A reading for Cat - Part I

Cat and I decided to exchange reading a while ago, as a way to break our habit of only reading for ourselves. She is the author of the blog Cat's Journal and a fellow member of the Aeclectic Tarot Forum. A while ago, Cat shared the reading she did for me in her blog, so now I am posting here (in separate posts) the two readings I have done for her, as well as the feedback (in red and indented). Of course, I have her permission to do so!

Thank you very much, Cat, for this opportunity! :-)

~*~

Cat is planning some changes in her professional life, and she plans to take some time off in order to reorganise her affairs. Her first question was "how do I best prepare for my 'sabbatical time' within the next four weeks?"

Head (♦/Fire): 3♦

.

Throat (♣/Air): 11♥

.

Torso (♥/Water): 12♥

.

Feet (♠/Earth): 13♣

Wow! First of all, that's quite a crowded reading! We have a Jack, a Queen and a King! I wonder if this can represent the many "voices" inside you giving you ideas, or the actual interference from others.

Probably a bit of both. :)
I also have another association to the feeling of "crowdedness" that you described. You see, I spent a lot of my current holiday so far with cleaning, de-cluttering and re-arranging my living space - and as a side effect my mental/emotional space seems to have been cleaned, de-cluttered and re-arranged likewise. I believe that was badly needed and long overdue, on both the physical and the mental/emotional level, so I'm not feeling like I wasted my precious holiday doing so many household tasks. :)

The 3♦ (The Necklace)  is a very good card to have at the top of the reading. It shows that you have ideas bubbling inside you, and that to prepare to your sabbatical time you must start giving them form. Not simply imagining what you may do, but consciously choosing the steps that will take you where you want to go.

The last half sentence resonates most with me, because that's the part I've been neglecting a bit so far. But you are of course right: after having the ideas there needs to be the next step of choosing the next step to realize them. After having made some space within and around me, it finally seems realistic to do just that.

The 11♥, La Hire, is the Jack of Hearts, and he's a guy that is quite unpredictable. I get the feeling that you'll have to protect yourself a bit from some people, who will try to convince you that what you are doing is wrong or dangerous. La Hire tells you to be careful with what you share, and with whom you share it with.

I'll keep that in mind. So far, however, I've been surprised by the complete lack of criticism/warnings I encountered when I told people of my plan to do an unpaid sabbatical. Even my mother, who I thought would at least be skeptical, is fully supportive! But then I haven't yet told this plan to people who will probably disapprove (especially people at work), because it's too early for me to do that. It might become an issue later on, however.

The Queen of Hearts, Déja (12♥), is well accompanied by the King of Clubs, Sol (13♣) in this reading. She is the one who trusts her inner voice and hunches – he's the guy who lives inside books and rational theories, believing only in what can be proved and in what makes sense.

Yes, that pretty much describes the two inner voices I hear. The decision as such is pretty much based on a strong hunch that it would be a good idea, but the actual doing also requires some research and rational thinking in preparation. After all, I will eventually be required to explain this is a way that doesn't make me sound like a complete nutcase! I think this is where the two are a good team.

In order to prepare for this change in your life, you'll have to have both the Queen and the King in you. Emotionally, you need to trust yourself, trust your choice, trust that while the path may be unclear you are doing what you want to do.

Yes. I'm glad that my feeling "this is the right thing to do" is so strong that I'm not seriously arguing with it. Even when I'm still a bit unsure where exactly this sabbatical will take me - but then again, that's the point of going on an adventure like that: not knowing exactly how it will change you, right?

In a more practical sense, the 13♣ reinforces the message of the 3♦... plan carefully, take no shortcuts, try to create a "modus operandi" of how you'll implement the necessary changes in your life. Check if you have with you all that you need for your journey before you go out into the woods!

True. There is still some research I need to do (e.g. find out about health insurance matters) and some decisions to make about time frames and such. I also believe it would be good for me to give myself a kind of "mission statement" for the sabbatical, so I don't forget why I'm doing this and so I have a way to check in with myself periodically and see if it's working or if something needs to be changed.

To sum up: in the next four weeks, you need to carefully organise your ideas so they may become action in the future, and not just dreams. Set small but objective goals for yourself. Also, you need to protect yourself against those who don't – and maybe even won't – understand why you are doing this. Don't let too many people interfere, at least not in these initial moments while you are still preparing yourself.

Good advice, all around! While I shared the idea with some friends, I'm trying not to tell too many people about my plan, especially as long as it's still in development. I'm also not planning on letting others deter me from that idea and its realization because I just know it's the right thing for me to do.

Trust your vision – you have both the emotional and mental conditions to do this.

Now that sounds very promising indeed! Thanks for confirming my own feelings about this.