New (and by that I mean old) reading

Sorry.  I actually have a lot of things I can post, and no time at all in which to do it.  Life’s been overwhelming lately, and full of stress, but I’ve managed to find time to squeeze some readings in, and have had great fun with it.  I’m also hoping to get Tarot Sparrow moved to its own domain soon.  Anyway.  Here goes.

This reading took place back in December.  A friend of mine (recently single) wanted some insight into her love life.  I did a simple Past, Present, Future spread with my trusty Hudes Tarot and this is what we came up with.

Past – Five of Pentacles

This card (to me) indicated that in the past, the querent either used relationships as an escape from other pressures of life, or had experienced a bad relationship from which she needed to escape, or simply felt a need to go it solitary for a while.   It turned out to be a little bit of both–the querent had both used relationships as a kind of mutual support system, as well as taken an opportunity to go off on her own path when things didn’t work out, as a way to decipher her wants and needs.  Thankfully, there was no past trauma (at least not to the point that it deserved a card like this).

Present – Four of Wands, Page of Pentacles
Often, the Four of Wands is thought to symbolize marriage or civil union in terms of human relationships–but given that the querent was not in a serious relationship, I was surprised at first to see this card.  I asked the querent if perhaps she was having daydreams lately, perhaps of being whisked away (as in that old cliché of the fair prince)–she definitely was–and as a clarification card I drew the Page of Pentacles.  Not a prince exactly, but perhaps the closest thing to it in a traditional tarot, next to maybe the Knight.  Since the querent had no current love interest, I asked if perhaps there was someone who was interested in her–someone kind, stable, skilled, responsible, hard-working and/or well-off financially.  Whoever it was, she was not aware (though a bit worried that it might be her ex).  I guessed that it was someone quiet who was not very apt at expressing their true feelings, being more practical than outwardly emotional (the Pentacles suit).  If the querent wanted to be discovered, she might have to keep her eyes open, and make the first move.

Future – Death, Two of Cups
Now here, we see a definite change about to occur in the situation.  Death came up first, and I noted a transition of some kind, a shift from one circumstance to another.  As per what change, exactly, it was still a little vague, even though the natural shift would indicate a relationship on the horizon, given that it’s an obvious change from being single.  To confirm, I drew another card, and came up with the Two of Cups–undoubtedly the most reaffirming card possible: two people celebrating their love and companionship.

**However–it should also be noted that if it turned out my querent’s secret admirer was indeed her ex-boyfriend (in whom she was no longer interested on that level), these cards could be read in a different way–that upon revelation, any lingering feelings or remainings of the past relationship would meet their end, so that the querent could move on to other romantic prospects.  In this instance, Death can be seen as an action against the Two of Cups.

Overall, an interesting reading with some unexpected twists and a positive (or at least affirming) forecast.  My querent seemed happy (albeit a bit nervous), and willing to do her part to bring about change.  The cards were a bit cryptic this time, but once the identity of the admirer was revealed, the situation would likely unfold as predicted for each instance.  A strange and multi-layered reading.

New website, new readings

So in the (relatively) short time since my last post, I have launched my tarot readings website! It is called Tarot Sparrow. Feel free to visit ;)

In the interest of informing potential querents of my reading technique and style, I’ve gained permission to display two recent in-person readings I’ve given to two friends (since most of the content here is personal). I will not use names to describe them, but rather alphanumeric characters–because it works, it’s easy, and yeah, it’s kind of funny. In each of these readings, I expanded upon the simple past, present, future spread to include a total of seven positions in a spread. That is, the future position was expanded into 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year positions, to follow up on past and present. In addition, a position was created for advice (‘A’ below). I used the Hudes Tarot for both readings.

….P…..P…..1m…
………………………A
…3m…6m…1y…

The first reading was for Mr. X. X has not seen his wife in a number of months, as she has been residing in her home state across the country while X attends school. There have been obstacles and choices blocking her return (the details of which I am not privy to), and X wanted to know what turns his relationship would take within the next year.

Past – 5 of Wands
This card indicated there was a lot of squabbling going on, and perhaps this was part of the reason for the delay. This doesn’t necessarily mean big things, either – arguments about little things and misunderstandings are likely. The querent certainly agreed with me here.

Present – Tower
The Tower is always a scary-looking card. Given that the present situation seemed a little less traumatic from what I was told, however, I took this card to mean that X and his wife were going through more of an upheaval of the past and transitional stage than a large collapse. The Tower here indicated a breaking down of old structures and a rebuilding of the relationship.

1 Month – 4 of Pentacles
This card indicated a few things to me. One, I saw X trying to hold the relationship together within the next month. Two, I saw his wife possibly holding onto something else, something that was keeping her from returning (as has been the case for some time). It seemed likely that she was holding onto her life there and current circumstances, as opposed to making the effort to return and starting over, after having been gone so long. The person in this card looks fearful – fearful of change, fearful of losing their grip.

