The Knight of Swords – Sample Reading Versions 1 & 2 – Relationships

The Readings attached to the Card Spread below have been invented for teaching purposes. There are two Readings based on Relationships using the One Horse Shoe Spread. The Readings have been compiled with The Knight of Swords in mind so that we can experience how his Character or Personality could influence a Reading, how we might interpret him, and the effect he has on surrounding Cards. I have supplied a Personality Profile of The Querant for both Readings, along with the background story the Question is based on.  This helps set the tone for the Reading and assists in interpretation. Without it we could easily get lost with a sea of interpretations to choose from.

I have used the same Spread for both Readings to showcase how the Card meanings can be adjusted accordingly to suit the differing Background, Nature of Querant and The Question. This same Spread could be used to interpret a General, Business or Career Reading. The story, characters and plot may change, but the underlying energies remain the same. Each Card in the Tarot can be interpreted in so many ways that all we need do is change the Question and immediately a new interpretation appears or forms. This is why it is advisable to assimilate several interpretations per Card instead of learning just one.

Note in the Second Reading how I do not stick with the positional order of Cards when Reading. I make connections and links between Cards that I believe are relevant at the time, rather than waiting until the Card in its correct order of position is reached. I also note patterns observed in the overall Spread and highlight the lack of Grounding Pentacle Cards. I make observations, and contemplate motives and theories based on the Cards at my disposal. Yes, the Readings are rather full-on, but I would rather initially demonstrate Card Reading in a dramatic manner rather than offering something wishy-washy for study purposes. Learning the Tarot could get very boring otherwise.

We must also remember that each Card in the Spread may be sending conflicting messages for more than one person or point of view in the Reading. In the first Reading below, the Seven of Cups carries separate messages for both the Querant and the young man she enquires about. One must be flexible in such matters and view the Cards as multifaceted and three-dimensional  rather than flat and one-sided. In the absence of a real life Querant, Background Story and Question, I have let my imagination run free. At times I forgot I was interpreting a Spread of Fictional Cards as the story began to take on a life of its own. I actually began to believe what was going on and I began to get visuals. Of course it was all my imagination, but a Tarot Reading becomes very uninteresting if one does not apply their creative imagination when interpreting. After all, the creative imagination acts as the gateway for any psychic impulses or messages from our Higher Self. Without our creative imagination, we cannot tell the Querent’s story, or indeed our own.

**********************************************************

Relationship Reading – Version 1

Background – I met someone last week at a party and we seemed to click. He took my number and asked if he could see me again. He told me he would ring, but my friend whose party it was, told me that I shouldn’t build myself up or get too carried away. She was quite offhand about him and took it all as a bit of a laugh.  I was offended by her remarks and wonder if she is jealous. I have been on my own for some time and find it hard to meet someone nice. She, my friend on the other hand, is always in and out of relationships. I don’t understand why she would not be happy for me. I really like this guy but am afraid he will not call.

Question – What I want to know is what the future holds for me and this man if he does decide to ring me to ask me out on a date?

******************************************************

The Horse Shoe Spread

(Please Note – Position 4 should be centred below Position 3 & 5.  Image Alignment not working on this Page)

 Position 1 – Recent Past                                                         Position 7 – Probable Outcome

Position 2 – Present                           Position 6 -Hopes/Concerns

Position 3 – Near Future                                                       Position 5 – Surrounding Energy

                                               Position 4  –  Answer/Solution/Advice/Querant 

**********************************************************

Recent Past –  The of Knight of Swords galloping in. No wonder she is drawn to this man for he is very handsome and extremely charismatic. No doubt she was attracted to his cool sophisticated manner and intrigued by all he had to say. He would have stood out from the crowd and was probably very well dressed too.  He would have wooed her with his intense stare  and captivating conversation. She would have been impressed by his intelligence and worldly knowledge. He was probably quite forward with her instead of beating around the bush. She would certainly have enjoyed his company and the night probably flew by. His eagerness to see her again has her feeling very special indeed. He quite likely swept her off her feet and she is loath to come back down to earth. Her friend however, does not seem to be as excited about this young man as she is, and in my belief, either knows something about him, or possibly believes they are not suited. It wasn’t exactly a warning but more of a gentle caution. Possibly he is prone to taking the phone number of every female he meets. He is the Knight of Swords, so he may be the catch of the century, or, on the other hand, hard to catch. Then again her friend might indeed be jealous, she may have her sights set on him too.

