The Crone's MiniBooks

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2 crosses
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Now that you have gotten to know your cards, have an idea of how they work and some personal as well as classical interpretations under you belt, it is time for you to learn how to put them into use. Cards are read by laying them onto a flat surface in a particular pattern called a "spread". Each position in the spread represents an individual subject to be addressed in the course of the reading. Which spread you use will depend on the information you are looking for from that reading. Sometimes you may want a complete overview of a situation, sometimes a quick best course of action or sometimes a timeline of events. In this section, you will find a number of spreads to suit these and many other purposes.

The Celtic Cross is the all purpose, must-be-included-in-every-Tarot-book-ever-written spread of all time space and dimension. It is an excellent spread for obtaining a general overview of a situation, including the events which led up to the present, the present, and the most probable outcome. After choosing the significator, the cards are laid out as follows:

CARD 1: Covers the significator and gives the general atmosphere over the situation at this time. A Major Arcana card in this position would indicate that the client is indeed going through an important process at this time.

CARD 2: Lays across card 1 and the significator and is always read as upright. It signifies what is helping or hurting the covering influence.

CARD 3: This is the foundation of the current situation. Often this card depicts something in the past that created the situation or what the underlying motivation for the present atmosphere is at this time.

CARD 4: This card indicates something that is an influence in the client's life at this time and is now on its way out or something that has recently passed out of the client's sphere of influence. It is something that is leaving, has left, or is outmoded and obsolete.

CARD 5: This crowns the reading and represents an event, situation or action that may come into being. The energies are presently working toward creating what is depicted in this card, but it is still mutable enough that it could easily be affected by the client's actions. If there is a warning card in this position, the client can still avoid the danger. If there is a positive card here, it represents an opportunity the client may seek to accentuate or grasp. The following cards should offer advice as how to avoid a negative situation depicted here or take advantage of a positive opportunity that is shown. If insufficient direction is given in the cards that follow, when you finish reading this spread, have the client concentrate on the question, "How should I approach the situation described in this card?", cut the deck, and interpret the top three cards. This method may be used to "open" any card in a spread.

CARD 6: This is before the client. This card represents an event, action or situation that is quite likely to come into being. It is not as nebulous and "young" as the concept in Card 5 and is more "set" into occurring. That is not to say that it cannot be changed, only that it is further progressed into reality than the situation portrayed in Card 5.

CARD 7: This card represent the influence the client has over the situation: His/her thoughts and potential actions. This could possibly reveal a true underlying feeling of which the client is not yet aware.

CARD 8: This card indicates the influence that others in the client's environment (friends, family, co-workers) have on the situation. It shows outside influences of which the client may or may not be aware.

CARD 9: This card works with card 7 to reflect the client s innermost thoughts and expectations in regard to the situation. A negative card here with a positive card in the card 7 position could indicate that although the client is willing to take correct action to fix the situation, he/she really doesn't expect to succeed. With a positive card in the card 9 position and a negative card in the card 7 position, it could indicate that the client believes all will work out for the best, but is unwilling to take action to ensure that it will.

CARD 10: This card represents the final outcome that results from the influences of the other nine cards. It shows what would be the most likely outcome if things continue as they are at this time.

This spread is laid onto the reading surface in the same pattern as above, but serves as an overview of spiritual changes and enlightenments as opposed to the more mundane applications and categories that are given previously. This spread is particularly helpful when the client is going through a level change of some kind and feels as though the knight who brings the level change is bludgeoning him/her to death with his respective wand, cup, sword or pentacle, it gives greater insight to why a change is occurring and how to best deal with that change.

CARD 1: The Source. This card represents the area of change that the client is experiencing.

CARD 2: The Compliment. This card shows what is either assisting the client with this change or causing him to resist the change.

CARD 4: The Legacy. This card shows what strengths or weaknesses the client brings with him/her from this life or others to assist or hinder them through lesson.

CARD 5: An Idea. This card shows one way the client could deal with this change.

CARD 6: The Direction. This card shows where the change is taking you at this time.

CARD 7: The Effects, This card shows how this lesson or level change is affecting or changing you from within.

CARD 8: Outside Influences. This card shows how other people or hidden influences are helping or hindering this change.

CARD 9: The Ideal. This card shows the best you can hope for from this change.

