Celtic Cross layout
The Situation
3 of Cups reversed:
The Three of Cups reversed can indicate that you have lost touch with your close friends, perhaps due to a falling out or other, more demanding priorities such as work or family commitments. See this card as a reminder to reconnect with your friends, let your hair down and have a good time, without worrying too much about the consequences.
Crossed by the World card:
Beginnings (and perhaps endings)
A long-term project, period of study, relationship, or career has come full circle and you are now feeling a sense of closure as well as achievement and accomplishment. It could represent a graduation, a marriage, the birth of a child (representing the end of a pregnancy), or the attainment of a long held dream or aspiration. You have finally accomplished your goal or purpose. Everything has come together, and you are in the right place, doing the right thing, achieving what you have envisioned, and feeling fulfilled and complete. In this sense, the World card also heralds new beginnings that naturally emerge out of the completion cycle.
Above:
Queen of Pentacles (Coins)
The Queen of Pentacles may represent a mother figure in your life who can provide you with loving support and nurturing to help you get through the influences of your past. She may be a teacher, a counsellor, a mentor, or someone who you are very close to.
Below:
6 of Pentacles (Coins) reversed
Someone may be doing a lot of the taking but not a lot of the giving, thus creating an inequality in the friendship. You need to be careful that your generous spirit is not being taken advantage of and that you are not always the one making compromises for your partnerâs benefit.
Behind:
5 of Cups (reversed)
The reversed Five of Cups shows recovery from regret and an acceptance of the past. Now, you are beginning to realise the full implications of the past and you have come to appreciate the lessons learned from the experience. You may even recognise the value of the painful experience in the broader scheme of things in preparing you for later experiences. You are ready to pick up the remaining two cups that are full of the water of emotional growth and go on.
This card is also about learning to be open and to take risks again. It is a card of a lingering sense of regret, nostalgia and bittersweet memories but the card itself speaks of being hopeful for the future, getting over whatever you need to get over, and of seeing the sun peek through the clouds once again! If you have suffered a broken romance, the reversed Five of Cups signifies an end to the suffering, and a beginning to new relationships, new interests, and new emotional outlets. You are starting to engage with the inspiring, creative and feeling side of life again.
The reversed Five of Cups is about values and knowing what you truly want and what will really make you happiest. It is about the hidden blessings that lie behind obvious disappointments. Sometimes disappointments are required to see through illusions and free you to find what is truly of value in life. Once you have made this transition, you will be free to embrace new opportunities.
Sometimes, the reversed Five of Cups indicates a feeling of being trapped in the past, holding on too tightly to the might-have-beens, and not being able to focus on the positive. The reversal could also indicate buried feelings of regret, that you are not allowing to surface and therefore they never get dealt with and brought to closure. Five is also the number of change, and indicates an emotional destabilisation that is intended to create change in how you approach your life.
Ahead:
4 of Swords (reversed)
Representing stagnation and a lack of action that is leading to increased frustration. You may need to take a break from this stalled situation and come back to it when the energy is flowing better.
Environment
5 of Wands (reversed)
You do not have to constantly prove yourself anymore.
Ace of Pentacles (Coins) reversed
Accept that you are capable of making the wrong choices and use your gifts of practical organization. Trust your “inner” voice now. Draw off your “inner” strengths to manifest what you want in both the internal and external worlds. The time has come for you to leave the familiar behind and travel through the Gateway to the mountains of wisdom. You have learned how material gifts can be abused by selfishness, by extreme competition or mistrust, by an over-dependency on security and comfort. Use this knowledge and wisdom to deal with your problems. It is time for you to move on – grow up and assert your independence.