Present – Seven of Cups. Two things immediately hit me here. The first one confirms how far the Querant has allowed herself to be carried away at this early stage. She has a floaty, dreamy aspect to her with this Card, and may possibly be building castles in the air and letting her imagination run away with her. This is likely her dream man and she feels on Cloud Nine. If she thinks this is her dream then she is going to pursue it at all costs. She may have been single for some time and now sees so many opportunities opening for her where romance is concerned. The covered Figure in the Central Cup gives me the impression that she is already making plans in her head about this man who she knows so little about. He is an unknown quantity at present but she may have already bypassed that fact in hot pursuit of her dreams. She needs to steady herself and protect her  heart a little more. She could be too eager.

The Second thing that hits me is that this young man doesn’t know what he wants at this stage. I do not believe he has identified his emotional needs, and may not be in a hurry to do so.  This could be an indication that he isn’t too concerned with who the Covered Figure is in the Central Cup as long as the surrounding Cups hold adequate distraction. He can always go back to the Central Cup at a later stage in life when he decides that personal emotional fulfilment is important. Although this aspect more so corresponds with the Reversed Version, I believe this Card carries messages for both. I have not just based this assumption solely on this Card. I have also been taking in all the Cards in the Spread, especially the Card opposite it. You will see when we get to it why I have a gut feeling about the above.

Near Future – The Eight of Wands. Yes, I think he will ring her. She is likely to be going to go on her date and will have a fantastic time. I believe this will herald the beginning of an intense and exciting relationship. The Querant is going to be swept up in a whirlwind of social activity and high emotion. She will be feeling on top of the world and full of positivity about the relationship.  She will be glowing from head to foot and declaring herself to be madly in love. It will all move very fast and she may have to pinch herself every now and then just to make sure she is not dreaming, and if she is, then she most certainly won’t want to wake up out of it.  The relationship at this stage will go from strength to strength. High energy and activity, and not a cloud in sight. It all looks rather positive at this stage.

Surrounding Energy – The Fool Reversed. Now this is the atmosphere that surrounds The Querant. This atmosphere takes into account the opinions and attitudes of those around the Querant. Sometimes they confirm or support what The Querant is feeling, thinking and doing, but often they give a very different impression of the situation. This surrounding energy tells the story from others’ points of view. The Querant can often be too close to their situation to be objective. They may not see or want to see what is glaringly obvious to everyone else, especially family and close friends. However, this position in a Reading can also highlight a negative campaign against the Querant depending on what Card appears.  If there was jealousy involved we might see the Reversed Three of Cups depicting a so-called friend, or group of friends who are working against the better interests of The Querant. Then again. depending on the Reading, it may reflect the Querant as being the disloyal friend, and that others are aware of it.

In this case we have The Fool Reversed and this does give me cause for concern. The Reversed Fool tends to make foolish mistakes and is far too eager to take a leap of faith and step off the cliff. He risks taking a nasty fall and usually does not listen to the sound advice offered by others around him. He has his head in the clouds and is not looking where he is going. He is marching along happily, oblivious to all signs of danger and warning, as he believes that everything is going to work out splendidly. He can be terribly immature and terribly naive. He is also very gullible and will follow any glittering light in the distance.  He walks headfirst, and voluntarily, into trouble, and is so trusting that when his little magic bubble bursts,  and he is forced to face reality for the first time, he can be overcome by the harshness of it all. The Fool Reversed tends to live in La, La, Land. Is this how The Querant and her relationship with this man will be perceived? This tells me that many around her think she is a fool to be getting involved with this man. It is possible that her friend and others have tried to warn, or at least advise her against pursuing a relationship with him.

