21 Ways ... A SPECIAL EXERCISE for both Apprentice & Adept Level participants.

le fey

I wanted to participate in this even though I'm still slowly working through the first level.

I found this reading to be really helpful in sorting out a recent personal issue, not earthshaking but annoying. It was interesting trying to consciously apply the 21 Steps to the cards - it was way too much to go through it all with each card, but I started to see how one technique or the other could be applied with intent and how they helped inform me of the meaning.

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Present Condition
1. V High Priest


A very earthy high priest sits on a stone throne in the middle of a lot of greenery (almost as if it's starting to grow over this chair, its so firmly rooted in the earth). He wears green and brown and a stone table next to him holds a blue chalice and a sword. There are two large rocky cliffs to either side behind him, and the sun is shining directly over his head, framed by a pair of bulls horns on the back of his chair. His right hand is in a firm but relaxed fist on the arm of the chair. The left hand is raised overhead making a sign of the bull's horns (or 'party on' concert goer) with first and last finger. His face is focused intently outward, unsmiling but not frowning.

2. 10 of Wands

Guy bent over, trudging up a hill, weighted down by a large bundle of wands. There's a long trail through a valley behind him, but his focus is on stepping carefully from one rock to the other.

(Side note....getting sooo tired of seeing this card pop up everywhere. I get it! I get it! Now go away.)

Together, I see the High Priest - the one responsible for keeping all the earthly, mundane concerns in good order, but latched in to higher, spiritual matters. When I put myself in his posture, I feel - hah! Like I'm at a concert celebrating the groove going on, as both audience and participant in the group energy. In the position of the guy on the 10 of Wands, I feel tired and constricted - just looking down, focused on minute steps and the weight on my back. I want to stretch out the kinks, and it feels paradoxically less energetic than the HP, even though he's comfortably seated and this takes up more energy.

Putting this into my present situation, I am responsible for creating the group environment within my family - setting rules, but also cheering on my children's efforts, and through it all keeping an orderly rhythm going. But my focus lately is more about how hard it all is, taking all the not-fun parts on my own shoulders... making sure they have plenty of good things to cheer about, but not being a good steward about making sure they share in the joys of household maintenance/meeting responsibilities. And that's not good - teaching them to take on those things is for their own future good as well as my own current good. This reminds me of last night - I had to be away overnight and had asked each to take care of a few minor things before I got back, and not only was not one of them done, but other things had gotten left out, not taken care of and boy did I feel like that 10 of Wands guy when I got back - totally oppressed by having to face all that instead of being glad to be back home with them again. Defeated. Wound up having a talk with them, not just about responsibilities but about wanting to be able to find real ways to be proud of them, and that that doesn't just mean the fun stuff (which I am very proud of), but this kind of thing too. That living together means not saddling one person with all the chores, that no one wants to do it - you do it out of consideration for everyone involved. These two cards are a great snapshot of my immediate present.

Partnered with the High Priestess, the first thing that catches my attention is that her whole being embodies the hand signal the High Priest is making - her arms creating an uplifted crescent, and the Moon glowing over her head. She is his counterpart, focused more on deeper meaning than outward details and while he guides interpersonal relationships, her focus is on intrapersonal ones. While I'm busy guiding my children in how to respect others, I need to remember that it's important to respect myself as well - take my own needs into account. I'm not here to be anyone's doormat or sacrifice my own concerns while guiding them through theirs. It's ok to require some respect be shown to me and not just get buried under all those wands.

Immediate Future
3. 9 of Pentacles


A dark-haired woman in a white gown stands next to a low garden wall with pentacles carved into it. She holds a bird with bright blue markings in her right hand and rests her left hand on a slender branch that is bare other than buds. The ground beneath her shows slightly overgrown grass and wildflowers and the hint of a path. The sky is mostly full of clouds, but with a hint of yellow - I gather this is at sunrise or sunset in early spring?

4. Prince of Cups

A brightly colored man on a brown horse is facing right (toward the 9 of Pentacles), holding out a cup. His face appears pained, eyes mostly closed, mouth in a slight grimace. (Hate to say it but he looks condescending more than anything) His horse is standing still next to a still lake and the sky is at a point either just after sunset or just before sunrise - the upper sky is dark and is filled with glowing clouds and a crescent moon. It's the same moon as that in the High Priestess card, but not so late at night.

In terms of immediate future, if I get a better a better handle on the delegating noted in the first set of cards, and get my own task list into a more balanced state, I can become the woman on the 9 of Pentacles. She looks content, alone but not at all lonely... I see this bird as a tamed pet and companion - perhaps even a spirit guide she can send off to fly ahead into the future for her. Meanwhile, her garden isn't at its best - it's a bit untended and so early in the year that the tree is just barely coming back to life, but she can refresh herself here anyway, with room to imagine the future and give care and attention to the growth of what brings her peace. My simple message here is quit getting bowed down by trivia and spend some time just tending and enjoying my personal garden.

The Prince... I really don't like this prince. He looks snooty, passing this woman over his glass with a 'here, drink this. I made it myself and this is what you should care about since it's what I care about."

I think in the immediate future, if I start insisting on more complete participation from the kids on household stuff and start focusing more attention on personal R&R, I'm likely to get a huffy response and some demand that their feelings of outrage at changing the rules take center stage. But you know what? No. You made it, you drink it. And wash that glass when you're done. The sun is setting on my days as the local maid. I do right by them and will always be there for the serious stuff - but it's so totally not my job to rescue them or protect them from the horrible pain of having to pick up after themselves. The High Priest reminds me that that is my job - to train them to be civilized people that others can live with without being used.

