All Shall Be Well: a spread for Comfort

Chiriku

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There has been a lot of discussion in tarotist circles over the past few years regarding the increasing popularity of "positive" angel-themed oracles and affirmational decks. Many fear a dilution of tarot's ability to "tell it like it is" and snap us out of problematic mindsets, and as a cynical realist myself, I can't say I disagree with this concern.

But many people will continue to instinctively turn to tarot for comfort in times of need. Do I do this? No, it is not my instinct to seek comfort from the cards; the more stressed or disturbed I am, the more I am too busy doing damage control to go through the detached thought exercise that is my normal approach to tarot.

I believe there's room for a happy medium, something between "100% non-threatening, safe and gentle tarot for comfort" and a flat rejection of all potential sources of solace.

What better to demonstrate this than a piece of positive-thinking philosophy written by someone who was exposed to many horrors of the Middle Ages?

Julian of Norwich (who lived in England in the 1300s) is one of the most famous mystics in Western Christianity. Her book Sixteen Revelations of Divine Love is not only notable because it's believed to be the first book published in the English language by a woman; it is a compilation of her mystical encounters with the person and love of Christ over many years prior.

She is known to the general public largely for having penned one of the most famous lines in 2,000 years of Christian theological writing (which was further popularized in a poem by TS Eliot):

All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well.


This was not Julian's own sentiment; she attributed it to God, with whom she had a conversation in which she asked:

Dame Julian of Norwich said:
"Ah, good Lord, how could all things be well, because of the great harm which has come through sin to your creatures?”

His response was:

G-d said:
It is true that sin is the cause of all this pain. But I make all things well, and I can make all things well, and I shall make all things well, and I will make all things well; and you will see for yourself that every kind of thing will be well.

Julian called His response "comforting" and suggested that, with these words, "God wishes us to be enclosed in rest and peace.”

It is too much for me, a cynic, to believe that 'all shall be well,' much less that all manner of things shall be well.

But isn't it worthwhile to imagine for a while that it could be true?

A spread for comfort follows-- religious belief not necessary.

All Shall Be Well: a spread for Comfort​




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1- All Shall Be Well--what is something I should know, that will give me comfort right now?

2- And All Manner of Thing Shall Be Well--what will be set to right in my tumultuous world?

3- A Wish for Rest and Peace--what will "enclose me in rest and peace" in future trying times?


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Madame Squee

Thank you, Chiriku. This is a powerful prayer, and you've arranged it so beautifully into a powerful Tarot spread. It worked for me this morning, and it's going into my permanent spread collection. Bless you. x:love:x Squee
 

BodhiSeed

A thoughtful, lovely spread for a beautiful phrase - one that I use quite frequently as a mantra when I am stressed. Now I have a spread to use as well! :)
It is my interpretation of the quote "all shall be well" to mean that it is not necessarily my definition of "well." Sometimes that "rest and peace" comes packaged very differently than how I would envision it.;)
Thank you for sharing this, Chiriku.
 

queenxofxwands

What a great spread! I just used it,and it worked very well,it was very comforting :)
Thank you.I got the 9 of swords in the 2nd position, thats gotta be THE best card to have there, i immediately felt relieved.
 

Tarot Orat

This is beautiful! And it's a quotation I often turn to in times of trouble. I will definitely use this spread when I have some quiet meditative time this weekend.
 

Wendywu

This is a lovely spread - thank you Chiriku. Julian's little book is a good companion of mine and I shall use this spread :)
 

Chiriku

It is great to wake up to so many welcome comments as yours, friends!

Madame Squee and queenofxwands, thanks for the instant feedback; because comfort is something we can experience immediately, it doesn't necessarily "matter" (for purposes of the spread) whether things were all set to right, immediately, in the way we want. Which brings us to:

It is my interpretation of the quote "all shall be well" to mean that it is not necessarily my definition of "well." Sometimes that "rest and peace" comes packaged very differently than how I would envision it.;)

That's an important point you raise, and I'm glad you did so. I'm sure when Julian experienced the Vision upon which this quote was raised, she didn't interpret "all shall be well" to mean "We will get everything we wanted, the way we wanted it."

It's enough to know that something comforting is in the works, whatever that may be.


This is a lovely spread - thank you Chiriku. Julian's little book is a good companion of mine and I shall use this spread :)

I have made other spreads from the contributions of Augustine, Paul, Hildegard von Bingen, the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox saints, and more. I have been creating my own book of spreads for many years and I have a section set aside for Christian-based ones, as that is the spiritual tradition that resonates most with me.

I will share more here now and again.

This is beautiful! And it's a quotation I often turn to in times of trouble. I will definitely use this spread when I have some quiet meditative time this weekend.

I envisioned it being used as a lifesaver or buoy for some of the more desperate querents whose minds are very troubled (and that could be me sometime in the future--likely will be), but your way, to proactively use it during a meditative time, is inspired, too.


What a great spread! I just used it,and it worked very well,it was very comforting :)
Thank you.I got the 9 of swords in the 2nd position, thats gotta be THE best card to have there, i immediately felt relieved.

Thanks for sharing that example. That's a glut of swords, and a relief indeed to know that even though they cut, they will not fully pierce you.

Thanks again, folks.
 

danieljuk

Going to give the spread a go this weekend!
A lot of people use the tarot for comfort still, I know I do! We all sometimes want assurances things will be okay :)
 

Carla

I love 'All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of things shall be well.' I use it as a mantra, sometimes. It is like a spiral spinning inward. I do believe that all shall be well--'all' is so very big, far beyond any mundane problem. To me, this mantra ultimately means the same thing as 'Gate gate paragate, parasamgate, bodhisvaha.'

Thank you for reminding me of this beautiful mantra. I may have to try my own variation of your spread.
 

Zelmira

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Beautifully designed, and at the same time brief. Congratulations, Chiriku. Blessings,

Zelmira