One of the Most Common Questions
‘Will he come back?’ or ‘Will she come back?’ is one of the most often-asked questions I get as a Tarot Reader. It is hard to move on without knowing the answer if we still love the one who left, even if we know in our minds that moving on is for the best.
In some cases, when it’s clear that you have had a narrow escape, it might be better to suggest cord-cutting rather than looking into if the abuser will be back… but in the end, it’s not for the reader to judge. We all have free will and it is a well-known fact that many many people on this planet choose to live in co-dependent and/or toxic relationships.
Sometimes relationships fall apart and we are quick to judge the other person, blaming the breakdown on them when really we know that it takes two and you are just as responsible as they for creating the dynamic you had and that led to the breakdown.
Avoid Blame
Anyone who has been around for a while will want to avoid taking sides when the relationships of friends fall apart for this very reason. Those who do take sides often had a vested interest in seeing the relationship end, to begin with, or they are manipulated into taking sides. There are ways of supporting the one who is hurting without playing the blame game, and I say that having lived long enough to play every position in the field…
The Magic Door
But I digress. I woke up this morning with the image of a door-shaped spread in my head:
If what you desire deep down is hidden behind a magic door, what would the door look like? What kind of lock would it have? What is the key like? Are you holding the key? What is the handle like? What does it feel like to push the door open and step through?
Granted, if applied to the desire to reconnect with an ex, this implies that unlocking the door to an AWOL lover is in our control. We all know it isn’t as simple as that.
However, the cards can give us clues about what we can and can’t do to reconnect in this situation. The Magic Door Spread truly is a magical spread in that it sheds light on all aspects of the desire to reconnect as well as the best way forward (if there is one).
The Will He Come Back Tarot Spread
1. Your motivation
The first card shows you the real underlying reason for your desire to reconnect. It indicates if you want them back to soothe a bruised ego or if there is true love there. It tells you if you feel that you didn’t learn all you needed to learn or if you are just struggling with letting go.
2. & 3. What you had
These two cards represent the relationship dynamic you had in the past and shed further light on the first card.
4. The handle
This card shows you what action you would need to take to reconnect. A card such as The Hanged Man shows that it won’t matter what you do, you’ll just have to surrender and wait for the future to unfold. Look for the Fire (Wands+Majors) and Air (Swords+Majors) cards to indicate that taking action will pay off.
5. The lock
This is the main challenge/obstacle that lies between you and your AWOL lover.
6. An outside influence currently affecting the situation
No need to elaborate really but if it is another person (Court Card) they may well have moved on already.
7. 8. & 9. What lies on the other side of the door
This signifies how things might turn out if you did get back together. Remember, it is rarely a good idea to reboil the kettle.
10. The key
If you received a green light for using that door handle, then this is the key that unlocks the lock and gives you the understanding you need to open the door.
Comments
Is King of cups a loving man? Who does he represent as he came up as the man i asked for.
Hi, you can read all about the King of Cups here: http://lovedovetarot.com/2012/07/13/dating-the-king-of-cups/
Hi can i ask as the Ace pentacles being my last card is that a good or bad thing? Will i ever hear from him again?
Thank you
The Ace of Pentacles speak of new beginnings and a gift.
My question isn’t asking you to give me a free reading. Just the meaning of the death card as #5 … The fool as #10 and if I should move forward or let it go. If moving forward do I make contact. The fool could mean new beginnings and I see that as a good sign…
I completely understand this is your living and I’d never ask you to interpret the entire thing. I’m just needing a few pointers. Plz and thank you.
Death in number five is a good sign this is over – as in permanently over.
Wow … Just like that. So the 7 of swords does mean he’d be sneaky, the queen of swords I’d be bitchy … So new beginnings is for other relationships.
Sad but I guess it’s best to know now.
My only confusion others have had the death as 5 and it’s transformation. What told you that this meant completely done. Was it the Page of Pentacles or the 8 of swords? J
I love your blog and I religiously come to your page when I do readings. I’m working on my craft and I thank you for sharing your knowledge.
My cards
1: 9 of cups
2-3: The Sun and 5 of wands
We had a great time and there was the battle of the egos and over control. I realize I need to soften a little. The love was real … I don’t do relationships or believe in love much and with him I softened but I got scared too!
4: Page of Pentacles
5: Death
6: 9 of Swords (I pull this card for him often)
7,8,9: 7 of swords / Reversed: queen of swords / the fool.
10: 4 of cups
I see some good in the reading but I also see bad … Can you help me decipher the next steps. The death card could mean transformation but I don’t want to disillusion myself if it means it’s over. The reversed queen of swords is me … I can be catty with my words… I’m a Scorpio woman I lure them in and then pounce when I’m hurt. He actually just.stop.talking after our last fight! The 7 of swords … He’s a private person to the point of insanity at times(Cancer men typically are) The fool makes sense for the both of us … A need for being carefree and fun.
Im just not completely sure how to take this spread … Especially for myself because I’m way to close to the situation. Your help would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you,
GratefulScorpio
Hi Lisa
I wanted to ask a question about the queens. I have always thought I was the Queen of Wands and would say her description fits me. However over the last 3 months, the Queen of cups keeps coming up. Initially I was totally puzzled by her, she came up in a number of different questions but now I have read up on her she actually fits me … i am a pisces female and very very (very very :)) emotional, at times to a fault. i over think EVERYTHING and at the moment my life is very stressful with things that are happening within it, work and love wise which is making me even more like the Queen of Cups. My question is do you think you can swop from one queen to another at different times in your life, or/and do you think I am more the queen of cups than wands?
Sorry if this question is long winded or in the wrong place 🙂
Thank you (as always)
Tami
Hi Tami, you can definitely swap between different Queens or even be a combination of all of them – Ideally, we should aspire to embody the best qualities of each of the Courtiers (yes, the males ones too!) in order to be well-rounded human beings. If you are feeling extremely Watery at the minute, perhaps you can find ways of balancing yourself with more Fire and also stay grounded (Earth).
Thank you 🙂 That really makes sense, and that is what my gut instinct said. And thank you for your quick response as always!! I LOVE this site!!
Hi Lisa Marie
im new to this site as well as tarot this is what i got
1st magician
2)8 of pentacles
3)the emperor
4)ace of wands
5)5 of pentacles reversed
6)the hermit reversed
7)7 of wands
8)3 of wands reversed
9)8 of wands
10)5 of swords
if you could give me some feedback of understanding on this would be greatly appreaciated 🙂
Hi Jenna, this is an advanced spread and probably not a great one to try if you are new to Tarot. If you would like to have a read through all the meanings in the INDEX and then come back to me with one or two specific, tarot-related questions, I may be able to help. I simply don’t have time to do a whole spread interpretation here.
Can someone please help me interpret what I got for this spread?
1. Eight of Cups
2. Queen of Pentacles
3. Nine of Pentacles
4. The Hanged Man Reverse
5. Four of Wands
6. The World
7. Four of Pentacles
8. Seven of Cups
9. Four of Swords
10. The Sun
Hi, sorry Startlett, I don’t have time to do whole spread interpretations on here. If you ask one or two tarot-related questions, I may be able to help. Thanks!
Hi Lisa,
I recently signed up for your website, I read so many of everyone else’s posts to help with my own cards so I just figured I would sign up! I have a few questions about my spread I did.
1-..Chariot
2-..4wand
3-..5 pent
4-..Ace wand
5-..6 wand
6-..pope
7-..9 pent
8-..8 wand
9-..7 wand
10-..Hanged
My question was if the hanged man is the outcome (which I had gotten twice before) does that mean there is nothing I can do about it?
I had taken action and had tried to initiate conversation like the Ace of Wands had advised me to do and I got nothing. So I’m curious as to how this is asking me to go about it?
Thank you, Lacey
Hi Lacey,
Sometimes, the urge to initiate contact is there for us, because it is in our own nature to reach out and want to shed light on a situation. This impulse has to be honoured and may or may not lead to a response from the other person. Contemplate how the sacrifical nature of the Hanged Man fits with the pride of the 6 of Wands. I often see the 6 of Wands as the lock and it almost invariably signifies pride getting in the way of a resolution/reconciliation.
Thank you very much, I appreciate it and it makes total sense!
is the queen of cups another woman or as the outcome myself as a wife?
It depends on if this is normally your significator or not.
Hello Lisa,
I tried your spread and this is my reading:
1- three of wands
2+3- nine of swords/reversed hanged man
4- seven of wands
5- ten of swords
6- magician
7+8+9- two of swords/ace of cups/hierophant
key: reversed king of cups
This is how I interpreted the last 3 cards+key:
If I open the door to him in my life again certain issues and decisions will be avoided/ignored, there would be a real need of stability and love… the key shows him as having emotional issues, too little or too much or being manipulative.
My question is : if my interpretation is right, does he want more from me and potentially manipulating me emotionally, or am I intruding on his life making things emotionally difficult for him to deal with and to move on?
Just doubting, I don’t want my personal feelings to cloud my interpretation…
Thank you.
Hi Jay, I can see you wanting to do the right thing here… but looking at what you actually had together (9 Swords + Hanged Man Rx), I don’t see there being anything to build on – especially not with the lock being the 10 of Swords. It’s saying this chapter is closing. I wouldn’t read this spread with reversals, btw… and I wouldn’t see the Key as being him. The Key is an action you need to take.
Hi there! Just attempted 10 card door read..
Attempted being operative word!!!! Having trouble interpreting it…Can U please help?…S.O.S.. Top row cards 1 – 3 as follows…
1 – Queen cups
2 – 5 pentacles
3 – 3 swords
Second row
4 – 8 wands
5 – King wands
6 – 5 cups
Third row
7 – Page wands
8 – 9 cups
9 – 9 swords
10th card 10 swords
Your expertise would be much appreciated…Cheers Mari
If you could ask one or two specific tarot-related questions about portions of the spread you struggle with it would be much appreciated, Mari. I simply don’t have time to analyse the whole spread. Cheers
Hi Lisa…I have 2 tarot decks & 3 books on tarot & between them I get confused…I just was wondering if overall is there enough love here for any possible soul reconnection..we have 2 adult children & a dear little grand daughter…love he so much still…Mari
Sorry, Mari – I don’t do free readings on here.
Thanks for ur glowing advice…I appreciate it…M
To everyone who has commented lately on this thread:
In an ideal world (where time does not exist), I would be able to help you interpret whole spreads for you here. Unfortunately, I have bills to pay and have to priortise my paid readings.
If you ask one or two specific tarot-related questions (think ‘What does this particular card mean in this position?’) then I’m much more likely to reply than if you just ask me to guide you through the whole spread or to answer questions about every single card position.
Thank you for your understanding and please feel free to help each other out!
Hi Lisa!! Thank you so much for this spread – I would highly appreciate some additional insight into the cards I drew…to make a long story very short a series of recent events led me to end a 5 year relationship and my now-married ex (who I believed to be my soulmate and tried to forget to no avail) has reached out to me..
