Spreads

Spreads. Oh my gawd, you want to discuss spreads.

You know, every book uses the Celtic Cross as a spread starting point. It’s what folks expect. I’m sorry, but it is neither a cross, nor celtic. It’s a fair spread, but I believe it is not suitable for beginners. It uses too many cards.

But then beginners want to ‘look good’, so they attempt to use too many cards…

I have never used a Celtic Cross…ever. The layout made no sense to me.

I have always used 2, 3, 5 , or 7 card layouts. They are what some folks call ‘horseshoe’ layouts. They are laid out in an arc. My arcs resemble more of a straight line than an arc…

There are so many spreads out there, you’ve got your vegetable mineral and animal spreads…books have been written, web-sites erected…

So what matters, the number of cards? ‘How’ the cards are laid out, in what shape?

Let’s begin with the number.

Simply put, the fewer the cards, the easier to read. I have often said that more cards look good in the movies or TV, but more cards may not provide more information, or clarity in the reading. Often – Less is more.

Often folks recommend a three card spread. What ever happened to one or two card spreads?

One: a one card spread is useful for a quick and easy ‘look’. Most folks use the one card for a daily draw, with a “What is the issue (or lesson) of the day” type question on their mind. Very useful.

Two: My favorite for a quick and easy reading. I personally use the “What is the issue today” and “What must I do to meet/solve/learn from the issue”. Do not underestimate the power of two cards.

Both the One and Two card layouts are great before a reading with a live sitter…a ‘heads up’ card so to speak.

Three: The standard use are the position labels of Past-Present-Future (or probable outcome) also known as the PPF. Some folks insert other meanings to the positions, Body-Mind-Spirit, Option 1-Situation-Option 2. The handy think is that this is an extremely fluid spread – just about any three reasonable labels can be used in the three positions. I usually use; The Present (how it is) - The Shroud (that which obscures reality) – Guidance.

Four: I’ve never used a four card spread. However as a number, it looks lovely in the sequence between three and five.

Five: I use; Past-Present-Unknown (or unseen) – Near outcome – Further out Outcome. Unknown represents either things occurring behind the sitters back (outside influences) or things the sitter is doing to sabotage or reinforce themselves.

Six: Another lovely number.

Seven: Resent Past - Present - Hopes and fears - The Unexpected - The Gate - Near Future - Far Future
The gate is that which must be passed though…the lesson that must be learned.

You really need to have about six months experience of reading for others using the two and three card spreads before you go to five. If you are reading seven or more card spreads for real live people without a years worth of reading under your belt, you are doing them a serious disservice.

How do we lay the cards out? You can lay them in the shape of a bird, a cup of coffee, a whiskey sour, a scary monster with sharp pointy dripping teeth…it does not matter! Mine get laid out in a straight line…and kinda sloppy at that. I find that keeping the shape simple makes the reading easier.

What matters, is that you have the place labels firmly fixed in your mind before you lay the cards.

Perhaps next week we’ll discuss…the Giant Rat of Sumatra…

Ahh! The Hardy Boys book or the Sherlock Holmes story?

(Neither one uses Tarot...darn it!).

Sure, lets talk about spreads, why not?
I'm not a big fan of the celtic cross. Learned it out of a book,( I know, Umbrae, book bad-bad book; write own book, grind own corn, how ya gonna keep em down on the farm after they've seen gay Paree...) (Aw, c'mon, ya know I'm just playin' wit' ya..... )
and then spent the next few years changeing all the position meanings, trying to get the information I was looking for. Finally got wise and realized there had to be an easier way. So I went simple, and mostly avoid complecated spreads where you need a cue sheet to keep track of the positions.
Unfortunetly, before I found sweet simplicity, I taught a lot of people different versions of the cc. So now one or another of them will read for me now, and I look at the layout all puzzled, and ask,"What's with that position? Why is it there? What does it mean?, I don't get it?"
And they look at me with this dead-level stare, and the silence streaches. I begin to realize I have somehow inseted my foot in my mouth AGAIN when they look puzzled and finially say "...Because that's the way you taught it to me."


oooooooops.
Guess i just can't keep track of where I've been, sometimes...There is a rumor, been going around for a long time, that the 60's were just maybe a little Too good to me. But me, I'm not tellin'.
A-hem.
A lot of the time, if the 'seeker' seems to be having a hard time deciding what they want this reading to be about, I will start with a 'running' reading. Which is just a few cards laid down one by one in a row. The purpose is to find out which one of the seekers concerns needs attention first, and if there is an underlying thread running through them. Can be kind of a find the core issue thing. the trick for me, is to get out of that quickly, 0nce I have the info, and get into something more structured and focused.

But the spreads I like best are the problem-solving ones, where you can do what-if, and see where it goes. It can be any # of cards (fewer is better, Yes) as long as one of then is a 'hinge' card. It's my belief that we have free will, but we are also creatures of habit, and will just go ahead and do the most habitual thing at most hinge points if we aren't actually THINKING about it.
I suppose I could lay that out in a "Y" shape, so it could be more easily seen by both the seeker and myself. Concept?! Yeah, I'll try that. Does anybody else do something like that? Is there a Famous spread for this that I am being profoundly ignorant of? Clue me in!!

I see your hinge, as my gate.

Sort of a, "If you don't want to go here - don't do this."

