+ indicates new information was added to this section since v2.1
* indicates a totally new section in this FAQ since v2.1
- indicates part of this or all of this section was removed and/or
incorporated elsewhere
0) Who am I and how this list got started
I am David Clark Jones, currently a student at the University of Northern Texas, Denton. I am also a beginning student of the Tarot. (I find it interesting that I say 'beginning' student. I have been studying for almost one year now, and, through this document, I have met several people who have studied tarot for 10, 15, and 20+ years. They too call themselves beginners.) Last April a friend of mine gave me a standard Rider-Waite deck as an Easter present and I immediately connected with it. I have since begun studying the more spiritual aspects of the tarot, although I do practice a little divination with the deck. As part of my studies, I found a book at my local library called _How to Read Tarot Cards_ containing twelve different layouts, which was originally the main source of information for this document. When a peer on the net and I became involved in a discussion about layouts for a program he was writing, I told him that I would type this list up and post it; I didn't really mind since I wanted to have this list on file for personal use in the future. When I was done, I figured if I was going to spend all this time typing all this information up and give it away for free that I might as well keep the list running and I always wanted to have the prestige of saying I was a FAQ maintainer (even if I am the only person impressed by that), so I decided to make it a FAQ. As stated earlier, I will be a student of the tarot for one year this April and would like to deeply thank all those who contributed. Its been a wonderful year of learning and I am only sorry I did not make the time to learn more. If for some crazy reason you would like to meet me, I will be attending Beltane in Austin. I'll be running around giving away copies of the FAQ and doing free readings. If I'm clothed, I'll be wearing a really obnoxious hawaiian shirt. My fiancee might get a dealers table where I will also be giving away copies of the FAQ, so IF she decides to run it, you should be able to find me fairly easily. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
1) General Information
The very first thing that I learned about reading tarot cards after talking to another reader about the subject is that no two people really do it in quite the same way. As such, I have tried to re-write all of these layouts to be as flexible as possible, which wasn't easy or even possible in some cases, and allow you to choose which method will serve you best. On a similar note, some of the things that I have learned and come to believe about tarot cards go directly against some of the things presented in this document. It is my intention, however, to relate information and not to pass judgement, especially since some things I disagree with may work for others. As such, I will attempt to include any informational comments that I receive from anybody as long as it doesn't seem redundant, so please send in anything that you believe might be useful to others. Also, I would like to keep this document directed solely towards layouts that can be used for a general deck. Some decks, like a healers deck, often will have their own layouts, but such a layout would probably not have any significance when used with a general deck. However, I have included layouts which came from the Thoth deck, Druid Animal deck, and the Witch's Tarot since their divinatory interpretations are not restricted specifically to those decks. If your not sure, just send it to me anyway; it can't hurt. Finally, if you see this document in one of the newsgroups to which it is 'indirectly' posted (see top of document), this means that I don't have access to that newsgroup. If you see this document there, please do not post follow-up articles to me in that newsgroup; I will never see them. Please send all comments/suggestion/etc. to djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu It should be emphasized right now that this document is not really designed for a reader who is just starting to learn. This isn't to say that it is designed only for 'experts', but you should at least understand how to use one of the layouts listed below so that you can compare my explanations to your knowledge and then use that comparison as a key for understanding the other layouts. In short, I'm not going to baby-step you through these things. If I label a card as an environment card, you should have a vague idea what that means. The following section explains how each layout is presented.
1.1) Paradigm Spread (0) (references)
Each spread will have a title and then a number, in parenthesis, indicating the number of cards traditionally used in this reading. Cards in the layout themselves will be represented by numbers, except that the Querent card (also known as the Significant and other similar names) may be shown by the letter Q. Single digit numbers may have a zero placed in front of them for formatting purposes. If room permits, cards that are associated with one another will be connected with lines.Layout: This section will show in text graphics, and perhaps
describe, how this particular layout looks.
Deal: This is the order in which the cards are traditionally dealt
for this layout. I would like to emphasize the word traditional.
In a few of these layouts the card ordering does not appear to make
any sense, so if something seems to work better for you I see no
reason why you shouldn't do it. Also, sometimes readers will
intentionally alter the order of the deal if they have a
premonition to do so.
Reading: This explains what each card in the layout represents
Variations: This will list any variations in the readings that
this particular spread may have.
Comments: Miscellaneous comments about this layout that don't fit
in any of the above categories.
Throughout a spread, you may also find names in parenthesis to
indicate which reference(s) was/were used for that section.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Deal: Right to Left
Reading:
Variation: A simple, and very commonly used, variation of the Five
Reading:
The three columns (C1 - C3) represent the past, present, and
Reading:
Comment 1: Although it suggested to choose a Querent card, there is
Comment 2: This is called the 'Playing Deck' spread because this is
Shuffle the entire pack and turn some of the cards round, so as to
[6th packet] [5th packet] [4th packet] [3rd pack] [2nd] [1st]
Take up the first packet; lay out the cards on the table in a row,
[7th packet] [6th pack] [5th] [4th] [3rd] [2nd] [1st]
Take the top card of each packet, shuffle them and lay out from
You will thus have six horizontal lines of seven cards each,
Reading: The Querent card (Q in the diagram) is always the
Variation: See 2.3 Variation 3.
Comment 1: No explanation is given as to how to interpret any of
Comment 2: Waite suggest that this method be used when "no definite
Comment 3: This layout does not have a known name. Waite merely
Deal: Take up the 42 cards from the previous spread an put them in
Reading:
Comment: Waite does not specifically state that cards from each
Reading: Use to gain insight into aspects of the self which need
Reading:
Reading: This reading is intended to help one understand a dream's
Reading:
Reading:
Comment 2: Cortese obtained this spread from Ellen Cannon Reed's
Reading:
Reading:
Comment 1: Named after the person Davis was talking to when
Comment 2: "This is obviously based on the Celtic Cross and Sword;
Reading: Position two represents the beginning of the Druid New
Readings:
Card 1: Spiritual outcome
Pile 1: Inner Spiritual Quest
Comment 2: Those with a background in Qabalism and/or the Tree of
Next search each pack until you find the Querent card. No not take
Next, each card in the deck is assigned a numerical value (more
Comment: Peach's book does an extremely poor job of explaining what
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
All comments in the 'Reading' sections will refer to this diagram.
Reading:
Reading:
1. Where the querent is at the time of the reading.
Reading:
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
Comment 2: Since this is an ad hoc layout made by a beginner (at
Reading:
Reading:
Card 4 - Querent's state of mind
Reading:
It is suggested that the cards be read order described below
Reading:
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
Comment 1: "This reading's only purpose is to examine oneself.
Comment 2: At one point on alt.magick there was a discussion about
Deal: Start dealing cards into the first pile, face up, one at a
Reading:
Comment 2: Peach claims that the spread will reveal a definite time
Diagram: Cards 34 - 40 form a pyramid starting at the at the
Layout: Cards 34, 43, 42, 41, 49, 48, and 40 are all placed in a
Suggested Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
Cards 1 - 28, the material square: These cards represent
Cards 29 - 40, the mental trine: These cards represent events in
Cards 41 - 49, the spiritual circle: These cards represent
Card 50, dominant life factor: This card represents the most
Deal: Shuffle the deck and deal into three piles. Take the middle
Reading:
If the Querent's significator card is not in the above three fans,
Comment: Peach recommends this as a six month reading to use when
Deal: Choosing a Querent card; note which direction s/he faces.
Reading: Five timing cards should appear somewhere in the spread.
Variation: In the layout shown in the book, the layout stops at
Comment: Having not finished reading this book, I am uncertain as
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
To begin with, most of these layouts can be done without any
It would be important to add here that I have a very small and
Reading:
Reading: As the name suggests, there are four sets of three cards
Comment 2: Card numbering makes no sense, even from an
Reading: Even though the deal uses the awkward scheme shown above,
Comment: Card numbering makes no sense, even from an astrological
Reading:
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
Layout:
The Major Arcana go in the remaining 22 locations. Shuffle the
Reading:
The following is a suggested list of how to interpret each Ace in
Determine which kingdom is most appropriate to the Question. Cards
If the whole reading or any part of it seem contradicting, the
This variation can actually be applied to any of these layouts,
Actually, this method is the same as the one described above
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Ritual: This is lifted directly from Mr. Cannon's e-mail.
Keep the orientations consistent [when dealing] and you should find
Meditation is a high-falootin' glorification of what I do which is
Then you can go on to look at opposites.
The first loop, pretty obviously, is the worldly or "materialistic"
I hope I've got these opposites correct from memory, I haven't got
The above technique is from Alfred Douglas' book.
Ritual: [or more appropriately, ponder this. Again, directly
Ponder the fact that the Fool can "see" either the secular, worldly
Clearly to experience both aspects of existence the Fool must
This is a heavy-duty meditation, if you're into that kind of thing,
From Fred Getting's book.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Hearts:
Aces- Happiness, love, friendship
Spades:
Ace- conflicts, a difficult love affair
Diamonds:
Ace- a money, ring
Clubs:
Ace- Harmony, property, achievements, love
Significators:
1. fair or grey-haired man over 40....... King of Diamonds
2) Simple Spreads
The most important layout in this section is Line Spread. The Line
Spread is the easiest and most simple spread to understand; if you
are just learning the Tarot, this is good one start with. It
should be noted that most of the rest of the layouts for tarot
decks can be traced back to this layout. Most layouts, even the
'complex' ones, are merely a series of line spreads which interlock
in some fashion or another. Even though this is a very simple
layout to perform and understand, it is also probably the most
important one to be able to understand since it allows you to see
how cards will relate to one another.
The remaining layouts in this section are all spreads which contain
several line spreads put together, with each line having a
different meaning. There are a few spreads in the Astrology
section which also belong in this category, but I felt it was more
appropriate to put them there than to try to introduce them here.
2.1) The Line Spread (5)
Layout:
5 4 3 2 1
Cards 4 and 5 represent the future
Card 3 represents the present
Cards 1 and 2 represent the past
Card Spread works as follows:
instead of placing two cards on each
side of the present card, place three our four, yielding a seven or
nine card spread (or go higher if you wish). The further you get
from the center card, the further into the past/future you are
looking.2.2) Awen Spread (9) (Carr-Gomm)
Layout:
1 4 7 - Row 1
2 5 8 - Row 2
3 6 9 - Row 3
C1 C2 C3
Deal: Numerically as shown
future, respectively. In each row, cards are interpreted as
follows:
Row 1: Cause, dynamic, impulse, guiding idea, or motive behing a
situation or event.