1. Nine of cups
2. The hierophant
3. Queen of pentacles
4. King of wands
5. Death
6. Two of wands
7. The star
8. Temperance
9. The high priestess
10. Princess of cups
Thank you in advance for your sage advice if you can offer any!
Best,
Marie
Just to clarify, I’m most confused by Death and two of wands in their respective positions…also not sure how to feel about High Priestess in future position and Princess of cups as the key to the lock? I’m fairly certain the hierophant and queen of pentacles represent people that got in the way of our love before (Taurus man, Capricorn woman) but both of those people are out of our lives now. I took king of wands to mean he would initiate and respond to communication (he did.) I am thinking death here is referring to my 5 year relationship ending and possibly his marriage as well?
Thank you again for any assistance and please know this spread has helped being some peace to my heart!
The 2 of Wands as the outside influence could refer to his marriage since it often signifies a partnership. If so, it’s rather fiery and probably full of arguments. Death means unavoidable endings and transformation. With the passive High Priestess as the outcome, you are not likely to see a lot of movement with regards to building a relationship with this mean. The final row indicates his need for detachment, introspection and healing.
Thank you so much for your prompt reply – basically you don’t see anything between us progressing? Is it possible that something may move forward between us once he’s resolved his issues? I’m still unsure of how princess of cups figures into the equation and my initial interpretation of the final row was more about mutual healing of ourselves and our bond, but I’m thrown off by what you see..
Either way, thank you very much!!
Hi Lisa,
I think your reply was directed towards another user – final row in my spread was the star, temperance and high priestess with princess of cups as key. Just want to know if I should cut my losses or stick around…my heart tells me I’d wait forever if he just needs time.
Thank you again!!
Sorry. Yeah… that was for another user. Trying to squeeze comments in here between work and have a head cold… hmmm… no, sorry – same goes for HP as the final card. But the far distant future, who knows. I never read on more than a year at the time. Not much is set in stone.
Hi Lisa,
I’ve been using my Sared Rose Tarot cards most recently for the past year to help me understand a stirring romance I have had with a man I truly feel I have fallen in love with. I turned to the internet to further help me understand my readings, and came across this great spread. Some of the cards are quite clear, others a bit confusing:
1) Death (does this mean I only want to reconnect bc I feel I have something more to learn?)
2 & 3) The Hierophant & Three of Wands (a little lost with this combo here, maybe the instability of our relationship?? We’ve been off and on for 11 mos; he was in a relationship which is now also off and on, and I’m in the process of getting divorced. A crazy and unexpected relationship, but I find it so hard to let go since I feel so strongly that we have a strong connection, just trying to understand where to go from here as he is “on” again with the ex).
4) Six of Pentacles (Ok, lots of Pentacles in this row and the spread ends with it too… what does THAT mean?? Is it all the energy that has gone into the relationship, and the energy that is still needed?? As for what I need to do to reconnect, is it about me “adjusting” my approach?? I struggle with finding a balance between letting him know how I feel and being emotionally independent).
5) Two of Pentacles (This is easy. I clearly see this as the relationship he has with his ex. He struggles with being with her or being with me. Now, he is back to “trying to work things out with her” but does not want me out of his life. Here it seems they have a good thing going, thus the main challenge between us.)
6) Nine of Pentacles (Is this still his ex??)
7,8, & 9) Two of Wands, Ten of Cups, Eight of Swords (Ok, total confusion on how to read these as a flow, in a story… different numbers, different objects. I can see the two of wands as him and I, unfortunately… Two Scorpios with birthdays one day apart, 11/16 & 11/17, its no wonder we’d have a face off and intense sexual energy. But will that lead to something negative?? But then the Ten of Cups says emotional satisfaction and timeless happiness, followed by the Eight of Swords where yes there is emotional turmoil, quite accurate in this situation, but is it not also a regeneration of something good?? Not sure if this last row is a positive or negative future??)
10) King of Pentacles (and finally the Key… very funny how this King very much describes this man to the tee, which is why I’m confused as to how it can relate to me and what I need to do to “open the door.”)
I feel like the answers are right in front of me, if only pointed in the right direction. Your help is greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Aria
Hi Lisa,
My apology for the extended questions, as I was typing I started think out loud so to speak. My specific questions would be about the meaning of Death in position one and how do I use the King of Pentacles to understand what I can do next? Also, I just wanted to be sure I was correct in reading the future row as quite positive, especially given the Ten of Cups card.
After sending you this, I went back to the other information you have on your sight and was able to get some clarification of the other areas I was insure of. Thank you for providing such great references on your site!!
Regards,
Aria
No worries. OK, so Death (Scorpio) shows me that you are really struggling with letting go – the energy of this card can indicate codependency or missing a really strong, passionate connection. I expect you would have fallen madly and deeply in love.
The King of Pentacles is a very practical energy and may be a nudge to look after your own health first.
The 8 of Swords together with the 2 of Pentacles will keep this in a holding pattern unless you break free. You may have to in order to not jeopordise your own health.
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your very prompt response! Yes, I have fallen very much madly and deeply in love with this man, and struggle with whether I should stick around and try, or let go and move on (think I will be asking for a paid reading next after I finish this response).
I’m a little confused as to what you mean about the 8 of Swords together with the 2 of Pentacles?? The 8 of Swords is with the 2 of Wands in that row. And do you mean that for my own health I need to let go? Is that what you meant by “break free.”?
Yes, I meant the 8 of Swords together with the lock, the 2 of Pentacles. The final card in the reading shows no forward movement and the lock shows me that he wants his cake and to eat it too…
Staying in this relationship could be damaging your health.
I love this spread! Thank you for all your help, and I love that your site helps with relating cards!!
Can you help me out please??
I did this twice while asking about my ex. The first reading I got:
1.high priestess
2.hanged man
3.chariot
4.emperor
5.devil
6.sun
7.3 of pentacles
8.king of pentacles
9.queen of swords
10.ace of cups
: Which I pretty much see as our troubles with letting go and opening up (his mainly) and not being happy for ourselves because of fears and neediness, and how these points spiralled. I don’t really understand the sun, unless it’s saying we want to find active happiness and don’t believe we can get it together. And I think that 7.8 and 9 represents his relationship with the girl he’s now seeing. All I got out of this was right now he has a rebound and needs it.. And with showing him unconditional love I’m allowing us to/we will find our own way of happiness
I’m confused about the second reading, I got:
1) 3 of swords
2) 7 of staffs
3) 7 of pentacles
4) page of cups
5) 2 of cups
6) knight of cups
7) lovers
8) knight of staffs
9) justice
10) six of swords
: Again fears and egos got in the way of us being there for ourselves. We chose intimacy over personal happiness. I believe the knight of cups is showing an influence for him or maybe for both of us to hold onto our emotions, be in control and to be calm. I’m not sure what the page of cups is saying. And inside the door is very confusing, mostly in relation to other cards. I believe the knight of staffs represents him as how he represents himself to world/ social context, when he’s in a fun or flirtatious mood, its like his ego. Justice says there needs to be balance and separation or commitment might happen. What is really getting me is the lovers card. (I’ve actually had this card come up a few times recently as the challenge).This card is next to the knight of wands which could either mean that the girl he’s seeing won’t reciprocate the feelings, he won’t reciprocate with her or he won’t with me. The lovers card has also popped up after the knight of cups and the the 2 of cups which shows commitment. But I am not sure if or what this means as the 2 of cups is in position 5 and the knight of cups is in position 6. In general I’ve taken this card as commitment versus freedom to be on one’s own, but what else is it saying? Is it showing me into his den again? And the lock I read as that we need to heal, to explore, and in the end we will either separate or reconcile.
Thank you so much for any help you can give me 🙂
Why did you do it twice? It seems like you were quite clear on the first reading and doing another reading only made you confused?
No, not at all. In fact I would say he is the king of wands.
I don’t know if this will make any sense to you, but I would say that with Venus (The Empress) as the first card, this was just one of her many little tricks to get you on the path to true love. He’s not even showing up but She is showing you all these other men… and it’s up to you to decide what you truly wish to manifest. Strength and the final four cards speak strongly of this too. Interesting reading!
I would like me and him to progress forward. Is that what you mean by me deciding what i want to manifest or do you mean there will be other choices and not him? it feels exciting …. I specifically asked the quesiton about him. Thank you for your responses by the way, I am new to this and it helps especially when reading for myself 🙂
Well, yes… these cards are exciting. I think they’re telling you something new and totally different can soon be made manifest. The cards indicate that you have a lot of personal power and that you can manifest pretty much any type of man you wish. Flings very rarely ‘progress’ – that is why they are called flings. 🙂
we shall see 🙂 I also thought that with the knight of cups in the ‘key’ position that I would have a number of options and then he would say the things i want but with the magician, it would be totally up to me the path to take. with other readings you can sort of see this happening within a certain time – is there a timing with this reading?
There is only timing in a reading if you a) set a time frame or b) have a position for timing.
But with the Magician and Strength both present, I would say the time is any time you want it to happen. It will be your creation entirely. Good luck!
HI Lisa
I love this reading, it seems very insightful …. apart from mine which has confused me a little with he presence of all the kings 🙂
1. Empress
2. King of Cups
3. King of Pentacle
4.7 of wands
5. strength
6. king of swords
7. the magician
8. ace of wands
9. ace of cups
10. the knight of cups
This was a fling that never turned to a relationship. I asked would it progress forward. My question is … what do all the kings mean?
I see the knight of cups as a good thing and the magician, being me in control, ace of wands, our initial fling, ace of cups the start of a relationship.
Could this be with one of the kings or are they just an ‘influence’ on my relationship with him and me moving forward?
Thank you in advance 🙂 xxxx
Thanks Tammy, can you identify your fling guy with any of the Kings at all?
Hi Lisa,
Great blog. My spread was based on a friend and I. We had a fallout and was wondering what next?
1 – Hermit
2 – King of Coins
3 – 4 of coins
4 – 8 of coins
5 – Strength
6 – 3 of coins
7 – Knight of wands
8 – Tower
9 – 5 of wands
10 – Lovers
I get the gist of the reading. What lies on the other side of the door doesn’t seem too promising – lol. However I was stumped with Strength as the lock and Lovers as the key.
Would this mean that I need to summon my inner strength to make the correct choice for me? Or does it mean that I need to tame my inner animal instincts to show a bit more love/ compassion towards him and the situation? We are both fire signs so things get heated very quickly.
Your insight is appreciated. Thanks in advance. 🙂
Thanks Mary. Yes, Strength as the lock could indicate Leo type pride. Compassion is never a bad idea. A lot of feelings are locked away here by fear of intimacy and pride it seems with the Hermit and 4 of Pentacles… If they do come out, you can expect The Tower next… Be gentle with yourself. Allow your feelings to surface. Own them to yourself and own them to the other as well.
