With travel agents and exotic ideas filling her mind, Stephanie wanted to know what she might expect during her two week cruise through exotic waters and how spending those two weeks ship bound with her oldest daughter might affect their relationship. We drew a Celtic Cross Spread to find out what was in store for Stephanie.
The Three of Cups, the heart of the matter, shows your upcoming holiday with your daughter as a period of growth, an opportunity for you to explore your relationship together and, also, quite literally, just a time of celebration and fun. There’s nothing to worry about in that regard. You will have a good time.
Forces crossing you, in this case, forces working in your favor, shows up in the Nine of Pentacles… The purity of the mother/daughter relationship will be very strong, where your daughter will look to you as her female role model and mentor, and you will have the opportunity to give her what she needs. To plant the seeds that will help her solve her life’s problems and grow as a woman.
The past influences are showing in the third card, the Five of Rods. In the past, you’ve had battles of wills with your daughter. You never fully trusted each other, and there were patterns of trying to “one up” each other. This is your fear this time around, but it should not manifest as long as you keep your awareness of your role as the Nine of Pentacles mother-figure in your mind.
Influences passing out of existence are shown in the King of Rods. This trip, being “just the girls” will actually allow you personal growth, away from your husband. You will re-establish your own sense of independence and your daughter will be happy to see you not only acting on your own, but leading the way. You have the opportunity to temper this leadership with your feminine caring and softness and bring it back to your everyday life. This trip has the potential to change many areas of your life if you grasp the opportunity, which leads us to the fifth card in this spread.
The King of Cups “crowns” you, showing your goals, options and the possibilities that lie ahead. Maintain that sense of responsibility, tempering it with your feminine guidance and abilities as a good listener to maintain the energy of the trip and the strong relationship with your daughter that manifested on this trip.
The Three of Rods sits before you, showing, quite literally, the trip you’re taking, but, much more than that, the possibilities in front of you—both to explore your own independence and to strengthen your relationship with your daughter. Expect deep, potentially life-changing conversations along with fun memories on this trip, incidents you will laugh about for years into the future. Miss Michele loves this card, as it shows a man standing on the seashore, looking out onto the horizon, in awe of the possibilities in front of him, packed, and eager to embark on his journey, both practical and spiritual. This is also a card of detail, so be keenly aware of things like remembering your passport, tickets, following signs so you won’t get lost, confirming reservations, etc. There’s no bad cards in this spread that show hassles on this journey, but the Three of Rods is a well-prepared traveler.
The seventh card, The Chariot, is used to describe yourself and your state of mind. You’ve been looking forward to this journey for a long time. It’s been a major focus of your life and you want to make the most of it.
In the eighth position, the Eight of Rods, shows your environment and those around you. Things are moving rapidly, change is happening. Expect an element of adventure on the trip… be aware not to overextend yourself. Balance fun and activity with relaxation and self-exploration.
In the Ninth Position, the Seven of Cups shows your dreams, hopes and expectations about this relationship. The Seven of Cups is, literally, the daydream card… *nothing* is impossible on this trip! Dream of doing something wild and crazy? Go for it. Sit on the beach all day sipping margaritas? Do that. The world is your playground and nothing is out of reach. This card works with the Eight of Rods to show you will stretch your personal boundaries and try things you’ve always imagined but never had the gumption to do. Your daughter will experience this growth right along with you!
The Four of Swords in the tenth position shows what will come with this trip, and it holds a warning… for starters, you may return tired, possibly ill (nothing serious). Here is where the Three of Rods’ warning comes into play, as well. Don’t neglect the details of taking care of yourself, rest when you need it, balance fun with relaxation to emerge refreshed.
In reference to your relationship with your daughter… there will be a struggle to maintain all you’ve learned together on your trip when the stress and busy-ness of everyday life returns for both of you. Sit back, relax, and bring yourself back mentally to the mind-frame of the trip… remember that whenever things get challenging and you and your daughter fall back into your old behavioral patterns. This trip has the potential to change your lives, but you have to be open to that possibility and allow it to.