Row 2: Effect of first card at the emotional, social, or
relationship level.
Row 3: Effect of first card at the physical level of manifestation.
2.3) Playing Deck Spread (21) (Vienneau)
Layout:
01 02 03
04 05 06
07 08 09
10 11 12
13 14 15
16 17 18
19 20 21
Deal: Shuffle the pack choose a Querent card. Cut the pack into
three decks, one each to signify the past (left), present (middle),
and future (right). Have the Querent pick one pack. Indicate which
deck is which please!
Row 1: Situation, State of mind
Row 2: Family, Relationships
Row 3: Hopes, Wishes, and Dreams
Row 4: Long-term expectations
Row 5: Unexpected events
Row 6: Immediate Developments
Row 7: Long-term results
no mention of its location in the layout. Also, no directions are
given if the chosen deck is cut too short. Use your own discretion.
the layout which Vienneau included in his post about fortune
telling with a regular deck of playing cards. (See Section 7.1)2.4) Romany Spread (21) (Peach)
Three Sevens Spread (Doane)
Layout:
21 20 19 18 17 16 15 - Future
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 - Present
07 06 05 04 03 02 01 - Past
Deal: Right to Left, Bottom upwards as numbered above
Reading: Each row represents events or influences for the time
period indicated. Adjacent card in the same row modify one another.
Ordering of cards in a row are not necessarily significant.
Variation 1: One variation of this reading is that the middle card
of each row (18, 11, and 04) should represent the most significant
event of the time period shown. This makes cards farther out on
the edges of the row (21, 15, 14, etc.) less significant. (Doane)
Variation 2: Peach has reversed the order of the rows and the
order of the deal. This makes card 1 in the upper left and dealing
proceeds to the right and down, card 21 in the lower right, the top
row the past, and the bottom row the future.
Variation 3: One variation, which also applies to the other
rectangle shaped layouts listed below, is that cards in the same
column may influence each other.
2.5) Spread of Thirty-Six (Doane)
Layout: six rows of six
36 35 34 33 32 31
30 29 28 27 26 25
24 23 22 21 20 19
18 17 16 15 14 13 - Future
12 11 10 09 08 07 - Present
06 05 04 03 02 01 - Past
Deal: Left to Right, Bottom up
Reading:
The first three rows should be read from right to left, bottom up.
Each of these rows are associated with their own time interval as
shown above. Cards whose sum total 37 are related. Card 36 should
be used to either modify, clarify, or gain more information about
the details of card 1. Similarly, card 35 modifies card 2, and so
on.
Variations: See 2.4 Variation 3.
2.6) The Waite Spreads (78)
The following two layouts come from the Waite book and are meant to
be used in conjunction with one another. The forty-three card
spread is offered as a regular method of divination while the
thirty-five card spread is meant to be used only if part of the
first spread is unclear or left in doubt. In keeping with the
flexibility of this document, I see no reason why the thirty-five
card spread could not be used on its own nor why it could not be
used in conjunction with other layouts to resolve similar
ambiguities, but these are merely my assertions and not those of
Waite himself.
2.6.1) The Forty-Three Card Layout (43)
Layout:
07 06 05 04 03 02 01 Q - 1st line
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 - 2nd line
21 20 19 18 17 16 15 - 3rd line
28 27 26 25 24 23 22 - 4th line
35 34 33 32 31 30 29 - 5th line
42 41 40 39 38 37 36 - 6th line
Deal: I include this method of dealing only for those who are
interested in ritual. I, personally, see no point in it. This
passage is lifted directly from the Waite book:
invert their tops. Let them be cut by the Querent with his left
hand. Deal out the first forty-two cards in six packets of seven
cards each, face upwards, so that the first seven cards form the
first packet, the following seven the second, and so on-as in the
following diagram: --
from right to left; place the cards of the second packet upon them
and then the packets which remain. You will thus have seven new
packets of six cards each, arranged as follows --
right to left, making a line of seven cards. Then, take up the two
next cards from each packet, shuffle and lay them out in tow lines
under the first. Take up the remaining twenty-one cards of the
packets, shuffle and lay them out in three lines below the others.
arranged after the following manner.
[Same as above layout w/out card Q]
Magician (Trump 1) if male or the High Priestess (Trump 2) if
female. This card is to be pulled out of the layout and placed in
position Q; Then, pull a random card out of the remainder deck to
replace the card. If this card in not in the layout, pull it from
the remainder deck. Cards are read numerically as shown
the cards other than all the cards should be harmonized (really, as
should be done for any reading). In short, use your own intuition.
question is asked". In other words, this is a spread that is good
for just a general reading but, Waite goes on to note that the
reading can be used even the querent specifies a time span for the
reading.
titled the section "An Alternative Method of Reading the Tarot
Cards."2.6.2) The Thirty-Five Card Layout
Layout:
07 06 05 04 03 02 01 - line 1
13 12 11 10 09 08 - line 2
18 17 16 15 14 - line 3
22 21 20 19 - line 4
24 23 - line 5
35 34 33 32 31 30 29 28 27 26 25 - line 6
Waite does not specify any pattern in which the layout must be
setup, other than each packet (see below) be dealt in a line.
Therefore, you need not follow the above diagram; an aesthetically
pleasing variant might be center each row about a vertical axis
causing lines one thru five to form an upside-down pyramid and line
six to be a very broad base. No method of line ordering is given
either, so these may be swapped around so long as each line retains
its meaning once moved, although the above line ordering would
probably be best to use to maintain consistency with the previous
layout.
one pile to the side. Place the querent card on top and upright.
Take the 35 cards constituting the remainder pile. Shuffle and cut
as before. Divide into six packets as follows: Packet 1
containing the first seven cards, Packet 2 containing the next six
cards, Packet 3 containing the next five cards, Packet 4 having
four cards, Packet 5 having two cards, and Packet 6 having the last
eleven cards. As before, packet one should be on the right and
continuing numerically leftward. Take each packet in turn and deal
each one into its own line.
Each line should be read from right to left.
packet should be dealt from right to left. I have assumed that he
meant as such since this would be consistent with everything else
in the previous layout.2.7) Name Layout (variable) (Kaplan/Soto)
Layout:
Layout consists of three rows, one row for each for the querent's
first, middle, and last name. In each row, deal the same number of
cards as there are in that part of the person's name. In the
example below, I use Robin Edwin Southworth.
R O B E R T
1 2 3 4 5 6 - Past
| Remote | Transition | Recent |
E D W I N
7 8 9 10 11 - Present
| Influence | Key | Influence |
| on others | | of others |
S O U T H W O R T H
12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 - Future
| feelings | goals | future | influences | outcome |
Deal: Deal as described above. If the querent doesn't not have
middle name, repeat the first name on the second row. The first
and second rows must have at least three cards. If the person's
name does not have at least three letters deal three cards anyway.
Similarly, the last name must contain five cards. For example: If
you did a reading on Harry S Truman, you would have 5, 3, & 6 in
each of the three rows. If you did a reading on William Howard
Taft, you would have 7, 6, & 5.
Reading:
Each row is divided into sections. The first two rows have
three sections while the last has five. The middle card(s) in each
row is the key card(s).
The first row represents the influences and past experiences
of the Querent. To the left of the key card there are the remote
past influences cards, which represent the substrate of the
Querent's life. To the right of the key card there are the recent
influences cards, which represent influences from last months,
weeks or even days ago. The key card represents very near
influences, that may not have ended their action yet.
The middle row refers to the actual influences. To the left
of the key card there are the influences the Querent exercises on
the people near him. The cards may also show impressions or
opinion of others on the Querent. To the right of the key card
there are the influences or pressures that others exercise on the
Querent. The key card shows the structure and environment in which
the Querent lives and works right now.
The last row refers to the future and the final answer. To
the left there are the inner emotions and specific goals of the
Querent. To the right, the future influences or the spheres of
influence that may appear in a near future. To the rightmost part
there's the final result of the influences shown on the rest of the
cards. The key card shows the future the Querent is just entering
in. This card may show obstacles to pass or the moments, good luck
or the progress towards a goal the Querent is trying to reach.
This layout also contains a very interesting aspect: the Age
card. This card is obtained with the Querent's age and it's very
important. For example, if our Querent is 18 year-old, you will
count from card number 1 until you reach the 18th card (in this
example, the 2nd "O" in Southworth). If the Querent were 29, the
Age card would be the "D" in Edwin. This Age card is very strong
and of great influence. Its meaning is a very important key for
the understanding of the past, present and future of the Querent.
Comment 1: The formatting of the layout in the original e-mail
became messed up after importing the document. I think I got it
right since it looks consistent with the text, but I still need to
double check it.
Comment 2: Although the reading stated that each line is divided
into sections, no specific method is given, although from the
example it can be implied that each section should be as equal in
length as possible.
Comment 3: No mention is made about what to do for people with
multiple middle names. My fiancee comes from former European
royalty and by tradition her full name is Dawn Lee Elizabeth
Katherine Danes Barnard. As always, use your own discretion.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
3) Complex Spreads
3.1) Action Spread (5) (Morison)
Layout:
1 5
2 4
3
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
3.2) Spread of the Elements (5) (Carr-Gomm)
Layout:
N
W Q E
S
Deal: Querent, East, South, West, North
balancing or developement.
Variations: As different people have different mappings from the
directions to the elements, how you choose to interpret each
position may alter accordingly.3.3) Magic Seven Spread (7) (Doane)
Layout:
1
/ \
5---/-----\---6
\ / \ /
X 7 X
/ \ / \
3---\-----/---2
\ /
4
Deal: Numerically as shown above.
Variation 1: Change the following cards (Davis)
Card 4: Issue to be dealt with
Card 5 and 6: Opportunity and limitation (these positions flip,
use your intuition as to which is which in a given reading)3.4) Soul Dreamers Spread (7) (Silbury)
Layout:
X X X X X X X X X X
X 5 X
X 2 X
X 1 6 X
X 4 X
X 3 X
X X
X 7 X
X X X X X X X X X X
X's are used merely to show relative position of the cards. The
cards should be placed such that they create an outward clockwise
spiral and should be more circular that the above diagram appears.
