PCO: Exploring a health issue

If you ask me about health readings, I will usually dissuade most readers from doing them. It's not that I believe the cards cannot read about health matters, but rather because it is a sensitive topic in which badly-interpreted information can have dire, even fatal, consequences. Also, any misstep can cause the unheeding reader to teeter on the edge of unlicensed medical practice, which is bad.

That said, nothing forbids us from trying to gain more clarity about a health situation using the cards. Again, as long as we don't make life-altering decisions or go around advising others based on the cards alone.

With that in mind (and a doctor appointment already scheduled), I decided to ask about strange abdominal pains I have been having every month, right after my ovulation. I asked: "what are these symptoms I've been having telling me?"

The first cards I noticed are the 3♠ in the Head position and the A♥ dignified in the Torso position. Looking at the A♥, I cannot help but find the heart with its lateral red ribbons very... womb-like. This tells me the centre of the issue is, as I suspect, the uterus, or at least the reproductive system.

The 3♠, called The Beggar in the Doors of Somlipith, is a card that speaks of an impoverished mental or physical state. I often associate it with depressive states, and, due to its place in the Head position, that is a possible interpretation: a negative mindset generating somatic symptoms. But since Spades is connected to earth and physicality, I am also inclined to see a physical issue here, in the head. I think this card may be pointing to the lack of a certain hormone, which could be affecting the uterus.

In the Throat position we have the 8♥, The Faun, which is an interesting card. The Throat position shows invisible influences and communication issues. One of keywords Ana uses for the 8♥ in the DOS book is 'lunacy', which hints at a connection to the Moon cycles. Also, it's a card of 'mischief', which for me underlines the idea of imbalance – whatever is being communicated between the Head and the Torso, is happening in a rather disorderly way.

The elemental compatibility between the 3♠ and 8♥ softens the influence of both cards, so, despite the bothersome symptoms, I would not see it as a severe issue. It's more a disruption than a disease. But what could be causing it? The Foot position is the one that relates the most to the physical body, and we have the K♣, Sol, there. Not a very comfortable position for such an airy, intellectual king.

Sol puzzles me a bit, but I feel like his presence in the Foot position shows an excess of mental work that is keeping me disconnected from my body. I'm trying to fix through the mind issues that must be handled through the body itself – including its emotional manifestations (since the Hearts suit is so prominent). I think the K♣ is the kind of guy who will completely ignore his body to focus on an intellectual pursuit, and maybe this is what is causing the impoverishment the 3♠ hints at. How will your inner chemistry be balanced when you are eating and sleeping badly?

The geomancy of this spread is quite revealing: as the witnesses, we have Puella (number) Conjunctio (colour), and as the judge, we have Puer. DigitalAmbler has a very interesting post on Conjunctio, connecting it to cyclical and impermanent situations, and also to sex and other momentaneous connections. So this combination reads to me as: female cyclical issues (Puella + Conjunctio) that need a masculine (Puer) input or energy in order to stabilise again.

Like I said, I won't be taking any serious health decisions based on this. And in a few days, I will go to the doctor to investigate the problem. I am very interested in comparing my interpretation of the cards with what the doctor will find!

PCO: In the wilderness

Last year, I shared a reading regarding an Ayahuasca experience that has pretty much shattered everything I thought I believed in, leading to a spiritual upheaval. Many months have passed since then and, while I have explored different possibilities, I find myself a bit stuck. I cannot return to where I was before, but I am struggling to see ahead... it's like the trail disappears into the mist.

Rather than forcing the mists to part before they are meant to, I decided to get some clarity of my possibilities in the present. What obstacles I am facing right now, and what resources can help me overcome them, or at least learn from them. For this reading, I chose to use The Bridge Spread.

The first card is about the past, and here we have the 7♥ (The Sword of Healing) – which was present in the spread done back in September 2025. The cards keep hammering home that the whole thing has been (and still is) about healing, even if it doesn't feel like it. We tend to envision 'healing' as a mostly positive process, but ask anyone who underwent a surgery: recovery is the hardest part. So the 7♥ is reminding me that, spiritually-wise, I am still convalescing.

I like to look at the two present cards together. The gift of the present is the 2♦ (The Rivals), and we have another interesting 'coincidence': this card showed up in my New Moon reading, referring specifically to the final week this lunar cycle. The obstacle of the present is the J♠, Pampero. The combination of suits is pragmatic, and suggests a certain hardness, a focus on fixing things so you can move forward. Here the Rivals make sense – my gift is precisely what frustrates me. I want to fix this situation, that leaves me lost and vulnerable, but the universe seems to be opposing my method: a constructive opposition. And the obstacle is my own obtuse tenacity – I keep trying to solve by doing, when the issue is not meant to be approached this way.

