Spread of the Week - 3/16/07 to 3/23/07

[LisaT4P]

Spread of the Week rules / instructions:

1. A new spread will be posted weekly (hopefully I'll manage it every Thursday and we may change it to bi-weekly or monthly if weekly doesn't seem like enough time to get the readings done).

2. If you'd like to attempt the spread and have a reading done for you using that spread in return, post in the thread.

3. The first person to post will receive the first reading from the 2nd person to post, etc. So, whoever posts in front of you is who you read for, and whoever posts behind you is who is reading for you.

4. The readings should be posted in the thread so that others can read them (after all, this is for the purposes of learning and we all learn better by reading over examples by others) UNLESS the reader deems that the information is too personal to be shared on an open board. If that is the case, then the reader should PM the person they are reading for, but post in the thread that the results were personal and their querent has been PM'd with the results of the reading.

5. Do not post in the threads if you are not willing to read for others. This is a reading exchange, not a free reading.

6. Use only the spread posted. You may use whatever deck you like.

If anyone else can think of any additional questions or rules, please let me know and I'll edit this post. I think the rules should be posted as the first post every week.

If you have a spread you'd like to submit for the "Spread of the Week", PM me and I'll add it to the queue. Potential spreads should be 10 cards or less, for ease of posting and to not overwhelm newbies who'd like to participate.

As usual, the first person to respond will read for me, and I will read for the last person to respond. :)

[LisaT4P]

Ok, let's do something different this week, if you guys don't mind.

I think we've all read for each other so much we're starting to repeat oursevles! LOL We're not having enough time in between readings for anything significant to happen.

So, this week, let's try telling a story. A couple of years ago I did a study group over @ Aeclectic on Greer & Little's book "Understanding the Tarot Court". This is basically just copied & pasted from that original thread over there.

Storytelling

The next suggested exercise for study of the court cards in society (from Understanding the Tarot Court by Greer & Little) is a storytelling spread. This one looks like fun, folks!

First you'll shuffle as usual. The lay out of this one is very fluid and individual since no one will get exactly the same cards. The idea is to have 3 rows of cards.

The top row is for the majors that you draw. These represent Themes.

The middle row is for minors. These represent Plot Points.

The bottom row is for court cards. The represent Characters.

You do not want to separate your deck into sections, just shuffle normally and see what you draw.

If you draw a few minors first, then make up that row. Then a court as your first character starts the bottom row. Another minor? Ok, add it to the middle row. Ah, a major card? Good, now you have a theme in the top row. Keep drawing until you have at least one card in each row. It is ok to have more than one theme and more than one character.

Now, try to read the cards as a story. Your court card will be going to school (8 of Pents) to learn about....????? I hope you get the idea.

Let me know if there are any questions. I think that this will be a nice break from reading for someone else, and a good exercise in storytelling for the rest of us. Especially since that is the part that newbies seem to have the most problems with... tying the cards together as a story. Here is the link to the original thread over @ Aeclectic for those who would like to peruse: http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?threadid=30772

[Brightshores]

Interesting idea!! I'll definitely give it a go. :)

[Glory]

Oh awesome! I adore story-construction spreads and this one is truly cool. I'll post up my results sometime this week.

[Shatril]

I'm in again, with Glory.

[SentineledFirs]

I'm in too! I was actually thinking about doing something like this to help me with some of my creative writing!

[Taliesyn]

i wasn't going to read right now, but I'll do this! great idea, lisa!

[Zephyrstorm]

I'm in - I've been wanting to participate but life had been in the way. I'll post my story later tonight. :D

[LisaT4P]

Cards drawn: Death, 6 of Wands, 4 of Swords, Queen of Pentacles.

Our Queen of Pentacles is an accomplished woman. She has a loving family at home and she has worked hard at her job. She is about to retire and start on a new set of adventures with her family. She has had a party thrown for her at work to thank her for her accomplishments and years of service. Her co-workers will miss her, but they are all happy that she will now be giving herself some time to relax and rest.

A short story, as I didn't get that many cards this time. Maybe I'll do another one later in the week.

Can't wait to see what you guys come up with!

[Zephyrstorm]

Alrighty, here's mine. :)
It's even shorter than the one you had, Lisa!

The Golden Klimt: King of Swords, 9 of Cups, Judgment (reversed).

The King is a man of intense and sharp wit, a comedian and a man of ideas. Older now, he surveys his life. He looks upon his life, and though it is a realm full of love and friendship, he judges that he never really attained his heart's desire.

