PCO: Horoscope spread for a relationship

I had a request to do a reading about a relationship that is having some problems. I was going to do it using the usual 4-card spread, but since I had time to do it (it was not face-to-face), I decided to try the Horoscope Spread again. Although big and (apparently) daunting, the truth is that this spread is very interesting. 

My sitter, N., asked me about her relationship with her boyfriend,  U. 

They have been together for 3 years and she feels that they are not as close as they used to be. She wonder if this is a prelude to an ending or just a temporary crisis. Should I continue to work on healing this relationship? was the question.

The first card I looked was the one in the 1st House, the 7♣ (Sword of Enchantment). Not a bad card, it tells me that isn't completely hopeless about it... but it does give me the impression that she's waiting for a miracle. She's expecting that 'something' will appear and solve this situation for her.

We all know this usually doesn't work.

But let's see what about her partner, U. He's represented by the 7th House, and there we find the 5♥ (Fata Morgana). At first this card seemed to scream that he's hiding something, but lets not rush into conclusions. This card can represent that he believes everything is fine - which is an illusion, since N. feels that something is wrong. So this card could represent denial. Also, this card presents a restless heart... even though he behaves as if all is well, inside himself his heart may not agree with this attitude... it feels that, indeed, something isn't right about their relationship. Something is missing.

We see that the two people involved seem to be caught in their own ideas. One hopes things will solve by themselves, the other believe all is well. But the fact both are represented by odd number shows that they both feel unstable in the relationship right now.

I decided then to look at the 8th House, because it concerns sexuality. There we find the 2♠ (The Enemies). I dare to say that their sexual life hasn't been very good... they are disagreeing in this level, and worst, this disagreement is kept hidden. They are not talking about it. 

The 12th House is the house of secrets, hidden influences and difficulties, and with the 2♣ it shows that they are not being very objective in handling the issue raised by the 2♠. They are behaving like friends, not lovers, not daring to close the distance and use love to heal the problem. There's no real communication between them. This is reinforced by the 11♠ in the 3rd House (house of communication) – Pampero is not really talented with words. He's more a physical action guy... N. and U. are letting their actions speak for themselves. Action is good, but sometimes careful words are important to avoid misunderstandings.

The 7♥ in the 5th House – the House of romance and fun - tells me that they have been working hard to stay together and have fun together. We cannot say they have been completely careless about each other. They try, sincerely, to make things improve, but there's the problem of the 2♠ that they are not taking care of objectively.

So... my answer to N's question would be yes. I do not think their relationship is doomed – it's facing a crisis, probably originating from some unsaid sexual issues. Their love can heal itself, as shown by the 7♥, but they must take the matter into their hands. They need to use the sword of the 7♥ - it's not going to work alone. No miracle will fall from the sky if they don't do their part.

I suggest that she tries to talk to him about this. Maybe he has been sensing a problem too. If they can start to communicate again, there's a huge potential for healing.

The 13 Witch's Runes ~ Part II

Here's the second part of the witch's runes study. I am going to cover the next four runes: Romance, Woman, Man and Harvest.

Again, if you like what you read here, I strongly recommend that you buy Susan Sheppard's book, A Witch's Runes. This is the book that taught me about the runes, and it has much more information than I could possibly share here! You will not regret having it in you collection!

~*~

Romance

As I mentioned briefly in the first post, the Romance rune is also a symbol of connection, just like the Rings rune. But differently from the latter, the former implies a deeper sort of connection. While in the Rings we have two (or more) people joining to reach a similar goal, here we have two people joining for reasons they can't quite explain.

Hence this rune is related to love, passion, emotional bonds, sexual chemistry and sudden attraction. Any strong bond can be symbolised by this rune, including the unconditional parental love or a very strong friendship. And it's not limited to the emotions that sparkle between individuals - the love can be also directed to an object, a subject or even a work.

