The Scales Spread

A friend taught me this spread a good few years ago. She called it The Scales:

Card One: The Situation

This card identifies the root of the problem.

Card Two: What is lacking

This card shows what there is a lack of in the situation.

Card Three: What is excessive

This card tells us what there is too much of, in the current situation.

Card Four: What is in balance

The fourth card shows us what we are getting right, what our strength is.

Card Five: Best Outcome

This card tells us the best outcome of the situation.

Example Reading:

To give an example, I used my Answer deck, though the spread can be used with many different types of decks. I have a new project in the works, a charity fundraiser of sorts. I asked the cards for insight into the situation:

Card One: Situation

The first card is straightforward enough. In a reading about charity, it is no surprise to see Generosity as the first card drawn. Quite simply, this card is about giving, of both possessions and your time.

Card Two: Lacking

The second card drawn is The Fool. In terms of a lack, this card seems to be reminding me to loosen up, and think outside the box. It is a reminder not to make a chore out of something which is supposed to be fun, and to find off-the-wall solutions. It may also mean that now is not the time to care about what others think, or about making a fool of myself.

Card Three: Excess

The third card is Heartbreak, in the Excess position. I think this card is a warning not to take things to heart. I do, I'm afraid, have a tendency to take failure personally. A little emotional investment is fine, but I think the message here is to not become weighed down by little disappointments, to learn from mistakes and move on.

Card Four: Balance

The fourth card, Challenge, is encouraging. It suggests that I am more than capable of making this work. Before doing the reading, I will admit to being a little concerned that I had bitten off more than I could chew. But as a card of balance, Challenge suggests that I have chosen a project which is exactly the right difficulty!

Card Five: Best Outcome

The fifth and final card is Strength. As an outcome, I think Strength is all about learning and growing. Perhaps it isn't really about whether I succeed, or by how much. It seems that it is more about the journey, and how we can all grow by accepting new experiences into our lives.

Answer Deck: Personal Reading For A Friend

Do not let the title mislead you: I am not one for 'spying', and I don't like to perform readings which pry into the lives of others. But I had some distressing news today. A dear, dear friend of mine is having a difficult time of late. I decided to call upon the answer deck, as I desperately want to know how I can help.

Anxiety/Woman of the World/Communication

 

Anxiety is a self-explanatory card. This friend of mine is suffering a great deal internally. They are having an emotional crisis of sorts. We've all been there: you have your worries, and then on top of those you have the agony of not knowing who to turn to, or what to say. This card simply states that my friend is in a fair amount of emotional distress.

Coupled with the Woman of the World, however, we start to see a different picture. This is one resillient lady: The Woman of the World is streetwise, strong, knowledgeable, down-to-earth, and almost impossible to fool. She has heard it all before - twice! Applied to my friend, I think the message here is that my friend is very strong, and that it will take a lot more than their current situation to keep them down. I must not underestimate this person, and their ability to survive.

Next is Communication. Again, a simple card. The overall message here is to keep the lines of communication open. My friend will be okay, it is not the end of the world and I would do well to remember that. But the path forward will be hard for everyone. Sometimes, the best you can do is just be there to listen. I think this is what the cards are really saying.

Sample Reading: The Answer Deck

Yesterday, I wrote a post about my newly-arrived Answer Deck. Today, I have a personal question to ask. It involves the relationship between me and someone who shall remain anonymous - we'll call her L.

 Things between L and I are complicated. Some people in life, you want to get closer to them but you aren't sure how. We have never been best friends, but I have always wished we were closer. With this in mind, I asked the cards what the nature of our relationship really is, and how I can improve it.

 

PAST: FAITH/TRUTH

To me, this indicates a friendship built on solid foundations. The cards suggest absolute trust in one another, and a complete lack of suspicion. Put simply, it means faith in the integrity of another, or in the very notion of truth itself. In terms of my friendship with L, I think it refers to a time when we were almost close, and assumed we would always be in each other's lives.

 
PRESENT: CHALLENGE/HAPPINESS

This combination also makes a lot of sense to me. Circumstances have greatly affected us - we do not move in the same circles like we used to, and have grown apart. Lately, I have become acutely aware of L's absence from my life, and it has certainly begun to sting. The cards also suggest that to find a happy solution, challenges must be overcome, and obstacles should be expected.

FUTURE: VULNERABLE/ABUNDANCE/LOSS/THE TROUBLESHOOTER

In the context of a relationship, especially a reconcilliation, I believe Vulnerability speaks of the risk involved whenever we open our heart to another - the fear of rejection, and the uncertainty of reciprocation. I think it also points to a relationship which is on shaky ground, one that will take work to mend.

I was a little confused about Abundance - I could not tell whether it referred to the previous card, indicating heightened levels of vulnerability, or the next, referring to great losses. I can only hope it is the former, not the latter.

Loss is an interesting card to find in a relationship spread. It does not necessarily mean an end to the relationship, but at the very least, there are troubled times ahead. This may come in the form of sacrifices to be made, but it just as likely means that even if we reconcile, things won't quite be the same. This is a risk I am more than willing to take.

