Dragonfly Spread

thirdlibra

Dragonfae's signature really hit home with me (I'm sure I'm not the first to say that :p)

A Dragonfly is a link to the past, a promise for the future and a reminder of the magic of the moment.

I made a spread based on it. Showing the layout here is difficult - it ends up shaped like a dragonfly - cards 1 and 3 angled upwards like a wide v, and 2 and 4 angled down like a wide mountaintop. Those are the wings, and 5 and 6 are the body. Clear as mud? Odd cards are the basic past, present, future. Even cards are what will help you, or what you should take from the odd cards.

***1*******3***
*******5*******
***2*******4***
*******7*******
***************
*******6*******

ETA: Because of the nature of the spread (the angled wings), I didn't intend for this spread to incorperate reversals. It is, of course, up to you to decide if you'll read with them or not.

Card 1 - A link to the Past. A general overview of something you should remember, what helped to shape the you of today.
Card 2 - What you should take from card 1, or maybe something that will help you heal from what's shown there, if that's what you need.

Card 3 - A promise for the Future. Something that is coming - something to look forward to (or maybe to look out for!)
Card 4 - Something that you may need to learn in the future.

Card 5 - A reminder of the magic of the moment.
Card 6 - Something you should learn or may need more of right now.

Card 7 - Overview. A message about the spread overall. What the Dragonfly would like you to hear.

~~~

Here's a reading I did with this spread, using oracle cards a while back - http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=193486.
 

thirdlibra

oh, and you could use this as a relationship spread - odd numbers being one person, dvdn numbers being the other.
 

NightMirror

This sounds like it'd be very helpful for me! Thank you so much. I'll give it a try.
 

thirdlibra

This sounds like it'd be very helpful for me! Thank you so much. I'll give it a try.

I'd love to hear how it goes for you! Annnd, I'm gonna change it a bit - add in a 7th card, basically an overview card. Makes it more dragonfly shaped, and pulls it all together.
 

NightMirror

Alrighty, let's see. When I was shuffling my cards, Wheel of Fortune and Death fell out. No idea what this means xD

1: Ten of Swords:pain, affliction, sadness
Hmm, my past has been pretty rough. Not as rough as some people's pasts but it wasn't a walk in the park. Lately I've been feeling a lot of resentment towards the things that have happened to me, and the fact that I'm still waiting on a lot of genuine apologies.

2. Four of Swords: Vigilance, retreat, solitude
I personally interpret this card kind of like I do the Hermit, kind of a Tarot way of saying "take a chill pill!" I guess I can try to relax a little more.

3. King of Pentacles, Reversed: Vice, weakness, perversity
Uh... what? This doesn't sound fun... I just searched some more in-depth meanings... I feel like this foretells me doing something very stupid. Maybe I should stand on guard?

4. The Chariot, Reversed:Riot, quarrel, defeat
Somehow I get the feeling that this card signifies that I'm putting too much energy in the wrong places. Hmm...

5. Seven of Swords, Reversed:Good advice, counsel, blabbing
Hmm... I know that I could USE good advice, I don't have many people I can talk to about my problems. But if this is the magic of the moment, what could that mean?

6. Three of Pentacles: Trade or skilled labor, hard work, teamwork?
I could use some more teamwork... but lately, I feel so lonely. I don't really have a team on my own.

7. Ten of Cups:My little booklet said something interesting about this card referring to the Querent's hometown. I love my hometown very much and recently got a job at an improvement organization. I am hoping that this job will bring about new changes in my life.

Anyways, these are my results. Not sure what this means, overall, but it was a fun spread to do! Thank you so much.
 

FallynRaiyn

using the Fantastical Creatures deck.

1 five of pents- ...it shows a gnome going through snowy woods. The card instantly took me back to walking through my grandfathers forest every day as a teenager. I would spend hours out there just walking. A good memory even though it was a difficult time.

2. the sun- taking happiness and feeling wholeness and the wonder of that time. the potential of being a teenager.

3. Knight of pents..... this one is also in the woods, an elf this time, again brought me right back to my grandfathers woods. will i go back there soon?

4. death. my grandfather is old. he is still rather healthy and spry if only on his motorized chair thing, especially for being nearly 90. Just this huge feeling of grief came over me. I don't usually read the death card as death. but in this case, i just have a really strong feeling.

5. the nine of wands, ...the gryphon. is it a nestling ready to take flight for the first time? is it an older one that's seen and done it all? ....this time it's me. I've had my battles, but there are more to come. I'm in the middle, young but not young enough. Old but not old enough to be an expert. I need to grasp the magic of this moment, of this age, because it won't come again.
http://www.illuminationtarot.com/fantastical.php scroll down to see the 9 of wands

6. Chains.... or the position of the devil in most major arcana. A huge fenris wolf is so vicious and strong that they had to chain him to a giant rock to keep him from tearing people apart, now he must drag it with him everywhere he goes.
what I need to learn? ...I need to learn to pull my burden, it isn't going away. I'm a single mom. I'm not that teenager with no responsibilities wandering through the woods at a whim anymore. I need to take my grandfathers example. Pull my weight, quit whining, do my job and make something more of my life than just another single mom with too much stress in her life. http://www.fantasticalcreatures.com/card_pages/fenris.html scroll down to see chains.

