Golden Dawn Spread

reading the Tarot and the magus

This was an interesting way on how to use this counting system that really does give an accurate view on readings, i have been useing this system to do readings and it brings alot of different interpretions in one layout?

The queens and princesses and the knights and princes are used in different clock and anti-clockwise motions,

The Queens go forward by counting 4 cards, but the princesses hold a different energy and have a unique status and as similar elements like the Aces not like the other courts, the Princesses go forward by 7 cards.
The knights and Princes go anti-clockwise by counting 4 cards backwards.

Aces go forward 5 cards

Minor cards go forward as to the card numbers stated.

The Twelve zodiac Major cards are counted forward as 12 cards.

The 9 Major cards left are counted forward as 9 cards.

But the Fool - Judgment - Hanged man are counted foward as 3 cards each.

It is a very interesting layout to use?

closrapexa said:

In the LWB of the Thoth, it says tht Golden Dawn members used a spread that was very complicated and took several hours to do. Does anypne know where I an find this spread? It sounds interesting, if I have a free Saturday, that is, to try.

Click to expand...

Since it appears no one else has mentioned it, these are called 'The Opening of the Key' [OOTK] spread(s). It consists of a series of operations [spreads].

http://www.supertarot.co.uk/ootk/ootk.htm

I have been to the supertarot site many times trying to figure the OOTk out but to no avail, the counting and pairing of cards is the problem mostly....How does one pair cards as in the order of their choosing or some other method...

I know the question is kind of silly but...

The cards are paired from the outside in. Just grab those on each end of the horseshoe, and pull them two the center. Then the next two, and so on.

Yeah- pair the cards from the outside in like Mike says.

Or....

If any cards stand out as being important to the spread (perhaps it is a significator, a major, represents another person like a lover, or any other card that seems "important" in the context of the spread) then you can pick that card, and pair the cards working away from it (first pair the cards on either side, then keep moving away from the important card). Remember to look at the series of cards as if it is a loop, so if you run out of cards on one end, then you start picking up cards from the other end.

For example, if you have cards as represented by letters:


ABCDEFGHI

And you want to pair from your significator card (which happens to be G) then you would pair as such:

FH
EI
DA
CB

"Normal" pairs (starting at the outside edges) would be like this:
AI
BH
CG
DF
E

The E card stands out in the reading as a special card because it is in the center of the string. The I card stands out because it is the "top card"- sort of an overall reading to the meaning of the string. The A card, I look at as being something of a shadow card to add depth to the reading of the top card. Of course they end up being paired together, so they will color each other's readings. They are also right next to each other in the string (remember, the string is a loop) so they influence each other elementally.


As for the counting method that vernissage is asking about is pretty well explained by Dean. In my opinion, one doesn't need to bother learning the different rules of counting- the important thing is that you do have a rule. My rule for court cards and pips is to go the number of spaces according to the sephiroth that the card is assigned to on the tree of life. Aces through 10 go the number of the card. Kings go 2, Queens go 3, Princes go 6, Princesses go 10. The majors go the number of their place in the majors.... In other words, the fool goes 1, Magus goes 2, Priestess goes 3 and so on to the Universe/World which goes 22. Notice it isn't the actual number that appears on the card, but that number plus 1. That's just my rule- I find it easier to deal with than all the various rules the golden dawn put together.

So you count from a card- then from the card you land on (and so on) until you reach the same card for a second time. I don't use reversals, so I never change directions, but I will count in each direction to get a more detailed reading. If you actually take the time to count from every single card in a large string of cards, you will find that some cards never (or only rarely) get landed on when counted from the other cards in the string. These cards are said to be VERY important to the reading. These are said to be the hidden influences, and they are really the keys to the readings.

-tb

Thanks for all the good info...Now when you land on the card you began counting with ....Is that the opening of the question and then on to the next stage of the spread?

archer1 said:

Thanks for all the good info...Now when you land on the card you began counting with ....Is that the opening of the question and then on to the next stage of the spread?

Click to expand...

I'm not quite sure what the question means. But no matter which counting rules you use, you may never land on the card that you started counting with. Once you hit any card that has been part of the counting, you will get caught in an endless loop- so you stop once you hit any card for the second time in the same count.

So if you count is (using the letters to represent cards)

AGFHEG

The you would stop at G, because we already know that after G would come FHE and then G again. In this example, you will never land on A again, no matter how long you count because you are stuck in a GFHEGFHEGFHE loop

But the counting- at least the way I use it- is to create sort of a story about what is happening. It's only one small part of reading this one spread (a part that you can ignore if you don't need more info after addressing the other parts). Honestly, I rerely even use the counting method unless I am really interested in exploring a spread deeply. I have found that it usually supports what you are reading using the other methods, and doesn't necessarily add anything crucial to the reading without doing the work of counting from every card- and keeping track of which cards never get landed on. That can be a lot of work if you are reading with roughly a quarter of the deck (or more). I'm too lazy for all that work....

Ah! I've figured it out! I tried this technique just now and it is amazingly wonderful. Thank you all so much for helping me understand.

- V.

I have also tried this spread it is long and tidious,,, the problem for me is the story....

archer, it doesn't have to be. ;-) As he suggests on supertarot, if you only do the first operation, it's a lot easier.

As for the story, well, that's my hardest part too - in any spread. Perhaps someone else can advise us!