to bend to a stronger point of view.
A crowned king holds a flowering wand. His robe is richly embroidered with mystic symbols; the lion symbol appears on the back of his throne. Beneath his crown he wears what is known as a “cap of maintenance”. Divinatory Meaning: A blond, blue-eyed man of enterprise and authority. Generally he is married and the father of a family living in the country. He is honest and conscientious and can also be impassioned and noble. The card may also betoken unexpected heritage, good marriage. Reversed: A severe, unyielding man, strict in his judgments. Suggests the possibility of opposition or quarrel. May also suggest advice that should be followed.
A powerful, stubborn man.
“It is my action and my works that define me.”
Like all the Kings, he has mastered his energy: vital, creative, and sexual.
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Behind
Two of Wands
Staves: Creating. Creative energy. Think of building a house with wooden planks.
Two: It takes two. A dialogue. Weighing and comparing different possibilities.
A tall man looks from a battlemented roof over sea and shore; he holds a globe in his right hand and a staff in his left rests on the battlement; another is fixed in a ring. The Rose and Cross and Lily should be noticed on the left side. Divinatory Meanings: Between the alternative readings there is no marriage possible; on the one hand, riches, fortune, magnificence; on the other, physical suffering, disease, chagrin, sadness, mortification. The design gives one suggestion; here is a lord overlooking his dominion and alternately contemplating a globe; it looks like the malady, the mortification, the sadness of Alexander amidst the grandeur of this world’s wealth. Reversed: Surprise, wonder, enchantment, emotion, trouble, fear.
You have a grasp of what you are capable of accomplishing and know what needs to be done. You know your investments will pay off if you follow the plan you’ve laid out. You sense success, feel proud, and are looking forward to the outcome. You are moving in the right direction. Reversed: Going in the wrong direction. Not paying proper attention to details. Receiving mixed signals. Tasks seem overwhelming, can’t get a grip on what you must do. Not in touch with your energies.
A man of properties looks out from his battlements over the sea; he holds a globe in his right hand and a staff in his left. Another staff is fixed in a ring. Roses and lilies are crossed on the left side of the card. Divinatory Meaning: Lord of the manor. Riches, fortune, magnificence, dominion. Interest in scientific methods. Reversed: Physical suffering, sadness, domination by others.
Rewards are well-earned.
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Ahead
Knight of Swords
Swords: Defending. Self-defense and setting boundaries. Think of drawing a line in the sand with a sword point.
Knight: Focusing. Single-mindedness. Determination.
In full course, as if scattering his enemies. Divinatory Meanings: Skill, bravery, capacity, defence, address, enmity, wrath, war, destruction, opposition, resistance, ruin. Reversed: Imprudence, incapacity, extravagance.
Good time to apply your mental energies to solving problems, seeking solutions, developing plans. Time to evaluate results will come later. Reversed: Thoughts are too scattered, coming too quickly. Need to focus, slow down. Be wary of anyone who suddenly presents you with unsolicited ideas for consideration.
A knight rides recklessly, at full speed, scattering his enemies. He symbolizes Galahad, the typical hero of romantic chivalry. Divinatory Meaning: A dark-haired, brown-eyed young man strong and domineering, typifying skill and bravery. Someone about to rush headlong into the life of the seeker. The card may stand for skill, bravery, defense or war, conflict, and destruction. The cards on either side of this one in the layout should give an indication of the good or destructive influence to come. Reversed: Incapacity, extravagance, braggadocio.
A soldier or a brave, dark and strong youth may help you.
Henceforth he will travel on only those paths that have heart.
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You
The Pope
Spiritual wisdom and authority. Orthodoxy. Petitioning another for help, or someone is petitioning you. A person who deserves respect and, at the same time, wariness.
Marriage alliance, captivity, servitude; by another account, mercy and goodness; inspiration; the man to whom the Querent has recourse. Reversed: Society, good understanding, concord, over-kindness, weakness.
The Heirophant is the link between God and man — the high priest on earth. His are the ways of tradition. He is our spiritual guide who transcends the material world.
The master of the sacred mysteries wears the triple crown of a pope, signifying the creative, formative, and material worlds. He holds a sceptre terminating in a triple cross. At his feet are crossed keys, a gold one for solar energy and a silver one for the unseen forces of the moon. The two tonsured priests kneeling before him again indicate duality, for one garment is decorated with the white lilies of spiritual thought and the other with the red roses of desire. He may represent the Pope, but more likely the idea of a pontiff who is master to the masses. He is the ruling power of external religion, whereas the High Priestess teaches only in secret to initiates. Divinatory Meaning: Preference for the outer forms of religion. The need to conform, to be socially approved. Reversed: Unconventionality, unorthodoxy, openness to new ideas in any field. Danger of becoming superstitious. Can be the card of the inventor as well as the crackpot.
