4. Other Common Spreads

4. Other Common Spreads

My little tarot shop in Mexico specialized in the 22 card spread, but on many occasions, I had special cases where I was forced to use a different spread. I also made sure to know all the most common spreads like the Celtic Cross. These are some of my “special” spreads for specific cases.

• One Card

A yes of no question for $1 (in Mexico) or $5 in the USA. Mostly, folks I really don’t want to have to read to but who came through the doors of my shop and deserve at least a little service.

• Three Card

For people in a rush. I charge 10 pesos $1 in Mexico and $5 in the USA. Suffle and prayer followed by the client choosing 3 cards from the entire deck that is laid out in front of them. From left to right, the cards represent past, present and future.

• Eight Card

A variation on the 22 card spread where the client pulls out 8 cards only from the entire deck. Saves time on setting down the cards. Each card is representative of an aspect of the present situation and/or a question.

• Your Major Arcana

I use the One Card exclusively for my disciples, the young women (and couple of guys) who want to learn to read Tarot from me. In this reading, we take out the Major Arcana and shuffle. Just like the other readings, we say a prayer as we shuffle. Then we put all the cards down. The client chooses only one Major Arcana. This is then their “life lesson” card. The idea is that this card will give the client (disciple) the most important lesson to learn in this lifetime. My card turned out to be “The Magician”.

• Your Minor Arcana

Also used exclusively for my students, for the Minor Arcana reading I separate all the Minor Arcana and shuffle them. Then I ask the student to cut the cards or reshuffle and to say a prayer. Then I ask them to pull just one card. The card is representative of the challenge that that student will have to overcome during this lifetime in addition to the lesson to be learned from the Major Arcana reading. An example would be to pull out the 3 of cups, which means friendship. Well, the most important challenge for that student will be to become an effective friend. Lets say the card was the 10 of swords. We know the most important challenge for that student will be to overcome betrayal, etc.

5. Poker Tarot

My personal favorite, and my sole creation. The poker tarot came out of a very basic need I came up in my store , which was to serve four or more clients at the same time. The principal reason is that most of my clientele were young schoolgirls coming out of school to come and see me. They would come in groups of four to six girls and because they had to be at home by a certain time, I had to give each a quick reading. Well, I don’t really feel comfortable with “quickies”, especially when my clients are young schoolgirls, so I invented the poker tarot.

We sit at the table with me as the dealer. As I shuffle the cards, I ask the clients (four or more only) to say a prayer to their favorite deity and to offer this “work” to that deity. Then to make sure they did, after I finish shuffling the cards, I ask “to whom are you going to offer this work to?” to each client. The clients will then say “Jesus” or “the Virgin Mary” or “Buddha” or some such. And then I say to whom I will offer the reading.. I like to mix and match deities to balance out whatever is at the table. So for instance, if all my clients offer their work to Buddha, I will say Christ. If they are Christians, I will offer it to a Pagan Goddess.

Then, I pass out 8 cards to everybody, just like in 8-card-draw. I tell them to keep the cards face down on the table until we are ready to start. I include myself, as dealer and leader in the reading. I explain that we are going to be ‘trading off’ or ‘changing’ Karmas. There is, after all, only one death card, only one devil card.. only one tower card and somebody is going to get it that day, but only one of us and the rest of us will not.

After I pass the cards out, I give the chance for everybody to change their cards with the ones on the deck without looking at them. Usually I return two cards from my own hand, again to be the leader and to show folks how to play.

After we have finished changing cards, I start by saying: “Now we can either ask a question or pull a card without a question, and I’ll start by asking what is each one of you feeling about me right now”. If I have four clients, I turn over four cards, pointing to each client that I turned over. Lets say that my first client feels like “the Fool” about me at that moment. Well, I explain the meaning of that to the client.

After I have finished with my own example, I usually have one or two cards left which I leave for last.

Then, I ask in turn, from left to right for each client to either ask a question. If they have no question I go to the next client and ask them to ask a question. If nobody has questions, I go back to the first client to my left and ask him or her to turn over a card.

Each one of the 8 cards will answer a question for each one of the clients. They can take turns or ask questions in any order they wish, always asking them from left to right.

Usually, this is a great hit and everybody gets at least one shock and quite a few laughs. It does not have a “serious” tone, although very serious things have happened during some of these readings. For instance, I had a case of a missing girl (from one of the schools that were so helpful in making my little store successful) and two groups played Poker Tarot to try and find the girl with their questions. The cards answered everybody in turn that she had gone off with her dad. The mystery was solved. I was the most amazed by the results.