The Four Modes Spread by Marry K. Greer

I was just reading "Understanding the Tarot Court" by Marry K. Greer & Tom Little when I looked at this spread given in the book.

The Aeclectic Tarot forum explains the spread like this:

Next we visit the four modes of Tarot - the Court Cards, which answer the "Who" of a reading - the parts of yourself or people around you that are part of the issue; the Minor Arcana Pips (numbers 2-10) that describe the "What?" - the situation that the Seeker is in; The Major Arcana that answer the question "Why?", addressing the life lesson for the Seeker in the situation they are facing; and the Aces, which answer the "Where?" of the situation - the elemental world, realm or sphere where the action is taking place.

For this spread you have to basically separate the deck in four parts.
1) Court cards
2) Number cards/Minor Arcana Pips (from 2-10) of each suit
3)  Major Arcana from 0-21
4) The four Aces

Like the text I copied from Aeclectic Tarot's review of the book, the court card tells you what court card you are acting like. I didn't pre-choose the card because I wanted to see if I'm being myself (Queen of Wands) or not.

The Minor Arcana Pips card tells you what situation you are in & what you are doing in that situation

The Major Arcana card tells you why you are in this situation & what you need to express/what your lesson here in this situation is

The Ace tells you in which realm or area are you facing the situation & why you are doing what you are doing.

1) King of Swords: Some words I can really relate to for this court cards are "logical, head-over-heart, controlling, thinker (sometimes over-thinking) , wants crystal clear view of situation, cold, detached, trying too hard to dominate, & above all, blunt (look at that sword).
So I agree, I exhibit all these qualities these days.More negative than positive *sigh*

2) So whats happening is, that I'm delusional. This is the word I associate with this card. This card is also the card of day-dreaming & I'm falling for it. Instead of taking some practical decisions, or actions,I rather sit & imagine what it can be. There is also A LOT I want. & I want it all at once. That is why I have no idea which one to work towards first. At the same time, I'm so tempted by all the options I have, or I think I have, that I'm clearly careless towards what I'm losing. This explains the cold/detached King of Swords attitude.

3) The Hierophant explains why its happening. I'm a rebel. I always walk against the current, not that it ever serves me right. But the lesson here is to get real & understand that the path less travelled, well, there is a reason its less travelled. I should stick to more traditional roles. See how I'm exhibiting the role of a King, the alpha, the master, while I'm a woman & TBH I was expecting a female court card at-least  I need to fit to my role. I know this sounds too traditional, but hey, that's what the lesson is here right.

4) The realm is that of emotions, feelings, love & relationships, also family & matters related to heart. See how there is a lot of Blue in my spread, which represents feelings. The "What" card is also of Cups, mean in terms of whatever is happening, at least I'm on track. The Hirophant is Earth, boxed in with Water on both sides, thus, the message of Hierophant is even intensified. The only culprit here is Swords (Air). Air and Water just create Storms.

So here, I'm taking things (options) too rationally & logically. There is a need to conform to traditional values and even seek advice from someone who can help.

This spread actually gave me a lot to wonder about.

Try it & share how it feels!

TarotScope for January 2013

January 2013

Love & Romance:
After the 9 of Pentacles effect from last month, this month it seems like I'm actually trying to conflict and win my own emotional side over while I'm actually the one at the losing end here. 5 of Swords is the card of empty victory. The Ace of Cups however suggests a new beginning this month once I'm done and I realize I cannot win them all. Ace of Cups is quite comforting in this position.

Like I said 30 days ago, Can't win them all. I tried & I tried but I lost. I hope the winner is happy. The Ace of Cups if the card I just pulled for next few months & it seems comforting. I can use a new beginning.

Work & Finance:
Eight of Cups is rightly there since in two weeks time my internship is ending and I will be looking for a better position as an employee somewhere. The Four of Swords however tells me I might have to wait till the next month to actually find something to do. Not very comforting.

Whatever I wrote above holds true to the bits. Internship finished, looking for a job, nothing happening yet. I'm upset!

Home & Family:
I see issues with father in this pair. The Knight is an aggressive young person who acts on impulse and fights for what he believes in but since the Emperor comes afterwards, it shows that structure and order will be restored or things will be too controlling and this getting on my nerves.

