Comic Strip Spread

Difficulty: Easy
Note: This spread works best with decks like the Diary of a Broken Soul or Surrealist Tarot because they display scenes rather than pips and do not use reversals.
The Comic Strip Spread is a simple nine-card chronological spread that looks like a page of a comic book. This method should be used to get a glimpse of the future as it would pan out naturally. It may be insightful to use this spread in coordination with biorhythms. The spread is easy to read as a storyboard, just like a comic strip.
The main subject is apparent in the first card, while the story plays out through the following tarot cards.
It is important to pay particular attention to the cards and the relationships with their neighbours. Notice which directions the cards are facing, and how they interact.
Your Comic Strip Reading
The Anchor![]() |
The Ring![]() |
The Fishes![]() |
The Fox![]() |
The Bear![]() |
The Owls![]() |
The Man![]() |
The Cloud![]() |
The Lilis![]() |
Card 1: The Anchor
Lifestyle, foundation, roots, gravity, and security in work or relationships. The Anchor indicates a firm base of success and profit from your endeavours. Now is a good time to aggressively work towards your goals.
Card 2: The Ring
In the area of water (everything flows together to one) the ring shows new connections. For connections we need an inside and an outside, what means new life, new separation.
Karma, cycles, monotony, group work, connections, contracts, promises, and protection. The Ring signifies solidification.
Card 3: The Fishes
Intellectualism, psychic abilities, material success, luxury, and wealth. Also, instability, excess, drugs, and alcohol. The Fishes are a sign of great fortune, but also a warning to set boundaries or luxury may lead to corruption.
Card 4: The Fox
Deviousness, plotting, hypocrisy, lies, a warning that something is not what it seems, worldly logic, temptations, trickery. When facing away from the affected card, it means absolute honesty and survival instincts.
Card 5: The Bear
Power, great strength, protection, spiritual energy, fame, a foundation of truth – but possibly jealousy, envy, and through these, tremendous wrath. The Bear is a very powerful sign, but be wary of the potential for excessive force.
Card 6: The Owls
Meditation, fantasy, further education, also two older people, perhaps a couple. Butterflies and nervous excitement. The Owls may indicate social fear and subsequent flight.
Card 7: The Man
If you are a man, this is the card that represents you. All other cards in your reading are interpreted by their proximity to this card.
If you are a woman, this card represents a powerful man who will have a significant positive influence on your life: a friend, husband, significant other, boyfriend, love. Could also indicate action, aggressiveness, logic, or will-power.
Card 8: The Cloud
Everywhere in the air there are tiniest particles of water. We can't see them. But if it cools down these particles assemble and the haze condenses. So, we never have 100% clear air. The cloud shows how our plans and thoughts begin to materialise or the other way how material things hinder the clearness.
Doubts, secret fears, worries, and weakness. A negative period of time on the horizon. It is suggested that you use this period of down time to your advantage by contemplating your situation and meditating on possible ways to fix the issues that may have caused the problem.
Card 9: The Lilis
If the Sun shows us the full energy, the Lilies try to make a compromise. Fire is leading back to water, the fire is something like framed, it is not free. We use its energy but controlled. That´s why the Lilies look like a candleholder. Eroticism is used to build a family, for example, meanings like this.
Development of the spirit, success, conscience, holiness, and learning to accept good traits and bad. The Lilies signify a happy period accomplishment.