I generally use tarot for diving into the murky depths of my psyche. But sometimes I just want to be told what to do! I’ve tried various Yes/No spreads with dismal results, so I just gave up on the whole idea. Then the other day, while sorting through some old papers, I found notes on a technique I learned in a workshop with Mary Greer and Rachel Pollock at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, NY. This technique provides a nice balance between getting a cut-and-dried Yes/No answer and gaining insight into the situation. I’ve tweaked it a bit and it’s been giving me solid advice ever since I started experimenting with it a few years ago.
This spread answers one question: “Should I …..?”
Should I send out for pizza? Should I tell my boss where to shove the job? Should I get a puppy?
It doesn’t help you evaluate pros and cons. It advises you on whether to do the proposed action or not, then tells you the consequences of following the card’s advice.
Here are the steps to the reading:
- Divide the deck into three parts: 22 trumps, 16 court cards and 40 pip cards.
- Shuffle each group separately and pull one card from each group.
- The Pip card gives a Yes/No/Maybe answer.
- The Court card describes the consequences if you follow the pip card’s advice.
- The Trump card is the lesson or the larger context.
Before pulling your cards, you need a system for getting a yes/no/maybe answer from the pips. Here’s mine, but any system will work if it makes sense and it’s used consistently.
Yes: Any Cups card
No: Any Swords card
Iffy: Odd Coins are a weak yes
Even Coins are a weak no
Maybe: Odd Batons – maybe it’s doable, but it will take a lot of effort and struggle.
Even Batons – Maybe it’s doable, but there will be blocks and delays.
The higher the number, the louder the pip card shouts its answer.
Here are two readings I did for myself.
A few months ago I wrote a review of the Etteilla deck facsimiles created by Marco Benedetti. I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Etteilla. But I’m not an occultist so I’ve never studied his teachings thoroughly.
My Question: Should I set aside other projects and do a deep dive into Etteilla’s methods?
Eight of Swords: A very loud NO.
King of Swords: If I resist the lure of Etteilla, I will remain focused on the long-term writing projects I’m already committed to.
Judgment: I’m being called to stick with the projects that represent my true calling and not get sidetracked by momentary whims.
Question: Should I renew my subscription to a magazine I enjoy reading but is outrageously expensive?
10 of Coins: a weak no. It’s the highest even number, which makes the “no” stronger.
King of Batons: If I don’t cave in to immediate gratification, I’ll feel more in control of my life.
Tower: I may need my money to deal with a future crisis, so I should be conservative with my spending.
If you try this out, I’d love to hear your results in the comments section below.
Deck: Rosenwald Tarocchi restored and colored by Marco Benedetti.
My experiment with several Yes/No techniques: https://tarot-heritage.com/2015/03/10/giving-up-on-yesno-spreads/