Some good days, some bad days. some issues with authorities due to my bluntness. I need to watch my tongue!

There is a complete lack of Pentacles in this reading which shows me some practicality and slower approach to the month is needed. Money and more practical matters should be focused more on. There is a higher number of Swords cards which shows thinking and intellect will be dominating this month.

I'm genuinely not happy with this month's reading! :(

Everyone have a nice month, a nice start to New Year!

Someone posted a question!

Someone asked me about interpretation of "Will he come back" Spread.

Someone asked you a question on Ask.fm
Hi, can you help me interpreting my 'will he come back spread' please. 1- two cups reversed 2,3-high priestess reversed and nine of wands 4-the lovers reversed 5-seven of swords 6-queen of pentacles reversed 7-queen of cups 8-king of swords reversed 9-ace of cups And the key: wheel of fortune Help, pretty please

This is the question I got & I just want you to know that I do not use reversals. Its been one year but I'm not comfortable with reversals yet, but I will try to come up with an interpretation.

Here is the spread.

1. Your motivation – The first card shows you the real underlying reason for your desire to reconnect. It indicates if you want them back to soothe a bruised ego or if there is true love there. It tells you if you feel that you didn’t learn all you needed to learn or if you are just struggling with letting go.

Two of Cups Reversed;

You have issues with accepting love, letting it happen, & opening yourself to love. This person in question can be a reason for this blockage & this is why you want them back, because you believe they will help you open yourself to love again. This card also indicates lack of commitment Make sure you do not have commitment phobia & that is why you want this person just because they are not commitment oriented & that feels safer in a way. May be he is just not available enough & you just want him to satisfy your ego. Not a very good reason to want them back if they are emotionally not available to you.

2. & 3. What you had – These two cards represent the relationship dynamic you had in the past and sheds further light on the first card.

High Priestess Reversed & Nine of Wands

The High Priestess reversed tells that you have failed to listen to your heart and trust your gut in this relationship before & this has been happening because of you being too defensive about your feelings. It might be because you suffered a bad relationship/break up before this guy & you were just not willing to open yourself up to love & romance after that. You were just not listening to your heart. You needed to trust your gut & face your fears head on. I believe this explain why you want him back now, mainly because the feelings you had for him, you were not able to let them out or express yourself the first time around (Two of Cups Reversed).

4. The handle – This card shows you what action you would need to take to reconnect. A card such as The Hanged Man shows that it won’t matter what you do, you’ll just have to surrender and wait for the future to unfold. Look for the Fire (Wands+Majors) and Air (Swords+Majors) cards to indicate that taking action will pay off.

The Lovers Reversed

Again a fear of commitment or a fear of going the next step. It just indicates that you need to shift the path of your relationship by expressing your true feelings. A struggling relationship does not mean it has to end. You just need to find the willingness to express your personal truth and make the best decision for yourself and your relationship. Just make sure you know that you want this person for the right reasons.

5. The lock – This is the main challenge/obstacle that lies between you and your AWOL lover.

Seven of Swords

STOP running away from your fears. This card can also be a warning that this person in question is not telling you all truth. There is always a hint of deception and trickery with this card.This is the obstacle, you have to be true to yourself first, & then you will be able to see it in other people too.

6. An outside influence currently affecting the situation – No need to elaborate.

Queen of Pentacles reversed

I believe there is a hidden desire in you to express your sensitivity & this is leading to this situation. The Queen can also be another woman involved in this situation, making you want him bad, someone who is not affecting you directly, but rather indirectly, a friend with successful relationship, someone who is successfully happy in a romantic relationship & it makes you realize you need to finish your business with your ex.

7. 8. & 9. What lies on the other side of the door – If you know that it is best not to push through, you’ll at least have some idea of what is happening there and why things are best left alone. He could have moved on emotionally or he could be struggling with stuff that you can’t help him with.

Queen of Cups - King of Swords Reversed & Ace of Cups

If you try to push the door open, it will serve you good. It will give you an ability to realize your own needs & get in touch with your own sensitivity. He might be a bit off, or things might not go well, but ending with Ace of Cups, I think things will be great & both of you will experience a great deeper emotional connection again.

10. The key – If you received a green light for using that door handle, then this is the key that unlocks the lock and gives you the understanding you need to open the door.