Deal: Select card 1 as you would a querent card. Shuffle the deck
and deal numerically as shown
message or meaning.
3.5) Spirits of the Circle Spread (7) (Carr-Gomm)
Layout:
2 7 4
1
5 6 3
Deal: Numerically as shown
3.7) Four Seasons Spread (8) (Cortese/Reed)
Layout:
3
4 6
1 5
2 8
7
Deal: Numerically as shown.
Comment 1: "This spread is used to examine motivations for plans or
ambitions. The cards are arranged so as to call to mind the
progression of the seasons and also the progression of any action
or plan through the four stages of conception, progression,
resolution, and reflection." - Cortese
_The Witches Tarot_.3.8) Hearth Spread (8) (Carr-Gomm)
Layout:
8
7 1 2
6 5 3
4
Deal: Numerically as shown
Variation: Meanings may vary with individual interpretaitons of the
four directions.3.9) Amanda's Fan (9) (Davis)
Layout:
4 3 5
6 7
8 1 9
Deal: Numerically as shown
1. Questioner
2. Crossing
3. Foundation
4. Past
5. Present
6. Future
7. Outcome
8. Inner Influences
9. Outer Influences
developed.
it was developed because we were both dissatisfied with the Celtic
Cross--it just didn't *flow* logically. So I reworked it." (Davis)3.10) Arianrhod Spread (9) (Carr-Gomm)
Layout:
3
2 4
9 1 5
8 6
7
Cards 2 - 9 should be arranged in a circular pattern with card 1 in
the center. Card 2 represents the NW, Card 3 N, etc.
Deal: Numerically as shown
Year, also known as Samhuinn (or Samhain), a traditional time when
this spread is used. The sequence of eight cards is generally
viewed as a one-year cycle, but may be used for other time cycles
as well. Relationships between cards are seen as if a web connects
each card to the center and a circle connects the outside ring.
Thus card 3 is related to cards 2 and 4 while cards 3, 1, and 7
will form a line.3.11) Spiral Layout (10) (Biggs)
Layout:
7
6 8
1 Q5 9
2 4
3
5 overlaps Q in the center
Deal: Lay out the cards with Q first and then numerically.
Reading:
3.12) Tree of Life Spread (10)
Layout:
/ 1 \
/ | \
3----+----2
| \ | / |
5--\-+-/--4
|\ \|/ /|
| \ 6 / |
| / | \ |
7----+----8
\ | /
\ 9 /
|
10
Deal: Numerically as shown3.12.1) Davis' Tree of Life
10) Present
9) Inner guidance, intuition
8) Masculine -- intellectual inspiration
7) Feminine -- beauty of self, inspiration, passion
6) Soul as it should be--mutation & learning experience
5) Building the corner-stone of cosmocity within the self
4) Testing ground -- things to let go of
3) Unmanifest knowledge (fancy talk which means 'secrets')
2) Bridge to higher cosmos
1) Where your next stage of development will lead you.3.12.2) Doane's Tree of Life
Cards 3, 5, and 7 make up the Tree of Evil or the unfavorable tree
Cards 2, 4, and 8 make up the Tree of Good or the favorable tree
Remaining cards are outcome cards.
Card 2: Influence of Wisdom
Card 3: Influence of Intelligence
Card 4: Influence of Justice (and the quest of it)
Card 5: Influence of Mercy
Card 6: Love of Beauty, Love, and Life
Card 7: Desire for Victory
Card 8: Influence of Splendor
Card 9: Environment
Card 10: Physical Power or Material Outcome3.12.3) Peach's Tree of Life (78)
After dealing, repeat the deal again and continue to do so until
all 78 cards are used. Select a Querent card for the querent.
Whichever pile the Querent card lies in will tell the main subject
of the reading.
Pile 2: Personal Initiative
Pile 3: Sorrows and Burdens
Pile 4: Financial Gains
Pile 5: Enemies and Discords
Pile 6: Glory and Fame
Pile 7: Love
Pile 8: Business and Communications
Pile 9: Mental and Physical Health
Pile 10: Home3.12.4) Comments and Variations
Comment 1: It is interesting to note that in all three tarot
layouts I have seen that the numbers 4 and 5 are swapped although
the meanings for those positions do not change. Conversely, in
most books I have seen about the Tree of Life the tree is numbered
as above. I chose the numbering above because it is more
consistent with the studies of the Tree of Life and also because
the sequence 2, 4, 8, that it forms on the right hand side of the
tree makes more sense from a numerological perspective. Choose
whichever ordering suits you best, but remember that it will only
affect the order of the deal and not the interpretation of the card
for that position.
Life may find better meanings and/or other relationships between
the cards and will probably be able to use this layout better.
Since each position in the tree of life may encompass several
meanings, it probably wouldn't hurt to consider all the meanings
given above for each position in the tree, for they are all valid
interpretations. For those who do not have a great deal of
knowledge about the subject, I offer the following meanings for
each position on the tree that may help you further, but by no
means does this supplement proper study of the subject (Ozaniec):
1) Kether - The Crown 6) Tiphareth - Beauty
2) Chokmah - Wisdom 7) Hod - Splendor
3) Binah - Understanding 8) Netzach - Victory
4) Geburah - Severity 9) Yesod - The Foundation
5) Chesed - Mercy 10) Malkuth - The Kingdom
Comment 3: Davis attributes this layout to Ly Warren-Clark.3.13) Tetragrammaton Spread (10+) (Peach)
Layout:
Heh Vau Heh Yod
etc. 15 14 13
12 11 10 09 08 07
06 05 04 03 02 01
Deal and Reading:
Shuffle. Have the Querent cut the deck once to the left. Have the
querent take the deck on his left and cut it again, once to the
left. Have the querent take the deck on his right and cut it
again, once to the right. Turn over the top card of each deck.
Each of the four cards will represent one of the letters of the
Tetragrammaton shown above. Read them accordingly.
the Querent card out of nor change its position in that deck.
Discard the remaining three decks. Begin dealing the cards of the
selected deck from right to left, bottom up, into rows of six,
until the deck is depleted. If the Querent card is not surrounded
on all four sides, have the reader choose one card randomly from
the discarded piles and place it such that it properly covers the
Querent card. Begin by reading the cards which surround the
Querent card.
commonly called its 'rank'). The Querent card is assigned the
value of four. Proceed by reading the card four cards away from
the querent. If you run out of cards, wrap around to the first
card dealt. After reading that card, skip the number of cards away
that the value of the current card indicates (i.e. if the current
card is the seven of wands, the next card will be the one seven
spaces away). Continue to read cards and skip in this manner unti
l
you come upon a card you have already read.
Skip values for court cards are: Page - 7, All others - 4.
Skip values for Major Arcana are:
Finally, the entire layout is read as follows. The first two
columns on the right represent past events. The middle two columns
represent events of the present. The last two columns, the future.
the Tetragrammaton is and really doesn't seem to understand its
significance. Rather than use her convoluted explanation (which
would take up a couple of pages anyway), I include two excerpts
below from Naomi Ozaniec's book for the benefit of those who have
not studied the subject.
Yod - Signifies the open hand of man. It implies power, direction,
skill, and dexterity. The open hand symbolizes beneficence,
a sign of the Supreme Spirit.
Heh - Signifies a window which permits light and two way vision.
Vau - Signifies a nail which joins things together creating union.
Grammitcally it is used like _and_ to join phrases together.
It is very close in concept to the sanskrit 'yoga' which means
union.
Heh - Represents the end result of the process.
Yod Element of Fire Primal Emanation
Heh Element of Water Transmission
Vau Element of Air Stabilization
Heh Element of Earth Consolidation
3.14) Yes or No Spread (10) (Peach)
Layout:
+-----+
5 9 |Q |
4 8 | +-----+
Q | | |
1 +--| 1 |
7 3 | |
6 2 +-----+
Card 1 partially overlaps, but does not cross, the Querent as shown
Comment 1: Peach suggests the cards be read in the following order:
1, 2&3, 6&7, 4&5, 8&9
Comment 2: Note that 'helpful' and 'adverse' influences are always
with respect to the outcome shown in card 1. Thus if the answer
comes up no, cards 2 & 3 will be aiding that outcome and not
necessarily aiding the querent.3.15) The Celtic Cross (11)
Layout:
+-----+ - Q
10 |+-----+ - 1
03 09 +----------+ - 2
06 1Q2 05 | |
04 08 +----------+
07 +-----+
Note that card 1 is placed directly on top of, and therefore
concealing, the Querent card. Also note that card 2 is placed
across (or perpendicular) and on top of card 1, as the diagram on
the right not-so-vividly demonstrates.
Ignore alterations in the dealing pattern when cross referencing
with this diagram.3.15.1) Waite's Celtic Cross
Deal: Numerically as shown.
3.15.2) Danburg's Celtic Cross
Deal: Reverse Cards 3 and 4. Reverse Cards 5 and 6.
(These are all lifted from the alt.tarot FAQ)
2. What holds the querent where they are.
3. How the querent has been thinking about the question.
4. Base of the question - why it is being asked.
5. Near future
6. Recent past
7. What the querent has to bring to the situation.
8. What the situation has to offer the querent.
9. Querent's innermost hopes and/or fears.
10. Final outcome of the situation, unless deliberately changed.3.15.3) Peach's Celtic Cross
Deal: Card 3 is in the top position. Card 4, left. Card 5, down.
Card 6, right.
Card 1 - What is on the Querent's mind.
Card 2 - Obstacles
Card 3 - Past
Card 4 - Immediate future
Card 5 - Far future
Card 6 - Present
Cards 7-10 - Same as Waite.3.15.4) Lines within the Reading
This section is taken from memory, out of a book. Unfortunately,
I can't remember where I originally saw it (sorry). If you use the
Waite method, there are four lines, or associations of cards, that
exist in this layout. Similar lines may be constructed from the
other layouts.
3.15.5) Variations and Comments.
