Tarot.Layouts.REF - complete version Reference Guide about Tarot Layouts Version 4.0.0 - 07/01/1996 Compiled by David C. Jones (djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu) Copyright, 1996, David Clark Jones. Please see the table of contents for the location of the full listing of the copyright notice. "When we lay out the Tarot in the Spirit of Wisdom, we objectify the subjective, make the invisible visible and provide form for the formless. The Tarot exteriorizes the interior life, it reveals the inner life like disclosing fluid." -- Naomi Ozaneic, _The Element Tarot Handbook_ Table of Contents ================= 1) The Layouts 1.1) Action Spread (#5, C2) *1.2) Eliphas Levi Wheel Spread (#5, C3, X) 1.3) The Line Spread (#5, C1, L) 1.4) Spread of the Elements (#5, C2) *1.5) Chakra Spread (#7, C3, X) 1.6) Magic Seven Spread (#7, C4) 1.7) Soul Dreamers Spread (#7, C4, SX) 1.8) Spirits of the Circle Spread (#7, C4) 1.9) Split Hexagram Spread (#7, C4) 1.10) Four Seasons Spread (#8, C5, S) 1.11) Hearth Spread (#8, C2) 1.12) Planetary Spread (#8, C3, A) 1.13) Amanda's Fan (#9, C3) 1.14) Arianrhod Spread (#9, C4, 1year) 1.15) Awen Spread (#9, C2, L) *1.16) Mandala/Alchemical Spread (#9/13, C3/4) 1.17) Spiral Layout (#10, C1) 1.18) Tree of Life Spread 1.18.1) Davis' Tree of Life (#10, C5, X) 1.18.2) Doane's Tree of Life (#10, C6, X) 1.18.3) Peach's Tree of Life (#78, C7, X) 1.18.4) Comments and Variations *1.19) Trinity Spread (#10, C3, L) 1.20) Yes or No Spread (#10, C2, Y) 1.21) The Celtic Cross 1.21.1) Waite's Celtic Cross (#11, C4) 1.21.2) Danburg's Celtic Cross (#11, C4) 1.21.3) Peach's Celtic Cross (#11, C4) 1.21.4) Lines within the Reading (C7) 1.21.5) Variations and Comments. *1.22) Cup of Relationships Spread (#11, C4, S) 1.23) Key Spread (#11, C4) 1.24) Four Trines Spread (#12, C5, A) +1.25) Twelve Houses Spread (#12, C5, A) +1.26) Astrological Spread (#13V, C4, A) 1.27) Magic Cross Spread (#13, C3) aka Christian Cross Spread 1.28) Planetary Spread (#14, C4, A) 1.29) Qabalistic Cross (#14, C3) 1.30) Daily Spread (#15, C4, 1day) 1.31) Fortune Teller's Spread (#15, C3) 1.32) Thoth Spread 1.32.1) Original Thoth Spread (#15, C4) 1.32.2) Peach's Thoth Spread (#16, C4) 1.33) Wish Spread (#16, C4, S) 1.34) Grand Source Spread (#21, C6) 1.35) Playing Deck Spread (#21, C3, L) 1.36) Pyramid Spread (#21, C4) 1.37) Romany Spread (#21, C2, L) 1.38) Twenty-One Card Spread (21, C6) 1.39) Sephiroth Spread (#26, C9, A) *1.40) Triangular Spread (#28, C8) 1.41) Magic Mirror Spread (#29, C5, S) 1.42) Spread of Thirty-Six (#36, C4, L) *1.43) Story Spread (#45, C7) 1.44) Solar Spread (#49, C5, LA) 1.45) Life Spread (#50, C9) 1.46) Three Fans (#54/78, C9) 1.47) Ladder Spread (#78, C9) 1.48) The Waite Spreads (#43/78, C9, L) 1.48.1) The Forty-Three Card Layout (#43, C9, L) 1.48.2) The Thirty-Five Card Layout (#35, C5, L) *1.49) Geomancy Spread. (#V, C9, AX) 1.50) Name Layout (#V, C3, L) 1.51) Tetragrammaton Spread (#V, C7, LX) 1.52) Timing Spread (#V, C2, Y) 2) Layout Modifiers 2.1) Additional Card Modifiers 2.2) Extending the Path 2.3) Rotating the Layout 2.4) Yes/No Answer 2.5) Querent Cards 2.5.1) Personality Traits 2.5.2) Astrology 2.5.3) Physical Traits 2.5.4) Open Deck 2.5.5) Random Selection 2.5.6) No Querent *2.6) Ateration of the Elements *2.7) Multi-line Associations 3) Useful Information 3.1) Astrological Houses 3.2) Planetary Symbols 3.3) Astrological Symbols 3.4) Divination w/ normal deck of playing cards 3.5) Timing Information *3.6) Astrological House Numbering *3.7) The Four Elements and the Tarot A Lesson in Relationships between Cards 3.7.1) Stage One: Traditional Method 3.7.2) Stage Two: Elemental Rules 3.7.3) Stage Three: Positions 4) Rituals of Meditation 4.1) Mandalas 4.1.1) Daily Focus Point 4.1.2) Contemplation Ritual 4.1.3) Opening the Door 4.2) Qabalistic Cross of the Tarot Ritual (4) 4.3) Suit and Function Meditation (14) 4.4) Figure of Eight (22) 4.5) Square-Triangle Layout (78) 5) Useless Information 5.1) Copyright Notice 5.2) Where to find this document 5.3) Administrativia 5.4) Who am I and how this list got started 5.5) Really Useless Information *5.6) How to Use this Document. 5.6.1) If you are new to tarot.... 5.6.2) If you are new to this document.... 5.6.3) Supplements and version numbers 5.6.4) Paradigm Spread 5.6.5) Maps and Legends 6) References and Thanks 7) History of this document A - Astrological Spreads. L - Line Spreads. S - Specific Question Spreads. X - Cross Subjects. Y - Yes/No Spreads. + indicates new information was added to this section since v3.0.1 * indicates a totally new section in this FAQ since v3.0.1 - indicates that part or all of this section was removed and/or incorporated elsewhere =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1) The Layouts 1.1) Action Spread (#5, C2) (Morison) Layout: 1 5 2 4 3 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Card 1: The question itself, important aspects of the question. Card 2: Past Events. Card 3: How the querent has reacted to the matter or character strength which are more relevant to the matter. Card 4: Environment Card 5: Solution to problem. 1.2) Eliphas Levi Wheel Spread (#5, C3, X) (Guiley) Layout: 1 | 4--5--2 | 3 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Card 1 - Present situation Card 2 - Waning influences. Obstacles already overcome. Changes which have occured in the past. Card 3 - Hidden or unconscious influences Card 4 - Emerging influences. Card 5 - Synthesis. Draws together the other four influences. Comments: The layout is so named because it is based upon the Eliphas Levi Wheel, a version of which is seen on Trump 10 in the Rider-Waite deck; Levi did not invent this layout. Levi's Wheel assigned letters of the Tetragramaton (Yod, He, Vau, He, respectively) to each of the four positions shown above. Levi's wheel also offers some additional interpretations of the four tarot suits, the four ranks of court cards, and the meaning of the letters T, O, R, and A. For further information, consult some of his works on the subject. 1.3) The Line Spread (#5, C1, L) Layout: 5 4 3 2 1 Deal: Right to Left Reading: Cards 4 and 5 represent the future Card 3 represents the prenysent Cards 1 and 2 represent the past Variation: A simple, and very commonly used, variation of the Five 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. 1.4) Spread of the Elements (#5, C2) (Carr-Gomm) Layout: N W Q E S Deal: Querent, East, South, West, North Reading: Use to gain insight into aspects of the self which need balancing or development. Card Q: Querent East: Intellectual or Mental Life South: Sensual and/or Instinctual Life West: Emotional Life North: Intuitive and/or Spiritual Life 1.5) Chakra Spread (#7, C3, X) (Guiley) Layout/Deal: Using only the major arcana, deal seven cards upward forming a single vertical line. Reading: Each card corresponds to one of the seven chakras of the body. Proper study of the subject would be advised when using this layout and the list below is intended only as a reference guide extracted from Guiley's book. Interpretations of each position may vary depending upon your learnings. Card 1 - Root Chakra. Self-preservation and instincts. Card 2 - Sacral Chakra. Sexuality. Card 3 - Solar Plexus. Emotions. Card 4 - Heart Chakra. Higher consciousness, unconditional love. Card 5 - Throat Chakra. Creativity and self expression Card 6 - Brow Chakra. Psychic abilities, spiritual enlightenment. Card 7 - Crown Chakra. Individual level of conscious evoluion. 1.6) Magic Seven Spread (#7, C4) (Doane) Layout: 1 / \ 5---/-----\---6 \ / \ / X 7 X / \ / \ 3---\-----/---2 \ / 4 Deal: Numerically as shown above. Reading: Card 1: Past event leading up to the present state Card 2: The present state Card 3: Immediate future Card 4: Suggested Solution, what the querent should do to obtain more control over the current situation Card 5: The current environment and/or its affect on the matter Card 6: Opposition Card 7: Result 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) 1.7) Soul Dreamers Spread (#7, C4, SX) (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 Reading: This reading is intended to help one understand a dream's message or meaning. Card 1 - Key. Choose a card the represents the dream situation or your feelings about the dream. Card 2 - Dream Situation. Tells something about the dream's events, such as when where, how, and why. Card 3 - Energy Within. Primary energy of the dream. Card 4 - Conscious Meaning. What the dream means to you in 'walking life.' Card 5 - Subconscious Meaning. What the dream means to you on an inner psychic level. Card 6 - Serpent Energy. When energy is needed to cause the dream to manifest physically, if you desire, or to solve the dream's dilemma. Card 7 - Outcome. How the dream will manifest and its effects. 1.8) Spirits of the Circle Spread (#7, C4) (Carr-Gomm) Layout: 2 7 4 1 5 6 3 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Card 1: Querent Card 2: Spirit of the Ancestors - influence of family elders Card 3: Spirit of the Tribe - influence of culture Card 4: Spirit of Time Card 5: Spirit of Place - influence of birthplace and residence Card 6: Spirit of the Journey - influence of previous lives card 7: Awen - gifts/blessings/graces of the gods or nature 1.9) Split Hexagram Spread (#7, C4) (Kraig) Layout: 1---2 \ / 3 7 6 / \ 4---5 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Cards 1 & 2: Unknown spiritual influences. Card 1 will have a stronger affect than Card 2 Card 3: Spiritual advice for the matter Card 4: Unconscious desires Card 5: Conscious desires Card 6: Practical advice Card 7: Final outcome if you proceed with matter at this time. 1.10) Four Seasons Spread (#8, C5, S) (Cortese/Reed) Layout: 3 4 6 1 5 2 8 7 Deal: Numerically as shown. Reading: Card 1: Dominant for Spring, symbolizing the conception or initiation of an action or ambition, the planting of the seed, so to speak. The modifier for spring is card 8. Card 2: Modifier for Card 3. Card 3: Dominant for Summer, symbolizing the progression of a plan, the way in which an idea will flower. The modifier for summer is card 2. Card 4: Modifier for Card 5. Card 5: Dominant for Autumn, symbolizing the resolution of the plan, how events will "wind themselves up." The modifier for autumn is card 4. Card 6: Modifier for Card 7. Card 7: Dominant for Winter, symbolizing the period of reflection after an action or plan has been completed, or what the querent may wish to learn from the progression of events. The modifier for winter is card 6. Card 8: Modifier for Card 1. 