The Works - Sample Reading
Firstly, you can remind yourself of the 56 card layout before we go on to the reading itself here:
Now for the reading sample - this is the whole thing:
The Works Spread - Winner of the Card of the Day - 7.11.2008
Overview:
Well now first and foremost thank you for giving me such a lovely reading to work with. You’re a woman full of hope and belief, aren’t you? This shines through as clear as day all the way through this reading. Don’t ever let that flame burn low ;-)
Foundation: 6 of Wands
Princess of Swords, Queen Swords, Emperor, 7 of Coins, Prince of Swords, Princess of Wands, 8 of Wands
The nuts and bolts of your life are very closely interwoven with the lives of others – you show many concerns for different people here – though I must stress you have a healthy view of yourself as well. Sometimes when you see this many external influences having impact, you find the person at the centre is not always good at putting their own needs in a healthy place in relation to all else – but you seem to have this particular balance down to a fine art.
You seem to me to be a clear-minded woman, with an acute sense of perception and high levels of insight. When you were younger I’d guess in some ways you could have been described as a bit of a rebel – certainly you were never particularly good at accepting things on face value – and you were ever the fighter when you sensed injustice or unfairness.
Some of your most heartfelt goals in this foundational area have already been achieved. I think you’ve already gone a long way toward establishing what you need from life, though you are currently experiencing a blockage at the purely material level which is causing not some small heartache and anxiety. I feel as though this is not happening directly to you, but to somebody you care for very deeply.
As well as the obvious practical concerns a problem like this brings into life, you’ve some serious concerns about the overall emotional and mental health and wellbeing of the man represented here as the Emperor. From being a man well-used to succeeding he seems of late to have run into some fairly large obstacles which appear to bar his path and make progress very difficult. I feel you’re offering a great deal of nourishment and emotional support here, but privately, you’re feeling fairly worried.
Mind you I think you have the tools and experience to help cut through these obstacles. You’re remarkable insight, as I have said before and a willingness to identify and name problems, which often manages to rob them of their power. It’s this skill you need to use now. Don’t tiptoe around issues here, poke them in the eye and then keep the tissues handy. There’s only so much good that empathy can do. In the end, it’s action that will break through this stale patch.
Many of your hopes and wishes for the future are tied up in the young person shown as Princess of Wands here – this is a bright, and basically happy person – if sometimes somewhat dogmatic and stubborn in her viewpoint. One this is for sure – you’ll not tolerate temporary setbacks now affecting her hopes for the future.
Stand your ground now, go for no easy compromises and push forward determinedly for your goals. I am quite certain that this is a glitch along the way, rather than an end-stop on the journey. There are solutions to be found here. They just needing rooting out.
Your environment: The Sun
2 of Wands, The Hermit, 9 of Swords, Prince Wands, 6 of Coins, Death, the Empress
You know, you’ve been on the top of your game for a while now. This current trouble must be feeling very strange and unfamiliar – not at all what you had counted on. I sense a certain uneasy distrust in the way you’re relating to certain aspects of your life right now – rather as though the earth shifted when you didn’t expect it to leaving you feeling confused and a little unstable.
There’s also a sense here that some injustice has been done on your or yours, which is proving difficult to find a resolution to. I’m not sure I don’t want to tell you not to bother here. There are some fights it is simply not worth engaging with – this can happen for many reasons – and does not detract from the unfairness that has taken place. From your perspective, I just feel very strongly that your energies would be better employed finding ways to move on, make progress toward your future rather than dwelling on a past event which feels somewhat murky and “wrong” somehow. I agree with you entirely that in a perfect world this situation should not have arisen – but it did, and now it’s time to ensure it can have as little negative impact as possible. This will be achieved only by turning your back on it, and moving forward with trust and a belief in your own virtue.
There’s an opportunity coming in on the work front (I think for some-one very close to you) quite shortly. It is on this your energies need to be focussed. Looking back over your shoulder at the actions of others is not going to improve your situation.
