Spreads that use "combined energies"

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 05 May 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

samantha	05 May 2003
I'm having problems with spreads that make use of combined energies . In many cases I'm finding that they pose more questions than they answer. This may be a sign that the spread itself is at fault ......(yes, yes , a bad work man always blames his tools.) Quite alot of the time there is no obvious mis-match between where one person , and another , are coming from ...but the combined energies are truely awful ! Meaning that other factors must be coming into play....and ones that the reading does not show. For example , the other day I got King Pentacles for what he was bringing to the relationship , physically , and 9 Pentacles for what she brought. At the time I thought , so far , so good . They are both sensuous types....probably appreciate the same kinds of thing , and the nature of the other. BUT the combined energy was 8 cups , so obviously something was lacking / insufficient for one or both of them . I just didn't get it !! Apart from adding cards for clarification , which would seem to defeat the object , I'm not sure what I can do to understand these kinds of spreads . Any ideas ? I don't want to give up on them just yet ........maybe I'm just missing the obvious.

HudsonGray	05 May 2003
Maybe you're looking too deep? I know some people use elementals & Quabballah influences & astrological signs, etc. All of which can make things very complex. If you're having trouble making sense of the readings, pull back and just use card descriptions, without pulling anything extra into the reading, and see if that helps clarify things better.

galadrial	05 May 2003
Maybe you could try thinking about what is going on around the person on the card. I think of the King of Pentacles and I can see people standing nearby waiting to consult with him, I hear the hum of a computer just off to the side so he can check on his business deals, I can imagine his dinner being interrupted by important calls. Far from finding this inconvenient, I think that it would make him feel important, connected to "what's going on in the world". I see the 9 of Pentacles and I hear bird song, or the soft strains of Mozart. If there's anyone near by I think it is a friend or family member who can quietly enjoy this moment with her. I imagine her about to go into the house and enjoy a quiet meal; she will not appreciate it if it is interrupted by a phone call. In this way, I see the King of Pentacles a maybe being too much busy, worldly energy for the 9 of Pentacles- too much going after more instead of enjoying what one has.

Nao	06 May 2003
i agree with most of what galadrial said...except i take it slightly different. i think reading the king of pentacles like how she described it can be helpful to you...but i see a bit more in the 9 of pentacles. perhaps he's so busy that there's not enough of time spent together? or perhaps she gets everything from him in terms of material stuff...but maybe she's dissatisfied in the emotions department? i see that stability and security in the relationship doesn't seem to be a problem at all. whether that's in terms of money, status, feelings, or whatever. however- i see what's lacking is emotions. the 8 of cups furthers what i think about the emotions lacking. he brings in pentacles...she brings in pentacles...but together, there's something missing in the heart. especially with the 8 of cups...it isn't a card of disasters and it isn't a card where something horrible happened. i see that more as a card of needing something more...yearning for something "higher" or "deeper" so in this case- i would say that on the surface, everything looks great. or at least it looks like everything is beautiful and stable...but beneath it all, there's something that they're not meeting with each other on. this is perhaps a time to tell them that they should focus more on emotional matters and with spending more quality time with each other....and lesser focus on the material comforts or practical matters. hope that helps! =) added edit: also, as to understanding these kinds of "combined energy" spreads...i think when things aren't as obvious, it can be kind of tricky. usually what i do is similar to what i've described for your cards up on top. most of time, it helps to look at the combined card...and see its solitary message first- then you relate it to the cards on the side to see if they match up, what's missing, what's good, etc. also...when all else fails, look at the suit as well because that often gives you clues about which areas the cards are talking about. i'm really bad at explaining this...i hope it's not confusing you. =P

samantha	06 May 2003
Thanks for everybodys thoughts. I liked your ideas on visualisation .....like being on a movie set ! I'm still mulling this one over . Don't know !! It doesn't help that in this case I know both people , and can't equate what I know of their characters with what I'm seeing in the cards. Still , as someone once said , the only people who know about a relationship are the ones inside it ! I guess this is even more true when we get into the area of sex....... The only thing which comes to mind is that the woman in the 9 seems independant whereas the King IMHO could want to control , after all its what he does during the week . Maybe she's not in to being pinned down , figuratively or literally...............

The Spreads that use "combined energies" thread was originally posted on 05 May 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.