Reading for Rhutobello
”Where Am I?” spread using the Pamela A (RWS) deck
June 26, 2006
Hi, Rhutobello. Thanks for letting me do this reading for you. I find doing a reading for someone else is difficult, but it teaches me new ways to look at the cards every time. So, this is helpful to me, at least! I hope there will be some bits and pieces here that you will find interesting.
I’m using a very early edition of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck, known to some as the “Pamela A” deck in honor of the artist, Pamela Colman-Smith.
After shuffling, here are the cards I drew:
1) Where am I mentally? : 4 of Cups
2) Where am I physically? : 9 of Wands
3) Where am I spiritually? : Temperance
Here are my impressions of the cards in the spread:
Where Am I Mentally?
Conventional interpretations of the 4 of Cups would suggest boredom or dissatisfaction, but when I look at this card in its current context, I keep seeing something else. Let me describe it, and you can decide if my imagination is just running away from me.
What I see here is someone trying to shut out distractions. He wants to focus. His posture even resembles someone meditating. There is a hand extending a cup from a cloud – it looks like an Ace of Cups. But the person isn’t looking. perhaps he is trying to ignore it, or perhaps he is just so focused on the other cups that he doesn’t see the new one being offered to him. So what does it all mean? I’m speculating here, but I wonder if the cup from the cloud might represent your intuition here. The picture seems to me to suggest that you might have a strong preference for rational, down-to-earth analysis – the three cups are “grounded” here. So, this might be a suggestion or a reminder to also pay attention to your intuition and be sure to include it in your collection of mental tools. Analysis is a wonderful thing, but often you will find that useful ideas will just seem to come to you “from out of the blue”, as if they were gifts. Perhaps they are!
Where Am I Physically?
The 9 of Wands suggests to me that your body has already been through some battles. Perhaps you have had to deal with health problems, or perhaps you have simply engaged in a lot of physical exercise. Either way, though, it appears that you are actively working to defend your health
Where Am I Spiritually?
Temperance is such a great card for this position! To me, it suggests that you are going through some changes, possibly some trials, but the outlook is very positive. Many people see Temperance as suggesting moderation, but I see it here as showing balance in the midst of abundance. All of the elements are here: The angel has one foot on earth and the other in water, wings to fly through the air, and a solar disc on the forehead producing mental fire. The water of life flows mysteriously from one vessel to another, suggesting the continuity of what is most vital even through dramatic change. The emblem on the angel’s breast shows an upward-pointing triangle within a square, which is often interpreted as representing the intermingling of the divine and the mundane – spirit blending with matter.
So, when I see this card in this position, I think the message is that spiritually you are strong, gifted, and balanced. It probably doesn’t always feel that way. When physical material is being tempered, it is often put through harsh changes. I’m thinking about metal being heated to red-hot and then pounded with hammers! Being tempered can be a trial, but it also makes you stronger. This card suggests to me that you are already well on your way.
Conclusions:
I like the way each card seems really appropriate to its position in the spread. Overall, I see a portrait of someone with abundant gifts, and with strength gained through trials and experience.
-- Cowhead