A few days ago, I did another reading and got this same elemental pairing, of Diamonds and Spades. It's basically the anti-receptive pair. It does not sit and waits for signs. It's good at striving, not at surrendering. But in matters of spirit, striving doesn't get you very far. Focusing on the airy qualities of the suit that is missing in this reading – Clubs – would be helpful.

And the future position we have the K♠, Mardoc. Yet another card that has visited me recently, this King has mastery over all earthly and practical affairs. This seems to contradict the general feeling of this spread, which so far has challenged this focus on pragmatic action. But Mardoc has other facets. Firstly, as Ana Cortez describes him, he is "a King whose castle has no walls [...]. His home is where he makes it." (p. 100) In short, Mardoc is someone who has not found (or chosen) a permanent home.

Secondly, he is the closing card of the pack, the final king. He oversees all closures and endings, and wherever he appears, we know that we will be facing a death of some sort. In a sense, he fits perfectly the inner image I have of a trail disappearing into the mist... we cannot see beyond Mardoc.

So, the future promises more wandering. There is no point in hankering after a permanent and safe spiritual home, not now. "You need to accept that you're in the wilderness right now", Mardoc seems to be saying, and striving for a solution isn't the way. I need to stop, wait until the mists lift, see what comes. Let what needs to die, die. Stay receptive, even if all I get is silence.

...and yes, this sucks. Especially for a fiery person such as myself. But after this reading, I don't feel so alone... Somewhere out in the wilderness, Mardoc is keeping watch. I don't think he's up for chit-chat, but I don't think he's leaving, either.

Weekly Reading: In the watery parts of the self

What a watery reading! Not only do we have two Hearts cards, but we also got the witch's rune Waves, another water-related symbol.

This week, we can expect to be deeply influenced by the Hearts realm, with the blessing of its King and Queen. Our endeavour and priorities will be guided by how much they move our inner waters, and our 'state of heart' will colour our reality. Due to the presence of both K♥ and Q♥, there is a tendency towards emotional balance, but there might be a lack of practicality.

The Waves add an interesting layer. According to Susan Sheppard’s book, A Witch's Runes:

"At the present time you may feel more reclusive than usual, less willing to make a decision or a commitment. Instead, you may feel the need to withdraw into your own private world so you can reassess your losses and gather strength to once again face the world outside the womb." (p. 81)

So this week will open a door to an emotional exploration. We will become more aware of what stirs (or not) the watery parts of ourselves. We might feel a little shapeless, unsure and vulnerable, so it’s not the moment to make great decisions or commitments. Instead, it's a time to let ourselves float a bit in the healing waters of the soul, and rediscover what truly moves us beyond practical obligations and goals. 

PCO: A calling or an ambition?

The past six months have been of great spiritual change for me. I have abandoned some beliefs that have sustained me for more than 20 years, and have turned to a new path. Now, a door has opened that will allow me to step more firmly into this new life… and I find myself hesitating at the threshold. Half of me wants to go, while the other half is afraid that I will lose myself, or cease to be who I am, in the process.

I asked the cards for some clarity regarding what is happening to me and drew two cards.

The first card is the 6♠, the Ruins, and it speaks of a past that is still lingering. First I thought this referred to my new path, which is grounded in a much older (and stricter) tradition than that which I have followed for many years. But then, it struck me that, despite having shed many of my past beliefs and practices, it is foolish of me to think that I have overcome the past entirely. For more than 20 years, my spirituality has shaped who I am, how I conduct my life, my choices and actions… obviously, a lot of it still lingers within me.

In this case, stepping into a new life will mean stepping into a new self. And that is very scary!

The second card is the 3♦, which in the Doors of Somlipith deck is called Severed Head. It uses the images of Tendra, the 10♦ in the vintage PCO deck. It also carries a slightly more negative tone to it, speaking of ambition and asking "what am I willing to sacrifice in order to achieve my goal?".

Again the card seems to have a double meaning. First, I need to sort within myself: do I feel that I am being called to 'deepen' my relation to this new path, or am I seeking to 'achieve' something? With the combination of Spades and Diamonds, the obligation aspect seems to be particularly strong. And second, I need to answer the 3♦'s challenge: am I willing to let go of the past? Can I sacrifice what I think is certain about myself in order to be made anew?

The combination of suits, once more, suggest a certain fixedness and hardness. I am still fixed (♠) in my ego (♦), and unable to die to my old self. I am willing to 'do the right things', but I'm not a as ready to be transformed, yet. The softening influence of the two missing suits – Hearts and Clubs – is much needed here!

New Moon Reading: Waiting for the Sun

It's March, so it's time for another New Moon spread! This time I decided to use a standard playing card deck, in order to focus on the colour and number aspects, which is always an interesting exercise.

