What is a spread and why do you use one?

A spread is an organizational chart for cards. It is a basic structure, or set of rules, to add an extra layer of depth to your readings. The cards tell the story, but the spread marks the plot points (the juicy parts).

Let's say you are doing a one-card reading. This means you ask a question and pull "one card." This is useful for simple, or trivial, spreads. I see too many people relying on them however and then they ask what it means. What it means is that they have been trained poorly by self-study or bad books on the tarot (and there are no shortage of those). Something as important as knowing the future is worth the time and expense of hiring a decent teacher or at least buying a GOOD BOOK and really studying. Don't be lazy; we have enough people who are who pretend to read the tarot.

So with one-card you can answer simple yes/no questions by whether the card is a certain suit, or if it is reversed, or what number it is, whether it is a "major" Arcana or not. Simple stuff, but hardly informative. Generally for more detailed information you want to add more cards, not try to extract and entire reading's meaning out of one card. The point where this becomes absurd is usually above ten cards in a single spread that is dealt all at once. Asking your deck (the gods, your spirit guides, etc.) to answer everything all at once with a minimum of shuffling and using every available card means that you will have to cast ten thousand times to get the right answer (the actual truth--not an answer you like). 

Tarot cards work on random probability augmented by "divine intervention" (for lack of a better term) and interpreted by your psychic sense and cognitive awareness. Logic is the final step in the process, as if you try to apply it too early you will eviscerate the connection that allows you to gather information from the ether and your egoic self will commandeer the process and you will be relying on your personal judgments and biases, NOT on any real assistance from the collective awareness (or whatever you want to draw from).

So, short simple spreads work. Cast the appropriate number of cards (usually 1-12 but even more often 4-10) and seek your answers based on the spread you are going to use, and if necessary use clarification cards to help or open cards up to determine their hidden meanings. Note: All of this is covered in The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot—EVER!! but don't let that hold you back from learning if you are dead broke and can't afford even one book on the tarot. Get free lessons easytarotlessons.com. We have lessons and a free tarot podcast to help you (with homework!) Use these resources. 

Know in advance what spread you are going cast (cast: throw or deal cards) or you will get unreliable results. Study the spread before you cast it. A good exercise that is 100% free and will teach you more on how to use the tarot than many books I have suffered through is to simply cast your favorite spread face down. Don't shuffle the cards and do NOT turn the cards over. The actual cards are irrelevant at this point. You are looking at the positions themselves. Look at the meaning of each card position (shortened to the abbreviation "CP" as in CP1, CP2, etc.) and establish in your mind what that CP means. Imagine any random card (of your choosing) in that spot. Just see what that says to you generically. Do this with all of the card positions in that spread. 

Now compare and contrast a few card positions. After this try combining a few (start with two and after a few passes try combining three) to get the feel of this. This one exercise will strengthen your ability and your confidence when reading fro a real-life situation with a real-life person sitting across from you.

Let's use the Celtic Cross (or "CC")  spread as an example. The version of the Celtic Cross spread I use can be found in The Easiest Way to Learn the Tarot--EVER!! I was just looking through a few books in my tarot library and found the version I use in Power Tarot. If you have that book, but not mine, flip to page 236 and find it there.

So... let's compare and contrast the most obvious: CP7 versus CP9. These two spots are extremely helpful in determining exactly what your querent is asking as they show first their fears and then their desires. If their fears (CP7) are stronger than their desires (CP9) than you know that they are fighting against themselves, or that there are outside circumstances holding them back. Check CP8 to see what other people are saying/doing/thinking. Is this (CP8) a supportive environment or is it harmful to their progress. Again, we are just looking at the backs of the cards, making the card positions tell us what the real story is behind the question. The final outcome (CP10) is highly dependent on these factors. The final outcome may be bright and sunny only to have limitations placed on it by the querents inner attitudes or the support or jealousies of other people involved in the reading. You can't give accurate answers just by looking at the last card in the spread.

John Donne, Elizabeth's master poet and spiritual advisor penned a famous poem entitled "No man is an island." Pardon he inherent sexism as that was the coin of the realm at the time. Let's witness his genius together:

No man is an island entire of itself; 

every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main; 

if a clod be washed away by the sea, 

Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, 

as well as a manor of thy friends or of thine own were; 

any man's death diminishes me, 

because I am involved in mankind. 

And therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; 

it tolls for thee. 

The cards of ANY spread are no different. Past, present, future. All are intertwined. In a spread you can cast three cards and try to make them distinct and separate entities but they all blend into one existence, one enduring experience. The future rules us all, as it is our past efforts that were all accomplished in the hopes of the present, which was our future then. Our present is a slave to the future. We do things today to make our existence tomorrow bearable. All eyes are on the future even as we toil to make it to our desires. Thus it is with the tarot. All of the cards in a spread work for the employer who is that fateful, final card. 