Keeping strong reminders of the trip—photographs, a scrapbook, special, wacky souvenirs—will help you maintain perspective.
A few months ago I asked the lovely Miss Michele to do my 2009, 12-Month Spread. I’ve had Miss Michele do these spreads for me a couple of times now and am always amazed in hindsight at how accurately they reflect the year’s activities. Looking back at April, May, and June 2009 I have to admit this reading is coming up with almost spooky accuracy. I just couldn’t resist sharing my reading with you.
In a long overdue 12-month, 13-card spread for my partner Serenity Bly (it’s the old shoemaker’s children situation!) Miss Michele has discovered that April 2009 is Serenity’s month to conquer the World. Whether that “world” is a video game, the blogosphere or some other endeavor, time will tell. But even better things are to come!
Overview: 2009 will be/is a year of learning and profit, during which time Serenity’s worst fears will be the stuff nightmares are made of. However, fearing and worrying is a waste of time as the worst will not materialize. (Ah, it so rarely does!) Serenity Bly takes time this year to learn how to manipulate her environment and hone her skills. She is studying, with an emphasis on the occult (well, go figure!) to get what she has a right to financially. (Don’t worry, dear readers, we’re not raising our rates here at Future-Tarot.) Serenity’s biggest worry will be working too hard. The word “possibilities” is literally whispering to Miss Michele during this reading.
As already stated, April will present Serenity Bly with The World at her fingertips. Possibilities are ripe for, well, anything.
By May, Serenity learns how to manipulate her environment and use the tools at her disposal to conquer the World, which presented itself in April. Although The Magician in Miss Michele’s preferred deck, Hanson-Roberts, is a man, Miss Michele detects a feminine energy in this card. It represents none other than the querent, who will use her intuition, intelligence and technical skills to keep her business going strong.
June brings additional emphasis on business and financial possibilities. With the Seven of Pentacles, she will begin to reap the rewards of several newly-launched passive income businesses and affiliate marketing Web sites, and will be afforded the opportunity to sit back and watch them grow. Just as things are taking off, now, she may consider a change of direction, as well.
The King of Pentacles and Three of Swords stuck together during this reading to appear in July, leaving Miss Michele to draw one conclusion: a man will break Serenity’s heart. It will be someone she views as a mentor—perhaps even someone she meets in the business world. While it may not be a romantic encounter, the end result of a broken heart will sting as much as a love lost.
In August, The Star appears reminding Serenity of the power and strength of her intuition. There is a strong emphasis on the occult and, once again, great possibilities in front of her.
The Six of Cups represents a joyful past. Serenity begins considering what she did right – in business and romance – in the past and begins longing for the way things were. What can she do to bring back elements of a happier time?
2009, for Serenity, is characterized by periods of learning and growth, followed by time to relax and enjoy those rewards. This continues with the Eight of Pentacles in October, when she may take a course or class, which will help grow her business further.
And again, in November, she will rest to reap the rewards, this time characterized by the major arcane Judgment. She will be judged favorably by peers and may receive a cash settlement, related to real estate, an outstanding lawsuit, or money owed from a client.
The Page of Swords comes bearing a message, and once again, the emphasis is on matters of business, learning and financial success. Serenity works hard to increase her intellect, but fears it is not enough. Pessimism rears its ugly head… the phrase for this hot Australian summer is: “This too shall pass.”
It all gets to be a bit too much come January, with the Ten of Swords heralding a forced rest. Two pages in the spread, along with the star and King of Pentacles may foretell of a pregnancy and, if that’s the case, there may be forced bed-rest in January. Otherwise an illness, or perhaps just sheer exhaustion, will force Serenity into a phase of withdrawal. She may feel as if all she wants to do is surrender to the Universe. Remember, Serenity, your state of mind is your worst enemy. Rely on your friends and support network to get you through… Change is around the corner!