First of all, this spread only has low numbers, which usually predicts a moment of lower intensity or less inner engagement. But it does not mean complete immobility! Since there is a small ladder of numbers (2, 3, 4, 6), from bottom to top, we can assume that momentum is being built, even if it occurs subtly. Most numbers are even, which also reinforce this idea of a certain stability and more subtle unfolding. The only odd card, 3♣ is exactly at what I consider the tipping point of this reading, in the very middle of the lunar cycle.

The first two cards represent the first half of the cycle, and together they make a rather peaceful landscape. The 6♥ is a place of comfort, healing and quiet creativity, and in the company of the slow 4♣, there is a tendency to temporise a bit until the right moment to ‘emerge’ from the comfort zone comes. So this lunar cycle begins with a ‘cocoon’ vibe, so to speak.

Then, right on the Full Moon time, there is a shift. The easy-going combination of Hearts and Clubs gives way to the more zesty meeting of Diamonds and Clubs! A spark electrifies the peaceful landscape, stirring it up… An opportunity to materialise plans and ideas comes up (3♣), along with a shock between different energies (2♦), that set us in motion to finally leave that comfort zone.

I like how the colours are arranged, with the two red cards on the outside, and the two black cards on the inside. Again, we have the impression of an introspective core waiting to be stimulated by a more expressive energy. This reminds me of last month's reading, in which endings gave rise to a new seed of possibility… It's as if, now, the seed is waiting for the Sun to awaken it, which should begin to happen in the second half of the lunar cycle.

New Moon Reading: Without losing tenderness...

It’s been a while since I shared a New Moon reading, so here it goes. It was done a little late, a couple of days after the February New Moon;

My first impression is that the two bottom cards – Allegra (10♥) and Mardoc (K♠) – together in such dignified positions make quite a pair! For me, they have a bit of a ‘Hades and Persephone’ feel, not so much the mythic kidnapping and marriage part, but rather the idea that a maturing force (Mardoc) erupts from the underworld and forces our innocence and our ideals to contend with reality. Allegra wants to frolic about following her heart, but Mardoc steps in and says the heart has to go somewhere, lest it becomes the home of useless passions.

Here is what I wrote about Mardoc in the Black Ace Academy:

"I like to think of Mardoc as a ‘maturing’ force – that which makes tender stalks harden into wood, milk curdle into cheese etc. By stripping things of a lingering innocence, Mardoc also tempers us to life, by making us face many smaller deaths."

In this spread, the Spades cards are sort of bracketing the inner cards, like earth surrounding a seed, and both cards have a very ‘ending’ feel to them. The 3♠ (The Grave) is all about mourning and letting go of something, whereas Mardoc is the Death King himself. So this cycle will be about pruning, letting go or accepting the end of more immature or naïve aspects of our lives.

Because the K♠ is in a dignified position with the 10♥, there is a softer feel to the whole thing. I think the perspective of an ending leaves the heart a little lost (Allegra wears a blindfold), but it also promises seeds for a new future. Once stripped with any dead weight, the heart can start searching again.

And the 12♦ (Livia) in the throat position, right beneath the 3♠, is also another interesting card – it looks like whatever is being buried in the 3♠ is falling right into her bowl! Since she is a fire card, and fire is the element and transmutation, I’d say that whatever needs to be ‘buried’ in this cycle won’t be completely lost. It will be transformed!

So, this will be a cycle of endings, but not of the sad, despairing sort. Heartfelt ideals will be tested by reality, and "we must be hardened but without losing tenderness", as Che Guevara said. It is, in fact, a chance of transformation. Whatever is buried right now will become the seeds for a new journey. And one must be willing to receive it with an open heart, and a childlike (not childish) disposition, like Allegra.

PCO: A little pictorial reading

I recently attended an Ayahuasca Ceremony. While the previous Ceremonies had their rough moments, they usually took me to a better place afterwards, reaffirming a sense of trust and re-connection to the whole. The last one, however, was... very difficult. I won't delve too deeply here in exactly how difficult it was; it suffices to say that it took me to the limits of my sanity.

So, I want to share a quick reading I did about what happened to me during that Ceremony. I am always fascinated by spreads that answer the question rather pictographic way, such as this one. Follow me!

As the top card of this spread, we have the merry K♥, Nicomiah, with a glass in his hand. Of all the male cards in the pack, he is certainly the most receptive one, as well as the one most willing to surrender to Dionysiac excesses. Here, he represents this very receptiveness, combined with a desire for that oceanic feeling that mind-altering substances and rituals often bring us.

However, his head is covered by the second card, Ignita, the A♦. Nicomiah's face is covered by what looks like a hellish maw! It gives our king a rather voracious appearance, like he's eager to drink everything in his glass and then some! The lack of Spades/Earth cards in this spread is a bit of a warning in this regard: Hearts/Water needs earth to give it form and make it stable. Nicomiah is instead combining with Diamonds/Fire, which usually makes for a wild ride.

