Goddess Archetype Tarot Spread (9) by Kim Huggens

[Glass Owl]

Goddess Archetype Tarot Spread (9) by Kim Huggens
From the book, Tarot 101

Also posted at http://www.llewellyn.com/journal/article/2106

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

1. Mother: What do you nurture? How do you create?
2. Virgin: What is a mystery to you? How do you celebrate your image?
3. Siren: What attracts others to you? How can you celebrate your sexuality?
4. Sorceress: What do you control and manipulate? How can you change your life?
5. Wise woman: What do you know deeply? How can you share your knowledge?
6. Fairy Godmother: What gifts can you give to the world and others? How do others approach you?
7. Wife: What are you married to? How do you devote yourself to things?
8. Hag: What in you is ugly and terrifying? How can you redeem this monster?
9. Amazon: What would you fight for? How can you develop your courage and determination?

[MaineGirl117]

This looks interesting and fun!!!!

[Amanda_04]

Nice- might have to try this one later while at work. Just a question though... is the idea to pull one card per position, but used to answer both questions of each position?

[SassyCentaur]

Interesting, I look forward to trying this.

[Masa]

I've been mildly obsessing over this for days. The idea of identifying with various goddess archetypes resonates with me like crazy, but I like spreads that have more symmetry and more obvious connections, so I've been messing around with it.

I cut out little square pieces of paper, wrote the names of the archetypes on them, and stuck them in a back pocket. Been carrying them around for days, pulling one out to look at it every once in a while. They'd make an awesome set of charms.

I've also been moving them around on my desk a lot. Here's an arrangement I like better:

..3................5..
2..1.............4..6
........................
..........X............
........................
..........7............
........9...8.........

1, 4, and 7 are in a triangle--maiden, mother, and crone. Each of them is at the head of its own triangle. In the center is an archetype I added.

Here are the designations, and some alternative ways to think about each of the names given in the original spread:

1. Virgin (maiden, girl, daughter, princess, nymph, reluctant heroine)
2. Siren (temptress, succubus, dream girl/woman)
3. Amazon (warrior, huntress)

4. Mother (nurturer, helper, worker, farmer, creator)
5. Wife (lover, friend, companion)
6. Sorceress (enchantress, scholar, artist)

7. Wise Woman (crone, grandmother, elder, teacher)
8. Hag (witch, monster, destroyer, bitter one)
9. Fairy Godmother (gift-giver, blue fairy, guardian angel)

X. Queen (empress, leader, ruler, etc.)

I added the Queen because most of the other archetypes (though not all) seemed to be primarily defined by the figure's relationship to a (presumably male) protagonist. Most goddesses embody more than one of these types (I think Kali might be all of them), but I was frustrated that Hera or Frigg might only get "wife." I also thought about the Childlike Empress from the Neverending Story (the novel, in which she's intensely awesome), and thought there was more to her than just maiden and sorceress. So there it is, at the center.

I've tried several iterations of a 3-by-3 square, looking for connections between rows and columns. None of them are perfect; some are really good; all are fascinating. I highly recommend scratching down some paper squares and trying it yourself, playing with the relationships between all the archetypes. It's a super cool experiment.

I'll have to think about that tokens idea some more.

[Little Hare]

Masa

I love your take on this. I'm going to use your spread. I have a feeling there would be some clients of mine that would really like this as well <3