Variation: Sometimes cards 7 thru 10 are placed on the other end
(the left side) of the cross. Again, this could alter the
Comment: I have seen a few different (and occasionally
contradicting) methods of determining whether the obstacle card
(card 2) is upright or reversed. Use your own discretion.3.16) Key Spread (11) (Efran)
Layout:
2 4 6
1 8 9 10
3 5 7 11
Row 2-4-6 and Row 3-5-7 should touch creating a stagger.
Comment 1: "Here's the Tarot layout I use, one I invented (as far
as I know). I developed the basics of the layout very soon
after I became interested in the Tarot (I didn't think much of
the standard ones), but I'm still working on it. It's not
meant to be primarily predictive. Instead, it's intended to
help the querent examine their question in a new light. (For
this reason, it's a reasonable layout for self-readings, if
you do them.) There are predictive elements, but I tend to
use them rather broadly." - Efran
least a beginner at the time) there is obviously a lot of
flexibility and room to play with. With a good interpretation
for card 11 and maybe by extending the line (section 5.2) this
could become interesting.3.17) Magic Cross Spread (Doane)
aka Christian Cross Spread (13)
Layout:
06
07
01 02 03 04 05
08
09
10
11
12
13
Deal: Numerically as shown
Left Branch: The past
Card 3: The present
Lower Branch: The future
Right Branch: Obstacles
Upper Branch: Hopes, Wishes, and Dreams.3.18) Qabalistic Cross (14) (Peach)
Layout:
08
09
10
01 02 03 Q4 05 06 07
11
12
13
Deal: Numerically as shown
It is suggested that the cards in this spread be read in the order
shown below:
Cards 13, 12, 11 - Past, with 13 being the farthest back in time
Cards 1, 2, 3 - Present
Cards 10, 9, 8 - Future, with 8 being farthest in time
Cards 5, 6, 7 - Feelings of others involved in the matter3.19) Fortune Teller's Spread (15) (Morison)
Layout:
05 04 06
14 13 15 02 01 03 11 10 12
08 07 09
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
3.20) Thoth Spread (15)
Layout:
13 09 05 04 08 12
02 01 03
14 10 06 07 11 15
Deal: Numerically as shown3.20.1) Original Thoth Spread
Reading:
Comment: This is called the Thoth Spread as it is the spread that
comes with the Thoth deck.3.20.2) Peach's Thoth Spread
Deal: Use the same deal, but add a Querent card underneat card 1.
If two cards in set 7,11,15 are Major Arcana then the progression
given in set 4,8,12 cannot be changed, otherwise the querent has
the power to alter the situation via events in set 13,9,5. If two
Major Arcana appear, set 13,9,5 indicate either how a bad outcome
can be lessened or how a good outcome may be assisted.3.21) Wish Spread (16) (Doane)
Layout:
6 5 4
3 2 1 Q 9 8 7
15 14 13
12 11 10
Q - Querent card
Deal: Select a card to represent the querent.
Shuffle and cut deck. Deal numerically as shown.
Reading:
It is suggested that this reading be used if the querent has a
specific wish that s/he would like to happen, hence the name.
Each group of three cards has its own significance
The nine of cups is often called the wish card. If this card
should turn up anywhere in the reading, except in group 7, this
would be a strong indication that some part or all of the querent's
wish will come true. The closer it appears in the above numeric
sequence, the sooner the wish will be realized. If the nine of
cups appears in group 7, this is an indication that the wish will
probably not come true; the other two cards in the group will yield
the cause. If the nine of cups does not appear, this should not be
taken as an indication of either fate, although other cards in the
reading may confirm or deny the wish.
Alternate Reading (Morison):
The following alternate reading was sent to me, but this
interpretation does not necessarily need to be associated with a
wish as above.
3.22) Grand Source Spread (21) (Cortese)
Layout:
01 02 03 08 10 12 15 16 17
Q 07 14
04 05 06 09 11 13 18 19 20
Deal: Numerically as shown
picture of the resolution to a problem in the past or future. It
affords an opportunity to examine inner and outer influences before
an action is taken, the inception or motivation of the action, the
progression of the action, the resolution, and what inner and outer
effects this will have. It may also act to highlight the process
by which a question uppermost in the querent's mind may be
answered, though it may not give the answer." - Cortese3.23) Pyramid Spread (21) (Doane)
Layout:
21
20 19
18 17 16 15
14 13 12 11 10 09
08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01
Deal: Face Down, Right to Left, Bottom upward
Reading:
card in a sequence of five, but also the first key card of the next
series of five. Thus 25 ends the second sequences and also starts
the third. The four cards to the right of a key card represent the
events previous to the time or event that the key card signifies.
Key cards always represent significant events; if a card of the
Major Arcana appears in a key location, it may mean that event is
of great significance. This is a list of the suggested time
intervals each key card represents.
from the apex down the sides, i.e. 21, 19, 15, 9 and 1. Ditto on
the left. It may sometimes be split down the middle IF the two
halves conveniently fall into 2 distinct "stories" or messages -
this happens surprisingly often. I think this spread is quite
sophisticated, and can be used for in-depth readings. (Smith)
Comment 2: Note that the time intervals given here are a
guideline. First, in the example reading given to me for this
layout and due to the nature of the question, key 4 was more
appropriately labeled the present and keys 1, 2, and 3 were in the
past. Secondly, if the matter is to be resolved in a short period
of time, the term 'Distant Future' would only be distant with
respect to the matter, but not necessarily distant with respect to
this persons life or our time frame.
Note: The card numbering for this layout was been changed. A
couple of people have sent notes stating that the original
numbering was confusing, so I abandoned the system used in the
original book and adopted a numbering more consistent with the rest
of the document. Also, now that the purpose of the layout was
explained to me, I felt it more appropriate to move the layout out
of the Simple Layouts and into the Complex ones.
3.24) Twenty-One Card Spread (21) (Morison)
Layout:
19
18 11 12 20
4
10 3 5 13
1
9 2 6 14
7
17 8 15 21
16
Deal: Numerically as shown
Reading:
3.25) Magic Mirror Spread (29) (Davis)
Layout:
09 04 14
23 19 27 Earth 20 16 24
Transformation Inspiration
08 03 13 10 05 15 06 01 11
Water Essence Air
22 18 26 21 17 25
Sacrifice Integration
07 02 12
Fire
28 and 29 are Magic Cards
In each group of three cards, the middle card is the key card. The
other two cards are used for additional insight. Suggested order
of reading is Air, Fire, Water, Earth, Essence, and then "the four
gates which are linked to the four Wiccan Sabbats".
I
only do this at Samhain because of the intensity. One could do
this reading with another person, but the process would have to be
one of giving the person ideas as to what the cards might mean and
letting her figure out how this fits into his/her life. This would
probably take even longer than usual. :-)" (Davis)
the elements and their compass positions. Not surprisingly, many
people had different associations. I assume that Davis was using
the compass points he is used to, but he may not have been. In any
case, you may find rearrangements of both the elements and that
gates that better suit your personal introspection.3.26) Timing Spread (39) (Peach)
Layout: Three Piles of cards
03 02 01
time. Stop dealing when either an ace appears or when you reach
the thirteenth card for that pile. Repeat for piles two and three.
Comment 1: This spread is intended to be used when the Querent has
a 'clearly formed' yes/no question and one which will have an
indication as to when the matter can be resolved.
period telling when the matter will be resolved, but fails to
explain how to derive it.3.27) Life Spread (50) (Doane)
Layout:
15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
14 37 23
13 36 38 24
12 /----\ 25
11 35 | 50 | 39 26
10 34 \-41-/ 40 27
09 33 32 31 30 29 28
08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01
The book which I am getting this out of shows one diagram for the
layout but then shows an actual layout with cards in a different
order. I will attempt to describe both.
places shown by cards 34 and 40 and peak at card 37. Cards 41-49
are placed in a circle surrounding card 50. Card 41 is in the
correct position; others follow clockwise.
row. Card 41 is the lowest and the cards to the side are raised
very slightly, each card going up the further out you proceed
forming a very broad V shape. Cards 35, 44, 50, 47, and 39 follow
a similar pattern but are not packed in as closely together and
raise up making a steeper V. Cards 45 and 46 lie above cards 44,
50, and 47 and about halfway up cards 35 and 39; they are centered
in their row. Cards 36 and 38 lie to the sides of cards 35 and 39
but are one row up. Essentially it looks more like a series of
cascading arches more than it does a pyramid and a circle.
Experiment with both of these for awhile and try to find something
that works. It would be difficult to show this with only text
graphics.
As the name suggests, this should be used for a general life
reading; a specific question is not required or suggested but may
be used to focus on one area of the querent's life.
activities on the physical plane. These cards reflect only
physical events and conditions; spiritual interpretations should
rarely be considered. Interpretations should be directed toward
the physical body, possessions, people, and the like.
the mental plane. Consider those interpretations dealing with
intellectual pursuits and attainment of knowledge.
activities on a spiritual level. Consider interpretations that
relate to spiritual changes and goals.
important event that occurs and affects all three planes. This
card will show the most dominant influence shaping the life of the
querent.3.28) Three Fans (54+) (Peach)
Layout:
15 14 13 12
17 16 11 10
19 18 09 08
20 07
21 11 10 09 08 07 06
22 12 06 05
23 13 05 04
24 14 07 06 05 04 03
25 15 08 04 03 02
26 16 09 03 02 01
17 10 02 01 A
11 01 B
C
This should look more like 3 fans than it does the above layout.
Also, cards should all point outward from a central point.
pile and set it aside as Pile A. Take the remaining two piles and
shuffle them. Again, deal into three piles. You should have one
extra card, set it aside. Take out the middle piles and set it
aside as Pile B. Take the remaining two piles and extra card,
shuffle and deal into three piles again. You should have two extra
cards, set them aside. Pull out the middle pile as Pile C. Take
the extra cards and extra piles and set them aside as Pile D. Deal
Piles A, B, and C into the three arches shown above.
Pile A - Querent psychological condition in present & near future.
Pile B - Querent's work or occupation and his/her thoughts of it.
Pile C - Q's material condition regarding home, health, & finance.
take Pile D and deal it out in a similar fan as the other three.