This new opportunity provides a fresh start but also imposes certain quite far-reaching changes on the family environment. It will tend to throw a heavier burden on you in the domestic environment – which I do not think you will mind particularly, but it will take a little adjusting to. Be prepared to feel a little unsettled for a month or so until you are able to establish a different routine for yourself – and do make establishing that routine paramount. It’s the only way you’re going to get things to run smoothly.
Finances begin to improve here – though I do think there’s an uphill climb toward recovery here for a few months. However I see no problem with this being achieved – it just needs a little attention and careful management to re-establish a more secure and dependable footing again.
Overall here there’s a sense of the home environment slowly settling back to normal, which gives you a sense of contentment and security. Again, though, be ready for some disruption before you manage to get it to settle in.
This is a huge opportunity though and I believe it will lead to big things over the next three or four years. While I do feel as though the beginning seems to be a bit further down the ladder than you might have wished, nevertheless the end product will be a great improvement.
Work and Career: The Chariot
5 of Wands, Ace of Cups, Justice, Queen of Wands, 9 of Swords, Queen of Cups, Princess of Wands
Now after a period where we have been talking very much about you as other peoples’ support system, we get down to the nitty-gritty as far as you personally are concerned. In truth your work area looks as though it has had a bit of a chequered past, not always bringing you what you had hoped for or dreamt of – there’s a strong feeling here that your progress was somehow interrupted some time ago, and it is only in the fairly recent past that you have been able to begin to get things back on track.
However now you seem a great deal happier –feeling that you are going in the right direction, by and large, and beginning to get to be where you would wish to be. However there’s still a strong sense here you feel you have a great deal left to do, and sometimes a sense that you often feel you’re running just to keep up.
Remember I was saying to you that an injustice was perpetrated upon somebody close to you a little while ago in a work environment? Well I need you to be very watchful indeed that something similar does not happen to you. There are two women in that environment that I feel somewhat twitchy toward. One of them is the sort of woman who appears very nice to your face, but is quite invidious when your back is turned. I’m not sure she is actually malicious, but she is certainly not reliable. She has a tendency to say what she thinks will please others, and this is not always helpful. She’s also far too ready to air an opinion when she is not really qualified to have developed one – so mind her. I feel rather – she’s not deliberately damaging but could be something of a thorn in your side at times.
The other woman is younger, and fiercely ambitious. I get the sense that in some way she perceives you to be “in her way”. I would not go so far as to describe her as ruthless – but I stop not too very far short ;-) Thing is, though – if you study this young woman objectively, you will discover that she is very like you were when you were younger in your attitudes to work, before you got interrupted.
My advice about these two, is to let them work on each other, and steer well clear yourself. The younger woman can be managed appropriately if you make a point of identifying and nurturing her strengths. In truth, despite her view to the contrary, you are not a threat to her, and she is not a threat to you. In fact, your paths will naturally diverge given six months. However in the meantime she’s more use as an ally, than as a potential problem, so make sure that’s who she is.
All in all, given three or four months, you’ll know you’re still properly on track, and making good progress toward your goals. Don’t let anything insignificant capture your attention along the way. You’ll be wasting energy.
Love and romance: Knight/King Coins
10 of Coins, 9 of Swords, 2 of Coins, Knight/King Cups, Temperance, Lovers, 2 of Wands
Now this area of your life looks very rewarding and contented, even though there’s a certain amount of tension and unease right now. I think this is a long-term and very stable relationship. It seems well rooted and earthy and fairly pragmatic in some ways.
Admittedly it’s not been all roses just recently, but as we discussed earlier I think we’ll see those problems clearing out of the way in the next couple of months or so. Don’t let current events get you down too much. There’s nothing wrong here that a few external changes will not begin to put right.
