AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is my second spread based on the "troll under the bridge" symbolism of Scandinavian folklore. (The first one was aimed at readings for children; this one is for adults and the "troll" - here we could call it a "cave troll" - is implied rather than explicit.) The roll of a single … Continue reading The “Bridge or Tunnel” Situational Outlook Spread
Tarot Spreads
The Lazy Man’s Tree-of-Life “Reality Check” Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm calling this a "lazy man's" spread (pardon my gender exclusiveness; you can rephrase it as "lazy person's" if you like, but I was going for the "lazy-man's-lobster" allusion) because it requires only a very general knowledge of the meaning of the sephiroth on the Tree and the flow of energy thereon. An … Continue reading The Lazy Man’s Tree-of-Life “Reality Check” Spread
Qabalistic Triplets: Adapting the Triangles of the Tree of Life to the Three-Card Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: The Qabalistic Tree of Life presents three triangles in its symbolic architecture, one with the apex pointing upward and two pointing down. Here I've adapted these triangles to the three-card tarot reading. In the cases of Fire and Air I introduced the "hidden knowledge" of Da'ath (to which I've assigned the nebulous planet … Continue reading Qabalistic Triplets: Adapting the Triangles of the Tree of Life to the Three-Card Tarot Reading
The “Tarot of Place” Situational Outlook Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a spread that takes its design from the directional model of horary astrology while also offering an opportunity to bring the pendulum into play. In horary astrology, the geographic location of the astrologer and not that of the querent or the "quesited" (that which is being asked about) is a key … Continue reading The “Tarot of Place” Situational Outlook Spread
The “Devil’s Due” Square-and-Cross Conflict Resolution Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Here is a conflict-resolution spread designed around the 3x3 "mini-tableau" of the Lenormand system, although I've altered the flow of the reading slightly. It can be used with any deck, but when working with Lenormand I would substitute the materialistic "Bear" (Card #15) for the equally materialistic "Devil" (Card #15) of the tarot … Continue reading The “Devil’s Due” Square-and-Cross Conflict Resolution Spread
A Multi-Path Elemental Decision-Making Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: In this spread, the card or cards that reflect the most cooperative elemental fit between the position and the card drawn will identify the most effective approach for dealing with a decision-making scenario.
“Turning the Page”
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's a rare diviner who doesn't occasionally encounter an almost entirely neutral tarot reading, one that is about as exciting as dishwater, and who doesn't have a good feel for how to shine a constructive light on the forecast. A common practice is to simply keep pulling cards until something more inspiring or … Continue reading “Turning the Page”
“The Wish, The Will and The Way” Self-Realization Spread
Here is a deceptively simple spread that permits the reader to examine four different approaches to a situation either singly or collectively: the Way of Action (forceful); the Way of Feeling (emotional); the Way of Thought (cerebral) and the Way of Prudence (practical). There are no specific "outcome" cards, just those that show the means … Continue reading “The Wish, The Will and The Way” Self-Realization Spread
The “Elemental Grab-Bag” Four-Mode Answer Spread
Here is another spread that uses a "prepared" deck with four elemental sub-packs, Fire, Water, Air and Earth. It applies "quintessence" cards to suggest external factors in the matter, but only if more than one column is being read as the answer to the question. A single-column interpretation is construed to mean that the matter … Continue reading The “Elemental Grab-Bag” Four-Mode Answer Spread
The “High/Low/Middle” Situational Outcome Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As I did with Alejandro Jodorowsky's Way of Tarot, I will continue posting selected insights that I pick up from my re-reading of Isabel Kliegman's Tarot and the Tree of Life. Yesterday I rediscovered her Jungian take on the 8 of Cups with its image of a man who, having failed to find … Continue reading The “High/Low/Middle” Situational Outcome Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 