There is something genuinely heartwarming about a mother establishing a business in the hope that it will one day be passed on to an appreciative daughter. The care and dedication an entrepreneur gives to their business is not unlike the love a mother gives to a child. The experience of watching that child come of age and step into a legacy built just for her resonates deeply with people who value and respect lineage and tradition.
Yet from the perspective of a daughter expected to shoulder the burden of maintaining—and possibly expanding—her mother’s business, the picture is not always so rosy. While she may deeply respect and even cherish what her mother built through hard work and sacrifice, continuing down that path may not be aligned with her own desires and talents, nor what the universe has in mind for her, regardless of her mother’s fondest wishes.
A Mother's Legacy and a Daughter's Life
This was the subject of a question a young woman in her twenties (whom we’ll call Leanne) asked me to put to the cards. She was divided about whether she should continue working in and eventually take over her mother’s successful artisan bakery. What made the situation particularly delicate was that her mother was present for the reading. It was very clear that the mother strongly desired her daughter to follow in her footsteps.
I expressed to the mother that I understood her perspective, and I must admit, I felt genuine sympathy for her. Her desire was unsurprising. The bakery’s value lay in its highly regarded collection of unique creations, all developed personally by her over the years, and it was understandable that she would want her masterpieces to live on, though the loving hands of her daughter.
A question like this must be framed in a way that invites clarity, while still allowing the universe to respond with nuance. For that reason, I chose to begin with a simple two-card spread, followed by clarifiers or subsequent spreads if needed.
I put the question to the cards this way:
Should Leanne take over her mother’s bakery business? Left = continuing in the business. Right = leaving to forge a different path.
The cards that came down were intriguing, though not definitive. The initial spread was only two cards. I will explain the clarifiers later.
Interpretation of the Spread
Before interpreting, some further context is useful. Leanne had been working alongside her mother at the bakery for several years. Their products were beloved by locals and often sold out. Their primary source of income came from a market known for attracting extremely discerning customers. Leanne loved her mother dearly and took pride in the work—but running a bakery is demanding. Despite how much she respected her mother’s accomplishments, she was uncertain whether this was truly her path.
The two cards drawn were Ace of Swords for staying and Nine of Cups for pursuing something else. Both are highly positive cards. I often caution against a simplistic “good card versus bad card” approach. Instead, I prefer to ask what message each card is attempting to convey.
Ace of Swords for Clarity
The Ace of Swords is a card of strong victory energy, reminiscent of the Six of Wands. However, because the suit of Swords speaks to thoughts and ideas rather than material security (Pentacles) or emotional fulfilment (Cups), I interpreted it as indicative of strong *mental* clarity and reputational stability. If Leanne chooses to stay, the path ahead is clear. There’s little mystery. She will likely enjoy a stable income and live a predictable, respectable life. That is a very positive outcome.
Nine of Cups – The Wish Card
The Nine of Cups is also a “good card.” Known as the ‘wish card,’ it often signifies aspirations and potentially fulfilling outcomes. However, it also implies incompleteness. Ten is the fullest expression of the suit; nine suggests that something is still missing.
The man depicted on the card smiles broadly, yet his arms are folded in what might be seen as a signal of defensiveness or at least guardedness, as if he’s trying a little too hard to *appear* satisfied. I took this to mean that Leanne’s heart lies with “something else,” but she has no definite vision of what that may be.
When I asked what she planned to do instead, her extended “Uhhhmmmmmm?” captured the absence of a specific plan perfectly. Her heart pulls her toward a different path, but the picture is not yet clear.
Clarifiers on the “Winning Option”
Based on those two cards alone, I would have given the advantage to staying—at least for now. But Swords energy can be fast-moving and short-lived. The longer-term suitability of this path remained uncertain.
Therefore, I drew two clarifiers: one for the pros of staying, and one for the cons, while keeping the original cards on the table.
What are the pros and cons of Leanne continuing in the business? Left = Pros. Right = Cons.
Pros – The Sun.
Cons – Two of Cups.
Interpreting the Clarifiers
The Sun is one of the most affirming cards in the deck. In the position of “pros,” it suggests that continuing could be joyful, successful, and appreciated.
