This spread weighs whether the true or false aspects of the querent's situation and environment will have the upper hand in determining who comes out on top in a conflict. (As I like to say when performing divination, "The good guys don't always win.") It has the feel of a "trial by combat" to it. … Continue reading The “Truth vs. Lies” Conflict-Resolution Spread
Miscellaneous Spreads
The “Spirit Contact” Communication Spread
This is an odd one inspired by discussions on the Aeclectic Tarot forum about using tarot cards to contact ancestral spirits. It takes into account the hazards of invoking the Lower Astral plane when indiscriminately opening oneself up to unfiltered psychic influences. P7D-Ancestor Spread
The “All Points” Travel Advisory Spread
Whenever I take a long trip, whether by road or by air, I like to do a tarot reading to look at the nature of the upcoming journey and any issues or obstacles that may arise. The typical 5-card line works well enough for this, but I figured a spread that is aimed more specifically … Continue reading The “All Points” Travel Advisory Spread
Like Night and Day . . .
As an astrologer, I'm fascinated with creating tarot spreads that mimic the diurnal path of the Sun through the sky. Here are three of them. For me, the main "diurnal" spread is Eden Gray's version of the Celtic Cross (see The Tarot Revealed), in which the time line starts at "Midnight" (the "beneath" position, or … Continue reading Like Night and Day . . .
The “Troll Under the Bridge” Spread
This story-telling spread loosely follows the plot of the Norwegian fairy-tale, "Three Billy Goats Gruff." As its centerpiece it has the protagonist, "Big Billy Goat," and the villain, "Trevor the Troll," duking it out on the bridge to decide the querent's fate. I envisioned it as being suitable for introducing children to the tarot, at … Continue reading The “Troll Under the Bridge” Spread
Tell Me No Lies
Many people like to conduct a "new deck interview" with every addition to their stable as a way to get a feel for its overall tone and ease of use. This is my version; it can be used for decks you've owned for a while as well. Everyone likes to talk about themselves! Update: The … Continue reading Tell Me No Lies
The “Rest of the Story” Follow-up Spread
I went away from tarot for a few years, during which the landscape changed considerably. Ever since I learned the extent to which modern readers like to use clarifier cards when they don't understand the significance of any card in a reading, I've had an ongoing "war" with the idea. Every tarot card has layers … Continue reading The “Rest of the Story” Follow-up Spread
Alternate Realities: The Lady or the Tiger
As I entered the stratosphere of elaborate and esoteric tarot spread creation (believe me, you ain't seen nothing yet), I got to thinking about two philosophical ideas and how they might be captured in a tarot reading: the Buddhist tenet that we create our own reality, and the Frank R. Stockton short story "The Lady … Continue reading Alternate Realities: The Lady or the Tiger
The Fool’s Debut: A Pregnancy and Childbirth Diorama
Astrology has its "prenatal epoch" that explores the period between conception and birth. I decided to create my own tarot version of the same idea. Fool's Debut Diorama
The “Train to Nowhere” Missing Person Spread
I created this spread as a result of on-line discussions about "cold case" missing person investigations. The one and only time I've used it so far, a young lady in California turned up in Car #8, the Dead Letter Office. She was in fact discovered drowned in a local river. Not the kind of validation … Continue reading The “Train to Nowhere” Missing Person Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 