“Stay or Go?” — A Nautical Allegory
AUTHOR’S NOTE: This is an exercise in reading the Lenormand two-card combination, illustrated by a scenario involving the Ship and the Anchor that I touched on briefly in a previous post but now want to explore at greater length by examining the order in which the cards appear in the spread.
The Anchor is above all a card of beneficial stability as conveyed by the idea of a solid foundation, but it can impart an enervating “stuckness” when too quiescent. At its best it has overtones of long-term fidelity and integrity owing to the permanence of its entrenched state of immobility. But in nautical practice there are two kinds of anchor: the familiar iron one shown in most Lenormand decks that keeps the vessel tethered to its mooring when in port; and the subsurface “sea anchor” used on the high seas to improve steadiness in heavy weather and slow forward progress by creating drag.
The iron anchor is the one we’re thinking of when we use the terms “dropping anchor” upon arrival and “weighing anchor” prior to departure, while the sea anchor affords a more mobile “in-transit” solution that controls advancement without bringing it to a dead stop. This analogy can be useful when considering modern relationships that in their volatility often seem to favor the latter. Commitments can be tenuous and there are too many incitements for the disenchanted to throw off the yoke and step away. Cross-currents are rife and remaining in one place for an extended period of time as implied by the iron anchor can be difficult if not impossible to achieve; a little maneuverability is desirable in order to slow down without completely stalling since the momentum of being “under way” confers a stability of its own.
If it follows the Ship, the traditional Anchor suggests docking in the harbor and going ashore for a while, but it can also mean perpetuating a burdensome dependency despite the Ship’s longing to break free of any “ball-and-chain” attachments. The Ship represents all forms of separation by leaving, exiting, departing or embarking on a mission, and in the last case it can denote an enterprise of some kind as well as an outbound quest, often with the goal of enhancing one’s material position. When following the Anchor in a relationship reading, it can emphasize acceleration away from inertia and as such imply the need to escape onerous obligations or overly restrictive conditions in search of a more rewarding environment. Movement is its keynote, while stillness is that of the Anchor.
Let’s suppose that an imaginary client professes doubts about an “affair of the heart” that faces an uncertain future, and wants to know whether it’s advisable to stay put or leave. The first hypothetical pull produces Heart + Clouds + Key + Ship + Anchor:
I will go on the assumption that the Heart and the Clouds (a “troubled heart”) appeared randomly and weren’t specifically “charged” for this reading. (Because it speaks directly to the matter at hand, we might view this as validation that the spread is on-target.) The Key in the middle shows that a confirmatory answer will be forthcoming one way or the other; I’ve begun reading it as “This is the way” as depicted by the ensuing cards. The Ship followed by the Anchor testifies that the journey is seeking a “safe haven” and the Ship will drop anchor there for a lengthy layover. The focus on dependability and security trumps any restless urge to overthrow the status quo, so the querent is likely to stay put after thinking about it.
The second theoretical pull gives Heart + Clouds + Key + Anchor + Ship:
The interpretation of the first three cards doesn’t change, but now the Anchor precedes the Ship. The obvious conclusion is that the Anchor has become too constraining so it’s time to hoist it and voyage on to a more congenial landing. But if a less-restrictive “sea anchor” is envisioned, the partners might get away with creating more space in the existing relationship rather than merely separating and leaving any comforting security behind. Reaching this outcome will require gaining an understanding of what each person expects from the other party: a candid loosening of the tether or just letting go of the bond and parting ways.
As we can see, one reading presents a sobering realization of a “bird-in-the-hand” kind while the other raises concerns about the legitimacy of a sustained idleness that is being passed off as dedication when it seems more like a sense of duty driven by long-standing (and perhaps long-suffering) habit. It all depends on whether the Anchor is viewed as healthy or toxic within the scope of the reading since a Ship without one can be as aimless as a vessel without a rudder.
Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on September 11, 2023.