You are spot on! I opened up to him via text because we weren’t talking, now I feel like an idiot for doing so. It’s hard for both of us to open up to each other and we clash over petty things because we’re not addressing the real issues. I am going through a process of being gentle on myself but it’s not so easy when you’ve been hurt before.
Thanks for the insight and I look forward to reading your future write ups. Keep up the good work!!
Hello Lisa,tried out this spread,The question I asked was ‘Should my ex and I get back together, Using this spread,these are the cards i got.
1) knight of pentacles 2) king of wands 3) queen of swords
4) ace of swords 5) 10 of wands 6) ace of wands
7) Justice 8) ace of pentacle 9) 3 of wands
10) high priestress
First row was all court cards maybe to many peoples influences in our relationship.
Second row I believe we could get back together but we went through a really hard relationship,which I believe thats where the 10 of wands comes in we were emotionally exhausted. But having Justice in the third row as I open the door shows me we will resolve our issues and the ace of Pentacles is confirming that (solidlity) While the 3 of wands tells me she is hopeful and can or will see me in a good way.I do know Ace of pentacles and 3 of wands usually indicate the early stages of the relationship,which looks promising But Im totally mixed up with the High priestress as the outcome! By the way I got 3 Aces,I even like the form they came in ! What is that letting me know? Lisa this was my first love,we both broke up because there was so much crap going on in our lives and she couldnt deal with it and walked away and I let her walk away because I was to emotionally exhausted and lost my father around the same time we broke up. I had no energy to fight for her,Its now been 7 years and I miss her like crazy,we crossed paths but we havent spoke and i truly just need to know should I pursue her and leave her be,please when you get a chance I would be so grateful for your time. ty a bunch Lisa
The High Priestess is the Key… not exactly the outcome… It’s about allowing your inner voice to guide you as well as to disclose what you have kept secret from her. Together with the 10 of Wands as the lock, it speaks of allowing for a complete transformation of the situation. The 10 of Wands can be seen as the Phoenix energy. Ace of Swords as the handle… Yes, definitely contact here – tell her how you feel and be honest about your perception of what happened. Blessings
I had came across your blog and loved the idea of this spread, so I gave it a try. My boyfriend broke up with me a little over a month ago and I honestly thought it was an immaturity/communication issue. I asked if we would be getting back together or more specifically if we would be connecting/contacting one another soon? I interpreted my spread as there is potential for us to grow on the other side of the door, but that there is a lot of doubt, fear, and uncertainty that resides in both parties. (hesitations and apprehensions holding him back)…if we can just open that line of communication then we can progress.
I’m unsure of my Key card or if my interpretation is even close. Any advice? am I on the right track?
1) 8 of cups
2) 7 of wands
3) page of cups
4) 9 of swords
5) 5 of wands
6) The Emperor
7) Knight of pentacles
8) The Lovers
9) 3 of cups
10 KEY) 3 of pentacles
Was curious if you had any insight to my question?
The 8 of Cups as the first card indicates that this was a transient experience… Not feeling continuity – sorry! Not sure if the Knight of Pentacles is him but it feels like the final three cards belong to him. There is no compatibility between the key and lock here… It’s as if, no matter hard you try, he’ll find fault… Oppressive influence of the Emperor not helping.
Hey Lisa ty for sharing this spread,I will be showing my friends your site thats for sure,what a blessing to come upon this blog !! I’ve been studying tarot for the last 3 years along with my inner voice! I find it so much easier to read for onther people But for some reason when it comes to me I can’t read my cards,maybe too much emotion gets involved,so i tried your spread this is what i got.
1.King of wands
2.Ace of cups
3.Lovers
4.The Emperor
5.The Empress
6.The 8 of Pentacles
7.The Magician
8.Page of swords
9.The 6 of cups
10.The 10 of cups
I believe in this reading We most definatly stand a chance for reconciling.But was wondering what you make of The Emperor and Empress Together, I find that to be interesting,is it suggesting,that I stand my ground and show who is boss don’t understand Emperor as a action.
8 of Pentacles as my obstacle ?
the obstacle is the eight of Pentacles I’m picking up his subconcious is burying or hiding something that could be very bad. Wondering how that could effect me as well abit scared !!
Any feedback would be appreciated thx Lisa
The Emperor and The Empress together suggests that you need to look at how childhood issues tie in with the current situation. The 8 of Pentacles as an outside influence could possibly mean that the other person is very busy at work and have had to put relating on the back burner.
Thx Lisa for your feedback it makes alot of sense,she is a workalcolic,its always about work for her! Blessings Lisa. Happy Thanksgiving Day.
You’re welcome. I’m not American but happy Thanksgiving Day anyway! 😀
Great Blog Lisa! Kind of you to share your gift and wisdom to onthers,we need more people like you!
1) Hanged man
2) 5 of swords
3) 8 of wands
4) World
5) 10 of swords
6) King of swords
7) Ace of cups
8) Queen of pentacles
9) Strength
10) 2 of wands
Just need some guidance with what stands in our way,the 10 of swords and king of swords I feel as if he is in a dark time or caught up in so much negativity,But with the ace of cups and strength beneath it,I feel he would offer me his love again and the tenth place is 2 of wands,which indicates choices! I’m totally baffled lol and any insight would be helpful at least to just set me in the right direction! Thanks Lisa 🙂
Not too mention I did a 2 card spread on what his feelings for me were and Got the 2 of cups and ten of swords.Then 1 week later I asked the same question and got 1 of cups and 10 of swords again! Does he regret breaking up with me,Well we both actually broke up with each onther! and he knows im dating someone new now,nothing serious for me just dating!But he doesnt know that! So I keep getting the feeling that if he could he would get back with me.
Thank you for your kind words about the blog, Karen. Are you the Queen of Pentacles? If not, I think this indicates new love for your ex. Blessings
Thanks lisa For sharing your gift from god and offering me some guidance! Your an Angel 🙂
You’re welcome! 🙂
Hi, I’m new to tarot and trying to figure it all out. Thought I would try your spread with the Truth Seeker’s Tarot:
1 Princess of pentacles
2 Lovers
3 Justice
4 5 of pentacles
5 5 of cups
6 Death
7 2 of pentacles
8 Ace of cups
9 Seven of pentacles
10 10 of cups
The first row I think indicates we had a good relationship (lovers/justice). And the second row suggests reasons why it didn’t work out (the two 5 cards). The third row would suggest he’s moved on (ace of cups: new love?). But then the 10th card makes no sense. How does that fit in to the interpretation? My understanding is that it is a card for a happy/settled relationship which doesn’t seem to fit in with the rest of the reading. Would love to hear your thoughts. Thanks! 🙂
Hi, the 10 of Cups could indicate that you need to harmonise your ideal with a happy settled relationship with what is actually going on here. What do you need and what is actually on offer? Your ideals are very important here. Listen to them and let them guide you away from those fives. The Princess of Pentacles indicates that this relationship was a learning experience for you.
Oh! Thanks so much. That makes a lot of sense.
hi there i did one for myself i was able to figure out the reading made great sense, the key(10) was ace of pentacles im assuming thats a possible re connection??? also card number 5 was 6 of cups not sure how to inturpret this one under obstacles ? can you help here is the layout anyways …. by the way i like this spread its not complicated makes sense :))
1 temperance
2 ace of swords
3 queen of cups
4 2 of pentacles
5 6 of cups
6 3 of swords
7 nine of swords
8 6 of pentacles
9 sun
10 ace of pentacles
i read it as top line need to have patience the relationship was strong second line maybe juggling two many things or someone having a say in this ending of the relationship since 3 of swords was card six?
bottom line him being anxious about money maybe, but coming out good
and the last card to me looks positive ace of pentacles a possibility a good outcome, re connection etc.
am i at least close?
thanks
gues i got to go to another site than
Sounds like you’re close. The 6 of Pentacles could also indicate a need for fairness in the relationship. If the 3 of Swords is indeed someone meddling, they could have tried to make him feel as things weren’t fair somehow… Good luck with getting this back on track, Angela and sorry for the late reply – I have been swamped with work lately!
thank you for your reply lisa amazing spread
Hi Lisa, this is a great spread. I drew:
1. Star
2. king of cups
3. 2 of wands
4. Six of cups
5. Strength
6. Eight of swords
7. 2 of cups
8. 10 of cups
9. The fool
10. 4 of wands
I see the star as me wanting some validation that he remembers me (it was two decades ago); and that he’ll be pleased to connect with me again. I see the six of cups in this position as me not having to do anything, but just carry on talking as we have been (nostalgia, coupled with being slow soul mates).
AndI like what I see through the door! Would you agree this looks promising? And the advice is just to keep on being there, talking to him and seeing what develops? (4 of wands).
Hi Mika, yes that could very well be the case. The 8 of Swords is the belief that nothing much will come of this in terms of a real relationship though… Overcome that and anything is possible. Of course, both of you need to over come it.
I’m a bit shy to ask Lisa, since I know ppl try to take advantage of you.. the problem is I can interpret the cards but I am not experienced enough to understand how they work together. This is what came up for me when I asked my RWT about this man I really, really like, whom I ran into last week- we had a sexy affair in the summer. Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you <3
Karen and Phil
1. seven of cups
2. The World
3. Emperor
4. Knight of Cups
5. Five of Cups
6. Temperance
7. Justice
8. Four of Cups
9. The Lovers
10. Judgement
Karen, which card(s) in particular are you struggling with? The first card, the 7 of Cups, is key. It’s a card of illusion/delusion/confusion. This could be one of the reasons you are not able to see what the cards are trying to tell you here.
seven, five, and four of cups would not be the cards i would hope to see in a spread such as this one… Because it is so subjective I am able to interpret the first three cards.. #4 stumps me a bit as how could that be the handle? who does that card represent? in a way the five of cups was how I felt when our little affair fell apart in the summer. Temperance I can see as an issue flat out because he drinks too much- the Justice card in love confuses me, four of cups always represents boredom, or entitlement issues to me in a prospective partner, as in, they’re always looking for Ms. A Little Better… perhaps we will be lovers again but it won’t progress any further than that because he is so self possessed…??? argh I’m afraid I’m not very good at interpreting cards! and how does Judgement fit as the key?
you would hope to see them as they tell the truth and now that you told me about his drinking it all makes perfect sense. the Knight of Cups is asking you to be emotionally honest with yourself… would a relationship with someone with a drinking problem fulfill your emotional needs? judgement is the key – asking you to align with your life’s purpose.
Hello Lisa, this is my first time doing this spread and im not sure how to read it the right way if you could help me out please?
1-10 wands
2-10 swords
3- the lovers
4-art
5-knights of swords(reversed)
6- 7 swords(reversed)
7- 4 wands(reversed)
8-prince of wands(reversed)
9-the emporer
10-adjustment
Thank you:)
Hi Brittany, I don’t have time to interpret whole spreads for people. I’d be doing little else! I’ll happily answer specific questions though. Btw, I don’t read reversals and this spread was created to be read with all the cards upright.