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 Comment 2: Cortese obtained this spread from Ellen Cannon Reed's _The Witches Tarot_. 1.11) Hearth Spread (#8, C2) (Carr-Gomm) Layout: 8 7 1 2 6 5 3 4 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Cards 1 & 2: East - Perceived - way querent perceives the issue Cards 3 & 4: South - Observed - way others perceive the issue Cards 5 & 6: West - Desired - way querent wishes issue to be Cards 7 & 8: North - Potential - way issue could be Variation: Meanings may vary with individual interpretations of the four directions. 1.12) Planetary Spread (#8, C3, A) (Peach) Layout: 04 03 05 02 Q 06 01 07 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: 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." - Peach 1.13) Amanda's Fan (#9, C3) (Davis) Layout: 4 3 5 6 7 8 1 9 Card 2 is laid across Card 1 as in a Celtic Cross Cards 3-7 are an arch above the line of cards shown; it should look like a fan Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: 1. Questioner 2. Crossing 3. Foundation 4. Past 5. Present 6. Future 7. Outcome 8. Inner Influences 9. Outer Influences Comment 1: Named after the person Davis was talking to when developed. Comment 2: "This is obviously based on the Celtic Cross and Sword; it was developed because we were both dissatisfied with the Celtic Cross--it just didn't *flow* logically. So I reworked it." (Davis) 1.14) Arianrhod Spread (#9, C4, 1year) (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 Reading: Position two represents the beginning of the Druid New Year, also known as Samhuinn, 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. Lines 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. 1.15) Awen Spread (#9, C2, L) (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 Reading: The three columns (C1 - C3) represent the past, present, and future, respectively. In each row, cards are interpreted as follows: Row 1: Cause, dynamic, impulse, guiding idea, or motive being 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. 1.16) Mandala/Alchemical Spread (#9/13, C3/4) (Guiley) Layout: 10 11 09 08 02 07 01 03 06 04 05 13 12 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Card 1 - The Self. Card 2 - Desires. Card 3 - Dreams. What we want to achieve. Card 4 - Pursuits. What we actively try to achieve. Card 5 - Attachements. Pursuits which hold us back from achieving our dreams. For example, many people dream of happiness but pursuit money thinking it will make them happy. However, it is the worry about money, not the lack of it, which actually prevents happiness. Card 6 - Qualities. Good aspects about the querent. Card 7 - Sorrows. Faults of the querent which need improving. Card 8 - Self-Image. How the querent views him/herself. Card 9 - Soul's Urge. One's true purpose and desitiny. Card 10 - Earth. Darkness, mystery, and the unknown. Card 11 - Air. Spiritual illumination and enlightenment. Card 12 - Fire. Intellect, rational thought, will. Card 13 - Water. Creativity and emotions. Variations: Doing the reading with only the first nine cards is called the Mandala Spread. Adding the four elemental cards is the Alchemical spread. 1.17) Spiral Layout (#10, C1) (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: Q: The Querent 1: Foundation: What the querent's current situation is built on. 2: Past Actions: Actions that the querent has taken in the past that have contributed to the current situation. 3: Past Emotions: The querent's emotional status in the past 4: Past Outside Influences: Other peoples actions/emotions that have affected the querent's situation. 5: Current Position: Where the querent stands now in relationship to the situation. 6: Future Outside Influences: Others actions/emotions that will affect the querent. 7: Future Emotions: Emotions the querent should watch out for in the future. 8: Future Actions: Actions that the querent may take in the future. 9: Outcome: The foreseen outcome of the situation. 1.18) Tree of Life Spread Layout: / 1 \ / | \ 3----+----2 | \ | / | 5--\-+-/--4 |\ \|/ /| | \ 6 / | | / | \ | 7----+----8 \ | / \ 9 / | 10 Deal: Numerically as shown Readings: 1.18.1) Davis' Tree of Life (#10, C5, X) 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. 1.18.2) Doane's Tree of Life (#10, C6, X) 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 1: Spiritual outcome 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 Outcome 1.18.3) Peach's Tree of Life (#78, C7, X) 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 1: Inner Spiritual Quest 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: Home 1.18.4) 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 mt 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. I have had reports that this can change either the dealing order or the meaning order or both. Comment 2: Those with a background in Qabalism and/or the Tree of 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. 1.19) Trinity Spread (#10, C3, L) (Guiley) Layout: 10 7 8 9 - Future 1 2 3 - Present 4 5 6 - Past Deal: Using only Major Arcana and Court cards only, shuffle and deal numerically as shown. Reading: Just as each row represents a different time period, each column represents a different force which shapes our life. Left: Emotions, impluses, inspiration, intuition. Center: Thoughts. Rational and logical processes. Right: Actions. Tangible manifestations of thoughts and emotions. Card 10: Integration - forces which may affect the picture revealed by the other nine cards Variations: Guiley states that only court and major arcana should be used. A full pack could be used at the readers discretion. 1.20) Yes or No Spread (#10, C2, Y) (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 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Card 1 - Called the 'answering card'. If upright, the answer to the question was yes; if reversed, no. Also the outcome card for the reading. Cards 2 & 3 - 'Helpful' Influences. Reasons the outcome will occur. Cards 4 & 5 - Querent's thoughts regarding the matter Cards 6 & 7 - 'Adverse' Influence. Things that are working against the outcome Card 8 & 9 - Querent's feelings regarding the matter 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. 1.21) The Celtic Cross 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. All comments in the 'Reading' sections will refer to this diagram. Ignore alterations in the dealing pattern when cross referencing with this diagram. 1.21.1) Waite's Celtic Cross (#11, C4) Deal: Numerically as shown. Reading: Card 1 - Influences, atmosphere. Card 2 - Obstacles Card 3 - Often called the crowning card. May have one or more of several meanings: 3a - Highest state the querent can achieve in the matter 3b - Highest perception the querent has in the matter 3c - What the querent wishes to achieve Card 4 - Often called the base card. It represents foundations or possessions of the querent. Events that have already passed. Card 5 - Past Card 6 - Future Influences Card 7 - Attitude or position in the matter Card 8 - House, Environment Card 9 - Hopes or Fears Card 10 - Future Events 1.21.2) Danburg's Celtic Cross (#11, C4) Deal: Reverse Cards 3 and 4. Reverse Cards 5 and 6. Reading: (These are all lifted from the alt.tarot FAQ) 1. Where the querent is at the time of the reading. 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. 1.21.3) Peach's Celtic Cross (#11, C4) Deal: Card 3 is in the top position. Card 4, left. Card 5, down. Card 6, right. Reading: 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. 1.21.4) Lines within the Reading (C7) 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 Celtic Cross layouts shown here. Cards 5, 1, 2, 6; Time: This sequence follows an obvious pattern from past to present to future Cards 10, 3, 6; Future: These three cards all essentially project into the future. Sharing information between these cards can yield more specific details Cards 7, 8, 4, 6; Influences: Cards 7, 8, and 4 all represent things which influence the querent with respect to the question. It is through the combination of these influences that the outcome shown in card 6 may be achieved or avoided. Cards 4, Q, 2, 3: I have not seen a good qualifier to describe the relationship between these cards, but it generally goes like this: The querent would like to achieve (or can achieve) what is depicted in card 3, but certain influences (card 2) prevent him/her from doing so. However, the querent does have the proper resources (card 4) to overcome the obstacle. This line can vary depending upon which interpretation you use for card 4. 1.21.5) Variations and Comments. Variation 1: Sometimes cards 7 thru 10 are placed on the other end (the left side) of the cross. Again, this could alter the interpretations of the groupings stated in 1.21.4. Variation 2: I have seen the Celtic Cross done locally (& it seems to be a local variant) with 3 cards allotted to each position in the "pillar" to the side of the central cross (i.e. positions 7 - 10). This means that there are 12 cards to work with, as opposed to the usual 4; it can be quite useful. (Smith) 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. 1.22) Cup of Relationships Spread (#11, C4, S) (Sagie) Layout: 09 07 08 05 06 03 (04) 02 Q1 01 Q2 Card 4 cross card three as in a celtic cross Deal: S1, S2, then numerically. Reading: Read cards in order, as above. Q1 Significator 1 Q2 Significator 2 1. The Foundation of the Relationship 2. Recent Past 3. Current State of the Relationship 4. Obstacles they both face 5. Views of #1 regarding the relationship 6. Views of #2 regarding the relationship 7. Expectations of #1 regarding the rel. 8. Expectations of #2 regarding the rel. 9. Best Outcome Variations: Sagie reccomends using additional modifiers on card 9 if the outcome is unclear. (See section 2.1). 1.23) Key Spread (#11, C4) (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. Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Card 1: Querent & position in relation to your question/situation. Cards 2 - 7: These cards are arranged into 3 pairs (2 & 3, 4 & 5, 6 & 7). Each pair represents a conflict between two opposing influences, factors, people, opinions, etc. The interpretation will depend on the question, but the conflicts tend to be problems or obstacles the querent faces. You may want to choose one option in a pair over the other, or attempt to reconcile the two, or simply recognize that a conflict exists. Card 8: Past Card 9: Present Card 10: Future -- where things are headed. This could be the future if no action is taken, or the desired future, or the future if some specific action is taken. You could try adding a card between 9 and 10 to represent the action or decision that will lead to card 10's future, or have several 'future' cards for various possible outcomes (two would be reasonable). If you are comfortable with a single card 'prediction' of the future, the layout is probably ok as is. Card 11 (Optional): A summary of the reading, or a final comment on the situation, or advice, or a clarification of cards 8-10 if they are unclear. I don't always use this card -- I have found that it generally doesn't clarify things much. (See card 10 for other things to put here instead.) I feel that there should be a card here, because then the layout is shaped roughly like a key (hence the name), which in my opinion looks cool. I suspect the layout would look unbalanced without a card here. [ed. note: 'I' refers to Efran who made the layout] 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 Comment 2: Since this is an ad hoc layout made by a beginner (at 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 2.2) this could become interesting. 1.24) Four Trines Spread (#12, C5, A) (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. Reading: As the name suggests, there are four sets of three cards (trines) that work in conjunction with another. Trine of Life (1, 6, 11): Card 1: Personal life: health Card 6: Mental life: travel Card 11: Life of Posterity: children, love affairs, pleasure, speculation Trine of Power (2, 7, 12): Card 2: Honor and authority: business, reputation Card 7: Environment: illness, work Card 12: Wealth Social Trine (3, 8, 9): Card 3: Partners: marital, enemies Card 8: Kin and thought: siblings, intellectual matters Card 9: Associates: friends Trine of Secrets: Card 4: Things concealed in the environment Card 10: Money: debts, taxes, inheritance Card 5: Afflictions: enemies, failures, obstacles Variation 1: I have seen a variation with a querent card placed in the center of the layout. (Jones) Comment 1: Doane indicated that this layout was influenced by astrology, although its relation to astrology is not immediately apparent. Comment 2: For card numbering information, see section 3.6. 1.25) Twelve Houses Spread (#12, C4, A) (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 Reading: Even though the deal uses the awkward scheme shown above, 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. Variation: I have seen a varation with a querent card placed in the center of the layout. (Jones) Comment: For card numbering information, see section 3.6. 1.26) Astrological Spread (#13V, C4, A) (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. Reading: 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 1.27) Magic Cross Spread (#13, C3) (Doane) aka Christian Cross Spread Layout: 06 07 01 02 03 04 05 08 09 10 11 12 13 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Left Branch: The past Card 3: The present Lower Branch: The future Right Branch: Obstacles Upper Branch: Hopes, Wishes, and Dreams. 1.28) Planetary Spread (#14, C4, A) (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. Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: 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 1.29) Qabalistic Cross (#14, C3) (Peach) Layout: 08 09 10 01 02 03 Q4 05 06 07 11 12 13 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: It is suggested that the cards in this spread be read in the order shown below Card 4 - Querent's state of mind 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 matter 1.30) Daily Spread (#15, C4, 1day) (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. Cards 11-13: Events leading up to the day in question. Start with card 13 and work toward 11. Cards 1 - 3: Morning Events, start with card 1 Cards 5 - 7: Afternoon Events, start with 7 Cards 8 -10: Evening Events, start with 8 Card 4: Outcome of any special projects of the day and/or how the day will go overall. 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" - Peach 1.31) Fortune Teller's Spread (#15, C3) (Morison) Layout: 05 04 06 14 13 15 02 01 03 11 10 12 08 07 09 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: Cards 1- 3) To You: Outcome Cards 4- 6) At head: Querent's Thoughts Cards 7- 9) At feet: Things you control, possible choices Cards 10-12) By side: Things which give you strength Cards 13-15) Surprise: Things not known to querent or overlooked 1.32) Thoth Spread Layout: 13 09 05 04 08 12 02 01 03 14 10 06 07 11 15 Deal: Numerically as shown 1.32.1) Original Thoth Spread (#15, C4) Reading: Cards 2,1,3: Nature of querent and question Cards 13,9,5: First Possible outcome Cards 4,8,12: Second Possible outcome Cards 14,10,6: "Psychological commentary" on the whole spread Cards 7,11,15: Factors beyond the control of the querent. Comment: This is called the Thoth Spread as it is the spread that comes with the Thoth deck. 1.32.2) Peach's Thoth Spread (#16, C4) Deal: Use the same deal, but add a Querent card underneath card 1. Reading: It is suggested that the cards be read order described below Card 1: Querent's primary concern Cards 2, 3: Further depth into problem and/or Querent's character Cards 14,10,6: Background, how the querent came into the situation Cards 7,11,15: Activities of other people in the situation Cards 4,8,12: How the problem will progress, harmonize w. 7,11,15. Cards 13,9,5: Possible alternative actions 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. 1.33) Wish Spread (#16, C4, S) (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 Group 1: Environment Group 4: Description of querent's wish Group 7: Opposition Group 10: Factors that will enter into this matter Group 13: Realizations of the querent (usually in the future) 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. Group 1: Present, General Situation Group 4: Resent Past Group 7: Actions that can be taken by Querent. Personality traits which my be used to querent's advantage. Group 10: Uncontrollable aspects of the situation. May be aspects/opinions of others. May describe a new situation. Group 13: Final Outcome Card 16 (Querent in original): Optional Card, add it if the reading is confusing. 1.34) Grand Source Spread (#21, C6) (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 Reading: Card Q: Querent Cards 1, 2, 3: Inner influences at work, the motivations of the querent, or what the querent wishes to learn. Cards 4, 5, 6: Outer influences, or the influences from people or things outside of the querent that may have caused the querent to ask their question. Card 7: Initiation of the action, the seed that will grow, or the question that will be answered. Cards 8, 10, 12: Three stages of the action or answering of the question under examination, and they are modified respectively by cards 9, 11, and 13. Card 8: beginnings. The initial stages of the actions. Card 9: modifies card 8. It may give a hazy picture of the outcome that the querent has in mind, or it may simply be a further examination of the beginnings of the action under consideration. Card 10: Progress. The way that the outcome is achieved. Card 11: modifies 10 in the same way card 9 does card 8. Card 12: possible changes in plan, or resolution. This card may serve to examine any ways that the querent will have to change course in midstream. Card 13: modifies 12 like card 9 does card 8. Card 14: Outcome of the process outlined in cards 8 - 13. Cards 15, 16, 17: Possible effects of the resolution on the querent Cards 18, 19, 20: Possible effects of the resolution on things other than the querent or on the querent's relationship to the world around him/her. Comment: "This is a good general-use spread for giving an overall 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." - Cortese 1.35) Playing Deck Spread (#21, C3, L) (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! Reading: 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 Comment 1: Although it suggested to choose a Querent card, there is 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. Comment 2: This is called the 'Playing Deck' spread because this is the layout which Vienneau included in his post about fortune telling with a regular deck of playing cards. (See Section 7.1) 1.36) Pyramid Spread (#21, C4) (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: Cards 5, 9, 13, 17, and 21 are referred to as key cards Cards are divided into five sequences as follows: Sequence 1 - cards 1 - 5 Sequence 2 - cards 5 - 9 Sequence 3 - cards 9 - 13 Sequence 4 - cards 13 - 17 Sequence 5 - cards 17 - 21 It is important to note that each key card is not only the final card in a sequence of five, but also the first card in the next series of five. Thus 9 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. Key 1 - Present Key 2 - Immediate Future Key 3 - Intermediate Turn of Events Key 4 - Distant Future Key 5 - End of the Matter Comment 1: The design of the layout lends itself to being read 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. 1.37) Romany Spread (#21, C2, L) (Doane/Peach) 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. Another deal proceeds left to right, top down, opposite as above and also changing the order of past/present/future. 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: 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) 1.38) Twenty-One Card Spread (21, C6) (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: Card 1: The Significator Card 2: The immediate past Card 3: An important factor in the present. Inobvious. Card 4: Seeker state of mind Card 5: Most likely immediate future Card 6: An important factor in the present. Very obvious Card 7: Seeker gut feelings. Card 8 & 9: Influences in the past that affected #2 Card 10 & 11: Current influences affecting #3. Inobvious. Card 12 & 13: Possible future influences, affecting #5 Card 14 & 15: Obvious current influences, affecting #6 Card 16: Seeker physical situation. Possible health or life status Card 17: The root of the matter in the past Card 18: A current matter. It may be hidden or unknown and overlooked, or it may represent assumptions, possibly incorrect. Card 19: Seeker spiritual will. This may conflict with or illuminate the Seeker's conscious desires. Card 20: A likely future event. Card 21: What the Seeker must think about 1.39) Sephiroth Spread (#26, C9, A) (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. Layout: 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. Pair 3/18 should meet at the same vertical line which divides the card ASC in half. Follow symmetry. Each pair is called a 'throne'. The throne number is the same as the lowest number of the pair. (i.e. 3/18 make up the third throne) Pair 22/21 is called the Staff Note that ASC, DES, NC, and MC each denote only one card. 