Reading a Spread: Two Trinities

When I started practicing spreads, I exclusively read Celtic Crosses.  The Celtic Cross is a classic ten-card spread that can address specific issues, or serve as a check-in for general insight into the querent's life. It's one of the first spreads a tarot reader learns, which is surprising seeing how it's also one of the most complicated. Eventually, I started branching out into other spreads and finally started developing my own; now, I rarely read Celtic Crosses.  Instead, where I would normally use a Celtic Cross, I use the spread below. For me, it's just more effective, but that will vary from person to person.  Take a look and see if it resonates!

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Two Trinities is called thus because it is a combination of two three-card spreads, with some extra cards thrown in.  In fact, I offer both the top trinity and the bottom trinity as their own readings in my store.  If you like the combination, Two Trinities is also available as a reading.

CARDS 1 & 2: The querent and their present query

Often, when I see two cards crossed like this, they have distinct meanings--the upright card is said to be the querent, and the sideways card is the issue at hand, or what "crosses" the querent.  The truth is, I usually end up blending the two cards in a general sort of "what's up with the querent right now" interpretation.  For example, I'm reading the Hierophant as my need to impress experts in my field, and the six of cups is my attempt to reconnect with my childhood self in response. That is to say, I strive to respond to the desire to please of authority by getting in touch with my most authentic self.

CARD 3: The querent's mind

Alright, I know I said before that I don't do reversals (cards that show up upside down). I actually have started interpreting them, and I will be doing a post on it. For now, when we look at the queen of pentacles, I note that my mind has been preoccupied with a disrupted sense of comfort and security, or a disconnect from my responsibilities to the land or home I steward.  I was actually kind of confused about pulling this card--until I realized how much my brain has been chewing on potentially relocating over the next couple months. 

CARD 4: The querent's body

The two of swords is such an interesting card. The picture conveys tranquility and discomfort at the same time.  This is creepily perfect right now; I'm coming out of a fairly long period of general dissociation, and I'm much more aware of my body than I was last season.  This awareness creates a much more robust sense of self, and definitely makes me feel more balanced overall; however, it also brings with it an uncomfortable awareness of things like sore joints, grogginess, and hair that's way overdue for a cut. 

CARD 5: The querent's spirit

It would be fair to say that my emotional cup runneth over. The ace of cups is the essence of the suit of cups, meaning that my spirit is embracing emotional depth. I've been able to revisit mentally some of my experiences of the past year, and folks who I previously found.... difficult, I've been able to hold with more compassion.  I believe this emotional openness is reflected in this card. 

CARD 6: The influence of the querent's past

The four of wands is kind of a party card, often referring to rites of passage. One of the big lessons for me recently has been learning that growth doesn't always (or often) happen in big, glorious, visible moments that are celebrated.  Whether or not I realized it, I held that belief in the past, and it may still be influencing how I interpret events. 

CARD 7: The querent's present

I think I'm going to call the ace of wands as representing my return to this blog! Writing and tarot are my two major creative outlets, and coming back to this space has helped reignite my creativity in general.  This card reminds me to stick with it and enjoy the energized passion that it generates!

CARD 8: Possibilities for the querent's future

Though not necessarily predictive, Strength is a powerful card in this position. I really love this card, and it is one of my "pay special attention to me!" cards. Here, it is telling me that whatever happens, I should be ready to rely on my inner courage and emotional strength. It's also a reminder that I have those resources available to me; in a sense, it's like a vote of confidence. 

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What do you think of this dual triad?  How does it compare to the Celtic Cross for you?  Do you think just using one of the three-card spreads would be helpful, too?  Let us know in comments!

Deck Review: Chrysalis Tarot by Toney Brooks and Holly Sierra

A little while back, I was given the Chrysalis Tarot as a gift.  It was on my wish list after I found myself drawn to the illustrations over and over.  To be honest, the intensely vibrant, minutely-detailed art is not normally my style, but my imagination was continually captured by the artistic and spiritual choices in this deck.  The authors specifically designed this deck to have a more feminine energy than the classic Waite-Smith. They showcase feminine spirituality in various facets, from gentle and loving in the Sorceress (the High Priestess) to powerful and destructive in Kali (the Tower).

