When Power Is So Unequal - The Andy Byron Caper

Should they or shouldn't they follow their heart at work? 

How to get through a breakup with a co-worker? 

Now that the former lover at work is interested in someone else ...? 

These issues come up more and more often in tarot readings. They are what human beings need to focus on because people have to spend more and more time at work. And, studies document that about 60% of them will engage in an office romance. 

So, what was considered so wrong in the alleged romance between Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and the company's Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot wasn't the affair of the heart per se. That was even though both are married to others. Cupid is shooting lots of arrows these days. Often the romance is a sign that the marriage is fraying. Therefore it's not unusual that those with spouses at home to explore intimacy on the job. That could begin with having an office wife or husband. Then things could heat up.

The outrage about the supposed Bryon-Cabot connection is that the power is unequal. Byron is the boss. Cabot is a subordinate. It isn't a relationship of equals. There's more on this: Cabot's emotional proximity to power could create for her unfair opportunities which the rest of the company resents. 

It was late statesman Henry Kissinger who observed: Power is the great aphrodisiac. Those with the power may be perceived as much more "attractive" than they were by those with less power. 

Academia recognized that years ago, banning professor-student sexual/romantic encounters. It was in 2015 that Harvard extended the ban to all students, not only those in the professors' class or being directly advised.

Back in Boomer college days those romances were common. At that time students had no power. There was no concept of Student as Consumer, with Rights.

At my small alma mater three classmates married professors: Lolly Orze, Sally Fullman and Sally Spahn. During my doctoral studies love was continually in the air, with even romances between graduate teaching fellows and their undergraduate students.

Currently, of course, there's such sensitivity to the danger of unequal power in intimacy. But Byron is not alone in risking it all - it's reported he's negotiating an exit package. The list of CEOs who gave into the forbidden is long. It ranges from Norfolk Southern's Alan Shaw to Helios Tech's Josef Matosevic. 

Incidentally, in tarot readings the present focus is often about power, not topics of mysticism. A flashpoint emotionally and operationally is when power shifts. Clients lament to me: Professionally I'm not who I used to be. My company isn't top dog anymore. My spouse got a big raise and now "has the upper hand." 

Much of the legal sector is experiencing that power crisis. The nine law firms which negotiated deals with the Trump administration - including Skadden, Paul Weiss and Simpson - have had to reset parts of themselves. Be it branding or client relations. Meanwhile for the Trump administration, which seemed to have all the cards, power could be in play with the Epstein-file-disclosure scandal.

Need insight on how to understand the human heart and manage power? Here is the DIY guide I custom-made for you to learn the art of interpreting the tarot. If you prefer to have a reading done for you, please contact me - Jane Genova - for a complimentary consultation (janegenova374@gmail.com, text 203-468-8579).