Day 311: Three-Card Spread

This is actually the spread I use for, like, 90% of my own personal readings.  One card seems too vague and a Celtic Cross too complicated for most of my needs…but a three card reading?  That’s about my speed.

Roderick has us sort of repeat what we did yesterday with the shuffling, holding our situation in our minds eye, identifying the feelings involved, and locating them in our body before we give that emotional energy a color and a shape.  Immediately thereafter, we draw three cards:  the first relating to our past, the second to our present, and the third to our future.

Card 1 (first card on your left):  This card represents the past of the situation.  It is the energy that is locked up by the passage of time.  It represents the foundation of what is happening right now.

Card 2 (center card):  This represents the current situation.  The card also presents you with the method, the approach to the situation that will result in action that is beneficial for all parties.

Card 3 (last card on your right):  This represents the future of the situation.  This does not mean the future has already been decided.  It indicates what can result if you do not intervene in the energy pattern, the cycle that is already underway.

My past, present, and future reading regarding my current employment search.

For my past card, I drew the Page of Wands, which Robin Wood characterizes as “a child with too much energy.  An announcement, loyalty, devotion, faithfulness.  A good employee.”  I think this is dead on.  In my first jobs, I was completely devoted and faithful to the company…and enthusiastic in my dedication.  I believed that if I worked hard, my efforts would be rewarded.  That carried over into how I viewed both my undergraduate and graduate work:  enthusiastic hard work is recognized.  I didn’t understand the importance of networking and “talking up” myself.

My current situation is the Six of Swords, which Robin Wood calls “a Rite of Passage” and notes that it means passing from one state of consciousness to a higher one.  She also says that it means “leaving troubles behind, going to a safer place, or finding understanding.”  That’s definitely what I’ve been doing as of late.  I’ve retreated to a safe place where I can be fine, but not great.  I’ve enjoyed quite a bit of enlightenment here, but it’s time to razzle things up, I think.  This card is also one where the main figure is carried by unseen forces:  I think it’s also a reminder that I need to relax and get out of my own way:  to put my fate in the Gods hands and let them take me where they will.

The future card here is the Eight of Pentacles, or the “Learning” card.  Robin Wood says it means “learning, apprenticeship, gaining new knowledge or skills, creation, productivity.  Or working very hard at low-paying levels, or keeping the nose to the grindstone.”  I think this is a hopeful outcome:  there’s a paying future out there for me.  It’s also a reminder that I don’t know everything and I do need to pay attention to more “entry level” work.  I’ve been in school for so long, that I feel I’m an expert…but I do need to recognize I don’t have much real-world experience in the things I’d like to do…so I should probably stop trying to be an editor, for example, and maybe focus my attention to the lower levels, like an assistant editor or a copywriter.  If I work hard at that, I’ll be able to get the necessary experience to work up.

And, hey…low-paying is still better than no-paying!