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?) The Major Arcana go in the remaining 22 locations. Shuffle the Arcana and deal as shown numerically in the above diagram. Reading: 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) The following is a suggested list of how to interpret each Ace in 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. Determine which kingdom is most appropriate to the Question. Cards 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. If the whole reading or any part of it seem contradicting, the staff will reveal why the answer was unclear. 1.40) Triangular Spread (#28, C8) (Blackburn) Layout: 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Cards are dealt in pyriamd shape touching each other. Deal: No dealing order is specified. Some type of top down scheme would be consistent with the interpretation given below. Reading: The layout shows the possible progresses into the future from the present situation (card 01) to the final out come (row 7). It is most often used to plot a genreal fortune form derived from one element of the present specified by card 01 to the end of life. Each level goes a little farther down the path of life, and splits into greater complexity and/or diversity of possibilities. 1.41) Magic Mirror Spread (#29, C5, S) (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 Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: 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". Comment 1: "This reading's only purpose is to examine oneself. 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) 1.42) Spread of Thirty-Six (#36, C4, L) (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, etc.. 1.43) Story Spread (#45, C7) (Aldridge) Layout: 01 04 02 03 05 06 07 10 08 09 11 12 13 14 15 Deal: No dealing order is specified. Reading: Cards are grouped together in triples as indicated above. The middle card of each group, called the prime card, is the most significant and should be read first. The other two cards are story cards and should elaborate further upon the prime card. Each triple deals with a different subject as follows: 01 - 03: Home and Family Life 04 - 06: Job and Purpose in Life 07 - 09: Finances and Physical Security 10 - 12: Health 13 - 15: Relationships and Emotions. The layout should be done three times, once each for past, present, and future. Shuffle and redeal for each time period. Comments/Variations: Aldridge reccomends that in the past spread, the first number card should indicate how many years distant the reading will go. The future spread should be interpreted as being two years forward in time. The reader can change this to their personal preference. 1.44) Solar Spread (#49, C5, LA) (Doane) Layout: Seven rows of seven 49 48 47 46 45 44 43 -- Saturn 42 41 40 39 38 37 36 -- Jupiter 35 34 33 32 31 30 29 -- Mars 28 27 26 25 24 23 22 -- Sun 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 -- Venus 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 -- Mercury 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 -- Moon Deal: Right to Left, Bottom up. Reading: In each row, the middle card (4, 11, 18, 25, etc) represents present conditions or influences. The three cards to the right represent the past; the three to the left, the future. Each row will relate to either a certain aspect of life or certain people (or perhaps both) 1.45) Life Spread (#50, C9) (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. Diagram: Cards 34 - 40 form a pyramid starting at the at the 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. Layout: Cards 34, 43, 42, 41, 49, 48, and 40 are all placed in a 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. Suggested Deal: Numerically as shown Reading: 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. Cards 1 - 28, the material square: These cards represent 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. Cards 29 - 40, the mental trine: These cards represent events in the mental plane. Consider those interpretations dealing with intellectual pursuits and attainment of knowledge. Cards 41 - 49, the spiritual circle: These cards represent activities on a spiritual level. Consider interpretations that relate to spiritual changes and goals. Card 50, dominant life factor: This card represents the most important event that occurs and affects all three planes. This card will show the most dominant influence shaping the life of the querent. 1.46) Three Fans (#54/78, C9) (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. Deal: Shuffle the deck and deal into three piles. Take the middle 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 pile 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. Reading: 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. If the Querent's significator card is not in the above three fans, 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. Comment: Peach recommends this as a six month reading to use when the querent has no specific question to ask. 1.47) Ladder Spread (#78, C9) (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 Deal: Choosing a Querent card; note which direction s/he faces. 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. Reading: Five timing cards should appear somewhere in the spread. 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. Variation: In the layout shown in the book, the layout stops at 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. Comment: Having not finished reading this book, I am uncertain as 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. You can also refer to section 7.2 for further assistance. Other than that, use your own discretion. 1.48) The Waite Spreads (#43/78, C9, L) 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. 1.48.1) The Forty-Three Card Layout (#43, C9, L) 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: Shuffle the entire pack and turn some of the cards round, so as to 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: -- [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, 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 -- [7th packet] [6th pack] [5th] [4th] [3rd] [2nd] [1st] Take the top card of each packet, shuffle them and lay out from 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. You will thus have six horizontal lines of seven cards each, arranged after the following manner. [Same as above layout w/out card Q] Reading: The Querent card (Q in the diagram) is always the 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 Comment 1: No explanation is given as to how to interpret any of the cards other than all the cards should be harmonized (really, as should be done for any reading). In short, use your own intuition. Comment 2: Waite suggest that this method be used when "no definite 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. Comment 3: This layout does not have a known name. Waite merely titled the section "An Alternative Method of Reading the Tarot Cards." 1.48.2) The Thirty-Five Card Layout (#35, C5, L)) 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. Deal: Take up the 42 cards from the previous spread an put them in 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. Reading: Line 1 - House, Environment Line 2 - Querent, Subject of the divination Line 3 - Events and Persons passing on the outside Line 4 - Surprises, the unexpected Line 5 - Consolidation. May also moderate the unfavorable cards of previous lines. Line 6 - "...that which must be consulted to elucidate the enigmatic oracles of the others; apart from them it has no importance." - Waite (gobbledeegook at its finest) Each line should be read from right to left. Comment: Waite does not specifically state that cards from each 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. 1.49) Geomantic Spread (#V, C9, AX) (Blackburn) [ Editors note: This is a layout/system designed by Mr. Blackburn. The explination listed below was taken from a newsgroup posting. Minor omissions not important to explanation have been made for spatial purposes; other alterations include a few minor spelling and grammatical corrections. However, in all fundamental respects, this is his discription of the layout. There are few places which, to me, seem either ambiguous or confusing. I may try to contact the author to help clear these up, but otherwise just fill in any gaps you find as you see fit. Also, due to the complexity of the explination, the standard format for layout entries has been removed for this layout. -- DJ ] The first thing you must realize is that this is not a simple "spread" of tarot cards, but a multi-disiplinary approach to divination. It should also be understood that this can be a rather involved system to work with. GEOMANCY Geomancy (earth magic) is a type of divination which the diviner strikes the ground repeatedly with a stick (thus making holes) while channeling the "spirits of the earth." The number of holes is countered and recorded as even or odd. This is done sixteen times to get the full reading. I have studied, but not actually practice this technique. The even and odd numbers are then used as the basis of of a pseudo-astrological reading. What I did was come up with a system of making the reading using tarot cards (any type that can be numbered will do). MY USE OF "GEOMANCY" Instead of using a stick to poke holes in the ground, I developed a system of using cards. The diviner shuffles and cuts the deck, and then begins to deal out the cards FACE DOWN, in to sixteen piles. The diviner focuses meditatively and place as many cards in each pile as feels right, and then move on to the next pile. (This eliminate the problem of seeing the holes being made.) The cards are then fliped and counted to get sixteen numbers as so (see example below). These are then read into eight columns of dots, into sets of one for odd or two for even: (read from RIGHT TO LEFT or BOTTOM TO TOP) 3 7 13 12 <-IV 4 23 2 17 <-III 1 15 7 18 <-II 5 10 3 9 <-I ^ ^ ^ ^ VIII VII VI V To get dots such as: I ___ * * * * * which is the figure for Puer ("boy"). All eight sets should be on one row. Each two sets (first+second, third+fourth, fifth+sixth, and seventh+eighth) are combined to get to four more signs, numbered IX through XII. They are