This card is all about cycles of relationships, changes & BIG changes you can expect. The only thing you can count on is that nothing is permanent. Things will soon change & these changes will be out of your hand. I think you just need to have some faith. The cycle of slowness in your romantic life is coming to an end. You have little control in the matter. on other hand, It’s important to note that the Wheel of Fortune Tarot card reminds us that there are ups and downs to every relationship. With its appearance in a love Tarot reading, there may be a need to take stock in your relationship. This is the time to ask yourself if your partner is worth the commitment. After all, every relationship will have its highs and lows. The true question you need to ask yourself is if you value your partner and relationship enough to work through the difficult times.

Hope it made some sense at all.

Blessings & light.

Will I find true love

Original spread here:

1) Will the querent ever find true love?

The Moon:

 Maybe. Caution is advised. Deception or self-delusion could be indicated. This card is not one of my favourite cards. There is an element of delusion, fear & strange passions in this card. I think either I'm too afraid of love or I'm just having an illusion of love, but may be no true love for me or when I have it, I'm just too scared to accept it.

This card looks like more like an unexpected situation that kind of bewilders you.

2) Will the attraction be instant or a slow-burning realization?

Seven of wands:

Wands is fire, & fire is passion & impulsive but this card shows a man struggling & working hard. so I believe it will be more of a struggle which explains the card 1.

3) What will this person be like physically?

The World

Lean, thin, complete, a balanced & complete package (hehe)

4) What will this person be like emotionally?

Ace of Cups

I see he is too emotional & it explains the card 1 & 2. If he is too emotional that will automatically make me confused & thus, the struggle.

5) Are there issues the querent needs to deal with that are delaying a meeting/relationship with this person?

Judgement

I need to start over. I need to let go, forgive & forget, leave the past behind & start a complete life over. I'm just about there.

6) Are there issues this person needs to deal with that are preventing a meeting/relationship?

King of Cups

He seems too emotional to me that is why so many emotional water cards coming up. This card also shows he needs to keep his emotional side in check.

7) When/where/how will the querent meet this person?

The Magician

Some place fun, creative & where there is everything available and you have to make something out of it. Some skill learning class or a place where you are the centre of attention.

I pulled an extra card for timing & I got Temperance which rules Sagittarius. We are about to enter Sagittarius period in about two months. Lets see what happens.

5/8 cards are major arcana which shows me things are out of my hands & there is destiny & major events happening in the regard. There is a complete absence of Pentacles & Swords which shows there is a need for logical thinking & practicality.

Reading with Lucky 11 Decision making spread

Original Spread here:

The question relates to a man who is at a fork point in his life. He needs to make a decision about his career. He is facing a warning regarding his work and he is having trouble with the supervisors. He wants to resign but he is not sure he will find another job soon. On the other hand he cannot work under pressure as well and he has applied to another company which looks interested but there are no guarantees they will hire him if he resigns from his current job.

The choice one is resign from current job
The choice two is staying on this job and hope things will solve themselves out.

1. Four of Pentacles
The root of the situation is the stubbornness of this individual. Sometimes we hold onto something longer than it is necessary and this is what has led to this situation. The querent must have stubbornly insisted on something without considering other people's points of view and thus, he finds himself in current situation. This card talks about holding onto something or trying to take control without even considering all alternatives.

The Four of pentacles is my card associated with Taurus, mainly because I have seen these people rock hard and stubborn and not so accepting of the change. Interestingly this querent is also a Taurus Stellium and Taurus Sun.

2. Ace of Cups
Querent's present situation:
This card is all about new beginning. Aces are pretty powerful cards and the suit of Cups is associated with emotions and relationships basically and also intuition. This card in this position tells us that right now the querent is about to turn a new chapter in his personal life. I would have loved to see Ace of Pentacles in this position but the Cups suit adds an element of emotional satisfaction to this card. The querent feels excited and emotionally thrilled.



3. Four of Cups
Hopes and fears:

The Four of Cups is the card where you are dissatisfied with what you have and you rather want something which is not there. This card is also about being stubborn and refusing to take something which has been offered to you.

This card also suggests the hope will magically appear, but you have to take the opportunity that arises because it might be gone by the time you have made up your mind. For querent it says that querent is scared of losing something he does not have. He believes he will miss out on something and that he will not get what he wants. He has to recognize that these are just his fears and nothing else.

