Nine

92883.jpg

Laying Out the
Cards to Do a Reading

What Is a Tarot Spread?

Tarot readers typically lay out the cards in a predetermined pattern called a spread. Each position in the spread is assigned a particular meaning, and the card falling in that location is interpreted in the context of the meaning attributed to that spot in the layout. For example, in a three-card past-present-future spread, the card in the first position refers to the past, the central card gives information about the present, and the final card indicates future trends.

The tarot literature is replete with spreads for every occasion. Several books are available detailing a large variety of ways to lay out the cards. Perhaps the most popular spread of the last century is the Celtic Cross layout, popularized by A. E. Waite in his influential 1910 book on the tarot. The Celtic Cross was Waite’s attempt to present a simple alternative to the intricately complex Opening of the Key method he learned from the Golden Dawn.

Today, many readers prefer to invent their own spreads to suit the question at hand and thereby provide the specific information desired by the querent. In 2013, Llewellyn published a “toolkit” for constructing spreads entitled The Deck of 1000 Spreads, authored by Tierney Sadler. The back cover of this toolkit says that users can “mix and match these 59 labeled and 6 blank cards to customize any tarot reading imaginable. Each one features a color-coded theme, the name of a commonly used spread position, and a written description of that position.” The color-coded themes include the focus of the question, the influences to which the querent must attend, the characters involved in the situation, the time frame, and issues related to the outcome including relevant advice, the potential resolution, and any lessons to be learned.

The Daily Draw

Many readers pull a daily card at random as a focus for contemplation. There is nothing special about drawing a new card each day. If your “daily” card seems particularly meaningful, feel free to ponder it for several days before moving on to another card. If it feels irrelevant, you are free to choose a different card for the day. My own practice is to keep a tarot deck on my desk so that I can shuffle the cards and draw one whenever the spirit moves me. The following suggestions may be helpful for your daily draw:

One-Card Readings

Just as in the daily draw, you can pull a single card at random to clarify a situation. As usual, shuffle the cards in a meditative state with the sincere intention of drawing a card to shed light on the matter. The following is an example of a one-card reading. Before reading the details of the situation, look at the image on the Ten of Swords and say what you see. What kind of situation might this card represent?

10ofSwords_FinalB.tif

Ten of Swords

The Situation

Before reading on, be sure you have looked at the image of the Ten of Swords and considered what type of situation it might represent. Here’s the story. I belong to a weekly group to practice exchanging languages online. On one occasion the leader of the group left a message that she could not attend because her husband had suddenly taken ill and she needed to accompany him to the hospital. Concerned about her husband’s illness, I drew a single card from the deck: the Ten of Swords.

This ominous looking card depicts a man lying on the ground with ten swords piercing his body. The card seemed to suggest that her husband’s condition was fairly serious. No one in the group heard any news from her during the following week, and she did not appear for the next group. We were all a bit worried.

At the end of the second week, she sent an e-mail explaining that her husband had been taken by ambulance to the hospital and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. She had remained with him at the hospital and did not have access to a computer to get in touch with the group. Her life had been totally turned upside down. She was not sure when she could return to the group because she and her husband were facing nonstop visits with doctors, nurses, and therapists, and she didn’t know how long it would last. The image on the Ten of Swords card captured quite well her experience of her husband’s illness. Fortunately he was eventually released from the hospital and made a slow recovery, perhaps symbolized by the bright sunlight in the distant background on this card.

Two-Card Readings

One-card readings are limited in scope because a single card does not give a sense of the flow of events. To get an inkling of how matters will progress, it is usually necessary to pull two or more cards. The following is an example of a two-card reading.

The question was asked by a woman whose son had recently been arrested for a DUI (driving under the influence). The penalties in her state were quite harsh for such an offense and she feared her son might go to prison. Because our time was limited, I had her draw only two cards with the intention of understanding the likely outcome of her son’s day in court. She pulled the Six of Swords and the Ten of Cups, in that order.

The sequence of cards implies movement away from a difficult situation toward a period of family tranquility. The first card, the Six of Swords, shows a ferryman propelling a woman and child (the querent and her son?) away from troubled waters. The ferryman could well stand for the lawyer whom her son had consulted to handle his case. She and her son felt confident in the lawyer’s ability. The outcome was that her son did not go to jail. Instead, he received a suspended sentence with a requirement to do community service and attend alcohol counseling. A little further on, we will see another reading for the same situation, this time asked by the woman’s husband.