7 overview, six of cups. I still am that girl in the woods. Just different and more mature now. But she's still me, I'm still her. There is still magic in the air.
I just hope my grandpa is ok. I think I need to get the kids up there for a visit really soon.

thank you from the bottom of my heart thirdlibra. I really appreciated this spread, I think I'll keep using it. Especially with this deck. The feel of the magic of the dragonfly just goes along with the imagery on the cards.
 

thirdlibra

Alrighty, let's see. When I was shuffling my cards, Wheel of Fortune and Death fell out. No idea what this means xD

1: Ten of Swords:pain, affliction, sadness
Hmm, my past has been pretty rough. Not as rough as some people's pasts but it wasn't a walk in the park. Lately I've been feeling a lot of resentment towards the things that have happened to me, and the fact that I'm still waiting on a lot of genuine apologies.

2. Four of Swords: Vigilance, retreat, solitude
I personally interpret this card kind of like I do the Hermit, kind of a Tarot way of saying "take a chill pill!" I guess I can try to relax a little more.

3. King of Pentacles, Reversed: Vice, weakness, perversity
Uh... what? This doesn't sound fun... I just searched some more in-depth meanings... I feel like this foretells me doing something very stupid. Maybe I should stand on guard?

4. The Chariot, Reversed:Riot, quarrel, defeat
Somehow I get the feeling that this card signifies that I'm putting too much energy in the wrong places. Hmm...

5. Seven of Swords, Reversed:Good advice, counsel, blabbing
Hmm... I know that I could USE good advice, I don't have many people I can talk to about my problems. But if this is the magic of the moment, what could that mean?

6. Three of Pentacles: Trade or skilled labor, hard work, teamwork?
I could use some more teamwork... but lately, I feel so lonely. I don't really have a team on my own.

7. Ten of Cups:My little booklet said something interesting about this card referring to the Querent's hometown. I love my hometown very much and recently got a job at an improvement organization. I am hoping that this job will bring about new changes in my life.

Anyways, these are my results. Not sure what this means, overall, but it was a fun spread to do! Thank you so much.

Thank you for sharing your reading, Nightmirror!. It's really cool to see other takes on this. As for your reading, I didn't mention this (didn't even think of it - it was a subconcious desicion), but because of the shape of the spread and the angle of the cards, I didn't really intend to have reversals with it (the way I laid it out, cards 2 and 4 would always be reversed :p). Reading without reversals makes your future cards a little less bleak, lol... But then if you did lay out the cards with the intention to read reversals it's kinda cheating to switch it after the fact maybe? I do find it interesting that it was the wheel of fortune (10th Major) that fell out considering your reading both STARTED and FINISHED with 10s. Combine those with the Death card - change, cutting out the old (10 of swords) to make way for the new - and the cyclacle nature of the Wheel, I feel like you are in the midst of change, and going somewhere good, while staying in the same placeq (10 of cups + wheel). And looking at the rest of the cards, if they are read you reversed, they suit the overall feel of the reading very closely... The King of Pentacles suggests that you'll be successful, probably in a leadership role. The Chariot could be a reminder to think before you act, weigh out your decisions. 7 of Swords - starting something new - but only burden yourself with what you can handle! 3 of Pentacles feels like a reminder to use your strengths and skills. SHOW them what you're good at :)

Well, that's sorta my take based on the fact that I didn't mean for reversals in this spread (nothing against them in general, but angled cards make them confusing, lol!). You can take it or leave it or whatever :)
 

thirdlibra

using the Fantastical Creatures deck.

1 five of pents- ...it shows a gnome going through snowy woods. The card instantly took me back to walking through my grandfathers forest every day as a teenager. I would spend hours out there just walking. A good memory even though it was a difficult time.

2. the sun- taking happiness and feeling wholeness and the wonder of that time. the potential of being a teenager.

3. Knight of pents..... this one is also in the woods, an elf this time, again brought me right back to my grandfathers woods. will i go back there soon?

4. death. my grandfather is old. he is still rather healthy and spry if only on his motorized chair thing, especially for being nearly 90. Just this huge feeling of grief came over me. I don't usually read the death card as death. but in this case, i just have a really strong feeling.

5. the nine of wands, ...the gryphon. is it a nestling ready to take flight for the first time? is it an older one that's seen and done it all? ....this time it's me. I've had my battles, but there are more to come. I'm in the middle, young but not young enough. Old but not old enough to be an expert. I need to grasp the magic of this moment, of this age, because it won't come again.
http://www.illuminationtarot.com/fantastical.php scroll down to see the 9 of wands

6. Chains.... or the position of the devil in most major arcana. A huge fenris wolf is so vicious and strong that they had to chain him to a giant rock to keep him from tearing people apart, now he must drag it with him everywhere he goes.