Now we see what happens if he chooses to resign:

4. Five of Cups
What he sustains if he resigns:
If he chooses to resign, I see misery, sorrow and grief. One thing which I find fascinating about this card is that querent is facing left and is unaware of the right. Traditionally the left side is associated to past and the right to future. The querent will be focused more on his current sorrow and grief than realizing not all hope is gone and every next day can be made better than the previous one.

But still this card implies a short-term grief and a regret kind of situation.

5. Six of Penatcles
What he looses if he doesn't resign [if he stays]
This card is the card of give and take. Since the money is in question and the suit of pentacles deals just with that, I will say this card is about keeping a balance when it comes to your material needs. The querent is hoping to achieve what they really want in terms of their material desires. He believes if he resigns he will go out of balance in terms of his inflow and outflow. If he lets go of his option to resign, he is actually letting go of an opportunity to balance his books, balance his material needs and what he makes vs. what he really needs. Excess of everything is bad and he needs to learn that excess of money too is, sometimes, not good for you.


6. Eight of Swords
Hidden challenge if he resigns
In this card we see the hidden challenge if he resigns. This is pretty evident that he will feel helpless and mentally trapped if he resigns. The job looks very important to him and it seems like he will be very disappointed if he lets go (remember the card in first position and 3rd position). However, the good side to this card is that its more of a moral than a sad news. The suit of Swords delas with thinking and mind. The woman is blindfolded and is tied up while she has swords all around her. The Swords are her own ideas and her own fears in her mind that is trapping her here in this place. She might as well just use the sword to cut the rope that ties her. Its more a matter of perspective.The querent will have to face his fears if he lets go of this job.

7. Chariot
Outcome in long-run if he resigns
This card is the most important card among the trumps for this question. This card is great for an outcome position because it suggests victory and success which comes from implementing control. The Chariot is the winner and he rushes towards his lands after he has won his battle. This shows that if he resigns, he kind of has a victory because then they will have to let go one of the finest employees and this will be kind of "in your face" victory which might make his very happy for a while.

Now we come to the second choice,if he stays and fight his stand with the Supervisor and does not resign:

8. Five of Swords
what he sustains if he stays
This is a card with dual meanings. There is victory, but this victory is an empty one, the kind which you win by hurting others. If he stays and he fights back, he is sure to win apparently but this might has to get nasty. He is bullying kind I already know that, but if this victory which comes at the expense of his reputation and at the expense of hurting his relationship with the management is worth it, its his call.

9. The Lovers
what he loses if he doesn't stay [means resigns]
This card is the card of attachments and strong connection. In relationships questions this card represents soul mate connection, probably the best card in the deck for love readings. In this scenario and position, if he does not stay and leaves, he will have to let go of the attachment and the commitment he held towards his job & this company. This emotional attachment and the bond is not to be taken lightly.
Another meaning usually associated with this card is that of a choice and dilemma. Sometimes you have to choose between the things you love and the things you cannot do for those things. If he chooses to leave, he will have to let go of his dilemma which he faces right now.

10. Ace of Wands
Hidden challenge if he stays
Aces are the powerful beginnings. This suit deals with creativity and will power. In the challenge position , it looks like he has to be very original, powerful and creative if he wants to stay.

11. Seven of Cups
Outcome in long-run if he stays
The seven of cups is the card of options. This card is also the card of day dreaming and wishful thinking. This card suggests that if he intends to stay he will be day dreaming and considering his options more than usual. This card offers temporary pleasure but not the solid foundation and security which a Taurus needs.

We have 2 Fours which suggest there is too much stand-still in the situation and there is too much not changing in the situation.

Two Fives tell us there is delay and waiting period.

Two Aces suggest Partnerships and reconciliation.

Number of cards from each suit:
Cups: 4
Swords : 2
Pentacles : 2
Majors: 2
Wand: 1

There is a lot of Cups suit in the reading which shows querent is being overly sensitive and emotional regarding the situation or the situation is something querent is very sensitive about. He needs to detach himself from the situation & take an unbiased view, use his will power and his creativity which is depicted by lack of wands here. The cards are openly suggesting there are pros and cons to the situation, and frankly I find both options feasible, but given the situation, the Resigning looks better in long-term and somewhat disappointing in short term.