Although it doesn’t feel like fall right now with the oppressive heat, I have been “feeling” fall for several weeks now. There are even signs in the turning of our leaves already – not many but some.
For me, the beginning of fall is a time of reflection. To look back at the work I have been doing this year. The changes, growth, missteps, and accomplishments. With this theme in mind, I wanted to share a divination spread that has multiple functions in this area.
I will often use this at the beginning of a week to give myself a heads up and focus when it is needed.
I also suggest it for people who are just starting out with tarot or trying to hone their skills better. Due to the nature of the questions/ positions it makes it very easy to reflect on at the end of the week, to see what held true – how it came about – and what came from the actions and questions parts.
It is also great for those who are wanting to get into the habit of journaling or personal reflective work. It is not the cards themselves, but the act involved in this exercise. Getting yourself into the habit of being observant, looking back with hindsight and different perspectives, while keeping a journal of the work.
You can use tarot, Runes, or any other physical divination tool like that. I personally like Oracle cards for this – specifically the Seasons of the Witch Decks. Each one geared towards the season you are in, and fitting focuses for them.
The Spread
A visual of the spread is below with their descriptions.
The First card is the energy at the forefront. This is the energy that is most present right now. It may be something trying to direct your attention, something rising up around you, or the energy most present during this time frame.
The Second card is an energy to be cautious of. This does not mean something bad or negative – just something you need to be acutely aware of as the forefront energy unfolds. Sometimes it could be asking you to be aware of your emotions or caution against certain actions. There are other times where it may be an actual warning – something that could impede or disrupt your path. The full context of the readings will help you determine this, especially if you are new to reading.
The bottom three cards are things for you to do – actions.
The first Is an action to embrace during this time. It could be to explore something, to create something, to complete something, and so forth. If you have trouble seeing it, look back to the Energy at the forefront. How do these correlate or fit together?
The second is a question to be answered. This one generally just jumps out at me but I know others who struggle with it. My suggestion here if you struggle with it, is to look at the context of the card. Then in your notebook, start writing down any questions that come to mind that pertain to it, relevant or not, as long as it correlates with the cards message. Then after you look at the readings as a whole, determine the full situation and direction, including your current state in that – you can tailor the question/ questions to dive deeper into from that. These are internal questions you will want to dive deeper into and see various perspectives of. It may require some physical research or just some internal narrative work.
The last card is something to let go of. It may not be a “let go forever” type of a situation. Perhaps you just need to step back from something at the moment. Then again it could be something that you need to overcome and let yourself be free of it period.
Write it Down
After you have all your cards, write them down in a notebook or journal. I like to write the position – the name of the card itself – and then my initial thoughts/ messages I receive for each. Then I will sit and look at it as whole. Seeing all the various different parts and how they interconnect.
I feel writing it out is important. It gives us something solid and unaltered by time and the mind. If you just take a picture and reflect back that way, you may have issues remembering your true initial thoughts without the influence of the experiences over the week. Writing it down also gets us in the habit of keeping a written account of our journey which is extremely helpful in reflective work – especially over longer periods of time.
For those who are new to readings, wanting to test their abilities, or sharpen those skills, writing them down will be extremely helpful. To see if you made the right interpretation or understood the messages you received during it. Did they come to pass? Did you learn anything new or grow from the questions you answered? Did the action help or hinder you? What was the real caution, how did it align and manifest?
Reflecting
At the end of the time period, a day – week – or whatever time frame you set for this, you are going to take your notebook back out. Look through everything you wrote. Sometimes bringing the cards back out and setting them in their positions can help with visualization in the reflection process.
No one else is looking at this, and the only one judging you is you, so look at this with an honest mind. Assess each aspect, your experiences over that time frame, and how they either aligned or misaligned. Perhaps you misinterpreted the energy at the forefront – not that it was wrong per say, but it took a different look than expected. Maybe the action you did wasn’t effective but in hindsight you can see another way it would have worked. Then again, perhaps everything aligned perfectly and you were spot on.
The exercise of this spread is not just to get a glimpse of what is coming or around you right now, it is a way to wire your brain to this kind of reflective work. Building critical thinking, honest reflection, discernment, and self assessment. It can help build your intuition and connections with your Guides. Increase your awareness, senses, and observation skills where energy and spiritual influences are concerned. These are just some of the reasons I like to share this spread.
A Personal Example
Ah, another time to be vulnerable. I have decided to share my own personal reading from tonight and how that looked for me. I feel it is a good way to see all the elements of the spread in action. Below you will see a picture of my cards.
Energy at the forefront: Witch’s Rosary and Queen of the Dead.
Hel claimed this deck and the Queen of the Dead is Her card. I have been working on several different prayers recently for Her, along with a couple of rituals. So for me it is speaking directly to this work. Telling me this is where my focus needs to be right now. Working through them, writing them, and testing their effectiveness. (Effectiveness is determined by how it flows, how strong Her energy is with them, and any other effects they may bring forth)
Energy to be Cautious of: Breathwork
The words are important. Do they convey the intentions behind the prayers and mantras? Are they the right words in the right order?
Is the rhythm correct? Does it create the right vibration and flow easily? These are all considerations for me when creating these things. Prayers and mantras are like spells (and can be spells). They require testing, adjustments, trial and error to find that sweet spot where everything just falls together.
Action to Embrace: Grieving
I know some may feel this is oddly out of place but it isn’t. The types of prayer, mantras, and rituals that I am working on right now are very different from ones I have done before. In structure, element, and purpose. I am not going to go deeper into that right now – because they are works in progress.
It also has aspects to do with the cards that come next. Letting go, freeing myself, so I stop blocking myself in that process.
Questions to be answered: Pumpkin Spice and Apple Cider / Elderberries
This one is definitely more personal. The last couple of years have been filled with uncertainties, drastic changes, and loss. Mostly in my mundane life – extended family issues, selling our old house, shifting gears in work, and things of that nature. Spiritually there was a huge transmutation that happened over the course of the last year, saying goodbye and welcoming in.
None of these were bad changes – they were all actually really wonderful ones – not as they happened but once I was able to walk out of those storms. I am at a place of complete contentment. I am extremely happy with where I am and where I am going. All the upheavals have settled and new life bloomed from them… so why am I anxious? Why am I waiting for a wrecking ball to drop? Why is my guard up? These are the kind of question I have to explore and they are both connected to the action and let go of.
Sometimes we live in a state of survival, uncertainty, or transformation for so long that when it has passed we are unsure how to embrace the ease and peacefulness of the now. I am feeling that struggle and it is so weird. You would think it would be easy and joyous – and it is to a point – but for whatever reason the anxiety has not passed.
This is what the questions have to deal with. Not just in understanding why – but how to move myself past it.
Let Go of: Cranberries
Stop looking for truth, reasons, and larger picture. This a “for now” let go. Right now I need to align the peace of my life with the peace of my soul. I need to let go of the past and not be looking to the future, but just be present in the now – the experience of now. To let it permeate into me and become part of me.
Ending thoughts
There are many ways you can use this spread as whole, or taking parts of it, to help give you some direction and focus. I hope you got something out of all this. Something to try or inspirations of creating something that fits you better.
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