There has been some on-line discussion lately about the Random Number Generators that tarot software apps use to select the cards for a reading. I was resistant to the idea for a long time because it seemed too disconnected from the tactile "feel" of the cards to produce valid results. But eventually I realized that … Continue reading The “Round It Goes” Decision-Making Spread
Tarot Spreads
The “Light-and-Shadow” Decision-Making Spread
The "Holy Grail" of decision-making advice is the simple, straightforward "yes-or-no" answer: "Should I or shouldn't I? Will she or won't she? Is it or isn't it?" There are numerous short spreads that strive for this goal; this isn't one of them. It recognizes that every sunny street has a shady side, and a ray … Continue reading The “Light-and-Shadow” Decision-Making Spread
The “Speed-Bump and Pothole” Decision-Making Spread
In New England, one of the "Rites of Spring" when driving is the emergence of frost-heaves and potholes in the roadways, forcing us to slow down and steer a devious course around them. Here is a simple (at least for me) decision-making spread that acknowledges the fact that any course of action can be fraught … Continue reading The “Speed-Bump and Pothole” Decision-Making Spread
The “Flashing Colors” Tarot/Oracle Lemniscate Spread
I haven't created many spreads for use with oracle decks (to be honest, except for Lenormand, exactly none). But I know people love their oracle cards, so here is a spread that is intended to blend your favorite tarot and oracle decks into a single comprehensive overview of any situation. It displayed "flashing colors" on … Continue reading The “Flashing Colors” Tarot/Oracle Lemniscate Spread
The “Hot-and-Cold Running Commentary” Problem-Solving Spread
Here is an intricate 12-card spread that uses elemental temperaments to determine which course of action will produce the best solution to a problem. The moderate traits of "warm" and "cool" are applied to suggest an integrated approach rather than the absolute qualities of Fire, Water, Air and Earth (which are considered background forces here … Continue reading The “Hot-and-Cold Running Commentary” Problem-Solving Spread
An Elemental Dignity “Short-Form” Decision-Making Spread
Not every choice in life is gut-wrenching, although it may still be vexing when it comes to making a snap decision: "Should I go with X to the pub or with Y to the show?" In such cases a simple spread with a touch of subtlety is all that is needed when a straightforward yes-or-no … Continue reading An Elemental Dignity “Short-Form” Decision-Making Spread
The “Onion of Revealing” Situational Well-being Spread
It does look a bit like an onion, doesn't it? But the idea behind the title is that situational well-being in any state of affairs can have both an "inner" and an "outer" dimension, with the reader's task being to peel back the layers to get at the heart of the matter. Something that seems … Continue reading The “Onion of Revealing” Situational Well-being Spread
The “Build It As You Go” 3-Card Vignette
My aversion to very small spreads is well-known; in most cases, even three cards don't do much for me. However, I often find ways to extract meaningful subsets from larger patterns, especially if there are compelling indicators bringing them to my attention. The "cross" section of the Celtic Cross spread with its "past-present-future" triplicity is … Continue reading The “Build It As You Go” 3-Card Vignette
The “Mole’s-Eye View” Event-Horizon Spread
I'm not a fan of spreads that have no specific meaning for each card (also known as non-positional spreads). Speaking strictly for myself, I think they can leave the reader groping for relevance and potentially taking far too long to come to closure on a reading if the goal is to be diligent about providing … Continue reading The “Mole’s-Eye View” Event-Horizon Spread
A “Simple Yes-or-No Spread” Update
I don't do many yes-or-no readings because I think the tarot is more effective at telling stories. But today we had a contractor scheduled to come and hydro-seed our new lawn, and they hadn't arrived yet as of 10:00 AM. Because contractors in our area can be notoriously hard to pin down to a commitment, … Continue reading A “Simple Yes-or-No Spread” Update
