A full spread.
YOU DREW TEN CARDS:
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Environment
Nine of Cups
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
Nine: You deserve it. You receive rewards due to your own efforts.
The goodly personage is feasting to his heart’s content, and abundant refreshment of wine is on the arched counter behind him. Divinatory Meanings: Concord, contentment, physical bien-etre; also victory, success, advantage; satisfaction for the Querent or person for whom the consultation is made. Reversed: Truth, loyalty, liberty; but the readings vary and include mistakes, imperfections, etc.
There’s a place in our lives for material satisfaction, as well as spiritual happiness. Life should be enjoyed for its earthly pleasures, too. We should take steps to ensure our physical as well as mental well-being. Reversed: What at first seemed like happiness leaves you feeling empty and unfulfilled. Spending too much time enjoying the sensual pleasures at the expense of spiritual growth and development. Living life in the shadow of false values.
For the first time in the series, leaves are turning down as if wilting. It is the end of flowering, the autumn of the heart; a period of mourning is required so that a new dimension of love can appear. This is a stage of wisdom where we accept the end of an emotional cycle and let go of what has already been lived. This sacrifice presumes a profound love of humanity present in each being, a detachment, a denial, produced by conscious love. Negative aspects are all states of emotional crisis, nostalgia, unwanted solitude, fear of lack, and despair.
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Obstacles
Knight of Cups
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
Knight: Focusing. Single-mindedness. Determination.
Graceful, but not warlike; riding quietly, wearing a winged helmet, referring to the higher graces of the imagination which sometimes characterise this card. Divinatory Meanings: Arrival, approach — sometimes that of a messenger; advances, proposition, demeanour, invitation, incitement. Reversed: Trickery, artifice, subtlety, swindling, duplicity, fraud.
Following your dreams or traveling down your intuitive path could lead to fulfillment and satisfaction. A time for mental stimulation. Live your vision. Reversed: Lost in a world of dreams, cut off from reality. Motives are insincere. Be on guard against duplicity, fraud, or trickery. Someone may tell you what you want to hear just to get the better of you.
A knight riding quietly and wearing a winged helmet, symbol of imagination. He is contemplative, not warlike; he bears his cup firmly as the horse prepares to cross the stream and approach the distant peaks. Divinatory Meaning: A young man with light brown hair and hazel eyes, of high intelligence and romantic dreams. Love may come from him to the subject of the reading. He may also be the bearer of messages. May indicate advances, a proposition or an invitation. Reversed: Propositions should be carefully looked into. There may be subtlety, fraud, trickery, rivalry.
A bright, cheery youth, possibly a lover.
The way of love has reached its conclusion: it will now become a concrete force.
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Above
The Chariot
Succour, providence; also war, triumph, presumption, vengeance, trouble. Reversed: Riot, quarrel, dispute, litigation, defeat.
Victory. Heroism. The knowledge that one has made the right choice. Doing what is right as opposed to what feels good. Temporarily getting people or forces to do what you want. An uneasy marriage.
An erect and princely figure rides under a starry canopy in a chariot drawn by two sphinxes. He carries the wand of authority and the will. The shield on the front of the chariot bears a symbol typifying the union of positive and negative forces. The white sphinx is a symbol of mercy; the black one of stern justice. Both the carnal and spiritual urges are under the strong control of the charioteer. The car symbolizes the combination of heavenly and earthly powers. The human personality is the vehicle through which the self manifests its dominion over all things. He drives the chariot by the strength of his will and the magic wand, but the tension of his will may weaken and the sphinxes may pull in different directions and tear him and his chariot in two. Divinatory Meaning: Conquest, success for those engaged in artistic pursuits, triumph over money difficulties, ill health and foes. Advantage for the seeker will result if he resists his lower promptings and masters his animal passions. It is a card of those who achieve greatness. May also betoken travel in comfort. Reversed: Sudden collapse of a project, decadent desires, perhaps an unethical victory, vengeance.