There’s a shift coming in the very basic material aspect of the relationship which has a lot to do with repairing self-esteem and recovering lost ground. Once that begins to happen I feel quite sure you’ll be back to feeling steady and secure here. You do look a little stretched and uncomfortable right now – but I honestly think you can relax and take things a little more gently.
The man here shows as a King of Cups – at his best, he’s gentle, understanding, respectful and caring. I do think his confidence has taken a bit of a battering recently, so you’re not quite getting the best out of him at the moment, but it will not be long in coming back to the surface.
Just sit it out a few more weeks, and go back to read the first position about how to help and support. Use the intervening time to get back comfortably into your centre and regroup. You will soon need to be very clear about your own desires and requirements. Count on the idea that things will come back into balance very soon now
In the end product I think you’ll find you gained a great deal out of this difficult period. It is often much easier to be contented within a relationship when things are going smoothly – but sometimes it is only crisis that brings about a sense of shared and mutual regard and respect.
There’s a particular point in time coming (could be something like a holiday or short break) where you are able to relax and thoroughly explore the changes within this relationship. I think you’ll find this more than rewarding and fulfilling – it will also be revealing, and very emotionally honest.
Give it about three or four months and I truly do think you will look back and think that an already powerful relationship has moved on to a new level of satisfaction and contentment. This is a warm and happy feeling here – so look forward to it.
Fears and Weaknesses: 10 of Cups
10 of Wands, High Priestess, 7 of Swords, Temperance, Strength, The Fool, Knight/King Wands
Interesting contradiction in the master Ten and the first Ten of the group there… the master cards tells us that overall, if we are to look beyond current problems, everything in your life really is rosy. You generally experience a pretty high level of domestic contentment, and satisfaction, and largely your life beyond home is quite fulfilling – if challenging. Certainly you are gradually knocking down your life goals one by one.
However that first Ten on the group does tell us you have been feeling a little weary and thwarted in some areas. Now I’m wondering if this is a very immediate effect stemming from the last year or so, or whether it’s perhaps rather more long-term. I suppose I feel the latter is probably true, but this most recent period has tended to pull it quite sharply into focus for you. There’s a degree of frustration here, coupled with an occasional sense of failure and disappointment.
I think you’d do very well to sit back and objectively count your achievements. There’s just a hint of something lurking in here which from what I can see does not deserve to be there. It’s as though you do not give yourself credit for your triumphs, and tend rather to concentrate on the areas where you feel you should have achieved more.
I think it’s time you trusted your intuition a little more when it comes to trying to assess your triumphs and your fears, you know. You’re a relatively independent woman, who needs to feel she is making a worthwhile contribution. Be very sure you understand what exactly a worthwhile contribution actually is.
Also, be patient with yourself – you’re on the verge of an important breakthrough now which allows you to get an much more adequate and clear view of yourself. You need only let another few months pass by and you’ll see yourself and your progress much more clearly – I’d say by later spring you’ll find this undercurrent of discontent changing dramatically. However, in the meantime you need to be careful not to let it harm you.
Have just a little more faith in yourself – you do not see within you the strengths and potentials that others do, I can assure you of that with great confidence. But if you take yourself in hand here, and allow yourself the long view, you’ll soon come to see these matters differently.
Things are going to change very shortly now, on many fronts. I think the way that you will perceive things once these changes start slotting into place will be very different than the way you see them now.
Also, just recently I think you have felt a little bereft of support and backup – you have tended to rely on the King for this, and frankly I do not feel he has been overly forthcoming over this past period. This, too, will change very shortly, allowing you to be able to access one of your major support systems again in the very near future.
So when you’re feeling a little lost… just concentrate on that Ten of Cups and ignore anything that temporarily seems to be thwarting you.
