Marius + Avery [Herbal Tarot]
Left: MARIUS â Four of Swords [Mullein, Verbascum tapsuse]
From the Herbal Tarot:Â Expectorant. Demulcent. Anti-inflammatory. Anti-spasmodic. Used for all upper respiratory complaints. Relieves mucus congestion. Topically relieves pain. Mild calmative. Healing from the wounds of battle. Rest before the final onslaught.
Key words:Â rest, restoration, contemplation, meditation, calm
Patâs Summary:Â Marius has returned homeâor at least to Vivienneâs place, basically licking his woundsânot only has he lost Beatrice, heâs had to accept help from places he didnât think heâd ever need help with. Heâs no closer to finding her killer, so heâs that point where heâs just over it. Heâs not angry with Avery but heâs certainly not particularly apologetic eitherâbut heâs calmed down significantly. Iâve been pulling a lot of fours lately, so it tends to lean towards these characters being the more âstableâ, more âconsistentâ than others.
Right: AVERYâ The Devil [Lobella, Lobelia inflata]
From the Herbal Tarot:Â Lobelia is an antispasmodic, a stimulant, an expectorant and a nauseant. It is used for asthma, lung problems, relieving spasms, nervous tension and cramps, and to induce vomiting. Playfulness. Frivolity. Make believe. Getting loose. Lightening up.
Key words:Â excess, materialism, playfulness, temptation, seduction, manipulation, addiction, lust
Patâs Summary:Â From a previous reading I did for you, the Devil is about temptationâyes, you have choices, but that doesnât mean those choices donât have hidden consequences to them. However, the Devil also refers to addiction, obsession, or manipulation. Is there something about Marius that Avery is particularly hyperfocused on? Or is there something he would need to convince or manipulate Marius to do? Most likely he may just be wary of Marius and itâs hard for him to take him seriously. Since this is the only card from the Major Arcana thatâs been pulled, Averyâs the one whoâs going to be the catalyst for change or conflict of their relationship.
Top: PAST â Queen of Swords [Ladyâs Slipper, Cypripedium pubescense]
From the Herbal Tarot:Â Nervine. Tonic for hysteria, pain, all nervous inflictions and premenstrual syndrome. A serious woman, over thirty-five, who is unswervingly faithful to her goalsâquite often at all costs. On the more positive side, she is eminently capable of upholding executive positions.
Key words:Â complexity, perceptive, clear mindedness, honest, knowledgeable, opinionated
Patâs summary:Â So this card really just highlights what their relationship is about: both of them mostly bring their thoughts and opinions to the table and perhaps connecting through their mutual agreements. For the two of them, itâs about the honest truth and hard facts. Marius has no reason to lie to Avery, and Avery has no reason to lie to Marius.
Center: PRESENT + DYNAMICÂ â Five of Swords [Mistletoe, Viscum albume]
From the Herbal Tarot: Nervine. Antispasmdic. Regulates blood pressure. Treats cancer. Calms the nervous system. Realization of defeat. Need to regain composure and inner peace after the fray. Realization that there are no winners in war.
Key words:Â defeat, loss, battle, conflict, win at all costs, ambition, sneakiness
Patâs Summary:Â Theyâre both kind of stuck in a garbage situation. For Marius, heâs back where he startedâor definitely worse off; heâs at the mercy of his siblingsâ generosity. Not to say theyâre always fighting (though perhaps they are), but itâs getting to the point where the fight has gone a little too long. Perhaps this fighting has led to some bitterness. Perhaps one of them has gone a step too farânot necessarily something unforgiveable, but enough to put some pause in conversation itâs mentioned.
Bottom: FUTURE â Six of Swords, [Vervain,Verbena Officinaliis]
From the Herbal Tarot:Â Alterative. Hepatic. Bitter. Antispasmodic. Used for nervousness and irritability caused by congested liver and gallbladder, and for premenstrual tension.
Key words:Â transition, leaving behind, moving on, healing, travel
Patâs summary:Â Theyâre going back to France. Like, this is the card that has to do with travel over water. Aside from this very straightforward interpretation, itâs probably the only thing they can probably agree on, or the only way to really recover from the stress of conflict.
So, a few other observations about this reading: they donât have any reversed cardsânot to mean that thereâs anything explicitly bad about their relationship, but just that itâs very clear to them whatâs involved in this relationship. Four out of five of the cards are from the suit of swords (the element of air, involved with logic, ideas, and intellect) so their disagreements are based on certain core fundamental beliefs rather than a true dislike of the other person. Their relationship is almost formal, in a wayâif thereâs a possible âmeeting of the mindsâ for the two of them to perhaps finally be on the same page, I think thatâs the most they may be able to manage in the meantime.