Continuing. The crowning card, or CP5 affects CP10 and could come to be. It hangs over us as surely as CP6 must be passed through. Combine these cards after comparing them. First, we see what could be, what looms overhead, the spectre, or overtone of the situation. Is it congruous (or sympathetic) with CP's 6 and 10? If the cards line up to show a parade of activity and intent all in lock-step toward a final outcome then the future is assured unless a violent break from the path ("drastic action") is undertaken. If the cards are inharmonious and bickering then it shows problems and missteps that sour the victory, even if the final card is glorious. Combining them, do we see a pattern or patterns within patterns? Are these three cards all "major" Arcana? Are they of the same suit? Are they of similar meaning? Without straining yourself can these cards blend or are they inharmonious, or even indifferent to each other? It is by knowing your spread and how the card positions interact that we gain multiple layers of meaning from simple cards in a simple spread.

As this is getting long I wills top here and leave the experimentation to you. Do your favorite spread and take the steps I have outlined above. Compare and contrast the various card positions (CP's) and blend them. Get a feel for what would happen if supportive or conflicting cards showed up. Do this only with the card backs showing. The very next time you read using this spread you will be amazed at how much more information you get.

I am always available for private teaching if you need help. My rates are one-fifth of what they should be, so I would advise you get help now, or find a teacher you can learn from locally. If you have my book post all of your questions at the ATS forums where we can work this out together, with the help of other students and the occasional teacher. And don't forget to sign up for the easy tarot lessons (free) at easytarotlessons.com. The sign up form is very simple, takes all of three seconds, and is at the top of every page of that site.

Never quit. If you get frustrated get help. Thanks for reading.

A different way to learn the tarot

Hey kids,

So I have been following something new and as much as I believe in my own style of teaching and thank all of your for allowing me to help you learn the tarot, I have come across a wonderful lady who teaches tarot through video. All it all it is very affordable, being about ten dollars an hour (she just raised her price last week, but only by eight dollars (US) so that is not a big deal.

I could listen to her all day. I love her voice and she is genuinely helpful and very caring in her desire to help people learn the tarot. She offers a few free mini-lessons including a very long tour of her favorite decks. I tried to watch these but failed, however she was entrancing and charming in her presentation. She is completely comfortable in front of a camera and is most likely a professional on-camera reporter or newscaster or something like that.

What this shows me though is that for what she is offering (6 hours of video training) she is qualified for her task and proficient in getting her message across. I disagree with some of her teaching methods (but only mildly) but I want to present her to you because she may be just what *you* are looking for. Even if she is not you really must hear her speak. This is her site:

http://www.virtualtarotschool.com/learn-tarot/

So, as I come across interesting alternatives to my style of teaching I will let you know, but only if they are top-notch quality and free (or at least mostly free) of outdated superstition or dogma that just gets in the way of you learning and mastering the tarot. Give Laura (that's her name) a listen. My recommendation is to watch her free videos (although you might skip through some of the two "tarot tour" videos as they are extremely in-depth on decks--but she does know her stuff). See if this is something you want to pursue and don't worry about the price. Just pay attention to her. She is very good at what she does and she wants you to learn.

In the meantime, the new site is up and running at www.EasyTarotLessons.com and we have audio and print lessons ongoing, with more being added every week, and I am already looking into video. I wish I could get Laura (above) to record my video lessons for you as she really is a gem.

As always; thanks for reading. :-)

Easy Tarot Lessons: Lesson one-- start here

Staring at a spread that won't give you solid answers is frustrating. Spreads that are unclear or seem to wander away from the querents question (querent or petitioner = one who is asking/seeking) do a lot of harm to your ego. They delight in making you feel incompetent. When you are facing down a spread that refuses to cooperate you might be tempted to wonder if you shuffled enough or "did it right." This is a problem most (if not "all") Tarot students experience time after time. It is recurring. It is pernicious. And it is a pain in the butt!

Fortunately this problem can be solved with the following exercise. This exercise requires a fair amount of practice. It may seem simple and obvious, so much so that you would hardly consider it valuable, but the amount of time you do this exercise will determine how much the cards open up to you. This is the foundation of all advanced Tarot knowledge. I do this exercise to this day (but obviously not "every day" any more), even after several decades of reading and teaching the Tarot. So, got your deck handy? (I will wait) . . . 

. . . Okay I am timed of waiting. Let's begin:

Step one: If you are an absolute beginner do this step. If you like to think of yourself as proficient with the Tarot do this step. If you are a Tarot master you can skip this step. Remove all 22 "major" Arcana cards from your deck and set them carefully aside. Don't put them near a candle or anything wet. As obvious as this sounds please trust me on this. You don't want your cards to get bent, folded, or knocked over (wax on them, wet . . .) and you will forget about them within a few minutes of doing this exercise. Also, turn each card so that it is facing "up." We don;t need any reversed cards for this exercise as they will only slow you down.

