This spread is designed for examining the strategic advantages and vulnerabilities of up to four antagonists in a confrontation. It is intended as a a majors-only layout, but that isn’t carved in stone. The key points are: a) what each party wants from the others; b) what each party is willing to concede; and c) where each party draws the line and refuses to cooperate further. I used it to analyze the flare-up between North Korea, the US, Japan and China earlier this year. It could also be applied in a business environment where several factions – for example, management, union negotiators, rank-and-file workers, arbitrators – are jockeying for position. Then again, imagine that both sets of in-laws are arriving for a week-end at your place! The number of decks required will be the same as the number of opponents, so all cards are available to all participants. I used four of my large-format decks for the example reading; it made an impressive display.

Dysfunction Junction Spread