what I need to learn? ...I need to learn to pull my burden, it isn't going away. I'm a single mom. I'm not that teenager with no responsibilities wandering through the woods at a whim anymore. I need to take my grandfathers example. Pull my weight, quit whining, do my job and make something more of my life than just another single mom with too much stress in her life. http://www.fantasticalcreatures.com/card_pages/fenris.html scroll down to see chains.

7 overview, six of cups. I still am that girl in the woods. Just different and more mature now. But she's still me, I'm still her. There is still magic in the air.
I just hope my grandpa is ok. I think I need to get the kids up there for a visit really soon.

thank you from the bottom of my heart thirdlibra. I really appreciated this spread, I think I'll keep using it. Especially with this deck. The feel of the magic of the dragonfly just goes along with the imagery on the cards.

Oh, that deck is GORGEOUS. Thank you for sharing your beautiful reading! I'd definitely go back to your grandpa for a visit. Even if just for the sake of being there again - and for the chance to show your kids the magic of the place so they can carry that memory with them too :)
 

NightMirror

Thank you for sharing your reading, Nightmirror!. It's really cool to see other takes on this. As for your reading, I didn't mention this (didn't even think of it - it was a subconcious desicion), but because of the shape of the spread and the angle of the cards, I didn't really intend to have reversals with it (the way I laid it out, cards 2 and 4 would always be reversed :p). Reading without reversals makes your future cards a little less bleak, lol... But then if you did lay out the cards with the intention to read reversals it's kinda cheating to switch it after the fact maybe? I do find it interesting that it was the wheel of fortune (10th Major) that fell out considering your reading both STARTED and FINISHED with 10s. Combine those with the Death card - change, cutting out the old (10 of swords) to make way for the new - and the cyclacle nature of the Wheel, I feel like you are in the midst of change, and going somewhere good, while staying in the same placeq (10 of cups + wheel). And looking at the rest of the cards, if they are read you reversed, they suit the overall feel of the reading very closely... The King of Pentacles suggests that you'll be successful, probably in a leadership role. The Chariot could be a reminder to think before you act, weigh out your decisions. 7 of Swords - starting something new - but only burden yourself with what you can handle! 3 of Pentacles feels like a reminder to use your strengths and skills. SHOW them what you're good at :)

Well, that's sorta my take based on the fact that I didn't mean for reversals in this spread (nothing against them in general, but angled cards make them confusing, lol!). You can take it or leave it or whatever :)

Thank you so much! I always get a little rustled when I see the Death card and then a ton of reversed cards. Your interpretation makes me feel a lot better. I was so confused!
 

FireHermit

Firstly, thank you for posting this - very thought provoking!

Here is a quick overview of the cards I pulled out with pic (using the Gilded Tarot) :) Interesting combination of cards came up for sure lol! Did have some confusion when pulling these cards out, but I feel thats more to do with the unfamiliarity of the spread to me.

1 - 10 Cups - I associate this card with family bond, and a focus on the home in a positive light. So in the past providing a stable family environment has been important to me, and is something I wish to maintain..also seeing this card as perhaps having expectations exceeding reality.. seems a bit too serene to compare to my actual past homelife? (basing this interpretation on other cards that came up - Interested in hearing different takes on this).

2 - Temperance - compromise/balance is important. Maybe letting go of ideals and being realistic.. or realising that to attain the type of ideals I have in mind takes hard work. Also see temperance as turning a bad situation good.. not sure if that applies here.

3. 9 of Wands - The end is in sight, an 'almost there' kind of feeling I get from this card, like there has been hard work which will result in completion soon. I feel closure on an issue with this card.

4. 5 of Swords - lots of ways to interpret this one.. but I'm going to go with my gut and say its about learning that nothing is perfect.. accepting that its ok to be wrong sometimes as long as I learn from it. Someone is bound to get hurt in this card, here I feel it refers to not being able to please everyone - in victory there must also be a loser in the equation.

5. 5 of Pentacles.. feel this follows on the same vein as the previous 2 cards in that there is a light at the end of a hard tunnel. Magic of the moment could be appreciating what I have - even in times of hardship it could always be worse. Again, I feel making the best of a hard situation?

6. 8 Swords - something that I should learn - I guess this is about stepping up and taking responsibility for my life. Not letting things just happen, not to be a victim of circumstance but to turn it around and make things happen myself.

7. The World - what an interesting card to have in the overall position. I feel in a way that this card is coming full circle - showing a completion of a cycle, and a positive one at that.

So in the beginning I had that past ideal of the perfect homelife that wasnt a reality.. then from that learning that nothing is perfect and you have to work at things, take matters into your own hands, and by doing this you get more desirable results?

Thoughts? Always a bit edgy when trying new spreads for myself.. still feel that shadow of biased which can be a blessing and a curse.
 

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