The feminine energy of this deck isn't done at the expense of some masculine balance; for example, the authors include Papa Legba as Strength. This brings me to another highlight in this deck: Brooks and Sierra conscientiously drew from a variety of global spiritual traditions while creating this deck, and the result is a wildly rich deck featuring more people of color than we often see, at least from major publishers. I would be very interested to hear feedback from folks whose cultures and spiritual traditions are represented.

Structurally, the Chrysalis Tarot replaces the four traditional suits, calling them instead mirrors (cups), stones (pentacles), spirals (wands), and scrolls (swords).  These suits seemed pretty drastically different to me at first, but the illustrations are so good at presenting an accessible meaning that they are not hard to read.  I struggled a little bit with the court cards; instead of assigning a consistent "page-knight-queen-king" schema, the court cards are organized as "The Troupe."  Each of the sixteen court cards has its own unique title; for example, what would be the page of scrolls is The Pilgrim, while the page of spirals is The Mime. If this sounds like a lot of new meanings to memorize, don't worry: The traditional ranks of the court are also listed on each card.

I think the Chrysalis Tarot would be a great deck for somebody familiar with Waite-Smith imagery who is looking for something to stretch them. It's consistent and accessible enough to be easy to read, but diverges from traditional imagery enough to provide a challenge and fresh interpretations.  If I had one complaint about the deck, it's that the cardstock is a bit stiff for me!  I use this deck less than I would if it were just a tad easier to shuffle.

Below, I'm showing you a Get To Know You spread for this deck. Originally taken from TABI, this spread gives some insight into how to be successful with this deck.

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What is your most important characteristic?

I cannot, for the life of me, figure out if "Bella Rosa" is a reference.  I've looked it up and can't find much, so I'm going by the the "beautiful rose" in her hand and the lush, Venetian carnival-type outfit (y'all, I want that jacket).  The Devil can be a card about acknowledging the parts of us that we'd rather keep hidden, which is consistent with Bella's mask and elaborate costume.  This card tells me that the Chrysalis Tarot will be useful for examining aspects of myself that I'm reluctant to face.

What are your strengths?

The glassy, watery droplets that form the nine of mirrors convey the atmospheric touches of this deck really well; there are so many illustrations that you feel like you could reach out and grab. A celebratory card, the nine of mirrors suggests that this deck's strength lies in connecting with joy, and reframing issues in a positive light.

What are your limits?

As you can see, Brooks and Sierra have renamed the High Priestess, designating her as the Sorceress.  As far as limitations go, this deck isn't one for connecting to my hidden, inner femininity. While this is a bit ironic, given the authors' goal to center the feminine, I think the feminine energy in this deck will serve me in other ways.

What are you here to teach me?

The bird on this card would be a great representation for the Chrysalis Tarot; its rainbow coloring and intricate, stylized detailing can be found throughout this deck. The ten of mirrors tells me that this deck is here to teach me to find some contentment and happiness with my life in the moment.

How can I best learn and collaborate with you?

The Illusionist takes the role of knight of stones, or knight of pentacles.  The Chrysalis Tarot LWB includes suggested interpretations for court cards, and I've decided that the Illusionist is telling me not to overthink things too much if I want to be successful with the Chrysalis Tarot. Note the arched border around the Illusionist; all the court cards have this additional embellishment, setting them off from the rest of the major and minor arcana.

What is the potential outcome of our working relationship?

The art here is an example of the global perspective the authors tried to bring; we see a desert landscape sprawling out before a goddess-like woman, who gazes above at scrolls unfolding into shapes evocative of Arabic script. Correlating to the eight of swords, the eight of scrolls is a card that encourages us to find some good in a situation that may otherwise seem hopeless; this deck has the potential to help me reframe issues in a more positive way and reduce worry.

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The Chrysalis Tarot, with its art evocative of a fabulous children's book, is a deck with great potential to help me look at uncomfortable aspects of myself, and reframe them in a more positive, hopeful way.

What do you think of the Chrysalis Tarot?  Do the vivid illustrations catch your eye?  What do you think of the alternate suits?  Could you imagine yourself using this deck?  Share your thoughts in comments!

