The Astrological Spread
Difficulty: Complicated
The Astrological Tarot Spread is based upon houses of astrology. This complicated spread takes several steps to understand.
The first step is to interpret the tarot card for each individual position in the spread.
The second step involves further examination of the main axes. Positions 1 & 7 show the relationship theme, #1 representing the reader, #7 their partner. Positions 4 & 10 indicate motion. #4 indicates where the reader is now, and #10 suggests what they are moving towards.
The third step involves breaking down the chart into triads according to their house elements.
Positions 1, 5, & 9 represent the Fire triad, symbolising temperament and personal development.
Positions 2, 6, & 10 represent the Earth triad, concerned with materialism, money, and work.
Positions 3, 7, & 11 represent the Air triad, which has to do with thoughts, ideas, and connections with other people.
Positions 4, 8, & 12 represent the Water triad, the realm of emotions, moods, intuition, and yearnings.
Further, other patterns and correlations between certain numbers can be noted. Certain numbers such as the set of 5, 7, & 8 often speak about a particular theme.
Your Astrological Reading
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1: Basic Mood
The symbols of all the elements are shown on the picture as possibilities. The eye, with its triangular shape, refers to the Holy Trinity. It seems as though it has just opened and one can recognise the spokes of the Wheel of Fortune in its iris.
The ribbon of eternity shows us how all possibilities can develop in waves out of the one item. The red background supports the energy of the illustration.
2: Finance
The eye is the same as that on the Magician's card, but the wish to develop is not portrayed any more. The oval wreath suggests the unification of polarities, as with the Lovers, but here the unification actually takes place.
The symbols for the four elements are collected around the oval and are reconcilably united together. The blue colour of the background symbolises consciousness and clarity.
3: Mundane Life
The bright colours symbolise many possibilities. The Fool is holding the pilgrim's staff in his hand. Water and fish indicate openness and vivacity. The butterflies also indicate different ideas and a joy of living.
The golden yellow background gives the scene energy of life. One can see the tip of the Fool's cap. The cross, or rather the handle of the sword in the background, gives an awareness of danger, which is lurking along the path the Fool is going to take.
4: Home
A small ray of light shines through a crack in the wall and arouses our yearning for freedom and knowledge. The prison walls burst open and we can escape. We have already taken hold of the sword which stands for differentiation, consciousness and independent thought.
The monarch's insignia of the Emperor shows we are prepared to reconquer the seat on our own throne.
5: Fun Things
The picture has the effect of being rather poor and harsh. The blue colours represent coolness, but due to the red and yellow one can sense a certain energy, which also appears in Aries' head at the corner of the throne, connected astrologically with the Emperor.
The card's number four, which also represents the element earth, can be found in the house in the square of rocks and the crown also shows four spikes and four stones. Further symbols of the Emperor are an orb (symbol of world dominion) and a form of sceptre (symbol of materialism in life).
6: Work
Nine stars are pointing towards a goal. The violet colour in the picture illustrates the spiritual atmosphere, the blue water and the fish symbolise clarity, flow of energy and liveliness, the path is well lit and seems to become easier and the sky is clearing to a light blue.
The signs of the Zodiac point towards methods, which are occupied with one's own future, and act as deputy for all oracle techniques.
7: Partners
The picture shows the connection with the opposite theme represented by two circles (blue = conscious) which combine to form an oval. The oval represents striving for unity on a higher level. The two hands stand for polarity and the confrontation with the tree of eternity and the tree of knowledge (of good and evil) with heart-shaped fruit. The serpent is coiled up at the foot of the tree of knowledge.
The yellow background emphasises the energy of the moment. Fish and water show the duality again and the produced flow of energy. The archangel Raphael watches over everyone with his blessing, indicated by God's eye.
8: Hidden Aspects
The sun can be seen clearly and it dominates the picture. The last walls are being conquered and in between them flowers are already growing. This lets us suspect that the difficult path is at an end. The path, which continues, can already be seen beyond the wall.
9: Higher Views
A sceptre and a sword seem to be fighting. Water and fire, portrayed in striking red, stand for subconscious strength. They are kept under control by the symbols of earth and air, the conscious elements, portrayed by the sword (clarity), the house (stability) and the wall (limits, firmness). The violet colour of the wall also shows a penetration of the colours red and blue.
The trees also contain this mixture of the elements, but they are growing cautiously as well as the clouds, water, which so to speak, becomes air (gaseous). They also stand for integration, which on the one hand makes us more flexible but on the other hand obscures things. The lemniscates, which can be seen clearly in magic, can be found in the two trees in the top left corner. It illustrates swinging into the next bend.
10: Reputation
The sole of the foot is turned upwards, the world is turned upside down. This is what the picture shows. The beam and the rope are blue. Rationality, an attempt to consciously act, binds the hanged man. But here there also seems to be hope. Leaves are growing out of wood.
The colour yellow at the bottom of the picture stands for the light which the hanged man experiences when he manages to let himself fall. The wide path in the background leads to a dead-end against blue rocks. Walking back a bit one can find a narrow track which leads around the rocks back into the light. The violet background portrays the night sky. Normal vision is not carried any further.
11: Friends
Classical symbols are also used here. Five graves are opening up, out of which stretches a hand to awaken a new life. The implication of the archangel Gabriel is blowing the trumpet of the Resurrection. One of the hands shows three fingers, which portrays a release from the grave's number four. It is also a gesture of the Hierophant.
The number five, shown by the number of hands and flowers, points to entirety. The aim is to see material things as being divine, so as to unite them and not to damn them and so create a new division. The flowers are about to bloom and through their colours the subjects of integration and entirety are emphasised again.
12: Hopes and Fears
The circuit of coming and going is symbolised by the serpent, which frames the picture and bites its own tail. The red background portrays sunset, or as the case may be, sunrise. The house and the tree, representatives for the element earth, have fallen into decay and are bare. The three tombstones show the headgear of the pope, the king and the farmer. At death there is no difference.
The skeleton's hand comes from the left and holds a blue scythe, which seems to be a mixture between a sceptre and a sword. The leaf, which is growing out of it, shows that death, due to its quality allowing old things to fade away, makes new growth possible.
The water symbolises the river Styx, which has to be crossed at death so as to reach the next world. The colour blue in the picture stands for disconnection and purification. Like its younger brother sleep, death also has a cleansing property, which is particularly emphasised by the whiteness of the skeleton's hand and the blade of the scythe. What is interesting (I only realised later) is that the scythe's blade itself gives the hint of a crescent moon.
