Essence of Winter
I wanted a spread that has some similarity to the Celtic Cross spread but geared towards giving advice on how to deal with a situation rather than being focussed more on the outcome. The spread is intended to be versatile enough to be used when reading for others or as a form of self-help/insight. This is what I came up with:
---|7|---
|5|---|6|
---|4|---
|2|---|3|
---|1|---
1. The root of the problem.
2. What is working against you.
3. What is in your favour.
4. Current outcome if things continue as they are.
5. What you need to overcome.
6. What you need to move forward (i.e., attitude to adopt, what to put into practice)
7. Best possible outcome.
One of the ideas is that each row builds upon the last so that 2 and 3 are the different forces acting on the situation (1); 4 is the outcome of 2 and 3; 5 and 6 are the aspects of 4 that are movable; 7 builds upon 5 and 6 to show the best possible result.
At the same time, there are three columns: the left focusses on the negative aspects; the right focusses on the positive aspects; and the middle column is the balance of the two.
Here's an example reading I did. The question is 'How can I stop feeling so irritated by people at work?' For a change, I used my Lo Scarabeo version of the Rider Tarot. I don't use reversed meanings.
1. (Root of the problem) - Justice. I feel there is a certain inequity in the workplace, an imbalance of power and it underpins my feelings of annoyance when anything goes wrong.
2. (What is against me) - Four of Pentacles.
There is a certain poverty of spirit at play - people holding on to their opinions, their vision and goals and not thinking about other people's perspectives. One example of a particularly petty instance is one person in the room insists on deciding whether the light can be switched on or, worse, that the radiator must be kept off despite it being Winter (one chap keeps wearing his coat because it is so cold). The card also serves as a warning for me not to fall into the same trap of rigid thought and behaviour.
3. (What is in my favour) - Four of Swords.
When things go wrong, the bad feelings disappear in time; they are not a constant factor. It emphasises the importance of distancing myself from the situations that annoy me and allowing wounds to heal.
4. (Current outcome) - King of Wands.
Fire of Fire suggests wilfulness and the potential for conflict or, worse, the possibility of a heated exchange.
5. (What I need to overcome) - Five of Cups.
The situation has affected my motivation, left me feeling marginalised and so I have become indifferent to the aspects of my job and the people that I like.
6. (What I need to move forward) - Three of Wands.
I need to take a more active role rather than being a bystander. Sun in Aries suggests making plans, as the image on the card suggests, so it might even be time to consider looking for a job elsewhere but I should try speaking to people at work about my future direction first.
7. (Best possible outcome) - King of Pentacles.
Fire of Earth suggests a better dynamic. Earth is a better medium for Fire to operate and going from Fire of Fire to Fire of Earth suggests my energies will be put to much better use if I overcome my obstacles and do what is necessary to move forward.
Any comments and suggestions are welcome. If anyone tries this spread, I'd be interested to know how you get on with it.
---|7|---
|5|---|6|
---|4|---
|2|---|3|
---|1|---
1. The root of the problem.
2. What is working against you.
3. What is in your favour.
4. Current outcome if things continue as they are.
5. What you need to overcome.
6. What you need to move forward (i.e., attitude to adopt, what to put into practice)
7. Best possible outcome.
One of the ideas is that each row builds upon the last so that 2 and 3 are the different forces acting on the situation (1); 4 is the outcome of 2 and 3; 5 and 6 are the aspects of 4 that are movable; 7 builds upon 5 and 6 to show the best possible result.
At the same time, there are three columns: the left focusses on the negative aspects; the right focusses on the positive aspects; and the middle column is the balance of the two.
Here's an example reading I did. The question is 'How can I stop feeling so irritated by people at work?' For a change, I used my Lo Scarabeo version of the Rider Tarot. I don't use reversed meanings.
1. (Root of the problem) - Justice. I feel there is a certain inequity in the workplace, an imbalance of power and it underpins my feelings of annoyance when anything goes wrong.
2. (What is against me) - Four of Pentacles.
There is a certain poverty of spirit at play - people holding on to their opinions, their vision and goals and not thinking about other people's perspectives. One example of a particularly petty instance is one person in the room insists on deciding whether the light can be switched on or, worse, that the radiator must be kept off despite it being Winter (one chap keeps wearing his coat because it is so cold). The card also serves as a warning for me not to fall into the same trap of rigid thought and behaviour.
3. (What is in my favour) - Four of Swords.
When things go wrong, the bad feelings disappear in time; they are not a constant factor. It emphasises the importance of distancing myself from the situations that annoy me and allowing wounds to heal.
4. (Current outcome) - King of Wands.
Fire of Fire suggests wilfulness and the potential for conflict or, worse, the possibility of a heated exchange.
5. (What I need to overcome) - Five of Cups.
The situation has affected my motivation, left me feeling marginalised and so I have become indifferent to the aspects of my job and the people that I like.
6. (What I need to move forward) - Three of Wands.
I need to take a more active role rather than being a bystander. Sun in Aries suggests making plans, as the image on the card suggests, so it might even be time to consider looking for a job elsewhere but I should try speaking to people at work about my future direction first.
7. (Best possible outcome) - King of Pentacles.
Fire of Earth suggests a better dynamic. Earth is a better medium for Fire to operate and going from Fire of Fire to Fire of Earth suggests my energies will be put to much better use if I overcome my obstacles and do what is necessary to move forward.
Any comments and suggestions are welcome. If anyone tries this spread, I'd be interested to know how you get on with it.
I haven't tried it reading for someone else yet but I'll try and remedy that soon.