GypsyWitch Tarot Spreads

A few notes on how I read Tarot, to begin with. I do not choose a "significator" as some readers do, I lay the cards out as they come, off the top of a shuffled and cut deck. I believe that "who you are" (how you react/feel) changes according to the situation at hand, and so the card that represents you should change as well. Also, I personally do not deal with "reversed" meanings. Many Tarot decks include these, but I disregard them. Of course, it is all a metter of personal choice. And finally, in the Celtic Cross spread I mention a 13th card, "What It's Not." This card can be applyed to any reading with any spread.

To read Tarot, one must have spreads, no? There are a few that I use often, and I have also written a few of my own. Here are some spreads to start out with.

Celtic Cross
Simpler Merlin's Mirror
Self-Comparison
Crossroads
Dragon

The "classic" Tarot spread, although I usually don't see it quite like this. I was taught it this way by my aunt and my mother, both of whom are very experienced and excellent Tarot readers.

1.) You
2.) Positive Influences
3.) Negative Influences
4.) Idealized Outcomes
5.) Basis of the Matter
6.) Past
7.) Future
8.) Environment
9.) Where You Can Draw Strength
10.) Hopes
11.) Fears
12.) Final Outcome
13.) What It's Not (bottom card in the deck)

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Simpler Merlin's Mirror

The original version of this spread came with the Arthurian Tarot that my mother has, and has four more cards than does mine. Once, in the middle of the night, I wanted to do this spread, but didn't want to wake my parents, so I wrote my own simpler version.

1.) The Face You Show To The World
2.) Why You Show This Face
3.) How People Perceive This Face
4.) Who You Would Like To Be
5.) Why You Want To Be This Person
6.) How Others Would React To This Face
7.) Why You're Not Who You'd Like To Be
8.) Who You're Not
9.) The Real You
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Self-Comparison

Very similar to Merlin's Mirror, both in meaning and creation. One night I was thinking about how different my ritual self is from my mundane self. I got to wondering if others ever pondered this idea. I decided they probably did, and I felt like giving myself and others a way to explore where and how the ritual and mundane parts overlap, and where they oppose.

1.) Your Mundane Self
2.) Characteristics Unique To The Mundane Self
3.) What the Mundane Self Can Teach the Ritual Self
4.) Your Ritual Self
5.) Characteristics Unique To The Ritual Self
6.) What the Ritual Self Can Teach The Mundane Self
7.) Similarities Of The Two Selves
8.) How The Two Can Be Integrated
9.) Where The Two Need To Be Separate
10.) Why The Mundane Self Has Meaning To You
11.) Why The Ritual Self Has Meaning To You
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Crossroads


I've never actually used this spread, only written it. It's intended for tough decisions, where there are many possible routes to take, and you're not sure what is best. It's meant to tune you into your Will (what is best/right/approprite to the situation), as opposed to your Want (desires).

1.) What You Want
2.) Why You Want It
3.) How You Could Achieve It
4.) How You Would Benefit
5.) How It Would Hinder You
6.) What Is Best (Your Will)
7.) Why It Is Best
8.) How You Can Achieve It
9.) How You Would Benefit
10.) How It Would Hinder You
11.) What You Should Not Choose
12.) Why You Shouldn’t Choose It
13.) What You Will Not Choose
14.) Why You Won’t Choose It
15.) What You Will Choose
16.) What Will Change Because Of It
17.) The End Results
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Dragon


This spread was written by my Beloved, and is one that is very general, but also quite helpful. Similar to Crossroads in that it aids in decision making.

1.) Current Position (How You View The Situation)
2.) Best Course Of Action
3.) Suppliment To Position #2 (Why It Is Best)
4.) Outcome Of Poition #2 (What Will Happen If You Take This Course)
5.) Worst Course of Action
6.) Suppliment To Position #5 (Why It Is Worst)
7.) Outcome Of Position #5 (What Will Happen If You Take This Course)
8.) Probable Course Of Action
9.) Suppliment To Position #8 (Why It Is Most Probable)
10.) Outcome of Position #8 (What Will Happen If You Take This Course)
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