3x3 -> 9 spread. Anyone use this or have any ideas?

gea191

Yet one option, i love it:

3-6-9
2-5-8
1-4-7

1.me, ego
2.feelings
3.creativity
4.unconscious
5.sexuality
6.logic
7.mysticism
8.ability to work
9.intellect

1-2-3- body; 4-5-6- creation; 7-8-9- spirituality;
3-6-9- intelligence; 2-5-8-emotions; 1-4-7- career;
1-5-9- communication;
3-5-7- eminence
 

Ruby Jewel

I've always thought of a 9-card "magic square" layout as a pared-down version of the Romany Spread (which uses 21 cards in 7 columns). So the rows can represent past/present/future, as in the Romany, and you can take your pick out of these seven categories for what the three columns might signify:

1. The Self
2. Personal Environment
3. Hopes & Dreams
4. Known Factors
5. Your Hidden Destiny
6. Short Term Future
7. Long Term Future

Which you choose will depend on the nature of the Question you're asking.

You could also throw out positional meanings altogether and read "Gypsy Style" using Elemental dignities or other methods to determine the relative strength of each of the cards.

The idea of the central card having most importance - the "heart of the matter", "the situation Now" etc. - is also very useful.

As with everything in Tarot, it is all completely flexible. There are no rules :)

T.

Does the traditional Romany Spread consider reversals?
 

Barleywine

The 9-card square is common in Lenormand reading. I created my own 3X3+1 tarot version (see The "Waypoint" Spread post which Fliz just bumped). It's conceptually more complex since I bring in astrological associations, but the basic structure follows the same pattern. Because I generally use a left-to-right, past-to-future flow in my reading, I use the columns to show development over time; the rows I give more of an "action/reaction/resolution" flavor colored by planetary correspondences. The earlier post includes detailed guidance for how I read it.
 

Ruby Jewel

The 9-card square is common in Lenormand reading. I created my own 3X3+1 tarot version (see The "Waypoint" Spread post which Fliz just bumped). It's conceptually more complex since I bring in astrological associations, but the basic structure follows the same pattern. Because I generally use a left-to-right, past-to-future flow in my reading, I use the columns to show development over time; the rows I give more of an "action/reaction/resolution" flavor colored by planetary correspondences. The earlier post includes detailed guidance for how I read it.

When you apply astrological association, I presume you refer not only to the houses, and Rulership/Detriments. I'm wondering if you also consider the associations of the Exaltation/Fall, of the signs as well. I have only seen people talk about the Rulership/Detriments.

For instance, The Chariot, represented by Cancer finds the "Rulership" in the High Priestess (Cancer is the Moon) and thus the detriment in both the World and the Devil (both representing Saturn/Capricorn.) The Exaltation in Taurus would be the Heirophant and the Fall would be Scorpio/Death. I'm wondering if you take Exaltation/Fall into consideration in your readings.
 

Barleywine

When you apply astrological association, I presume you refer not only to the houses, and Rulership/Detriments. I'm wondering if you also consider the associations of the Exaltation/Fall, of the signs as well. I have only seen people talk about the Rulership/Detriments.

For instance, The Chariot, represented by Cancer finds the "Rulership" in the High Priestess (Cancer is the Moon) and thus the detriment in both the World and the Devil (both representing Saturn/Capricorn.) The Exaltation in Taurus would be the Heirophant and the Fall would be Scorpio/Death. I'm wondering if you take Exaltation/Fall into consideration in your readings.

Oops, I should have said basic "planetary energies," since I equated the nature of the planets (including the "modern" planets) to the positions, rows and columns in the spread, which isn't a comprehensive "astrological" spread by any stretch.

Regarding the "rows," Moon, Mars and Jupiter relate to the "aspirational" context; Venus, Sun/Mercury and Saturn to the more "deliberative" angle (a formative or actualizing phase); Neptune, Uranus and Pluto to the "transformative" urge.

In the "columns," Moon, Venus and Neptune relate to "motivational" factors, primarily rooted in the past; Mars, Sun/Mercury and Uranus speak to opportunities in the present; and Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto define future possibilities and related constraints.