Okay so theirs nothing I can make out of this reading then since some cards are reversed? Should I try again? And for the door does it mean what’s on the other side for you..or for you and your ex?
And in that reading I did for card 2 and 3 is for what relationship we had in the past and I got 10 swords which means betrayl and then the lovers which can mean soulmates..could card 2-betrayl be stating how the relationship ended cuz when we were together their was no betrayl..we were so good together. our breakup was not planned or what was even suppose to happen..neither of us wanted it but something bad happened. We were going to be getting engaged. My heart has suffered so much and i never got closure. So anything, i could use your help. thank you much<3
I did a three card spread (past, present, future) when my boyfriend was telling me he wasn’t sure if he saw a future with us. I threw down the tarot cards and got
Past- ten of pentacles
Present- the Lovers
Future- king of Wands
Does this mean he will return?
What do you think? Does The Lovers reflect where you are right now? If not, you probably need a professional reading on this. I don’t think those three cards provide enough information!
That reading was from September. I did another one 3 weeks ago and got
Past- the lovers
Present- the hierophant
Future- six of wands
Is that clearer?
Well, if you got the 6 of Wands as the future, 2 months down the line… and there has been no forward movement, I believe pride could be the issue that is keeping you apart.
well i remember now the card which i drew was as follows
7-8 – 9 – 5 of swords, Ace of pentacles , 6 of swords………yes this was it
And which aspect of this combination are you struggling with?
i dont understand the justice card ……card no 6 …….
5 of swords, 6 of swords ..and the outcome part ..here does it indicate any sign of her coming back …we have not be communicating
The final three cards are her cards – with or without you.
nteresting spread…
I tried it for my own estranged situation.
1 – The 10 of wands
2-3 Queen of pentacles & 3 of cups
4 – 4 of swords
5 – 10 of cups
6 – justice
7-8 – 9 – 5 of swords, Ace of pentacles , 4 of swords
10 – Queen of cups
i use to like this girl very much ……was willing to strive and please her …was keen on getting married to …but then we have stopped communicating .card 4 the handle shows clearly this part that i have let the matter rest …the main reason was her unwillingness to commit ….which i feel card 5 depicts ……
cards 6 -10 what do they reflect on can you please elaborate ..i use rider waite cards
you have the 4 of Swords twice O.O
hmm……made a mess of the spread…..can i try the spread once more ….will the outcome be the same as now..or different
Why don’t you try it and find out? 😉
I’m fairly new to,learning the tarot especially when putting them to,my own situation, I always feel I’ll misinterpret it. Thank you for the,spread, I wanted to try something different then my present, future, outcome three card spread.
Here are my results:
1. My motivation – Four of Wands
2&3. What we had – King of Cups, Queen of cups
4. Handle – The Magician
5. The Lock- The Hierophant
6.Outside Influences- Temperance
7&8&9. What Lies on other side -Three of pentacles, The Star, Ace of Cups.
10. The key- Strength
I feel first three cards represent the fact that we were eachothers’ equals in love, and that I want us to just be happy together maybe finally settle down since our break up was random and I feel,it was not well thought out on his part, he tends to be rash about things.
The next three are tougher to decipher.
I need to spend time mastering my negative behavior and emotions, perhaps with the aid of a wiser teacher or higher spiritual beings.
The next three I feel is telling me or repeating the need to work on things and to stay optimistic. Love is th between him and I, just need to be patient, spiritually learning.
The key is strength, as if I should hold my ground and,wait for my ex to come to his,senses perhaps,this is,saying that I will be able to communicate and work things out smoothly.
If you have any insight, I’d take it into consideration because it would be helpful. Like I said I’m new at this and card combinations when reading for myself is,always,tricky. I could have gotten whole reading wrong lol, regardless thank you for the spread, its unique and straight to the heart of things.
Strength could also be saying, “It is more important to be kind than to be right” – Learn to communicate from the heart. Shed the pride.
Hi lisa, great spread, it’s different. I’d like to share my cards and my interpretations with you and see if you agree with my conclusion especially with the last row,
1 – 3 of swords (unresolved hurt)
2 & 3 – emperor and empress respectively. A relationship as parents to a child
4 – high priestess suggests i listen to my intuitive guidance now
5 – the magician suggests that communication is the obstacle, one of us (him) is hiding something perhaps the next card which is
6 – the princess of swords next to it is a fling of short lived affair
7, 8, 9 – ace of pentacles, five of swords, universe – i feel the ace represents material stability, the seed for it, but is negatively aspected by the five of swords… so perhaps a relationship based on financial security?
10 – judgment – i think with this and the universe it signals a permanent change in one of the partners.
Two questions: the last row is a bit of guesswork am i near the mark? And the predominance of major arcana cards shows me this is bigger than both of us, any ideas?
Thanks!
Interesting with all those Majors. I’d say the relationship situation is out of your hands and all for the best. The lock and key speak of aligning with your life purpose and using your skills – do pay close attention to the High Priestess. You are psychic and I believe this relationship may have held you back from developing.
My sincere gratitude to you Lisa… that was what I felt in my heart, but hadn’t felt the courage to say it, in case it sounded like a scapegoat.
Hi Lisa
I’ve been trawling the net for some answers and your spread appeared like a gift! I’ve managed to get quite a lot of insight from it but some cards seem unclear to me…
1 – strength
2 – queen of swords
3 – 9 of swords
4 – 6 of swords
5 – ace of wands
6- the high priestess
7 – the sun
8 – temperance
9 – 8 of pentacles
10 – 4 of wands
I can absolutely relate to and understand the top and bottom line but am struggling with 4, 5 & 6 – any guidence would be much appreciated.
With Thanks
Jen
Hi Jen, you’re probably struggling with the middle row due to the influence of the High Priestess – you could be kept in the dark about something. Time to do some digging for the truth (6 of Swords) and shed some light on the situation (Ace of Wands).
Thank you for your quick reply! Any chance in knowing your thoughts if the layout of these cards reflect positively or negatively in my question?
hi Lisa!
I just started using Tarot and purchased my first deck. This spread is exactly what I needed as my main question is will HE come back/is this meant to be? Would you please help me interpret my reading?
1-King of Wands
2-The Fool
3-3 of wands
4-King of Swords (reversed)
5-4 of Pentacles
6-Temperance
7-3 of cups 8-justice (reversed) 9- tenof cups (reversed)
10-2 of cups
thanks!
Nicole
Nicole, This is an advanced spread – not recommended since you are just starting out on your Tarot journey! Please note that I can only answer specific tarot-related questions on here and do not have time to do whole spread interpretations. (AND I don’t use reversals – this is meant to be read as a story spread, i.e. without reversals) Do feel free to order a reading!
Blessings, Lisa
Hi Lisa,
Forgive me if the question I am about to ask is written in an unclear way- it has been a long day and I’m quite tired. I used this spread to do a reading for a friend and had a question as to how to interpret the key she drew- the Hermit. Given the other cards drawn, it is difficult for me to say that remaining apart from one another is the key here. Rather, it seems that the contemplation aspect of the Hermit best applies to their situation (my friend and her ex are now tentatively reconnecting). Also, I’m not going to lie- there is also this little voice in my head or gut feeling that keeps pointing me in that direction and this is something that rarely happens so I have a hard time ignoring it. I also wonder if maybe the Hermit combined with the 4 of swords (also about rest and contemplation as far as I see it) means that any rekindling of their romantic relationship would happen very gradually over a long period of time, kind of like casual friends who gradually become closer until eventually romanticly involved. Any thoughts from you would be much appreciated here as I am still learning!
For reference the other cards (I use the Goddess deck):
1) Ace of Cups
2) 4 of Staves
3) 4 of Cups
4) Knight of Pentacles
5) 10 of Cups
6) XI Strength (Justice)
7, 8, 9) 4 of Swords, X Wheel of Fortune, King of Staves
10) IX Contemplation (Hermit)
Thank you so much for your time. The Hermit has always been a hard one for me to understand.
Absolutely trust your gut on this! Additional meanings can include a relationship that is based on correspondence for the sake of regaining trust and clarity. The Hermit is Virgo in Astrological terms, and as such quite fond of putting ink on paper (or pixels on screens) 🙂
Oh! That is true isn’t it? I hadn’t made that connection! Thank you!
Hello there… I love this spread. Everything I drew seems to make perfect sense… Everything but the key! I have a two-fold question. First, how do I know which door to open? Clearly one is the wrong one. I don’t want to go there! Second, what on EARTH does the key as five wands tell me? Here’s the rest of the reading:
1 Page of cups
2 Chariot
3 Five swords
4 King wands
5 Four pentacles
6 Ace cups
7 Six swords
8 Five pentacles
9 Justice
10 Five wands
Thanks so very much! I truly enjoy reading and learning Tarot, but I have a LOOOONG way to go as far as associations go.
Hi there Rae, not sure I understand your question. There is only one door in this spread…? Before I answer your question about the 5 of Wands I would also like to know what your understanding of the 4 of Pentacles as the lock is. Since you have 5 of Swords in the past and there are two more 5’s in the spread, I suppose the question is, are you prepared to pay the price?
Forgive me. I’m learning to read the cards and spreads. And I completely massacred my question. When I said “door” I was actually thinking about what was on the other side in my head. The “other side of the door” showed three options (Cards 7, 8 & 9 – Six swords, five pentacles, & Justice). It is the five pentacles that threw me off as it appears to be continued tension and setbacks. I understand the 4 of pentacles to be a card of stability, strong foundation, control and security. Which all appear to be good things, right?
You ask if I am willing to pay the price. I’ve already paid a hefty one and no matter what I do, I cannot let go and move on. So I guess the true answer would be yes.
I’m completely lost on how more disagreements, internal battles, and challenges is a “key.” What am I missing?
Thank you for such a quick reply!
Every card has a ‘shadow’ – the dark side of the 4 of Pentacles speaks of someone who has shut down due to fear of intimacy.
This is an advanced spread and I cannot really recommend using it to work through difficult emotional situations unless you are able to read the flow of the full spectrum of energy through the cards – it’s pretty much guaranteed to lead to more confusion.
The energy of the 5 of Wands can be felt in the tango.
On the other side of the door, you do not have ‘three options’ – the three cards are to be read in unison. How the energy flows in the final row will depend on the images.
Please read through my post Top 10 Tarot Tuition Tips http://www.tarotize.com/2012/02/top-10-tarot-tuition-tips.html
Thanks for the great resources. I look forward to furthering my education. I will do my best to better understand the groupings as to understand the key. Thanks again. Your site is awesome.
The only inner conflict I can think of is that no matter how hard I’ve tried to let go and move on I can’t. Does that qualify? I appreciate your input. I’m really just trying to understand the relevance of that one card… It’s pretty vauge to me.
