Body, Mind, Spirit

Sometimes I do a Body, Mind, Spirit spread, because everyone seems to do them.

But I never get anywhere with them, because I don't understand what "Body, Mind, Spirit" means.

Could someone please explain? Perhaps with a made-up example?

If I were to do one, I would use a five card spread of directions and would interpret the cards in terms of 'negative' cards indicating work in that area and 'positives' as strengths.

North = Body
East = Mind/thought
South = Passion/energy
West = Emotions
Center = Spirit

Now, if I were to receive a pos. in an area that I consider a problem area, I would utilize the energy/lesson of that card to help strengthen that area.

For instance, if I were ill, say I had a problem with my back and I received the Lovers card. I would focus on balance of my male and female energies. I would also make sure that my life was balanced, marrying inside and outside life. I would even take it so far as to make sure I was 'loving' myself enough, listening to my inner child and making sure she's not being neglected as i do my 'adult stuff'.

If I were to receive a neg. card in an area that i consider strong, I would assess that area for possible denial or something that i am not seeing.

For instance: I feel pretty content, but I get 7 swords in the west. I might look at the East area and see what is going on in the Mind. Now there might be, let's say Strength. And then I see that I'm actually a bit worried about my back, that it is needling me, and i feel a bit hopeless. I might then see that my back is 'working' on me and eventually, I'm going to feel frustrated.

The Spirit card, for me, would be something to pull me to Focus, something I'm either not doing or need to do more of. Pos would kind of be, do more of the same, negs would be, hmmm better look at this. Of course the individual 'suits' would direct me to that area of the reading (Mind, Body, Emotions, Passion/Energy)

Now, the south area is also going to cover creativity, work, etc. anything that is our 'fire'.

Hope this helps. As a Reiki healer, all of these areas are interactive for me.....

Oh, and one more thing. If something is really not making sense, I would draw more cards and place them next to the card in question, one at a time, and see if they offer more 'clues'...

Hi Diana!

i must admit i tried this spread recently and had absolutely no luck with it at all...i wasn't sure about the meanings for each position either...i wasn't sure what to ask, so i just asked what i needed to know about my body, mind and spirit...but wasn't sure how to apply the cards to any of the above...so, i'm with you and would love for someone else to point out how to use this spread...

i rather like skytwig's take on this kind of reading, and it's only two more cards than the usual body, mind, spirit spread...may try that one, skytwig! thank you!!

sorry i can't help Diana, but at least you know you're not the only one, eh? hehe

many blessings!

~azure

Kool, azure, !

Another thing, I just did the spread and found that I could also do another 'round' of cards, next to the first 'round' and get more clarity.

I know some members don't like lots of cards, but some might like the added dimention.

I laid them out
1= North/Body;
2 = East/Mind;
3 = South/Passion;
4 = West/Emotions;
5 = Center/ Spirit.

I used to do a Body, Mind, Spirit spread daily, more or less as suggested in Ms. Greer's book.

The way I did was the first card, body, told me what my body was feeling. Maybe sick, or tired, or energized, whatever. The second card, mind, told me what was on my mind. The third card, spirit, told me how I felt overall, deep down inside. The readings were often pretty accurate, even if I didn't notice or admit to the feelings at the time.

Since about November I have stopped doing this daily three card spread. I like focusing on one daily card now.

Diana, have you seen the recient reading chain in reading exchange? We used this spread with reversals and without...

I tend to see this spread like Silverlotus.
Body like the physical and material aspects on life: health, work, conection with world and whats surrounding.
Mind about psychical aspects: whats worrying or going on mind, intellectual area, current objectives or things waiting to be done.
Spirit is more like the global aspect, your inner-self, emotions, and aspects in your life that are hidden for the other people and sometimes also for you.

Skytwig, your spread seems more complete than this, going in the same way. Will try it. I also see the more negative cards like advices and things in what is needed to work to go on.

Thanks an awful lot.

skytwig: That's a great spread there. Thank you so much for sharing.

luna: I didn't see those readings in the Reading Exchange. I will check them all out.

Silverlotus: You say that you got good insight into the way you did it. That is what I am doubtful about: I mean, surely one knows what one is feeling in one's body, what's on my mind, and how I feel deep down inside? Wouldn't it be better to ask something like: What am I ignoring that my body wants to tell me, what should I really be focusing on, and what feelings am I denying? (or like Inana said, sometimes feelings that are hidden to ourselves). Or is that more or less the type of insight you get from this spread?

Diana said:

I mean, surely one knows what one is feeling in one's body, what's on my mind, and how I feel deep down inside? Wouldn't it be better to ask something like: What am I ignoring that my body wants to tell me, what should I really be focusing on, and what feelings am I denying?

Click to expand...

Hi Diana (and others )!
Since this is one of my favourite spreads, and one I've also based a bigger choice spread on, I thought I'd jump in here.

I don't take the words quite so literally, but more like Rachel Pollacks three-line (three-level) disposition of the Major Arcana in the 78 degrees of Wisdom. Where the first line ("body") is what is going on with the physical person, his/her environment, outer expectations, situations, other people, institutions, work... etc, etc, etc. To me this is what the card in the Body-position stands for.

The second line ("mind") refers to the psychological balances and imbalances, the stuff that goes on beneath the surface. This is often an internal reflection of the "body" card, and as you say yourself, this is where I usually find the hidden stuff, the stuff that we hide even from ourselves. (Btw, I don't quite agree that we are always aware of how we're feeling deep down inside - if we did, would we really need cards for guidance...? ) This is what the card in the Mind-position relates to.

The spiritual line,which in the 78DW is iniated by The Devil and finalizes with The Universe, marks our spiritual path towards enlightenment. So does the card in the third position. It refers to where we become more than individuals, our interface with the spiritual energy we came from, and forever are a part of. This card will often be an advice, from the part of oneself that is smarter than the rest, if you know what I mean. Where we unconciously tap into the spiritual wisdom that we are a part of, on that level, but often have a harder time connecting to on the "lower", concious and subconcious, levels - that's what this position refers to. I read the card in the Spirit as referring to this level.

But of course, this is just the way I use the spread.
The cards will of course answer whatever question you asked, and that goes for the positions as well. So if you want the positions to tell you what you're hiding from yourself, then they will!

Gosh, this became ramblier than I wanted it to, hope some of it made sense, anyways...!

Light and love,
Jenny