The Troubleshooter is similar in meaning to the Tarot card The Magician. It represents creative solutions, and implies that we have all the tools for success already - it is just a matter of using them. I get a sense from this card that the way forward will not be easy, and that I may have to take an original approach to the problem.

OUTCOME: THE FAIR/GREY HAIRED MAN

It would seem that the fate of our friendship relies on a third person, someone who may have the power to make-or-break the deal. This could be someone with mischievous intentions, or simply a case of the wrong thing said at the wrong time. It just so happens that I know who this is: a mutual acquaintance who will make friendship difficult between us, as they often have in the past.

The general message of this reading seems to be that reconcilliation is well within reach, but that this can only work if both parties really want it to.

The Wishing Star

This is a variation of the classic star spread which splits a problem into levels. The positions of the cards mean different things depending on the type of question asked:

The centre card represents the core of the problem or question. The other position meanings are as follows:

In each instance, the extremes are placed at positions one and six. Cards two and three always explain card one, and likewise cards four and five give meaning to card six. For instance: In a Hopes/Fears reading, Cards 2/3 would tell you why you want the things that you want; Cards4/5 would tell us what you are basing your fears on.

Example Reading

Answer Deck

Star Used: The Ethics Star

Here is a test spread, to show you how it works.

First, we read the core, as this relates to the entire reading. The card here represents, in an ethics spread, by what standards the querent judges the world, and what makes them decide between good and evil. It is what you would call a moral barometer. Good Fortune as the core tells us that this person has luck on their side, and that this plays an important role in their character and moral decisions. This may mean someone who is fortunate to grow up in a stable family, or low-crime area, someone who hasn't really been exposed to the ugly side of life. Thus, the lesson contained in this card is to place yourself in another's shoes before you pass judgement.

Card One: Outer Self

Friend

The outer self card tells us how the querent would like to be seen by others. This card suggests someone who wants others to think of them as a friend, someone who portrays themselves as fun, helpful, and easy going. This card may indicate someone who is eager to be trusted, and loved.

Cards 2/3: Realm of Virtue

Peace/Fame

These two cards are intended to elaborate on the first, showing us why this person feels it is so important to be a good friend to others. Peace suggests that the querent simply wants to avoid conflict, as in the old saying 'anything for a quiet life'. It could be that the querent holds things back, refusing to speak their mind because they do not like to cause a scene. This is the card of a people-pleaser, a true mediator.

Fame suggests that this person's motives are not entirely unselfish. It represents that part of the querent that does good things simply for acclaim, and recognition. The card is not about considering others, and more about being seen to be a good person.

Card Six: The Inner Self

Judgement

The Inner Self is where we find the querent's true character. It is either a sign of how they truly are, or else the person the querent fears becoming, the part of themselves they keep locked away from the rest of the world. In this position, Judgement may indicate that a person is quite critical of themselves and others, but that they are able to keep this mean streak in check, turning such jibes into tactful, well-meaning advice. It could also mean someone who sets unrealistic moral goals (based on the surrounding cards), and so always sets themselves up to fail. There is also a hint of guilt in the card.

Cards 4/5: Realm of Vice

Deception/The Lovers

This is a realm of private thoughts and behaviour, of bad habits and secrets. Deception tells us that the calm, friendly outer self may be masking something entirely different, that the querent tries so hard to be friendly because of the problems they have getting along with others - that they are, in a way, overcompensating. Combined with the Lovers, there is a definite sense of guilt here, a feeling that the querent is not always true to what they want. It may be that, in their attempt to please everyone and seem like a good friend, they are neglecting their own wants and needs. It may also be that the person feels it would selfish to put themselves first.

Every once in a while, I lay out all five stars at the same time, to get a full 'Life Reading', and find that this works rather well. 

The Answer Deck Arrives!

Today, my newest deck arrived: Nicky Zann's Answer Deck!

The 73-card deck comes in a boxed kit, with an instruction booklet and foldout mat for placing the cards. The booklet explains only the cards that the creator felt were not obvious enough: The Master, The Fool, Woman of The World, The Lady and The Troubleshooter. Anyone with Tarot experience will quickly realise the meanings of these cards correspond roughly to The Emperor, The Fool, The High Priestess, The Empress and The Magician.

The cards are red-bordered, with black and white illustrations. Along with the Tarot inspired cards - ones like Justice, and Strength, but also simplified Court Cards like the Fair/Gray Haired Woman - the deck uses cards with simple pictures and keywords, such as Doubt, or Journey.

When arranging the cards, I had a bit of a weird experience. I wanted to get a nice shot of them, so I could show the deck on this site. Anyway, I shuffled them, selected three at random, set them down and spread the other cards in a fan above. I thought it would make a nice photo for the blog.

Then I looked at which three cards I had drawn, and since this was my first interaction with the deck, I have to admit I shivered:

Dark Haired Woman/ Journey/ Truth! Weird, right? I will be very interested to see whether this is a fluke, or a sign of things to come from the Answer Deck...