What Is a Spread?

This might be obvious to some of you, but to those of you very new to Tarot, it's definitely a topic worth covering!

Once the cards are shuffled, they are turned and spread out in such a way that each position has a distinct meaning attached to it...hence, spread (states the Master of the Obvious).   For example, three cards can be "spread" in a row, with the first indicating the Past; the second, Present; and the third, Future.  The card that falls in each position is interpreted based on that position.  Say the Five of Pentacles (a cards of difficult times and limited opportunities, to oversimplify) falls in the Past position--that would tell me that the influences of that card are on their way out.  Were that card in the Present position, the client would likely be in the midst of those influences right then and attempting to push past those obstacles.  And so it goes.

Spreads can be made up of one card (a deceptively powerful spread, by the way) to as many cards as necessary.  I find spreads of more than 12-15 cards to be a bit unwieldy, but I use them on occasion. Clarification cards can easily be added to any spread to shed additional light on hazy cards as necessary; this is simply a matter of, after the initial spread is laid out, turning over a card from the top of the deck and setting it near the questionable card to be read as an adjunct.

My next topic will involve an overview of how I read reversed cards in a spread (cards that fall upside down).  I'm a big fan of reading reversals because they automatically double the possibilities of the 78 card deck...actually, they intensify the possibilities endlessely when one considers that the same card can have countless meanings depending on where it falls in a spread.  There is so much to say about Tarot!

Deviant Moon

There are countless Tarot decks out there. While my go-to deck for client/public readings is usually the Rider-Waite-Smith (in part because the imagery is familiar to many), originally created in 1909, there are many others that I really enjoy. One of my very favorites is the Deviant Moon Tarot, created by Patrick Valenza in 2008. He took inspiration for his images from 18th century headstones, so it's fitting to give this deck a mini-tribute as Halloween looms! Below are some card images; in order, they are:  The Magician; Five of Wands; The Chariot; Two of Pentacles. The Deviant Moon cards are ingenious--dark, moody, whimsical, fantastical, unique. This deck is a true work of art, and Patrick Valenza has a companion book coming out soon, which I can't wait to get my hands on. If you're in the market for a new deck and nothing is grabbing you, take a good look at this one. I highly recommend the Deviant Moon. Click here to find it on Amazon and to see further images. These cards offer such a fresh perspective when I read with them, particularly when I read for individuals who can see the brooding beauty in shadow...

The Deviant Moon Tarot

By Patrick Valenza

© U.S. Games Systems, Inc.; 1st edition (June 24, 2008)

 

Love Spread

It's been a while--sorry for the delay!  I got some good feedback after posting my Finance Spread, so I thought I might post another spread that I find very useful and spot-on.  I altered this spread a bit from its original format in a wonderful book called Power Tarot: More Than 100 Spreads That Give Specific Answers to Your Most Important Questions by Trish MacGregor and Phyllis Vega (Fireside Publishing, 1998).

Love is a particularly interesting intangible, as I don't know if any two people would agree entirely on what it truly is.  This spread taps into the client in a very psychological way, so no matter how he or she feels about love, this spread will work to give an accurate profile.

Love Spread


7    1
8    2
9    3
           4    5    6
        10    11    12

Cards 1-6 are laid out first:

1)    Past experience in love
2)    Current experience in love
3)    What you WANT form a love relationship
4)    What you NEED from a love relationship
5)    What you have to offer in a relationship
6)    Possible outcome

Cards 7-12 are then laid beside/below each initial card (as per the diagram above) to add insight to the interpretation.  The cards are then read as pairs to offer details on each position.  In particular, I like the distinction between "want" and "need" that this spread covers--so many of us get the two confused, and I'm no exception.  :-)

Finance Spread

Not surprisingly, I get a lot of questions on financial issues. I'm certainly no personal financial adviser, but I've found that the cards do a great job of pointing out areas that require a little extra consideration on this topic. Often, these are areas that we don't want to take a hard look at in the first place, and when a reading highlights and reveals these things, we're forced to address them and take action. This can be very helpful, and once we're over the initial sting of whatever is being avoided, opportunities for progress can be earnestly pursued. So, I thought I'd share a little spread of my own design that I use for some types of financial questions:

Finance Spread

     5
  3    4
     2
     1       

1)      Underlying attitude toward finances: What are you avoiding? What has happened in the past that informs how you handle and perceive money now?
2)      Current financial situation: Insight into the reality of the situation rather than how you perceive it.
3)      Opportunities to pursue that will offer financial payoff: What do you need to keep an eye out for? Where should you apply yourself? On what topic will further research benefit you?
4)      A person, interest, event, etc. that will provide specific financial assistance: Who or what will offer help (sometimes in ways that will only become apparent later)?
5)      Likely results: Given how influences are currently congealing, this is what you can expect.

I like this spread: it's short, clear, and informative.  If the question is more in-depth and/or pretty specific, I would either start with this spread and move on to another for further insight, or I might choose another spread altogether.  More often than not, this one gets right to the point and often makes other spreads unnecessary. 

If you're just starting out reading Tarot, this is a fantastic spread to practice with once you have a good handle on reading a single card and smaller layouts. I'll share other spreads in future blog posts, and at some point I'll pay special attention to the formidable, traditional, always useful Celtic Cross...or my personal spin on it, anyway!

