Sharing a TdM reading!

BSwett

Hi all!

Let's stir things up here in the 'early decks' forum. Dodal knows that it can get a little quiet around this neck of the woods; so here it goes:

I just read the cards to a friend of my wife with my trusty Jean Dodal deck. I laid them down using what I like to call the 'Sulis Spread', designed by one of very own TdMers. (By the way, my Dodal deck rests now inside a LOVELY bag created by her. Go find her website and support the family!)
This spread uses seven cards: two groups of three to each side, and a single card in the middle, right below of the other six.

The central card is the theme. The three on the left show the present and what's lead to it, and the other three give us the advice and outcome. I view them as a photo of a road, with the current issue or situation in the middle. To the left and right, the road before you and the possible road ahead. Easy, simple, and flexible.

Well, this girl, (we're gonna call her Matilda) is moving in about ten days to the east coast. She used to live there, and after a couple of years here in the west she decided to go back to the big city. Very close to where she's moving to there is an old friend/lover that recently flew her there. In that last visit they sort of rekindled their feelings for each other!
He wants a family, she is not so sure about it. She has always been very controlling and independent. Matilda is strong and hard working and hasn't yet explored her more fertile and motherly side. Her original question was "Should I have a family with this man or not?", which is the classic yes or no question that we often get, so I helped her redesign her query to "What is the road ahead looking like for the prospect of starting a family?".

Here's a pic of this reading:



The middle card speaks to me about the mystic heart. The question is about her ability for some deep and sacred compassion. Some serious love here. Beyond passion; the kind of love that comes with having children. A family.
To the left, we have, in the middle, the ten of cups, which tells me that she has kissed her present emotional situation goodbye, and is ready for something new. I was drawn to that tenth cup, spilling towards the two of wands, maybe pointing to that old spark from her past (two of wands) that she is moving closer too. To the right of the ten of cups, we have the structured fire, and well design adventurous soul of the four of wands. Perhaps, the recent decision to travel and build something solid and warm.
Then we move to the next three cards.
Six of Wands equals a rekindle of our passions. Communication and sharing building blocks. She is about to restart an old relationship and perhaps get a new structure off the ground. Next to this we have the Wheel of fortune and the Valet of cups. He is looking straight at the ebb and flow of the wheel. His big and beautiful cup is covered by what looks like a scarf. i think these cards are advising Matilda to let go of the reigns, and surrender to the flowing river of life under her feet. Sometimes the cards urge one to take a course, to make a decision and act upon it; this time I think they are saying that she needs to not try to control her situation too much, and by doing this, the capacity and depth of her heart will be uncovered and it might surprise her with it's contents. Creativity, inspiration and compassion come very naturally to the Page of cups; let it happen!

Soooo, I'm posting this here for feedback. If anyone wants to add their two cents or offer an alternative perspective please do so. I'll pass it along to my friend. Plus it will help get some fresh air inside this little cave of ours. The window is open!

Peace everyone,
B.
 

moonbear

Hello B
Love the spread. Very expressive. The three cards on the left leapt out at me. The small sort of lover's knot that the six of batons forms complete with budding flowers on both sides. The wheel of fortune however intervenes with a sudden oomph and leaves the valet holding his huge cup towards the left, the past, and his face is just so sad.....
So the outcome as I see it is not so good.

Of course I'm not sitting in front of the lady having to deliver this rather negative news and I suppose the other thing is if she has to ask 'should she have a family with this man?' then there's already doubt because from a lady's point of view you don't ask yourself these things you just go ahead and follow your heart not your head, for better or worse!

Best wishes
moonbearXXX
 

dancing_moon

This is a great reading, thanks for sharing!

What strikes me in this spread is the antagonism between Batons (fire) and Coupes (water). The other elements are conveniently absent, so to me, it's a question of choice between ambition and feeling, independence of a loner and interdependence of a family.

I notice how in the first set the 10 of Cups is literally squeezed between two Baton cards, literally forcing it to come to an end. In the second set, however, the Valet manages to escape, so there's a hope for a family, but also regrets about lost opportunities in the past.

