This morning I did a three card reading (normally I look at these as context-focus-outcome) questioning how i should approach the situation of my ex boyfriend contacting me (through email).

Background: broke up rather unexpectedly about 6 weeks ago, he told me to get out of his life (in no uncertain terms) and i did just that, was very good about no contact, etc, until 4 weeks when he emailed me the first time. Since we have only exchanged a couple emails. My last one was short and to the point simpling stating that he had misunderstood what i had said in the previous email.
We were together for just over a year. Since the breakup I have done a lot of evaluating (myself and the situation) and decided that it was probably for the best at this moment, although I do hold onto a hope that perhaps in the future we will come back together, but right now, i know that it would not work.

Anyway, here are the cards...

King of Cups - High Priestess - The Lovers

It seemed like a very powerful grouping to me, which is why I am here for some outsider insight. Also, if it makes any difference to you I am a Scorpio and he is a Taurus...

Appreciate the input!

This is a spread which you have chosen for your own reading. Do you have an idea what each card is telling you in terms of your Context, Focus and Outcome criteria? You also don’t say which deck you used?

What do you see these cards telling you in the light of this spread?

I can only give my insights based on the Rider Waite deck.

If CONTEXT stands for the background, circumstances or framework, then I would view the King of Cups as a situation (I cannot think this is your partner as the King is someone in his late forties to mid fifties possibly) rather than a person in your life. I would see the King of Cups as the energy that existed in between you two and more so within yourself. The Context, as you call it, may have been one of selfless love and devotion, almost nurturing and forgetting one’s own needs and putting the other person first. This attitude of selflessness can sometimes become too intense and the person undergoing these feelings may lose sight of the common sense and give in far too much into feelings and emotions as the King of Cups (water sign) is likely to do so. This man is influenced by his heart rather than his mind. He would put himself in difficult and awkward positions for the sake of those whom he loves and puts himself second. Was one of you, I wonder, handling the other with such intensity of emotions or being totally ruled by the heart and no equilibrium between the head and the heart?

FOCUS: The High Priestess.
I feel this is clear and is telling you to go within and abandon for a while feelings and common sense and just stay detached and focus on that inner voice and your feminine intuition (this applies even if you are a man) for we all have male and female sides to us. Rather than sitting and wondering when you are going to get back together, what caused you this break up, the High Priestess is telling you to stop asking those questions and instead take some time to yourself and do some soul searching. The answer(s) is there somewhere but do not waste all your energies thinking and looking for that big answer. For all you know, the answers, for you as a Water sign yourself, are well within you, but either you do not wish to see them or you cannot see them yet. The High Priestess will never reveal secrets and give answers straight away like an open book. She will want you to find them out for yourself through your own insight and intuition. Unlike the Magician, she is inactive, calm and composed. She will not make a fuss and will keep her composure knowing well the answer will come to those who are willing to search.

OUTCOME: The Lovers.
Now I always see the Lovers as a two-edged sword. It can promise an immense love and devotion towards something or someone or, it is time to make some tough decisions and choices. I cannot say my hand on my heart that after the High Priestess you will discover Love almighty and live happily ever after. All I can say is that the Lovers is an opportunity to make that educated choice after the period of the introspection delivered by the High Priestess. That choice may as well be you loving yourself and finding contentment and peace in that or finding love with someone else.
I can sense while writing this you are nodding as you read this and feel connected to some of the aspects that these three cards and I also sense the logical side in you (even for a Water sign) saying to yourself that the time and space that you should devote to yourself (The High Priestess) is of utmost importance in order to come to the Lovers and use that option in the best way possible for your happiness.

I hope these insights meant something for you, even though with these Major Arcana cards I do not wish to make any predictive statements for they show possibilities and imminent ones too, but the choice is still left to us.

Best wishes to you and it would be good to hear your inputs.

Cedars

Thank you for your reply!
I use the rider waite deck, but am very new, only been reading for about a month.

For me, the context means what is happening in the situation, focus is what I should concentrate on, and outcome is the results as a pairing of the two.

I definitely agree with you that the king of cups is a situation rather than a person; for me, the king of cups is balance, can I be compassionate toward this person without being overly sentimental? Can I balance logical and emotional.
I am defiantly selfless, especially when it has to do with things of a romantic nature, or people I feel very connected to; I also carry the mindset that we are all facing our own individual struggles so it is important to be compassionate toward one another... but when does compassion turn into being walked on? (rhetorical... you are not a psychologist!)

The major arcana are a little bit more difficult for me...

In regard to the high priestess, I also saw balance as a key factor here, just based on the symbology in the card and the representation of male and female (such as you mentioned).
I have been blessed with amazing intuition that I have not yet learned how to follow (or rather, accepted that I need to follow), so this card speaks volumes to me. I need to stop denying that part of myself.
What you said about how I need to stop analyzing the situation, and let my inner voice guide me is certainly true, and I see how this card is trying to focus me in that direction. I have been trying as of late to focus my attention more into the present- living in this moment instead of analyzing the past, and planning for the future. I can certainly see how this card is an indication that my intuition and insight are there to guide me in this area of my life.

The lovers was possibly the most difficult card for me to understand, because one would think that it means happily ever after... and it most likely does, just not always the way that you imagine it in your head
I do like your idea of it being a choice, rather than a statement of "this is how it is going to be," it speaks more to the fluidity of life.

Again, I really appreciate your input! it is good to be able to bounce ideas off another, especially when attempting to hone new skills.

You are more than welcome Danamichele. I wish you the very best in your personal life and also in your spiritual journey.
I would strongly suggest that you start doing readings for friends and family rather than yourself so that you can more confidence in your intuition and indeed the cards.

Blessings