Court Cards: A Down Home Approach

Even if you're a beginner, you probably recognize the difference between the Major and Minor Arcana.  You might already have a decent handle on the suits, and their domains and symbolism.  If you're anything like me, though, the court cards still feel beyond your reach.

The first suggestion you will see for how to read court cards is to read them as literal people in your or the querent's life.  Some readers even go so far as to say that a court card can identify a person down to their eye color!  Now, if the querent notes that one of the court cards looks like somebody specific in their life, that is definitely something to pay attention to (I once had a querent look at the Page of Swords and exclaim, "That's my ex!"). If it occurs naturally (and it does), that's one cool permutation of a court card. But the truth is, that could happen for any character on any tarot card. I find trying to read court cards as specific people can feel cumbersome, and removes a lot of subtlety from the reading process.

Still, the court cards feel unique from the rest of the Minor Arcana; they seem to have somewhat more independent personalities.  I really like Daily Tarot Girl's method for getting to know the court card, treating them as their own unique actors in the deck. She isn't necessarily saying they always correlate to a real-life human, but they do seem more like fleshed-out characters than the rest of the Minor Arcana. I think her exercises are absolutely wonderful if you are just starting to get to know the court cards.

When I started to devise my own approach to the court cards, I was drawn to the idea of each position referring to a level of maturity; that is to say, Pages are children, Knights are youths, Queens are adults, and Kings are old and wise.  Aside from the implications about gender, this was a good starting point for me.  I decided that, for me, each court card spoke to a step in our journey of relating to the world (much the way the Major Arcana describe our path through life). Pages are just starting their journeys; Knights have more confidence, Kings are ready to make decisions, and Queens see the process as a whole (my Queens outrank my Kings).

So what does that mean for reading the cards?  Well, it means knowing the domains of each suit, so that you can see what each court card presides over. For me, it made sense for me to give each court card a motto, and I am not the first person to hear the court cards speak in first person!  You will find, within a spread, that each court card may have a lot more to say, but these mottos are a good starting point.

I've grouped them below by court level instead of by suit; this way, you can see what I mean by the progression in our personal story. We start out relating to the world as a new, wondrous thing; we gain confidence, begin to act upon the world and shape it, and ultimately gain a perspective of our experience as only a piece of a larger whole.  Our paths are not linear, either; we can return to a Page chapter of our lives many times, or we may feel like a Knight in one domain and a Queen in the other.

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Pages

• Cups: I have innocent trust in the validity of my emotions.
• Pentacles: I approach the physical world with fascination and wonder.
• Wands: My enthusiasm leads to uninhibited, spontaneous action.
• Swords: I am eager to learn everything about anything!

Knights

• Cups: I have confidence that my emotional compass will point the right way. 
• Pentacles: I have faith that consistent hard work will bring reward. 
• Wands: I strive to experience life in the fullest!
• Swords: My intellect will lead me to success.

Kings

• Cups: I balance my emotions when making decisions.
• Pentacles: Success comes through hard work and reasonable expectations.
• Wands: Passion, tempered by experience, guides my decision-making. 
• Swords: I use logic to come to just decisions.

Queens

• Cups: I have the intuitive ability to understand the important role of emotions throughout our lives. 
• Pentacles: Hard work is most noble when it serves not only your house, but your community. 
• Wands: Passion promotes growth, in our communities and ourselves. 
• Swords: Wisdom comes from the ability to evaluate experience rationally. 

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A Note On Gender

I could write a whole blog post on the fuckery that is gender representation in traditional tarot; I'm not ignorant that my beloved Universal Waite-Smith features exclusively hetero-cis-normative folks (though I do my best to expand my interpretation of those characters). When reading court cards, I remove gender as much as my colonized mind can.  That is to say, any individual court card is not tied to a specific gender, but rather speaks to a potentially universal experience. 

This is all well and good, but what we need is better representation on tarot cards. I am completely over the moon for decks like the Numinous Tarot, which features not only non-binary, non-cis folks (kings with boobs! queens with beards!), but does a great job of featuring people of color, too.  In other words, this deck actually looks like real the people in my life.  And if you're not already reading Cassandra Snow's Queering the Tarot, you should; it's a series of essays at Little Red Tarot that brings a queer lens to tarot card meanings, ultimately helping to shape a more inclusive and accurate practice of tarot. 