6ofSwords_FinalB-93.jpg

10ofCups_Final-93.jpg

Six of Swords and Ten of Cups (left to right)

Three-Card Readings: A Nod to Hegel

Three-card readings are a popular way to read the tarot. The effectiveness of a three-card spread may be rooted in the philosophy of Hegel: thesis—antithesis—synthesis. The thesis refers to an idea or a proposition, the antithesis is a reaction to or negation of the proposition (thesis), and the synthesis is a creative resolution that resolves the conflict between the two. The Hegelian theme of a creative synthesis arising from the reconciliation of antithetical forces also appears on Temperance, trump XIV, a card associated with the centaur Sagittarius.

Author James Ricklef has written an entire book about three-card spreads entitled Tarot Tells the Tale (Llewellyn, 2004). In it he demonstrates the power of this deceptively simple spread with a host of sample readings. Among the many variations of three-card layouts in the tarot literature, one may find:

Try inventing your own three-card spreads to suit the question. You can find many examples of this layout online. It’s a powerful technique that does not overwhelm the reader, but at the same time provides useful insights. The tarot owes a debt of gratitude to Hegel.

A Personal Three-Card Reading

This reading was done on Tuesday, July 29, 2014. While doing research for this book, I came across Llewellyn’s tarot-reading site, which offers free computer-generated delineations. 28 There I selected a Past—Present—Future spread. Because I was in the early stages of writing this text, I asked, “How will this book turn out in the end?” The following cards appeared:

The reversed High Priestess in the past position made sense. I was feeling stuck trying to envision what to write and how to say it. Access to my intuition felt temporarily blocked.

The upright Three of Pentacles in the present position was encouraging. This card suggested making use of my talents and working in collaboration with my editor at Llewellyn to make progress in the writing. The focus should be on quality and a job well done. I would need to keep chipping away at the block of marble to reveal the form within.

The upright Four of Wands in the future position was also a welcome sign. The Llewellyn site offered the keywords “repose after difficulty” and added “achieving a state of balance, peace, and contentment after a long ordeal.” The cards suggested I keep plugging away and focusing on quality despite the long ordeal. In the end, the result should be favorable and bring contentment. I hope the cards were right.

HighPriestess_FinalB-63.jpg

3ofPentacles_Final-63.jpg

4ofWands_Final-63.jpg

High Priestess (reversed), Three of Pentacles (upright), and Four of Wands (upright) (left to right)

Theme and Variations Spread

This spread consists of five cards arranged in a square with a central card and one in each of the four corners, representing variations on a theme. If you have a particular issue you’d like to clarify, card 5 would represent the main theme and the other four cards would signify the various features on that theme.

A Sample Theme and Variations Spread

The querent is a young engineer who finished his degree in Spain but could not find a job there because of the economic crisis. He finally found work, but it involved relocating to China, to the disappointment of his family who told him that they would miss him terribly if he moved to another country. He asked for a general reading, and these cards appeared:

76511.png

Five-Card Spread

As the central theme, the Chariot represented his journey to China to find work in his profession. As he and I discussed the variations on this theme, it became clear that the Page of Swords was linked to a recent conversation he had with his family, in which they told him that they wished that he would move back to Spain to live closer to them, get married, and start a family (themes linked to the Hierophant). To his family, the decision to live and work in China seemed a very unusual way to pursue a career (symbolized by the Hanged Man). His hope was that eventually all would be happy with his decision and celebrate his success (Three of Cups).

Interviewing a New Deck with the Theme and Variations Spread

Most tarot enthusiasts have more than one deck and use particular decks for specific purposes. For example, you might use one deck to read for yourself, another for meditation, and yet another for creative inspiration when starting a project. One way to get acquainted with a new set of cards is to “interview” the deck using a tarot spread. The theme and variations layout is useful for this purpose.

