Kiama

Hi all,

I created this spread this morning as a gift for my friend's birthday.

It is based on the Wheel of the Year, and is designed to show the querent the themes and events in the coming year for them. As such, even though it is based around concepts and festivals that have associations with dates and months of the year, this spread does not talk about when the events are going to happen, but instead sticks to the general 'coming year' timeline.

This spread is most useful for Pagan/Wiccan querents, or for querents who are familiar with the Pagan Wheel of the Year. If the querent isn't familiar with it, it would be very simple to explain it to them I hope!

It is best done as a birthday reading, since it makes a very nice gift, and it is best done by starting with the festival coming the soonest after the querent's birthday. However, this spread could also be doe as a New Year's Eve reading, or even a Samhain reading. (Celtic New Year.)

There are 3 cards for each part/position of the spread, and there are 8 positions/parts. I shall show you this example with Yule first, since that is the one coming soonest:

Yule: 3 cards. Yule is the time of the rebirth of the Sun from the depths and darkness of Winter, and so these three cards indicate that which will be born into the querent's life during this year.

Imbolc: 3 cards. Imbolc is the time of the first stirring of the earth from beneath the Winter snows, and the rekindling of the flame of life. These three cards indicate that which will begin to grow in the querent's life in the coming year, but will not bear fruit fully for quite some time. That which will bud but not flower, that which is in the very first stages of creation, and that which will 'simmer under the surface' in the querent's life.

Ostara/Spring Equinox: 3 cards. This is the equinox, so it is a time of balance. These three cards indicate that which will bring the querent's life into some sort of balance during the coming year.

Beltane: 3 cards. Beltane is May day, a time for sexuality and passion. As such these three cards indicate the passions that will come to life in the querent's life this year. That which they will love most this year. That which will 'fertilise' their life and make them grow during the coming year.

Litha: 3 cards. Litha, or the Summer Solstice, is the time when the Sun is at its peak and is highest in the sky. As such, these three cards indicate the querent at their peak in the coming year, and the projects/events/ideas that will reach their peak for the querent.

Lughnassadh: 3 cards. Otherwise known as First Fruits, Lughnassadh is the beginning of the harvest, and so these three cards indicate that which will come to bear fruit this year in the querent's life, but will not quite be ready for a full harvest for a while. (Notice this is the opposite festival of Imbolc, where the flowering was delayed.- the opposite in some way to harvest being delayed.)

Mabon: 3 cards. Otherwise known as the Autumn Equinox, this is the opposite of Ostara. It is the middle of the harvest, aswell as another time of balance, and so it represents bounty and joy, and that which will be bounteous in the querent's life in the coming year and bring them joy and cause for celebration.

Samhain: 3 cards. This is the end of the harvest, where the herd is culled. As such, these three cards indicate what will die in the querent's life this year, what will come to an end, and what they will cull from their lives.

Blessings: 3 cards. A nice way to end the reading is to make three blessings from three cards. These card said in the form of 'May you...'. For instance, if the Fool was drawn for a blessing, one might say 'May you be an eternal learner.'

For this reading, I also found it useful to work out, a la Umbrae, the querent's year card, so that it tells you the general theme of the year. You might also like to look at what suit is more predominant, as that may give you some clues as to another theme of the querent's year. (For instance, if there are more Wands than any other suit, you might say that this year is going to focus on creativity and putting talents to work.)

I found it easiest to lay the cards in a circle of sorts, so that the three Yule cards were at the bottom, the three Litha cards at the top (Litha and Yule are both Solstices and so they are opposite in the year aswell as in the spread!), the Spring Equinox cards in the middle left, the three Autumn Equinox cards in the middle right, and the cross-quarters in between:

...............................Litha 1, 2, 3...............................

..........Beltane 1, 2, 3...............Lughnassadh 1, 2, 3........

Ostara 1, 2, 3.......................................Mabon, 1, 2, 3.............

..........Imbolc 1, 2, 3.................Samhain 1, 2, 3................

...............................Yule 1, 2, 3.................................

Blessings, 1, 2, 3.

Anyway, I thought I'd share this spread with you all because I am very pleased with it.

Kiama

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"I believe the Goddess exists in our humanity, and not anywhere else." - Merlin, Mists of Avalon (TV series)

Royal Cat

Kiama, wow, this looks great! And since today is my birthday perhaps I will give it a go. I am not Pagan/Wiccan, but I think I understand your descriptions well enough to make the spread effective.
Thanks for posting it
Cat

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./\ /\
= '.' =
Dogs have owners - Cats have Staff

lark

Happy Birthday Cat and many more.

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But one man loved the pilgrim soul in you, And loved the sorrows of your changing face. W. B. Yeats

bec

Wow Kiama!
Can this be listed in Anjas Tarot under "time spreads" ? please

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bec. You can do it - simply because you dare try

Mimers

Kiama,

Your spread is printing right now! I will copy it my journal when I have more time.

Needless to say, WOW, I love this spread. I made one up for my aunt on her birthday November 1 and it came out horrible. I will have to do another one for her using your spread. Cant wait!

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Peace

Kiama

Hi Bec,

Feel free to list the spread in Anja's Tarot (as long as copyright etc stays with me. ) However, the spread doesn't really deal in time and when things are going to happen. Instead it deals with the concepts associated with each festival, and puts them into a 'position' for the spread.

For instance, a normal spread might have a position like:

"Card 2, new beginnings, new projects."

The Wheel Birthday Spread simply does the same thing, but uses Imbolc to represent this position, completely free of the timeline associated with that festival.

If you still want it, feel free!

Blessings,

Kiama

__________________
"I believe the Goddess exists in our humanity, and not anywhere else." - Merlin, Mists of Avalon (TV series)

skytwig

When we Follow our Star, stars follow us......

Wonderful, wonderful. Thank you.

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Angels can fly because they take themselves lightly. G.K. Chesterson

Rhiannon

Wow! That spread is absolutely marvelous, Kiama! It's on my list for next year's calendar... if you'll let us use it, that is! I especially love the idea of the pagan holidays in there.. I've never seen them used in a tarot spread before, thanks so much for sharing this with us!

R

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Do you want an absolute prediction? Then you want only today, and you reject tomorrow. You are the ultimate conservative. You are trying to hold back movement in an infinitely changing universe. The verb "to be" does make idiots of us all. - Frank Herbert

Kiama

Feel free, Rhiannon!

__________________
"I believe the Goddess exists in our humanity, and not anywhere else." - Merlin, Mists of Avalon (TV series)