Hi Lisa… I am still lost on the key card in my reading above. Is it an inner conflict I need to resolve? Create a conflict or play a game of some sort? I learned many interpretations and am trying to understand this card as a key. Would it be possible to give me some direction or insight on what will aid me in learning this correctly to understand?
Do you have an inner conflict to resolve?
Hi Lisa!
I’ve been following your blog recently and have really enjoyed your interpretations of the tarot! They are thought provoking and offer a fresh perspective of “what’s in the cards”. In particular, I found this spread to be immensely insight and “to the point” yet had a question as to how to interpret the final row of cards with the lock and key. Here is the spread:
1. chariot- being determined to get to the bottom of things,
2/3. 10 of swords + strength- projection of previous relationship issues despite a connection that is exciting and full of passion.
4. magician-since it is ruled by mercury, perhaps a new communication model is needed to move things forward.
5. 6 of wands-pride getting in the way of honest communication?
6. hermit-withdrawing to deal with issues from the past, get an understanding of what to do next.
7,8,9. 3 of swords + 6 of swords + hanged man- separation to deal with emotions connected a former relationship and gaining a new perspective.
10. page of swords- communicating openly and honestly.
Since there are no cards that would indicate the presence of a third party or new relationship, it seems to me that the separation was to deal with issues connected to a previous relationship, especially with the hermit as the outside influence. Seeing that the magician is the handle, there seems to be a chance to start over again which would call for a new mode of communication to be implemented.
When reading the final three cards with the lock and key, does it show that a new phase in the relationship can be obtained through honest communication? Or does it just show the process that the other person is going through?
Finally, should importance or weight be given to certain positions in a spread such as this? For instance, would the lock and key bare more importance than the handle? Much like Maris, I have recently begun to do larger spreads and am trying to figure out how to integrate the meaning/message of the spread as a whole.
Thank you in advance for your insight!
Whether or not communication indicated by the Magician and the Page of Swords yields results in terms of moving the relationship forward from stuck in reverse will depend on if the pride issues can be resolved. The lock and key are your cards – the third row shows likely future stages with this man. The final card being the Hanged Man tells us that the situation will not be resolved in the near future in spite of good will and communication… It will take longer for a new perspective to develop but the 6 of Swords shows us that headway will be made so talking things over will not be a waste of time.
No card carries greater weight than any another – if anything, the first three cards need to be considered more carefully in order to understand the rest since most people rush ahead to the future cards. It does seem you did in this case, so well done! I would concur that past issues got in the way of future happiness.
Do read the cards like a story spread and look for patterns diagonally as well as horizontally and vertically. Allow the images to speak. Don’t be afraid to use your intuition!
Thank you so much for your insight Lisa! This all makes perfect sense!
To gain further insight into the reading, I drew one clarification card each for two positions.
To understand where the pride issues indicated by the 6 of wands stemmed from, I drew the 6 of pentacles. I do feel that a lot of my pride-which is really an unwillingness to be honest about my feelings- stems from a “tit for tat” mentality that I’ve developed after a previous relationship that was very one-sided. Reading the row that includes position 2. 10 of swords, 5. 6 of wands and 8. 6 of swords vertically, I can see that only after I let go of the negative thought patterns from previous relationships go and develop a new perspective (10 of swords) that is centered in a healthy sense of self but also allows for honest communication, will progress be made (6 of swords).
Finally, to get an understanding of the reason for the withdrawal indicated by the hermit, I drew the hierophant. Could this mean that they are incorporating the lessons from previous relationships or contemplating whether or not they want to make a commitment period?
Thank you again!
Hi Lisa!
I’ve been following your blog lately and have really enjoyed your take on the tarot! In particular, I found this spread to be immensely insightful and “to the point” yet had a question as to how to interpret the final row along with the lock and key. Here is the spread:
1. chariot-being determined to get to the bottom of things, clear up confusion.
2/3. 10 of swords + strength- previous failed relationships got in the way of an exciting new connection?
4. magician- since it’s ruled by mercury, the need for a new mode of communication?
5. 6 of wands- letting pride get in the way
6. hermit- withdrawing to deal with the past, contemplating what to do next.
7, 8, 9. 3 of swords + 6 of swords + hanged man- perhaps the separation was necessary to get past old issues and the new found perspective can aide in creating a new dynamic in the relationship?
10. page of swords-communication; speaking openly and honestly
Since there aren’t any cards that would indicate the presence of a new relationship or third party, it seems to me that the separation was to deal with emotions connected to a previous relationship; especially considering the hermit in the outside influence position. With the magician as the handle, it seems like a new mode of communication is necessary in order for things to move forward.
As a whole, when reading the final row along with the lock and key, if there is honest communication, does it seem like new understanding can be gained to move the relationship forward? Or does the final row indicate the process he’s going through to get past a previous relationship?
Thank you in advance for your insight!
Hi there Lisa! Your blog is fabulous! I just started out with tarot and decided to try this spread. I’m not gonna lie, it’s making my head hurt (I hadn’t tried a spread with this many cards before!) but I’m learning a lot 🙂 I have two questions about this spread, but first these are the cards I got:
1 – Four of Cups
2 – The Chariot
3 – Ace of Pentacles
4 – Nine of Swords
5 – Six of Wands
6 – Seven of Swords
7 – The Wheel of Fortune
8 – The Emperor
9 – Ten of Wands
10 – Three of Pentacles
(I did this reading with the Paulina Tarot)
My first question is, since 4 is the ‘handle’ and ten is the ‘key’ what do these cards mean together? I feel like Nine of Swords is telling me to let go of any fear and self-doubt before I do anything, but I’m not sure how Three of pentacles ties in…I’m thinking it indicates that there will be a lot of work involved in this (I have been doing some spiritual ‘work’ on myself lately. letting go of fear and past hurts, etc.). Also, the Ten of Wands in the last row is throwing me off. I misunderstood the purpose of the third row, so I was thinking about what is presently going on with him when I put down the cards, so I’m not sure if this messes up the reading. I feel like the Wheel of Fortune is indicating a big, positive change, and the Emperor represents him…so the change will overwhelm him? Am I being too literal with these interpretations?.
Anyway, thank you for being so helpful and patient 🙂
Hi Maris, thanks for sharing and glad you like the blog! This not a spread for beginners and you’ve actually given me an idea – maybe I should label them according to level of difficulty. To accurately read this spread, you really need to be at the level where you can interpret the flow of the energy through the cards and not just individual card positions. And of course, the flow of the energy is hugely dependent on the visual clues given by the deck (which I can’t see from here!).
I would read the Key more with the lock than the handle. If you can’t unlock the lock, you’ll never be able to turn the handle.
The 3 of Pentacles suggest a practical approach and a spirit of friendly co-operation to find out if there is anything left to work with. I don’t feel this key fits very well with the lock, tbh – 6 of Wands is a warning that pride is getting in the way!
Also, the 9 of Swords really isn’t much of a handle – you need to let some time pass to literally be able to get a handle on things… too much worry/anxiety with this card. Don’t forget to breathe.
So what’s your take on the past, represented by the cards in the first row? Do these cards resonate? You will be much better to understand the rest of the cards if you can make sense of the past!
With any relationship spread – if the 7 of Swords shows up, there is cause to be wary!
Wow thanks for the super quick reply! Haha yes, I think labeling the spreads is a great idea, although I probably should’ve known this was going to be a difficult spread. I just get so curious, and this spread looked so interesting, I couldn’t resist! 🙂
Anyway, the cards for the past actually did resonate with me (as far as how I read them, anyway). As soon as I turned them over, I thought, ‘yes this makes sense.’ I guess I will need to probe this feeling, and the cards themselves, deeper.
The Six of Wands as pride also makes a whole lot of sense to me. He and I both have a lot of it, but he is particularly susceptible to being blinded by it. On the other side of the coin however, the Six of Wands in the Paulina Tarot is more about success through hard work, and receiving good news, than pride, so maybe this fits better with Three of Pentacles…
Ah, Seven of Swords. Part of the reason the relationship ended was because (in a very Mean Girls-esque twist) he started hanging with some negative people who made up negative things. I’m thinking since Seven of Swords is in the ‘outside influence’ spot, this could mean he either continues to associate with these people, or he found some new terrible friends. Either way it is definitely something to look out for.
Thanks so much for answering my questions! You are a lovely, lovely person! My next paycheck will definitely be contributing to a reading from you 😉 and until then, I will definitely stick to some simpler spreads for the time being, haha 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for sharing this spread with us! You have many insightful spreads in your blog by the way, some of them are very helpful. What I like the most about this reading is that it goes way beyond the simple yes/no answer. Here is what came up when I decided to use this spread right after me and my ex simply stopped talking to each other:
1. 3 of wands: I knew what to expect from the relationship in case we got back together. I guess I saw a future for us.
2. Queen of wands: warmth? We felt great around each other, we had fun together. We “looked good” together.
3. 7 of swords: maybe there was some deceit involved and/or secrets being kept.
4. Chariot: I saw this card as building more self-confidence and controlling my emotions before taking any action, if any.
5. Knight of cups: There are many options here… As many times the Knight of cups comes up as my own significator, it could mean myself, but also another person, a date for him perhaps. It could even be idealism and lack of practicability as he was about to move anyways, not too far but I wasn’t sure how things would turn out after the move.
6. King of pentacles: This was the first time I saw the meaning of this king as clear as day and got it right away. In this case it meant my ex renovating his place and looking to buy a house. Also balancing his budget plus figuring out a possible job transfer, all at the same time.
7. King of cups: I think this king could represent my ex and in this case I’d see it as although he has the power (king) to make things happen, he is very passive (water) and too much in control of his emotions to do anything.
8. Tower: sudden changes.
9. 6 of swords: I see the tower and this card together as moving to another city.
10. 2 of cups: I think we have potential and definitely mutual attraction but we have to learn how to balance things before getting back together.
I can sum it up saying the cards I “know” the meanings for sure are the king of pentacles and the combination king of cups + tower + 6 of swords as they coincide with him planning to move away even before we started dating and was in the process of doing so while we were together.
The card that eludes me the most is the knight of cups, too many possibilities when a court card shows up, especially in this position.
Hi Lara, since the Knight of Cups is the main obstacle here, and since he is not always very practical or realistic about his chances (often prefers the dream to reality, unlike the King of Pentacles), perhaps the obstacle you need to overcome is to take those rose-tinted glasses off and look at what the guy is actually prioritising.
The 7 of Swords represents his agenda to move away, right from the start. Also the Queen of Wands with the 3 of Wands and 7 of Swords could very well indicate a third party!
The 2 of Cups as the key, is about finding the kind of love that resonates more with the passionate Knight of Cups (since this is your own courtier).
Hope you can draw a line under this now and move on. You deserve better!