Step two: With your deck prepared ("major" Arcana carefully set aside and all of the cards facing the same direction) you can shuffle the deck or have them in the order of your choosing. Just make sure they are facing "down" so you can't see their faces. Now . . .

Flip a card. 

That was easy, eight? So, what does the card look like? Is it cluttered with things and activity? It is a "busy" card or is it sedate, lazy, relaxed? How much is going on in this card? If you were the photographer of this picture--you were right there snapping the pic as it happens would you say it was loud or quiet? Are people shouting or making noise? Are they polite or argumentative? Is there music? If there is music is it light and charming or festive (dancing music)? Who is the "star" of this picture? Who is most important and are they happy? Do they fit into their world or does it conspire against them? Is this card a comedie or a tragedie? (roughly: happily ever after ending or sad ending) Is the card authoritative? Is it "a day in the life" card or an event? These questions you ask of the card help you get inside it and see what is really going on in the picture.

The Tarot is a visual divination tool. It's purpose and usage is based in "what you see" and little else. To kame (Na'vi word for "see" or "see into") it you need to be able to understand the relation of its participants. Don't underestimate the importance of this exercise. This one exercise will help you become a reader of legendary ability if you stay with it. But that is for later, after years of "real-world" experience. Right now let's just look at some examples. I will use the Rider-Waite, or "Rider/Waite-Smith" deck as it is the most popular deck in the world and the foundation of almost every modern Tarot deck. No matter what deck you are using please draw the appropriate card from your deck now and look at it and compare it to what "I see."

7 of Swords This seems to be a thief sneaking away from camp with other people's swords. If you look closely you can see silhouettes of people in the background. Presumably these are the warriors whose swords are being stolen. If this is the case (that the "main character" is a thief) then we are looking at something being stolen or someone "taking the wind out of someone else's sails". He is (seems to be) removing their ability to fight. After all how can you go to war without your sword?

But what if it is a practical joke? That could be what we see. Or he could be dancing. One of my students insisted this guy was dancing. So be it. Maybe he is. Maybe he is doing "the forbidden sword dance of Sheba." Perhaps he is gathering the swords because the idiots in the background DID go to war without their swords and he was ordered to go back to get them.

What is the most obvious scenario to you right now? Next Thursday when you see this card again you may have a different opinion of what is happening and that is just fine. Does he look like he is succeeding (getting away with his practical joke or theft, or whatever)? Does he have any opposition? Is anyone directly confronting him? Is it raining on him? (Yeah, yeah, there is almost no weather to be found in the Tarot)

Let's try another card . . . 

Ten of Coins Okay, so here we have an old man sitting in a chair petting a dog. In the mid-background is a woman talking/flirting with a man ho holds a spear and a small child trying to pet the doggie who is ignoring him/her. Beneath the layer of coins we can see that on the arch post are coats of arms and an expensive woven tapestry (rug) that shows a scene of power. It could be a painting but it is doubtful as it is outside, or at least exposed to the open air. Nonetheless we seem to be in town or on the estate grounds. Gauging by the fact that there are ten coins and a man with a spear (facing away from the old guy) this is probably a wealthy home. 

Everyone looks happy here. The old man does not seem to be in prison or uncomfortable. His hair is not bedraggled and he has a long flowing beard. This seems to suggest (for the time it was drawn in) that the man has wealth. He is a man of power and influence, not a beggar who is resting for a moment before being chased off. The dogs seem to know him (they are not barking at him). The lady has a sense of poise and relaxed confidence and is not concerned with her child's wanderings. Thus this card seems to indicate "a happy place." The nearby walls and tower show a defensible location, and given that this is "the end" of the suit of coins it is safe to say that this looks like a "happily ever after" card of generational wealth. That brat yanking at the dog's tail is probably worth more than I will ever be. The vines and grape clusters ("real" or painted/woven) also seem to indicate fertility if land and loin. All in all this card screams wealth and personal security. 

Compare this to the Page of Coins where we have a solitary young man delicately holding up a coin which he seems to stare worshipfully, or even philosophically at. The lands he stand in are well cared for. They are peaceful and fertile, providing grass for sheep, cows, goats, and horses to munch on happily, and also tilled farmland which grows crops for humans. The mountains provide a nice backdrop but they are far away distant things. No one needs to climb them any time soon. The day is sedate and casual, with time to reflect--even at the beginning of this young man's adventure. he is young and just starting out where as the man in the Ten of Coins is old and has done well for himself. But also the young man is "out in the open" versus the old man being walled in (securely). These are minor things that will mean nothing in some readings and mean everything in others. For now we are merely noting them in passing.

Okay, so now it is your turn. Go through the deck and see "what you see." Post a comment here please. Let me know of course if you have any problems or questions. I am here to help.

