BlueRoseRd

Customized Spread Reading with the Blue Rose Tarot by Paula Gibby
Reading by Diane Wilkes

I designed triangulation spreads for the querent based on specific questions and concerns.

                             3 Guidepost - VII (The Chariot)

1 Present Job Positives                            2 Present Job Negatives
(7 of Pentacles, Reversed)                       (Knight of Cups, Reversed)

4 Chosen Course of Study                       5 Other Course Options to Consider
(7 of Cups, Reversed)                             (8 of Wands)

                            6 Motivation Energy to Cultivate (The Magician)

                           12 Light at the Crossroads (9 of Cups, Death)

10 Present Spiritual Path                          11 Spiritual Path Not Taken
(9 of Pentacles)                                        (Knight of Wands)

7 Man A                                                  8 Man B
(3 of Wands)                                           (Judgement)

                             9 Unknown Factor
                             (4 of Wands)

I read the first six positions as one spread, since both related to the querent's career. I read the second six positions as another, since she was looking for a soul mate relationship and her spiritual path seems to fit in there as well.

The first spread:

Card One - Positives in the querent's present job - Seven of Pentacles Reversed
Card Two - Negatives in her present job - Knight of Cups Reversed

Ironically, the positive in the querent's present job was her knowledge that it was a matter of waiting until she got what she really wanted. This was frustrating, but the job served as a way of storing up the nuts and fruits (physical needs, like eating, rent, etc.) in order to achieve her goals. She was possibly cultivating friendships and contacts that would likely come in handy in the future as well. In fact, based on this version of the card, I guessed that she was making (or had made) friendships that helped this "waiting" time go by in a pleasant/helpful manner. The fact that the card was reversed emphasized that the job's transitional pleasantness was not what she was truly seeking in her life. This card advised her to live in the moment (even as she stored those nuts!), enjoy the positives the job had to offer, even as she recognized it as the transitional employment that it was. I suggested that it was time to even honor it in that role--recognize the sacredness of the necessary step she was taking to achieve what she wished.

The card was also a warning of complacency, not tot get so comfortable in the position that she forgot what she really desired.

The negative in the querent's present job (Knight of Cups reversed) spoke to the biggest problem--the querent was unable to express herself emotionally in that environment. It did not meet her very strong need to be able to express herself on an emotional level. She might have felt that she had to quash that side of herself in that job, and I suspected her frustration level must have been quite high. She was yearning to be who she truly was and use her considerable emotional gifts. Yet I saw that with the one or two good friends she had made on her job, she did use that well of empathy that she had developed on her path. I imagined it was frustrating not to be able to use that in her professional capacity, and be recognized for that gift she had developed.

Card Three - Guidepost - The Chariot

The Chariot was a reminder for the querent to remember where she was going, to keep her eyes focused on her chosen destination. It also illustrated that the querent had numerous ways to enhance her journey, and more than a few roads to that Emerald City of her dreams. The Internet titling of the card speaks to one of those possible roads. Other possibilities included the querent doing some research and/or taking some educational coursework and/or looking for a job on the Internet. That Seven of Pentacles reversed said that she might be stuck in old-fashioned methodology that holds you back. This card says that in our "Brave New World," the querent has many opportunities and pathways open to her in achieving her desires. Even as one eye is on the prize, she could can use the other to see if there were other ways to achieve her "big-picture" goals, which I addressed at the end of this spread.

Card Four - Chosen Course of Study - Seven of Cups Reversed

This is the third seven (if we count the Chariot, numbered VII), and seven is a number of challenges. It was interesting that the querent had considered working with addiction because this card often represents that very thing, especially reversed. The typical take on this card is that of being overwhelmed by choices, but in this case, every cup holds something watery or cup-like. Because of that overwhelming quality of water, I wondered if working in that field would be therapeutic for the querent. It was possible that it could stretch/stress her too much emotionally. Perhaps this issue was one where there was a large emotional attachment, an area where it was still difficult to distance herself in a healthy way. Only she could answer this question, of course, but it's something I suggested she consider in depth (I was sure she already had, but felt the need to bring it up with this card in this position!). This card often is interpreted as an inability or unwillingness to commit to a positive, definite course of action, because there are so many alternatives available.

Card Five - Other Course Options to Consider - Eight of Wands

In conjunction with Card Four, this card confused me a bit at first. It speaks to swiftness, moving quickly, and not being particularly (at all) reflective. Either it urged the querent to move quickly and be a bit impetuous or suggested that, if she had been trying to do that for a while without success, it suggested that reflection was necessary if she wished to move forward in her chosen path. Until I pulled Card Six, I was a bit confused but...

Card Six - Motivation Energy to Cultivate - The Magician

This card said (quite loudly) that the power and magic was within the querent. In order to feel more motivated, she needed to develop that internal focus that goes along so naturally with intent. If she had been searching for external motivation, the reason it had been so hard to come by is that it had to come from within. It was necessary for the querent to believe that she could create the magic she needed to attain her dreams and desires.

I couldn't help but note that the two Majors in this spread come in the Guidepost/Motivation Energy to Cultivate positions, as opposed to the specific situational positions. I thought this might mean that she had been focusing on the mundane instead of seeing the big picture, the main themes of her life that the archetypes of the Major Arcana address. There was no Sword of Detachment in these six cards, the ones that spoke to her career area. Instead, there was a lot of power in these two archetypes waiting to be released. They were bottled up inside of the querent because her emotions either hadn't been allowed to flow freely or else they had overwhelmed the fire inside. Perhaps the strength of her emotions needed to be channeled into a form that served her career intentions. The Eight of Wands (along with the Knight of Wands in her second reading) spoke of banked fires within her, but she was choosing emotion over inspiration every time. If that was no longer serving her, it would behoove her to bring that Sword of Detachment into her considerations.