combined by adding the dots in each row to determine even and odd dot fo the new figure, as so: II I IX ___ + ___ = ___ * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * After this, the four new figures are combined (IX+X and XI+XII) to get two more figures, which are then combined to get the final figure which sums up the whole reading. WHAT YOU DO WITH THE FIGURES Each figure has it's own name and meaning. There are books on geomancy if you are interested in an indepth discussion of each signs interpretation. Here is a table of there meanings, given with the number of dots from the top down being listed (from left to right) as ones and twos: 1111 Via: way, journey; water, LUNA, leo 2222 Populous: People, Congregation; water, LUNA, capricorn 2112 Conjuctio: conjuction, assembling; air, MERCURY, virgo 1221 Carcer: bound, prison; earth, SATURN, pices 2211 Fortuna Major: greater good fortune; earth, SOL, aquarius 1122 Fortuna Minor: lesser good fortune; fire, SOL, taurus 2121 Aquistio: aquistion, obtaining; air, JUPITER, taurus 1212 Amissio: Loss; fire, VENUS, libra 1222 Laetitia: joy, laughing; air, JUPITER, taurus 2221 Tristitia: sorrow, damned; earth, SATURN, scorpio 1211 Puella: girl, beautiful; water, VENUS, libra 1121 Puer: boy, yellow, beardless; fire, MARS, aries 2212 Albus: white, pure, fair; water, MERCURY, cancer 2122 Rubeus: red, reddish; fire, MARS, gimini 2111 Caput Draconis:dragon head, beginning;earth, NORTH NODE, virgo 1112 Cauda Draconis:dragon tail, end; fire, SOUTH NODE, Sagitarius In traditional geomancy, the first twelve figures are placed in the twelve astrological houses (some ignore duplicates of the same planet, others do not). Varius methods are used to determine which astrological sign is in the first house with the other signs following in their natural order. I, however, use a different method. I apply the geomantic figures in the context of an astrological tarot reading. TAROT GEOMANCY Now that you now how to do the geomantic portion of the reading, I will go back over my method. First I deal out twelve cards in a circle (I usually angle them so that the bottom is toward the center of the circle, most do not and it doesn't mater as long as you can read them and tell if they are reversed or not). This is the astrological spread. I then take the rest of the deck and deal them into sixteen piles, as expained above. These cards are taken for their numerical value only (page=11, knight=12, queen=13, king=14, numbered cards and major arcana = number written on them). The the geomantic figures are read in the context of the tarot cards, and both are read in the context of the houses. (For explinations of astrological houses, see section 3.1) I have found this technique very useful for long term questions that deal with the final outcome of event or issues over mounths or years. It is not worth it for short term divination and of limited usefulness in terms of hows and why question or for determining courses of event leading up to the conclusion. It is very involved, but for issues appropriate to it, very accurate and detailed - well worth the effort. 1.50) Name Layout (#V, C3, L) (Cabezas) 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 is 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: 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 2: No mention is made about what to do for people with multiple middle names. As always, use your own discretion. Comment 3: Cabezas obtained this layout from a Stuart Kaplan book. 1.51) Tetragrammaton Spread (#V, C7, LX) (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. Next search each pack until you find the Querent card. Do not take 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. Next, each card in the deck is assigned a numerical value (more 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 until 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: 3 - Fool, Hanged Man, Judgement 9 - Magician, High Priestess, Empress, Wheel of Fortune, Tower, Sun, World 12 - Emperor, Hierophant, Lovers, Chariot, Strength, Hermit, Justice, Death, Temperance, Devil, Star, Moon 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. Comment: Peach's book does an extremely poor job of explaining what 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 1.52) Timing Spread (#V, C2, Y) (Peach) Layout: Three Piles of cards 03 02 01 Deal: Start dealing cards into the first pile, face up, one at a time. Stop dealing when either an ace appears or when you reach the thirteenth card for that pile. Repeat for piles two and three. Reading: Pile 1 - Top card indicates reasons why the Querent may be hesitant toward the matter. Pile 2 - All cards in the pile reveal why the matter is stagnant. Pile 3 - The top card will indicate a yes/no answer for the question. All cards indicate information about the events that will resolve the matter and when the matter will be resolved. 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. Comment 2: Peach claims that the spread will reveal a definite time period telling when the matter will be resolved, but fails to explain how to derive it. (See Section 3.5) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 2) Layout Modifiers This is a list of variations which can apply to many or all of the layouts listed above. 2.1) 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. 2.2) 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 further stretched 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. 2.3) 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. 2.4) 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. This variation can actually be applied to any of these layouts, 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. 2.5) Querent Cards In layouts that use a Querent card, there are several ways in which such a card may be chosen. 2.5.1) Personality Traits One 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. 2.5.2) Astrology One second 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. Actually, this method is the same as the one described above (2.5.1). 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. 2.5.3) Physical Traits A third 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. 2.5.4) 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. 2.5.5) 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. 2.5.6) 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 both of whom I associate with 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. 2.6) Ateration of the Elements At one point on alt.magick there was a discussion about the elements and their compass positions. Not surprisingly, many people had different associations. In each of the layouts above where such associations were used, I used the compass points which the author specified. You may find that a certain mapping between these two groups works better for you personally. 2.7) Multi-line Associations A few layouts are composed of many lines placed above one another forming a rectangle. One additional interpretation which may be helpful is to look for relationships between cards in parallel directions. In other words, if you are normally viewing each line in a horizontal fashion, try to look at the way the card relate vertically. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 3) Useful Information The following entries are useful bits of information which may be useful for specific layouts. Other entries may just be tarot related information which I though might be useful. 3.1) Astrological Houses (Doane, Blackburn) 1st House: Physical Body, personality, interests, the self 2nd House: Personal possessions 3rd House: Siblings, private studies, acquaintances, communications 4th House: Environment, family 5th House: Pleasures, love affairs, speculation, children 6th House: Work, health, pets 7th House: Marriage, partnerships, enemies, legal matters 8th House: Death, debts, gifts, possessions of others 9th House: Teaching, philosophy, travel 10th House: Honor, business, social status 11th House: Friends, hopes, wishes, and dreams 12th House: Self-ruin, enemies, obstacles, secrets Northern Houses: 1,2,3 - deal with private matters Eastern Houses: 4,5,6 - deal with private activities Southern Houses: 7,8,9 - deal with self-starting activities Western Houses: 10,11,12 - dependent upon energies of others Fire Houses: 1,5,9 - vital, achieving, emotional Earth Houses: 2,6,10 - material needs Air Houses: 3,7,11 - social interactions, intellectual Water Houses: 4,8,12 - emotional, spiritual Cardinal Houses: 1,4,7,10 - starting, immediate Fixed Houses: 2,5,8,11 - controlling, managing Mutable Houses: 3,6,9,12 - change, aquisition, improvement 3.2) Planetary Symbols (Doane/Peach/Davis) Sun: Outer expression. Honor. Health. Superiors. Men. Achievement. Mercury: Communication. Intellectual Concerns. Siblings. Business. Venus: Relationships. Love. Friendship. Money. Art. Earth: present situation Moon: Inner needs. Domestic or social concerns. Women. Mars: Creation. Sex. Struggle. Misfortune. Enemies. Jupiter: Opportunities for growth. Business. Religion. Acquisitions. Saturn: Lessons & limitations. Illness. Loss. Secrets. Elders. Intellectual deliberation. Uranus: Individuality, Differences Neptune: Ecstasy/illusion Pluto: Power for Transformation 3.3) 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, obstacles 3.4) 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. I would also note that I have seen a couple of books at my local Bookstop with these listings. I have not compared them. Hearts: Aces- Happiness, love, friendship 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 Spades: Ace- conflicts, a difficult love affair 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 Diamonds: Ace- a money, ring 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 Clubs: Ace- Harmony, property, achievements, love 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 Significators: 1. fair or grey-haired man over 40....... King of Diamonds 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 Clubs 3.5) Timing Information (Morison) Some readers associate certain cards with specific time events. The following is a list of such information. Suits: Wands, Spring Cups, Summer Swords, Fall Pentacles, Winter Personal interpretations of this relationship may vary individually 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 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. 