This fan may answer a specific question not answered by the fans.
the querent has no specific question to ask.3.29) Ladder Spread (78) (Peach)
Layout:
77
75 76
74 73 72
68 69 70 71
67 66 65 64 63
57 58 59 60 61 62
56 55 54 53 52 51 50 *
42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49
41 40 39 38 37 36 35 34 33
23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32
22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 12
Q 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
* - see variation below
If the card faces to the right, place it in the lower left corner
and deal as shown. If the card faces left, place it in the lower
right corner and deal each row in the opposite direction shown.
These will be the only method by which the reader can judge past,
present, and future. Clear your mind and try not focus on a 'story
line', the main idea with this spread is to look at the overall
picture. Ask the Querent not to interrupt you during the reading;
provide him/her with a pencil and paper to write down questions if
any come to mind, and ask them after the reading is over. Because
you are trying to grasp a large picture by means of a spontaneous
approach, you don't want to interrupt the flow of the reading.
Begin the reading, no order of reading the cards is specified.
Once the reading is over, the querent may ask any question, but do
not refer back to the layout for the answers; since you have seen
the overall picture (even if it lies only in your subconscious)
your answers should come out naturally. Peach puts a strong
emphasis on not thinking while analyzing the layout or while
answering questions; again the idea is to let the pattern work into
your subconscious and allow thoughts to form there.
card 50 and an arrow is drawn to indicate to continue the deal.
There is no indication as to whether this means to finish only that
row or whether to lay out the whole deck as shown above.
to what it meant by the 'five timing cards'. Each of the four aces
is assigned a season of the year as follows: Wands - Spring, Cups
- Summer, Swords - Fall, Pentacles - Winter. Other than that, use
your own discretion.
4) Astrological Layouts
While re-compiling this document for version 2.0, I noticed two
things. First, I had quite a few layouts that were based in
astrology and secondly, I was repeating quite a bit of information
between these layouts. At that point, I simply decided it was
easier to give the Astrological layouts their own section and
hopefully save a little space by not having to repeat some things.
knowledge of astrology. There is enough information presented here
that a good reader could just look at the descriptions and do the
reading. I doubt, however, that such a reading would be fully
understood on every level. Thus, I would recommend, although it is
not necessary, that you have some sort of astrological background
or do some research on the subject if you plan on using any of
these layouts.
inadequate background in astrology. The information given below is
based solely on the information given to me along with the layouts
presented in this section. If anyone who is well versed in
astrology and tarot would like to make any comments regarding the
information presented, particularly in section 4.0, they would be
greatly appreciated.4.0) Astrological Information
This section will contain some brief descriptions of astrological
symbolism that will be useful for these layouts. If you are
unfamiliar with these symbols, you may have to refer back to this
section when interpreting the layouts.4.0.1) Astrological Houses (Doane)
1st House: Physical Body, personality, interests
2nd House: Personal possessions
3rd House: Siblings, private studies, acquaintances
4th House: Environment
5th House: Pleasures, love affairs, speculation, children
6th House: Work, illness, pets
7th House: Marriage, partnerships, enemies, legal matters
8th House: Death, debts, gifts, possessions of others
9th House: Teaching, philosophy
10th House: Honor, business
11th House: Friends, hopes, wishes, and dreams
12th House: Self-ruin, enemies, obstacles4.0.2) Planetary Symbols (Doane/Peach/Davis)
4.0.3) Astrological Symbols
Aries - Querent, disposition and matter
Taurus - Financial situation
Gemini - Travel and communication
Cancer - Home life, family
Leo - Querent's pleasures
Virgo - Querent's health
Libra - Partnerships, marriage
Scorpio - Represents inheritances and deaths
Sagittarius - Philosophy, religion, education
Capricorn - Career
Aquarius - Friends
Pisces - Burdens, restrictions, fears, obstacles4.1) Planetary Spread (8) (Peach)
Layout:
04
03 05
02 Q 06
01 07
Deal: Numerically as shown
Card 1: Moon Card 2: Mercury
Card 3: Venus Card 4: Sun
Card 5: Mars - Also may represent the solution or answer to the
matter which is why it is called the reconciler.
Card 6: Jupiter Card 7: Saturn
Comment: "Cards of this spread can and ought to be paired and read
in juxtaposition, i.e., the card in the position of the Moon
should be paired with that in the position of the Sun; the
card in the position of Venus with that in the position of
Mars, and so on." - Peach4.2) Four Trines Spread (12) (Doane)
Layout: Twelve cards are displayed in a CIRCLE. In clockwise
order, starting at the left (nine o'clock) this is the numbering of
the cards: 1, 5, 9, 2, 6, 10, 3, 7, 11, 4, 8, 12.
09 02 06
05 10
01 03
12 07
08 04 11
Deal: Numerically as shown.
(trines) that work in conjunction with another.
Comment 1: Doane indicated that this layout was influenced by
astrology, although its relation to astrology is not immediately
apparent.
astrological point of view. Again comments are welcome.4.3) Twelve Houses Spread (12) (Doane)
Layout: Numbering is the same as the Four Trines Spread but uses
a diamond formation instead of a circle
02 06
09 10
05 03
01 07
12 11
08 04
Deal: Numerically as shown
the cards are read by what house they are in astrologically. House
one is in the same position as card 1, but house numbers increment
by one going in a counter-clockwise direction. Thus, House two is
in position 12, house three in position 8, and so on.
point of view. Again comments are welcome.4.4) Astrological Spread (13+) (Peach)
Layout:
Cards are arranged in a circle and point outward from the Querent
11 09
12 10 08
01 Q 07
02 04 06
03 05
Deal: Numerically as shown. The reader may, before the reading,
continue to redeal the deck in the same order (minus the
Querent position) and thus putting two cards into each slot
and providing more information regarding that aspect of the
persons life. Peach suggests dealing up to four or more into
each slot. Also, cards may be dealt in blocks of four (or
five or whatever) into each position instead of repeating the
deal four times.
Card 1: Aries Card 2: Taurus
Card 3: Gemini Card 4: Cancer
Card 5: Leo Card 6: Virgo
Card 7: Libra Card 8: Scorpio
Card 9: Sagittarius Card 10: Capricorn
Card 11: Aquarius Card 12: Pisces
4.5) Planetary Spread (14) (Davis)
14
12 13
10 09 11
08 07
05 04 06
02 03
01
Each row shown has the height of half a card length, thus the cards
look staggered.
1. Earth 2. Moon
3. Sun 4. Mercury
5. Venus 6. Mars
7. Jupiter 8. Saturn
9. Uranus 10. Neptune
11. Pluto 12 & 13. Environment
14. Divine Light...advice from Higher Power
4.6) Daily Spread (15) (Peach)
Layout:
M 8 D
9
10
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
11
12
13
M - Month Card D - Day Card
Deal: First, remove the month and day card indicated in the table
below and place them in the positions shown above. Shuffle
and cut as normal, then deal numerically as shown.
Month Card Day Card
Aries Emperor Sunday Sun
Taurus Hierophant Monday High Priestess
Gemini Lovers Tuesday Tower
Cancer Chariot Wednesday Magician
Leo Strength Thursday Wheel
Virgo Hermit Friday Empress
Scorpio Death Saturday World
Sagittarius Temperance
Capricorn Devil
Aquarius Star
Pisces Moon
Reading:
It is suggested that cards be read in the order presented below.
Comment: "This spread is particularly useful for answering specific
questions about settled future events -- like parties, for
instance, or job interviews. It is _not_ particularly useful
as a daily device to be used everyday before leaving the
house, and it should _not_ be used in that way" - Peach4.7) Sephiroth Spread (26) (Doane)
To do this spread, remove all 22 major arcana and the Ace of each
suit. These are the only 26 cards used in the reading.
Row 1: 03 18 04 17
Row 2: M C
Row 3: 02 19 | 05 16
Row 4: 20 | 06
Row 5: ASC --+-- DES 22 21
Row 6: 01 | 15
Row 7: 11 10 | 14 07
Row 8: N C
Row 9: 12 09 13 08
Row 2 begins at the same height where row 1 ends.
Row 3 begins at the midpoint of Row 2
Row 5 begins where Row 3 ends
Row 7 begins where Row 5 ends
Rows 4 and 6 lie at the midpoints of Rows 3, 5, and 7
Rows 8 and 9 are symmetrical to rows 1 and 2
Cards are paired if their sum equals 21 (i.e. 3 and 18 are paired)
Paired cards should be adjacent to each other.
Deal:
The four Aces must go in the ASC, DES, NC, and MC position.
Shuffle the four aces. Place the first Ace in the position marked
ASC and continue in a clockwise direction. (Humorous note: the
Doane/Keyes book says to shuffle and three-cut these cards as you
would the regular deck. Is there actually anybody out there who
has ever bothered three-cutting a four card deck?)
Arcana and deal as shown numerically in the above diagram.
The four aces represent the Astral Kingdoms and relate to the four
angles of the horoscope. Astrologically ASC represents ascendence
or first house and pertains to life. MC stand for Midheaven or
tenth house and pertains to honor or business. DES stands for
descendence or seventh house and pertains to love or war. NC
stands for Nadir or fourth house and relates to secrets or
outcomes. You should start your reading based on which kingdom
most closely relates to the question your querent has asked. (ie
if the querent asks about marriage, start the reading in the
descending house)
each location:
Ace | Ascendence | Midheaven | Descendence | Nadir
==============================================================
Pent | Strength | Favorable | Great | unfortunate
acle | Vigor | but req. | Strength | outcome
| Vitality | effort | |
--------------------------------------------------------------
Wands | Favorable | Great | Difficulty | struggle
| Work or | Power | caused by | or small
| Responsibility | | Difference | return
--------------------------------------------------------------
Cups | Pleasures may | Pleasure | Joy and | pleasant
| deplete | may ruin | Happiness | result
| vitality | honor | |
--------------------------------------------------------------
Swords | sickness/death | failure | disputes | favorable
| | | | outcome
--------------------------------------------------------------
Note that Asc and Des have three thrones while Mid and Nadir have
only two. When reading the Asc or Des thrones, the center throne
(1 or 6) will indicate the most important factor of that throne.
in the thrones of this kingdom indicate what conditions caused the
outcome suggested by whichever Ace appearing in that kingdom. The
kingdom opposite the Question is the opposition. It thrones detail
what opposes the querent. The kingdom immediately clockwise the
Question represent the events which will lead to the conclusion.