Let card 5 in the center represent your overall experience of working with the deck and assign variations on this theme to the other four cards. Decide what you want to explore and make a list of meanings for each position in the spread. For example:

Horseshoe Spread

The Horseshoe spread is helpful when you are unsure about an optimal course of action. It is so called because the cards are laid in the shape of a horseshoe, each card representing an aspect of the situation. Horseshoes are said to bring good luck, and some people hang horseshoes over the door to their home to protect it and attract good fortune. A point of contention is whether the horseshoe should be hung with its opening facing up or facing down. Placing the two ends of the horseshoe facing up (in a U shape) presumably helps to collect and store the good vibrations.

The accompanying diagram depicts the typical arrangement of a horseshoe spread. If you believe that pointing the ends of the horseshoe downward is likely to spill out all the good fortune, just flip the diagram over to hold in all your good luck!

There are many variations in the literature about ways to use this spread. The following approach is often helpful, but readers should feel free to assign their own meanings to the positions to suit the matter at hand.

  1. 1. Past influences affecting the current situation.
  2. 2. Present issues related to the problem.
  3. 3. Future developments that will need attention.
  4. 4. Advice about an optimal course of action.
  5. 5. How those around the querent (family, friends, associates, etc.) relate to the issue.
  6. 6. Obstacles and hidden influences the querent may need to take into account to resolve the problem.
  7. 7. The likely outcome of the proposed course of action.

76582.png

Horseshoe Spread

A Sample Horseshoe Spread

Here is an example of a horseshoe spread. The male querent was worried about his adult son who had recently been arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol. The querent and his wife had helped their son to find an attorney, and they accompanied him to court. The son’s driver’s license was suspended, and he was sentenced to a year’s probation. In the days following the court hearing, the son became increasingly isolated and depressed. The parents got worried that their son might become suicidal. The father asked the open-ended question, “How can I best help my son in this situation?” We did a horseshoe spread.

Clarifying Choices with the Horseshoe Spread

You can also use the seven-card horseshoe spread to clarify two options. In this case, the central card (4) represents the situation you are asking about. Branching off from the central position are cards 3, 2, and 1, which represent respectively the pros, cons, and likely outcome of the first choice; and cards 5, 6, and 7, which signify the pros, cons, and likely outcome of the second choice.

76720.png

Clarifying Choices

The Celtic Cross Layout

The Celtic Cross is my favorite tarot layout. It was popularized by A. E. Waite in his 1910 book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot, where he offered it as an alternative to the lengthy and complex Opening of the Key spread used by the Golden Dawn. The method I follow is close to Waite’s original with some minor modifications.

Waite began by choosing a significator card to represent the querent. He then used the direction in which the figure on the card was facing to determine past and future positions in the spread. The future lay ahead of the querent’s significator; and the past, behind. My own practice is to omit the significator and launch immediately into the spread.

The Celtic Cross consists of two crosses, a small two-card inner cross with a larger four-card outer cross surrounding it, plus a column of four cards to the right. I lay the cards as in the accompanying diagram.

76780.png

Celtic Cross Spread

Cards 3, 4, 5, and 6 form a second cross surrounding the central cross.

The column of four cards to the right of these two crosses gives additional information.

A Sample Celtic Cross Reading

The following example will make the process clear. The querent is a professional man in his early thirties. He lives with his girlfriend of many years. He asked for a general reading to reveal which issues might be important in his current life.

Card 1 was the Queen of Swords. This could represent an important woman in his life or a personality trait that he needs to cultivate at this time. If this card refers to a situation, it would involve a certain amount of sadness, grieving, or loss. The Queen of Swords is often called the “widow” card because she is a woman who has experienced loss or privation. Interestingly, one of the traditional meanings of this card is “sterility.”

Card 2 was the Empress. The Empress is a fertile, productive woman who is often concerned about issues of marriage, pregnancy, and motherhood. Seeing the Queen of Swords crossed by the Empress, a combination of two powerful women, I asked if something involving his girlfriend was on his mind. The querent replied that his girlfriend had been to see the doctor the day before and was told that if she did not get pregnant soon, she might never be able to have children. She had always wanted to have a child and was worried about growing old without a family of her own.

Card 3 was the Queen of Wands, another significant woman, this time in the foundation position of the reading. This queen is an energetic woman who likes keeping busy and being in charge. In light of what the querent said about his girlfriend, I wondered if she felt a need to do something to ensure she could get pregnant soon and have a family. He said that his girlfriend was this type of energetic person.