After all, The Card that lies diagonally across from the Reversed Fool is The Knight of Swords himself. So does this mean that she could make a foolish mistake in relation to this young man? With the influence of The Eight of Wands coming directly opposite, she may not stop for long enough to think of who she is getting involved with and why. The packaging may be very attractive, and with The Knight of Swords, no doubt he is more than hoped for, but when the contents are exposed, the gift that lies beneath may feel like an anti-climax or disappointing. The Querant may be expecting things from her lovely Knight of Swords that he either can’t, or won’t deliver on. Either he, she, or possibly both had a hidden agenda.    This does not mean that the Knight is a bad man, it might simply mean that they think The Querant is throwing all her eggs into one basket with a man who, with The Knight of Sword’s reputation for loving and then suddenly leaving, is going to break her heart sooner or later. She may be blatantly overlooking obvious warning signs in her desperate bid to make him fit her perfect dream of a man. Her friends and family may understand that the Querant is looking for a long-term relationship, lasting love, a future together, marriage and kids, but know that The Knight of Swords does not have this on offer. The Knight of Swords is not Reversed in this Reading so we should not jump to negative conclusions about him. He may simply be doing exactly what The Knight of Swords is known for, and means no harm. He may not have promised anything, believes they are just having a good time, but I get the feeling The Querant will wish to fast forward the relationship into something more meaningful. I sense trouble may start if she starts talking of commitment. She might unwittingly push him away.

Hopes and Fears –  The Ten of Cups. Now we see the Querant’s hopes with regards the relationship. She is certainly entertaining high hopes with not a negative thought or concern whatsoever.  I believe she sees it as a fait accompli. She is quite determined as to which direction her relationship with this man is heading, and with The Seven of Cups directly opposite, there is an air of idealism and wishful thinking. I feel The Querant has conjured up out of her imagination, a fairy tale ending for herself and this man. She is hoping for a lot, maybe too much. After just leaving The Fool Reversed, could it be that she is caught up in romance and living a fantasy? Indeed there is nothing wrong with what she hopes for, and am sure all her friends and family wish the very best for her. However, we need to take in the whole Reading, and when we do, we begin to see something other than the pink fluffy bunny version. There are undercurrents flowing through the Reading which suggest the Querant and her young man may be on very different wavelengths. They may also be assuming that they are thinking the same as each other. Sooner or later they will discover the truth, and when they do,  I feel that it may all come to an abrupt end. I do feel that it will be The Querant who will unwittingly be the instigator of this end, by simply revealing her true desires and hopes for their future together. It will likely act as a wake-up call for The Knight of Swords, who will be quick to put distance between them. He may be apologetic about it all, but will firmly, as The Knight is known to do, put her straight as to his own intentions for his future. If they don’t include her at this point in time in his life then he will tell her.  He can be brutally honest in such matters. The Knight of Swords in this aspect may not be ready to settle down, or get tied to the one person for too long. Based on the Outcome and Answer Cards,  I sense he has other plans for his life right now. Leaving behind the Ten of Cups we can hear a collective sigh from her friends and family as they acknowledge ‘they knew it was all too good to be true’.

The Outcome Card – Five of Cups. Heart break, sadness, dreadful upset and disillusionment. This Card often suggests a break up or separation in Relationship Readings.  The Party is over and the heady time spent in The Eight of Wands is but a distant memory. The Querant is brought back down to Earth with a terrible painful bang. The Cups of her love are thrown and scattered around her and she views her new-found circumstances with horror and disbelief. Her Cup, once brimming over with happy feelings and emotional bliss, lie empty, their contents seeping away into the ground. She feels devoid, destroyed and also terribly angry. The Five of Cups indicate change, and change as such is often brought about by upheaval and chaos. Life as The Querant knows it has been turned on its head and she feels adrift in a sea of dreadful uncertainty and loneliness. This Card shows a potential Outcome that does not match the Querant’s hopes and dreams. No doubt she would feel let down  and that life now has no meaning for her. She probably wouldn’t see this coming until the moment of impact. She would find it hard to believe that she could ever recover from such a massive loss. The wounds to her heart could run deep and jagged. We see that Two Cups remain standing, but she has turned her hunched and dark cloaked back away from them. They are a reminder to her that regardless of how bad she thinks things are at this moment in time, all has most definitely not been lost. Something of great worth remains and in Relationship Readings, the Two Cups can suggest children of the relationship, family and friends. However, with The Five of Cups, it could take her much time to realise this, as there would be a tendency to withdraw and spurn the attempts of others to draw her out. It could take some time to re-stabilise after this relationship. Before she could fully heal and return to life once more, or consider entering a new relationship, she would have to learn to let go and move on. There is always a danger with The Five of Cups that the Querant might prefer to remain wallowing in her misery, or that she could become embittered by her experience.