Does this approach to court cards resonate with you?  Are there other approaches you prefer?  How do you incorporate (or extract) the power of gender in your tarot practice?  Let us know!

A Closer Look: Queen of Pentacles

Key words and concepts

• Comfort
• Security
• Abundance
• Family
• Compassion
• Stewardship
• Sensitivity to surroundings

I grew up in a small town, and like most teenagers, struggled a lot with friendship and identity.  In middle school and high school, I hung out pretty exclusively with a small group of guys.  In typical teenage fashion, I often struggled to relate to my own mother (she is an awesome lady, but we are both similar to the Queen of Swords and didn't always mesh), so having the mother of one of my guy friends sort of take me under her wing was really valuable.

She was a passionate gardener, and her name was Rose, of course.  She had the quiet patience and compassion that goes with being a kindergarten teacher (her profession), as well as the sense of humor and quick wit that comes from growing up as a dorky, not-traditionally-beautiful girl (something I desperately needed to relate to as a teenager).  Whenever I pull the Queen of Pentacles, I smile and say, "Oh hey, Rose, nice to see you!" This Queen--and my childhood role model--both serve to remind me that compassion for yourself and others is never a bad move, and that there is comfort to be had in cultivating your home.

The Queen of Pentacles offers warmth, comfort, and security--but she worked for it.  This queen doesn't hire a gardner or groundskeeper; she is in the dirt, caring for her flowers and vegetables.  She's up at dawn to milk the cows herself, and the result is a cultivated and healthy domain of her own doing.  And look at the results!  Her throne is richly carved with animals and fruits, and vines of roses wind their way around the border.  She's even attracted a happy little bunny at her feet (when she was younger, she was probably that Disney princess who had birds help her get dressed in the morning). I think of her very much as a steward of not only her land, but of its plants and creatures, as well as the human subjects of her kingdom.  

When I read court cards, I often think of them as attitudes we can take (as opposed to reading them as literal people in our lives).  The Queen of Pentacles' motto is, “Hard work is most noble when it serves not only your own house, but your community and the earth.”  She values abundance and hard work, but in the context of service to the greater good.  She is a reminder to prioritize our values, even if we are in the midst of the rat race of capitalism, and to use our gains in a way that encourages healthy, equitable growth. 

Is there somebody in your life who provides this queen's energy?  When have you embodied it yourself?  How else does the Queen of Pentacles show up in your life?

Reading a Spread: Mirror's Edge

This spread is a layout that can tell you things you don't necessarily want to hear.  It's about looking at the contrast between the things we like about ourselves, and what we don't like.  When I started designing this spread, I was using phrases like "your best self," but the results weren't very informative.  Using language that was less about judgement and more about contrast yielded a much richer spread.

With my trusty Universal Waite-Smith, I pulled the cards below.  Let's see how they demonstrate the ways in which our darkness is a reflection of our light.

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Note that in this spread, the cards are not laid out in perfect chronological order (see the placement of cards 7 and 8).

CARD 1: Your hopes

I've said before that the High Priestess always elicits happiness and tranquility in me.  In this position, she speaks to my hopes for a richness in life that goes beyond material satisfaction, and taps into a contentedness that sits deeply in my sense of self.  This card also suggests that I would like to get better at trusting my intuition, something I have been practicing pointedly over the last couple months. 

CARD 2: What makes you feel pride

I feel like the driver of the Chariot often looks a bit smug, but I can hardly blame him.  He is an expert at balancing the opposing forces in his life, and using that energy to create movement.  I do take special pride in the fact that my skills often center around bringing together opposing viewpoints, or balancing different ends of a spectrum of values. 

CARD 3: What you most admire

Lots of trump cards in this spread!  The Empress is the Earth mother, the crunchy granola feminine goddess.  Frankly, in this position, I would expect something more like Justice, or one of the Queens.  But the Empress reminds me that I am more drawn to the messiness of earth-based spirituality than I let myself admit.  This is especially effective when combined with the High Priestess from the beginning; it really is important for me to embrace my "hippie-dippy" side order to manifest my brightest self.