Thank you so much for your reply, Lisa. I’m amazed at how a spread like this can expose details that are so important to the situation. I agree, it seems I’ll have to find someone who is a better match to a knight of cups/swords like myself 😉
I just recently stumbled onto your blog and am loving it 🙂 My boyfriend went totally MIA on me and its been about a week and half, still no word. My reading went like this:
1 Queen of swords
2 Death
3 6 of cups
4 9 of wands
5 Page of wands
6 10 of pentacles
7 The lovers
8 Page of cups
9 The empress
10 10 of wands
If i’m reading it correctly it seems i’ll be hearing from him soon or is it just wishful thinking?
1. King of swords
2. Two of cups
3. Tower
4. Four of wands
5. Ace Of wands
6.six of wands
7. Heirophant
8. Wheel of fortune
9. Three of pentacles
10. Six of pentacles
Does the heirophant mean he is married?
This is my twin flame
Hi Lisa!
Finding this website has been Goddess-sent! And also very timely, as my Tarot teacher from 16 years ago has returned and is getting ready to start a local Tarot guild – which has inspired me to pick the cards up again and really get into doing lots of reading. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and insight here!
I did this reading for myself the other night. I mostly understand the cards drawn, however if you could clarify just a couple for me I’d be very grateful. For The Lock – #5, I got the Knight of Pentacles. I’m not sure how that is an obstacle, since it seems to refer more to a person? The guy I am inquiring about often comes down as Pentacles suit; so does that mean an aspect of him is standing in the way of reconciliation?
Also, I got 4 of wands for The Handle – #4. I’ve been reluctant to initiate contact because he was the one who cut it off, in a very shocking and abrupt way. I feel that the onus is on him to come back or at least touch base. Is this card telling me to bypass that and initiate? I know you said wands was action on my part in your description above.
I got some really good cards for the last three (#7 – The Emperor; #8 – Lovers; #9 -Star; #10 – Ace of Cups) so I am content to let this situation flow a bit. My first three cards were also Major Arcana.
Thanks for your time; I really appreciate it.
Hi Carla, thank you for your kind words. As a quality, rather than a person, the Knight of Pentacles could very well signify stubbornness… perhaps even of the kind you describe in saying that ‘the onus is on him.’ 😉
As for the final three cards being ‘really good’ – a word of caution: The Emperor can indicate that things will be on his terms if you do not put very firm boundaries in place.
Aha! Stubborn would be VERY right – LOL. That makes perfect sense. I guess it’s possible that we’re trying to see exactly who is going to be outlast the other in stubbornness. At some point I will probably put mine aside in service for the greater good of communication….but I’ve done this before and don’t want to set a pattern, if you know what I mean.
Thanks for the heads-up about the Emperor; I’ll definitely keep that in mind.
Again, thank you for your time! 🙂
Hello Lisa! I am new to this wonderful website and thank you for your generosity in sharing these wonderful spreads and feedback. As a professional who gets paid for my thoughts I truly appreciate the fact that it’s not fair to expect a free reading.
Spread: Interpretation
1 Ace of Wands I’m in love with love and really felt excitement in this relationship
2 Justice He is a Libra sign so I take this as him – grounded
3 Moon I am a scorpio and outwardly tough but innerly insecure and eager
4 The Fool I should go ahead and TAKE A CHANCE AND REACH OUT
5 The nine of cups Too Much too soon (we had a whirlwind in one week and he’s AWOL)
6 The Magician NO IDEA
7 Two of Swords There is some holding back, guarded,
8 Three of Cups If we build trust it can be great
9 King of Pentacles NO IDEA
10 King of Swords NO IDEA
QUESTION: I see this as an overall “yes” with me having to take the step to initiate. However, I don’t understand the presence of the Magician, and two Kings. I still have a “King of Swords” lingering in my life from a break up this past summer. Is it that? Or is this just saying that only the guy holds the key?
Thank you!
Hi Maria, Thank you for your kind words about my website 🙂 What visual clues are you getting from the two Kings? The Kings can show you qualities of a person, as well as suggest actions – they are not always people. How would you read the Magician if you were reading for someone else?
Thank you for such a quick response! Taking your guidance I can see that I would say that the Magician means that he is busy manifesting other goals right now and working on other areas of his life. The King of Pentacles would tell me that if I did have a relationship with this guy that he is grounded, focused, and would be a good solid family person. The King of Swords as the “key” implies taking leadership, using my intellect to understand the dynamic of what is happening with this guy and to initiate the action. I have just written him a short note leaving the door open without any pressure or questions or other needy crazy woman woes lol…
I hope I am following this reading accurately!
This scary….
1. Your motivation – The Sun
So are my motivations pure?
2. & 3. What you had – Queen of cups and 6 of cups
4. The handle – 7 of wands I have crazy infereing coworkers and he’s feeling defensive now. lol
5. The lock – The Devil…makes sense…letting go… of 4 of cups…?
6. An outside influence currently affecting the situation Page of cups…This must be the fiancee or maybe she’s pregnant? I also pulled the Lovers. As an outside influence what does that mean?
7. 8. & 9. Death, High priestess, and King of swords—other than the High Priestess, I don’t understand the rest.
10. The key – Knight of Pentacles–7 of cups
He usually gets represented as the Knight of cups or Pentacles. But if our dynamic was Queen of cups how does that fit in?
The Page of Cups together with the Lovers means he is definitely seeing someone new. The Page of Cups alone in that position would suggest new love but The Lovers really clench it. The Knight of Pentacles could tell you to be more pragmatic about all this and tell yourself what you would tell your best friend if you knew her love interested was engaged to someone else.
I tried your spread ~ Very interesting ! But I don’t really get the sense of this reading !!
1. The Moon reverse
2. Six of Wands
3. Nine of Cups
4. Ten of Swords
5. Eight of Swords
6. Wheel of Fortune
7. Nine of Wands
8. Ten of Wands
9. Knight of Cups
10. Judgment
I am very new to tarot cards ~ Sometimes, I can’t really link the cards together. But I never used reversed cards, I usually just put them upright ~ but today, I just decide to keep it as it is ~~~ Pls share and advice !
Sorry,
Card position 4 – 5 (Ten of Swords & Eight of Swords are reversed cards) I forget to put in it there ~~
The Thoh Lovers card keeps flying out of the deck. 2 psychics have told me that a I would hear from a man that broke up with me a few months ago. I asked the cards meditatively if he was going to come back to me because he has feelings for me. The lovers card flew out. Since then whenever I think of this man and I am holding the cards, the same thing happens…I went so far as to ask for clarification, the princess of disks came out…I am the Queen of disks not the princess…
Just now I was shuffling the deck without paying attention … As I shuffled was thinking of writing to you for clarification as I am so confused as to what it means as one of the psychics said that there would not be a reconciliation. Just now I placed the cards next to the computer …I look at the cards I must have placed the deck facing up without much thought. Guess what is sitting right here next to the computer, it is the Lovers card, the first card facing up on the deck…right under it facing up as well the queen of disks….I am so floored and confused at the same time as I am supposed to know something here but have not clue as to what. Would you be able to clarify? Thanks so very much!!
Hi Teresa, I need a clean slate to work from, i.e. the question only – not from past readings done by others… or cards that have jumped and given you mixed messages. As for The Lovers, it could well mean that things are still in the balance as it is a card of choice as well as of love. I think what you have written here proves the point that you should not ask the same question too often (or of too many different people) as it simply serves to confuse the mind. Blessings, Lisa
Thanks so much, will do.
Hi. For this reading, is it what is standing outside the door at this present time? Can it be asked on a monthly basis to see where this person is then? Or is this reading representing a year?
Thanks. T
It’s the future! You may choose any time frame you like, but I recommend no more than 6 months. The middle row is the present.
Thank you so much for your prompt response.
Hi Lisa, I tried this a long time ago and figured I would have a look again. The cards I got are,
1-3 of wands
2/3- 7&4 of cups
4- 5 of swords
5- the world
6- 10 of wands
7/8/9- 3 of pentacles,6 of cups, 9 of pentacles
10- prince of wands
I use Druidcraft. I don’t understand how 5 of swords would help or the world as the lock. The world is against us? 🙂 court card as 10 our son?
Any help appreciated!!!!
You need to understand the past cards in order to properly interpret the future cards. What is your understanding of those cards?
I think it is saying the relationship was stagnant and more of a fantasy and this led to the disatisfaction?
is it possible that the relationship lacked direction because rather than taking the bull by the horns, one (or both) of you were looking over the fence where the grass seemed greener (reading 3 of Wands, 4 of Cups and 7 of Cups together)? think logically about how the the past issues brought up by the first three cards could be addressed by the following two cards + the last card and then see how this applies to the cards. understanding past cards is one of the things that makes it possible to read for oneself. i find that too many people are rushing ahead to the future… which goes for real life situations too. without having learned the relationship lesson properly, they dive into the next relationship. not saying that is the case here – just a general observation.
So perhaps it is pointng out that the relationship was not great and was very unstable, hard work. The world…..has the relationship run its course or lessons have been learned? The key is we need to stop being underhanded, emotionally, stop the conflict by talking honestly. He is working hard now on projects, Uni etc but he thinks about me maybe misses me. Still unsure with last card and like I mentioned before that it could be our son
Hi. I just found your site and tried this spread, although I’m not as familiar with the cards as I’d like. The #4 card to me seems to say back away…at least for a while, but I’m not sure in combination with the #10.
He and I were together for nearly a year…I thought he was the guy.
This is what I got:
1-3: Page of Swords/Devil/Ten of Pentacles Rev.
4: Eight of cups
5: Page of wands
6: Seven of Wands
7-9: Nine of Cups rev/Four of wands rev/queen of pentacles rev
10: The Star
I’d love your thoughts. Is the Queen a bad sign in position #10? The Eight of cups confuses me as an advice card.
Blessings,
Jennifer
Hi Jennifer, thanks for sharing. This is one of those spreads that I tend to read in a flowing, story-telling type manner and would never use reversals for. The advice would from the 8 of Cups would depend on what deck you used, but if you used a traditional Rider Waite deck (or one of its many clones), this card typically tells us to walk away. I must say, the cards in the past are very interesting – what are your thoughts on them?
Hi! I love your blogs & I use them often as a tool in my studies of tarot:) I’m new at this, sometimes it’s clear but most of the time I only get impressions. I tried this after a confusing & abrupt ending to a wonderful relationship that didn’t last long.
1- 6 of cups
2&3- 2 of cups & page of wands
4- Temperance
5- Hanged Man
6- Magician
7,8,9- 7 wands, knght of swords, ace of swords
10- Queen of pents
I used RW & my question is: Was this a significant relationship & what does the hanged man as the lock mean? Im totally confused about the magician as well!
Brandy
Hi Brandy, glad you enjoy my posts. The first question you’ll have to order a reading for since it’s not a Tarot-related question, but in general I would have to say that all relationships are significant IF we manage to take away some learning from them 🙂
The Hanged Man next to Temperance means that you need to give yourself time to heal. This is re-emphasised by the Queen of Pentacles, which I would read as nurturing yourself in this context.