It's important to not limit this rune to the emotional field. It can be quite physical, representing sexual relations, arousal and irresistible magnetism. This rune is powerful, and often gives an extra impulse to any rune that is close it. Charismatic and seductive people are represented by the Romance rune as well.

Outside from the field of romance and sex, this rune is concerned with any act of creation. If you have any ongoing projects, you can be sure an extra impulse will come and spur you on. The Romance rune can also represent the reconciliation of opposite forces or tendencies, and the resolution of conflicts. Obsessive thoughts, stubbornness in pursuing a person or a goal and lack of objectivity are the downfalls of this rune.

~*~

Woman

The first meaning of this rune is quite obvious: it represents women. Any woman that is important in the question, whether you know her or not, will be represented by this rune. Mother, sister, aunt, grandma, a female boss, friend, lover or even enemy... all can be represented by the appearance of this rune.

In a more general sense, this rune is related to traditional female abilities and characteristics, such as giving birth, nurturing, comforting and healing. When this rune appears, you can count on the sympathy of others towards you or your situation. In its most negative aspects, the Woman rune can show over-protectiveness or co-dependency. It often strives to maintain the status quo, refusing to change even if the situation is bad.

The Woman rune is connected to nurturing - nurturing a relationship, a person or a project. Like the Moon rune, it can be related to finding a safe place to rest and heal, but while the Moon implies a solitary retreat, the Woman often shows that you need to go back to the people you trust, the people you feel safe with.

Healing is another strong aspect of this symbol, as well as teaching. You can be both the patient/student or the healer/teacher when this rune appears. This rune is also connected to creativity, but in a way that is different from the Romance rune. While the latter is about the conception of a project - the initial stages of creation - the Woman is about the birth of this project. When your creation is brought out into the world, fully manifested.

In relationship readings, this rune isn't bad, but rather weak. While it can indicate subtle ties between people, these are usually so, so subtle that the partners can easily drift away from each other. It can show that one of the partners sees the other as someone who needs to be protected and healed, rather than an equal. Usually, the romance is a bit stagnated when this rune appears, or very close to becoming a friendship.

~*~

Man

First of all, this rune represents any male that can influence the situation you are asking about. Father, son, brother, uncle, male boss, friend, lover or enemy... they are all represented by the Man rune.

In a general level, this rune is connected to traditionally male characteristics such as courage, impetuosity and perseverance. It's related to fighting, conquering, protecting and discovering new things. When the Man rune appears, you can be sure that a chaotic and dynamic energy is going to influence the situation, for good and for bad.

The Man rune demands action. It's not longer time to quietly sit and think, or to hide yourself and heal. No, it's time to get up and fight for what you want. If things are slow or stagnated, change them. Begin something new. It's not a moment to let things flow as they will, but to grab the reigns and gain control over the situation. Be the leader and defend your stand.

While the Woman rune is about healing, this one can be about defending yourself, and, sometimes, hurting or getting hurt in the process. You may have to defend your opinions, your actions or choices against some aggressive people. This rune offers you a challenge, but is also shows that you have the resources needed to face it. Naturally, this rune has very aggressive potentials in it, and they need a good deal of discipline in order to not become sorely destructive.

The Man rune also accelerates everything... nothing stays still when its around. The outcome of your question may happen sooner than you expected, but the result will probably be unexpected. It does not mean that all will go wrong, no - things will simply develop in unseen ways.

In relationship readings, the Man rune promises a period of instability, so it's important to not have high expectations. Under the influence of this rune, the relationship can be a stairway to Heaven or a ticket to Hell... and sometimes both, in a short period of time. It promises a bumpy journey for the heart, but with a great level of intensity. The Man rune can stand for love/hate relationship, cat and rat games and obsessions... the kind of things that turns one nuts (for good and for bad). This rune is good in questions concerning sexuality.

~*~

Harvest

This is a very positive rune, related to abundance, rewards, growth and benefits. But it's important to not mistake this rune for mere luck... while luck may help, the Harvest rune is usually related to the blessings that you have brought to yourself and to others, through your actions and investments.

