Cult of Tarot Forum

Hi, Charlie Brown,

I hope you are well. What is your question this month?

Thank you.

kare

Hi Kare,

We (me, my wife, and my daughter) have a somewhat distant family member who has recently moved into the region. So my question is what will happen if we reach out to L?

Thanks.

Charlie Brown wrote: ↑13 Oct 2019, 18:54 Hi Kare,

We (me, my wife, and my daughter) have a somewhat distant family member who has recently moved into the region. So my question is what will happen if we reach out to L?

Thanks.

Hi, Charlie Brown. Thank you for letting me read for you this month. For my reading, the three cards at the top are the main reading, in the positions of action (Empress), opportunity/challenge (Strength), and outcome (reversed Five of Wands). The shadow card under the main reading is a reversed Ace of Wands. I used the Smith-Waite Centennial in a tin.

I would say that the overall message from the main reading is that it will be an act that brings benefits to you for doing it, while the outcome itself is not one that necessarily will have an immediate positive resoluition. The Empress in the position of the action itself, the reaching out to the family member, indicates the act of doing so comes from or should come from a place of inner abundance and groundedness. If this card represents the energy of the act, it is a positive step to take for its own sake.

In the position of opportunity or challenge lies the Strength card. This is a card of internal strength, and in a relationship context here to me says that reaching out will be an opportunity to rebuild, acknowledge, accept, and to not only use but perhaps to develop the strength required to foster positive growth in the relationship. I am getting the sense that this relationship is potentially one of value, which is of course why the decision is not an easy one.

In the outcome position is the reversed Five of Wands. Sometimes to me reversals can simply mean being a bit stuck in this point of development, or that there is no clear resolution to this particular moment. It isn't an end here, but perhaps what to expect or what to weigh as you consider moving forward. It is a card of struggle. It might be inner struggle, or struggle within the relationship you are considering building with this person. In this case, I would say the wands represent growth. Creative or spiritual growth, and inner as much as outer development. Struggle is a natural part of development, particularly as you sort out your thoughts and feelings, or as you determine which direction you will go with your desires and spiritual needs in order to ultimately establish well-being. The Five of Wands and this sort of struggle, though reversed, is a natural part of any serious process, and here may be a part of the process that takes some additional work or awareness. It seems like if you bring the Empress and Strength, they will prepare you for the elements you cannot control that may end you up in a reversed Five of Wands.

The shadow card is another wand, which I find significant. In fact, Strength is associated with the suit of wands as well. The ace represents beginnings, renewed or fresh energy for creative or spiritual growth, but it is reversed. If it really sits as the tension that pulls the message in an opposing direction, as a kind of balancing of the perspective, I would say that while the main message seems to be that it is potentially a good thing to reach out to this person with managed expectations, this reversed Ace is suggesting you do not deny your intuition on the matter and consider the possible impact on your inner well-being. I know nothing about the context here, but if you are wondering whether you should reach out at all, this Ace to me is saying that you should reflect on your reasons for hesitation so that if you do reach out, you can do so from the place of the Empress--abundance and groundedness--and the values associated with Strength will follow and prepare you for any struggles indicated by the reversed Five of Wands. All of these Wands tell me that this is definitely a significant decision and a significant process for you.

I wish you the best in your process and hope whatever decision you make, it goes well.

This is very sensible and helpful. Thank you.

kare wrote: ↑16 Oct 2019, 15:41

I would say that the overall message from the main reading is that it will be an act that brings benefits to you for doing it, while the outcome itself is not one that necessarily will have an immediate positive resoluition. The Empress in the position of the action itself, the reaching out to the family member, indicates the act of doing so comes from or should come from a place of inner abundance and groundedness. If this card represents the energy of the act, it is a positive step to take for its own sake.

Yes, I think that's accurate. The motivation is mostly that we think it would be nice for the child to have some more connections with family.

kare wrote: ↑16 Oct 2019, 15:41
In the position of opportunity or challenge lies the Strength card. This is a card of internal strength, and in a relationship context here to me says that reaching out will be an opportunity to rebuild, acknowledge, accept, and to not only use but perhaps to develop the strength required to foster positive growth in the relationship.

In the outcome position is the reversed Five of Wands. Sometimes to me reversals can simply mean being a bit stuck in this point of development, or that there is no clear resolution to this particular moment. It isn't an end here, but perhaps what to expect or what to weigh as you consider moving forward. It is a card of struggle. It might be inner struggle, or struggle within the relationship you are considering building with this person.

There's a lot of baggage surrounding this relationship, especially on my wife's end. This is not quite the same thing as saying there's baggage within the relationship itself. More like the relationship is fairly weak and distant because of a lot of drama with third parties. It will likely bring up some issues for my wife, but not directly with the relative.

kare wrote: ↑16 Oct 2019, 15:41 The shadow card is another wand, which I find significant. In fact, Strength is associated with the suit of wands as well. The ace represents beginnings, renewed or fresh energy for creative or spiritual growth, but it is reversed. If it really sits as the tension that pulls the message in an opposing direction, as a kind of balancing of the perspective, I would say that while the main message seems to be that it is potentially a good thing to reach out to this person with managed expectations, this reversed Ace is suggesting you do not deny your intuition on the matter and consider the possible impact on your inner well-being. I know nothing about the context here, but if you are wondering whether you should reach out at all, this Ace to me is saying that you should reflect on your reasons for hesitation so that if you do reach out, you can do so from the place of the Empress--abundance and groundedness--and the values associated with Strength will follow and prepare you for any struggles indicated by the reversed Five of Wands. All of these Wands tell me that this is definitely a significant decision and a significant process for you.

So, if I understand, your conclusion makes a lot of sense. The reaching out itself is likely a positive action but it will not resolve the deeper issues at play and it may bring them back to the forefront. To the extent that it can be made about the future and nurturing a relationship with my daughter, then it's probably a good thing. To the extent that it's rooted in any expectations regarding the past, it will likely be unsatisfactory. Yes?

Thanks again.

Thank you for your feedback. To answer your question, I would not say the relationship will be unsatisfactory given the historical context, but that to me the cards indicate only that it will not be simple and easy to reconnect. That these past issues will have to be addressed in some way if you choose to reconnect. The first two cards are so good that I think they provide the answer to how to deal with the elements of struggle that may come up, in this case it sounds like possibly from other parts of the family or just your wife's past experience. I think it is only an indicator that you should prepare for this in order to have a successful reconnection. I also read reversals as you still get credit for having the card, and are maybe tasks to be addressed so the card can be set upright. So, if you do move forward mindfully when or if you are ready, the ace can be flipped so that it is a card of generative beginnings, and the Five of Wands can become the card that, upright, means the struggle is addressed, necessary development takes place, and your family is able to move forward beyond this historical and personal tension that this relationship reintroduces into your life. I'll also add that the reading suggests that any moving forward should take place when you are ready, not on some external timeframe. There is a theme of doing the internal work necessary first that came out for me.

I hope this answers your question. I sincerely hope it goes well, howeverver you choose to go forward.