Baggage and Breakthroughs
B recently came to me with a question about a new business collaboration. She’s in the process of launching a passion project aimed at eventually leaving her day job, and part of that journey involves building a brand, complete with custom digital artwork. For that, she turned to a local artist she’s known for years: her own son, O.
O is detail-oriented, talented, and deeply creative. On paper, it was the perfect match. But B was feeling hesitant.
Before we even got to the cards, B opened up about their complicated dynamic. Their relationship had seen many ups and downs over the years. O could be mercurial and unpredictable at times, B could be headstrong and unwavering, and together they’d had their share of misunderstandings. Still, they’d recently sat down for a heart-to-heart and worked through some major emotional tension. Afterward, they both felt clearer and more committed to the idea of working together.
Still, B wanted insight before jumping all in. She asked, “How will this partnership go?”
Snake – Scythe – Anchor – Mice – Fish
Yikes on bikes.
Snake suggested issues of trust, unspoken tensions, or possibly manipulations that hadn’t been fully resolved. Scythe right after it gave the feeling that this partnership could be cut short if those issues flare up again. Anchor, which can normally be a sign of stability, here seemed to represent being stuck or weighed down. Mice showed growing anxiety or a slow erosion of confidence, and combined with Fish at the end, I read this as a warning that the emotional undercurrent could chip away at their earning potential and momentum.
B sat quietly, taking it all in. I could tell she was disappointed, maybe even a little discouraged. But I reminded her that Snake doesn’t always mean failure—it means caution. There are still paths forward.
So we shifted the question and pulled again.
“How can B improve the chances of this partnership succeeding?”
Stars – Key – Bouquet – Clouds – Lilies
This second pull felt like a breath of fresh air.
Stars brought the focus back to the shared vision. Key suggested that a successful outcome is entirely possible and that the solution lies in intentional action. Bouquet pointed to the power of appreciation—genuine praise, acknowledgment, and kindness. Clouds reminded us that confusion or emotional fog may still roll in from time to time, but they are passing, not permanent. And Lilies closed the line with a message of calm, patience, and perseverance.
My interpretation was that this partnership can thrive if B leads with patience, keeps the shared vision front and center, and consistently expresses appreciation for O’s efforts. The anxieties are real, but they don’t have to define the outcome. Mutual respect, gratitude, and time will be key to making it work.
Not every relationship is easy, especially when business overlaps with family, emotion, and history. But the cards showed that while the path might be complex, the potential for success and healing is absolutely there.
⭒☾⭒
