About a week ago a new client came for a Tarot reading. After a short chat we decided to look into her love life and to use a spread I have come up with and used in the past with success.

As soon as the cards were drawn I knew I would have to work hard to get the guidance the client was seeking.

What happened?
I had in front of me very unusual cards for the questions asked.

What happened next?
I started to explain the first card to my client. A card describing her past experience in love. I knew that Major well, but the meanings that usually apply to that card did not fit her past experience.

How did I respond to that?

First, I felt a bit uncomfortable, as the meaning of the card, as clear as it was to me, did not fit into the client experience.

Second, I thought the client and I had failed to make a connection on an energy level, therefore the best thing to do was to shuffle the cards and try again.

Third, I reflected that more then once in the past I had done that, just to discover that the cards were right after all and wished I could remember them all.

Fourth, I explained to the client what was going on in my head. I then got a different deck and started the reading from scratch. I left the original cards out so that I could refer to them if necessary.

Fifth, instead of letting the client cut the deck I asked her numbers to pick up the cards. I have found  that sometimes it is better if I function as a filter between the cards and the client’s energy.

What did I learn?

A lot. The second set of cards were also not what I would have expected for that kind of spread. At first glance they were quite different from the group selected first, but when compared one by one they made a lot of sense.
In essence I did two readings, because I read all the cards from both spreads. I personally decided it was a small price to pay as each card made interpreting the next much easier.

My client had asked for information about her love life. She had no particular partner in mind.
I had therefore suggested a reading that would give us some information on how to improve her love life.

I used a seven cards spread.

Position 1. Where is the client coming from? In other words, past experience.

Position 2. What kind of partner is the client attracted to?

Position 3. What does the client need from a love relationship?

Position 4. What kind of first impression does the client give to potential partners?

Position 5. Where is the strength of the client in attracting the right mate?

Position 6. How does the client sabotage herself in love?

Position 7. Where is the client heading in love within the next six to nine months?

For the first reading the client had picked the R.W.S deck.

The first card was the Hermit.
The second card was the 5 of wands.
The third card was the 10 of swords.
The fourth card was the Queen of cups.
The fifth card was the 10 of wands.
The sixth card was the 8 of swords.
The seventh card was the King of cups.

For the second reading the client picked the Gilded deck.

1ST position. Strength.
2ND position. 5 of Pentacles.
3RD position. Ace of Pentacles.
4TH position. Judgement.
5TH position. Empress.
6Th position. King of cups.
7TH position. 6 of Pentacles and for added clarification 4 of wands.

If you are familiar with Tarot reading, I invite you to look at one spread at the time and get a feeling for it. Even read them both if you like.

Since I had a real client in front of me, time was a big factor. After quickly looking at all the cards and attempting to interpret the Hermit without success, I proceeded to read one position at the time confronting the cards from the two decks.

At first I had interpreted the Hermit as the client had either been alone for a length of time, or she was one who had spent considerable time on her own between relationships.
In reality, the client had broken up four to five months prior to the reading.
That relationship had lasted several years and before that she had had a few other relatively long relationships.

I did not go back to the Hermit. I just addressed the Strength. It was only  later, after the client had left, that the  meaning of the Hermit in this contest became very clear and simple.

My interpretation of the Strength was that the client had in the past confidently overcome many challenges in her love life. She was good at understanding her partners and how they felt. She was also flexible and she knew instinctively when it was time to stand up for what was important to her and when just go with the flow.

The second position addressed the kind of partner she was attracted to.
Interestingly we had two five. Wands (fire) with the R.W.S. and Pentacles (earth) with the Gilded.
In the first case I would have thought the client may be attracted to competitive people. After looking at the 5 of Pentacles I decided that she was attracted to a challenge.
The five of pentacles had come up before in other love readings with other clients. Whenever it came up in a position of strength it left me a bit confused, some times more than others. In this particular reading it became clear to me that my client was attracted by guys down on their luck. I asked her if her previous partners had been sort of lost when they came into her life. Without hesitation she said yes. So, I smiled and I asked her if she used to take stray dogs or kittens home. Apparently, she only felt the need to rescue guys.

The third position addressed what the client needed from a relationship.
10 of Swords (air) in the R.W.S. and ace of pentacles in the Gilded.
At first glance the two cards appear like opposites, but from a Numerology point of view 10 is 1+0= 1 therefore we have the same number, just at  a different stage, as ten are endings that lead to new beginnings.

By looking at the two very different pictures I had the gut feeling that my client needed  to find her partner when he was in a vulnerable spot and then guide him to a new and much more productive path where they could go on together.

The fourth position addressed how my client was perceived by her partners.
Queen of cups, water, in the RWS and Judgement, air, in the Gilded.

As the queen of cups she came across as a reserved patient lady. Sensitive, good at reading between the lines, with a good heart, slow to pass judgement or take a position. The Judgement card in my opinion raised the vibration a lot. It made my client appear as someone able to give others a second chance at success, able to lift them from the darkness they may have found them selves in. Again, my client to the rescue.

Fifth position. Strength of my client in attracting her partners.
10 of Wands, fire. Empress, earth.
I found this combo very helpful. The 10 of wands was easy to interpret. My clients tends to relieve her partners of their burdens by taking them on herself. The Empress goes a bit deeper. Perhaps I should clarify here that I was not using reversed cards and therefore when looking at cards I had to consider all range of energies, from the positive to the darkest. The Empress is a nurturer.  She is the great mother and here was in my opinion an important key to happiness and success for my client.
As she is a caring , strong and capable lady she could use her talents to nurture her partner to regain confidence in himself. The key here is to give love and support, but trust the partner to be able to do what is needed. The danger here is to mother her partner, protect him and smother him, not giving him the space to grow and succeed by himself.

Sixth position. How does the client sabotage herself?
8 of swords, air. King of cups, water.
Again, looking at the cards as a combo was  helpful to me. The client restricted herself in the ways that she could help her lovers.

She feels that she needs to rescue them, but she is frustrated when they do not become independent and she has to continue to carry their burdens. She would benefit from attempting new approaches. Give them more space to do on their own. The King of cups reinforced the message for me. I saw the king as my client, always ready to be a good shoulder to cry on and to lean on. Always calm among turmoil, al least on the outside. But as good as a listener this king is, he sucks at sharing what goes on inside him. How are other supposed to know what he needs to be happy, if he does not share his own feelings? Remember, the king of cups represents my client.

Seventh position. Where is my client love life heading within the next nine months?
King of cups, water, for the RWS.  Six of pentacles, earth, and four of wands, fire, with the Gilded deck.

With the first spread I would lean to believe a nice lover is on his way for my client. Someone who is sensible, patient, a good listener and a bit reserved, just like my client.
With the second spread the answer perhaps is not as clear ( at least to me).
The six of pentacles indicates that my client will start to be more aware of the exchange of energy between her and her future lovers. She will attempt to have more balanced relationships. She will perhaps try to be generous. but also understand why she feels she has to give. The four of wands suggests to me that she will be successful in overcoming the difficult pattern she has been following for so long.

With what I know now, the meaning of the Hermit becomes clear. It is just what the picture shows.  In the past, my client has had a pattern to rescue those who were lost and in need. She offered them hope, help and guidance.