The kingdom counterclockwise to the Question yields the outcome of
the matter. Its thrones give more specific detail of that end.
staff will reveal why the answer was unclear.5) General Variations
This is a list of variations which can apply to many or all of the
layouts listed above.5.1) Additional Card Modifiers
Sometimes one card in a reading may be ambiguous in meaning. Some
tarot readers will often throw another card on top of an ambiguous
card in order to gain more insight into the matter. For example,
in one reading of mine, the querent was engaged and also a college
student. The Seven of Pentacles came up in the environment card,
an indication that money may be a problem. Since the querent had
to worry about both tuition money and trying to adjust to moving
out from under his parents support, it was unclear where the root
of this monetary concern was coming from. I turned the next card
in the deck over on top of the Seven of Pentacles; the card was the
Two of Cups, indicating that the marriage and moving out his own
would be the main cause of his monetary problems. I have
occasionally seen tarot readers put up to three modifier cards in
one position, so there is not a one card limit. Remember, however,
that putting too many modifiers on the board can also create more
haziness than it does clarity, so don't saturate the board either.
In short, this is something that, generally, is only used when it
is either absolutely necessary or when the reader has an instinct
that such a card will be helpful.5.2) Extending the Path
This is a modification that can be used whenever there is some sort
of sequential path or line in the reading. It is, however, very
infrequently used on non-temporal lines. Sometimes the querent (or
the reader) may wish to more information about what is to happen in
the future than what is currently displayed in the layout. To gain
more information, the temporal line may be stretched further into
the future by simply adding another card onto the layout and the
end of the current line. More than one card may be added if
desired. On the opposite end, sometimes events of the present or
future may not have obvious precursors. The temporal path may also
be extended farther into the past to help gain some insight as to
the causes of the present and/or future states.5.3) Rotating the Layout
Usually only used for unclear readings. If a particular layout is
symmetrical (like a line spread) or at least partially symmetrical
(like the Celtic Cross) you may turn the layout upside-down and
re-do the reading with the same cards. Interpretations of this
variation differ. Some readers will say that occasionally the
reader forgets to rotate the deck toward him and that reversing the
layout adjusts for this mistake. (One reader I know tends to make
a big deal about the rotation of the deck before and after the
shuffle and whether a reading is done from the perspective of the
querent or the reader since they usually sit opposite one another.)
Another account says that if you turn the layout upside-down that
you are reading the opposite outcome, so such a reading should be
negated to get the results one is actually looking for. Use your
own discretion and stick with whatever fits in with your schema.5.4) Yes/No Answer (Doane)
This is an additional variation generally only used on the line
spread. If you allow the querent to ask a yes or no question,
count each card turned upright as a vote for yes and each card
reversed count as a vote for no. The middle (or present) card's
vote gets counted twice. Interpret tie votes as you see fit.
although I doubt anybody would want to do so for some of the larger
readings like the Solar Spread. Even if a yes or no question is
not asked by the querent, some readers may do such a tally to
indicate a favorable or unfavorable outcome for the querent. It
should also be noted that many books on tarot strongly discourage
the use of tarot decks for yes/no type questions.5.5) Querent Cards
In layouts that use a Querent card, there are several ways in which
such a card may be chosen.5.5.1) Personality Traits
A third method derives from the descriptions of the court cards
themselves. All of the court cards can be used to describe a
person's personality or character. Some readers will show the
querent a list of these descriptions and allow the querent to
choose the one which s/he feels is most like him/herself. If the
reader knows the querent fairly well or personally, s/he may choose
the card for the querent.5.5.2) Astrology
One method is to use Astrological symbolism. There are several
different and varying methods that will map the twelve symbols of
the zodiac into the sixteen royalty cards. These mappings,
however, can vary from book to book and, therefore, from person to
person. If you wish to use this method, it would probably be best
to find a couple of such lists to use as a guide and then compose
your own correspondences from there.
(5.5.1). Authors will simply take the traits of the cards and the
traits of each astrological sign and pair up the ones which match
the most. Unfortunately, these matches aren't always perfect which
is why you may find different lists.5.5.3) Physical Traits
A second method used is eye/hair color. Some authors associate
each of the sixteen court cards with an eye color, a hair color,
and a gender. Simply choose the card whose attributes match those
of the querent.5.5.4) Open Deck
A similar method to the one described above works in the exact same
way, only it allows the reader to choose any card in the deck, not
just from the sixteen court cards. For example, if the querent has
a question related to his/her employment, the Eight of Pentacles
would be an appropriate Querent card. However, unless the querent
is very knowledgeable about Tarot, it is strongly discouraged to
allow him/her to choose his/her own card with this method.5.5.5) Random Selection
In the same spirit as the method described above, sometimes a
reader will simply take the top card off of the deck after the
shuffle and cut and use that as the querent card. This method may
give the reader more information about either the question that has
been put forth or the character and personality of the querent.5.5.6) No Querent
Finally, and most boring, the Querent card can simply be taken out
of the reading. Some readers feel that this actually allows for
more clarity in the reading. For example, I know a teacher and a
student who are both the Queen of Cups. If I do a reading for the
student and pull that card out of the deck as the Querent, it is
more difficult to tell when her teacher will have an influence on
the matter in question, since her (the teacher's) card can't come
up anywhere in the reading. Conversely, if I simply don't use a
querent card (or use Random Selection) and the Queen of Cups comes
up somewhere in the reading, it is a strong indication that her
teacher will be giving her guidance in the matter.
6) Rituals of Meditation
This section contains Tarot layouts which are not expressly
intended for divinatory purposes, but rather, are intended for
personal introspection and meditation. DISCLAIMER: Be forewarned
that I make no claims as to the usefulness or safety of these
layouts. Many of them require some sort of knowledge of the
magickal arts and I would definitely reccomend that, unless you are
already profecient with such practices, you discuss these
techniques with your teacher or path-shower before using them.6.1) Mandalas (Danburg-Wyld)
From the alt.tarot FAQ:
One simple technique [for tarot meditations] is to select a
card and use it as a miniature mandala. Or put out an array of
cards and do the same. Some people pick a card in the morning and
use it as a 'focus point' for the day - looking for aspects of that
cards meaning in the events that occur to them.
6.1.1) Daily Focus Point (Buckland)
With respect to a daily 'focus point', Llewellyn's Magickal
Almanac notes an old Romany tradition of starting the New Year with
The Lovers and proceeding numerically. After finishing the Major
Arcana, the next day would start with the Ace of Swords, then the
two, three, etc. up through King. Repeat with the Wands, then
Cups, and finally Pentacles. The next day would stars with the
first card of Trumps and proceed numerically. It should be noted
that there are a few differing opinions as to where the Fool (or
trump 0) should be placed when ordering the Arcana. The following
timetable would be used if placing the Fool anywhere _after_ the
Lovers on a non-leap year.
Jan 1 - The Lovers (Trump 6)
Ace of Swords: 01/18 04/06 06/23 09/09 11/18
Ace of Wands: 02/01 04/19 07/07 09/23 12/10
Ace of Cups: 02/15 05/04 07/21 10/07 12/24
Ace of Pentacles: 03/01 05/18 08/04 10/21
Magician, Trump 1: 03/15 06/01 08/18 11/04
Dec 31 - Eight of Cups
If the year is a leap year, The Ace of Pentacles will start of
February 29th instead of March 1st. Subtract one day from each
date thereafter and Dec 31 will end with the Nine of Cups.
If you choose to order your trump numerically (i.e., placing the
Fool before the magician) or in any position before the 6th Trump,
then you must subtract a day from each date starting with the Ace
of Swords on 01/18.
Finally, I have seen people use different orderings for Trump
ranking. Feel free to adjust this schedule to suit your personal
ordering schema.
6.1.2) Contemplation Ritual (Kraig)
Another simple one-card meditation works as follows:
1) Remove the 22 Major Arcana cards.
2) Perform a relaxation ritual. This is done mainly to help you
focus and such rituals are standard in any book on Golden Dawn
magick. Shuffle the deck as you feel necessary.
3) Select any one card and look at the picture on it for a length
of time. When finished contemplating the image, take a few
breaths to remain focused and relaxed.
4) Record the card name and number in a diary. Also record any
feelings, sensations, or ideas you received while focusing the
card.
6.1.3) Opening the Door (Ozaniec)
Naomi Ozaniec's book contains a number of excersizes which allow
one to gain more insight into each of the Trump cards, but very few
of them would actually qualify as meditations or rituals. Here is
one of the few exceptions described, verbatim, while explaining how
to use tarot cards as doorways.
1) Select the Trump you wish to work with. Have the relevant Trump
in front of you.
2) Enter a meditative state. Visualize the Tarot Trump clearly in
your mind.
3) Allow the image to grow so that the frame of the Trump becoms a
doorway.
4) Step into the image. Deepen your meditative state. What can
you learn from this Tarot Trump? When the meditation is
finished, step back trhough the image, reduce it toa proper
size and return all images to a passive state.
5) Record your experience straightaway.
6) Do not attempt to encounter more than one image during a single
session.
6.2) Qabalistic Cross of the Tarot Ritual (4) (Buckland)
Layout:
02 |
08 -
14 |
21 |
Trumps 2, 14, and 21 are layed upright while Trump 8 is layed on
its side (see diagram on right).
Ritual:
1) Prepare the temple. From a consecrated pack of Tarot card
containing the traditional Qabalistic symbolism, remove the
following: THE HIGH PREISTIESS, TEMPERANCE, THE UNIVERSE,
STRENGTH. Place the four trump cards upon the altar as indicated
in the diagram.
2) Take a Ritual Bath.
3) Place your right index finger above the crown of your head.
Bring your hand down as if drawing the Divine Light into your body.
Touch your forehead and intone the word, "ATAH" (ah-tah). This
means "I Am." Visualize a Bright light centered at the crown of
your head.
4) Bring your fingre down to the middle of your chest and
vibrate the name, "MALKUTH" (Mahl-kooth) which means "The Kingdom."
After touching your chest, draw the hand down to the level of the
groin and point toward the floor. Imagine a shaft of white light
extending from the top of your hand down to your feet and ankles.
Concentrate for a minute on the white pillar of light stretching
from Kether to Malkuth.