Hidden Aspects of your Self and Your Life: The Star
The Lovers, The Empress, 8 of Swords, The Emperor, The World, The Hierophant, 5 of Wands
You’re showing some interesting aspects of yourself here. There’s a very clear need to touch the woman within you more deeply – to get in touch with archetypal concepts about womanhood as well as a need to simply feel more womanly within yourself. I think maybe some of this is coming from the relative aridity of the last few months or so – you feel a little out of touch with the more vulnerable, private and intimate parts of your life here. You have a deep need to be closely involved with your partner, and I think it has hurt you a fair bit feeling so distanced from him at times here.
However I really do not feel particularly worried about this – I think despite recent interference and some disappointment, upcoming events will resolve this area of need very shortly now. Don’t let yourself be too disturbed by the feeling of withdrawal you have noticed in recent times – men and women react very differently to pressure. This opening gulf between you will close very soon now, and as I have said before, you will discover new depths and power within the relationship. You might currently feel, on a very personal level, that you are missing out on something crucially important to you – but it will come back soon enough.
This is an astoundingly powerful group of cards you know – Major as the Master card (and in my opinion the very best card in the deck) along with five definers which are Majors too. Make no mistake, you and yours are going in the right direction. One outstanding thing of note here is the reversion all the way back to your original observations, where you are speaking about how much your life is intertwined with the lives of others. You are the kind of woman who considers the overview with great care and warmth.
With the Star as Master card you can be assured that the longings and desires you hold deep inside you as driving forces stand a very good chance of emerging as realities in the none too distant future. The World makes it clear that you are coming to the end of what has been a somewhat difficult journey. But you will emerge not only grown and stronger, but also with a greater vision, and more clarity.
The Hierophant shapes your vision of the future – moral, fair, balanced – in some respects fairly traditional – but I mean that not in a stodgy way – I mean it in a heart-held precious fashion. There are some traditional values that you regard with a great deal of respect. In some ways, the old ways are the best ways, for you. Holding onto simple, yet profound, values about life gives you stability and security.
You have come to a point where, whilst still very capable of fighting battles, if somebody else wants to start them, in fact you would prefer to resolve by negotiation and compromise – so long as that does not involve you giving up more than you can afford.
Potential for Happiness: Princess of Cups
3 of Coins, Princess Swords, 10 of Swords, 7 of Cups, Ace of Cups, Knight/King of Coins, Death
This position assesses your future view for the next year or two. By and large it’s strong. You’ll see a gradual return to material stability, bringing in with it a sense of greater ease and security.
One area of concern you are expressing here is about the well-being of a young woman who is close to you. You feel she is making some very destructive choices for herself - this could be only just establishing itself and be somewhat unclear right now.
Whilst I can entirely understand your desire to help and assist, I truly doubt she will be willing to accept advice or guidance at this time. I’m going to have to tell you something you’ll be none too pleased to hear, about this. You need to try to disengage. Until this young woman is willing to listen, there is no point in expending too much grief, time or energy on her. I know that is going to be a great deal harder to do than it is for me to say – but there’s a real potential to push her further in the wrong direction by expressing deep concern. The most helpful thing that can happen here really is that you struggle to maintain an attitude of non-judgemental acceptance, making it clear you are willing to listen when she is willing to talk.
There’s an older man having influence here – possibly a father-figure type, who tends to be somewhat non-communicative. He rarely speaks about his feelings, and is generally of a practical nature – tending to tackle things systematically and seriously. In the end, I feel it is this man who has the solution for the young woman. It will only be with a certain shift in each attitude that they manage to come together on a safer middle ground. However assuming that happens, I think things with rapidly change and develop, leaving behind old sourness, and bringing forth something new and more progressive. I get the sense this is a fairly long-term issue here, coming to a head.
That said, from your perspective things are going very well indeed. Along with the re-establishment of general security and stability, there’s a flowering within your personal relationship which comes as an unexpected joy. Times are changing a fair bit for you now. You have come to a point of pivot in your life – not one which, before it happens, you will view with any great excitement. However you’ll find that when you get here, it’s a very joyful and complete experience.
That’s it!
Loadsa love
Reading by Jan