CARD 4: Your fears

I'll be honest.  I feel like the Knight of Swords can be kind of a jerk.  He loves learning and truly wants to pursue justice, but he trusts his own intellect a little much and may not consider other points of view.  I advocate passionately for the things I believe in and am not afraid to disagree with others, but I worry that I can bowl people over with my intensity.  I do not want to be the type of person who leaves others too intimidated to disagree!

CARD 5: What makes you feel shame

I know the Three of Cups seems like an unequivocally happy card, but I instantly knew what it meant here.  My social anxiety manifests itself in periods of shame after any positive social interaction, especially after parties. It's almost always independent of anything I actually did or said, and I think it's probably a common experience. Usually, I just brush it off as par for the course, but this card suggests that I might need to look a little more closely at that shame. 

CARD 6: What you most disdain

Wow, it's pretty harsh to be told you have disdain for.... everything.  The World could be signaling the fact that I have the most contempt for people who hold power and perpetuate systems of oppression that cross the entire globe, but that's a bit of a stretch.  I think it speaks to the fact that when we are overly critical of ourselves, it inevitably bleeds into criticism of others.  This card reminds me to practice compassion for myself in order to be more gracious to those around me. 

CARD 7: Your brightest self

It's interesting pulling a Minor Arcana in this prominent position, after getting so many trumps in the rest of the spread.  The Eight of Wands doesn't show any human actors, so we don't have facial expressions or postures to look at.  There's barely even a setting, just some rolling hills in the background.  No, this card is pure, unadulterated, forward-moving energy. Without a doubt, I feel at my brightest and when there is a sense of progress or change in my life.

CARD 8: Your darkest self

Strength is a special card to me, and I pay attention when it shows up in a spread.  It's part of a small cluster of cards that I identify with closely.  In some older decks, it is called Courage, which comes from the French word coeur, meaning heart. We know, then, that this strength doesn't refer to how much you can bench press, but rather a spiritual or emotional strength.  It is kind of reassuring to see it in this position!  Instead of focusing on my weaknesses, this card tells me what I can draw on in my darkest moments.  Even in times when I am feeling shame, fear, and lacking confidence, I can pull on my inner strength to get me through. 

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This particular manifestation of the spread demonstrates how the cards can surprise you, or seem contradictory, but still provide a fresh perspective on things.  I find this spread to be helpful for self-awareness, and if it appeals to you, I offer it as one of my available readings. 

Is this a spread you would try?  Do you have any questions about the positions of the cards, or why I read them the way I did?  Let us know in comments!

A Closer Look: Queen of Swords

Key words and concepts

• Reflection
• Wisdom
• Mental acuity
• Impartiality
• Wit
• Experience
• Articulate speech
• Sorrow
• Pain

The Queen of Swords is an intriguing card with a lot of depth. I used to see her as cold and critical, using her intelligence to make fair but merciless decisions. My feelings towards her became more nuanced when I found suggestions that her wisdom and intelligence is a result of painful experiences in her past.  The Queen of Swords is well acquainted with sorrow, and if her judgments seem harsh, it's because life has left her with a clear sense of realism. 

She's not all judgment and criticism, though.  She's often described as witty and articulate; I think of her as having a silver tongue to go with her shiny sword, which is pointed skyward with calm confidence. She is a leader, and though she expects much from her followers, she gives back in wisdom and reflection. She always considers all sides of an argument or decision, no matter how difficult. 

I see the Queen of Swords as the Minor Arcana counterpart to Justice.  Whereas Justice is the pure form of the ideal, the Queen of Swords embodies fairness in the ways we encounter it in everyday life. She's the friend who isn't necessarily warm and fuzzy, but is always there for you when real disaster strikes.  She's the boss that makes a decision that is harsh, but takes the time to explain to her employees why it is necessary and helps them through it. She looks at life unflinchingly, unafraid to see things as they truly are, bringing wisdom, fairness, and measured consideration to a situation.  Ultimately, her goal is justice in service to her subjects.

Are there people in your life (not just women) who embody any of these aspects?  Have there been times in your life when you have drawn on your own internal Queen of Swords?  Be sure to share your thoughts in comments!