AUTHOR’S NOTE: When I created this spread a couple of days ago, I had two “test” questions in mind. Here is the second one.

Since we moved to our new home seven years ago, I’ve been doing at least one reading a year exploring how I might go about restarting the small tarot-reading business I had going in our old location. I’m lukewarm toward online reading because I believe the client should be actively involved in choosing the cards, so my focus has been on working in shops or at events. For the most part, shopkeepers in the area already have readers on-hand, so I haven’t made much progress in revitalizing my practice.

Not long ago I saw a post from a local crystal-shop owner who was looking for tarot readers to perform at a fair. I was late getting into the queue, but I still reached out to introduce myself, and she invited me to stop by to talk. I haven’t done so yet (I tried but couldn’t find parking and she was off that day anyway), so I decided to do a reading with my new spread to see what the “explicit” and “implicit” factors in such an initiative might be. I used my two Tomas Hijo decks, the Lord of the Rings Tarot and the Tarot del Toro for this (both copyright of Insight Editions, San Rafael, CA), with a card from US Games Systems’ Old English Tarot for the “Consequences” position.

In the “overt” (top) row, the reversed Ace of Cups suggests that I shouldn’t hold my breath for a sympathetic hearing, but then I don’t expect much from the outreach anyway. It may just be a pleasant half-hour conversation with nothing offered and nothing gained. (Interestingly, all of the cards in this row are reversed; maybe they’re trying to tell me something important, like “What you see isn’t necessarily what you’ll get.”)

But there is another way to look at it. When upright, the Ace of Cups is usually interpreted as bringing an abundance of feeling (specifically joy) to the matter; but this is a private and internal sentiment. Reversal of the chalice shifts the focus from accruing emotional capital to spending or dispensing it freely to others. It’s interesting to note that the upright Waite-Smith version exhibits the letter “W” on the vessel (some see it as Waite’s personal “mark”), which could stand for the initial of my first name, but when it is reversed it shows an “M,” which is the initial of my middle name. This curious fact could be saying that I will be emotionally forthcoming during the meeting.

The 5 of Wands reversed implies possible resentment on the part of the professional readers who already work there, although the owner told me she is always looking for more. This is the “turning-point” position, so with the reversal the resistance may come from “out of left field.”

In keeping with the esoteric assumptions that the Number Three represents opportunity for growth and the suit of Swords usually signifies challenging conditions, I turned the reversed 3 of Swords into the equation “Unexpected Challenge = Opportunity.” (I’ve called it the “no pain, no gain” card but I don’t think the situation will reach that point.) It could just mean that I will be given a “trial by fire” to demonstrate my ability, so I should go prepared to perform.

The Hermit reversed as the “big picture” card presents a subdued scenario that seems to be saying my unbroken period of isolation will not be disturbed overmuch by any opportunity that results from this off-the-cuff endeavor. As I noted in a forthcoming essay, it portrays “an inner odyssey with little or no connection to outer reality, leaving the seeker in an insular state of disengagement.” I’m not angling for a full-time gig anyway; an intermittent “on-call”arrangement would be perfect.

On to the “implicit” row. The Tarot del Toro is a non-scenic “pip” deck that in most cases doesn’t lend itself to reading reversal of the “double-ended” minor cards. In this spread, only the 3 of Sword can be discerned as upright due to the conventional downward-pointing middle sword; the rest of the cards are being read in the normal way.

The 4 of Cups indicates an emotionally placid (even indifferent) encounter that doesn’t say much for any enthusiasm I might anticipate. Still, I’ll take that over outright hostility followed by rejection.

The 10 of Cups depicts the neutral reception turning into a more emotionally rewarding interaction.

The upright 3 of Swords again indicates being subjected to some kind of “test,” to which I say “bring it on.”

The Star as the “big-picture” card could not be better for any private hopes and public aspirations I might harbor going into this.

Strength as the “Consequences” card portrays a strong showing that aligns best with the Star in the “implicit” row (VIII is the numerological counterpart of XVII since 1+7=8). The advice would be to approach this meeting in a confident but unassuming manner that lets my ability speak for itself, rather than pushing a bit too hard as could happen if I pursue the “explicit” path. “Show” is always more convincing than “tell.”