Current mood:

good

It's All in the Cards
"Now you're sure you want to do this?" Emmy asked, an eyebrow raised as she regarded Aidan, sitting across from her at the small card table they'd set up in the store.
He smiled. "Sure. Why not?"
Emmy watched him carefully for a moment before responding. "Because sometimes the cards give answers we don't want to hear."
Aidan chuckled. "I can handle, it Em. Honest."
"Ok..." she said slowly, not quite believing them. She herself had been upset by an answer from the cards. She didn't know how Aidan would react to bad news. "I have several decks, which would you prefer?"
Aidan glanced over the brightly colored boxes containing Tarot decks, before picking one that seemed to suit his fancy. "This one is good."
Emmy nodded. "The Rider Waite deck. Very popular. Now, what is your question?" She removed the chosen deck from its box and began to shuffled the cards slowly.
Aidan seemed startled. "I have to ask it out loud?"
"Well, no," Emmy said with a chuckle. "But if you could at least give me an idea, I could choose the spread to best suit it."
"Oh, ok, good," Aidan said, a bit too quickly to seem at all at ease. "Well, it's about... a person."
Emmy blinked, then smiled. "Oh, all right then. A relationship spread." She stopped her shuffling and laid the deck on the tabletop. "Concentrate on your question, and cut the deck." Aidan did as he was told, and Emmy began to lay the spread, seven cards in the shape of the letter H.
"All right," she began. "The first card represents how you see yourself. Four of Wands... completion. The start of a deep friendship, or romance. Spiritual or material rewards. A good card."
Aidan's cheeks twitched into a smile. "Cool."
"The second," Emmy went on, "Is how you see this other person. King of Cups. Someone with great maturity, patience... tendency to use a quiet word to solve conflicts, and easily understand the hearts of others."
"Sounds good so far," Aidan said, shrugging.
"This third card, the Ace of Wands... that's how you feel about this person," Emmy told him. "An innate and primal force released. It could suggest a surge of vitality, creativity, or fertility that can set new events into motion." Aidan nodded but did not speak, so Emmy continued. "The center card is what stands between you... the obstacles you and your friend will face. The Ten of Pentacles. The base meaning is wealth and financial security but it could also mean safety... which, given the times we're living in here, I would put my money on."
Aidan chuckled. "Yeah. Money is not so much a problem as the big bad evil out there."
Emmy smiled but continued. "This bottom left is how the person sees you. Strength. That one's pretty obvious... health, power... recovery. Above that is the Hanged Man, how this person feels about you. This is a... tricky card. It represents a surrender to a new experience. Reflection. Letting go of the past and growing beyond them. Your friend may have been hurt in the past, which would make it much more understandable. This person wants to surrender but is afraid."
Aidan nodded. The cards were oddly astute. "Sound about right," he said.
"The final card is the present challenge of the relationship," Emmy said. "The Four of Cups, which is luxury, but reversed. In this position, it means new and unusual relationships and opportunities. The reawakening of your appetite for life or love. So all in all, not a bad reading. You just have to help this girl get over whatever's bothering her... it is a girl, isn't it?"
Aidan laughed. "Yeah, Em. You did good. I think this is a good idea, doing readings in the shop. Since I'm your test case and it worked out so well, I'm thinking you'll do fine."
Emmy smiled. "Perfect," she said, nodding. "I was hoping it would turn out well." She gathered up the cards and began reshuffling them for storage back in their box.
"I'm glad it did," Aidan agreed amiably, standing up. "I'm gonna get back to work on that new shelving you want, ok?"
"Yes, thanks," Emmy called after him. "Oh, and Aidan?"
"Yeah?" he asked, pausing mid-step.
"I hope it works out well for you, with this girl," she told him.
Aidan grinned. "Yeah. Me too. Thanks, Em."