I also notice that Batons progress from 2 to 4 to 6, as if your friends independence and confidence only grow as time goes by, and it's getting harder and harder for her to accept someone else's significant presence in her life.

I love how you interpret the 7 of Cups. Also, as 7s are connected with the Chariot, I get a distinct feeling that your friend knows how to control her emotions, and she might be able to sacrifice whatever feelings she might have for this guy if she feels they interfere with her freedom.

Just some musings. Btw, I love this spread too. :)
 

BSwett

Great feedback and very interesting perspectives from both of you! Thank you very much!

Moonbear: plenty of appreciation for the way you view the cards. I have different feelings towards the last two cards though… I don't necessarily consider the wheel a negative card. It just leads me to think of letting go and getting a free ride on the natural flow of things. The way you view it does make me consider that perhaps I'm reading it on an exclusively positive side, and maybe I should see it more as an open question/answer, as in 'time will tell'….
I also don't think that the valet is so sad. He seems more focused and even than that. Kind of waiting to see the turn of events before he uncovers his surprise. But who knows, these faces do change depending on how one's intuition perceives them!

Dancing moon: I like the way you not only looked at the cards that came up, but also at the suits that were absent. Those blank spaces can say a lot! The negotiating aspect of the swords and the fertile nature of the coins didn't make an appearance, and that is very interesting!
Regarding the 'lost opportunities in the past'; I believe those are natural feelings that we all carry as we take different roads in our lives. Nothing unhealthy there...

Thank you again.
B.
 

Sherryl

I hope I'm not too late to put in my two cent's worth. I have a more cynical take on this spread, thanks to my reading of the central card. Yes, the 7 of Cups can be about a transcendent and mystical love. But for me, it can also mean delusion and ungrounded emotions.

Apparently Matilda has just reconnected with this man, has had one visit, has not lived near or with him on a regular basis, yet she's talking about children??? If she were my client, I would try to get her to back up and look at whether she wants to be in a relationship with this person, given their diametrically opposite desires for the future. But we're stuck with the question on hand.

The 10 of Cups surrounded by Batons is another indication that her sudden interest in starting a family is based on romantic, idealistic illusions that are diametrically opposed to her basic Batons nature.

The 2 of Batons could be the spark of romance with this man. But it's just a spark -- they have just recently reconnected, there actually isn't an established relationship yet, so it's totally premature to be talking about children. The 2 of Batons could also be an internal struggle, between how she's always defined herself, and the Cups energy that is suddenly welling up in her life and causing her to re-examine her direction.

The 6 of Batons is a solid structure. Maybe too solid, since you can stick a bundle of Batons into the spinning wheel and bring it to a halt. The Page of Cups is the man offering her a new kind of life, sending the wheel spinning. She needs to consider how strongly she wants to cling to her current identity as a strong, independent, child-free woman. Or does she want to get on the wheel with this man and see where it takes her? I would leave the client with this question to ponder: "do I want to get into a relationship with a man who definitely wants a family, and see where it takes me, or do I want to stand firm with my 6 of Batons identity and not get involved"?
 

BSwett

I hope I'm not too late to put in my two cent's worth.


NOt late at all Sherryl! Thanks for adding your input!

Just to clarify a bit, Matilda is not running to have a family with this man. She's moving to Chicago cause she loves that city and has a great job offer. It so happens that a couple hours away from Chi-town there is this old lover. They have been keeping i touch and on their last encounter realized that they were still very attracted to each other and felt like they 'fit' well. He has expressed that he wants a family at some point, and this conversation triggered her to look within and wonder what her feelings are regarding having children. It's a good question, and I applaud the fact that she is looking within for the answer… She thought that the cards could help. I didn't want to give her my personal opinion, I just told her what the cards told me.

All this being said, I like the different interpretations you guys are reading here!
 

Sherryl

Thanks for the clarification. The way the question was originally stated, I didn't get the soul-searching part. It sounded like she was about to pick out colors for the nursery walls before even solidifying a relationship with the man. I'm relieved to hear that's not the case.