The third card could not be more to the point: 7♥, the Sword of Healing, reminds us that the Ayahuasca Ceremony is not a place to 'get a little crazy' and 'have fun'. It's a healing ritual, so when you open yourself to it, you will receive some degree healing whether you are ready for it or not! So Nicomiah (K♥) is opening his mouth (A♦) to both receive the healing and release the purification implied by the 7♥ (in case you don't know, it's part of the process to vomit during Ayahuasca Ceremonies).

And who is holding the hilt of the sword? The A♣ the Dream Moth himself! Ethra has a prominent position in this reading, because it's the only black card. While the top three cards refer to the external part of the Ceremony, the A♣ is talking about what really happened on the inside.

For some reason, I found this card a bit scary in this particular spread. Something about the eyes glowing in the darkness... Ana's description of it in The Doors of Somlipith helps elucidate it: "He [Ethra] is emissary of the dream, the keyhole into the recesses of your own mind. To fear him is to fear but your own secret wishes, your own secret knowing" (p. 56). Ouch! So yes, the violent healing process came from my own unconscious, and what turned it into a frightening experience was my own secret fear.

Fear of what? To be honest, this is something I am still trying to figure out myself.

The cards were very clear: the Ayahuasca tea did exactly what it was meant to do. Nothing went wrong, except my extreme negative reaction to the things that the tea unearthed from my own self. That is not to say I should not take what I saw seriously. The message, as hard as it was to receive it, still rings true. But this reading helped me to put the horror of the episode itself in perspective, as a part of a much longer journey into the truth of my unconscious fears, which still have a forceful grip on me.

PCO: The future of a company

I actually did this reading at the end of July, but I only got around to posting it now. I first shared it at the Black Ace Academy, hoping to get additional insight from other members. Then I decided to record it here, along with my interpretation, so that I can check it later for accuracy.

This reading was done for a friend, who asked about the future of the company she has worked at for more than 10 years. They had a big lay-off recently and, although her sector wasn't touched (yet), she wonders about what is to come – especially since there have been rumours of severe financial problems being kept under wraps.

The first interesting aspect of this spread is the absolute lack of Spades in a reading about work. It denotes a lack of pragmatism on the part of the company in dealing with their problems. And the only Diamonds card – Livia, the Queen – is upside down, with her diamond literally falling out of her bowl. So money is flowing out more easily than it's coming in.

This spread has only high numbers, aside from the Ace, which suggests that whatever is affecting the company is, indeed, big. The Top card is a Seven, and 7s are always about challenge – here the challenge is related to healing. Three of the cards are odd numbers, and only one, the single court one, is even – again, the Q♦. This reinforces her importance in this spread.

I asked my friend if any of the higher-ups is a woman, and she said no, they are all men. In any case, Livia is supporting the rest of the reading, and she's upside-down – definitely not comfortably on her feet! She can represent someone who comes from money, so I read this as the company still having financial resources that come from family, instead from the work they do. But as I said above, this money looks like it's draining out, and propelled by some intense Clubs energy (A♣ + 9♣).

Galahad (9♣) in the Heart position combined with Livia (a rather optimistic queen), points to a certain idealisation of the situation. They are willing to make sacrifices (like the recent lay-off), in order to not lose their 'vision', even if it's impractical or not as financially rewarding as it could be. The A♣ in a dignified position gives off a more positive spin though – that their vision is not wrong, but perhaps it could be better channelled.

In my initial interpretation of the spread, I was very confused by the 7♥ (Sword of Healing). From a more superficial perspective, it seems to predict that the company will heal somehow... But the way it looks like it's piercing through all the cards below it (a cartomantic 'shish-kebab'!), which are all upside-down, implies that it's not that simple.

Thankfully, Geomancy helped a lot here. And the one for this spread is quite telling too: Cauda draconis + Carcer = Caput draconis. It’s like the company is 'imprisoned' in a situation that is coming to end, but rebirth is possible. Only, for that to happen, the company will have to go through a 'surgery', so to speak.

And here is where the 'shish-kebab' that I mentioned before makes more sense. Firstly, it seems all attempts to far to 'heal' the company are based on wishful thinking, hoping for a miracle and spending even more money... which isn't very sound. On the other hand, we do have compatible suits (Clubs and Diamonds), and the Top card is a card of healing, so not all hope is lost. Recovery might involve cutting through these attitudes, and adding a bit more of pragmatism (Spades) to the mix.

In the end, I told my friend that although things are not crumbling just yet, she should definitely heed the rumours and prepare a Plan B. The financial situation of the company isn't strong and it's not wise for her to have all her eggs in one basket. The company still has potential to heal itself, but it will probably demand significant changes and perhaps even more cuts.