This is a symbol of movement, possible travel, usually coupled with progress and achievement. An important stage has been reached in your life’s progress. You are overcoming obstacles and achieving success through your worldly life and personal dynamism. Reversed: Beware of too much forcefulness, which could lead to ruthlessness.
Action in the World
The Chariot is the preeminent representation of action in every domain, in the self and in the world. The Chariot knows full well where it is heading. The Chariot is often seen as a conqueror performing powerful actions, or a lover with a triumphant sexuality. Sometimes he heralds a voyage. In all cases this is a card that is moving forward toward success.
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Below
Queen of Pentacles
Coins: Obtaining. Providing for yourself. Establishing a comfort zone. Taking risks with resources. Think of the thoughts and feelings you experience when you buy a lottery ticket.
Queen: Encouraging. Getting things done in a calm, understated way. Using persuasion rather than force.
The face suggests that of a dark woman, whose qualities might be summed up in the idea of greatness of soul; she has also the serious cast of intelligence; she contemplates her symbol and may see worlds therein. Divinatory Meanings: Opulence, generosity, magnificence, security, liberty. Reversed: Evil, suspicion, suspense, fear, mistrust.
Time to enjoy what you’ve earned. Rest secure in the knowledge that your wealth, material comforts will continue to flower as long as you stay at it and apply your creative powers to tasks at hand. Reversed: Not taking care of business or acting responsibly where your financial affairs are concerned. Depending on others to help you. This kind of behavior can cost you security and independence.
A queen sits on her throne, which is covered with symbols of fruitfulness — cupids, goats, ripe fruit. A rabbit is in the foreground and a bower of roses is above her. She contemplates a pentacle which she holds in her lap. Divinatory Meaning: A woman with black hair and black eyes. She is intelligent and thoughtful, a creator on the physical plane. She uses her talents well. Generosity, opulence, security, freedom from material lack. Reversed: Duties neglected, dependence on others. Suspicion, fear of failure and lack. Mistrust of those close to the seeker.
A wealthy, generous woman.
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Behind
Ten of Cups
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
Ten: Enough already. You’ve attained your goals, but find them unsatisfying. Time to begin something new.
Appearance of Cups in a rainbow; it is contemplated in wonder and ecstasy by a man and woman below, evidently husband and wife. His right arm is about her; his left raised upward; she raises her right arm. The two children dancing near them have not observed the prodigy, but are happy after their own manner. There is a home scene beyond.
Divinatory Meanings: Contentment, repose of the entire heart; the perfection of that state; if with several picture-cards, a person who is taking charge of the Querent’s interests; also the town, village or country inhabited by the Querent. Reversed: Repose of the false heart, indignation, violence.
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Ahead
Eight of Swords
Swords: Defending. Self-defense and setting boundaries. Think of drawing a line in the sand with a sword point.
Eight: The efficiency expert. Through use of discipline and structure, you reach peak efficiency.
A woman, bound and hoodwinked, with the swords of the card about her. Divinatory Meaning: Bad news, violent chagrin, crisis, censure, power in trammels, conflict, calumny; also sickness. Reversed: Disquiet, difficulty, opposition, accident, treachery; what is unforeseen; fatality.
You’ve boxed yourself in and not allowed yourself any options. You are holding yourself back — and for no good reason. You need to cast off the blindfolds and cut yourself loose. Reversed: You’ve removed the veil from your eyes and can see, think, and act without restriction. You can put your fears behind you and start moving forward again. You feel a great sense of release and relief.
A bound woman standing in a watery waste is surrounded by swords. She is blindfolded. Behind her on a high crag stands a castle. Divinatory Meaning: The seeker does not know which way to move in a situation. Bondage, crises, waste of energy in trivial detail, censure. Reversed: Freedom, relaxation from fear. New beginnings now possible.
Difficulties will end with patience.
