In this brief reading, the querent (person asking the question) had concerns about making a commitment to a particular relationship. She was afraid that she was not ready to take this step, although she and the man involved were very much in love.
The first card drawn was the one in the center: We Are the World. This card reflected the nature of the central issue. She immediately recognized the meaning of this card, which she felt was her sense of connectedness to the bigger issues of the planet -- healing the environment, social justice, and other “big picture” matters. She was involved in many volunteer projects working for peace, the environment and children’s welfare. In discussing this card, she expressed her worry that if she settled down into married life, she might have to sacrifice her activist work.
The second card drawn was the one at the bottom -- Letting Go. This further reflected her worry that by becoming part of a permanent couple, she might be sacrificing something of her individuality. Like the droplet poised on the edge of the leaf, the prospect of melting into the lake was a poignant concern.
Her past showed in the third card -- Projections. This was an important key to her understanding the deeper nature of her fear. This card usually has to do with the very human habit of pigeonholing people, of analyzing and judging others, not necessarily by objective truth, but because of our own hopes and fears. We tend sometimes to decide that someone is this way, or that way, and really we are projecting onto them some aspect of ourselves, often a side of ourselves that we are not very fond of.
In discussing this card with her, she agreed that perhaps she was making a decision about what a marriage “should” be, based on the model of her parents’ marriage, pop culture and so on, rather than what she and her partner would want to make it.
The next card, on the far right, was one of the keys to her future. The Innocence card shows a wise old man laughing with a praying mantis balanced on his finger. This is the innocence, not of ignorant babyhood, but of having lived a long, possibly difficult life, yet being able to shrug off all cares and sorrows in a moment of pure delight. The reading invited her to let go of her burden of worry, and yield to the sweetness of each moment.
The final outcome card, Breakthrough, pictured at the top, showed how she could have a sudden breakthrough in the situation. She was ready to break the bonds of outmoded opinions and worries, and take a powerful leap forward, full of confidence and creative energy.
