Two spreads for selecting a spiritual counselor

I just scheduled an hour-long spiritual counseling session with someone I've watched on YouTube a few times. Our appointment isn't for another sixteen days, which has given me time to second-guess my decision.

So I tried to create a spread to determine if working with this counselor would be beneficial. (I selected The High Priestess as the counselor's significator, because she's a guide and because she has very black hair.)

First reading

These were my questions: 

• As I approach, does she want to help me? 5 Swords
  Not a pretty card, it usually indicates a mean person, a "sore winner," who enjoys inflicting both defeat and humiliation. This doesn't look like the image of a spiritual counselor; maybe it's saying more about me as I approach her. Is there any indication that my situation would make me an "attractive" client to her?A positive spin would be that she wants to take negative thoughts (swords) from me.
• Does she have the resources to help me? Queen Swords
  Her rank indicates she has the experience to help, her sword indicates she has the knowledge and communication skills to help, and her open hand may suggest that she wants to help. But what might she do with the sword in her right hand if I reach for her left hand?
• Can she intuit what help I need? 6 Wands
  The card suggests that as long as I’m cooperating with her, she’ll be able to successfully intuit any needs that I am unaware of or unable to articulate.
• Will working with her put me on the right path? Tower
  This can be a terrible card, but could be interpreted positively, as enlightenment and recognition of what part of my foundation needs to be replaced.

I realized that, in the first reading, I'd committed the cardinal error of asking yes/no questions, so I did a second spread, which included a significator for myself, the Four of Wands, which appeared in a reading earlier today. I understood it to mean that my energy and creativity are restricted.

Second reading

These were my questions for the second reading: 

• What does the counselor want from me? 10 of Pentacles
  The cynical part of me answered: 'She wants my coins.' The more creative part of me thinks she's seeking wholeness, both for me and for herself.
• What do I want from her? 8 Strength
  Self-awareness, inner strength, a connection to my feelings, the integration of my conscious and unconscious.
• What can the counselor offer me? 7 Chariot
  Encouragement to get back on the horse and move forward, and an idea of what direction to go.
• What can I gain from working with her? 3 Empress
  Creativity, self-love, and a sense of self worth.
• What she cannot give me: 8 of Swords
  She cannot free me; I have to do that myself.
• Outcome of our work for me? 2 of Swords
  Usually a negative card, but here it might mean recognizing what my choices are, examining my feelings and intuition, and then balancing those with rational decision making, so I can get off the ruin and move to a better place.

The second reading seems fairly encouraging. And the outcome card (for each reading) could be positive, even though I most often assign "negative" meanings to The Tower and the Two of Swords.

EDIT: Oephebia had some additional ideas about both readings. In summary: Make sure the counselor is a compassionate person. Avoid being rigid; I must be willing to change and move forward without looking back.

The Right Place

Just realized that I may be in the right place, or close to it, for the first time in 15 years.

My worldview fits. In contrast, Facebook is filled with comments by and stories about liberal American Jews who oppose recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, and their complete ignorance of recent history. (As I've asked before, "What occupation?")

I began wondering how many of the fellow students who ostracized me made aliyah? I'm betting none.

My dreamworld fits. I've always been drawn to turtles, but whenever I bought a turtle item, it would mysteriously vanish. Even the heavy garden turtle that I put in my yard one day, was gone the next. A couple years ago, I acquired two turtle objects, somehow knowing that they wouldn't vanish-- it was after I made the commitment to make aliyah. Just learned that turtle is the "matron animal" of Kohenet because turtle carries her house/shrine with her wherever she goes.

I have a very good friend in Arlan.

My tongue is bleeding from too frequent biting

The purpose of language is communication. Picking on someone for minor errors impedes communication.

And yet... all of these are very annoying:

• You meant to say succession, not secession.
• An herbalist puts her remedy in a vial; the remedy might taste vile, but she puts it in a vial.
• Altar is a noun. Alter is a verb.
• "A part" and "apart" don't mean the same thing.
• You can use the word, "myself," only if the subject of the sentence is "I." Do not write, "Feel free to call myself if you have any questions."
• "I" is the subject of a sentence and "me" is the object. If you wouldn't say, "Jaime called I," then don't say, "Jaime called Sam and I." The correct thing to say is: "Jaime called Sam and me."
• Please say wolf, not woof, and library, not liberry.
• (Since typos do happen, let's give this guy the benefit of the doubt: "I'm new hear.")
• "Mispercepted" is not a word. Try "misperceived." 

I didn't realize that I'm such a snob. But since I've started this snotty post, I might as well finish it:

If you have grammar and spelling questions, please use Google. There are also sites that show you how to conjugate verbs in English and other sites where you can hear the correct pronunciation of words in both British and American English. Look up words in an online dictionary if you have any doubt about their meaning; I do it all the time, just to be certain.