Card 4, the recent past position, was the Tower, a card of sudden disruption. His girlfriend had experienced the doctor’s words as a bolt from the blue. The possibility of forgoing motherhood would upset the life plan she had envisioned for herself.

Card 5, the possible outcome, was the Five of Wands, a group of young men engaged in rivalry and competition. This card suggests that he and his girlfriend were likely to be at odds about having a baby at this time. He agreed, adding that it would be very disruptive to his career to start a family just now.

Card 6, the near future, was the Nine of Swords, sometimes called the nightmare card. It depicts a woman, perhaps a cloistered nun, sitting up in bed at night in a state of worry and preoccupation. The querent said that the possibility of not being able to have children was weighing heavily on his girlfriend’s mind. In addition, her mother’s health has recently concerned her.

Card 7, the querent’s experience of the matter, was Judgment depicting an angel sounding a trumpet at the end of time to awaken the souls of the dead and call them to a new phase of existence. The querent felt that having a child now would be like entering a completely new phase of life. He added that the angel on the Judgment card reminded him of his girlfriend’s name, which was Angela!

Card 8, the experience of those surrounding the querent, was the Nine of Cups, often called the “wish card.” Most likely this card referred to his girlfriend’s belief that getting pregnant would be a wish come true.

Card 9, hopes and fears, was the Page of Cups. Pages represent children, so the Page of Cups could represent his own wish for children as well as his fear of dependency.

Card 10, the final outcome, was the Wheel of Fortune. The spread seemed to be indicating that forces greater than either member of the couple were at work. The outcome could depend somehow on a twist of fate. The Wheel might also signify that the opportunity to have children was now presenting itself but would vanish with the passage of time, just as the doctor had counseled. The two of them had an important decision to make while the possibility of having children was still open.

A Celtic Cross Reading for a Skeptical Student

Every so often a skeptical but curious querent asks for a reading. In this case, the querent was a university student who was studying translation and linguistics. Because of his interest in foreign languages, he asked for a reading to get a sense of how the cards are read.

Card 1 was the Ace of Pentacles. This card suggests that the main theme of the reading has to do with material opportunities and resources.

Card 2 was the King of Cups. This king is often a professional person who can be of assistance to the querent, perhaps someone who could help him achieve the financial goal of card one.

Card 3 was the Devil, a major arcana card suggesting that a matter of major importance was at the foundation of the reading. The Devil card often refers to a material ambition being pursued, sometimes obsessively, to the exclusion of other matters of a more spiritual significance.

Card 4, the recent past position, was the Chariot, a major arcana card that might indicate that a significant journey or important ambition has been on his mind in the recent past.

Card 5, the possible or ideal outcome, was the Five of Wands depicting a group of young men engaged in rivalry and competition.

Card 6, the near future, was the Four of Pentacles, showing someone holding tightly to money and resources. Perhaps in the near future he would need to be saving his money for the purpose indicated by card 1.

Card 7, the querent’s experience of the matter, was the Eight of Cups depicting a character walking away from eight cups, perhaps in search of a more satisfying situation.

Card 8, the experience of those surrounding the querent, was the Ten of Wands showing a man walking along with a burden of ten wands. Perhaps those around him were feeling a bit overwhelmed.

Card 9, hopes and fears, was the Four of Wands, depicting people celebrating a job well done.

Card 10, the final outcome, was the Ace of Wands. The spread seemed to be indicating that he would be given an opportunity to pursue an exciting personal or professional ambition.

Putting the cards together with the fact that he was a student of foreign languages, I suggested that the main theme of the reading might be related to seeking a scholarship (Ace of Pentacles) with the aid of a mentor or advisor (King of Cups) to pursue a goal of studying abroad (Chariot) to advance his career (Ace of Wands) because of a certain sense of dissatisfaction with what he could learn at his current university (Eight of Cups). This goal might feel like an obsession to him (the Devil) and would require careful management of resources (Four of Pentacles) and involve competition with other students (Five of Wands).

The skeptical student replied that my comments were true in a general way, but that it was probably just coincidence that these cards appeared in the reading. He confirmed that he had been hoping to spend a year abroad studying languages but that it would be costly to do so and he would need to be very careful with his finances. He remained unconvinced that the tarot had anything useful to offer him.

