AUTHOR’S NOTE: It is generally accepted in professional tarot circles that the cards should not be consulted for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes related to matters of health and wellness. However, in keeping with my belief that divination can be used to address any question as long as it is phrased with sufficient care, I see no reason why we shouldn’t explore whether there are any potential vulnerabilities in these areas even if no illness is physically evident at the time of the reading, or if there is a credible threat of future malaise that is cause for concern. Although the risk may not be imminent, any insights received can at least fuel contemplation of prudent changes in one’s habits if the forecast is cautionary.

To that end, I created a spread based on the physiological properties of the Major Arcana as embodied in their astrological and elemental correspondences. To use this spread, first lay out the 22 trump cards of one deck from left-to-right in the normal sequence. Then shuffle a second deck in a way that will produce a well-distributed population of reversed cards.

Begin by pulling cards from the shuffled deck and laying them from left-to-right in the “Strengths and Weaknesses” row if they are upright or in the “Complications” row if they are reversed. If one row fills up before the other, keep drawing cards until the incomplete series is populated, discarding any that don’t meet the alternate criterion. You should wind up with 22 upright and 22 reversed cards.

Examine the “Strengths and Weaknesses” card beneath each trump to determine whether it is elementally “friendly,” “unfriendly” or “neutral” to the archetypal quality of the prototype. If the two are friendly (e.g. of the same element – Fire and Fire, etc. – or of compatible elements such as Fire and Air) then the inherent nature of the random card will be amplified “for good or ill” in accordance with its usual interpretation. Obviously, if the match is unfriendly, the affinity of a beneficial pull would be largely negated and the rancor of a detrimental one would be provoked by the lack of support. If they are neutral to one another there would be no increased or decreased emphasis as a consequence of their interaction.

An encouraging example would be receiving the upright 6 of Wands (Fire) as the companion card for the Sun or Strength (also Fire), which would imply robust heart and cardiovascular well-being, and thus no immediate need to pursue the situation further. A less-favorable one would be the upright 9 of Swords (Air) accompanying the Magician (Air as well), suggesting the danger of experiencing runaway anxiety. These impressions should not be treated as ironclad evidence of vulnerability but merely as circumstances to keep an eye on, especially if there have been previous hints of a more conventional (i.e. clinical) kind.

In my “test” reading I pulled the optimistic and self-confident 3 of Wands (Fire) to go with the Hanged Man, the elemental Water card of “all bodily fluids.” They are elementally unfriendly, so I took the pair to mean that I should be careful about overindulging in alcohol, especially since the “Complications” card was the Prince of Wands reversed, perhaps a warning against “drinking and driving.” (More on that process in the next example.)

Once a clear picture of the “flash points” for increased exposure to harm has been acquired, turn your attention to the “Complications” card for any “Strengths and Weaknesses” card that warrants a more critical look. If the testimony of the first comparison was anything other than entirely uneventful, the opportunity for complications to crop up that might make it worse should be given a thorough analysis.

This second example focusing on the “Complications” card is a particularly interesting one. At first glance, the Universe (RWS World) and the 9 of Disks (RWS Pentacles) are elementally aligned and both are fortunate in nature, so I shouldn’t have to give them a second thought. However, the Universe (corresponding to Earth) is the archetype of the overall physique and the 9 of Disks is titled “Gain” in the Thoth deck. There is a warning here that morbid weight-gain might be likely if I depart from my current diet-and-exercise routine. The 10 of Cups reversed as the “Complications” card has the earmarks of “gout” all over it. This is a compelling instance of wholly positive cards having a negative connotation.