UPDATE: This spread has been modified to give a better idea of the subject's condition, both at the time of the reading and the time of discovery. In working with and discussing my current missing-person spread (the "Train to Nowhere"), I came to the conclusion that, while it offers considerable finely-tuned detail regarding the possible … Continue reading Hit the Road, Jack: The “World of Hurt” Missing-Person Spread
Miscellaneous Spreads
The Fool’s Debut Revisited
If you've been following this blog for a while, you will have noticed that I've been making increasingly broader use of the "quintessence" card, a numerical roll-up of the cards in a spread that, when numerologically reduced as necessary to yield a number below 22, produces a trump card offering high-level insights on the situation … Continue reading The Fool’s Debut Revisited
The “Marchetti Mash-up” 3-Deck Interview
This is an example reading for the "Three-Deck Triathlon" spread I posted yesterday. It is my first use of the spread, so I will be learning as I go along. I don't use reversals in deck interview readings. Note that, although I don't think tarot decks have "personalities," speaking of them as if they do … Continue reading The “Marchetti Mash-up” 3-Deck Interview
The “Three-Deck Triathlon” Spread
As I accumulate more decks in a similar style (for example, Thoth and RWS clones, Tarot de Marseille variants, pagan-themed decks, and so forth), I encounter the need to decide which deck of the type is the most effective for everyday use, and which is the most worthy to become a mainstay in my practice. … Continue reading The “Three-Deck Triathlon” Spread
A Summer Solstice Processional Spread
New Year's Day is basically a meaningless date for me. My annual cycle begins on the Summer Solstice, which happens to be my birthday. This month marks the end of my 70th trip around the Sun, so I decided to create a new solstice spread to mark the occasion. I figured seven cards (one for … Continue reading A Summer Solstice Processional Spread
The Pentagram of Air Spread
This is the last of my "Invoking Pentagram" spreads. It begins with an emotional urge to clarify one's thinking on a subject of interest (Water); crystallizes that impulse into workable ideas (Air); acts creatively on those thought-forms (Fire); addresses the ethical and moral implications of such actions (Spirit); and experiences the practical outfall of the … Continue reading The Pentagram of Air Spread
The Pentagram of Water Spread
The third iteration in my series of "Invoking Pentagram" spreads is focused on interpersonal relationships of all kinds: building, maintaining and repairing them. It begins with the "ideal" of harmonious communion (the Air position), moves toward emotional fulfillment (Water), and plays out in pragmatic (Earth), moral (Spirit) and self-actualizing ways (Fire). It is intended to … Continue reading The Pentagram of Water Spread
The Pentagram of Fire Spread
Here is the second product of my exploration of the Golden Dawn's Invoking Pentagrams as a source of insight from an elemental perspective. The goal of this one is to examine the developmental potential arising from one's enterprise and initiative, whether in starting a business, finding a new job or embarking on any creative endeavor. … Continue reading The Pentagram of Fire Spread
Elemental Pentagram Spreads
The 5-card Pentagram Spread is a time-honored layout that is almost as prevalent as the line spread. But I have always felt that something is lacking in its construction, principally in the sequencing of the cards as commonly practiced. Many readers start with Card #1 at the upper point of the diagram, others work from … Continue reading Elemental Pentagram Spreads
The “Fifth Element” Spiritual Input Spread
Consider this the “bonsai” version of the Tree of Life spread. It cuts right to the Abyss and doesn't sweat the small stuff. (Don't try this at home, kids!) The “Fifth Element” of the title is that of Spirit – the “Quintessence” - here represented principally by the hidden Sephiroth Da'ath, suggesting that Spirit knows … Continue reading The “Fifth Element” Spiritual Input Spread