Reading In The Flow - Cards in Combination: Tower, 8 of Swords, 10 of Pentacles

When it comes to reading cards, I get most excited by taking a step back and assessing the landscape as a whole. I’ve typically called this technique “Reading In The Flow” as it allows one to get out of the details of a singular image and instead, observe how the cards interact with one another. I have taught courses on these techniques in the past, shared plenty of resources and written in depth about how I apply this method in my own practice.

Recently, I disassembled one of my free resources to give myself an opportunity to reflect on my reading style and update the approaches detailed in the document.

One way I want to bring this back though, is to start writing more on the blog about the practical application of this style of reading - a style I of course did not invent, but which has become a staple to my practice.

So here is the first of what I hope to be many segments to feature the Reading In The Flow style. In these short posts, I will share three cards and then detail how I may read them in tandem. The cards I will be working with were selected at random by way of my standard shuffling method. I will share the picture first, allow readers to make their own assessments, and then highlight all of the pieces of the landscape that jumped out and what I think it may all mean.

For today’s exercise, we will be working with The Tower, the 8 of Swords and the 10 of Pentacles. As you are observing the landscape, consider what is similar about the cards, what is different, how they interact, what the figures are posturing, the colours, repeated imagery or anything else notable that stands out! There are no right or wrongs about this approach. Bring in any elements you personally work with whether I’ve mentioned them or not. This isn’t about guessing what I’m going to see, it’s about expanding your own unique vision. So, take a look at the image below and using the prompts above, note what you observe!

Here are my notes:

Majors Vs. Minors:
One Major, 2 Minors
This could indicate that while a big soul lesson may be involved, there will most definitely be an impact to the day-to-day.

Elemental Distribution:
Tower = Fire
Swords = Air
Pentacles = Earth
What is missing? Water
Perhaps this matter has more to do with creativity, communication and resources than it does emotions.

Repeated or Notable Imagery:
-There are structures featured in each image (the tower in The Tower, the city scene in the 10 of Pentacles and the castle in the background of the 8 of Swords). This could indicate that the matter is related to the material world - perhaps something to do with business or commerce or other structured organizations.

-In The Tower, we have our figures exiled from the structure. In the 8 of Swords, we have our figure held far away from the structure and in the 10 of Pentacles, we have our figures immersed in the structures. This demonstrates three different ways of interacting with the material world and may also indicate a change to come.

-Replication of clothing colours i.e. the red cape and blue dress in The Tower is repeated, but inverted in the other two cards; red dress in the 8 of swords and blue cape in the 10 of Pentacles. This could indicate a shift in consciousness or perception.

-The body language is very different in each of the cards as well. In The Tower we have our figures tossed and terrified, in the 8 of Swords our figure is bound and still and in the 10 of Pentacles our figures are free to roam and appear at ease. Like discussed above, these differences could indicate an evolving situation where change is on the horizon.

Possible Message:
There is a better way to do things than what is currently being done. The Tower speaks to an overhaul in a system, set up, operation or venture which is currently underway. While it is not working and there is a lot of evidence to this, the people involved may feel very constrained in terms of what they can do to resolve the matter. It may feel as if there are no moves left or no options available. This may be the case, or it may just be a matter of shifting perspective. Also consider that no action is required. What is meant to fall will do so on its own accord so you do not need to worry about the how and where and whys of this. This isn't meant to be "fixed". On the the other side of the collapse there is a new way of doing things which will be available to all involved. It entails a more cooperative, sustainable and supportive environment with great potential for success. Do not mourn what is leaving - make room for what is on the way.

So, what did you think? What did you see? What popped out!? While this is a fairly objective and rational approach, also consider that your intuition will have a way of bringing forward the elements that are key! In this way, you may consider a “missed” connection to be irrelevant to the seeker involved. And also consider, what you noticed today, may not be what you notice tomorrow - context and situation mean a lot! Ultimately, I love this approach because of its versatility and I hope you too can see the value in the bird’s eye view. I’d love to hear your thoughts or if you have card combination suggestions for future posts, leave them in the comments!

You can also find my collection of card meanings here, which you may find helpful if you’re new to tarot!

Julia