The Answer Card/Solution/Advice/ The Querant – The Three of Wands. Now fresh on the heels of The Five of Cups and the need to let go and move on, The Querant is reminded that it is the best avenue to take if such circumstances were to happen. A clean break would need to be made. In this Card we see the Figure dressed in a Travelling Cloak looking out to sea. He has a Wand held in his right hand, the side of action, forward thinking and movement, while Two Wands are planted in the ground behind him suggesting the actions of the past. The Two Wands form a sort of exit which this man has had to pass through before he can move into the future. Symbolically he has moved from the past and into the future. The Querant would be advised to do likewise if she wanted to get on with her life. At some stage she would need to draw a line under the painful past and put it all down to experience. The Figure in the Card has turned his back on the past and all that has happened. The sea and foreign lands beckon him to now move and travel. This can often be a Card for travel, but looked at metaphorically, it can suggest being carried away into the new. The unknown would be scary for The Querant would have to sail through unchartered territory, but at the same time it carries excitement and anticipation. She would not know what her fate might have in store for her if she travelled forth and boarded one of the ships that will take her across into a new world, but she would risk becoming stagnant should she decide to stay put in the past. The Three of Wands is a growth Card, a Card of progression and ascension. It is a card for positivity and taking action. After her potential Outcome in the Reading, the Querant could wish to make a fresh start elsewhere. We do have other Travel Cards here such as The Eight of Wands and The Reversed Fool. She might choose to move away from the constant reminders of her past and make new social contacts. As long as she was not running away from her problems then it might very well be the best thing for her. Making a fresh start elsewhere does not necessarily mean that she is going to leave the country or travel far afield. Again it may be more symbolic than anything else.

When we look diagonally across this Spread, we find The Eight of Wands which is a far removed energy from the Five of Cups. One brings intense joy, fun, high energy and positivity while the other brings pain, negativity, sadness and depression. The Eight of Wands‘ colouring is bright and cheerful, The Five of Cups’ dark and dismal. It just shows how life can switch from one to the other in the bat of an eyelid. It would seem like only yesterday The Querant would have been enjoying the best time of her life only to have it all stripped away from her the next. Our fortunes can change drastically at any time. She would be sensing, over her hunched left shoulder, the memory of those days spent in The Eight of Wands and this will probably make her even more upset.

On another note, The Outcome Card lying opposite the Knight of Swords could also point to the young man feeling upset that he has caused so much unintentional upset. Even though the Knight of Swords is quite clinical in his relationship dealings, we must remember that he is Upright. He may be genuinely sorry. The Three of Wands in the Outcome position may be the reason for all the upset. The plans he has made for his life may be very different to the Querant’s. He may wish to travel, work overseas, or emigrate. He may decide that he still has much to do, see and experience before he hangs up his travelling cloak.

*******************************************************

When the Cards were laid out in their Spread, I took one look at The Knight of Swords on one side and The Five of Cups on the other and sensed trouble. The way the Cards are positioned in the Reading gives the impression that The Knight of Swords is galloping away from the crying upset Figure in The Five of Cups. He might have dropped the bombshell which caused the distress and then was eager to depart as quickly as possible. He certainly was moving away, and not towards her. Because he is seen leaving, it gives the impression that he is solely to blame for the upset of The Five of Cups, but this Cups Card often holds blame on both sides, Each party must take their share of responsibility in the circumstances.

The Four Central Cards, Cards, 2, 3, 5 and 6 tell their own story. We have high emotions, daydreaming, wishful thinking, flights of fancy, idealism and happy ever after endings. With The Eight of Wands and The Fool Reversed, the Querant could experience the above on a more heightened sense as her feet totally leave the ground. This period of time, outside of time, when the world will seem to totally revolve around her, is not sustainable. When the Wands finally touch earth after their scorching rocket ride through the Querant’s life, normality has to return. Life has to be approached in a more regular manner. It is at this stage that relationships can founder unless both parties are looking to maintain the union. If one, or both, preferred the rollercoaster ride, then that is what will be sought after again. It might not be found with the same person, who might feel they have been there, done that and now want something more novel. These Cards do not suggest a terribly grounded relationship. Indeed we do not have even one Pentacle Card. If this Reading had The Lovers as The Outcome and The Fool had been Upright, this would change the appearance altogether. Card 2, 3 and 5 are certainly not negative Cards in their own sense, and with The Lovers as the Outcome I would have great hope for the future of this relationship. It is the Five of Cups and The Reversed Fool, that for me, have upset a potentially rosy prognosis. Card 4, is a lovely Card too, but when we see it tied up with The Five of Cups and a Knight of Swords galloping away from the scene, it is impossible not to think of someone moving away and putting the past behind them. If the Knight of Swords had asked the Querant to go with him, then we would not have the Five of Cups, unless she said no for one reason or another. It all comes back to The Reversed Fool really. No one wants to think that others think them stupid or incapable of making a logical decision, but where matters of the heart are concerned, we are known to act in strange ways. We consult only our heart in matters and pay little attention to what our head is trying to tell us. When it is all over and hindsight sobers us up, we can regret taking certain actions, behaving in such a manner and feeling the way we did. It is as if we have come to our senses and woken up from our sleeping beauty slumber.