3.6) Astrological House Numbering (Blackburn) A few layouts contain an unusual ordering for the twelve astrological houses. So far, the only information I have of why such an ordering has been chosen was provided by Mr. Blackburn as follows: I choose the ordering based on a conseptualization of geomantic figure placement I found in Agrippa's "Three Books of Occolt Philosophy." I modified it by placing the cards in this order, then simple assigning the figure around the circle, rather then the (traditional) reverse. It is essencially a matter of crossing bottom->top then right->left, (then staring over with the second card in the circle) thus filling cardinal, fixed and mutable together. I don't know how others would do it, though I have been suggested that just be going around the circle, starting at the top, might be easier and just as effective. 3.7) The Four Elements and the Tarot (Nickells) [ Editors note: All of section 3.7 is a near verbatim copy of a lesson which Mr. Nickells posted to alt.tarot and was also kind enough to e-mail to me. Changes made were mostly grammatical, but also include minor deletions for spatial purposes. - DJ ] This essay is an attempt to describe a method of analysing a Tarot reading using the Four Elements as a basis, to determine quickly and simply the most important cards, their strength and weaknesses, and how they interact with each other to gain information that may have been apparent only thru intuition. Tarot Readers may well have experienced the phenomenon of getting 'bad' vibes from apparently 'good' cards, and vice versa. After a few rocky starts, I found that the querents confirmed these contradictory feelings. I decided to research the hows and whys of this, and eventually I came up with the ideas presented below. These are the Main Points: * There are no 'good or bad' cards. * The cards are essentially neutral. * Reversed cards are included, but do not have much weight. * The basis of interaction is the Four Elements. * The cards interact with the positions in spreads. * Cards should never be read singly. Preferably, this means that at least 3 cards should be read at a time. * Elemental rules are simple and logical * Works for all standard 78 decks * No need to modify one's personal interpretation of individual cards. How many people's lives are that black and white? Remember, a reversed card does not necessary mean bad news. Using sequential spreads rather than positional spreads (the Celtic Cross is a positional spread) gives one the opportunity to be more sophisticated in the use of reversed cards. The basis of what follows is to simply read and interpret Three Cards at a time, gradually building up in sophistication as our understanding grows. Practice is vital, so that the rules become second nature, and eventually almost sub-conscious. 3.7.1) Stage One: Traditional Method We will start with a traditional reading of three cards. Deal out any 3 cards right way up, and interpret them. Consider the Central card to be the Principal, with the ones either side as 'Modifiers'. M P M 1 2 3 These cards can be transposed two more times by moving the Left Modifier to the right hand side: M P M 2 3 1 3 1 2 As a general rule: Minor cards are within the control of the Querent Major cards are out of the querent's control Court cards personify an action or actually represent a person. Next, transpose the cards as shown above, and see if you feel different about them. Repeat the process. Then reverse one of the cards, and reinterpret. There are far more combinations of reversal than transpositions. Hopefully you should experience slightly different feelings each time. It is usually easier to avoid Court cards to begin with, but persevere. This stage is essentially how most people would read the cards. Most people's experiences are that there is some difference with each transposition, but it is hard to quantify exactly. 3.7.2) Stage Two: Elemental Rules If you want to be more adventurous, remember that all of the Tarot cards can be categorised as either Fire, Water, Air or Earth. The rulership of the Major cards is determined by astrological rules (See Jess Karlin's 'Elemental Dignities' for more details). These elements interact with each other using rigid rules: Fire and Water are enemies, therefore weaken each other. Air and Earth are enemies, therefore weaken each other. All other combinations are friendly, therefore strengthen each other. Fire and Air are active. Water and Earth are passive. Interpretation then becomes a fairly mechanical exercise: * Which card is strongest? * Which weakest? * Is the strong card active or passive? * Is it Major/Minor/Court? * Dignity? Once you have done this, actually apply and combine the meanings of each card with appropriate weighting. I suggest you follow the order given here, but do experiment. EXERCISE 1 ========== Now we will interpret the 3 Card Spread purely on elemental principles. It may help to make up some Flash Cards with only the elemental symbols on them if you wish to practise yourself. As an example, 1 2 3 F A W Card 2 is the Principal. It is friendly with Fire and Water, so is strengthened. It is active, therefore likely to happen. Note that 1 and 3 are enemies, so that the Principal card is even stronger, and can rise over any problems caused by the modifiers. 1 2 3 A F W Fire is friendly with Air, but weakened by Water, so 2 and 3 neutralise themselves. However, the Modifiers are friendly to each other. As Fire is active, and Air supports, the event is likely to happen, but not without some emotional turmoil. 1 2 3 A W F The Principal is passive, while the modifiers are active. Fire is inimical to the Principal and weakens it, while Air strengthens. Fire and Air are friendly. The conclusion is that we have an unsatisfactory situation that is unlikely to change quickly. The Principal is likely to be pulled in different directions. (Earth has been omitted only for reasons of space.) SUMMARY So far, the above has been an exercise rather than an actual spread. I have avoided mention of any individual card or meaning deliberately. Anyone using a standard Tarot deck of 78 cards should be able to follow this system. There is another advantage in that one's own interpretation of each card does not have to change, however idiosyncratic they may be. Interpretation of the Court Cards also becomes much easier, as all one has to do is see what the two modifiers are hinting at, using the rules delineated above. If anyone would like to use this spread, it could be when the querent needs to achieve something at almost any cost, and so it would define the action necessary to achieve it. Obviously morals may not have much to do with this, so careful thought is necessary before acting. 3.7.3) Stage Three: Positions This brings us to the problems associated with this 3 card spread: although an action is defined, there is no context, no background, it appears to be happening in a vacuum. The cards are not interacting with the environment, and as we are trying to interpret Tarot in terms of the Querent, who is part and parcel of the environment, after all, we have to do something about it. Logically we have to place the 3 cards in an environment. Following our theme of the four elements we will put the Triplets in an elemental position, rather than naming them as 'Love', 'Past', 'Work' etc. We then use the same rules to reinterpret the cards. As an example, we will follow the First Example in Exercise 1, interpreting it beginning with the Fire position, then Water, Air and finally Earth: FIRE POSITION: Fire deals with actions. 1 2 3 F A W With these 3 cards in the Fire position, we see immediately that the original interpretation will stand, but we have more detail. 3 is now very weak. The emotional content is all but eliminated. The Querent will definitely act on his/her idea, with little compassion, possibly brutally. There is no financial incentive, nothing to ground the situation, as there is no balancing, passive Earth. Sudden actions, a situation that does not last. WATER POSITION: Water indicates emotions, feelings, and is passive. 1 2 3 F A W Using the same order of cards as for the Fire position, we have a completely different situation. Modifier 3 is now the strongest card. Modifier 1, an enemy of Water, is very weak. Air is friendly to both cards and the Water Position, however Water is passive. The Querent is dreaming about a situation: it may never happen. The lack of Earth indicates little practicality. One could interpret this as an effeminate or ineffectual man, or a woman who is able to put her ideas into practice, but she may lack confidence in her abilities, depending of course on what the actual cards are. AIR POSITION: Air is traditionally an indication of trouble and problems. 1 2 3 F A W The Principal card is in its own place, very strong, and the Modifiers are both friendly to Air. So far, so good. The problem comes from the Modifiers being enemies to each other, weakening themselves. We may have a situation where the Querent is trying to rise above conflicting emotional experiences that is paralyzing him/her. Of course s/he may just be intellectualising about the situation, avoiding the conflict around, hoping it will go away. This is a good example of how even when an element is in its own position, it may not have a good prognosis. EARTH POSITION Earth is practical, dealing with money, security and work. 1 2 3 F A W At last we have the opportunity to see what Earth can do, even though it does not appear in the cards. The Principal, Air, is very, very weak; in the enemy camp, so to speak. Fire and Water are friends of Earth. The Querent is within a maelstrom of conflicting actions and emotions, possibly at work. Office politics is rampant. The Modifiers support the environment, rather than the Principal, or at least, they are not in a position to aid Air. There may be a total lack of forethought in any action. Actions may be motivated by power and greed. This may also indicate a situation where someone is not being as practical about their career or work choice. The above is a good example of the influence a missing element may have in a situation, and can be a good indicator of how the Reader can advise the Querent based on _what is missing_ rather than what is there in order to create some balance. SUMMARY Hopefully, I have been able to show a simple method that can be applied to many situations. The amount of information that can be gleaned just using elemental principles can be quite remarkable. Also, any omitted elements can give clues to the Reader as to what is missing. An ideal situation would be where all four elements are present; actions involving the missing elements may be used to create balance. I have deliberately kept the above simple to give you the idea. You do not have to build things up in the order I suggest. Approach with an open mind, and you may be surprised with the results. Graham Nickells =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 4) 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 recommend that, unless you are already proficient with such practices, you discuss these techniques with your teacher or path-shower before using them. 4.1) 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. Alternatively, 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. 