Tarot reading 10 : Business venture and relationship

This reading is done in two parts, as the querent had two separate issues/ questions.

Part 1 Question: I have recently had two of my major freelance jobs end, and am without an income. My spouse is not financially supportive, and we live in a rural area where there are not a lot of choices for jobs. I’ve begun baking a variety of food products to sell at the local farmer’s market. My question is, could this turn into a viable income for me in time, or are there better places to focus my hopes for a financial return that could support me?
I would love to hear what the cards advise.

2 of Pentacles, 4 of Pentacles, King of Cups
- Paulina Tarot -

Above we have the spread I did on this issue using the sweet Paulina Tarot. You can click on the image if you would like to see a larger version with more detail (the cards in this deck are wonderfully executed, with rich details throughout).

From left to right, the positions and cards drawn are as follows:
1. Situation: Two of Pentacles
2. What you need to know: Four of Pentacles
3. Advice: King of Cups

This is an old spread I saw long ago (and I apologise for I can’t recall whereabouts), simple but effective. In a nut shell, the business venture is looking good and you are encouraged to continue this. The situation card – Two of Pentacles - shows that it’s a careful balancing act, this is the card of juggling more than one responsibility or project at once. So the situation you are in shows you may have to balance this gig with other forms of work, but you are capable of doing this. It may be a tricky thing to do, but it’s something you are confident with – I note how the character in the card is riding the unicorn, on one leg – scary stuff by the looks of it! Yet the facial expression is happy and relaxed.

With regards to what you need to know, this is the card that encourages your new business venture. As a card of order, structure, stability and organisation, the Four of Pentacles is a really great card for manifestation of practical, material endeavours. It’s unfortunate this card is often referred to as a card of greed or avarice, but for me it’s a great card of stable, successful outcomes when setting up new a business. The advice, King of Cups, speaks of confidence in your skills and experience and taking ownership of this.

Part 2 Question: I am angry and resentful toward my spouse for past and present mean and hurtful words and selfish behaviours and condescending, critical attitudes and judgments. I work hard at letting past hurts go, but the anger and bitterness keep coming up anyway. When I am really frustrated with him, I am quick to think that if there was an obvious next step, or place for me to go, I’d rather live alone. I long for it at those times, but don’t see a first step to take, and am over it the next day anyway and wondering why I was considering re-mixing my entire life over my man being a doofus once in a while.
On the other hand, I think it’s normal to feel like this sometimes, in every long-term relationship, and surely not every woman wishes she had a way out, every time. Or does she? I don’t know. I don’t know if I am being an escapist, a dreamer, a child who insists on everything her own way and easy, or if there really isn’t much left for me in this relationship and I might as well face it and get the hell out now instead of letting it drag on and on and on and on. When I’m not pissed off at the man for being a dinkeye, I’m perfectly content with everything else about my life! I don’t want to live anywhere else, or really even to do anything else. My days are full and generally happy. But my relationship with this man is not what I wanted or want, sometimes, and …
What do the cards advise?

Advice:
The Hanged Man, Ace of Wands, 6 of Cups

First, thank you for your honesty. A lot of women I think can relate to this. I have encountered similar questions when I have read for the public, and sometimes the cards say go, sometimes they say stay. In this instance, the three advice cards above tell you, as advice, to:

- not act in a rash or impulsive manner (The Hanged Man). In fact, this is a card of not really taking any action at all, just letting the flow of life come and go;
- approach the relationship with new, fresh energy (Ace of Wands);
- deepen the bond you have with your partner (Six of Cups).

I then drew three more cards just to be sure (it happens!) with the following positions:

1. Advice for you – what to do: The Empress
2. Advice for you – what not to do: The Emperor
3. Outcome: 2 of Cups

1. Advice for you – what to do: The Empress

The Empress is about creativity, nourishment, sensuality, abundance. She is happy and has confidence in herself as a woman and is able to create a rich and fulfilling life – whether this is as a business woman, a gardener, a baker, a lawyer, it doesn’t matter really, although in general (and in this version of the card as well), she is associated with the more earthy, sensual side of life. Let her be your guide and mentor, and learn to bring in your life and relationship her attributes – particularly the softer, feminine side.

2. Advice for you – what not to do: The Emperor

Well, the Emperor for what not to do! The opposite of the Empress, as I see it: he is discriminating, dominating, critical, objective.You have to be, if you are the Emperor and have a kingdom to protect – none of these qualities are bad in themselves, but for you, they are not what you’d want to adopt in supporting and continuing your relationship with your partner.

3. Outcome: 2 of Cups

This is such a beautiful card for a renewed bond between you and your partner. It is the quintessential card for a loving, harmonious relationship. I almost couldn’t believe I got this card as the outcome, so I hope this gives you inspiration and guidance to continue on this path. The couple shown in this card are sharing a drink in a flower blossom, and it’s a truly beautiful setting the artist has painted.

Many blessings,
Monica

Feedback update (23 July):

Re: just letting the flow of life come and go.

Interesting, as this is exactly what I have been working on in my life, in general. I use affirmations as a cathartic mixture of manifestation and personal therapy, and a current sentence in daily use is “It is safe for me to relax and trust the process of life.” It makes sense that this applies to my relationship, too, and not just to anxiety about money, work, daily accomplishment, and so on. Some angst comes from thinking that I need to figure this problem out, solve it once and for all, do something different to create a different result, not settle for anything I’m less than content with, and so on. Maybe I need to get off that particular worry wheel; it hasn’t gotten me anywhere. It creates a lot of stress, actually, because the solutions aren’t immediately visible. As a matter of fact, it appears sometimes there are no suitable solutions, or no comfortable ones, or none with desirable endings. Maybe my current challenge is to relax and see what life brings, rather than trying to make certain things happen (or not happen).
Re: What Not to Do (Ace Wands): the Emperor! Ha! Ha! This is funny, because my partner behaves like the Emperor, and I try very hard not to act like he does (critical, dominating (well, he tries)), but I’m sure I do without realizing it. I see your reading of this card as support for my ideal of taking the high road, no matter how he behaves. I’m no doormat; I always take a stand or stand up for myself, which is why there is conflict around our home. But I am getting tired of having to, and it is why my friends who hear my “story” are surprised I am still with this man. They don’t see me as a person who takes much guff from anyone, and yet … “What has happened to you?” they ask me, because I am clearly unhappy with this man much of the time.
What’s happened is that I’ve learned not to expect my partner to be perfect, any more than I am perfect. I’m not unforgiving or ready to throw the baby out with the bathwater. There is so much grey area; only in my angry or hurt moments do things seem black and white, and that’s when I long for a door to appear, so I can walk away without doing a lot of damage to anyone, including myself. It does seem as if some catalyst is needed, some major change, so that a new way of being can fall into place. And until the stars align, I may just have to wisely stay put, practise patience and tolerance, and keep trying to grow myself up. I’m having trouble being patient, and I have never been tolerant of rude or inconsiderate words or behaviour. I sometimes don’t want to live with this man anymore, though I also don’t want to lose him altogether. Or do I? We shall see.
But the Empress card that you drew does fit, as I believe strongly that “It is better to be kind than to be right,” and that is my modus operandi: do the loving thing. Not that I do it perfectly. Ha! Far from it.
Re: Outcome (2 Cups): Deepened bond.
This card gives me hope that we will manage to get back to loving each other as I wish to love and be loved. Between us there is still enough affection and passion that I can almost believe it.
I’m going to think on this reading some more, of course, but I want to give you some feedback before waiting any longer.
Thanks again. You did a fine reading – articulate and wise! I really appreciate it.