In this Reading, we have a mixture of numbers and all cards are Minor Arcana, except for The Knight of Swords himself and The Fool, a Major Arcana that is Reversed. There is no real pattern to this relationship and I doubt it will develop into something deeper. Perhaps in the future, but not now. The energy is too scattered and impressionable. To me, it is a relationship that will come and go, transient, and should be accepted for what it is. The Eight of Wands promises a great time if The Querant is prepared to leave it at that and not go pushing for more. The Querant risks making something out of the relationship that doesn’t exist. She may be looking too hard, putting too much emphasis on the future, when she should just be concentrating on the present. She could try to force this relationship to be something it never will be. The lack of relevant Major Cards in this Relationship Reading, for me does not hold out much hope for a long-term commitment. The Querant may have to wait.

*********************************************************

Relationship Reading – Version 2 – Same Cards but Different Querant, Issue and Question

Let us briefly look at another way we could interpret this Reading. Again it will be a Relationship Reading but this time the Querant is a young man in lis late twenties. He is fast talking and eager to share the background on his situation. There is an impatience about him for answers, and once the Cards are turned over in the Spread he begins his own attempt at analysing them. He is particularly anxious about the Reversed Fool, because of the name of The Card. He becomes quite defensive. He is also looking for instant reassurance regarding The Five of Cups. What can one say??

He has come for a Reading because of a certain young woman. This woman has been in his life for several years but as much as she was interested in a serious relationship, he wasn’t eager to tie himself down. However, he did like this girl, and as a couple, the time spent together was always enjoyable. He tells us that she is highly educated and very intelligent. Not only that, she is beautiful and kind. His friends have envied him over the years but wonder how he has managed to get away with his behaviour for so long. He admits that he has been the cause of their relationship being on and off over the last few years. He had a tendency to take a breather from the relationship once it became too serious. He would tell her that he needed some space, but that they should remain friends. He wanted the best of both worlds. She would always get upset but never caused a scene. She let him go each time and somehow managed to stay friends with him . She never seemed to throw herself into the arms of another man, even though he dated a good bit himself during these periods of separation. Sooner or later, he would miss her terribly and would find a way of getting her back. Each time she took him back. Her friends and even his own, asked him what he was playing at, and that he would regret it one day. This pattern continued for a long time. He fell into a comfort zone and became quite blasé about his on/off girlfriend, knowing that he could take his leave anytime he liked, because he could always return any time he liked too.

Eight months ago, things changed. After their latest ‘break’, to his shock and horror she wasn’t interested in taking him back. She told him that she was not prepared to live like that any longer. She had plans for her future and needed something more stable and secure in her life. She told him that an overseas position was coming up in her company and she was strongly considering applying for it. He says he was shocked and reacted angrily to the news. There was a terrible row and he said some pretty nasty things to her that he now regrets. He told her that he never wanted to see her again and stormed out of her apartment. He was true to his word and instantly deleted her number from his mobile. He even posted back to her any photos he had of her and gifts she had given him. He was furious. He went mad for the next six months on a whirlwind of socialising and dating. He was going to wipe her memory out of his mind. He was normally good at that and thought he would forget her within a couple of months, but try as he might, he found he was missing her more as each day and week passed. His pride prevented him from going to her and apologising for what he had said, and the way he had treated her. He acknowledges now that he never realised what he had until it was gone. He now wants her back and has been putting a plan of approach together in order to woo her back. He hasn’t heard or seen her since the day of their awful row. He says he now knows what he wants and doesn’t want to waste anymore time thinking about it. He needs to do something before he goes out of his mind. He tells me that he cannot eat or sleep. He wants to put things right between them and let her know that it is she he really wants, and will never leave her again.