I guess I don’t understand why some get more feedback on this site & others are told to order one. I thought I’d give it a shot & ask like everyone else:) Thank you for your time & insight.
Brandy
You are welcome. I’m always happy to give answers to questions specifically related to the Tarot but I had to start imposing restrictions because people basically started using the comments section as way of getting a free reading. Please understand that this is what I do for a living. The Tarot information I share (I have published literally thousands of hours worth) is completely free of charge and in places, if I do say so myself, better than a lot of the stuff you find in published Tarot literature. However, I have bills to pay and there is nobody there to pay them for me, except me and my cards. Consider yourself lucky – the next person who tries sneaking a free reading request in, won’t even get their question published 😉
Thank you for your reply!
I use the Shadowscapes deck, which is very close in interpretation to the Rider Waite. Some slight differences, but overall I find they are close.
The devil seems to indicate lust, addiction…maybe obsession? It kind of fits with our relationship. It was very intense from the beginning, very lustful. We could hurt each other like no one else, but he kept pulling away because of a previous relationship. We have always seemed to be drawn back to each other, though.
The Ten of Pentacles seems to show that we might have made it if we’d have pushed through. The Shadowscapes deck has a woman curled up next to a dragon. In a sense that fits too. I always said being with him was like being at the edge of a volcano.
The 8 in the Shadowscapes deck is a woman (mermaid) diving into darker waters. Getting away from the material for the spiritual. For self discovery…I think the idea is that if I move away, I’ll get a better picture of what to do?
I am a little confused by the future cards. Does it show where he is now or where we could be if I opened the door?
Blessings,
Jennifer
The future cards can be read as his future, whether you will be in it or not. (I believe that was my original intent) But you could read them as your future (with or without him) too. Whichever way you intend to read them, you’d better decide BEFORE you lay them out. The Shadowscapes is a very bonny deck 🙂
What is happening now is seen in the middle row. Hope that makes things a bit clearer.
I’m new to tarot. I started about a year ago. I just stumbled on your site. I love it. It’s very helpful and interesting. First time I’ve heard of cord cutting.
I tried doing this spread and this is what I got. I’m not sure if I should take any action because of #4 being the 4 of cups #6 being justice and #10 being 5 of cups. Does the ace of wands appearing in #9 indicate he’s started a new romance?
Thank you Teresa
1 knight of pentacles
2. 3 of swords
3. page of pentacles
4. 4 of cups
5. the fool
6. justice
7. the magician
8. 5 swords
9. ace of wands
10. 5 of cups
Hi Teresa, I see the final row as ‘Future’ so no, the Ace is no indication that he has started up a new relationship – however – the Justice card could indicate that he has as it corresponds to Libra and the 7th House. If this is indeed the case, he is likely to settle down with her. The 3 of Swords in the first row is also a strong indication that when you went your separate ways, it was for the best. The 5 of Cups indicates the need to allow oneself to grieve in order to move on. The Knight of Pentacles tells me you probably thought he was the one you would grow old with – it’s a very steadfast and now everything is up in the Air quite literally with The Fool as the central card.
Thank you so much for the fast response:) Does me being a libra(10/03/89) have anything to do with that? I’m still very new at the meanings of the houses. And by up in the air, does that mean his new relationship is up in the air or is our possible relationship up in the air?
Thank you once again
Teresa
By up in the Air I meant that the stability you thought would be there isn’t.
Hi Lisa,
Can you please help me interpret this spread? My heart is very broken right now and would really appreciate it. I love this site and all the spreads you have posted on here! Thank you so much!
1. 8 Of Pentacles
2. Queen of Cups
3. King of Pentacles
4. The Star
5. 6 of Cups
6. 7 of Pentacles
7. Death Rx
8. The Chariot Rx
9. 6 of Swords
10. 7 of Cups
To ask a specific question I just want to know if it is possible he will come back. Thanks again! 🙂
That’s to ask a specific Tarot-Related question – not to give you a free reading. I open the floor to your fellow students, as I have stated very clearly that I don’t do free readings on here.
Hi Lisa,
Any chance you can help me interpret this spread – not sure exactly what it means.. though because the situation is so close to home, I think I have trouble interpreting for myself… The spread pulled is Based on John Holland Psychic Tarot Oracle Cards. Is this a definite no go or a wait and see situation?
1. 4 of cups
2. Strength
3. Crown Chakra
4. 3 of Pentacles
5. 2 of cups
6. Sacral Chakra
7. 2 of Pentacles
8. The Empress
9. Throat Chakra
10. 4 of swords
Thanks,
Sandy
Hi Sandy, interesting deck choice for this reading! I’ll put the ball back in your court by asking how you interpret the chakra cards specifically in this reading. They contain keys for awareness and information on how best to proceed. Bear in mind the strong resonance between The Empress and the Sacral chakra!
I got the Hierophant as Card #4 and the 2 of cups as Card #10. Do you think I need to let go for the time being?
Yes, for the time being. Any attempt to push the envelope would be met with resistance.
Thanks, Lisa. Great page!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you for your blog ! I am just starting to study Tarot, this is a great spread. I just broke up with my BF about 3 weeks ago Mostly because his mother won’t let him be a man.Also your right about friends getting involved with their opinions. Well, there has been much drama with him and I and his baby mama and his mama and I now want him back. Thank you! Thank you! This is what I got-
1. knight of cups
2.6 of pentacles
3.3 of cups
4.star
5.6 of swords
6. 4 of swords
7. ace of cups
8. two of wands
9.queen of swords
10. ace of pentacles
Hi Lisa,
Could you please help me understand the cards I pulled. I’m new to this and tried this spread. For the 7. 8. & 9. position I got the six of wands, Judgement and the Heirophant. I don’t really understand what it means as far as what is on the other side of the door. However, Im pretty sure the cards (and current circumstances) indicate there is no action for me to take right now. And I will have to wait and see. The other cards are:
1. The Hermit
2. King of Pentacles (reversed, but it could be my shuffling)
3. The Empress
4. Ten of Cups
5. King of Cups
6. Queen of Cups.
7. Six of Wands
8. Judgement
9. The Hierophant
10. Queen of Wands.
Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!
Hi Dee, As far as I can tell, there is now another woman vying for your ex’s attention (Queen of Cups). The Queen of Wands indicates that now is a good time to work on empowering yourself and especially leadership qualities. Bear in mind that what’s on the other side of the door doesn’t necessarily have to include the ex. I see you coming out stronger, more confident and more aligned with your life purpose. Win! 🙂
Hi Lisa,
Thanks for your reply! I thought I would come back with an update in case anyone else gets similar cards in the future. My ex actually contacted me the night I posted this. Said he was thinking of me and is sorry my feelings were hurt. I didn’t have much to say to him but, it was quite the coincidence! I was a bit shocked. 🙂
Hi Lisa…first I would like to thank you for your wonderful blog, and sharing your gift. Second I would like to thank you for your time spent reading my message. Will He Come Back is a great spread. I’ve been doing tarot for over 20 years. I have rarely ever trusted myself to do any love/relationship spreads on myself, for I fear I will undoubtedly be biased. But I met and lost an man recently that I’m finding near impossible to forget.
My spread was as follows:
1.10 of Discs (reversed)
2.&3.Priestess of Discs, Heirophant (reversed)
4.9 of Wands (reversed)
5.Son of Cups
6.2 of Cups
7,8,&9.Magician, 5 of Cups, the Sun (reversed)
10.4 of Wands
I am seeing a lot of passion and feeling a yes vibe. What’s behind the door looks pretty good. Just a little confused about the outside influences (6) and my key (10).
Any scrap of insight you have time to lend would be graciously appreciated.
Thank you
Gretchen
Hi Gretchen, thank you for your kind words. Based on this spread, it looks like he has moved on since the 2 of Cups in outside influences indicates a new relationship. I suppose it is possible that he will return to you. The Key is the 4 of Wands, which means frank relating as it corresponds to Venus in Aries. In other words, you have nothing to lose by confronting him. But make it ‘festive,’ this energy is NOT compatible with regrets, blame or whining. Good luck!
Thank you so much Lisa, for your prompt response. You pretty much confirmed what I didn’t want to accept. Well, he needed love, so I am glad if he is happy…and now I can maybe move along a little easier, though I’m not sure I can ever forget him. Thanks again, have a blessed day!
Greetings Lisa,Stumbled upon your site and glad i did,found so many interesting spreads thanks for sharing them! I’m using the Angel Tarot Deck in this spread asking if my ex and i will get back together,My interpertation is that he is playing hard ball and hard to get.But if i made the first move he would react on it,I feel we are are both sad about the situation ending,But if we let our walls down there is a possibiltity.I know the 3 of swords shows the sadness but being beside the fool the 3 of swords is strenghened and then lovers i do believe there is chance!Just wanna know if you agree with me,should i make the first move and do i stand a chance?
1( 4 of cups
2( 4 of swords
3( 9 of cups
4( page of swords
5( high priest
6( 7 of wands
7( 2 of wands
8( 3 of swords
9( fool
10( lovers
Thanks for your help!
Hi Christina, Yes, absolutely give it a go! The Page of Swords will want to have his say 🙂 You will need to sort the 3 of Swords issues out but once you do, it looks like you can have a fresh new start (The Fool). Blessings, Lisa
Thanks Lisa,Thats what I thought! But in reference to what you said about the page of swords do you believe thats my ex or someone else who will want say in the matter! For me I read it as My ex is on fire and is getting ready to contact me even if I didnt contact him first!He wants to make things right weather it be starting of with an argument to prove his beliefs and stand up for what he thinks is right! Cards 4..5..6 Im talking about!. What do you think?
The card in position 4 is usually more of an indication of what action you are required to take.
What a great spread!!
On the other side of the door I got the 9 of pent, 8 of swords, and the lovers. Do you think that means wants to be independent, but feels torn between having a possible love? OR does it mean that he has a girlfriend that he’s with that’s more of a “friend”? He’s been burned before in love badly.
1: temperance 2:2 of swords, 3: 5 swords. 4:5 of pentacles, 5:2 of pentacles, 6: strength
Key: q of pentacles
Thank you!
Thanks Cassie 🙂 Those are two very different takes on the final row of cards. Which deck did you use? I’d be interested in if one of your two different versions are guided by visual clues…? The one that resonates more for me would be the former… but not so much choosing independence as choosing isolation out of fear of intimacy or getting hurt again. With two 5’s in the spread and Temperance being the first card, I see conflict avoidance as a big theme. The 2 and 8 of Swords both resonate with this theme.
