Tarot Spread Test Drive - Benebell Wen's Mother Wound Tarot Reading

Curious about all the different tarot spreads out there? Wondering if they’re a keeper – or a lemon? Me too. Let’s take them for a test drive and find out!

Each month, I’ll pick an interesting tarot spread (from a book or around the web) – and give it a spin. I’ll look under the hood, kick the tires – and show you exactly how it works…or doesn’t. No haggling necessary. Ready to roll? Let’s go!

This month’s tarot spread: Benebell Wen’s Mother Wound Tarot Reading

I was poking around on Benebell Wen’s awesome blog the other day when my eyes locked on her Mother Wound Tarot Reading. Wen describes the mother wound as “The mother wound is the relationship tension often inherent between a mother and a daughter.” Many women will probably agree that when it comes to their mothers, there is always some challenge to overcome, even in the best relationships. (God knows my daughter will probably write a book on this one day.)

My relationship with my mother was complicated. Without going into all the gnarly details, I’ll sum it up by saying that I loved her but we were two very different people. She’s been gone for many years so I don’t think there is any “wounding” that I need to actively heal. Frankly, once my parents were gone, the issues that I had with them vanished.

Benebell created the Mother Wound Tarot spread to explore the mother wound or as a way to understand the “spiritual implications of your relationship with a mother figure.”

Even though I don’t have any hard feelings about my mother, I was curious to see what the cards might reveal.

Here is the spread (the image comes directly from Benebell’s site – this was a free download):

The card positions correspond as follows:

What did my mother hope for me?
What did my mother have to sacrifice for me?
What lesson did my mother learn because of me?
What is the best quality I inherited from my mother?
What is the worst quality I inherited from my mother?
What lesson do I have to learn from my mother?
Optional: A message from my higher angels.
Optional, if your grandmother is no longer in this world: A message from my maternal grandmother.

I grabbed my Starchild Tarot, which has a dreamy, feminine vibe – perfect for this reading! Here are the cards I drew:

My interpretation:

Let’s take a peek at what’s behind me – and what’s ahead:

The card positions correspond as follows:

What did my mother hope for me? Four of Wands – Although my mother was a complex, difficult person, she wanted me to be happy. I do believe that. My mother had a different idea of what happiness looks like (married, a bunch of kids, running a home) than mine (I liked being single and wanted a career). I do think on some level that she knew that my happiness was not going to be a traditional route – and I think she hoped I would find joy, in whatever way was meaningful for me. My mother also liked to have her children close to home. I moved away to the city as soon as I could, which was a bone of contention. I wanted space and I think she hoped we’d be closer, at least in the physical sense.
What did my mother have to sacrifice for me? Three of Wands – My mother had a Leo moon, so she loved being the center of attention and enjoyed having people around her (I have a Scorpio moon, which meant I tended to be a loner). When her children came along, Mom was no longer front and center. I think this was difficult for her. She was proud of her children but often I would see her doing or saying things to get all eyes on her. Looking back now, I realize that she just needed a little more attention than she got. Motherhood is often a thankless job and I think that she sometimes felt underappreciated.
What lesson did my mother learn because of me? Two of Wands – The Two of Wands is ambitious as can be and a card of success. I was career-oriented and going into business was more important to me than the other domestic skills my mother was so proud of. Later in life, she got a job. She found that working outside the home had its benefits, mainly in the form of extra income that she could call her own. After many years depending on Dad for money, she had her own. Mom took great pride in her job. She learned that having pride in your work and making your own cash feels pretty good. Also, she was beloved at work – her coworkers and boss treated her like family. The attention she longed for was finally satisfied through her work.
What is the best quality I inherited from my mother? Ten of Cups – My mother loved nothing more than having her family together at the dinner table. She was a marvelous cook and her meals were something I loved. Although I’m career-oriented, I’m an avid cook. Breaking bread with my husband and children brings me great joy. I guess I did inherit some domestic skills from her. Perhaps we balanced each other out in that regard?
What is the worst quality I inherited from my mother? Knight of Wands – The Knight of Wands has a bit of a rash temper and this is something both mom and I shared. Which meant: when we were mad, look out! The Knight of Wands is also prone to impulse – Mom was impulsive with money while I was impulsive with men. These impulses cost us both…a lot.
What lesson do I have to learn from my mother? Page of Wands – The Page of Wands has a true passion for life. My mother was a classic Fire sign personality – and feisty as can be. Even though her life was hard, she loved to have fun. I don’t have trouble with the passion part but when things get hard, I tend to get hard-core and engage in long periods of brooding. Keeping a sense of fun, even when life hands you shitballs, is a good lesson to keep in mind.
Optional: A message from my higher angels. Ten of Wands – You’re almost to your goal. Keep going. It’s in your sights.
Optional, if your grandmother is no longer in this world: A message from my maternal grandmother. Eight of Swords – You are not bound by the poor decisions of your female ancestors. The sins of their past are theirs alone as the ones you commit are yours to own. (My grandmother made some pretty bad decisions but we won’t go there.)

What’s really interesting to me in these cards are all the Wands. Wands is the Fire element and Mom had tons of Fire in her chart, while I have none. My daughter is also Fire-heavy. I’m surrounded by this Fire energy! Perhaps what I’m learning here is how to play with Fire and not get burned. Or maybe I need these fiery women around me to keep a fire lit under my ass! Whatever the case, there is certainly something to explore with all this Fire stuff. So interesting!

This was an interesting spread and one that I think I’ll ponder further. Heck, I might even make my daughter do this one to see what it reveals about us! Ha! You can learn more about this spread over on Benebell’s site. She offers more details there that should help you nail it.

I hope you enjoyed the latest Tarot Spread Test Drive. I’ll be taking the tarot wheel and hittin’ the road with a new spread soon. If you want to ride along with me, keep an eye on my blog. Happy tarot trails!

Blessings,
Theresa

tarot spread image from Benebell Wen; other images from personal collection

Check out more cool tarot spreads here.