Page 3 of All Hallows' Hex
“I don’t know what to do.” His response was apathetic almost. He looked up from my shuffling hands and clarified, “I don’t know if I should pursue, hold back, or give up.”
“Is this a relationship matter?”
“Yes,” he answered.
“So, then I can assume your question is more aligned with needing to know what path you should take for a sense of happiness, whatever that looks like to you?” I asked, and he nodded in response. I repeated that sentiment to myself over and over as I shuffled.
How should Everett move forward in this relationship that troubles him?
I shuffled and pulled the first card for the cross spread, setting it to the left, the second to the right, and finally, I pulled the third, fourth, and fifth cards and placed them from bottom to top. I took a moment to observe.
“Generally speaking, this is a good spread, Everett.” I looked in the order I pulled the cards and gathered more insight on each one individually. “So, the first card,” I said, pointing to the spot. “Is going to represent you. Your role. Your place.”
He leaned forward, his eyebrows pinched together. “Is this a joke, Lane?” He cocked a smirk. “The Fool? A skull and a jester’s cap ‘n bells?”
“I understand the way that looks,” I said before snorting a quick chuckle. “But I promise that wasn’t on purpose.” I took a moment to regain composure. “The Fool, quite the assumed connotation, but it really represents possibility. With its placement and being upright, I can infer opportunity and potential. Your role in this situation was the spark for a new beginning.”
I turned to the second card, placing my finger on it.
“This is her.” I looked up at him. “I’m assumingher, yes?” He nodded and I continued. “Judgement reversed.”
“Is that a cherub?” Matt asked, leaning closer to get a better look. I nodded but didn’t answer aloud.
“So, in this position, I’m reading self-doubt for her. The way she sees herself in this relationship, or proposed relationship even, is heavily critiqued and she’s looking for every reason to avoid the intuitive feelings that brought her to you in the first place.” I tapped my fingers across my lips as I pondered more on the matter.
“Do—”
“Nope, I don’t want anything to sway my reading.” I cut him off with a finger in the air. “I’m getting a heavy sense of doubt, but not related to the person,” I concluded, coming back to the first point. “It’s not a doubt in ability or action, but in . . . worthiness. Let’s come back for an overall look later.”
I started at the bottom, looking from one card to the next.
“These three cards in the middle are going to shape the guidance you’re looking for,” I started. Pointing to the third card at the base of the cross, I explained, “Position three is the foundation. Page of Wands is sitting upright. As it represents the foundation for you two, this can be many things. The strongest coming through is a sense of curiosity. In the fourth position,” I said, moving my hand to the card above. “This card represents the current state of the relationship. I’m guessing this is explaining the issues you’re seeing.” I took a deep breath before explaining. “Two of Swords upright.”
“Swords? Like conflict?” Everett asked. He was much closer now as he was fully invested in the reading.
“Not exactly,” I reassured. “Conflict is found where you wish it to be. There doesn’t have to be conflict if you know how to navigate. For instance,” I said, sitting back to look at him head-on. “Two of Swords upright, like all other cards, has a myriad of interpretations. Based on the previous cards in the spread, I’m drawn to the aspect of choices and decisions. Love and the like aren’t easy things to jump into on a perceived whim. The issue is that a choice hasn’t been made, and it’s left you in limbo.”
“Yeah, to say the least.” He sighed and looked at the last card.
“That’s the card that brings it together. Fifth position, we’re going to draw an outcome from here.” I analyzed this one carefully. I’d never been the tarot reader that gave fluff and happiness where there was an unknown answer. “More wands. This time, it’s Two of Wands upright. The likely outcome by basic interpretation is progress. I’ll go further and say more concretely, a decision will come and progress will be made. That progress, however, is widely open to interpretation. Progress to you might look differently from progress to your potential partner.”
“But progress is progress, and if that’s the outcome, then I’ll take it.” Everett resigned himself and sat against the back of his chair. He crossed his arms over his chest and focused his gaze on his shoe.
“If you don’t mind waiting, Matt?” When I looked over at him, he shook his head and gestured to continue. “Can I read dice for you, Everett?” His eyes moved from me to Matt as he thought it over.
“Dice?”
“Divination dice, astragalomancy. It won’t take any longer than the cards.” I picked up the velvety pouch from the area I placed crystals earlier. With my other hand, I grabbed the wooden tarot box. He nodded as I set it up. “For this, we read house, sign, and planet.”
I dropped the dice into the box, closed the lid, and gave it a few shakes as I thought over the same question from his tarot pull. I set the box on the table and opened it so the boys could see the symbols as well.
“Each die represents a separate facet that is read together. The house gives insight to the affected area of life, the sign gives insight to the emotions that are at play in the situation, and finally, the planet guides actions or offers influence,” I explained, pointing to each respective milky white die. The gold painted symbols glinted in the overhead light.
“Is it different from tarot?” Everett asked.
“Yes, it can offer you another perspective.” I looked for the first die that represented the house. “No surprise here, the seventh house is facing out, along with Pisces and Venus.”
“I don’t know what that means,” he deadpanned, looking up.