[Glory]

Here's mine! Using my brand spankin' new Revelations Tarot.

Themes: Strength, Wheel of Fortune (rev.)
Plot Points: Two of Wands (rev.), Three of Wands, Ace of Pents (rev.), Six of Wands (rev.)
Characters: Knight of Pentacles, Page of Pentacles

The Knight of Pentacles is a young, hardworking man of few words. He lives in a very traditional, rural setting. All his life, he's been restricted to mundane, menial tasks and jobs - his quiet ways fool people into believe that he's nothing more than a work horse. Then a young woman enters his life, the Page of Pentacles. She gives him a chance at something bigger and better in life, but unfortunately, she's more out for herself than for him.

Being the trusting soul he is, he takes her up on the offer, and possibly moves to the city, where he's only met with a huge financial loss. No matter how much he tries, he is only set back more and more. In the end, he gives up and is left to tentatively work his way back and find out where he really belongs.

Wow, what a dreary story, I wouldn't read it either, LOL. I think I'll give this one another try sometime.

[SentineledFirs]

So… I went to do this yesterday, and I drew 5 majors right off the bat, decided that it wasn’t going to be a good story with that many themes and no characters, and put the deck away until today <grins>

Today was much better:

DruidCraft Tarot
Themes: VIII – Strength
Plot points: Seven of Cups, Nine of Swords, Four of Pentacles, Seven of Pentacles (they even drew in a story-like order!)
Characters: Princess of Cups

An intuitive and sensitive young woman finds herself surrounded by illusions of what might be and is paralyzed into inaction. She spends her time dreaming of the future, slowly turning away from what is around her until she realizes she is surrounded by things which do not exist. She has a moment of realization, and turns to things that she knows are real and worth working towards, relying on her own inner strength to conquer and become successful – leading to a growth in her intuitive life as well.



I think... I could add in a Knight - perhaps the Knight of Wands (eager and action oriented) to spur her on her way, and add The Lovers perhaps <grins - nothing like a good romance!>. This might actually make a good story!

[Brightshores]

Here's mine.. I used my Gendron deck
Cards drawn:
Themes: Hanged Man Reversed, Deceiver (The Devil)
Plot Points: 3 of Swords, 4 of Cups, 6 of Cups
Characters: Queen of Pentacles, King of Cups Reversed, Prince of Pentacles

Once upon a time, the Queen of Pentacles got into an enormous fight with her husband, the King of Cups. She fled from him, leaving him distraught and paralyzed by emotion, and she ran from the restrictions of palace life, immersing herself in worldly pleasures and materialistic joys. After a while, though, it wasn't enough for her, and she sank, exhausted and world-weary, into a depression. Her son, the Prince of Pentacles, finally found her, and reminded her of the happy times they had all shared together. She remembered what she loved about her husband, her family, and her home, and returned with her son. They lived happily ever after.

Ok, so it's kind of Disney-fied, but it works. :)

[Glory]

And my second reading, using my new Archeon deck... I had a feeling this one might be better for a story telling excersise, because each card is it's own story, more so than I've seen in other decks. This one turned out rather epic and I decided to go on a more fantasy theme.

Themes: Strength, The Devil, The Emperor, Judgment
Events: Two of Swords, Four of Cups, Eight of Pentacles, Four of Swords, Three of Pentacles, Seven of Swords
Characters: Queen of Cups, King of Swords

The Queen of Cups rules a small rural kingdom, with no vast wealth or power, but they are in the middle of wars between larger ruling powers. Her city is small but strong and they manage to keep sieges at bay. A young man (the King of Swords) arrives one morning, a distant relative of hers and a young noble from one of the larger cities, and convinces her that her kingdom is in danger and should participate more actively in the warring. She in turn convinces her parents, and they build their forces. She wants to go with them but is convinced that she should stay behind, at home, while her military join the larger army.

Over the next few months, she waits for her men to return home, relying on monthly news of how they are doing. Her men are fighting well, and she is rewarded handsomely. She hoards the wealth rather than spend it on much needed defenses, convinced she won't require it. But in the end, her kingdom is sieged, and with only sparse military to defend the fort, the town is sacked.

She manages to survive, but barely, and flees her kingdom, even though she hates her own cowardice. She finds out (at some stage, I should have drawn more cards!) that the King of Swords had taken her military to assist the enemy and draw the power away from her so that her kingdom could be taken down easily.


Not a happy ending, but I was quite pleased with how much detail I could get from the spread. :)