Lesson 12, Designing a spread for Stephanie!

Tarot answers tend to be quite vague. So it's important that your spreads are clear. You already know the cards are going to be vague, ask a vague question for that vague card and you're getting a double whammy.

Sure, I ask some vague questions of the tarot, "What guidance does Cassandra need right now." I think it's always good to give Source the opportunity to speak its mind, after all. But don't let a vague question be the base of the work you are doing with a client.

A client comes in and doesn't know or says they don't know what they want to know. They just shrug and ask for a general reading. Maybe they're testing the accuracy of tarot. Maybe they are just getting a reading for fun. Maybe they really don't know what to ask. Ask them what they're main concerns are. It's usually love, money, their kids, or health. If they just aren't budging on information, no problem. Simply ask the tarot a few specific questions about your client. Some good ones might be,

"What question is on this person's mind right now?"
"What is s/he worried about right now?"
"Who is on her mind right now?"
"What should she be asking the tarot about?"

Voila, you've got a four card spread. I have a terrible memory so I'd have laid down four Post-Its already with these questions. I'd draw the cards and go from there. I'm asking the Hanson Roberts Tarot to help me with this lesson by playing along and pretending I'm really doing this reading for somebody. Oh, heck, Steph is the only one poking around lately. I'll do it for her. She can tell ME I'm off base for a change.

Six of Coins indicates she may be wishing for a little financial boost at the moment. This card indicates someone who is trying to lend a hand here and there. There is also the implication of someone trying to balance things out on a karmic level. The main character on the card is bubbly and joyous. The secondary figures are grateful to be receiving the older man's gift. Coins are the main feature, indicating money, health, land, or other material things. But my first impression was of Steph hoping for a little help and my feeling was that she was hoping for it from someone in particular.

The Ace of Swords is appropriate for a worry. This card often comes up to represent a change or shift in action or attitude towards an existing issue. Perhaps Steph is worried about a recent decision or perhaps there is some new issue that has just entered her life. The key points with this card are NEW and PROBLEM. So, if this card is right, the main worry for Stephanie right now is a new worry--or new worries on an old problem. Hard to be sure.

I asked who is on her mind right now and drew the Two of Swords. This gives me the impression that there is no one in particular who is weighing on her mind, rather, it's her own actions or choices (or perhaps waiting on the decision of another???) that weigh on her mind right now. There may be a who involved, but it seems that the center of this aspect of the question is about a choice or decision.

I'm always harping on how I'm not a fortune teller, but the appearance of The Wheel of Fortune for Steph rather clearly says, "She should be asking what's to come." Well, crap. I won't ignore fate. This seems clear. I'll ask what is coming around for Stephanie in the very near future. NOTE! I'm setting these cards aside. I'm still on the same reading so I don't shuffle these cards back into the deck. I may need to refer to them later in the reading. Sometimes what isn't clear at first becomes clear as the reading continues. Six of Cups. This card makes me want to put my hand on hers and tell her not to worry because balance is coming. Remember the Six of Coins? On the card the main figure holds a scale. Seems balance or harmony is an issue in this reading. This card says that the balance she is hoping for is coming.

Now, at this point I would rely on discussion of these cards to lead me to other questions or other aspects of the questions above. But I have to wait for Stephanie's input before I can do that.

Based on Stephanie's comments:

Ah, so the help is being given already. And more hours could be what you are counting on. Interesting. So, from here and since you aren't right in front of me where I can ask you for direction, I will ask what you can contribute towards harmony in your family situation and if the universe has any writing inspiration for you! Not that you asked for that, you implied more that it was a matter of organization and prioritization. I've switched to the African Tarot for it's bright colors in honor of Beltane.

I drew Five of Arrows and Judgment. Five of Arrows seems appropriate for your current family strife. My impression from this card is that there isn't a lot you can do except to stay out of the stuff that isn't important and only offer your input for the big stuff. Notice the smile on the adult figure's face. He's taking their squabbles lightly and is only standing by to keep anyone from getting hurt. He knows that, for the most part, he needs to let the kids muck through the little stuff on their own. The adult on the card isn't just an adult standing over children, I think there's a deeper meaning here. I hear the words, "Rise above it" in my head and feel like it's a message for you to just remain aloof of the more childish things. The adult isn't just taller because he's older, he keeps his head up and out of the drama the children have created. He hasn't distanced himself, he's still available, he's just not invested in their drama. And the interesting thing to me is that the adult doesn't seem to be admonishing the children, he's smiling. Yet the children still seem to be reacting as if they've been "schooled." It's possible that you need to lead by example and not through trying to point out to your family what should be obvious to them. The children are embarrassed not because their elder has told them what they've done wrong, but because he has set a higher example for them that makes them realize how foolish their actions have been.

As for your writing, the Universe seems to be listening! To me, Judgment is a wake up call. I think the only message for you here is what you already know, it's time to be working towards your goal.