5) Touch your right shoulder and intone the name, "VE-GEBURAH"
(V'-geh-boo-rah) which means "And the Power." See another point of
white lightbeginning at your shoulder.
6) Bring your index finger directly across your body to the
left shoulder. Vibrate the name, "VE-GEDULAH" (V'-geh-doo-lah),
which means, "And the Glory." See a rilliant white shaft of light
perpendicular to the first one which connects both shoulders.
7) Put both hands out in front of you and clasp them together
as if praying. Then bring the clasped hands close to your body and
position them striaght up, just in front of your heart. Intone
"LE-OLAHM, AMEN" (lay-oh-lahm, Ah-men), which means "Forever, Unto
the Ages." Visualize a complete cross of light formed within
yourself, which consecrates the temple of the body through the
power of the Divine Names.
Once you have established the Qabalistic Cross you may
initiate the Cross of the Tarot. However the image of the Cross of
Light must remain firmly fixed in your mind. With your index
finger tough the four points on your body a second time, and repeat
the names from ATAH through VE-GEDULAH, but add the following
visualizations:
8) At the crown of your head, imagine a brilliant spiral shape
contained within the point of light at KETHER. This is the symbol
of the First Whirlings. [ed - there is a small picture of a sprial
making nearly two full rotations.]
9) At the bottom of the first shaft of light, visualize the
symbol of the cross within a circle. See this sigil at your feet
in black. This represents MALKUTH, the manifested kingdom. [ed -
picture of an 'X' circumscribed in a circle.]
10) At your right shoulder, see the red symbol of Mars flaming
within the white shaft of Light. This symbol alludes to GEBURAH,
the Sphere of Severity. [ed - picture of of Mars, more commonly
known as the symbol for male, or a circle with an arrow pointing to
the NW.]
11) At your left shoulder, picture within the point of light,
the blue sigil of Jupiter. This suggests CHESED, the Sephirah of
Mercy. [ed - picture of Jupiter. Looks like the number 2 with a
line going through and perpendicular to the line at the bottom of
the 2.]
12) Now return to the complete image of the Cross within your
body. Vibrate thename of the Hebrew letter "GIMEL" (Gee-mahl).
See the first shaft of it from Kether begin to change to the color
blue. The blue light descends from your head to the area of your
heart and stops there. Concentrate your thoughts on the image of
THE HIGH PREISTIESS from the second Key of the Tarot. The High
Priestess controls the flow of Divine Power from its eternal Source
in Kether to the rest of the temple (you -- as a reflection of the
Tree of life). Through her you experience all spiritual events.
She controls and regulates all life, and she connects that which is
above to that which is below. Contemplate her image for a few
moments.
13) Intone the name of the Hebrew letter "SAMEKH" (Sahm-ehk).
The shaft of light turns brillant blue from your heat down to your
groin area. Visualize the figure of TEMPERANCE from the 14th Key
of the Tarot. The feminine, angleic form of TEMPERANCE blends the
opposing elemnts of Fire and Water, Sun and Moon, Intellect and
Emotion, Force and Form. She harmonizes these contradictory
elements of your personality into a mixture of perfect balance,
clearing the way for real spiritual growth to take place. Meditate
upon this image for a short period of time.
14) Vibrate the name of the Hebrew letter "TAU" (Taw). The
shaft of light leading from your groin to your feet turns indigo or
violet-blue in color. Imagine the female figure from THE UNIVERSE,
the 21st Key of the Tarot. The form of the Dancing Goddess gives
final form to the Manifest Universe. She is the womb of Heaven,
giving birth to the signs of the Zodiac, the Planets and the
Elements. She is the copletion of the Grand Design in the Mind of
the Eternal. Take time to mediate upon this image.
15) Vibrate the name of the Hebrew letter "TETH" (Tayth).
Envision the second shaft of white light which connects the two
shoulders begin to turn bright yellow, starting at Geburah.
Imagine the woman from STRENGTH, the eighth Key of the Tarot. She
holds the fierce and mighty lion under perfect control through the
power of her Will. She has tamed the raw, fiery energy of the
beast and transformed it by discipline. The strength generated
from passion and intellect working together under will is
tremendous. Feel the sense of inner strength given off by this
image.
16) Repeat once more the words "LE-OLAHM, AMEN" while making
the appropriate gestures. Visualize the complete Cross for the
final time in glowing white light.
Thus ends the ritual.
6.3) Suit and Function Meditation (14) (Ozaniec)
Layout:
10 01
09 02
08 K Q N P 03
07 04
06 05
Cards 1 - 10 are arranged in a circle, each cards top pointing
outward from the circle. In the center are the King, Queen,
Knight, and Page of the suit. Note that Ozaniec calls them the
King, Queen, Price, and Princess respectively.
Deal: Each of the four minor suits is ascribed with a function:
Swords - Function of Thinking
Cups - Function of Feeling
Wands - Function of Intuition
Pentacles - Function of Sensation
Choose a function which you would to personaly develop and
deal the fourteen cards of that suit as shown above and enter
a meditative state
Ritual: (verbatim)
Find yourself standing in an antechamber within a castle. You
wait. Ahead of you a pair of great double doors are closed.
Beside the doorway you see a bell. You move forward and ring the
bell. A deep note rings out. You stand back. The doors swing
open slowly. You enter and find that you stand in a Great Hall.
At the far end seated on a long low dais you see four crowned
figures. Here are the King, Queen, the Prince and the Princess.
An unseen voice rings out, 'Welcome to the Elemental Court'. You
move forward further into the hall. A fanfare rings out. 'Let the
Elemental Powers step forward.' Now from behind the dais a
character dressed plainly comes to meet you. The character carries
the Ace of the elemental suit and shows it to you. You meditate on
it. The character returns. A new figure appears bearing the Two
of the suit. In this way each character appears before you,
bearing the appropriate Tarot card. The characters appear from the
direction that you have prepared in your spread. When the bearer
of the tenth card has returned, spend a few moments in the quiet
meditation before moving on to the next phase.
When you are ready, approach the dais where the Elemental
Court sit.
Face the King and pose the question, 'What must I do to awaken
the function of ...?'
Face the Queen and pose the quesiton, 'What must I do to
develop the function of ...?'
Face the Prince and pose the question, 'What must I do to
sustain the function of ...?'
Face the Princess and pose the question, 'What must I do to
express the function of ...?'
Each question presents an opportunity for personal
realization. Meditate on all that has transpired. Offer thanks
for what has taken place. Close the meditation.
Write your experiences up straightaway.
The work does not finish when the meditation closes. The
impetus is transformed from the private interior experience into
daily life and ordinary interactin. Become aware of the
repercussions and effects of your work, recording the perceived
results inyour diary. These results may in turn become the subject
for further reflection. The process becomes self-perpetuating.
Initiaion is a cycle.
[paragraph deleted]
Each of the Tarot suits may be used in the same way. We may
safely explore and enrich these basic functions within ourselves.
Do not hurry such work. It is important to allow alleffects to be
integrated into life. The four elemental initiations could be
spread throught the space of a year.
6.4) Figure of Eight (22) (Cannon)
Layout:
04 05
03 06
02 07
01 08
00 09
XXX - Cards 10 and 21 should cross
11 20 each other on the XXX
12 19
13 18
14 17
15 16
Deal: Deal the 22 Major Arcana cards into the positions shown
that the first loop of 10 cards (Fool-Hermit) are all facing
outwards from the loop, yet by an Escheresque twist of orientation,
the second 10 cards (Strength - Judgement) are all facing inwards.
Significant, huh?
better described as "make a cup of tea and ponder a bit" but you
should see the whole story of the trumps click into place before
you. Light candles, etc., if that's what you like.
phase of the Fool's progress and similarly the second loop the
"spiritual" phase. If there was ever a more graphic illustration of
the continuity of existence I'd like to see it. Now, if you have
laid out your cards carefully and evenly, you should be able to
ponder the relationships between the opposite pairs of cards in the
two loops, e.g the Pope (5) vs. The Devil(15), or the Chariot (7)
vs. Death (13).
a pack in front of me right now to test the layout!6.5) Square-Triangle Layout (78) (Cannon)
Layout:
+------+
| /\ |
| / \ |
|======|
+------+
Deal: Set out the 21 numbered trumps in an equilateral triangle, 7
cards per side, with the Fool in the middle. Outside this, lay
out the minor cards in a square, four sides each of 14 cards.
Or you can put the square inside the triangle, whichever you
prefer.
lifted from Andrew's e-mail]
domain of the minors, or the spiritual progression domain of the
majors. He can't experience both, because he is constrained within
the two-dimensional world of the cards he inhabits and one of the
domains is always obscured from him by the other.
somehow rise along a dimension or degree of freedom supplemental to
those in which he normally operates. Alternatively, he must
displace himself from the centre of his universe by some kind of
leap.
the square and triangle can be considered as "philosophical
machines" and it can all get a bit serious.
7) Miscellaneous Stuff
7.1) Divination with a normal deck of playing cards (Vienneau)
The following is a near verbatim copy (spell check changes only) of
Viennau's post to alt.divination describing the meaning of each of
the cards in a regular playing deck when used for fortune-telling.