I actually just had a sit down talk with this man tonight, and he basically told me he doesn’t want a relationship and just wants to be my friend (although we became lovers for awhile – I swore he had feelings for me). He said he will never allow anyone in so he can get hurt again. His fiance cheated on him so he would rather be alone. I am such a nice girl it really stinks that he won’t give me a chance! He does not have another gf. Thanks Lisa! I used the mystic dreamer tarot
Hi Lisa, Thank you very much for the time and effort that went into this spread. There are quite a few out there, some more functional than others and this one looked particularly interesting. But before I use a spread for friends / clients, I make a habit of doing a read for myself based on a particular question or circumstance. The deck I chose for this spread was the ‘Mythic Tarot” as it is one I’m most comfortable with. The question of course was whether a very strong almost karmic relationship with my ex would present a reconciliation and would we reunite. It did get off to a rocky start and moved very quick, however at the time, we did not have the “tools” to cope. The cards drawn are shown below, your insight is greatly appreciated although I’m fairly certain I know the answer.
Your insight is greatly appreciated. Blessed Be.
1) 3 Swords
2)Tower
3) Death
4) 2 Pent
5) Strength
6) 10 wands
7) High Priestess
8) 5 swords
9) Fool
10 – Key) Ace of Cups -which was not what I was expecting to appear.
Hi Jay, thanks for sharing your spread. Could you please ask a specific question as I don’t have time to interpret the whole spread for you. Cheers 🙂
Hi Lisa, my apologizes for vagueness. The specific question in mind was ” will we reunite on a romantic level/ relationship-wise” ie: Get back together.
Jay
Sorry, my turn to apologise for being vague. I meant, please ask about specific card combinations as I welcome questions of this nature for learning purposes in the comments section.
Hi Lisa, Discovered your spread on one of my friends site found it to be very unique and nice! I’m new to reading and discovering the tarot deck! I tried your spread out asking if me and my ex would get back together and was wondering if you could give me your insight of the reading,I need some help Thankyou Jennifer.
1. 3 of wands
2. lovers
3. 2 of pentacles
4. king of cups
5. 3 of cups
6. 6 of cups
7. 9 of cups
8. 7 of pentacles
9. knight of pentacles
10. 9 of pentacles
Hi Jennifer, thanks for commenting and glad you like the spread! I welcome specific questions but row by row, this is what I see (without the visual clues, obviously – which deck did you use, btw?)
Row 1: Infidelity looks like a theme right from the start.
Row 2: Not a great time to try to win him back (6 of Cups may mean he’s in a soulmate relationship with someone else)
Row 3: You will meet your Knight and he will have many Earth sign qualities (perhaps a Taurean) – Don’t think it’s your ex.
9 of Pentacles and King of Cups together is basically saying to take time out from relationships, learning to enjoy being on your own. Make sure that you know what would make you happy in a future lover. Be patient – next time around will be a whole lot better and your man will be reliable!
Hi Lisa,Thanks for your insight on the reading ! Although its not what i wanted to hear sometimes you must except the truth! 🙁 So I can move on! But as soon as you wrote Infidelity looks like a theme right from the start. You Hit It on target Lisa! For the tarot deck that i’m using its a bit old the deck my grandmother gave me the cards but not sure on the name of them !! Maybe i should focus more on asking who i will meet in my future then worrying about my past! 🙂 Ty again my dear Lisa 🙂
You’re welcome. Nothing like the truth to set us on our path 🙂 Maybe you should focus on how to be happy in your own skin first? (I do believe that’s what the cards suggest!) Have you tried the Happy to Single and Happy Tarot Spread yet? http://lovedovetarot.com/2012/05/17/single-and-happy-tarot-spread/
(please ignore my last comment.. errors) Hi Lisa! Great spread! Just purchased a deck and this is one of the first spreads i’ve done! I’ve looked up all the card meanings but am totally confused as to what they are telling do. Is this worth pursuing or are they telling me to move on? Thank you kindly!
1. High Priestess
2. Ten of Cups
3. 6 of pentacles (reversed)
4. 9 of wands (reversed)
5. 7 of cups (reversed)
6. Page of Wands
7. 5 of Pentacles
8. Queen of Wands (reversed)
9. 10 of Pentacles (reversed)
10. The Emperor
Hi Lisa! Just purchased a deck and this is one of the first spreads i’ve done! I’ve looked up all the card meanings but am totally confused as to what they are telling do. Is this worth pursuing or are they telling me to move on? Thank you kindly!
1. High Priestess
2. Ten of Cups
3. 5 of penticles
4. 9 of wands (reversed)
5. 7 of cups (reversed)
6. Page of Wands
7. 5 of Penticles
8. Queen of Wands (reversed)
9. 10 of Penticles (reversed)
10. The Emporer
The confusion you feel is shown clearly by the 7 of Cups here (I don’t read with reversals, btw!). The 9 of Wands means that taking a ‘defensive stance’ is better than pursuing this. The last row indicates to me that if you did get back together it would be on his terms and those terms are not in your best interest. Sorry. PS. Page of Wands as outside influence indicates a passionate relationship with a younger female.
I’m needing some insight here…I fell for a widower who’d only lost his wife 9 months earlier. I knew he wasn’t ready and broke it off- he wasn’t treating me as a priority and I think he was still seeing other women and I was needy because of it. I know we were linked on a pretty deep level- am so confused- would love your interpretation- thanks
1 – the star
2,3 – 9 of swords, 10 of cups
4 – 7 of cups
5 – 4 of wands
6 – page of cups reversed
7,8,9 – 5 of wands, king of swords, 2 of swords
10 – page of pentacles
Hi Penny, I don’t have time to help with the whole spread but the 7 of Cups in position 4 is an indication that you need to wait for the fog to clear. Hang back and do nothing. One or both of you need to get the bigger picture and can’t do that until you are a bit more emotionally detached. Hope this helps.
I welcome others to give their input and insights to help Penny with this reading!
Blessings,
Lisa
Hey Lisa, I’ve been broken up with my guy since November. I’m 100% positive he’s my soul mate. I could sense a soul connection before we even got together and just knew each other through friends. We had a huge fight (The Tower), and we haven’t talked since. I’ve been getting strong intuitive messages about sending him a letter (e-mail). Can you take a look at this spread and tell me what the Princess of Swords is telling me to do? I pulled a card to represent what I need to say in the letter, and I was told Knight of Cups. Is the Knight of Cups telling me to show him how I feel? I get the Prince of Cups and Knight of Cups confused sometimes.
1 The Fool
2/3 6 of Wands and 3 of Cups
4 Princess of Swords
5 Knight of Swords
6 5 of Cups
7/8/9 (Behind the Door) Magician and 6 of Cups and Aeon
10 4 of Swords
Blessings! 🙂
Communicate a message of peace, friendship and understanding to show him that the person who contributed to the Tower situation has matured. Don’t try to win him back by turning yourself inside out emotionally but show him that you are interested in his friendship. The Knights of Cups (if we are talking Thoth) is emotionally mature and compassionate. The 4 of Swords as the Key tells you that it is now possible to establish a truce. Listen carefully to where he is at before you go declaring your emotions. He may not be at the stage where he is receptive for that.
Hi Lisa,
I finally got the chance to try this spread and really liked the depth in it. Using Tarot of the Sidhe I drew:
1 – The Chariot
2-3 Dancer Princess and Dancer Nine
4- Dancer Three
5- Dreamer Seven
6 – Dreamer Ten
7-9 – Maker Ten, Dancer Prince, The Magician
10 – Warrior Prince
It all makes sense to me except I can’t quite see how Warrior Prince would apply as the key, especially with Dancer Three as the handle. Any suggestions?
Cheers,
Debbie
Hi Debbie, this is not the time to actively seek to get him back. However, if you are still in communication with him, he will quickly pick up on increased happiness levels in you if you follow the advice of the 3 of Cups and the Prince of Wands and this could magnetize him toward you.
Monique, I wouldn’t read the three final cards in isolation from the rest but reading all of them together… yeah, this is a no go. Sorry! The Hermit is never a good sign when you want to reach out to someone and the Knight of Disks Handle says it won’t make any difference as he’s made his mind up. The 5 of Swords Key tells you to cut your losses and move on.
Blessings, Lisa
Interesting spread…
I tried it for my own estranged situation.
1 – The Universe
2-3 Princess of Swords & Princess of Wands
4 – Knight of Disks
5 – Prince of Wands
6 – 8 of Disks
7-9 – 2 of Disks/ The Hermit/ 6 of Swords
10 – 5 of Swords
I see it as I have no control over this situation. How would you interpret the three cards?
Lisa,
I love your blog! I’ve only been reading the tarot (self-readings) for a couple of months, and I’ve found it incredibly helpful to me. Which cards could possibly show up that would tell you HE’S the one who needs to take the action toward reconciliation and not you?
Thanks Monique. Glad you enjoy the blog! Basically, that would be made clear by the three cards in the bottom row if the lock, key and handle indicate that there’s not much you can do at the minute. He’s on the other side of the door, right? And those three cards show you what’s there… Tricky when all you can do is wait, isn’t it?
I don’t want my ex back, but I will try it just the same, for the fun of it! Awesome spread!!!
Thank you very much, Trish! 🙂
Send them all to me, Lena – I don’t mind!! lol
True, the most asked question… sigh.
Thank you!!I have just tried and I don’t know if it is my fibromyalgia head (foggy brain) or that it is too close to home doing it for myself but I am confused. I use the Golden tarot. Is it telling me that in order to progress I need to stop worrying but it will be slow going?
1-3 of coins
2-3 the tower/emperor
4- knight of coins
5-9 of swords
6- 2 of wands
7,8,9- 3 of wands, ace of cups, queen of wands
10- queen of coins
Sher, you are welcome. I usually interpret it to be a ‘no’ when the final card is a Queen (and here the last TWO cards are Queens) but please ignore that interp if it doesn’t resonate. Do look at what is NOT there in the past. Also, I see the Knight of Coins as a ‘no’ in terms of effort yielding results. He’s stubbornly made his mind up. The bottom row suggests he has moved on and is seeing someone else. You are better off without this guy. It’s the Mars in Capricorn 3 of Coins that is making you want him back… The Queen of Coins as the Key tells you that you are better off opening a door to self-sufficiency, nurturing and loving yourself.
Thank you Lisa, It is a very frustrating situation as we are still good friends aside from our son. I am pretty sure he isn’t seeing anyone else though at the moment so I don’t know…
Thanks. Sometimes you have to separate to learn something new about yourself before you can come back together too… and there ARE happy reunions. I do find that a lot of Tarot readers are very jaded when it comes to this question. I think it’s important to remember that everyone is unique and that there are lots of different reasons for a separation. I always pray for ‘fresh eyes’ when this question pops up.
But yes, either way, letting go emotionally as much as possible is ALWAYS best. Detach, detach, detach… 🙂
Hi
This definitely is the most asked question ever. I really liked this spread and the idea of it being a door which is separating you both, you have a choice whether to open it to reach out to them or not. Through my spiritual journey I have learnt a lesson that its best to let go of something once you know it served you n good but people usually do not understand this. I will definitely try this spread I just need a person who wants an ex to return . Great spread. Thank you