rachelcat
This is a Mary Greer tribute spread of sorts. The idea for the spread and much of the wording comes from one of her blog posts for beginners. I’ve been playing with reading with a divided deck recently, so it really grabbed my attention, along with my compulsion to improve upon it. (I just formatted and organized a bit, edited/trimmed the descriptions, and made the little spread shape.)
Fortuitously, the next step in my latest iteration of a 21 Ways study addressed the same subject (the “sections” of a tarot deck), by the same author! As soon as I saw “why the who is in the what,” I knew I had to use it in the spread, too.
So enjoy the spread (and all the alliteration). It’s not just for beginners anymore!
A prettier version is attached.
Why the Who is in the What (and Where):
A Divided Deck Daily Draw
Rachel Mann
Adapted from Beginner’s Tarot: Getting to know your deck, Mary K. Greer’s Tarot Blog, March 25, 2016; “Why the who is in the what” gleefully stolen from Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card, Llewellyn Publications, 2006
1. Divide your deck into four stacks:
4 aces
16 court cards
36 minor arcana (numbered 2-10)
22 major arcana
2. Ask “what do I most need to be aware of today?”
3. Shuffle each stack, draw one card from each, and lay them in these positions:
----Major
Court---Minor
-----Ace
4. Read the cards with these deck section/position meanings:
The ace is the where–the area of focus, general atmosphere, or overall energy to be aware of.
The court card is the who–the part of yourself that is most active and that you need to be most aware of.
The minor arcana card is the what–a situation to be aware of and the situation that the court card part of yourself is most concerned with.
The major arcana card is why the who is in the what–a goal, a desired outcome, a lesson to be learned, something to be mastered, what is at risk, or what can be gained.
5. Synthesize the reading. Which suits are present, and which are missing? How does the major card relate to the other cards individually and as a group? Do the cards seem to fit together or conflict with each other? What does that mean to you?
Fortuitously, the next step in my latest iteration of a 21 Ways study addressed the same subject (the “sections” of a tarot deck), by the same author! As soon as I saw “why the who is in the what,” I knew I had to use it in the spread, too.
So enjoy the spread (and all the alliteration). It’s not just for beginners anymore!
A prettier version is attached.
Why the Who is in the What (and Where):
A Divided Deck Daily Draw
Rachel Mann
Adapted from Beginner’s Tarot: Getting to know your deck, Mary K. Greer’s Tarot Blog, March 25, 2016; “Why the who is in the what” gleefully stolen from Mary K. Greer’s 21 Ways to Read a Tarot Card, Llewellyn Publications, 2006
1. Divide your deck into four stacks:
4 aces
16 court cards
36 minor arcana (numbered 2-10)
22 major arcana
2. Ask “what do I most need to be aware of today?”
3. Shuffle each stack, draw one card from each, and lay them in these positions:
----Major
Court---Minor
-----Ace
4. Read the cards with these deck section/position meanings:
The ace is the where–the area of focus, general atmosphere, or overall energy to be aware of.
The court card is the who–the part of yourself that is most active and that you need to be most aware of.
The minor arcana card is the what–a situation to be aware of and the situation that the court card part of yourself is most concerned with.
The major arcana card is why the who is in the what–a goal, a desired outcome, a lesson to be learned, something to be mastered, what is at risk, or what can be gained.
5. Synthesize the reading. Which suits are present, and which are missing? How does the major card relate to the other cards individually and as a group? Do the cards seem to fit together or conflict with each other? What does that mean to you?
