Comic Strip Spread
Difficulty: Simple
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 an extremely simple 9-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. You may also want to check your biorythm. The spread is easy to read as a story, just like a comic book.
The main subject is apparent in the first card, while the story plays out through the following cards.
Pay particular attention to the cards and the relationships to their neighbors. Notice which directions the cards are facing, and how they interact.
Your Comic Strip Reading
The Ways |
The Death |
The Snake |
The Ship |
The Bear |
The Fishes |
The Cloud |
The Lilis |
The Rods |
Card 1: The Ways
A choice, probability, not knowing, doubts. The Crossroads indicate the need to make a choice. You can easily avoid your problems, but you may wish to address these issues before they grow so big that they will take far more energy to deal with.
Card 2: The Death
You see a wreath, as we use at a burial. In the area of air thinking comes to an end, and the Ring(25) is gonna be split of in the four elements again.
Transformation, adaptation, major changes, secrets uncovered, beginnings, and endings. The Death foretells that something will be coming to an end, which means you will need to adapt.
Card 3: The Snake
Realm of Air
The snake has been surching and learning for a long time. Tried this, tried that, and so came nearer and nearer to the truth. It means the highest consciuosness (yellow and white) following a long way of experiences.
Temptations, dark forces, cunning, deviousness, earthly intelligence, lower nature, and biological urges. The Serpent may represent someone trying to trick you. Be wary of people trying to take advantage of you, who may lead you down the wrong path. If the cards surrounding this card are favorable to you, this is a sign that you may be the one who is being devious.
Card 4: The Ship
The Ship is a "child of the earth." It's made from wood, but it dares to cross the water. This is a very risky journey. But the enormous size of the hull provides as much safety as possible.
On a spiritual level, the Ship symbolizes desire, hope, dreams, spiritual growth, exploration, and expansion. On a material level the Ship indicates incoming wealth and material gain. However, it may indicate loss, depending on neighbouring cards. You may be making a trip soon.
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 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 7: 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 materialize 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 8: 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. Thats 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.
Card 9: The Rods
The Rods represent family quarrels, arguments, heated debate, domestic trouble, strife, cleansing by fire, consequences, and the number two and duality. This card indicates the need to make some significant changes in your domestic situation.