What to do if you "just don't connect with a Tarot deck"

I recently saw a post on a metaphysical social networking site. A beginner at the Tarot was having problems connecting with the Rider Waite (and don;t we all at first). She posted her problem asking what to do. She was immediately greeted with suggestions that she simply buy more decks and ignore the ones that she did not understand immediately.

My head almost exploded.

While I am all for mindless consumerism and the collection of divination decks, and other oracles, I am simply fed up with the impatience and complete lack of actual study so many readers try to get by with these days. Then there are the uninformed opinions based on countless superstitions and lies spread by earlier generations. All of this must end, as these do nothing more than publicly boast one's ignorance and give the impression that the Tarot is a sham.

Here is what you do if you cannot connect with the Tarot. Buy a book. Buy my book. By any well-designed Tarot instruction manual. Eileen Conolly made a set of three several years ago that are quite nice.There are several very-well-written books on the Tarot available today and hundreds of crappy ones. There are thousands of Tarot teachers and free and paid lessons online of varying quality. LEARN.

Study and practice. There are no shortcuts (unless you consider high-quality Tarot instruction to be a shortcut as it saves you years of trying this and that).

I hear, and read, almost every week people complaining that they have tried off and on to learn the Tarot for years, or that they gave up after getting frustrated. Most of the time these valid complaints come with the statement that they own several decks. They spend years buying decks instead of learning to read the ones they have. This is something so many people do (and complain about) that it needs to be addressed. Too many people are taught BAD INFORMATION about the Tarot even before they get a chance to learn what it is all about. This leads them to believe they must be "gifted" their deck (someone has to give you one of their own free will, without you asking or hinting--LIE!) or that they have to buy 5-6 decks to find the one that speaks to them. (LIE! The deck that speaks to you is the one thats peaks to you after you have learned how to read the tarot proficiently with a "starter deck.")

Deck-shopping is like bed-hopping. It can be fun but it leaves you empty and feeling used inside if you are not getting real value from each (deck) you spend time with. If you are having trouble learning the Tarot a new deck won;t magically make it all better. You may find a deck more attuned to your sensitivities (your personal outlook on life) but you still have to learn how to know th meanings of each card right side up, reversed, upside down, flipped out of the deck, and what it means when you cat stand on it (and your cat will). There is NO substitution for practice and the lessons of experience or we would have computers do readings for us.

If you cannot connect with a deck get a new teacher (or book), not a new deck. New decks are trinkets, toys, party favors, or tools for the job--one you know how to read at all. Collecting decks is fun but shopping is not a method of study. If you need help ask. I am always available at the student forums at AvdancedTarotSecrets.com and we have practice areas and interesting discussions. But you can also look locally and see if there is a teacher in your area. Not everyone who teaches the Tarot is a teacher, or any good. Teachers are like mechanics. Your best bet is to find a good one and stick to them like glue, but while you are shopping around (for a teacher or a mechanic) be willing to try out a few and ask for references, look at the reviews their students give, and maybe even get a reading (or repair) from them--which you should pay for--and tip if appropriate.

Okay, shameless plug: here is my book. yes, it is guaranteed. I do not write trash. The book works--but so do thousands of teachers all over the world. Find a good one and learn the Tarot.

http://www.amazon.com/Easiest-Way-Learn-Tarot-Ever/dp/1419692887

Don't believe me. Check it out for yourself. Read the reviews. Flip through it. Study and practice. It is worth the effort.

Beltane is coming!

But first we have Imbolg! Check your calendars. On or around feb 7th it will be 15 degrees Aquarius. The "Fixed," or middle (dead-center) of Winter. It's check-up time. Every 8.5 weeks you get to do a self-progress report. Are things going well? How are those New Year's resolutions (you hopefully made at Yule) going? We have one more week to cram before the big test. Are you moving in the direction you like?

This year started with Merc. retrograde (in Sag!) so plans change--and we are expected to adapt. I have seen this already in my own life. Press on. So . . . time to think of how you are doing. Is "it" working for you right now? Next check up in 9-10 weeks!

Always remember this --- and you will "win!"

We are only trapped by our prejudices (things we refuse to change) and our luxuries (things we are afraid to lose).


Just a random thought---ooh pop-tars! 

Why is the tarot so... "old"?

Hey everybody!

I just was asked to guest blog over at tarotwisdom.com, and true to form I just had to rant about something. In this latest caffeine-fueled frenzy I take on why everyone in the Tarot looks like a hippy Renaissance Faire junkie. What's wrong with suits? (even though it is against my official religion to ever wear a suit)

http://tarotwisdom.com/updating-the-tarot/

Please support tarotwisdom.com by checking out my newest post. It is free (duh) but the page view really helps them. And I think you will like my post. Okay, thanks for reading. :-)