"Reaping what you sow" is the message of the Harvest rune, but with a positive connotation. All that you worked and fought so hard to get will finally come to you, and you'll be able to enjoy a time of tranquillity, optimism and expansion. As the obstacles that were (or still are) in the way become smaller, you have a solid ground to reach out for your dreams.

Thus, the Harvest rune is a positive sign, telling you that you are in right path. However, it's important to know that this symbol is always attached to personal responsibility... it's what you do with your tools (whether they be mental, emotional or physical) that determines what you'll get back in the end. Use them wisely, and luck will serve you well.

On a more negative side, this rune can make one sleep on their laurels and cling to past victories. One can become too reliant on "what works" and refuse to try new things (especially if the Crossroads rune is near). The Harvest runes should inspire you to take some risks and keep evolving, and not to crystallise yourself in one position because it proved to be successful.

In relationship readings, this symbol is connected to more practical aspects than emotional ones. Usually it represents couples who grow together, financially, socially and/or professionally. Security becomes an important factor when the Harvest appears. It represents the moment in which the couple begins to build their nest together, and think about starting a family. This rune tends to be very positive for all relationships, but doesn't always inspire much passion.


The symbols of the runes were taken from Susan Sheppard's A Witch's Runes © Kesington Publishing Corp. No copyright infringement intended.

Sometimes you'll give crappy readings...

You will, trust me.

If you haven't already.

I have done it many times, especially when reading for others face-to-face. I blame it on my anxiety and lack of self-confidence, but I can't deny that every time this happens I trust my cartomantic skills a bit less. And the worst is that I don't even read for strangers yet - I only read for family and friends!

Not very promising for a wannabe card reader. After all, if you have blank spots and a coronary thrombosis when reading face-to-face, you will not have enough concentration to even try to give a good reading. You won't be grounded. And most importantly: you won't trust the message.

Despite my occasional failure at reading for others, I have a deep belief that the cards I get in a reading are the perfect cards for that moment. I almost never draw clarification cards or re-do the reading, unless I realises that the reading I am doing is not about the sitter, but about me. This has happened to me as well, and for me it's a sign that I am not grounded and detached enough from the situation. "It's not about me", I have to tell myself. "It's about the sitter. It's her reading, not mine".

I try but... sometimes I fail. Nothing comes. I look at the cards and get nothing. Not a single tiny bubble of a message floats to the surface of my suddenly still mind-ocean. I scratch my head. I analyse the elements and nothing seems relevant. I try Geomancy and find that, great, now I am more confused. My brain cells start to cannibalise each other in the calmness. I smile. I try to connect the cards. I stutter. Nothing makes sense – are these really my cards!?

I give up. And apologise.

This is what happened to me last Monday, while reading for my mother. I have always found it difficult to read for her, due to my closeness to her life... I know too much, I love her too much, and this is seldom a ground stable enough to build a good reading. But she only asks for a reading once in a blue moon, she was a bit upset and I thought the cards could give her some clarity.

The subject was her current relationship with a man. She said he was acting weird, so first I did the Lost Man spread to see what influences were strong in his life at the moment. This particular spread was decent, but not very deep. It didn't disclose any unknown information, so I did the 4-card Present spread in order to analyse the state of the relationship. And here... boy... I got completely lost.

I didn't get any information from these cards. Nada! It almost felt as if I had never seen them in front of me in my life. Of course, now with some distance I could attempt to interpret them... But that is not the point - the point is that I should have interpreted it back on Monday, looking my mother in the eye. The right moment is gone.

I gave a bad reading. So bad it was an almost non-reading. Thank goodness mum loves me with all my shortcomings... but I realise a stranger would not be happy with it. This makes the prospect of coming out of the divination closet even scarier.

But I am trying to not attach myself too much to this failure. No, this wasn't my best reading by far. There was nothing enlightening or empowering about it. Yes, it was shit. C'est la vie. Maybe I was just having a Bad Card Day.