Hourglass Reading

Card 6

Deck: Universal Waite

Question: A look at the past six months and the coming six months of your life, during a time of reflection at the new year, with a focus on business, marriage, and spirituality.

Spread: The hourglass spread addresses influences leaving and entering your life in a one-year period centering around the present day (six months behind and six months forward).  The spread design and position definitions are listed below.

9    10  11
   7    8
       6
   4    5
1    2    3

Base Level (Cards 1-3): Sands that have already fallen, the cards in this level represent things to reflect on about the past six months - accomplishments, major changes, any significant problems, things still needing resolution.

2nd Level (Cards 4-5): Sands that have recently fallen, and energies that are passing out of your life or are ready to be released.

Middle (Card 6): A snapshot in time, as the sand passes through the narrowest part of the hourglass, representing where you are at this exact moment in your life.

4th Level (Cards 7-8): Sands about to fall, and energies or influences that will soon enter your life in the next six months.

Top Level (Cards 9-11): The vast potential of the coming months, the sand reservoir and all the things that may come to pass. Here you will find the potentials and possibilities - things that you can accomplish, major transitions that are coming, and issues that are ready to be dealt with in the next six months.

Reading

In the bottom and top rows, the left-hand cards relate to your business partnership, the middle cards relate to your marriage, and the right-hand cards relate to your spiritual activities. Cards directly above and below each other are related in terms of energy flow.

Cards 1-3: Queen of Swords reversed, Queen of Pentacles, Queen of Cups reversed.  This trio of cards is very interesting – a group of Queens suggests a focus over the last six months on developing or resolving issues related to who you  are and different aspects of yourself.  Here we can see which aspects come out in which situations, and which areas are more resolved than others.  What the three Queens have in common is a focus on nurturing over the last six months, and being or trying to be productive, creative, and loving in different aspects of your life.  Two reversals and one upright suggest that the process is still ongoing, there are still things to work out and issues to resolve. The coming year looks much more "upright", so this is a suggestion that you can look ahead to fulfilling these goals more in the coming year than you were able to do in the past year.

The Queen of Swords in the position relating to your business partnership indicates a mix of emotional and intellectual activity. The reversal suggests that perhaps relationships are clouding the clear vision that this Queen usually has.  There may be a need to pare something back or refocus goals or direction, that should already have happened but hasn't yet.  You may be hesitating due to a wish not to disturb the positive emotional nature of these relationships, but in the end, this business will not be able to reach its potential if there is not some more "hard-nosed" energy brought to bear.  Clear sight and analysis, objective weighing of options and ideas for the future, and even carefully considering (but not necessarily choosing) the alternative of severing business ties and dissolving this legal entity should be on the table. This card might suggest a reluctance to be alone again in a business capacity, and a fear of being perceived by your friends/business partners as unemotional or heartless. However, these fears may be exaggerated and/or unhelpful toward reaching a resolution of the situation.

The Queen of Pentacles in the relationship position is a positive reflection of the work you have put in over the last year in making your home environment welcoming and nurturing for you and your husband. This is one of the accomplishments of the past year that you should take some time to feel good about before moving on to new challenges :). Clearly you have a talent for managing practical details (which needs to be brought to bear on your business), and for creating a pleasing environment, and being a warm and loving person in your marriage.  If you look at this card in the center of the bottom row, you can see how it grounds everything around it – this will be very helpful as you face the challenges of the coming year, by getting things off on a positive footing at home.  It also could serve as a reminder that you have created this loving home space for yourself, and this might be something you want to be sure and keep up in the coming year, as it can continue to serve as a positive influence for you and your husband no matter what you are doing.

The Queen of Cups reversed suggests some dissatisfaction or feeling of disconnection from your spirituality that has arisen in your life over the past year.  This may be as simple as a growing realization that you need to find your path and get more involved on a meaningful level with others in your faith. The reversal does suggest some difficulties or concerns about what you have been able to do so far, perhaps still not feeling the direct connection with God or spirit that you are searching for. This queen is also very concerned about relationships, and the reversal may indicate a worry about how your spirituality and your marriage will affect each other. 

One thing I notice about these three Queens, is that they're all facing away from each other.  If the two Queens on either end were not reversed, they would be all looking toward the center, more integrated and unified.  As things have been recently, you may have felt pulled in three different directions, feeling different demands or interests that all need resolving and seem to compete with one another. The message here is that these three aspects of your life do not have to be in conflict – it is only because one or two of them are so unsettled that this is the case. It will not always be like this if you once you have straightened out your business and had more time to spend on your spiritual studies.

Cards 4-5: King of Cups, The Lovers reversed. These cards are about influences passing out of your life, and they seem to relate more toward relationships and choices, whereas the previous three cards were more about you personally.  The King of Cups balances fire and water, career ambition and relationships – so he is a perfect card to appear above your business position. This suggests that you have been working to be this mediator and to balance these aspects of your business relationship. Being a King, this card indicates you as a leader in this role among your partners, and it has been a positive influence so far. However, this influence is now passing, and the Queen of Swords is still unresolved. This may suggest that the time for mediation, balancing, and compromise is passing, and more decisive, incisive action will be needed in the future.  If the role of the King is more natural for you, this may be a difficult transition.  On the other hand, it should free you up a bit to follow other pursuits if you can get some things resolved there.

