5 of Wands / 8 of Cups Card Combo

Elemental Interaction:  Enemy elements, Conflict

Five of Wands: Strife, Conflict, Debate, Competition, Contest, Hassles, Annoyance, Irritations, Trivialities

Eight of Cups: Moving on, Disentanglement, Starting a journey, Search for meaning, Discovery, Spirituality, Finding hope, Weariness

5 of Wands / 8 of Cups

• Walking away from petty arguments and disagreements, rather than wasting energy on the silly stuff.

• Tiring of constant conflict and moving on to find deeper meaning and emotional fulfillment.

8 of Cups / 5 of Wands

• Becoming aware of what one truly values through conflict and strife.

• Leaving on a journey which will stretch one beyond their comfort zone.

In a relationship issue this combination invokes an image of people constantly arguing, struggling and annoying each other. The 8 of Cups is a card of search for real value and meaningful relationship, both within ourselves and with others. Because these two cards are enemy elements, the disputes, annoyances and arguments in the 5 of Wands will probably never cease, so it's best to move on to something that will be more compatible with ones true nature.

This could also signify an internal conflict which can only be resolved by learning what is truly valuable and fulfilling in life and choosing to live according to ones own true values. 

“To thine own self be true.”

Micki

4 of Cups / 6 Pentacles Card Combo

Elemental Interaction:  Supportive

4 of Cups
Apathy; disenchantment; boredom; ignoring opportunity; feeling empty or let-down; disappointment; depression; self-pity; social isolation; withdrawal; tired or fatigued.

6 of Pentacles
Charity; generosity; sharing the wealth; kindness; gifts; balanced accounts; material gain; having plenty.

4 of Cups / 6 of Pentacles
Stop moping around and ask someone for help.
Don't miss an opportunity to share something of value with others.

6 of Pentacles / 4 of Cups
Ignoring an offer of help and assistance.
An opportunity is overlooked or lost because of feelings of apathy and isolation.

With most of us the first thing that comes to mind with Pentacles is money.  Pentacles however, represent much more than just cash.  They represent all tangible resources in the material world as well as the health of our bodies.  They represent skills and abilities with which we can earn income, but also share freely and/or exchange with others.

Often when we are feeling isolated, detached, or let-down our first instinct is to emotionally withdraw into our own private little world. When we feel like this, the last thing we want to do is reach out for help or get out and interact with others. But, if left untended for too long, this can spiral down into depression.  We may not feel like painting the town, but another good solution is to go out and get involved in helping others.  Charity organizations, for instance, are a wonderful place to volunteer our services because when we reach out and offer what we have to others, such as our time, energy and skills, it brings us out of our shell and we begin to realize that, no matter what has happened to us, we still have something of value to give and share.  Sharing with others gives us the opportunity to focus on something besides our own problems and the rewards are often greater than we would expect.

So, anytime we get too wrapped up in our own troubles one of the best solutions is to get out and give of ourselves to others.  It brings us out of our shell and it makes the world a better place for someone else.  That looks like a win-win situation to me!

Micki

Images are from the Hanson-Roberts Tarot

7 of Swords / 10 of Wands Card Combo

Elemental Interaction: Supportive

7 of Swords
Futility, Dishonor, Deceit, Sneakiness, Avoidance, Lying, Stealing, Fleeing, Shirking responsibility, Independence, Aloofness, Not helping

10 of Wands
Oppression, Over-extending, Burdens, Responsibility, Struggle, Resistance, Strenuous labor, Difficulty, Doing more than your share

7 of Swords / 10 of Wands

• Running away from heavy responsibilities
• Going it alone rather than allowing others to burden you with their responsibilities
• Refusing to pitch in and help someone carry a heavy load
• Realizing the futility of taking on too much responsibility
• Over-burdened by oppressive responsibilities a person resorts to stealing away secretly

There are a number of ways to combine these two cards. Fire and Air support and feed each other, so this can indicate an oppressive situation where the solution makes things worse, such as avoiding responsibilities (7 Swords) only increases the feeling of oppression and adds to the weight of the burden (10 Wands) that one must carry.

This could be a situation where one is expected to do more than their share, or where other's expectations become oppressive.  In response they plan to secretly escape without being willing to confront the situation directly.  It could merely mean shirking responsibilities that have been agreed to.  Another way of looking at it is someone doesn't want to confront the consequences of of taking on more than they can handle. 

I see the futility and possible deception in the 7 of Swords, but I also think it may signal a situation that must be kept secret until the time is right right to reveal it.  Combined with the 10 of Wands it could indicate a very oppressive situation where secret activities are called for because of the opposition that will be encountered if they are revealed too early. 

The key here is to keep intentions honorable and try to avoid a lack of integrity.  If one is doing something secretly because they cannot openly reveal it, then that is what must be done.  However, there is a thin line between doing something secretly for a good reason, and falling into betrayal and deceit.  But, combined with the 10 of Wands, the situation is far from ideal to say the least.

Micki

Images are from the Hanson-Roberts Tarot

The Moon / 9 of Swords Card Combo

Elemental Interaction:  Neutral

• Overactive imaginings cause fear, anxiety and sleepless nights.
• Confusion and misunderstanding results in illusion or a sense of bewilderment.
• Becoming obsessed with feelings of guilt and fear which may or may not be founded.
• Inability to connect with or trust natural intuitive insight because of worry, anxiety and fear of the unknown.

I don't generally read the upright Moon in a negative light. Upright I see it as imagination, visions and dreams, psychic and intuitive insight. It is magical, enchanting and inspiring, like the full moon on a clear night which fills us with a sense of mystery and intrigue. I reserve the negative side of illusion, unclear vision, delusion, deception and fear for the reversed position.

However, next to the 9 of Swords, it does become difficult to see the Moon in its more positive light. Swords are the mental suit, and the problems in the Swords suit are generally the result of our thinking patterns or how we are communicating with others. With this combo we may have let a sense of dread and fear take over and are obsessing about things which may never come to pass; or feeling guilty about something and worrying about the outcome. It can also indicate vague unconscious fears which one can't pinpoint.  I would tend to favor these interpretations unless there are other cards which indicate something more real.

However, this combo could also be a signal that someone is having very serious mental problems which may need attention if there are other supporting cards in the spread which point to that also.

Baring that, the best way to resolve this is to face the fear and find out if it is real or imagined. If it is not real, you can relax and get a good nights sleep. If it is real, get busy and see what you can do to resolve the situation.  Action generally goes a long way toward dispelling fears.

Micki

Images are from the Llewellyn Tarot

7 of Pentacles / 3 of Swords Card Combo

 

 Elemental Interaction: Enemy elements

7 of Pentacles / 3 of Swords
Hard work and patience do not work out favorably.
Expected funds or returns are not received. 
Plans for future progress are are rejected.

3 of Swords / 7 of Pentacles
Disappointing news about the progress of a project. 
Rejection of plans sparks a reassessment of a project.
A betrayal interferes with future plans.

There is not only a conflict between the elements; these two cards are antithetical by nature as well.  Hard work, diligence and patient care produce disappointing results.  This could be a warning that by refusing to face a painful truth, one is setting themselves up for a fall or asking to be betrayed. 

This doesn't necessarily mean that a project or course of action should be abandoned entirely, but a reassessment and adjustment of plans is definitely called for if one is to avoid trouble and/or failure.

Micki