A Tarot Spread for Creative Blocks

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

moon_fox mentioned being stuck with story plotting, in the context of wondering whether a Tarot reading might help.  I design Tarot spreads, and I thought, "Hey, a lot of people could use a spread for that!"  So I made one.  Everyone is free to try it out; we have a lot of readers and questioners here who might enjoy playtesting it.

"The Three Muses Spread"

This spread illuminates the context of a creative block and offers ideas for getting back in action.  The spread forms kind of an upside-down pyramid.  Lay the first card vertically at the base and the second card vertically above it.  Lay the third card horizontally above the second card.  Lay the last three cards, each vertical, in a horizontal row above the third card, working from left to right.

4 - 5 - 6
- [ 3 ]
- - 2
- - 1

1) You.  The first card represents the questioner, and may reveal personal aspects underlying the block.
2) The Idea.  The second card represents the creative work that is blocked, and may hint at flaws or gaps within it.
3) The Block.  The third card should be read with both upright and reversed interpretations.  It embodies the obstacle preventing progress.
4, 5, 6) The Three Muses.  These three cards offer fresh inspiration to help you work through or around the block, getting your project back in progress.

Look for connections between the cards.  In the first three cards, parallels between You and The Idea or The Idea and The Block are especially important.  If one of the Muse cards parallels any of the first three cards, that's the place it applies -- for instance, if #4 and #2 are both Cups, think about how that Muse relates to The Idea.


Although I designed this with Tarot in mind, that being a popular system, it should work with pretty much any divinatory tool that uses layouts.  It could easily be expanded; I kept it concise because most crowdfunded readings are on the short side.  I haven't playtested it myself yet, just jotted it down here, so if anyone tries it then I'd enjoy feedback on how well it works. 

Comments

[the-borgqueen.livejournal.com]

This looks really cool. I will have to try it out.