The Lovers reversed sits above your relationship and spirituality cards, and suggests some difficulties over the past six months making decisions in these areas. It could also reflect a fear of leaving "safe" ground – not wanting to mix the two too much for worrying how they might affect each other.  This worry about your marriage could have held you back from the knowledge you are seeking, hence the Queen of Cups still being reversed. The good news is that this indecisiveness or feeling of conflict is passing.  Try to release this uncertainty about your religious or spiritual pursuits, especially as it pertains to your marriage.  If you haven't already, it may be time to have a serious heart-to-heart with your husband about it, and get it out in the open. Even if you've already talked with him about it, let him know any remaining insecurities and ask for support and reassurance if needed, and give him an opportunity to express any insecurities he may have about it.  The time is right to give yourself permission to work on your spiritual needs, and also to have that permission within the context of your marriage.

Card 6:  The Hermit. This card seems a perfect representation of you at this time, as you are reflecting on your life and preparing to take up more spiritual pursuits. This is a time of reflection, of looking within, of searching, reaching closure with the past, and renewing your spiritual faith for the future.  All of these are consistent with the Hermit card, suggesting that the energy surrounding you and the energy you have within you are in harmony, and that the question of what will be your personal path and the personal light you shine in the world is of primary importance right now. The Hermit has the ability to bring his mind to bear on philosophy and spirituality, while staying grounded on the path of life. You are reaching a new level of maturity that will allow you to explore these matters of faith in greater depth. And perhaps you may find a guide or mentor that will help you on these travels.

Cards 7-8: Four of Cups, Seven of Cups. In the near future, it appears there will some choices and opportunities coming up, that will affect you emotionally and spiritually. Because both of these cards are upright, it suggests you are prepared to make these choices and have them come out beneficially.  In the case of your business, you may begin to feel that it has stagnated. You know you need to review all your options, but may not be looking forward to this task, or you may wish you could spend your time doing other things that feel more important to you.  On the other hand, there is some kind of opportunity coming up, a positive chance for change, that should not be missed.  Even if you feel more like focusing on spirituality and home life, keep an eye out for this or even actively go out and look for it.  Take this chance to resolve this situation for the better so that you don't have to remain dissatisfied over the long term.

What may appear very enticing (but is actually about equal importance to deal with in your life) is beginning to explore and make choices about your spiritual values. During this initial period where you are acting as the Hermit, you will be putting your feet on a path that will take you toward spiritual self-discovery.  You may feel very focused and directed during this time.  However, soon after that you will find yourself in the Seven of Cups. I think of this card as a spiritual or emotional challenge – but one that is chosen by you, rather than one that is unexpected or forced upon you.  This is the point where you must differentiate what is of value in the religious path you choose, from what only appears to be of value but is actually just a surface trapping. It is the place where you find out who you are, rather than who you appear to be, and perhaps the same is true of your spiritual teachers.  The veils over your inner self are ready to be lifted, but the path is not without peril, emotionally and spiritually.  Making good choices, especially about values and ethics, is important.

Cards 9-11:  King of Wands, Three of Swords, Six of Pentacles reversed.  With the King of Wands, we see the possibilities for what could happen with your career in the coming year, especially if you take the opportunity being presented in the Four of Cups and allow your Queen of Swords to come forward and act decisively. The King of Wands is the card of the CEO and business leader, a visionary, ambitious, successful, and dynamic. This card suggests that you could end up taking a greater leadership role in your career and be more successful than in the past, maturing and growing into a position that will serve you well for your future.  It could also potentially suggest the possibility of a business partner or employer that will better suit your needs than the ones you have now.  The only downside to this card is that once again, he is looking off to the left, directing your energies outward and away from the other things you are doing.  This is a very active card, so even though there is a great opportunity in the coming months career-wise, it will require you to put some of your energy into it – perhaps quite a lot.

The Three of Swords to me seems to emphasize things getting pulled in three different directions.  When upright, I do not interpret this card as gloomily as many people do.  Although it is not an easy card, it suggests the possibility of growth in your marriage through the consideration of new ideas. This may create a little stormy weather, a few sharp words here and there, but overall your relationship is sound and can handle this situation. Marriages do need to change and grow to accommodate the growth of the two people involved and their changing circumstances.  The important thing is to realize that this growth is sometimes painful, but valuable in the long run, and just to be extra-careful about how you communicate with each other during this time. Your attention may be divided into many different areas, so be careful that the middle sword – the one that represents what you have built together, does not get neglected in favor of the individual persons. As long as you don't take things for granted, and pay attention to the changes that are occurring, you should be fine.

The last card suggests that in the coming six months, you will still be experiencing some challenges as far as having time to explore your spirituality.  A reversed Six of Pentacles suggests an imbalance having to do with practical matters – how you manage your time and household, balancing work and spiritual pursuits, having enough money and needing to work out your career situation. It may be that even though you feel a very strong call to work on spiritual matters, the next six months are more amenable to getting your career situation straightened out, after which you could focus more time on religious studies. Another thought to consider is that the upright spiritual cards you received in this reading are really focused on personal, solitary studies and finding your own inner path.  This card could be a suggestion not to get too caught up in volunteerism, taking on extra duties, or if you do, to realize that they will interfere with the personal calling you feel.  There is not enough time for everything, and giving away too much of your time and personal energy may leave you with little of the energy you need to do actual spiritual work.  It might more productive to find a teacher (the Hermit) and work with him or her on a personal basis, than to spend a lot of time in organized activities that have more to do with the practical world and little to do with helping you find your path.

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Illustrations from Universal Waite, Hanson-Roberts, Spiral, Ancestral Path, Herbal, Dragon, Halloween, Russian Tarot of  St. Petersburg, Medieval Scapini, Crow's Magick and Tarot of Ceremonial Magick tarot decks reproduced by permission of US Games Systems Inc. Copyrights © 1990, 1998, 1999, 1996, 1990, 1996, 1996, 1996, 1985, 1998, 1995 respectively by US Games Systems, Stamford, CT.

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