And the High Priestess, in her aspect as Crone reminds me that that short-term response is just a temporary passing phase - I won't always be around to mother them so they need to learn this. My main goal has got to be staying focused on the bigger, long-term future and caring for myself for the long haul. Her outward focus (and that of the High Priest) is mirrored by the woman in the 9 of Pentacles - this is where I need to look, outward into the whole of my life.

Long Term Future
5. 6 of Swords


A bright yellow sky - the sun is again low somewhere, either rising or setting. A boat is being navigated toward me by a shadowy cloaked figure pushing it along with a long pole. In the boat are a man and woman - he holds one sword, blade down in his left hand, and two more are leaning against the boat at his side. She has three swords resting in her lap. Cattails are in the water surrounding them.

Ok, first of all, they are navigating toward the same orientation as the front facing cards that have already come up - facing slightly inward in the direction of the High Priestess. Secondly, I notice that they're all in the boat together and sharing responsibility for those swords. Finally, here the wand isn't a burden to be carried, but a tool being used.

This could be the same lake as the one showing next to the Prince of Cups... he's going to have to get out of his focus on his feelings and get in the boat and come along to a better place.

In the long term, getting this household imbalance sorted out won't disrupt the family - once they get past their feelings about making the change, they're going to work together with me to keep things on an even keel, and the result will be movement in the direction I'm trying to go.

6. 4 of Wands

Four wands are arranged in a square over a firepit that is in a clearing at the end of a path near a cottage. Now it's daylight - blue skies and fluffy clouds. Swags of greenery covered in blue flowers (the same color as the bird in the 9 of Pentacles) decorate the poles.

Here is a stable bit of protection for the hearth fire - the scene is peaceful and while there are no people visible, there are signs of homelife in this picture, well ordered and serene.

This is just a good confirmation that getting this situation corrected will result in a more stable and happy homelife than trying to take it all on myself and dealing with disorder and resentment over the situation. Because I do want my children to be happy, this is a reminder that real happiness will come from a settled, well-ordered homelife, so it's worth it to put up with some temporary dramatics from that Prince of Cups.

Coming full circle, this scene of domestic tranquility looks like it's ready at any moment for a celebration. All the trivial maintenance details have been sorted out so now everyone has time and energy for something fun. And check it out - there's that High Priest right next to it, doing a "Rock on!" high sign and grooving on the rhythm.

Overall Influence
7. II High Priestess


A thin, old woman in a blue dress and cloak, stands facing me, eyes closed, dark hair loose, and arms lifted up toward the sky in a crescent. She seems to be cradling the crescent Moon that sits above her head. A stone slab in front of her is holding a closed book with a pentagram on it. Behind her are two high rocky walls so that she seems to be in the middle of a steep gap between cliffs. (These are similar to those showing on the High Priest, although I think he may be on the other side of the, out in the open.) A lake is behind her and a wolf (?) is seated on the edge of the lake.

A lot of people don't care for this card in this deck, but I do. This is the HP as Crone - a tough cookie who has been there, done that, and moved beyond the events and reactions of her life to turn inward and upward. She hasn't always lived internally - she's done her time as Maiden and Mother and brings that experience with her as she moves toward old age. She knows how to let go of those things that are no longer in season for her. She keeps this book with her - all the wisdom she's learned along the way - and she is not afraid of the dark or of moving toward old age because as she's let things go in their right time, she's grown more and more into herself.

Applying the HP to the rest of the reading, her message to me is to stay true to my own center, seek wisdom from within and - to be cliche about it - 'don't sweat the small stuff.' She gives me courage to be tough in the short term to get the family turned around on the right path and she stays hidden at the center of this reading... a reminder to keep my own Crone at the center of the situation so that I can better see the inner importance of what's going on, and rise above it.

This tough old bird would neither be manipulated by the emotions of the Prince of Cups, nor mistake them for anything of long-term consequence - not when she's got that giant lake of deep feeling behind her.
 

coyoteblack

I think you have a real interesting meaning the high priest and high priestess in the present situation is some powerful mojo.

maybe Lear to use you abilities to see the " unseen"

Knight of cups coming latter with the high priestesses is a lot of emotions

and 10 and 4 of wands are both about as still as you are going to get the fire elements.

I think there are a lot of hidden messages in here.

I would be very interested how you look at this spread after you get to the adept level.
 

Jewel

Le Fey, I really enjoyed your reading. I actually had the Druid Craft on me and so I layed out your cards to follow along. I agree with Coyoteblack that there is a powerful relationship between the High Priest and the 10 of Wands. The guy in the 10 of Wands even looks like an older and worn out version of the High Priest. What I did note was one was strong and in control, the other looks more like a slave. I think that influenced by the HP (which I also like by the way), the message is to pull from your higher self, realize that taking control and providing leadership is where you need to focus your energy, not on doing all the work, which in though democratic in spirit seems to be interpreted by your kids as freeing them from the responsiblity. With both the High Priest, and High Priestess linked here, I see a call for you to use your leadership and motherly intuition and whip the Prince of Cups into shape.

In the near future I agree you will probably face the poutiness of the Prince of Cups, but with the wisdom and guidance from the HP and staying your course you will be able to manage all of this from a 9 of Pentacles perspective. I loved how the far future takes you into the place you want to go, peace, calm, and order.

I noted some really cool relationships as to how the cards interfaced, like the 10 of Wands and Prince of Cups having their backs to the rest of the cards. Very withdrawn from the rest of the spread. Yet in the 6 of swords which faces the same direction but is on the left side of the spread it lookes as though the boat was sailing right to the HP. Also the 9 of Coins faces the HP and through her the 4 of Wands.

This spread really does give the opportunity to really explore relationships and interconnectedness between all cards in the spread.