This card speaks of a spiritual rather than a worldly power and authority. The priest offers wisdom and rational knowledge, creative intelligence and inspiring perceptions. You are gaining insight and a stable understanding of your life and surroundings. This knowledge is not necessarily a religious one, but rather a profound and sensible understanding. The High Priest in this card may symbolize an influential friend, adviser or teacher. Reversed: Beware of lies and misleading information.
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Others
Ten of Wands
Staves: Creating. Creative energy. Think of building a house with wooden planks.
Ten: Enough already. You’ve attained your goals, but find them unsatisfying. Time to begin something new.
A man oppressed by the weight of the ten staves which he is carrying. Divinatory Meanings: A card of many significances, and some of the readings cannot be harmonised. I set aside that which connects it with honour and good faith. It is oppression simply, but it is also fortune, gain, any kind of success of these things. It is also a card of false-seeming, disguise, perfidy. The place which the figure is approaching may suffer from the rods that he carries. Success is stultified if the Nine of Swords follows, and if it is a question of a law-suit, there will be certain loss. Reversed: Contrarieties, difficulties, intrigues, and their analogies.
You are carrying a heavy load — more than you can handle, more than you really want. Things weigh you down. You must share responsibility with others before continuing. Get rid of what you no longer need.
Reversed: Someone has made you responsible for their problems, or led you astray. You are near collapse.
Having completed its cycle, the Wand divides into two, opening up to make a place for a white axis. In the following stage the next element will be the Ace of Swords. It can symbolize an angelic vision of sexuality; energy no longer circulates inside or outside but crystallizes like an androgynous diamond and becomes pure spirit. The individual is no longer in the sexual or creative domain and has passed on to other interests: for example, an artist who has become a teacher, a person who has discovered a vocation as a healer. The negative aspects include bitterness, the uprooting of reality, a lack of faith in life, the painful surrender of power through a loss of energy, or a failure.
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Illusions
Six of Cups
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
Six: Keeping it going. You’ve established a pattern or rhythm which allows things to run smoothly. Things are going well and you’re in a position to be generous with others or even to give up some of your goals for others’ benefit.
Children in an old garden, their cups filled with flowers. Divinatory Meanings: A card of the past and of memories, looking back, as — for example — on childhood; happiness, enjoyment, but coming rather from the past; things that have vanished. Another reading reverses this, giving new relations, new knowledge, new environment, and then the children are disporting in a newly-entered precinct. Reversed: The future, renewal, that which will come to pass presently.
Memories of good times fill you with happiness. The past is not lost, it can always be remembered. Also, past events can figure favorably in the present. Old friends may serve you well at this stage. Reversed: Can’t allow the past to cloud your emotions. Time to open yourself to the present. Need to find new friends, share new experiences. Leave the past in the past.
In a village green a boy offers a girl a cup of flowers. The manor house in the background suggests home and happy childhood memories. The other five flower-filled cups suggest beauty and abundance. Divinatory Meaning: A card of the past and memories. Looking back on childhood things that have vanished. It may be the beginning of new relationships, new knowledge, new environment, or a meeting. Reversed: Living in the past, clinging to outworn symbols and associations. Possibility of an inheritance, or a gift from the past.
The Cups relate to emotional matters of love, sex, marriage, fertility and creativity.
Lighthearted memories, the past reawakened.
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To Come
Eight of Wands
Staves: Creating. Creative energy. Think of building a house with wooden planks.
Eight: The efficiency expert. Through the use of discipline and structure, you reach peak efficiency.
The card represents motion through the immovable — a flight of wands through an open country. Divinatory Meanings: Activity in undertakings, the path of such activity, swiftness, as that of an express messenger; great haste, great hope, speed towards an end which promises assured felicity; generally, that which is on the move; also the arrows of love. Reversed: Arrows of jealousy, internal dispute, stingings of conscience, quarrels.
Things are moving fast, bringing you closer to your goal. Results are coming in quickly — and you must keep things in order. Sometimes indicates a journey. Reversed: You can’t handle the pace. Things are stacking up against you. Events may overtake you. Life is passing you by while you stand still.
A flight of wands is shown passing through open country; they seem to be coming to the end of their course. Divinatory Meaning: Haste, hope, movement in affairs. The arrows of love, messages, letters, journey by air. Reversed: Arrows of jealousy, quarrels, domestic disputes.
Confidence brings success.
The perfection in this center is displayed by extreme concentration, things reduced to their essentials, represented by the two cut flowers. Creativity has become extremely focused: this is the perfection of someone who knows how to draw a circle in a single line. In sexuality, we reach sublimation, pure creative energy, orgasm. Power becomes non-violence, the ideal of the martial arts: combat without combat. Authority emanates from the individual and imposes itself without a gesture. In this state of extreme contemplation, effort no longer exists, and we are tireless. If this card should have a negative side, it would be paralysis, the stopping of all movement, an extreme perfectionism bordering on asphyxiation.