Something I’m supposed to know
7 of Wands (reversed)
The reversed Seven of Wands reflects that you are feeling overwhelmed by the challenges and responsibilities in your life, finding yourself quickly snowed under and unable to look at the bigger picture. You may have taken on too many commitments and are now looking for an opportunity to focus your attention on only one or two things and do those things well. You may also feel as though you are having to compete against or are constantly comparing yourself to others, leaving you feeling somewhat inadequate and vulnerable. There is a need to return to the Six of Wands, which is all about building your own self-esteem and confidence, and having faith that you can achieve what you set out to.
The Seven of Wands reversed can also indicate that you feel as though you are constantly being judged or criticised by others. Your family or friends are questioning you on why you are doing certain things, such as staying in a challenging relationship or an unfulfilling job. You would prefer if they could just keep their mouths shut and let you be!
This card can suggest that you are trying to avoid conflict wherever possible, and as a result, you are backing down on your point of view too easily. As soon as someone challenges you or opposes you, instead of standing up for yourself, you compromise or give in. It appears that being accepted and liked by others is more important than standing your ground and fighting for what you believe in. Alternatively, you may have tried everything possible and have given it your best shot but you are now starting to realise it is not worth the struggle. Even though you may not have made any progress yet wanted to, it is time to let this one go and move on. It may feel like giving up but in the long run, it will be for the best.
On the other hand, the reversed Seven of Wands can indicate that you are taking things too far and you are being overly aggressive about protecting your turf. This is to the detriment of your personal relationships.
Finally, the Seven of Wands reversed can suggest that you are at risk of being caught unprepared. You are feeling shaken and vulnerable at the threat of a challenge to your position. You have the feelings of falling behind, and not being up to the challenge. Perhaps you want to cave in and give up the fight. This card shows a lack of confidence, courage, and conviction. You are feeling threatened, and have become easily manipulated and taken advantage of.
Outcome
6 of Wands (reversed)
With the Six of Wands reversed, you may find yourself doubting your abilities and your potential for success. You may feel negatively about yourself and as if you have failed both yourself and others. You are lacking confidence, and need the support and recognition of others to pick you up and give you strength again.
The reversed Six of Wands may suggest that you have had a fall from grace and have not received the public recognition you were seeking. You have either received no feedback for your efforts, or negative feedback. You may have expected things would have worked well but instead you are being punished in some way or you are being neglected for your efforts thus far. Now, your confidence has taken a hit, as has your professional reputation or at least your perception of your reputation. If a particular project has not been as successful as you had hoped, you may be better off moving to a new environment so that you can rebuild your personal reputation and brand, rather than trying to fix something that has already broken.
This Six of Wands reversed can reflect the transitory nature of success. One moment, you are on top of the world because you have achieved great things but then the expectation has been set that you will continue to perform to this level and when you do not, then you are suddenly knocked down and criticised. While victory and triumph feel great at the time, recognise that it is only temporary and you will have to continue sustaining a high level of performance to be acknowledged.
Extra (fell out of the deck while shuffling)
9 of Swords
Generally, this card is an indication that you are worrying excessively about a situation. You are literally being kept up at night because you are so anxious about a particular issue. It is possible you are working yourself up unnecessarily and, if you were to look at the situation more objectively, you may come to realise that it is not as bad as you are making it out to be. In fact, all that worry and despair is what is making it worse, so rather than fretting about it, do something to change it.
Although most people experience fear, frustration and uncertainty at some point in their lives, you should not allow those negative emotions to immobilise you or keep you from pursuing your goals with enthusiasm and hope. Expect at least some level of uncertainty in the future, and draw upon your inner strength to remain as flexible and adaptable to that uncertainty as possible.
The Nine of Swords can also indicate that you are being incredibly hard on yourself, putting yourself down or engaging in negative self-talk. For every mistake you make, you blame yourself and become worked up and angry at yourself for messing up again. So, when the Nine of Swords appears in a reading, ask yourself why you are being so hard on yourself, how are you putting yourself down or what is the source of your depression? What can you do to make yourself feel better? You may need to make a more conscious effort to quit the negative self-talk and replace it with positive reinforcement for a job well done.