For the cross-cutting diagonals, Moon, Sun/Mercury and Pluto blend historical knowledge with present awareness and future resolve, while Neptune, Sun/Mercury and Jupiter show how the querent can filter unresolved past issues through present awareness and bring external resources to bear on closure.

The central position of the spread, where Sun and Mercury sit in a kind of "dispatching" capacity, is envisioned as a "cross-roads" or "waystation" for the transitional energies at work in the spread, linking them according to a sort of "skewed" affinity: Moon and Pluto are the fastest and slowest energies, respectively; Venus and Saturn share a connection with both Earth and Air; Jupiter and Neptune both express different facets of the universal, transcendent nature of Pisces, and Mars and Uranus are similarly prompt and emphatic in their action.

This was a first cut; it contains the most well-reasoned distribution of the planets I could devise, and it necessitated a few compromises. I hadn't seriously considered bringing elemental and rulership considerations into it since, for simplicity of interpretation, it seemed like planetary energy and field of operation (similar to the "astrological house" idea) was enough to start. I will most likely find them sufficient in the final analysis as well.
 

Ruby Jewel

Oops, I should have said basic "planetary energies," since I equated the nature of the planets (including the "modern" planets) to the positions, rows and columns in the spread, which isn't a comprehensive "astrological" spread by any stretch.

Regarding the "rows," Moon, Mars and Jupiter relate to the "aspirational" context; Venus, Sun/Mercury and Saturn to the more "deliberative" angle (a formative or actualizing phase); Neptune, Uranus and Pluto to the "transformative" urge.

In the "columns," Moon, Venus and Neptune relate to "motivational" factors, primarily rooted in the past; Mars, Sun/Mercury and Uranus speak to opportunities in the present; and Jupiter, Saturn and Pluto define future possibilities and related constraints.

For the cross-cutting diagonals, Moon, Sun/Mercury and Pluto blend historical knowledge with present awareness and future resolve, while Neptune, Sun/Mercury and Jupiter show how the querent can filter unresolved past issues through present awareness and bring external resources to bear on closure.

The central position of the spread, where Sun and Mercury sit in a kind of "dispatching" capacity, is envisioned as a "cross-roads" or "waystation" for the transitional energies at work in the spread, linking them according to a sort of "skewed" affinity: Moon and Pluto are the fastest and slowest energies, respectively; Venus and Saturn share a connection with both Earth and Air; Jupiter and Neptune both express different facets of the universal, transcendent nature of Pisces, and Mars and Uranus are similarly prompt and emphatic in their action.

This was a first cut; it contains the most well-reasoned distribution of the planets I could devise, and it necessitated a few compromises. I hadn't seriously considered bringing elemental and rulership considerations into it since, for simplicity of interpretation, it seemed like planetary energy and field of operation (similar to the "astrological house" idea) was enough to start. I will most likely find them sufficient in the final analysis as well.

Very interesting Barleywine. Thank you for sharing. I'll probably plod along working on the elemental interractions and energies and see where it leads.
 

Pipistrelle

I've been trying out a 3x3 square recently and am pleased with how it's going.

Here's how I lay it out:

6-3-9
4-1-5
8-2-7

1 is the heart of the matter and represents the querent now. So it shows where their head's at. This card is read 'straight'.

The three columns are past, present and future (left to right).
The rows are loosely underlying forces, the querent, and events/reality (bottom to top).

You can read from the bottom up to see cause and effect and you can see how the querent (middle row) reacts to the underlying forces acting on them (bottom row) and also compare their viewpoint/position with what's really going on (top row).
 

Dan Tarot

Did you though about interpretation this spread as usual 3 cards reading but the cards on the top and bottom line will signify what we can't see and what is above our consciousness? :angel:

I had reading like this in my career.
 

Kat Moon

LOVED this spread. Tried it out on a few sitters here was my take:

1 ~ 2 ~ 3
4 ~ 5 ~ 6
7 ~ 8 ~ 9

Cards 123 were past
Cards 456 were present
Cards 789 were future

Then read:
Mind ~ 147
Body ~ 258
Spirit ~ 369

I think that it went pretty well. Got lots of information and the feedback was good.