A running spread...almost sounds like 'Four Doors'.

Oh my. There is a sort of a Four Card Spread...

*Note: This was copied from a thread(http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1018) from way back in Feb of 02

Shuffle the deck, then cut it into four piles from left to right.
(1) (2) (3) (4)

Flip the cards over vertically from left to right, and place them above the stacks. If you flip each card, they land on top of the stacks (represented by A,B,C,D)

(A) (B) (C) (D)
(1) (2) (3) (4)

Now, flip another card from each stack, and place it on top of the stack you flipped it from (represented by E,F,G,H)

(A) (B) (C) (D)
(E) (F) (G) (H)

You now have 8 cards in front of you in whatever orientation. Read the spread as a general story, no card positions apply. The spread is basically sequential as far as time goes from left to right, top row to bottom.. the way you'd read this paragraph is basically how you read this spread. so card A would be more present than card H.

To read further into the story or to get more information for your reading, depending on the question you may have to repeat this a couple times, move cards E, F, G, H up and place them on top of cards A, B, C, D. Flip a card from each stack on the bottom row again.

This is how the spread works, you can continue to read lines of cards until you gather enough information pertaining to the question.

I've only been reading tarot for nine months and learned the CC before anything else as it is probably one of the most promoted spreads. I am familiar with it now and feel that it is quite comprehensive. But I seem to be using simple spreads more often now.

Does anyone remember the lovely Mooncat2? She encouraged some of us newbies to use simply five card spreads and one of these in particular is still a favourite. It's called the Solution in some places:

..............................3.The solution

...........1. Task..............................4. New insights (what is hidden)

2..Problem....................................................5. Final outcome

Mooncat2 is a wonderful teacher and she led us through a number of readings for her using this spread.

Rachel Pollack also promotes simple spreads in the Shining Tribe. One I love and use quite a bit for personal work is this:

1 . Spiritual history. 3. Spiritual gift. 2. Spiritual challenge

There are some larger spreads that I actually love using from time to time. The Motherpeace, using 12 cards, is a very illuminating spread and I also like the Mythic Quest spread that Pollack promotes is one of her books. I don't think it hurts to do large spreads from time to time. Sometimes you get more information with these and they seem, many of them, to self-validate.

I don't read every day, only when I feel the need. Otherwise I lose the sense of directing my own life, making my own choices.

Umbrae said:

You really need to have about six months experience of reading for others using the two and three card spreads before you go to five. If you are reading seven or more card spreads for real live people without a years worth of reading under your belt, you are doing them a serious disservice.

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I would very much agree with this. I have only just begun to read for live people (friends and colleagues only) and the six times I've done it have been quite good.

I don't think you mean by this statement, Umbrae, that we should not read for Aeclectic members though? Aeclectic is like a guild, where apprentices can learn. We do learn by reading for others here.

The reality is that many of stumble into Tarot differently and we rarely go through the ideal scenarios. We just need to commit to continuous development. Bad habits can be unpicked.

I have been perplexed by the passion that people feel about the rights and wrongs of spreads - complex versus simple - expressed in various threads on this forum on a regular basis. People find their own level and what is right for one is not acceptable for others. Some of the more traditional spreads are immense. Konraad' s "Past Lives Spread" for example. It simply depends on preference and style. and how an individual evolves in her use of tarot.

Excuse...I'm really tired.................

Moongold

My apologies

I was half asleep when I wrote this and missed the point of your thread, Umbrae. Please delete if you wish.

Moongold

aeclectic spread

some of my most powerful spreads have occured spontaneously with no design. The cards essentially tell me where to place them. I move quicky, using intuition, rather than thought.

the odd thing with this method, is that a pattern appears as i lay them out. the meaning of the spread becomes clear as i look at it.

Maybe it is an Intuitive Spread, I don't know. but, for me, it works. I don't utilize this method often; usually when something dynamic is occuring. but I really enjoy doing it and get a lot out of it.

When I was very much in the beginning of learning this, I bought a book called "how to use Tarot spreads". Can't find it anymore in the mess here. The most uselless U$5.00 I have ever spent. The spreads are long, and each position is a "one card spread" in itself. An example:

Soulmate spraead

1. Is my soulmate in the physical world right now?
2. Have I met my soulmate in this life already?
3. Will I ever get together with my soulmate?
4. Should I learn more about soulmates?
Ect etc etc.

Reading with those spreads was the most difficult experience I've had with the Tarot and I wasn't able to obtain any info whatsoever from any of them.

Don't recomend, really.

Alex.

Alex--
I wasted money on that book, too. Absolutely worthless. It ended up in the 'take in to trade' pile, which may do me some actual good.
I've decided not to obsess over if that's ethical or not !
More and more I'm coming to rely on simpler, smaller spreads.

BIOLOGY!!!!!!!

It MUST be book on biology!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've read books on form and function, taken courses on form and function, taught form and function in college... but haven't made such association... as yet. Thanks, Diana.

Now, serious. I've noticed that the shape helps, if I can leave the cards rest for a few hours over a table and look at them enough. There is something about the way they relate to each other, visually.

Alex.

Diana said:

[BThis reminds me of the title of a book I'm reading now (non-Tarot). It's called "Form and Function". Yes, Form is important too. To me, anyway.
[/B]

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