4.1.1) 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. 4.1.2) 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. 4.1.3) Opening the Door (Ozaniec) Naomi Ozaniec's book contains a number of exercises 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 becomes 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 through the image, reduce it to a 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. 4.2) Qabalistic Cross of the Tarot Ritual (4) (Buckland) Layout: 02 | 08 - 14 | 21 | Trumps 2, 14, and 21 are laid upright while Trump 8 is laid 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 PRIESTESS, 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 finger 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 light beginning 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 brilliant 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 straight 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 spiral 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 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 the name 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 PRIESTESS 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 brilliant blue from your heat down to your groin area. Visualize the figure of TEMPERANCE from the 14th Key of the Tarot. The feminine, angelic form of TEMPERANCE blends the opposing elements 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 completion 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. 4.3) 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 personally want to 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 question, '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 interaction. Become aware of the repercussions and effects of your work, recording the perceived results in your diary. These results may in turn become the subject for further reflection. The process becomes self- perpetuating. Initiation 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 all effects to be integrated into life. The four elemental initiations could be spread through the space of a year. 4.4) 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 Ritual: This is lifted directly from Mr. Cannon's e-mail. Keep the orientations consistent [when dealing] and you should find 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? Meditation is a high-falootin' glorification of what I do which is 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. Then you can go on to look at opposites. The first loop, pretty obviously, is the worldly or "materialistic" 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). I hope I've got these opposites correct from memory, I haven't got a pack in front of me right now to test the layout! The above technique is from Alfred Douglas' book. 4.5) 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. You can also put the square inside the triangle, whichever you prefer. Ritual: [or more appropriately, ponder this. Again, directly lifted from Andrew's e-mail] Ponder the fact that the Fool can "see" either the secular, worldly 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. Clearly to experience both aspects of existence the Fool must somehow rise along a dimension or degree of freedom supplemental to those in which he normally operates. Alternatively, he must displace himself from the center of his universe by some kind of leap. This is a heavy-duty meditation, if you're into that kind of thing, the square and triangle can be considered as "philosophical machines" and it can all get a bit serious. >From Fred Getting's book. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 5) Useless Information 5.1) Copyright Notice This document, in its entirety, is Copyrighted by David Clark Jones. It may be freely redistributed, in part or in whole, provided that this and the copyright notice at the beginning of the document are not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated into any commercial product(s) without the written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet or at any Bulletin Board System which does not require a user registration fee for downloading purposes (this excludes trial membership periods). Permission has been given to the following companies to carry a copy of this document among their online services: Compuserve, America Online, Prodigy, and the Microsoft Network. Permission is also granted for this document to be made available at any publicly accessible World Wide Web page. Printed paper copies of this document may be sold without my permission PROVIDED THAT THE SALE PRICE OF THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXCEED THE COST REQUIRED TO PRINT/COPY THE DOCUMENT. (Essentially, I don't care what you do with this, as long as you're not directly making money off of the document itself.) 5.2) Where to find this document This document will be posted directly to the following newsgroups on the fifth day, or whenever possible, of odd numbered months: alt.divination alt.tarot alt.magick alt.magick.tyagi If you feel that there is any newsgroup not listed above which would be appropriate for, and benefit from, a regular posting of this document, please inform me via e-mail and I will include it. The most current version of this FAQ may be obtained at the following locations: djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu http://www.talisman.net/tarot/ http://www.io.com/user/cortese/ http://tarot.readers.com (dtking) http://web.egr.msu.edu/~philpott/Tarot/tarot.html http://www.ionet.net/~graham/sarena.shtml http://www.infi.net/~jackson http://www.neta.com/~kottinge http://www.icanect.net/wolf/wtarot.htm Astro Net-1 BBS (414)481-9976 Permission has been granted for any person to upload this document to an appropriate area at the following online services: Compuserve, America Online, Prodigy, and The Microsoft Network. Personally, I do not have access to any of these services. Updating this document to those servers is dependent upon their clients. If you would like to 1) Include this document in your WWW page, FTP site, or any other publicly accessible location 2) Receive updated versions of this FAQ as they are made and 3) Have your site included in this document, please feel free to contact me at djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu. Also, please feel free to contact me with any corrections, submissions, comments, thanks, flames, book offers, free food, etc. at the same address. It has come to my attention that several people not on the internet have been receiving copies of this document through friends. If you are one such person (or perhaps not) and would like to receive updated copies via regular mail, or you would just like to drop me a line, my snail address is listed below. Mailed copies of the FAQ will cost $5/ea. ($6 if you want binding) to cover the cost of copying and mailing; there may be additional mailing charges for persons living outside the 48 states. People who mail contributions to the FAQ will receive two updates, free of charge, if their submission is used. David C. Jones 1805 Sena Denton, TX 76201 5.3) Administrativia A mailing list for new versions will not be maintained for the time being. It is very difficult for me to do multiple e-mails on my system and it requires over an hour for me upload the REF for e- mail (my server does not have an option to attach files). Also, since the new REF is always sent to the above web sites on odd months, keeping a mailing list is redundant. Until this situation changes, the ONLY people who will receive new copies on a regular basis via e-mail are the web site maintainers and people who made new contributions to that version of the REF. You may still send requests to have the REF e-mailed, but they will only be honored for one mailing. In regard to this new policy, I have received a few notes from people stating that some of the web sites are not posting the new FAQ's; I will be having a discussion with the people who run these sites and the problem will be rectified in future versions. 5.4) Who am I and how this list got started I am David Clark Jones, a recent graduate in the field of mathematics from 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.) Many moons ago, 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. I have been a student of the tarot for one year since last 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. I hope the rest of you all enjoy the FAQ and Blessd Be to all of you. 5.5) Really Useless 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 alt.tarot or alt.magick.tyagi, please bear in mind that I don't have access to these 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 5.6) How to Use this Document. 