3 Months – The Moon / 5 of Swords
When the Moon came up in the 3-Month position, I was a bit puzzled. The Moon can be vague and mysterious (that is its nature), and in a future position it was just that. The clarifying card I drew was the 5 of Swords, which indicated a one-sided quarrel, being influenced by the mystery of the Moon. To me, this indicated secretive behaviour, and I advised X to beware of keeping or being the victim of secrets or distant behaviour in the next few months, lest they cause more problems in the relationship.

6 Months – 10 of Pentacles
After all that trouble, it was nice to see things looking up within the next 6 months with the 10 of Pentacles. This card indicates a union of sorts, a completion and coming together of love and family. of home. It is important that the querent understand the meaning of “home” in this situation. This came up again later.

1 Year – 9 of Wands
I have trouble with this card from time to time, because it too has always seemed a little vague to me; but I took this to mean that X would be nearing completion of a goal by the end of the year – a successful rebuilding of structure in the relationship.
Advice – 4 of Wands
Here is where home comes back into the picture. We see two people between a structure of sorts, a garland hanging above them. This is a card of structure, family, home and marriage. My advice to the querent was twofold: first, re-envision the living situation, as this may make a difference in her decision to return. Second, stay focused on what matters: the marriage that has already been built. Don’t lose sight of the love and the life and the home two people have built together – keep it intact, and things will fall into place.

It was a nice message to end the reading, and X seemed to be satisfied with the whole of it.

The second reading was for Mr. Y (yeah, I know). Y was seeking a different kind of information – financial information – and wanted to know more about his money situation in the coming months. I used the same spread for Y as I did for X.

Past – 3 of Wands
This card showed that in the past, Y had been working hard and focusing on bringing in an income. I thought perhaps it also indicated savings, but it’s also likely that there was a lot of waiting going on, and the profit was waning as fast as it was gaining (sorry for the bad rhyme).

Present – 8 of Cups
This card shows someone walking away from something…in this case, a person who has left an old job behind and is currently searching for or beginning a new one. Y confirmed that he would be starting a new job in the coming weeks, which (from the money perspective) would cause an increase in finances.

1 Month – 2 of Wands / 4 of Wands
In the next month or so, I saw Y having to make a decision – one that might affect his finances somewhat. The 2 of Wands alone, however, seemed a little vague here, and as a clarifier I drew the 4 of Wands. Harkening back to X’s reading, I thought once more of home; but since Y was too young to be purchasing a home, I asked, “Are you thinking of moving in the next month or so?” Y admitted that he was thinking about moving to a new apartment. This decision would certainly have an impact on his finances, if he chose to do it.

3 Months – The Hermit / Strength
I felt a little puzzled when I saw the Hermit in this position, and thought of someone who was leaving their job to do business for themselves – which seemed soon, but something a summer job would certainly allow for in the fall. Y said he had done this once before. I was unsure, so I drew a clarifier – Strength. I began to think it was certainly a possibility, as Strength indicates someone in charge of their own well-being. I also thought this could also indicate Y living alone in a 3-month period and taking on extra financial responsibility.

6 Months – 5 of Cups
The 5 of Cups is a card of loss – or, as I also told Y, one that indicates “spilt milk.” It seems at this time the querent may experience a financial loss from which he will have to recuperate. But it is likely to be a temporary loss, and one that should not be dwelt upon for very long. It is better for someone to focus on what they can do with what they have, than to contemplate their loss.

1 Year – 6 of Wands
This card is a happy card – or, perhaps not happy so much as successful. The figure in this card is very serious, and someone who is being celebrated or rewarded. It is likely that within a year’s time Y will find a promising job opportunity, or receive a raise in pay.

Advice – Knight of Wands / The Devil
This was the first court card I had drawn that day, oddly. The Knight of Wands could indicate a person, or simply the qualities exhibited by such a person. In this case, I saw the knight as the querent, and someone who should bring their new creative and work endeavors to fruition without delay. The knights indicate motion, and act decisively. To further understand this card, I drew the Devil, and explained that it can mean indulgence. I explained to Y that this may be a time of splurging and personal enjoyment, but that it would be wise to keep heavy spending in check – at least until those endeavors have come to fruition.

Further Future – 2 of Pentacles
At Y’s request, I drew an extra card for the further future – for the next big change in his situation (keeping in mind, of course, that the future is very mutable). This card has always been something of a “juggling” card to me, and I explained to Y that further in the future he would be taking on extra responsibilities which could be fruitful – but also that he should be careful to maintain balance, so that he (and his finances) would not suffer a blow.

Overall, the readings went great, and both parties seemed to respond quite well. I very much mean to be a shameless promoter when I say, please feel free to visit my website!