His Question is tied up in all the following – How will I be received by my ex-girlfriend? Will she take me back? Will she forgive me? Have I left it too late?

****************************************************

Looking at these Cards I can’t help but feel that he has indeed left it all too late. It has been eight long months since he saw her last. His pride prevented him from getting in touch. He admits he was angry with her, and we must ask why? Because she didn’t want to go along with his plan anymore? Because she was tired of being picked up and then dropped by him any time he felt like it? Because she had better things to do with her life? Because she had taken back control and power? He could have at least contacted her to see how she was, but instead he threw back in her face all that their on/off relationship had amounted to. So let us look at these same Cards, to see if they can answer his pressing issues.

Recent Past – The Knight of Swords – This Card is certainly representing the Querant. He is a typical Knight of Swords, and possibly has elements of the Reversed too that are tied up in his overall personality. Here we see his recent decision to ‘go get his woman back’. It is as if he had a sudden epiphany, and after six initial months of nothing,  and two months of fretting and wishing, he is spurred into action. Nothing is going to happen fast enough. He wants her back, and he wants her back now. Just because he has set his mind to winning her back I believe he will expect to get what he wants. He has his sights set firmly on her now and is ready to pursue her with everything her has. His arrogance will allow him to believe that he will be able to talk his way back into her heart and head. After all, he has done it before. He has probably being practicing his words for some time and is now impatient to communicate them to her.  He has decided she is the woman for him and no one else will do. He only now understands the value of what he had, but never stopped for long enough to admit it. We think it is a pity that he did not appreciate what everyone else could see was blatantly obvious. If he had, he would not be in this dilemma now. However, he is the Knight of Swords and we must expect him to act in a certain manner, but for all his intelligence and visionary abilities, he has acted like a fool where this woman is concerned.

And Fool is right as we look down to The Surrounding Energies,  position  5. Here we see the Fool Reversed. The Knight of Swords behaved in an irresponsible and selfish way. His thoughts were always, me, me, me as he conducted his life in a very self-centred manner. He just went about as he pleased without a care in the world for how he might be hurting her. He rode roughshod over her feelings so that he got what he wanted.  He took big chances every time he broke it off with her, but somehow managed to fall on his feet when she took him back each time. He arrogantly expected it. However, The Reversed Fool usually gets his comeuppance in the end. He took one chance too many and will have to face the consequences of his actions. The Fool Reversed also supports his claim regarding both his own set of friends and those of his ex, all telling him he was a Fool, and asking what he thought he was playing at? They all told him he would regret his behaviour one day. His previous behaviour was immature and he reacted like a tantrumy child when she turned him away. He should have listened instead of shouting and ranting. He always had to have the last say.

The Present/Position 2 – The Seven of Cups. Here we see what has immediately led to this sudden spur of action after Eight Months. In the last few weeks The Querant, our Knight of Swords, has been doing a lot of soul-searching. He has finally started to address his emotional needs and get his priorities in order. He has acknowledged that his life has been shallow and empty without his ex-girlfriend, and although from outward appearances, his life looks pretty full and exciting, the Central Cup, shows him what is missing in order to make it complete. He is at pains to understand why he never realised it before, but he has changed now. He is more than likely going through a maturing phase, possibly in transition, or on the threshold of taking on his Kingly qualities. He may not have understood it until now. Regardless of how he feels, everything may actually be in Divine Order. They were on two different levels. He wanted one thing, and she the other. Now he wants, or at least thinks he wants what she wants. It would have been unusual for The Knight of Swords to spend so much time thinking about his feelings. It would not normally be his style. Now that he has identified his needs, he is impatient to fulfil them. However, what he wants and what he can get may not be compatible.

As we look over to The Ten of Cups, his Hopes and Fears Card, we can see that The Querant/Knight of Swords has certainly mounted his steed and is racing towards a future with this woman that he had never entertained before. Because this Knight can get easily heated and passionate about an issue or ideal, he might very well have gotten the bit between his teeth now and has the ending all neatly tied up. He certainly wants something with this woman, but will this passion last, can he sustain it – will the fire he feels now, continue to burn so brightly? Is it all a flash in the pan? Is he simply acting foolishly again, could he be racing ahead with a plan without thinking it through. The Ten of Cups is a lovely Card in a Relationship Reading, but it has to be supported by surrounding Cards. Otherwise it has no depth or foundation to it. It may all be an illusion, or a rose-tinted ideal.

