(8X4+4) layout v. (9X4) layout?

daphne

By active, I mean that they impact on the querrent's past, present or future in some way. So they may not be on the same line, but could be read via diagonals. Sometimes the cards aren't snagged by left or right, up or down, or diagonals... those I call neutral, but do still read them if the querrent has a specific question and a card has a particular bearing on the question. IE: Health, or whatever not.

IE: If I'm reading for a woman and the man card isn't 'active' (is neutral), I can still go read around that card to see what they want in a significant other, etc. I could tell them, that there isn't anyone serious in their life right now (unless there are other indications of a 'friendship with benefits' which often appears), but that they're looking for X, Y, Z.

May I ask again what do you mean buy active? With all the methods to connect the cards, it seems that all cards can be connected in some way with all (left or right, up or down, or diagonals, mirroring, knighting).
Can you please give an example? Which cards active and which are "neutral' to the Lady in the example you post it here:
http://tarotforum.net/showpost.php?p=2604613&postcount=4

And can cards be only active or neutral, or is there a 3rd state too?
 

lord_ewin

Hi!

Sometimes you will find that some cards are not included in all of that reading. You've read the past, the future, you've checked and knighted the cards, mirrored some... but the querant still has some questions.

For example, say that you've done all that and they want to know about love. You didn't read about a contract anywhere in the thread... so what do you do? The cards are all there... so you could check the ring and see what surrounds it, read from the ring and give details. You can do that to any card, and start from any card.

most people want to know about their future, so we start at the man or woman card, but if they want to know about something else, you're not limited.

Hope that helps..! :)

PS: Missed your last point. I was calling things active and inactive, but it was perhaps a bad choice of words.
 

Ronia

I am one of those who have always used and still use the 8x4x4. I can't see any differences actually in the approach to read, I'd read a 9x4 exactly the same way. Why I prefer the 8x4x4 - because during the years the fate cards have never betrayed me. I wrote this on another thread just yesterday. The four cards at the bottom are not to be assigned just "some meaning", in tradition they are supposed to represent the quintessence of the reading, the "fate" cards, what is meant to happen regardless we like it or not. Doesn't matter how well we read the top, we should be able to get the message of these four. It's proven 100% true for me (and for other people I've read for). I have made mistakes many times reading the top 32 cards but these four at the bottom have always worked wonderfully for me. In my monthly GTs, these four are the cards I focus on first because they always tell me what i MUST know about this month. And indeed, they have pointed at very significant events and happenings. :)

It's a question of choice, really. Whatever works but it takes time to see what actually works.

Interesting discussion about active/inactive cards. In my opinion, this can only happen if the GT is general, without a time frame assigned and will refer to the cards in the past. I've never seen inactive cards in a GT otherwise but I've founf my mind inactive in reading properly what I should have seen. LOL Just me, kidding but that's true. Each time I've considered something unimportant, it has knocked me to prove me I'm wrong.
 

andybc

I am one of those who have always used and still use the 8x4x4. I can't see any differences actually in the approach to read, I'd read a 9x4 exactly the same way. Why I prefer the 8x4x4 - because during the years the fate cards have never betrayed me. I wrote this on another thread just yesterday. The four cards at the bottom are not to be assigned just "some meaning", in tradition they are supposed to represent the quintessence of the reading, the "fate" cards, what is meant to happen regardless we like it or not. Doesn't matter how well we read the top, we should be able to get the message of these four. It's proven 100% true for me (and for other people I've read for). I have made mistakes many times reading the top 32 cards but these four at the bottom have always worked wonderfully for me. In my monthly GTs, these four are the cards I focus on first because they always tell me what i MUST know about this month. And indeed, they have pointed at very significant events and happenings. :)

It's a question of choice, really. Whatever works but it takes time to see what actually works.

Interesting discussion about active/inactive cards. In my opinion, this can only happen if the GT is general, without a time frame assigned and will refer to the cards in the past. I've never seen inactive cards in a GT otherwise but I've founf my mind inactive in reading properly what I should have seen. LOL Just me, kidding but that's true. Each time I've considered something unimportant, it has knocked me to prove me I'm wrong.

I have tried the 9 x 4 in the past, but I much prefer the 8 x 4 + 4. I miss the fates.
 

Ronia

I've tried it too and it was correct. It's just that I was uncomfortable not having received the most important message. :)
 

MoiraKarin

Edited - see blue below.

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no-layout.

#1 -- The method I use assumes that the man / woman cards is ALWAYS someone you have affections for or a soul mate of sorts IF (and only if) it is active in the reading. There is no need to 'Charge these cards'. So if you're reading for a man and a woman falls in his past-future line, or anywhere else with influence, it means that person's past, present, or future soul mate, wife/husband or significant other (always).

#

Hope that helps..!! :D

i was curious how this works is with gay female relationships
 

lord_ewin

I'm supposed to write a post on that Moira..!! :D

It's not done yet... separating from my GF of 13 years has put a dent in many things for me. So I haven't had t ime. I will definitely post something.
 

Aulruna

I admit on this forum was the first time I heard about a 9x4. Over here 8x4 + 4 is the absolutely common layout. I've tried 9x4 a few times after I discovered it, but it does not fit the way I read - I miss the fate cards, it messes up my corner cards and the pattern of the underlying houses is less obvious to me ... I've found myself counting cards again!

So, no alternative to 8x4 + 4 for me.
 

Tag_jorrit

With the 8x4x4 layout, you talk about the bottom cards being 'fate' cards. Just what is meant by that? How are they read? Are they included in the reading of the columns? Or the diagonals? Mirroring? I'm confused.

And to those who use the 8x4x4, why do you think this spread is superior to the 9x4?