The Eight of Swords represents the Buddhist ideal of emptiness. The intellect achieves perfection: emptiness. This card indicates that the mind has ceased to identify with its concepts. It is a powerful concentration, a trance state or deep meditation in which the duality of opposites dissolves in celebration of the present. The solution to problems becomes obvious, beyond the powers of reasoning. In this state of nonthought, all revelations are possible. If we want to read this card negatively, we see it as intellectual blocks; all illnesses affecting cognition, from coma to amnesia or aphasia; the fear of emptiness; or stupor.
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You
Three of Pentacles
Coins: Obtaining. Providing for yourself. Establishing a comfort zone. Taking risks with resources. Think of the thoughts and feelings you experience when you buy a lottery ticket.
Three: Having a plan. Formulating a strategy to accomplish a goal.
A sculptor at his work in a monastery. Divinatory Meanings: Metier, trade, skilled labour; usually, however, regarded as a card of nobility, aristocracy, renown, glory. Reversed: Mediocrity in work and otherwise, puerility, pettiness, weakness.
You can apply your knowledge, skills, abilities to great advantage. A time of positive, measurable achievement that will win you reward, notice. Others will be happy to assist you and also will respond to your lead. Reversed: Less than satisfactory efforts produce poor results. Disappointment. No gain. Not a good time to enlist others in your project or undertaking. There’s a lot you need to learn. You’re missing what you need to finish task.
A sculptor is shown working in a monastery. This card should be compared with the Eight of Pentacles, where the worker was an apprentice. Here he has received his reward and is a mature artist. Divinatory Meaning: Skill and mastery in trade, art and labor. Sometimes means nobility, aristocracy, renown and glory. Card of construction, material increase. Reversed: Mediocrity in workmanship, commonplace ideals, pettiness, weakness.
Business success will come soon.
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Others
Nine of Swords
Swords: Defending. Self-defense and setting boundaries. Think of drawing a line in the sand with a sword point.
Nine: You deserve it. You receive rewards due to your own efforts.
One seated on her couch in lamentation, with he swords over her. Divinatory Meanings: Death, failure, miscarriage, delay, deception, disappointment, despair. Reversed: Imprisonment, suspicion, doubt reasonable fear, shame.
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Illusions
Two of Pentacles
Coins: Obtaining. Providing for yourself. Establishing a comfort zone. Taking risks with resources. Think of the thoughts and feelings you experience when you buy a lottery ticket.
Two: It takes two. A dialogue. Weighing and comparing different possibilities.
A young man in the act of dancing has a pentacle in either hand, and they are joined by that endless cord which is like the number 8 reversed. Divinatory Meanings: On the one hand it is represented as a card of gaiety, recreation and its connexions, which is the subject of the design; but it is read also as news and messages in writing, as obstacles, agitation, trouble, embroilment. Reversed: Enforced gaiety, simulated enjoyment, literal sense, handwriting, composition, letters of exchange.
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To Come
Ace of Wands
Staves: Creating. Creative energy. Think of building a house with wooden planks.
Ace: There’s a first time for everything. Beginnings. A seed that will grow.
A hand issuing from a cloud grasps a stout Wand or Club. Divinatory Meanings: Creation, invention, enterprise, the powers which result in these; principle, beginning, source; birth, family, origin; the beginning of enterprises; according to another account, money, fortune, inheritance. Reversed: Fall, decadence, ruin, perdition, to perish; also — not unclouded joy.
New beginnings. The birth of an idea that leads to action. The start of an enterprise or new challenges. You are filled with a sense of optimism, eagerness, enthusiasm, excitement, and boundless energy. You can sense the potential. You are looking forward to what’s ahead. Reversed: Difficulty in getting something started. False hopes. Misdirected energy. You are lacking motivation, ambition, or drive to face the challenges. You don’t want to attempt anything new.
A hand comes out from a cloud holding a flowering wand. In the distance is a mountain peak surmounted by a castle. Divinatory Meaning: The beginning of an enterprise, creation or invention. A birth, the starting of a family or of a fortune, possibly an inheritance. Reversed: The new enterprise may not materialize. Clouded joy, false starts.
Fresh starts bring spiritual awakening.