5.6.1) If you are new to tarot.... Somebody sent me a comment one day that this document is a real 'tour de force'. Not to sound egotistical, but this comment may be an understatement. With 50+ layouts and a plethera of other tarot related information, this document contains over 55 pages of text which would have been enough to confuse me when I was just starting. So listed below is just my brief opinion on how you should go about reading this thing. First, read section 5.6.2 and then start with the line reading (section 1.3). It is the simplest layout in this cataloge and thus makes a good place to start. This should give you the basics of how to read layouts. Always try to tie all the cards in together as you are reading them. How the cards interract with each is often as important as the cards themselves. Help for learning how to relate cards together can be found in section 3.7. Second, find a layout which contains several lines. These are easy to find because they have an L next to them in the table of contents. These will be as easy to do as the line reading, but should give you better practice relating cards together. Third, do the Celtic Cross. This is layout which EVERYONE has used at least once in thier life. Even if you never use it again, it will at least give you some type of reference point about which you can interact with other people about tarot layouts. Also, since it is probably the layout which your book will teach you, it can help you learn how to relate this document to correspond with whatever book you are learning out of. If you ever get _really_ serious about tarot divination, you will learn to hate the Celtic Cross, but for now, it will be useful. After this, just go through the layouts in the way they are listed, which is by the number of cards they use. In general, the more cards that are used, the more complex the layout. Progressing through document in this manner will ease you into the big league layouts which normally take a good couple of hours to do. 5.6.2) If you are new to this document.... This section will just briefly explain how things are structured and why they are done that way. Originally, layouts were organized into 'subjects', but not very good ones. In order to make more subjects, better subjects, and avoid overlap, all the layouts are in one section and then flagged. Each flag represents a subject that a layout could belong to. For example, a layout with Astrological influences is tagged with the letter 'A'. This way, layouts that could belong to more than one subject simply get more than one flag and avoids me having to decide which group it should go it. Personally, when I use this document during a reading, the first thing I ask myself is, 'How much time and energy do I feel like putting into this reading?' In general, the more cards a layout has, the more of both is required of the reader. Thus, arranging the layouts in order of the amount of cards required is the most time efficient when I am trying to choose one to use. Finally, each layout is given a complexity rating which, along with the grouping flags, can aid the decision process. Reading over section 5.6.4 will help you understand how each layout is listed in the REF. Section 5.6.5 contains an in depth description of the complexity rating and grouping flags. 5.6.3) Supplements and version numbers Starting with version 4.0, all new versions of the REF will be issued in two formats: The regular format (like this document) and the supplement. The supplement will contain ONLY the new information that the previous version doesn't have. The idea behind the supplement is that if you print this document out, instead of having to re-print everything when new versions are released, one merely has to print out the supplement and add it to the back of the old printout. It saves you time, and it saves humanity from having to kill more trees. Each supplement that is released will contain a header explaining which two versions that supplement will be bridging. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO USE SUPPLEMENTS, EACH VERSION WILL BE ALWAYS POSTED IN FULL. This is a breif explination of how further version numbers of the REF will be created. You need not understand it, but may help you paste together supplements in the future. Each verstion will have a primary, a secondary version number, and a third (or tertiary) number. For example, in version 6.3.1, 6 is the primary version number, 3 is the secondary, and 1 is the tertiary. The primary version number will increase by one only under the following circumstances: A) A major structural change occurs in the layout of the REF or B) the secondary version number exceeds nine. The secondary version number will increase by one if a supplement is issued. This will occur whenever new information, such as a layout, is added to the REF. In the event that the secondary number is a nine, instead of increasing to ten, it will revert to zero and the primary number will increase by one (case B above). Reversion to zero will also occur if the primary version is increased becasue of a structural change (case A above). The tertiary version number will always be a zero if either the primary or secondary version number should change. Tertiary numbers will only increase if minor changes occur in the FAQ, such as a grammar correction, spell check, name correction, etc.. occur. If these changes warrant enough significance, they will be noted in the next supplement that is issued. 5.6.4) Paradigm Spread (#0, C0, flags) (references) Each spread will start with the title. Next, is a set of paranthesis which contain some useful information. First is a '#' sign and then a number; this indicates the number of cards traditionally used in this reading. Secondly, is the letter 'C' which is also followed by a number; this indicates the complexity rating of the layout. Some layouts may also have one or more letters (called flags) afterward. These flags can be used to quickly gain information about the subject matter or nature of the layout without having to read the whole layout. The detailed legend for these flags is listed in section 5.6.4. An abreviated version is included in the table of contents for quick reference. Throughout a spread, you may also find names in parenthesis to indicate the reference(s) used for that section. Layout: This section will show in text graphics, and perhaps describe, how this particular layout looks. 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. 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 information about this layout that doesn't fit in any of the above categories. 5.6.5) Maps and Legends Flags: A - Astrological Spreads. These layouts have been influenced by astrological symbolism. Essentially, they qualify as Cross Subjects (see X below) but are large enough in number to merit their own flag. L - Line Spreads. These layouts consist entirely of non- intersecting lines. These tend to be easier to read than most other layouts and are flagged merely for their simplicity. S - Specific Question Spreads. These layouts were designed to answer a specific question or type of question. They are not reccomended for general readings and should only be used when appropriate to the querents inquiry. X - Cross Subjects. These layouts are based on another subject related to the magickal arts. For example, the Chakra Spread is based on the seven shakras of the body, a subject not typically related to the tarot. Athough additional study of the corresponding subject may not be necessary, it is reccomended. Y - Yes/No Spreads. These layouts were designed specifically to answer yes or no questions. time - Some layouts are designed with a specific time period in mind. The reader need not stick to this time limit, it is merely the time suggested by the designer of the layout and given to the reader as a courtesy. Complexity: This rating system is designed mainly to give the user a general idea complex a layout is. Complexity is based on how many lines are in the layouts, how the lines relate to one another, the number of cards, and how strongly cards relate to one another. The system used is, admittedly, purely subjective on my part but it should hopefully give you a feel for how much effort is required of the reader, and you can of course change this ratings in your copy if you choose to do so. Ratings range from one to nine. Each odd numbered rating has a description of a typical layout of such complexity and even numbered ratings are reserved for layouts that fall between. Again, these ratings are purely subjective and the list below was used only as a guide. C1 - Simple Line Spread, under 10 cards. C3 - Two lines intersecting, 20 cards. C5 - 'Shared Knowledge' - cards in different and possibly non- intersecting lines share a relationship, 5 lines, 35 cards. C7 - Multiple intersecting lines, 7 lines, 50 cards. C9 - 'Complete Integration' - all cards are related to one another. Lines or groups are holistically defined and can change depending upon the reading, over 50 cards. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 6) References and Thanks Aldridge, David, e-mail 5/14/96. (101662.2527@Compuserve.com) Baewer, Carl. (Carl.Baewer@Mixcom.com) (Sysop of Astro Net-1 BBS, 414-481-9976) Biggs, Catherine, e-mail 9/19/95. (c4winds@teleport.com, listed as Clan of the Four Winds) Blackburn, Jared, e-mail 5/28/96. Blackburn, Jared, newsgroup posting to alt.tarot, alt.divination, and alt.magick. 5/27/96. (blackjar@planetc.com) (Jared provided me with some information on geomancy which related to a couple of layouts in previous versions of the REF.) Buckland, Raymond (editor), _Llewellyn's 1992 Magickal Almanac_. Llewellyn Publications, St. Paul, Minnesota. 1991. (A loan from Monica Withee.) Cabezas, Jose C. Soto, private E-mail. 1/24/1996. (josec@bipv02.bi.ehu.es) Cannon, Andrew, private E-mail. August 29, 1995. (a.cannon@bbcnc.org.uk) (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) 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) Graham, Sarena. (sarena@talisman.net) (maintains web site containing this document) Guiley, Rosemary Ellen. _The Mystical Tarot_. Penguin Books, New York, New York. 1991. Jackson, Michele. (jacksn@norfolk.infi.net) (maintains web site containing this document) Kaplan, Stuart, _Tarot Classic_. Proper cite forthcoming. 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.) Nickells, Graham, e-mail. 8/25/96. (gnickells@cix.compulink.co.uk) Ottinger, Kenneth. (kottinge@trojan.neta.com) (web site maintainer) 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. Sagie, e-mail, 4/03/96 (CrystalSage@aol.com) 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) Tyagi (tyagi@HouseOfKaos.Abyss.Com) (Tyagi provided many suggestions and helpful hints which prompted and guided the restructuring of version 4.0) 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.) Wolf, Randy. (wolfd@icanect.net) (web site maintainer) 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.) =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 7) 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 5/05/96 - Version 3.0.1 Minor changes in preamble and bibliography. Long overdue spell/grammar check. Correction of Jose Cabezas' name in credits. 10/05/96 - Version 4.0 Title changed from Tarot Layouts FAQ to Tarot Layouts REF. Numerous structural changes to complicated to include. Addition of Eliphas Levi Wheel, Chakra, Mandala/Alchemical, Trinity, Story, Triangular, Geomantic, and Cup of Relationships Spreads. Addition of Astrological House Numbering. Addition of The Four Elements and the Tarot lesson.