rachelcat
Several discussions that have been going on around here (about 9-square spreads, quint cards, and other things) prompted me to brush this one off and finally complete it. I’ve worked ridiculously long and hard on what should be a simple spread, so I hope you enjoy it!
Very short intro: A magic square is a square arrangement of numbers in which all the rows, columns, and diagonals add up to the same number. A 3x3 magic square is called a Saturn magic square (with larger squares assigned to other planets). (The 3x3 square is also called the Lo Shu diagram in feng shui.) It uses the 9 basic digits, and all rows, columns, and diagonals add up to 15 (or 10 if you leave out the center 5). I think a magic square is a perfect basis for a 3x3 spread because, well, it’s magical!
Without further ado, here is the spread (which has plenty of ado of its own). A one-page version is attached.
There are several versions of this spread, using tarot and/or oracle decks.
1. Simple: Lay out tarot or oracle cards in number order and read the groups of three, leaving out the sums.
2. Three or Four Decks: Using tarot or oracle decks, lay out 1, 2, 3 from one deck, 4, 5, 6 from another, and 7, 8, 9 from another. This gives you one card from each deck in each row and column. Leave out the sums, or use a fourth (tarot or majors-only) deck for the sums. (If you use sums, the oracle decks you use will need to have numbered cards, such as Lenormands.)
3. Tarot with Sums: Use a full tarot deck for the number order cards, and then search through the deck for the majors for the sums.
4. Separated Tarot with Sums: Separate a tarot deck into majors and minors. Lay out minors as the number order cards, and use the majors for the sums.
5. Oracle and Majors: Use an oracle with numbered cards, such as a Lenormand, for the number order cards. Use tarot majors for the sums.
----4--9--2---S4
----3--5--7---S5
----8--1--6---S6
S7-S1-S2-S3-S8
Lay out cards in number order.
Read columns first:
Left – 4, 3, 8: Past
Middle – 9, 5, 1: Present
Right – 2, 7, 6: Future
Read rows next:
Top – 4, 9, 2: Questioner
Middle – 3, 5, 7: Issue
Bottom – 8, 1, 6: Advice
Then read diagonals for another angle on the reading:
Right to left – 2, 5, 8: Indirect influences
Left to right – 4, 5, 6: Direct influences
For best results, the groups of three cards should be read together with one “position” meaning, but it’s also possible to read a card individually as a combination of its row and column: Questioner in the Past; Issue in the Future; etc.
For versions with tarot cards as the number order cards, you can choose to use elemental dignities, with the focus on the strength or weakness of the middle cards of the groups of three.
Sums: If using sums, for each group of three cards, add the numbers of the cards, and, if greater than 22, add the digits until you get 22 or less. Place the tarot major of that number in the corresponding sum position.
22 = Fool.
For court cards, use consecutive numbering (pages 11, knights 12, queens 13, and kings 14) or kabbalistic numbering (pages 10, knights 6, queens 3, and kings 2).
In all versions with sums, there can be repeated majors in the reading.
Read the sums as summaries of the columns, rows, and diagonals in the same order and with the same position meanings as above.
Please let me know how you like it!
Very short intro: A magic square is a square arrangement of numbers in which all the rows, columns, and diagonals add up to the same number. A 3x3 magic square is called a Saturn magic square (with larger squares assigned to other planets). (The 3x3 square is also called the Lo Shu diagram in feng shui.) It uses the 9 basic digits, and all rows, columns, and diagonals add up to 15 (or 10 if you leave out the center 5). I think a magic square is a perfect basis for a 3x3 spread because, well, it’s magical!
Without further ado, here is the spread (which has plenty of ado of its own). A one-page version is attached.
Rachel’s Magic Square Spread
Rachel Mann
April 11, 2016
There are several versions of this spread, using tarot and/or oracle decks.
1. Simple: Lay out tarot or oracle cards in number order and read the groups of three, leaving out the sums.
2. Three or Four Decks: Using tarot or oracle decks, lay out 1, 2, 3 from one deck, 4, 5, 6 from another, and 7, 8, 9 from another. This gives you one card from each deck in each row and column. Leave out the sums, or use a fourth (tarot or majors-only) deck for the sums. (If you use sums, the oracle decks you use will need to have numbered cards, such as Lenormands.)
3. Tarot with Sums: Use a full tarot deck for the number order cards, and then search through the deck for the majors for the sums.
4. Separated Tarot with Sums: Separate a tarot deck into majors and minors. Lay out minors as the number order cards, and use the majors for the sums.
5. Oracle and Majors: Use an oracle with numbered cards, such as a Lenormand, for the number order cards. Use tarot majors for the sums.
----4--9--2---S4
----3--5--7---S5
----8--1--6---S6
S7-S1-S2-S3-S8
Lay out cards in number order.
Read columns first:
Left – 4, 3, 8: Past
Middle – 9, 5, 1: Present
Right – 2, 7, 6: Future
Read rows next:
Top – 4, 9, 2: Questioner
Middle – 3, 5, 7: Issue
Bottom – 8, 1, 6: Advice
Then read diagonals for another angle on the reading:
Right to left – 2, 5, 8: Indirect influences
Left to right – 4, 5, 6: Direct influences
For best results, the groups of three cards should be read together with one “position” meaning, but it’s also possible to read a card individually as a combination of its row and column: Questioner in the Past; Issue in the Future; etc.
For versions with tarot cards as the number order cards, you can choose to use elemental dignities, with the focus on the strength or weakness of the middle cards of the groups of three.
Sums: If using sums, for each group of three cards, add the numbers of the cards, and, if greater than 22, add the digits until you get 22 or less. Place the tarot major of that number in the corresponding sum position.
22 = Fool.
For court cards, use consecutive numbering (pages 11, knights 12, queens 13, and kings 14) or kabbalistic numbering (pages 10, knights 6, queens 3, and kings 2).
In all versions with sums, there can be repeated majors in the reading.
Read the sums as summaries of the columns, rows, and diagonals in the same order and with the same position meanings as above.
Please let me know how you like it!