People often expect the ‘cons’ card to be a negative card, but that is not always the case. The Two of Cups is a deeply positive card often associated with agreements, emotional alignment, and—in its highest meaning—soul contracts. Coming down in the ‘cons’ position, it suggests Leanne must consider whether continuing in the bakery truly serves the higher purpose of her life.
My interpretation was that the path of continuing her mother’s legacy is supported by the universe and would potentially bring satisfaction, stability, and familial pride. This is a stable and viable option for her. Yet, something else, a quiet but enchanting voice, was calling out to her. Wherever this voice was coming from, her journey toward it might take her closer to her life’s true purpose, well beyond the protective and predictable walls of her mother’s bakery.
Alignment Spread: Is This Right for Her?
If the session had ended here, I would have cast my vote in favor of Leanne staying with her mother’s bakery. But the presence of the Two of Cups in a ‘negative’ position urged a deeper dive. I moved to an Alignment Spread, asking a more profound question.
What is the nature of the alignment between Leanne and the option of staying with her mother’s bakery?
The four positions in the alignment spread are:
1. Nature of the alignment
2. Deeper truth
3. Shadow / Blockage
4. Potential outcome
The results were illuminating.
The Symbolism of Misalignment
The cards could not be more clear. Leanne’s energy is not fully aligned with this path in the long-term. With ‘black’ cards in the two most important positions and the Two of Cups coming down again as the ‘deeper truth,’ there is only one way to interpret the spread.
Nature of the Alignment – Nine of Swords
The Nine of Swords suggests anxiety, sleeplessness, and internal conflict, likely tied to what she fears she may miss out on if she confines herself to life as a baker.
Deeper Truth – Two of Cups
This reinforces the idea of an important agreement or soul contract at play. Seeing this card come down as the ‘deeper truth’ is very significant here. It means that Leanne’s soul contract—a pre-natal agreement that governs the direction her life takes—is an important aspect of her decision. It does not in itself mean that her ‘contract’ forbids the bakery, but having seen the same card come down in a negative context in the previous spread, this strongly suggests that her soul contract bends away from the bakery.
Shadow – Knight of Wands
The knight’s horse is poised to move, but has not yet begun. Representing the shadow side of this arrangement, this is untapped energy—restlessness and a strong desire to explore something beyond the bakery.
Potential Outcome – The Tower
The Tower suggests that if she resists her deeper calling (or conflicts with her soul contract), difficult truths may emerge later, possibly in ways that are very damaging to Leanne, her mother, or the relationship they enjoy. The Tower is often feared, and not without good reason, though it can also portend the arrival of truths that can be profoundly liberating. Here, it suggests that ‘liberation’ would be more beneficial if it were to happen sooner rather than later, and warns that if Leanne resists what appears to be her destined path— the path of her soul contract, even if that path is not clear just yet—the result might lead to upheaval, for both Leanne and her mother.
Final Thoughts
So, how do we reconcile the positive energy the Left and Right spread and its clarifiers gave the option of continuing her mother’s legacy with the very strong misalignment demonstrated by the Alignment spread? We do this by recognizing that both options have value, and that timing matters.
The cards advised that Leanne should continue working in the bakery for now, but she should also keep her mind open to other opportunities. This was certainly not the outcome her mother hoped for, and the disappointment was evident in her eyes. However, she responded with grace, dignity and respect for her daughter’s path. She recognized that if her daughter’s deeper purpose lies elsewhere, she must pursue it wherever it leads.
In closing, this session reinforces the power of tarot cards to reflect the thoughts and feelings of querents, and demonstrates the value of this kind of reflection. Many clients come into a tarot session hoping for a prediction. While the cards do speak of what ‘might’ be in the future, their higher purpose is to clarify the already meaningful intuition of clients and – through the use of symbols – help them think more deeply on matters of concern.
This spread also reminds us of the responsibility tarot readers have to their clients. While I make it clear to every client that I take no responsibility for any decisions they make in light of my interpretation of the cards, every tarot reader must understand that his or her interpretations will become part of the energetic environment in which important decisions are made, and render such interpretations with honesty, sensitivity and integrity.