zb does not usually ask for input on readings he does for himself, but . . .
he is involved in a legal proceeding with his ex-wife concerning his continuing obligation to pay her what used to be called "alimony." and as a former lawyer himself, he has been handling the preliminary stages on his own (what they call "pro se"), with a little unpaid advice here and there from a lawyer friend . . . but he has been considering whether he might want to pay an actual lawyer to enter the case, and he does have someone in mind. anyway.
things are heating up a little, so this morning zb did a ten card spread, which could be laid out as a celtic cross, thus:
1. queen swords, reversed
2. two wands
3. eight cups
4. seven wands
5. eight swords, reversed
6. knight pentacles
7. four cups
8. four wands, reversed
9. nine pentacles, reversed
10. nine wands
shadow knight swords, reversed
as it happens, zb had already been thinking of the lawyer he might hire as queen swords, so the first and second positions struck him as representing his hesitation in hiring her. eight cups has rather steadily represented his need to disengage from the self-defeating emotions associated with his twenty-five year marriage to the ex, which ended just a few years ago. seven wands -- and seven swords, and (7) chariot -- has shown up as an urging to zb to assert himself here, and not shrink from the confrontation.
eight swords reversed is interesting here as the suggestion of a sense of helplessness or restriction. certainly that is how zb felt inside the marriage, but here it is presented (albeit reversed) as an immediate concern. opposite the eight cups, splitting the idea of (8) strength, which happens to be zb's year card, or whatever you call it. and then knight pentacles as a practical energy, possibly overstated, as an approaching influence. maybe zb trying to take on more than he can handle.
four cups, self-absorption, as a self-narrative, with four wands reversed, a sense of accomplishment, as the effect on others. sort of a split (4) emperor.
nine pentacles reversed, discipline, as a hidden or unforseen influence, paired with nine wands, defensiveness, as an outcome. suggesting (9) hermit, again split.
not that zb looks to the cards for advice, but this seems to suggest that he should at least talk with the queen swords before this goes much further.
oh. one more thing.
zb has taken lately to laying these ten cards out in a different pattern, which in this case looks like this:
seven wands/two wands/queen swords rx/eight cups/eight swords rx
nine pentacles rx/four cups/knight pentacles/four wands rx/nine wands
with the shadow centered above or below.
so in this case, the courts line up vertically, the wands are grouped seven and two over here, versus nine over there, with the reversed four suggesting (13) death, echoed by the nine pentacles rx/four cups, etc.
pretty heavy on wands, now that zb thinks about it. the exercise of will. whereas the shadow knight swords reversed talks about overthinking things.
anyone's input.
zb
he is involved in a legal proceeding with his ex-wife concerning his continuing obligation to pay her what used to be called "alimony." and as a former lawyer himself, he has been handling the preliminary stages on his own (what they call "pro se"), with a little unpaid advice here and there from a lawyer friend . . . but he has been considering whether he might want to pay an actual lawyer to enter the case, and he does have someone in mind. anyway.
things are heating up a little, so this morning zb did a ten card spread, which could be laid out as a celtic cross, thus:
1. queen swords, reversed
2. two wands
3. eight cups
4. seven wands
5. eight swords, reversed
6. knight pentacles
7. four cups
8. four wands, reversed
9. nine pentacles, reversed
10. nine wands
shadow knight swords, reversed
as it happens, zb had already been thinking of the lawyer he might hire as queen swords, so the first and second positions struck him as representing his hesitation in hiring her. eight cups has rather steadily represented his need to disengage from the self-defeating emotions associated with his twenty-five year marriage to the ex, which ended just a few years ago. seven wands -- and seven swords, and (7) chariot -- has shown up as an urging to zb to assert himself here, and not shrink from the confrontation.
eight swords reversed is interesting here as the suggestion of a sense of helplessness or restriction. certainly that is how zb felt inside the marriage, but here it is presented (albeit reversed) as an immediate concern. opposite the eight cups, splitting the idea of (8) strength, which happens to be zb's year card, or whatever you call it. and then knight pentacles as a practical energy, possibly overstated, as an approaching influence. maybe zb trying to take on more than he can handle.
four cups, self-absorption, as a self-narrative, with four wands reversed, a sense of accomplishment, as the effect on others. sort of a split (4) emperor.
nine pentacles reversed, discipline, as a hidden or unforseen influence, paired with nine wands, defensiveness, as an outcome. suggesting (9) hermit, again split.
not that zb looks to the cards for advice, but this seems to suggest that he should at least talk with the queen swords before this goes much further.
oh. one more thing.
zb has taken lately to laying these ten cards out in a different pattern, which in this case looks like this:
seven wands/two wands/queen swords rx/eight cups/eight swords rx
nine pentacles rx/four cups/knight pentacles/four wands rx/nine wands
with the shadow centered above or below.
so in this case, the courts line up vertically, the wands are grouped seven and two over here, versus nine over there, with the reversed four suggesting (13) death, echoed by the nine pentacles rx/four cups, etc.
pretty heavy on wands, now that zb thinks about it. the exercise of will. whereas the shadow knight swords reversed talks about overthinking things.
anyone's input.
zb
