A full spread.
YOU DREW TEN CARDS:
-
Environment
Four of Cups
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
Four: Making it happen. Your efforts result in concrete manifestation. Initial success.
A young man is seated under a tree and contemplates three cups set on the grass before him; an arm issuing from a cloud offers him another cup. His expression notwithstanding is one of discontent with his environment. Divinatory Meanings: Weariness, disgust, aversion, imaginary vexations, as if the wine of this world had caused satiety only; another wine, as if a fairy gift, is now offered him, but he sees no consolation therein. This is also a card of blended pleasure. Reversed: Novelty, presage, new instruction, new relations.
Material pursuits no longer satisfy. Time to reassess, reevaluate, turn inward for answers. Looking for new, more fulfilling, satisfying challenges, pursuits. Answers to your questions are within reach. Reversed: Ready for new challenges, relationships. A sense of excitement is in the air. Feeling revitalized, refreshed, and invigorated. Ready to resume past relationships, renew friendships.
Seated under a tree, a young man contemplates three cups on the grass before him. Out of a cloud in the sky comes a hand offering him another cup. He is nevertheless discontented. Divinatory Meaning: Discontent with environment, but hesitancy to embark on a new venture. Contemplation, dissatisfaction with material success, re-evaluation of one’s earthly pleasures. Reversed: New instructions, new relationships, novelty.
Expressive of emotions, but beware of over-indulgence.
-
Obstacles
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.
-
Above
Ten of Swords
Swords: Defending. Self-defense and setting boundaries. Think of drawing a line in the sand with a sword point.
Ten: Enough already. You’ve attained your goals, but find them unsatisfying. Time to begin something new.
A prostrate figure, pierced by all the swords belonging to the card. Divinatory Meanings: Whatsoever is intimated by the design; also pain, affliction, tears, sadness, desolation. Reversed: Advantage, profit, success, favour, but none of these are permanent; also power and authority.
-
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.
-
Ahead
Knight 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.
Knight: Focusing. Single-mindedness. Determination.
He rides a slow, enduring, heavy horse, to which his own aspect corresponds. Divinatory Meanings: Utility, serviceableness, interest, responsibility, rectitude. Reversed: Inertia, idleness, repose of that kind, stagnation; also placidity, discouragement, carelessness.
Hard work produces desired results. Stay on the path, don’t deviate. Outline your goals ahead of time, then make a plan for achieving them. Don’t leave things up to chance. Choose tasks in keeping with your abilities. Reversed: Impatience will lead to failure. Be careful not to go in too many directions at the same time. Not applying yourself as you should. Don’t narrow your pursuits so that you exclude opportunities as they arise.
A knight rides a heavily caparisoned horse through a freshly plowed field. He balances the pentacle symbol carefully, as if he were displaying it but not really looking at it. Divinatory Meaning: A black-haired, black-eyed young man, materialistic, methodical. Card betokens utility, serviceableness, patience, laborious toil, responsibility. May represent the coming or going of a matter. Reversed: Inertia, idleness, stagnation. A young man of careless habit.
A trustworthy friend.
“Matter has been spiritualized. It has become fertile and is the mother of eternal life. We have vanquished death. I am ready to undergo endless changes knowing that within my profound essence, there is an immutable core. This is what will give origin to the new riches of the Earth that will take on concrete form in the Wand. I am already carrying in my right hand the beginning of a new cycle of activity, a creative wand.”
Wand in hand and astride a receptive blue mount, this knight is advancing through a countryside lit by a star in the form of a pentacle. He represents the act of going beyond matter into creativity, a culmination that opens new horizons. He is also someone wealthy enough to create something new or a new purpose beyond material considerations. In the strict sense, the Knight of Pentacles can represent a journey or a move; in this instance a quest connected to the body, creativity and one’s place in the world.
-
You
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.
-
Others
Three of Cups
Cups: Interacting. Emotions and relationships of all kinds. Dealing with people. Think of two people toasting each other with wine glasses.
Three: Having a plan. Formulating a strategy to accomplish a goal.
Maidens in a garden ground with cups uplifted, as if pledging one another. Divinatory Meanings: The conclusion of any matter in plenty, perfection and merriment; happy issue, victory, fulfillment, solace, healing. Reversed: Expedition, dispatch, achievement, end.
Time to celebrate your accomplishments, reap the happiness you’ve achieved. Happiness in family relationships, friendships, work. A sense of joy envelops all you do. The cup of life tastes sweet. Reversed: Anything enjoyed to excess can lose its value or worth. There’s a price to pay for overindulgence. Happiness turns to sadness, joy to sorrow, pleasure to pain. Emphasis on the sensual instead of the spiritual.
Three maidens in flowing robes raise high their cups in a place of flowering fruits and foliage. They are pledging friendship. Divinatory Meaning: Conclusion of a matter in plenty, perfection and gayety. Happy issue, victory, liberality, abundance. A healing to come. Reversed: Excess of physical enjoyment and pleasure in the senses.
Exuberance and joy, love abounds.
-
Illusions
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.
-
To Come
Four of Wands
Staves: Creating. Creative energy. Think of building a house with wooden planks.
Four: Making it happen. Your efforts result in concrete manifestation. Initial success.
From the four great staves planted in the foreground there is a great garland suspended; two female figures uplift nosegays; at their side is a bridge over a moat, leading to an old manorial house. Divinatory Meanings: They are for once almost on the surface — country life, repose, concord, harmony, prosperity, peace, and the perfected work of these. Reversed: The meaning remains unaltered; it is prosperity, increase, felicity, beauty, embellishment.
Your accomplishments leave you feeling satisfied. Because your goals have been achieved, you feel a sense of peace, security, and happiness. You can take time to rest, relax, enjoy, and count your blessings. There’s a feeling of harmony in the air. Reversed: The same as upright, but with somewhat less intensity.
A garland is hung from the tops of four flowering wands; two maidens lift up bouquets of flowers; near them is a bridge over a moat, leading to an old castle. Divinatory Meaning: The coming of romance, harmony, prosperity, peace. The bounty of the harvest home, perfected work, haven of refuge. Reversed: Here the meaning remains unaltered; it is still prosperity, increase and bounty, but in lesser degree.
Unexpected wealth brings popularity.
Desire has become reality. The work of the artist enters the world and enjoys success.
