I'm always looking for opportunities to test and validate my self-created spreads, and today I had an opportunity to do so with my "Inconvenient Truths" Personal Encounter Spread. We have friends who are going through an acrimonious divorce, and were looking for some hint of how things might go. I used Robert Place's Tarot of the … Continue reading A “Personal Encounter” Test Reading
Tarot Spreads
Zeroing In
There are times when the 78 cards in a tarot deck seem like a case of "information overload," even when pulling only a small number for a particular spread. Although I realize it's part of the broader question about how tarot works, I sometimes think "What am I missing here that's hidden in the rest … Continue reading Zeroing In
The “Water Under the Bridge” Relationship Dynamics Spread
This spread is modeled on a spread created by Odete Lopez Mazza, as shown in the book Baralho Petite Lenormard-Metodo Alemao, and my own Troll Under the Bridge spread. I was struck by how much Mazza's layout resembles a suspension bridge with towers and an arched span, complete with water running underneath. I renamed and … Continue reading The “Water Under the Bridge” Relationship Dynamics Spread
The “Mystic Traveler’s Guide to the Future”
This spread is an attempt to put more situational “meat on the bones” of a fixed-duration reading (daily, weekly, monthly, etc). It is best used in situations where you have at least a hint of where you want to go during the period in question. Two decks are required for this spread; one should be … Continue reading The “Mystic Traveler’s Guide to the Future”
The Introvert-Extrovert Map
I've been running out of fresh ideas for "situational awareness and developmental insight" spreads, so I thought I would play a little game with myself. In Myers-Briggs space, I'm a card-carrying introvert (as if my natal horoscope isn't proof enough), but my challenge in this lifetime is to become more socially engaged - only in … Continue reading The Introvert-Extrovert Map
The “Strummer’s Wishbone” Simple Choice Spread
I have a fascination with complex spreads, but they are usually too large and elaborate for simple decision-making. I decided to create a two-pronged decision tree with only three cards in each chain: situation, choice and outcome, plus an optional "quintessence" card for each as advice. The title refers to the fact that, in 1981, … Continue reading The “Strummer’s Wishbone” Simple Choice Spread
Recapping the Week
Here is the complete "situational blueprint" layout for the week. I tried to make a convincing story out of the daily "action" cards but found that, once they perform their triggering duty, their influence doesn't spill over into the following day. It's interesting that the first half of the week had absolutely nothing to do … Continue reading Recapping the Week
The “Friend or Foe” Two-Deck Comparison Spread
We're all familiar with the "new deck interview" technique, in which questions are put to a newly-acquired deck by running it through a special spread created for that purpose. The idea is to determine how effective the deck will be to read with. But I have never seen a spread designed to compare the degree … Continue reading The “Friend or Foe” Two-Deck Comparison Spread
The “High Road/Low Road” Major Dilemma Spread
While discussing the "high road" and "low road" options available to the querent when encountering the "crossroads" of the Lovers card and its implied decision, I realized that I haven't posted the spread I created around that metaphor. Here it is; it's intended for major decision-making scenarios. https://www.dropbox.com/s/85knsmooibcnlgh/P2B-Major%20Dilemma%20Spread.pdf?raw=1
A Weekly Situational Blueprint Spread
This weekly spread is an elaboration on the single-card daily draw. The seven diurnal "blueprint" cards are laid out on the evening before the start of the week, and provide a day-by-day situational forecast for the period. Each morning during the week, a single "trigger" card is pulled for that day to draw the promise … Continue reading A Weekly Situational Blueprint Spread
Parsifal's Wheel Tarot & Astrology 