The client is a forty year old professional artist and writer. She is highly creative by nature, works in several different artistic venues and shows great compassion towards the people in her life. When she came to see me, she wanted to examine what was holding her back in her writing career.

I used a modified Elemental Spread, with the following position definitions:

Card One - Self/Where the Seeker is right now

Ace of Swords -- This card indicated that my client was in the place of ultimate beginnings regarding her writing. The time was right for her to sit down and articulate her long term writing goals and begin to take action on them. I asked her to remember that the (mental) Sword can be used to attack as well as to defend. Form is fleeting, full of change - therefore, she needed to concentrate on her principles, and on how she could convey them through her writing.

Card Two - Spiritual Self

The Sun -- Her Spirit was being smiled on brightly. This was a time of great creativity, a time when friendships and contacts of all kinds were to be nourished. This was a time of leadership for her, and she need not be afraid to fulfill this role.

Card Three -  Physical Self

Eight of Pentacles -- This was a literal time for her to hone her writing skills - a time of learning. She needed to focus only on what she was doing, not on what the consequences would be, not on what the reaction to her words would be. The words are important, as they allow her to walk her talk. The reactions of others are theirs to take responsibility for.

Card Four - Emotional Self

Five of Wands -- The Five of Wands denotes competition, and that can be scary - it often leaves one open to personal attack. Again - she was being asked to stand up for her ideals - to walk her talk. I asked her to use her creativity to get her point across, rather than holding back her thoughts. The emotional part of her was being brought out at that time, leaving her open to any and all of her shadow selves. It waa very important for her to bring balance here.

Card Five -  Mental Self

Four of Hearts (Cups) -- She may not be pleased right now with where her path has taken her. For my client to change her future, she needed to allow herself to go into her heart and see where her true happiness, her true sense of self lay.

Card Six - What aids the Seeker

The Hanged Man -- The energy that aided her was the Hanged Man. She may have tended to feel boxed in, as if there were no avenues for expression for her. It was time for her to take another look around, to drop preconceived notions - that would allow her to become an open channel for the voices of the ancient ones. I asked her to listen to her Higher Self - to visit Dreamtime and be comforted with the knowledge that she brings back with her.

Card Seven - What challenges the Seeker

Eight of Hearts (Cups) -- My client's challenge when she writes was to detach herself from her emotions. Her new direction would be found when she did what was best for herself, not what was best for others.

Card Eight - What is the Seeker's next step?

Nine of Hearts (Cups) -- The querent's next step was found in the Nine of Hearts, sub-titled Fulfillment in this deck. Her wish for success through her writing would be achieved, but she needed to be aware that the success that she will find may not be the one she sought. She needed to know that this was a time of healing. The step that she needed to take was to follow her own star - to walk the path of her own destiny, and allow those around her to find their own way.

Card Nine - Probable outcome.

Two of Swords -- Her probable outcome was the Two of Swords. Many people feel that if a Pip falls in this position the outcome is not "written in stone". Perhaps it is not, but look at what this card really stands for: sub-titled Balance in this deck, the Two of Swords insists that she use her writing time, which by nature is time spent alone, to her best advantage. She needs to take into consideration the words/thoughts of others, compare them with her own, and be willing to compromise. She needed to know that no great changes will come about at this time, but the internal changes that she makes are what will create her future - in this case, her future as a writer.

In summation, this was a time when my client was going to come into great wisdom, part of which was wisdom about herself and her own path. She was being asked to accept the opportunities that Universe has to offer, and to decide what was right for her based on her own perception of herself and her ideals, not on what was the best thing for those around her.  She needed to balance her emotional and mental selves, as that would allow her spiritual self to be what it is meant to be. Her success as a writer will come when she sets aside her fears over what the reaction to her writing will be. If she has walked her talk, she need have no fear - all will be as it should. The hardest thing in life is to take off all of our masks and allow the world to see us as we really are - and that was what she was being asked to do at the time of her reading.


Bonnie Cehovet is a Tarot Master, a professional Tarot reader with over 10 years experience, a Reiki Master/Teacher and a writer. She has served in various capacities with the American Tarot Association, including Secretary of the ATA Board. She is co-founder of the World Tarot Network and Director of Certification for the American Board for Tarot Certification. She currently has columns appearing in the World Tarot Network newsletter and on the Meta Arts e-magazine site (Gateway to Tarot). She is editor for her own monthly newsletter, Gateway to Tarot, on Yahoo Groups.