Houses of the Horoscope Spread

For those interested in astrology, the Houses of the Horoscope layout provides useful insight into the various aspects of life described by the twelve houses. Each astrological house represents a distinct field of experience.

To use this spread, lay one or more cards in each house of the horoscope wheel and interpret the cards in the context of the meaning of the house. Many readers lay a thirteenth card (or set of cards) in the center of the wheel to represent the general theme of the reading. The following keywords apply to the houses:

76851.png

The Horoscope Wheel

Reading the Houses Spread with the Entire Deck

This method makes use of the entire seventy-eight-card deck divided into thirteen six-card spreads (13 x 6 = 78). Choose a significator card to represent the querent. This can be done by matching the querent’s personality to one of the court cards, or in any other way you and the querent see fit. Shuffle and cut the cards, and then reassemble the deck. Beginning with house 1, proceed around the wheel placing one card in each house and one card in the center of the wheel (13 cards in all). Continue this process until the entire pack is used up. You will now have thirteen stacks of cards, one stack in each house and one stack in the center of the wheel. Each stack will contain six cards.

Find the stack that contains the significator. If you have placed the cards face-up, it will be easy to spot the significator while you are laying out the cards. Note which house of the horoscope the significator lies in. This house indicates the matter that most concerns the querent. Lay out the six cards of the stack in the order of their appearance, and relate them thematically to tell a story about the matters governed by the house where they fall.

Now do the same with the stack of six cards in the center of the wheel. The central stack makes a general comment on the querent’s life course at this time.

If other questions arise as you are discussing these two stacks, locate the house that is relevant to the question, lay out its six cards, and interpret them in the context of the querent’s concerns about this aspect of life experience.

A Briefer Twelve Houses Spread

The French tarot restorer, Paul Marteau, published his highly influential book Le Tarot de Marseilles in 1949, in which he presented a horoscopic spread that makes use of all seventy-eight cards. A briefer version of this method involves selecting twelve cards from the major arcana and spreading them around the wheel, one major card in each house of the horoscope. The next step is to draw a card for each house from the remaining sixty-six cards (majors and minors mixed together) and lay them around the wheel, one card in each house. The first round of major arcana cards are read just as you would read the planets and zodiac signs in the houses of a horoscope. The second card, which might be either a major or minor arcana, reveals the future trends of that house. If the querent has further questions about the matters of a house, a third card can be drawn to clarify the issue.

For example, the Empress (Venus) in the ninth house of foreign affairs might suggest a pleasant trip abroad. If the next card in the ninth house happens to be the Four of Pentacles, this trip might cost more than the querent wants to spend. The Golden Dawn associated the Four of Pentacles with the sun in Capricorn, suggesting that the querent might travel to a sunny clime (the sun) and manage trip expenses with good business sense (Capricorn).

Twelve Signs of the Zodiac Layout

The Zodiac Spread is laid out in the same way as the Houses of the Horoscope spread. The difference is that instead of interpreting the cards in the context of the individual houses, which represent distinct fields of life experience, the reader interprets the cards with reference to the archetypal meanings of the signs of the zodiac, which represent modes of being or ways of behaving in the world. An additional feature of this spread is that each zodiac sign is associated with a major arcana card that should enter into the interpretation.

In Western astrology, a zodiac sign is defined as one-twelfth of the zodiac circle. Each sign measures 30 degrees and receives its name from one of the constellations of the zodiac of antiquity. By convention, we begin the zodiac with the sign Aries on the first day of spring.

76896.png

The Horoscope Wheel

Using the same diagram as you did for the Houses of the Horoscope spread, use the following concepts and sample questions to frame the interpretation of the cards. As you gain experience with the meanings of the signs and with their associated major arcana cards, feel free to substitute your own questions for the ones I have suggested.

Interpreting the Zodiacal Signs Layout

Tree of Life Spread

Ten cards (or sets of cards) can be laid out in the pattern of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. Each tarot card is interpreted in the context of the meaning of the Sephirah on which it falls. The Hebrew word Sephiroth (the plural of Sephirah) means “emanations.” The ten Sephiroth of the Tree of Life can be viewed as ten emanations or attributes, by means of which the Ein Sof (the Infinite) reveals itself and creates the universe in all of its aspects. As mentioned elsewhere, the Tree of Life grows upside-down; its roots lie in heaven and its final fruits appear here on the Earth.