The second spread:

Card Seven - Man A - Three of Wands

Card Eight - Man B - Judgement

The querent asked about two men in her life. We had to look at these cards together, as well as separately. It seemed Man B is a considerably older soul than Man A, and with the card of Judgement, there was no question that the querent and Man B have karma together (whether that is soul mate karma this time around, only time will tell).

But I didn't think it was time to give up on Man A! He was filled with energy regarding the relationship and seemed willing to do a great deal to see that it manifested. Looking at the cards, I sensed that the querent had an innate fire and enthusiasm that had recently been flattened, smothered. Man A's passion/joie de vivre was palpable and could help bring the querent's fire out. He was in a state of emergence himself, it seemed, and he wasn't as stable as he would ultimately become, but he seemed halfway home. And clearly he wanted the querent as part of his life.

Now we look to Man B--he had to be in a major phase of rebirth in his life. It was hard for him to make a commitment to anyone but himself at that juncture, because he was just learning who his new self was, his self as not part of his marriage (he was in the process of getting a divorce). He was finding and exploring his newfound freedom. I urged the querent to look at the picture on the card. Because of the present state of Man B's existence, he was likely not ready for the kind of commitment the querent was looking for at the time. This didn't mean he would never be ready for her, and become the man she wanted in her life, but it did mean that the time wasn't at the time of the reading. My suspicion was that, in this state of rebirth, he went from one extreme to another--ready, not ready. This could not be good for the querent.

There was no question in my mind that this was a cosmic connection, but since he was still in a state of becoming, all bets were off as to ultimate outcome.

Card Nine - The Unknown Factor - Four of Wands

This card had me goggling when I turned it over. Talk about direct! It spoke to the querent's deep longing for commitment, her sincere desire to find her soul mate and have him in her life. I also felt it might speak to an idealized situation that had weak roots in reality. I suggested there might be issues the querent was not seeing in either (or both) of these men, Man B AND Man A.

There is also a celebratory air in this card that spoke to her need for joy. True communion and community. Perhaps this card was a message for the querent to try to let go of expectations. Her own thoughts might have been holding her back from finding true joy, because she was trying to put her own specifications on it. When she least expected it, it would come.

We then moved to the non-romantic, "spiritual" side of the triangle.

Card Ten - Present Spiritual Path - Nine of Pentacles

The querent was on a path where she recognized that if she wanted her dreams and aspirations to come true, she was the person responsible for their actualization. That is a wonderful but occasionally wearying path to be on--but it's the truest path I know. She was moving towards creating the life she wanted, but the occasional uncertainties she felt about her present career, scholastic pursuits, etc.) hit her hard because she was her own support system. She probably didn't recognize how very much she had already accomplished, because she was so busy looking towards the next step. One thing that I thought might help her feel internal satisfaction was to celebrate each small step she made towards her goals--since no one was going to do that for her BUT her. (I knew she would ideally like that to come from a partner or an external source, but this card indicated that she needed to do that for herself.)

Card Eleven - Spiritual Path Not Taken - Knight of Wands

Again we moved to the banked fire aspect that appeared earlier in the reading. Because of her empathetic qualities, the querent tended not to be self-ish, as in not paying much attention to her own desires in comparison to others. This card spoke to doing things she hadn't done before: daring, romantic, adventurous things. If she had been feeling "flat", perhaps it was because there was a part of her that wanted to focus on her, instead of others. This card suggested she might want to do experiential spiritual work, check out shamanic aspects of herself and work with them. Take some spiritual risks. I didn't suggest she should walk on hot coals or anything extraordinary, but do something she had wanted to try but hesitated because it seemed more outlandish than her usual focus. This new spiritual approach might be just what she needed to spark her spiritual fire, even if it was just a reminder that that was not her path.

Card Twelve - Light at the Crossroads - Nine of Cups/Death

I pulled the Nine of Cups from the deck and Death turned up right along with it. So I read them alone and in combination.

The Nine of Cups, especially in this deck, speaks of wish fulfillment. The face on the picture is one that radiates wisdom and compassion, two qualities that the querent needed to inculcate, if only towards herself, as she probably had them in abundance when it came to others. Once she was choosing things that would really meet her heart's desire and needs, they would manifest seemingly as if by magic (though it would really also be partially her own efforts).

Death is a card that speaks of irrevocable change. The querent was at an impasse, which was frustrating, but once she moved beyond those hurdles we addressed above, she would be happy to bury her present frustrations as she moved towards the things that she really wanted. There were probably situations in her life to which she still clung that no longer served her. They were dead, but she was still holding on to them. I suggested she examine what was not truly serving her heart's desire and let those things go as she recognized them.

You probably have noted I kept using that phrase, "heart's desire"--it's because the Nine of Cups so specifically addressed that. I saw it as her light at the crossroads. I urged the querent to seek it out, bring it into her life and being. It was waiting for her.

I suggested that the querent, once she had looked at all the Blue Rose cards that appeared in her reading, reassemble the spread using the two decks she owned. I thought she might garner additional ideas or alternative ways of looking at the cards in the position that could add to her understanding of the reading.