Sword & Shield Spread - GD Derivative

Samweiss

As John Lennon once wrote: "You might well arsk!" I have a four-page text on suggested ways to read the spread, but I'm reluctant to post it here and just give it to the world since I plan on putting it in my "advanced spreads" publication. I'd be happy to send it to you for your feedback but we can't send attachments by PM. To answer your specific question, the 3-card extensions would be read as a longer-range "story" progressing from the "immediate outcome" card at position #6 or #7, depending on whether an "active" or "passive" stance looks more promising for the querent (that is, which "train" shows the most obvious "success path"). Card #12 or card #15 would show the ultimate consequences of following through on the advice suggested by card #6 or #7. I would envision populating and reading only one of them, and only if more than an immediate outlook is desired.

Thanks for the info. I guess trying the spread might clear that up. But yeah, I might be interested in your publication of spreads. I remember trying your spread for ancestor work and it was great.

There are many different spreads but also many different kinds of spreads and not all of them can easily be read positionally. For example, the Opening of the Key has no real positions but rather a "method," making the spread more like a long meditation rather than a fortune telli.

Me, I use a kind of Tree of Life spread which is built gradually and doesn't really have set positions or end result. Some spreads have more of a "flow" rather than positions.

I agree. I'm familiar with OOTK as it's a spread I use quite often. In fact, almost all the spread In my regular use are without fixed positions. OOTK can actually be quite fluid once you get familiar or fluent with it. I also like to read it with long, ponderous style, and what I meant with "fortune-tellery" style is that usually my reading lacks that psychological lingo and is more about the external events. (Things like moods and attitudes are not totally absent, of course). I see Barleywine's spread now more as a "hybrid". Bit like the 15-card spread from Thoth's LWB, which is a positional spread but uses three cards per position.
 

Barleywine

I can give you a tidbit of information that might illuminate where I'm coming from on interpretation. This spread is more "allegorical" than most of my other spreads, probably due to the underlying motif. For example, I gave the "feet" (positions #8 and #9) elemental Earth and Water attributions because harsh, weak or ill-dignified cards appearing there are apt to produce "feet of clay" (inspired by Nebuchadnezzar's dream), implying flaws or weaknesses in the querent's fundamental stance (I'm thinking "cracks in the foundation") that are a long way from conscious awareness (position #3); the advice might be to reassess deeply-held assumptions that have previously been taken as "gospel." I envision using this spread when it's uncertain just how much force should be brought to bear in dealing with a situation.
 

Barleywine

Just a few thoughts on reading "flow" in this spread:

My objective is to determine which of two paths - the "active" or the "passive" - offers the best prospects for success, as shown by the quality and degree of integration among the three outer, vertical "function" cards in each set. I set up the model so the left side (symbolized by the forthright, aggressive "sword arm") contains even-numbered, "balanced" positions with a more "positive," male polarity in the base Trumps of the "theoretical model," while the right side (symbolized by the protective "shield arm") contains odd-numbered ("seeking balance") positions modeled by base Trumps that are more "passive" and female/neutral in polarity. This contrasts the qualities of offense/resistance on one hand and defense/acceptance on the other.

The idea is to compare the two "motivation" cards (#4 and #5), the two "execution" cards (#6 and #7) and the two "support" cards (#8 and #9) to see which vertical chain "hangs together" best as a convincing "story-line" that offers the least arduous path to the querent's goal. The central column (positions #1, #2 and #3) is more "attitudinal," showing how well-situated the querent is in mental/emotional terms to face the situation. The card in position #3 ("conscious orientation") may reinforce one or the other of the "motivation" cards by shared nature, element or astrological value, starting the reading down that particular path, while card #2 ("subconscious orientation"), as part of the "foundation of the matter," may favor the quality of the card in position #8 or #9, emphasizing its emotional "edge" in the querent's game plan. The querent's sense of self-confidence (card #1) may be most attuned to an assertive stance (card #6) or a more composed one (card #7).

Handled this way, in "zones" or coherent segments, once the pros and cons of each combination are weighed against one another and the most favorable stance emerges, reading this spread is no more complex than any 5-card layout, assuming only a short-term answer is needed. If the question is "How will it go with "X" next week?" the reading can stop at card #6 or #7 as the outcome. If the question is "How will my first week on the job go, and then develop over the next six months?" the "outcome extensions" (cards #10, #11 and #12 or #13, #14 and #15) would be read as a progression showing "the rest of the story." The only oddity occurs in these card sequences, since I put the more evenhanded Jupiter-related Trumps (Temperance, Wheel of Fortune and Chariot - Cancer is Jupiter's sign of exaltation) in the "active/positive" extension and the more unpredictable Mars-related Trumps in the "passive/negative" extension. The relationale is that the Tower (Mars) would express its discomfort with the verdict handed down by Justice (Libra, sign of Mars' detriment), while Death (Scorpio, sign of Mars' rulership) and fiery Judgment would accomplish the eventual redemption. (Maybe it's payback for being too laid back early on?)

I'm still in theoretical space on this one since I haven't had a chance to give it a "live" run-through yet.