This is the fourth edition of our series “Reading In The Flow: Cards in Combination”. If you’re new to the series (can be found via Resources), “Reading In The Flow” is a term I use to describe taking a bird’s eye view of a spread in order to observe all the ways in which the cards interact.

Similar to the last combination, I will be working with my partner Tim to break down the possibilities within a set of 3 cards. We will explore elemental distribution, note-worthy observations, how the cards Qabalistically correlate, and what the message may be with all things considered.

The three cards we’ll be using for today’s exercise came about through “random” shuffle. They are the 7 of Swords, 5 of Cups, and The Hierophant. I have arranged them sequentially in a horizontal manner and have not ascribed a question or positional meanings. This is a general reading where the cards are meant to be read in tandem.

Similar to the last time, I am asking readers to take a step back and observe the landscape at large. 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 that stands out! There are no right or wrongs in this approach. Bring in any elements you personally work with (numbers, astrology etc.) 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!

I’m adding to my existing “Reading In The Flow” series to include what I consider to be other subtle influences potentially impacting a card’s meaning. In the Cards in Combination portion of the series, we’ve been reading cards in tandem to come up with possible interpretations. Here, I’ll be covering connecting themes in the deck to provide additional layers through which to view your draws. Today, we’ll be observing the relationship between time and direction. Central figures in the cards can provide many clues as to the card’s underlying influence, just by observing the way in which they face. While this isn’t conclusive, or totally comprehensive, one easy way to understand this influence is to think about things along the lines of time tenses. There are other ways to contemplate directions, but for the purpose of this post we’re going to keep it simple and focused just on the following - past, present and future.

It may help to go through your deck (I’m specifically working with and referencing the Rider Waite Smith for this post) and begin by separating the obvious ones out. You can place the ones which feature a figure clearly facing left in one pile, a figure clearing looking straight on in another pile, and a figure clearing facing right in a third pile. There are some cards which will be more ambiguous (5 of Wands, 6 of Pentacles, 3 of Cups etc.) and for those, you can just set them aside for later discussion. For now, let’s focus on just three possibilities and see what we may discover.

This is the third edition of our series “Reading In The Flow: Cards in Combination”. If you missed the first two posts (can be found via Resources), “Reading In The Flow” is a term I use to describe taking a bird’s eye view of a spread in order to observe all the ways in which the cards interact.

Similar to the last combination, I will be working with my partner Tim to break down the possibilities within a set of 3 cards. We will explore elemental distribution, note-worthy observations, how the cards Qabalistically correlate, and what the message may be with all things considered.

The three cards we’ll be using for today’s exercise came about through “random” shuffle. They are The Emperor, the 8 of Cups, and the 2 of Cups (again!). I have arranged them sequentially in a horizontal manner and have not ascribed a question or positional meanings. This is a general reading where the cards are meant to be read in tandem.

Similar to the last time, I am asking readers to take a step back and observe the landscape at large. 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 that stands out! There are no right or wrongs about this approach. Bring in any elements you personally work with (numbers, astrology etc.) 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!

This is the second edition of what I hope to be a regular feature on this site - Reading In The Flow: Cards in Combination. If you missed the first post, “Reading In The Flow” is a term I use to describe taking a bird’s eye view of a spread to observe all the ways in which the cards interact.

Earlier in the week, I shared the first post in this series which looked at The Tower, the 8 of Swords, and the 10 of Pentacles in combination. Today, with the help of my partner Tim, we will be breaking down another 3 cards in combination. I’m pulling Tim into this because a) we love to look at this stuff together and b) he brings a depth of knowledge that will allow for some advanced exploration and another layer of understanding.

The three cards we’ll be using for today’s exercise came by way of a suggestion on Instagram. They are The Hierophant, The High Priestess, and the 2 of Cups. I have arranged them in triangle formation like last time and have not ascribed a question or positional meanings. This is a general reading where the cards are meant to be read in tandem.

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..