Jill's Second Reading

In June 1990, I did an Other Reading about Jill and her situation. The events which had transpired were so dramatic that I felt drawn to see what the tarot would say about them.

In March, Jill met with a judge who was so convinced by the validity of her search that she ruled the adoption files should be opened. Through hard work, Jill located her birth parents within three weeks. Her father was reluctant to speak with her at first, but her mother welcomed her warmly after a surprise meeting in a distant city.

I truly felt that Jill had realized the positive outcome projected for her in the first reading. She trusted her abilities and accomplished all her goals in a very short time; however, this drama was about to take an unexpected turn.

Jill and her birth mother quickly formed a close relationship. While Jill was staying with her mother, her birth father reestablished contact. Her parents spoke to each other for the first time in over thirty years, and soon they renewed their original romantic relationship! It was at this time that I decided to do a reading. I wanted to understand the highly charged energy that surrounded this situation. The question I wrote was:

What is the nature and cause of the intertwining life dramas of Jill, her birth mother and her birth father?

Here are the cards I chose:

Image of this Reading

	Position
	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
Cards Drawn	Page Swords	Four of Swords	Five of Cups	Three of Pentacles	Queen Cups	Four of Wands	Lovers	Moon	Nine of Wands	Five of Pentacles

[picture of Page of Swords] [picture of 4 of Swords] [picture of 5 of Cups] [picture of Three of Pentacles] [picture of Queen of Cups]
[picture of 4 of Wands] [picture of Lovers] [picture of Moon] [picture of 9 of Wands] [picture of 5 of Pentacles]

Bold phrases are from the information page for the card, italic phrases from the position page.

Here is my interpretation from my point of view:

We again see a Page as Card 1. Jill's situation is still an opportunity to act, but this time she is facing a challenge. Jill must be truthful with herself and approach this situation with fortitude and clarity of thought (Swords).

The Four of Swords as Card 2 tells her how to support herself through this period. She must examine her actions and motivations scrupulously. She must also nurture a still, quiet center in herself so that she can ride this emotional roller coaster.

In Cards 3 and 5 we see the links between this reading and the first. In Card 5, we again see the "dream mother" - the Queen of Cups. It seems that Jill has not let this ideal go, but has instead placed it firmly in her conscious mind. She is thinking and feeling about her birth mother most of the time.

In January, the Five of Cups showed that transmuting emotional loss is a key lesson for Jill in this drama. Now, this card has moved to Card 3. The regret Jill feels about her birth has become lodged firmly in her unconscious. At a deep level, she is mourning the loss of her loved ones and the dream of what might have been. This reenactment of her birth is also triggering a fear that she will lose her parents again.

The Three of Pentacles as Card 4 suggests that the teamwork Jill has enjoyed with her birth parents may become a thing of the past. The position of the figures on this card is revealing. Two are together while the other stands alone. The solitary figure is half turned away as if she can't decide if she is part of the twosome or not. In studying this card, I noticed the tipped cup in the right hand of the lone figure. How clearly it echoes the overturned cups in the Five of Cups and the losses they represent!

The Four of Wands as Card 6 is cause for celebration. Whatever else Jill's situation may bring, it seems that the near future will be exciting.

Cards 7 and 8 carry extra weight because they are major arcana cards. They spell out an important conflict between Jill and her environment. Jill's point of view is the Lovers. She wants to forge the bonds of love and relationship that were denied her originally. She is also coming to terms with the fact that her parents are becoming lovers literally.

Unfortunately, Jill's environment is one of fear and illusion. The Moon symbolizes the uncertainties that arise when events are not what they seem and people do not mean what they say. In this case, there is no willful deceit, just lack of clarity. No one means any harm, but everyone is unsure of their real needs.

It appears that Jill is heading toward some rejection as pictured in the Five of Pentacles (Card 10). The lack of unity showing up throughout this reading suggests that Jill could find herself left out in the cold, shunned as the odd person out.

Jill's strength lies with the truth. The Page of Swords (Card 1) reminds her of the central need for clarity and honesty. In the meantime, Jill should prepare for the worse. The Nine of Wands as Card 9 tells her she must be defensive and prepare to draw on her hidden reserves. There may be celebration in the near future, but there will also be hard times as Jill seeks to find her way with truth in her new relationships.

Jill's Third Reading