AUTHOR’S NOTE: As I delve into more complex subjects, my backlog of minor posts awaiting publication has become ten-deep. I decided to clear out the cache by presenting these three recent experimental spreads in one post.

Tarot Holdem: A Self-Made Destiny Spread

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is a spread that will put your intuition to the test. It is based on two premises: one is a reimagined version of the rules for the poker game Texas Holdem, in which you build a five-card hand from two different groups of cards; the other is the idea that you can improve your lot by selecting specific cards and then trying to live up to their promise. In this case, you take a chance of getting worse cards than the ones you started with if your intuition fails you. Reversals are not used with this spread.

“If 3 Was 9” – A Three-Dimensional Spread

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is a unique spread that provides a three-tiered outlook on any question or topic. The top layer shows visible or known aspects of the matter; the bottom layer reflects what may be concealed about it; and the middle layer suggests an “action plan” for navigating between the two. It does not have a “Past” element, instead focusing on “Now,” the “Near Future” and the “Long-Term Outlook.” A final “Consequences” card is calculated from the other nine cards using one of the “quintessence” methods of numerological reduction, and is to be read in combination with the three “action plan” cards. It is intended to provide the “last word” or “outcome” of the situation as it affects the querent’s ultimate experience of its resolution. The effective duration of this forecast is proposed as three months but experience may show otherwise.

The Energy & Opportunity “Trade-Off” Spread

AUTHOR’S NOTE: Here is a fairly comprehensive spread that takes into account positive and negative energy inputs and moderates them numerically using the “quintessence” approach. The two rows are read as parallel and countervailing forces that vie for dominance in the developmental arc of the matter. The “Opportunity” card will always be a Major Arcanum and is intended to show a significant opportunity (or disincentive) arising from the interaction of the positive and negative influences.