Timely Reading?

Hi! Hope your week's been good to you so far!

I've spent this past week at a convention in National Harbor, Maryland. It's a resort-type spot near Washington, D.C. and just across the Potomac River from Alexandria, VA. The setting is beautiful -- on a small bluff above the river.

Some really nice restaurants -- but I haven't been enjoying them due to this tooth problem. I managed to get into the oral surgeon next Tuesday and am hoping he can do something then. I'm ready to start chewing some real food again!

Did you follow American Idol? Are you surprised at the results? One downside of winning the show is that you have to sign with the producers and sing the songs they select -- which tend to be sappy ballads. Kris can do these well, but Adam Lambert would have been completely wasted -- he's now free to do the types of things he's best suited for. I think the results will end out being the best for both of the contestants.

Enough of that -- let's get started with the reading!

We'll again pull two cards -- the first suggests something we should focus on for the week. The second suggests things we might consider in order to fully benefit from the attributes of the first card.

Our cards this week are:

Nine of Pentacles (Reversed)






Nine of Swords (Reversed)





Two reversed cards -- and both are Nine's. We don't get a Major this time, so I feel this reading is just passing along a message, not hollering it!

The Nine of Pentacles suggests the secure and comfortable feeling that comes with a certain amount of success and prosperity. Not that there aren't other paths to this same feeling -- for instance, you may feel particularly physically well and fit. This may help you feel comfortable and secure in your position.

Being reversed, we look for distortions of this message. Rather than a secure and safe feeling, we may think about situations where we don't feel so comfortable. This may be particulary appropriate given the current fiscal climate. Even if we're not directly affected, the uncertainty in the economy can trouble us all. Rather than feeling "safe", we may be apprehensive about our prospects.

Our next card presents a curious take on this. The "Nine of Swords" typically suggests something so worrying and troubling that it might wake you up in the middle of the night in a cold sweat! Some people refer to it as the "Night Terrors" card! Kind of a spooky card following the uncertainty of our first card -- until you remember that it's reversed!

And a reversal suggests some sort of distortion -- so, rather than suggesting something troubling, a reversed Nine of Swords can suggest there's reason for hope! If we look, we may see brighter prospects upcoming.

These two cards together are very similar to what we'd think of the "Wheel of Fortune" -- things work in cycles. Sometimes you're on top -- but you can quickly fall to the bottom. If you're on the bottom, don't despair because your circumstances can just as quickly change. The message is to not get distracted by your current situation. If it's not to your liking, keep plugging away to make it better ... and it will get better. If you throw up your hands and give up, you're not likely to see changes. So -- don't give up! You can control the direction in your life -- all you have to do is take an active part and do so!