CARD 10: The Finalization. This card shows the culmination of the effects of this lesson level change, based on the course of action continuing as it is at this time.

I have found it helpful when doing this spread to lay out 3 more cards above the reading to represent the best course of action for the client to follow. I especially employ this technique if the card in the #9 position shows that the best the client can hope for from this lesson is very painful or destructive. Often, these extra three cards can show the client how to reverse a change that seems to be going down a destructive, dead end street and turn the lesson around into a positive learning experience. In this instance, it can be especially important to carefully evaluate the cards found in the #7 and #8 positions to determine whether the client themselves or outside influences could be steering the situation into a destructive direction. This can sometimes be the case if the client is shown to be fighting against a change and therefore stagnating in his/her growth and development. At other times, people around the client may be resisting the changes in the client that signify growth and may be attempting to hold the client back in his/her progress.

This is a spread that I have found to be quite helpful when a client desires a general overview of the next few weeks or needs to know when in the next few weeks an event is likely to occur. It shows how different events and actions evolve to create other situations and, again, the most likely outcome if changes are not made.

Card #1 from the shuffled/cut deck covers the significator. The other cards in the spread are laid out as shown in the following illustration and are read in this timeline: Cards #1, 2 and 3 (rows 1 and 2) show the present situation and events over the next 7 days. Row 3 shows week 2, row 4 shows week 3, row 5 shows week 4 and so on. I generally take this progression no further than a total of 7 expanding rows, or approximately 6 weeks into the future. After card 21 has been placed, I then pull the spread back in by reducing the rows by one card per row, ultimately ending with a 1 card row. The reducing rows show me how the actions taken in the six weeks covered in the expanding rows will work together toward a final outcome. When using this reading, it is essential that emphasis be tended to the INTERACTION of the cards horizontally, diagonally and vertically. The purpose of this spread is to show how the situations presented culminate into an outcome and how one action or series of actions melds together in a domino effect.

Note: An alternative approach is to include the significator in the deck when shuffling the cards and see where, if at all, it lands within the diamond. This place on the timeline would indicate where the client could expect to be the most influential in making any move desire to affect a change in the situation presented.

By looking at the structure of this spread, you can see how the situation in card #8, for example, is going to create what occurs in #12 and #13, how card #9 will contribute to both 13 and 14 and so on. In the reducing rows, you can see that what has come about from cards #27 and #28 produce the outcome of #31, which combines with #32 to produce #34 and so on until the final outcome of the interactions is presented in card 36. After this reading is complete, I will usually ask the client if they have any questions about any part of the spread and will then do a "mini-pyramid" to open that part of the reading as follows:

If, for example, the client wants more information on card #8, row 4, week 3, I would have him/her shuffle the remaining cards in the deck while concentrating on the card in question. After he/she has cut the cards and handed them to me, I then lay out the following accessory spread:

This gives them further information on what card #8 is referring to, very much like a blow up of a key city on the side of a state map helps you to maneuver more skillfully through that area. I do not find that the original card (card #8 in our example) needs to be removed from the first spread and used as a significator (such as with pages or knights in the Celtic Cross) in order to open it in this manner. The client need only concentrate on that particular card while he/she is shuffling.

Many books on the Tarot will include spreads to offer year long predictions, often shown in a horoscope layout with a card or two for each month of the coming year. While I know other readers who swear by this method, I have found that projecting beyond a few weeks' time with the Tarot becomes very unreliable because of the extreme mutability of what is seen in the cards. A particular action by the client or someone prominent in the workings of their life may cause their life path to veer into a different direction that renders a reading done several months ago worthless. While I do include in this book timing methods to determine when a particular event is likely to take place, general predictions for the year ahead are, I have found, getting into shaky and nebulous territory.

Did you ever notice that when you type out the word "horseshoe," you are also typing "horses hoe?" Anyway, this spread is particularly helpful for clarifying a situation and watching the progression through time. It can be particularly be useful if you think your client is stumbling around in the dark, unable to find a direction to take in the situation in question.

Three cards are placed in each of the seven positions and are read in relation to one another within their own category. You will quickly be able to see a pattern of events that has led up to and can lead the client out of the current atmosphere.

