The Sword of Damocles Tableau

"Sword of Damocles" situations put us in mental and emotional peril, even when what we fear does not come to pass.

I wanted to create a general spread related to this category of problem. I see that nisaba published a spread on this topic, http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=149535.

My spread focuses less on the sword and more on the entire tableau in the throne room.

Briefly put, according to Greco-Roman legend:

Damocles, one of the King's courtiers, envied the King's riches and power. In response, the King said, "Go ahead, try taking my place," and the fellow eagerly did. He had access to all of the King's luxuries, privileges and perks. But the King had arranged for a sword to be precariously hung from a hair, point down, over the throne, thus simulating the ever-present threats that face a person of power and wealth. Damocles lived in constant fear that the hair would snap and the sword would drop on him, and thus was unable to enjoy the benefits of royalty surrounding him.

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1- Damocles : you , your attitude or role in this situation.
2- The King : those who can potentially teach you something in this situation (whether out of goodwill or ill-intent).
3- The Throne : your responsibilities in this situation, what you must shoulder or bear.
4- The Sword : the underlying terror of the event or circumstance you dread coming to pass--that is, what REALLY scares you, at a deeper/larger level.
5- The Hair : a factor you can't control that can affect the sword's dropping, or not dropping, on you.
6- The Sceptre : a factor you *do* control ; your strength or proactive will.
7- The Kingdom : the payoff, what is waiting for you at the other end of your fear.

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I find this a great spread. Thanks for sharing it.

Thank you, Fermmoylle. If you use it, I hope you'll post about how it worked for you.

I'm still debating whether to use it with a tarot deck or with a particularly psychologically-heavy oracle, the Symbolon.

I think it'll work with both. The main idea behind a spread is to give you focus when trying to see the whole picture.

Rest assured I'll use it soon and post my impressions here.

I had the chance of using this spread on a reading yesterday. The question focused on 2013 and I've thought it would be great to give an insight on what to fear, what to learn and how to deal with it.

Thanks for sharing it. I'll surely use this again.

Thanks very much for reporting back. I have decided I will use the Symbolon deck (non-tarot) to do this; I waiting for the right time this week to do it.

It's interesting that your reading was about 2013 in general, if I understand you correctly. I myself have a specific sword hanging over my head, a situation of great peril that could blow up at any moment, so the reading will be very specific for me.

It didn't occur to me to use the spread out of a general feeling of unease or questions about the coming year. Did you find that it brought up things you hadn't thought to be afraid of? Perhaps it got to the root of some nameless fears you'd been feeling and helped crystallized the source of your fear?

I'm not able to answer truly to your questions since I was reading for someone else, but I believe it gave her a general idea of what to look for and who to trust when the time comes.

I think I should read to myself in order to learn my own fears and be able to really answer your question.

I see-- still, it's useful to know that people are able to apply it to general questions as well as to specific situations. Thanks for that.