Nine of Cups...and some reading resource tips!

I did a reading yesterday for a wonderful client gifted with amazing artistic talent.  We did a Celtic Cross spread, and the Nine of Cups fell in the "will come to pass" position.  This card is a phenomenal coup in a reading--it means, in relation to the question, a future of assured satisfaction; the ability to maintain and radiate inner security; generosity and goodwill; emotional, material, and physical well-being; and a bunch of other good stuff.  Even when things that are rosy start to fade slightly, the buds will bloom again. It's often called the "Wish Card."  I was thrilled to turn this over for her.

I chose this card to write about for two reasons:  because of my great experience with it yesterday, and because it's a good example of a card that I think isn't quite as intuitive as others in the deck.  In other words, if you look at the image, you see a man with folded arms sitting in front of a curved buffet table.  On the table sit nine cups.  In the other cards I discussed below, the scenes are so richly depicted that one's intuition might be able to nail the traditional meaning of the card; in the case of this card, it might be harder to get a read from intuition alone.

There are clues, certainly.  The man looks jovial, content, and happy.  Cups signify emotions, relationships, things at the very heart, literally, of life.  There are nine Cups, and nine is a number of culmination, fruition, and achievement.  The suit of Cups is associated with water--love, fluidity, intuition, inner peace.  Yellow dominates the card, a color of positivity.  The tablecloth mimics a waterfall, which stresses the things associated with Cups and water.

There's more; this is just to offer a few ideas on how to look at a card without a fully fleshed-out scene.  My point is that intuition is critical in doing readings, but learning the traditionally assigned meanings of the cards is, in my opinion, a key first step.  Reading with other systems (psychology, Qabalah, numerology, astrology, Christianity, mythology, etc.) can be picked up as you go with study.  It's not a deal-breaker if a new reader chooses not to use these or other systems, but I happen to think that having multiple reading systems at your disposal as resources just makes you that much more articulate with the cards.

So, where do you go to learn assigned card meanings?  This is a very good question, as there is no one easy answer!  I think it's a great idea to try and find in-person classes at your level, or even outside your level just for the review or exposure.  I like this because it's interactive.  The next best thing is to read whatever books you can get your hands on.  If you're just starting and you're interested in learning to read the cards, Joan Bunning's Learning the Tarot is an excellent book.  There are plenty of exercises, but you'll learn  something whether you do the exercises or just read and consider them.  A. E. Waite's Pictorial Key to the Tarot offers some explanations and keywords and was published in 1911, just a couple of years after he created the Rider-Waite-Smith deck with Pamela Coleman Smith, the artist.  Waite's book is often the starting point for other books in terms of offering the initial set of intended meanings for the Rider-Waite deck and its clones.  I recommend it first because it's a classic, second because the author created the most popular deck in use in the West today. There are so many other wonderful books; here are just a few, linked to their Amazon pages: 78 Degrees of Wisdom by Rachel Pollack; Tarot for Your Self by Mary K. Greer; Tarot for Life by Paul Quinn. For even more suggestions, visit my Amazon store on the Interactive Tarot site, where I wrote a brief blurb for every book and deck I recommended!

If you're interested in learning to read the Tarot, feel free to contact me at jennifer@interactivetarot.net and I can give you references for a good set of starter readings.  We all have to start somewhere.  My best advice?  Don't be afraid--jump in and trust your instincts!

Eight of Swords

The suit of Swords tends to put people off a bit...and yeah, some of the cards are a little scary looking (the Nine and Ten in particular).  I thought I would choose one of them to examine this time.

A word about the suit of Swords first.  As I mentioned in an earlier post, each of the four suits is commonly associated with an elemental dignity, as follows:  Wands=fire; Cups=water; Swords=air; Pentacles=earth.  In Tarot, air (and, consequently, the suit of Swords) is associated with precision, intellect, judgment, harshness, strife, and confidence, among many other things.  As with all the suits, the Swords in general have both positive and negative connotations.  The whole point in the appearance of any card is to enlighten, and I think that's the best way to view the Swords.  Their message in any reading is meant to show you either what you can use or what you can overcome.

The Eight of Swords shows us a woman, loosely bound, mostly--but not entirely--surrounded by swords piercing the earth. The key here?  Her prison is largely self-imposed.  She is capable of releasing herself from her bonds and blindfold and making her way around the swords at her back and sides, but at that moment she is choosing not to.  We see here excuses, rationalizing, justifying something that might make your life easier but not necessarily better.  Often the most beneficial path is the most difficult.   As much as we know this, who doesn't want to try and take the easy way and avoid/ignore what we know we need to do? I think this card is an excellent example of enlightenment: get over the excuses, take a hard look at reality and do what needs to be done.  Sure, the message can sting a bit, but the outcome will only make us stronger and offer greater insight into and knowledge about what we can truly accomplish.

Nine of Pentacles

Here we have a woman who is in harmony with her life.  She is completely comfortable alone, enjoying simple pleasures, and is just as happy to be around the close, dear friends she has cultivated...just as she cultivated the garden in which she stands.  There is a reverence here--for nature, for beauty, for peace, and for the truly worthy, important people who complete us all.  There is a happiness that has been earned through life's lessons.  One key to harmony, according to the Nine of Pentacles, lies in the appreciation for both moments in solitude and those in the company of people we trust and love.