Knights herald change, so the Knight of Pentacles reveals yet another change in financial status—once again, for the better. (Ah, the life of a freelancer.) Serenity’s health issues pass without serious incident, placing her in a position to face whatever the Universe will throw at her next. Perseverance and hard work prevail.
The Page of Cups in March 2010 marks a birth… a literal (albeit slightly premature?) birth of a child, or birth of yet another business? The emphasis is on creative energy and growth—and exactly what Serenity needs at this point in her life.
Serenity, Miss Michele has tossed a lot at you in this spread. Please follow-up and let me know if you’d like clarification on any points.

With swine flu on the loose, and rising concern about medical coverage (particularly those who’ve lose coverage along with their job), and everybody worried, in general, about health and wellness, Miss Michele has customized a spread to address these particular concerns.
The five-card W-shaped “W-for-Wellness” spread looks at a person’s past and current health, what they can do to improve their wellbeing, and possible future outcome.
Like our other specialized “alphabet” spreads here at Future-Tarot, the W-for-Wellness spread is available for $20. Order yours today!
Otherwise known as the classic three card spread “Body, Mind, Spirit,” this tarot spread provides a quick glance at a person’s overall health and wellness. This is good for when you need to easily see which areas are going well, and which areas need improvement. I’ve been feeling a little drained lately, and decided to do this spread for myself with the Gilded Tarot Deck.
Today’s Draw: Eight of Cups – Temperance – The Devil
Eight of Cups: This is the card of letting go of past influences, and you could say that I have let my body go! I haven’t been keeping up a good exercise routine, and have indulged in a few more sweet treats than I should have. In this card, a young man with two feathers in his cap is turned away in pursuit of a new adventure. He has his walking stick in hand, and is looking out towards the moonrise above the mountains. In the foreground is eight cups, some overturned. There is also a small brown creature, which I am really not sure what it is. At first glance, I thought it could be a platypus, but it could also be a mole. Either way, it is lying there, asleep and not traveling with the adventurer.
This card advises that I should let go of old habits that aren’t serving me well, and pursue new adventures in diet and exercise. Try a new sport that I’ve never explored before, along with new healthy foods. I cannot let my fears and confusion prevent me from doing what it takes to have good health.
Temperance: This is the card of alchemy and synergy, of blending two opposites to create a new force. This fire-haired lady hold two cups, one filled with fire, the other with water. The two blend together seamlessly as a river of energy flows between the cups. She is dressed in a sheer orange dress, and floats in the sky in front of a planet, perhaps Mercury.
In the mind position, this card suggests that I reconcile opposite opinions in my mind. The confident and bold side of my personality and the shy, cautious side need to work in harmony. Opposing thoughts can either create conflict in the mind, or can be integrated and used when appropriate. As I reach for the stars, I need to ensure that I am not at war with myself, and am thinking correctly to reach my goals.
The Devil: Unlike the Rider Waite Smith Deck where the Devil is a demon-like creature, this devil is a man who is dealing with his inner demons. He wears a mask with ram horns, and a star on the forehead. Surrounding him is a lake of fire, which illustrates how succumbing to our inner indulgences can burn out our strength, energy, and spirit.
This card shows that I have been a tad too indulgent lately. While we all need to relax and have fun once in a while, letting ourselves follow every whim can lead down a path of trouble. Spiritual discipline is important, as it allows us to explore our emotions and desires in a controlled manner. We can determine what the best course of action is logically, and not be slaves to our inner desires. To be able to remove the mask, and see ourselves for who we truly are, is a great gift that brings self-awareness and healing.
Overall, it seems like I have a lot of work to do, to bring myself into a healthy state. That is the beauty of the tarot cards, as they allow you to see where you have room to grow and blossom. Allow the tarot to point you in the right direction, and your life will reach unexpected new heights of success and healing.