Here is an enlarged Past-Present-Future layout that places the standard three-card array within a matrix of psychological inferences derived from elemental associations. This approach adds substance and nuance to the situational outlook in the form of behavioral or attitudinal patterns that are either aligned with or indisposed toward the developmental scenario. If there is supportive … Continue reading An Expanded Past-Present-Future Spread with Psychological Inferences
Tarot Spreads
The “Persona & Shadow” Two-Deck Personality Profile Spread
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I've long felt that tarot reading is principally a storytelling art built on anecdotal assumptions rather than a deductively rigorous discipline. It is therefore not ideally suited to the analytical exploration of the human mind, neither the subjective navel-gazing kind nor the psychological profiling of other people. (Natal astrology already has that pretty … Continue reading The “Persona & Shadow” Two-Deck Personality Profile Spread
A Two-Tiered New Year’s Forecast Spread with Monthly Updates
AUTHOR'S NOTE: It's time once more for New Year's predictions. Here is a spread that offers a little more "meat on the bone." I've used this approach before (notably in my annual "Wheel of the Year" readings), but here I'm providing additional storytelling guidance for its use. The premise is that the yearly forecast is … Continue reading A Two-Tiered New Year’s Forecast Spread with Monthly Updates
A “Conditional” Yes-or-No Outcome Spread
My experience has been that "yes-or-no" answers delivered by the tarot are seldom crystal-clear and often have "strings attached" that cloud the picture. I call such muddling factors "conditional qualifiers" and use what I describe as the "Yes, But/Maybe, If/No, Unless" paradigm to analyze their influence. In each case the caveat means that the seeker … Continue reading A “Conditional” Yes-or-No Outcome Spread
“You Can’t Get There from Here:” Targeted Spreads and the Prepared Deck
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I was recently involved in an online discussion about the uncommon practices that readers employ on a regular basis. I took this to mean those techniques I've developed over the years that are outside the mainstream as defined by standard teaching methods and the tarot literature. The following is just a snapshot of … Continue reading “You Can’t Get There from Here:” Targeted Spreads and the Prepared Deck
A “Higher Arc/Lower Arc” Developmental Forecast Spread
Typically, in reading situations where I don't know the sitter's specific question or topic of interest in advance, I begin the narrative on a practical note, looking for "action-and-event-oriented" situational-awareness details and developmental insights. If the querent doesn't connect with what I'm saying, I will change direction into a more psychological angle. Recently I wrote … Continue reading A “Higher Arc/Lower Arc” Developmental Forecast Spread
“Blocked Energies” in a Tarot Reading
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Some mornings I wake up with an idea in my head for a blog post. This was just such a morning. One of the assumptions we often make as tarot readers is that the energy of a reading can be "blocked" in its usual mode of expression. This occurs most commonly as one … Continue reading “Blocked Energies” in a Tarot Reading
The “Future Present” Celtic Cross Reading
I recently did a Celtic Cross reading about potential changes in my experience of an ongoing matter a year or more from now. In doing so, I realized that the normal timeline of the "cross" section didn't make any sense. The top position of the six-card cross in my standard spread design represents the "Present," … Continue reading The “Future Present” Celtic Cross Reading
A “Point-Counterpoint” Situational Awareness Spread
Here is an evolved situational awareness spread that is designed around the diurnal path of the Sun, from emerging conscious awareness of "outer" developments (Dawn) to entirely subconscious perception of the "inner landscape" of the matter (Midnight), accompanied at each step by an "intuitive" adjustment that serves as "counterpoint" to the main thrust of the … Continue reading A “Point-Counterpoint” Situational Awareness Spread
The “Essential Insights” Personal Well-Being Spread
Here is a unique "mind-body-spirit" wellness insight spread that looks at aspects of personal well-being in four ways: the functional ability to manage health maintenance on a routine, day-to-day basis; the adaptive ability or resilience to cope with any occasional "off" days; the kinds of self-help or external intervention that might be considered to enhance … Continue reading The “Essential Insights” Personal Well-Being Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 