Tarot Toss-Up: Living in Balance

Editor's Note: "Tarot Toss-Ups" present a brief scenario and an associated spread of cards. We "toss up" the story and cards...and everyone can chime in with ideas, interpretations, and insights! Leaving your own comment is fast and fun...and participating is a great way to learn more about Tarot!

Beth comes to you for a reading wanting to know what steps she could take to bring more balance and vitality into her life.

You shuffle the cards and draw:

3 of Wands - 8 of Cups - Knight of Swords

What would you suggest to Beth based on these cards?

As always, any notes on your interpretive techniques--why you say whatever you say--will be welcomed!

-- Janet Boyer

Images are from the Aquatic Tarot

Comments

[Evangelos]

3 of wands and the 8 of cups are telling her something very similar. She needs to explore her options in life. If it’s about work she should upload her resume to Monster.com or something like that. The 8 of cups tells her that something in her life is not fulfilling her needs, she is missing something and that could be what is causing unbalance in her life. The knight of swords says t take action quickly, she cannot cause any more delay in her life. All 3 together would speak of travel, I would tell Beth to take a vacation. Overall there is a need for change and exploration into her soul to find what it is that she wants.

[Denise]

Beth first must learn to be patient because all things take time. (The three of wands shows a man standing in contemplation of what is on the horizon as if he is waiting for his future to come or his ship to come in.) Balance and vitality will not simply drop into one's lap, therefore, it is important that "watching and waiting" be applied.
Secondly, Beth must let go of what no longer serves her purpose and leave it behind. (The eight cups remains on the shore where they can be washed away by the surf while the man walks away as if leaving them forever.) "Don't look back"! If something is causing her life to be unbalanced, it is not going to balance out magically, and must be released.
Lastly, Beth needs to re-evaluate her goals and take action to meet them. (The knight of swords is jumping headlong into the battle, sword drawn and confident that he will be victorious!)

[Tarotwerks]

3 of Wands tells me she needs to stop & look at her options. Look at the big picture. She has more resources and choices before her then she realizes. For exmaple...if she feels out of balance at work...maybe she should change jobs. Would she feel balanced doing that? If not, maybe change into a different position in her job. She knows what would make her feel more balanced & bring vitality. She just needs to stop & look at her options.
8 of Cups tells me she knows of a few things that she no longer needs....emotions & situations she's holding onto because they are familiar. She needs to drops those bad influences & walk away right now.
KNight of Swords shows me a lot of outside influences. She needs to be careful not to get overwhelmed, as some may be attracted to her new vitility and try to run her over & control her.

[Aurora]

3 of Wands - Count your resources, Imagine and focus.

8 of Cups - Take the decision to move,sacrifice something if you have to, then move and act on your porpose.

Knight of Swords - Go for it, and be prepare to clear the obstacles.

[Cat]

What does she want to do, versus what she has to do. Could be anything, marriage, job, move to a new house.

3 of swords, is she waitng for her ship to come? She has moral support either from friends or family. Whatever she is thinking of doing, she needs to do it, she may have to swim out to the ship.

8 of cups, "questing" what is she looking for? Could be anything...maybe she needs to stop volunteering for overtime, or let some other mom bake the cookies for the class party.

Knight of swords, intuitively, I think of this card as "Here I come to save the day!". She needs to look inside herself and makes things happen. No one is going to do it for her although she has support in the 3 of wands, only she can only make the changes she needs to.