The following keywords can serve as a guide when interpreting the cards as they fall in each position. As you become more familiar with this spread, feel free to substitute your own keywords and questions for the ones suggested.

Interpreting the Tree of Life Layout

  1. 1. Kether. The Crown. The fiery spark of creation. Beginnings. The unmanifest. Spiritual factors. Inspiration. One’s spiritual goal. What is the creative spark that is inspiring you in your current situation? What is your spiritual purpose at this time?
  2. 2. Chokmah. The Father. Wisdom. Masculine potency. Virility. Yang. Primordial maleness. Responsibilities. The elements in their purest form. What are you assertively and actively trying to create? How are you expressing your potency?
  3. 3. Binah. Understanding. The Throne. The Great Mother. Feminine wisdom. Primordial femaleness. Yin. Receptivity. The darkness inside the womb. The cycle of death and new life. Problems. Difficulties. Decisions to be made. Associated with the planet Saturn. How are you receiving creative inspiration and allowing it to grow within? What must you let die so that new life can emerge and you can create something new in the world? How are you dealing with necessary limits imposed by reality?
  4. 4. Chesed. Mercy. Kindness. Majesty. Benevolence. Help. Protection. Favorable factors (“pros”). Associated with the planet Jupiter. What are the “pros” favoring your potential course of action? What kind of help and support is available?
  5. 5. Geburah. Severity. Strength. Testing. Judging and assessing. Troubles. Opposing factors (“cons”). Associated with the planet Mars. What are the “cons” that conflict with your potential course of action? What kind of obstacles and trials do you need to confront? What battles do you need to wage to achieve your goals?

76912.png

The Tree of Life Spread

  1. 6. Tiphareth. Harmony. Beauty. The god that dies only to be reborn. The Center. Illumination. Sacrifice for a greater good. Associated with the sun. What is the greater good that will result from your course of action? Will your choices leave you feeling more centered? What sacrifices are you willing to make?
  2. 7. Netzach. Victory. Success. Achievement. Relationships. Love. Desire. Art. Emotional factors. Associated with Venus-Aphrodite. How does the situation resonate with you emotionally? How will it affect your personal relationships? Will achieving your success be a work of art?
  3. 8. Hod. Glory. Spendor. Intellect. Career. Communication. Writing. Science. Reason. Mental factors. Associated with the planet Mercury. Are you thinking rationally and strategically about the best course of action? With whom do you need to communicate? Have you checked all the facts and gathered sufficient evidence? Are you expressing yourself clearly?
  4. 9. Yesod. Foundation. Unconscious factors. The collective unconscious. Mysticism. Illusion. Meditation. One’s inner world. Associated with the moon. To what extent are your actions based on fantasy and wishful thinking? Are you paying sufficient attention to your inner voice? Do you need to “sleep on” a decision before taking action?
  5. 10. Malkuth. The Kingdom. Our Earth. Fulfillment. Completion. Form. Manifestation. Stability. Home. Family. The World. What is the final result you are seeking? Have you achieved the structure and stability you were after? How do your actions affect your home, family, and sense of rootedness?

The Inverted Cards Spread

If you decide to use reversed cards in your readings, you may find this method useful. Because inverted cards catch your attention as they stand out from the other cards in any spread, you can read the reversed cards as if they were trying to give you a special message. Simply read the inverted cards in any tarot spread in sequence while ignoring all the upright cards. Assume that the inverted cards are trying to highlight an important issue that you need to become more aware of.

For example, in my three-card spread de-scribed earlier in this chapter, the High Priestess was the only inverted card:

High Priestess (reversed)
Three of Pentacles (upright)
Four of Wands (upright)

If I assume that the reversed High Priestess has an especially important message to convey, what could it be? Perhaps she is advising that the most important ingredient in writing this book is to get in touch with my intuition.

[contents]

28. Llewellyn Worldwide, “Tarot Reading,” http://www.llewellyn.com/tarot_reading.php