King- a fair-haired man, affectionate and generous but impetuous
Queen- a fair-haired woman, trustworthy
Jack- a fair-haired young person, a good friend
10- good fortune, happiness
9- the "wish" card; desires come true
8- invitations, but also partings
7- someone is unreliable
6- unexpected good fortune; generosity
5- jealousy, indecision
4- changes, possibly travel or postponements
3- need for caution
2- success, friendship
King- dark-haired man, ambitious, usually successful
Queen- dark-haired woman, can be seductive or unscrupulous
Jack- dark-haired young person, a well-meaning person
10- worry
9- bad luck, can mean delays or quarrels
8- disappointments and opposition
7- a warning against possible loss of friendship
6- an improvement in the person's life
5- anxiety, setbacks, interferences
4- jealousy, business troubles
3- partings, possible due to faithlessness
2- scandal, gossip, danger of deceit
King- fair-haired man, stubborn and powerful
Queen- fair-haired woman, flirtatious, sophisticated, witty
Jack- a relative, someone not quite reliable
10- journey, changes, usually bringing wealth
9- opportunities and surprises, usually financial
8- late marriage or new relationship; unexpected money
7- a gift
6- a reconciliation; a warning against a possible second marriage
5- successful meetings, particularly in business
4- an inheritance, a change for the better
3- legal or domestic battles
2- a love affair becomes more important than hitherto
King- a dark-haired man, honest, open
Queen- a dark-haired woman, string-minded, helpful, attractive
Jack- a reliable friend
10- money from an unexpected source, good luck or gift
9- a new romance
8- opposition, danger or recklessness
7- prosperity, though a danger of romantic interference
6- business success
5- help from a friend or spouse
4- bad changes or alliance
3- good marriage or alliance
2- disappointment and opposition
2. fair or grey haired woman over 40..... Queen of Diamonds
3. fair-haired young man ................ King of Hearts
4. fair-haired young woman .............. Queen of Hearts
5. dark-haired man over 40............... King of Spades
6. dark-haired woman over 40............. Queen of Spades
7. dark-haired young man................. King of Clubs
8. dark-haired young woman............... Queen of Clubs7.2) Timing Information (Morison)
7.2.1) Seasonal Timing
Suits:
Wands, Spring
Cups, Summer
Swords, Fall
Pentacles, Winter
Ranks:
Aces - Week at the beginning of the season.
Kings - The matter was completed last year at this time.
Queens - The matter was completed last season.
e.g. - Ace of Wands would be the first week of the Spring Equinox
7.2.2) Stages Method
Aces - The beginning of a situation.
Twos - Direction the matter will take. May be a 1st meeting point.
Threes - The point at which details grow and the matter solidifies.
Fours - Foundation has begun. Roots are put down in order to build.
Fives - The first challenge or glitch in the situation.
Sixes - Issue changes & grows;If it stagnates, it will not continue
Sevens - Variety added, Scope of the idea/project may be expanded.
Eights - Evaluation period. People & ideas may be put to the test.
Nines - Moving forward. The issue is nearly completed.
Tens - Completion of the cycle, project, or issue.
Pages - Signify risks and messages.
Knights - Indicate movement and direction.
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
8) References and Thanks
Biggs, Catherine, e-mail 9/19/95.
(c4winds@teleport.com, listed as Clan of the Four Winds)
Buckland, Raymond (editor), _Llewellyn's 1992 Magickal Almanac_.
Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota. 1991.
(A loan from Monica Withee.)
Cannon, Andrew, private E-mail. August 29, 1995.
(Andrew was kind enough to mail me two layouts that he had taken
off of alt.tarot.)
Carr-Gomm, Philip and Stehpanie, _The Druid Animal Oracle_. Simon
& Schuster Inc., New York. 1994.
(This books comes with the Druid Animal tarot deck, loaned to me by
a friend, Monica Withee.)
Cranmer, Steve, e-mail 06/07/1995.
(cranmer@brivs2.bartol.udel.edu)
(After posting Version 1.0, Steve was kind enough to send me his
personal collection of layouts that he has collected off the net
for a few years. Although he is not credited anywhere above, I owe
a good portion of this FAQ to him.)
Cortese, Janis Maria C. C., newsgroup posting. 9/2/1993.
(cortese@netcom.com)
(Originally forwarded to me by Cranmer. Janis was kind enough to
return my e-mail to her and lend a bit more information to me. She
is also the woman who very courteously offered to lend me part of
her web page as home for this document.)
Danburg-Wyld, Mark, Tarot.FAQ (v. 1.1). 10/22/1993.
(danburg@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu)
Davis-Howe, Bran A., newsgroup posting. 2/18/1992.
(formerly at ba@mrcnext.cso.uiuc.edu)
(Forwarded to me by Cranmer)
Doane, Doris Chase and King Keyes, _How to Read Tarot Cards_.
Harper & Row Publishers, New York. 1971.
(Not a very good book, IMHO. Somewhat strict about how things
should be done and interpreted, but it does contain twelve
different layouts.)
Douglas, Alfred, _Tarot, The_. Arkana, 1991. (ISBN 0-14-019239-5)
(This reference was sent to me by Andrew Cannon, although I don't
recall what for.)
Efran, Daniel S., newsgroup posting. 2/16/1992.
(formerly at d30t+@andrew.cmu.edu)
(Forwarded to me by Cranmer)
Gettings, Fred, _Tarot - How to Read the Future_. Chancellor Press
Ltd., U.K. 1993. (ISBN 1-85152-251-4)
(Another unknown reference from Andrew Cannon.)
Graham, Sarena.
(graham@ionet.net)
(maintains web site containing this document)
Kaplan, Stuart, _Tarot Classic_. Proper cite forthcoming.
(The e-mail that Jose Soto sent me was translated from Spanish.
Until I can get my hands on this book, I won't know if it was
originally done in Spanish or if its a translation from English.)
King, D. T.
(dtking@iii.net)
(maintains web site containing this document)
Kraig, Donald Michael, _Modern Magick Eleven Lessons in the High
Magickal Arts_. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota.
1994.
(Another loan from Ms. Withee)
Lord, Paul, newsgroup posting. 2/18/1992.
(formerly at plord@HUB.CS.JMU.EDU)
(Forwarded to me by Cranmer)
Morison, Helen, e-mail. 1/5/96.
(last known at gmorison@ix.netcom.com)
(Helen sent me an e-mail which I just sort of glanced at and
blindly threw in with my to-be-sorted stuff. After finally
_looking_ at it, there was a plethora of information it, including
some stuff I had been specifically looking for. Major thanks to
you Helen.)
Ozaniec, Naomi, _The Element Tarot Handbook. Initiation Into the
Key Elements of the Tarot_. Element Books Limited,
Shaftesbury, Dorset. 1994.
(Only a few mediational layouts in this book, but other than
astrology it contains EVERYTHING you could possibly need to know
about interpreting the tarot. If your serious about learning tarot
outside the realms of divination, this is a GREAT book to get.)
Peach, Emily, _The Tarot Workbook_. Sterling Publishing Co.,
Inc., New York, New York. 1984
(A fair mixing divination and Qabalistic symbolism.)
Philpott, Tammie.
(philpott@egr.msu.edu)
(maintains web site containing this document)
Reed, Ellen Cannon, _The Witches Tarot_. Proper cite forthcoming.
Silbury, Tira, _Sacred Marriage, The_ Honoring the God and Goddess
Within Each Other._ Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul,
Minnesota. 1994.
(Another loan from Ms. Withee)
Smith, Alison, private E-mail sent by her son. 10/2/1995.
(tsmith@ddjhb.didata.co.za)
Soto, Jose C. Cabezas, private E-mail. 1/24/1996.
(josec@bipv02.bi.ehu.es)
Vienneau, Wade Devin, newsgroup posting. 6/21/1992.
(gmvsw@academic.stu.StThomasU.ca)
Waite, Arthur Edward, _The Pictorial Key to the Tarot_. Citadel
Press, New York, New York. 1993.
(If you own the Rider-Waite deck from U.S. Games, you already have
most of this, but there is still some useful information in here
and I definitely recommend it if you plan on using a Waite deck
regularly.)
Withee, Monica, friend.
(Monica was kind enough to loan me a few books out of her library
on the magickal arts which contained tarot layouts in them.)
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
9) History of this document
6/06/95 - Version 1.0
A very rough draft as a favor for a peer on alt.divination.
Contained Five Card, Line, Yes or No, Magic Seven, Celtic Cross,
Tree of Life, Four Trines, Twelve Houses, Magic Cross, Wish,
Pyramid, Three Sevens, Sephiroth, Thirty-Six, Solar, and Life
Spreads. Also contained Card Modifiers, Line Extensions, Layout
Rotation, and Yes/No general modifiers (Section 4, now Section 5).
Released to the public domain.
6/10/95 - Version 1.1
Minor formatting changes, including a grammar check.
Included cites with each entry.
Addition of Four Seasons, Amanda's Fan, Key, Planetary
(Davis), Thoth, Grand Source, and Magic Mirror Spreads.
Information added to Magic Seven and Tree of Life Spreads.
Never publicly released. Used mainly as a draft for v2.0
7/01/95 - Version 2.0
First version to state copyright.
Division of groups into simple, complex, and astrological.
Bibliography more 'thorough'.
Size of document required changing from text to WP5.1 format
(available from me upon request)
Three-Sevens Spread changed to Romany Spread
Addition of Astrological Information section.
Addition of Playing Deck, Waite, Tetragrammaton, Yes or No,
Qabalistic Cross, Sixteen Card, Timing, Three Fans,
Ladder, Astrological, Planetary (Peach), and Daily
Spreads.
Information added to Four Seasons, Celtic Cross, Romany, Tree
of Life Spreads.
Addition of Querent Card Variations added with Personality,
Astrological, Physical, Open Deck, Random, and No Querent
variations.
Addition of Miscellaneous Information with playing card
variation only.
Addition of FAQ History.
9/17/95 - Version 2.1
Thoth and Sixteen Card Spreads combined into one section.
Addition of Mediational Layout Section
Addition of Awen Spread, Spread of the Elements, Spirits of
the Circle, Hearth, Arianrhod, Split Hexagram, and Soul
Dreamers Spread.
Addition of Madalas, Daily Focus Point, Contemplation Ritual,
Open the Door, Qabalistic Cross Ritual, Suit/Function
Meditation, Figure of Eight, and Square-Triangle Layout
3/25/96 - Version 3.0
FAQ split into parts due to size.
Information added to preamble of FAQ including: change in
copyright notice, snail mail address, information on
obtaining hard copies.
Information added to section 0.
Information added to Wish Spread.
Pyramid Spread removed from Simple Spreads and added to
Complex Spread. Information was also added to layout.
Addition of Name, Action, Spiral, Fortune Teller's and Twenty-
One Card Spreads
?/??/?? - Version 3.1
I still haven't decided how to add that third Ozaniec layout.
It is actually a multi-part layout and crosses somewhat into
the realm of meditation, so its going to be a pain to
implement. In any even, I WILL put it in the next FAQ, even
if I'm not happy with the results.
I went into Bookstop last week and notice a new and wonderful
book called Classic Tarot Layouts. Unfortunately, I didn't
have any money at the time, but I plan on picking it up when
I get my next paycheck. I also forgot to catch the author's
name, but its something for all of you to look for next time
you're out at the mall or whatever.