	10-12
7-9		13-15
4-6		16-18
1-3		19-21
	S

Each card presenting in the different categories should be read independently as well as in regard to the other cards. For instance, in the category of "others" (cards 7-9) the Hermit, the 9 of Pentacles or any other card meaning "a person alone" probably means that the client can expect no help from others in this matter. In the category of "action needed" (cards 13-15), a 4 of Swords or Hanged Man may indicate that no action is required of the client at this time. A Chariot reversed could indicate that action taken at this time could, in fact, be dangerous or ill-advised of the client. An 8 of Swords in this position could mean that the client is restrained from taking any action. The World in this position could mean that no matter what action, if any, the client takes, his success is assured.

If only a quick overview and analysis of the situation is required, use only 1 card per category and add others to each section as further explanation is needed.

If you get a client who says, "I really don't know what I want to know about", this reading serves as a very general sketch of where the client has been, where he is now and where he appears to be going. The cards are distributed as follows:

As is seen in the diagram, cards 1-5 illustrate the past, cards 5-10 show what is happening in the present time and cards 11-15 show what is likely to occur in the future if the current course of action is pursued. Cards #5 and #10 act as pivotal points to bring the past into the present and the present into the future. Card #1 would represent the most distant past, whereas card #5 would, essentially be "yesterday" Card #10 would represent "tomorrow" and #15 would be further into the future. The significator rests between cards #1 and #15.

Sometimes, you will encounter clients who are in the process of making a difficult choice and would like counseling on which path to take. This spread can help to clarify options and project probable outcomes of two separate choices.

The client should select a significator to represent each choice presented. For instance, choosing between two people would be an easy significator selection since the court cards could embody the two personalities or physical types. A client may select the 8 of Pentacles (work) and the Page of Pentacles (the Scholar) if deciding whether to enter the work force or go to college. Marriage could be represented by the Queen of Wands (the most married queen) and divorce could be represented by the Three of Swords (enforced separation). When the significators have been chosen, they are placed on either side of the client's own significator as is shown in the diagram. The client is then asked to thoroughly shuffle the cards while concentrating on the choice before him/her. The cards are then cut into two piles, one to signify each choice. The reader then takes the top 5 cards from each pile and places them in columns under the appropriate significator.

Each column is then read of the most likely progression of events for each of the two choices. As with all spreads, this one is quite flexible. More than 5 cards may be added if more information is required. Three choices may even be opened and evaluated if the situation requires it. In this case, 3 choice significators would be selected, the shuffled deck would be cut into 3 piles and 3 columns would be made with the client's significator above the middle column.

I find this particular spread to be most useful as an overview of the week or month ahead. I usually will do a weekly block on Mondays to show me the possible pitfalls and rewards throughout the week to come. Occasionally, I will do a monthly block if the month ahead seems particularly eventful. Each card represents an event to occur in that particular category.

Additional cards may be assigned to any category where further information on that particular subject is required.

Using the patterns provided by the Weekly/Monthly block and the Horseshoe Spread, you will easily be able to create spreads to suit your own purposes. Both spreads show possible categories to assign to the different card positions, but certainly, you could insert your own categories. If you have two different jobs, for instance, you may want a section for job #1 and job #2. You may want information on visitors and callers, mail, gains, losses, etc. As long as you are remaining within the ethics described within this book, you are free to explore any area of your life through the Tarot. Simply add a category onto the spread or replace an existing one with your own. Again it must be emphasized that looking into someone else's life without their express permission is a no-no. So while you may ask the Tarot about your future interaction with this person or how they will affect your life path, your certainly would be out of line in asking "What is Ellen doing/thinking right at this moment?" or "Is Bob having an affair?" Stay in your own reading and don't go into what would be someone else's territory.

The

Major

Arcana

The

Minor

Arcana

The

Court

Cards

The

Spreads

The

Wind

	(choice 1) S	S (choice 2)
	1	1
Pile	2	2	Pile
1	3	3	2
	4	4
	5	5

CARD #1: Romance	CARD #2: Health	CARD #3: The Unexpected
CARD #4: Finances	CARD #5: Work/Career	CARD #6: Home/Family
CARD #7: New Situations	CARD #8: Cyclic Endings	CARD #9: Special Advice

	1
	2-3
	4-5-6

	1 2 3
	4 5 6
	7 8 9