Which are the best spreads to use with the TdM?

Migdal93

I got my deck last thursday, and so far I only do 5 card spreads as I felt the 3 card spreads gave me too little to work on. The booklet I got with my deck (it's a modified Nicolas Conver) has the instructions for a celtic cross, but when I tried it, something just didn't worked out.

Now I'm pretty aware it could be the amount of cards - it felt very confusing. At the same time, I only personally know two other people to read cards - one reads the RW, the other the Lenormand (I'm aware it's a completely different system). I've only seen the celtic cross being used with RW or RW inspired decks so far.

So, to any of you who use the TdM, which spreads to you prefer, and why?
 

Barleywine

Like some people here, I've been reading mainly with the 22 trump cards since there is a scarcity of inspirational story-telling content in the pips. I haven't gone beyond five cards yet, though. If I'm going to work with the pip and court cards in the deck, I think I would use a spread that works well with elemental dignities because I rely quite a bit on numerical and elemental correspondences with the TdM. That would be something with an odd number of cards that can be broken down into triplets (not the Celtic Cross).
 

Migdal93

Thanks Barleywine. I've been using the whole deck as I feel just the majors aren't able to give me much depth on certain matters, but I haven't really done reversals just yet.

With the pips, I use intuition and numerology. Sometimes I sense a "story" on the order of the cards, or the illustration speaks to me in a way. So far, courts have been a bit confusing to me. I also made myself a little system on what swords, wands, coins and cups mean to me, so I go by that as well. Elements are also very important, depending on what the other cards are telling me.

The celtic cross seems to be lacking for the TdM because you use only one card per question. I don't think the TdM works well for one card readings, but I can be totally wrong.

The triplets idea is a very good one - Maybe using 2/3 cards per question/matter? So many of the spreads we find online are for use with the RW, so maybe TdM users can "tweak" those a bit for use with the TdM?
 

_R_

If you find that 3 cards are not enough, you can find plenty of other spreads to try. By and large, the experimentation is at the heart of the learning process. Create a spread which answers to your own needs if you don’t come across a suitable one.

Tarot spreads are simply a means to articulate a question and to receive an answer using the Tarot cards. As such, there are no hard and fast rules when it comes to creating your own one, provided clarity of purpose is kept in mind.

The classic 4 (or 5) card cross is a staple in the French Tarot world. This replies to a specific question.

Astrological spreads are sometimes (but not often) used for a general overview, usually for one year. They can use from 12 to 78 cards, depending. This may be somewhat too much for your purpose though.

See the Grimaud booklet mentioned here for more details. http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=272584

You can always place a Pip card over a Trump in your draws for clarification or further details. Some authors consider the Trumps the causes, and the Pips, effects.
 

Migdal93

Thank you very much for the link and the directions, R. I've never heard of astrological spreads, so I'll be researching about those this week!

I do the 5 card spread for specific questions. I used on some willing family members and it worked perfectly.

But I feel that 2/3 cards for each question could work very well, depending on what is being asked. For an ancestor spread I'm planning to use 3 cards for each question I make, so I can have better context.
 

_R_

Of course, it is tempting to go for larger spreads, in keeping with the "bigger is better" or "the more the better" mentality, but it makes an answer sometimes more difficult to interpret, especially for beginners.

A period of acclimatisation and familiarisation is always necessary, and positive, taking the time to get the know the cards, their details, how they can relate to each other, the meanings attributed by various authors, one's own experiences and readings, and so on. Naturally this always takes time. There's no need to rush.

Actually, some readers, Jodorowsky for instance, have gone from using elaborate spreads to just a simple 3-card spread. "Less" can often be "more". There's a lot in there, as you'll see for yourself.

Using a simple technique like the "daily draw" - picking one card in the morning to see (i) how the day will turn out [predictive], or (ii) how to face the day, so to speak [prescriptive], can be one good way to get to know the nuances of how the cards can relate to daily life.

Take the time to get to know the cards, and you can always try out your readings in the sub-forum dedicated to that purpose. In any case, it's a good idea to keep a journal of readings so you can check out your readings and accuracy as you make progress.
 

Barleywine

Thanks Barleywine. I've been using the whole deck as I feel just the majors aren't able to give me much depth on certain matters, but I haven't really done reversals just yet.

With the pips, I use intuition and numerology. Sometimes I sense a "story" on the order of the cards, or the illustration speaks to me in a way. So far, courts have been a bit confusing to me. I also made myself a little system on what swords, wands, coins and cups mean to me, so I go by that as well. Elements are also very important, depending on what the other cards are telling me.

The celtic cross seems to be lacking for the TdM because you use only one card per question. I don't think the TdM works well for one card readings, but I can be totally wrong.

The triplets idea is a very good one - Maybe using 2/3 cards per question/matter? So many of the spreads we find online are for use with the RW, so maybe TdM users can "tweak" those a bit for use with the TdM?

The subject of using reversals with the TdM pips was discussed not long ago in another thread. Many people find them unproductive, and I can see where they're coming from. I'm an enthusiastic supporter of reversals with most decks, but not so much with the TdM pip cards.

I'm curious about your comment that the Celtic Cross uses only one card per question. Do you mean one card per "department" of the reading - situation, obstacles, foundation, recent past, present, near future and so forth? I use all ten cards for a single question and blend the card meanings into a (hopefully) seamless narrative, each card with its own anecdotal contribution.

I've been getting some mileage out of Joseph Maxwell's idea of "isomorphs" - two or more pairs of numbers that add up and/or multiply to the same number. For example the number Five is made up of two isomorphs - 2+3 and 4+1; 2+3 suggests polarized stability giving way to creative progress, while 4+1 suggests passive opposition as a "starting block" for a new initiative, something to push off against. In this sense, the number Five (often seen as chaotic and challenging) becomes an expression of passivity giving way to action. Whether that comes across as difficult depends on how much one has invested in resisting change.
 

Migdal93

Using a simple technique like the "daily draw" - picking one card in the morning to see (i) how the day will turn out [predictive], or (ii) how to face the day, so to speak [prescriptive], can be one good way to get to know the nuances of how the cards can relate to daily life.

I've been doing that and I feel it's one of the best ways of learning. One card to focus on, you are able to get the most out of it.

I just got my hands on Jodorowsky's book and I can't wait to start reading it.

My tarot journal is one of my biggest sources of learning in all of this, just writing it down makes for new insights!
 

Migdal93

Yes, one card per question, resulting in ten cards. I feel like only one can be a little to work on, even if it results in 10 cards. But that's just me!

The isomorphs idea is actually very interesting and I'll be looking into it!
 

CharlotteK

I have just reintroduced the pips after using only majors to learn and get to grips with TdM. Like you I try and pick up a feel for the the image on the card using some basic attributions also.

I almost always use a three card spread and read them as a whole - what's in the middle as a focus, if there are court cards or majors, what are the people at either side looking at etc. Or if it's a pip, how does that feel against the other cards - I.e lots of Swords is quite an oppressive feeling but has the neighbouring person got their back to them or are they walking into them? It's the relationship between the cards that I look for and the cards don't have set 'positions'. Five cards works too. I don't know why but it has to be an odd number for me. Maybe I just need there to be a 'middle'.

Drawing all pips is more of a challenge, and a little tedious. But can still be interesting to look at whether there are links - common suits, progressive numbers and so on. Sometimes I split the deck, shuffle the majors only and draw a card for the middle then shuffle and draw the other cards from the rest of the deck.

Yoav Ben Dov's book is very good.