In The Near Future Position we find The Eight of Wands. I think he may discover that he has missed the boat. He is riding rapidly towards his ex-girlfriend, fired by a desire to win her back, but I do believe he will find her gone when he gets there. He has told us that he has had no contact with her, and that the last time they spoke, or should I say, argued, she mentioned the possibility of applying for an overseas job with her company.  Has he overlooked this little detail, or did he expect to find her where she always was, where he had left her? I can see terrible dismay when he discovers that she has already started another life elsewhere that he has not been a part of. I can foresee anguish and frustration, but what will he do? The Eight of Wands is a Travel Card, so too is The Fool, even in Reverse, and also the Three of Wands in the Answer Position. This Knight of Swords is now on a mission and I can see him not give up that easily.  The Eight of Wands matches his urgency and need for action. The stakes are high now and every minute counts. He is liable to get on his phone immediately and book a flight to wherever she has gone to. He will throw a few things in a bag in his rush to catch the next flight. He will pick up whatever else he needs when he gets there. He will not be able to sit around and wait. What situation will he find when he arrives at his intended destination? How will his ex-girlfriend react when she sees him? Will she fall into his arms or will she tell him that he has wasted his time and money in pursuing her?

In the Outcome Position we have The Five of Cups. My eyes fell on this Card from the start and that is what led me to believe that he may have left it all too late. He has become so single-minded in his pursuit of his ex-girlfriend that he may not have stopped to consider what would happen if his plans were thwarted. This Card speaks of terrible disappointment and despair. Upset is not the word for it. I think he is likely to get freezing cold water thrown on top of his burning Fire. She will douse his flames with one look. He may not be able to talk her around this time. It could easily be his time to feel strong emotional pain. There is also an energy of anger with this Card and I worry that The Querant, our Knight of Swords may not take rejection too well. There is bound to be an angry outburst and he will likely revert to habit here. He could easily cause a lot of disruption, especially if he discovers she has met someone else. His competitive nature will not allow him to accept that he may have lost her love to another. If he does have a love rival, then he will be baying for blood. There could be an unpleasant incident or two as we see the Knight of Swords and The Five of Cups come into line with each other.

In the Answer Position we have the possible love rival in The Three of Wands. This Card often suggests a partner met while working or travelling abroad. It can also represent a partner from a foreign land. The Three of Wands is a lovely Card for progression and ascension. It suggests that life is moving ahead, that plans are maturing, and that one is being open to new experiences. There is a sense of positivity about choices and changes that have been made. It is a Card for leaving the past behind and focusing firmly on the future. I think that his ex-girlfriend has moved on in her life and will be quite determined to leave their relationship firmly in the past where it belongs. She may very well have a special person in her life that has been able to give her everything the Knight of Swords couldn’t. It will be a bitter pill for him to swallow, but no matter how much he brandishes his Sword and wildly swings it around, he cannot force her to return to him.  If we were to pull an extra Card or two to go alongside The Three of Wands, we may discover more about the possibility of another man in her life. Without this information, The Three of Wands could simply imply his journey in pursuit of her. He may think of relocating himself if he is desperate to be near her but the overall Cards are not exactly promising at this moment in time.  The absence of another Court Card does hold out a glimmer of hope. Also The Outcome and Answer Cards are Minor Arcana and therefore their energy may only be transient, or could possibly be altered once some effort is applied.

This Reading in itself is not absolute. It only reflects a potential Outcome based on current trends. His ex-girlfriend may indeed have met another, but this does not mean that she will stay with that other. She too may need some time to herself in order to grow and experience love and life apart from The Knight of Swords. In time, she too may have a change of heart. The Knight of Swords although distraught, should not give in to knee-jerk reactions. If he can control his Fire and Air for long enough, by showing her his new-found maturity and genuine need for her, she may begin to see him in a new light. He has to prove to her that he has changed. However, he will need to be patient. He also has to be sure he will not change his mind again.

*************************************************

Life Review/Analysis Reading – Charting Your Progress Through Life

Upright and Reversed Fives – Training Exercise

Improving Relationships Spread – Practice Reading

Relationship Spread Using The Knight of Swords – Versions 1 & 2

The Horse Shoe Spread – Practice Reading

The Relationship Spread – From Both Points of View

Practice Health Readings

Copyright © Vivien Ni Dhuinn 2006 – 2014