Behind the writing Spread

Lazylady

Thought I would try this, using the Robin Wood for the first time. I'm trying to write a novel, it has taken me 3 years and I'm still nowhere finished! The cards I came up with were:
1 Knight of Swords
2 Temperance
3 Queen of Wands
4 The Hermit (yes, I know I need to shut myself away more often!)
5 Strength
6 Judgement
7 The Magician

As I am still very much a beginner, I need to look at the spread and work out what it is saying to me. There are a lot of Majors in it (maybe I should have shuffled it more...!) But as an exercise in learning to relate all the cards together, I find it useful, even if I don't really know what the whole spread is saying yet. I'm not an intuitive reader, alas.
Thanks for the spread, makes a change to Celtic Cross!

Sulis

Moderator note

Hi LazyLady,

This thread was moved over to Your Readings from Tarot Spreads since this is the forum where readings are posted that you need help with.

Now that it's in Your Readings could you please take a few minutes to read through the posting rules at the top of Your Readings? Here's a link:
Your Readings posting rules.

Because this is a learning forum we ask that you:

Interpret each card yourself before anyone else posts with their interpretations - this really helps you to learn, especially if you're focusing on the cards that you're having the most trouble with.
That you return to the thread when you have some replies and discuss the interpretations you've been given with each person who has replied.. They are learning too and leaving thorough feedback helps you and the people who have responded and makes this whole process into an equal exchange where everyone is learning.

Could you please tell us what deck you're using, the positional meanings of the spread you've used (I suspect it's one you found in the Tarot Spreads forum) and also have a go at interpreting each card you pulled?

If you need some help with meanings we have a really good page of card meanings here; click the Tarot Card Meanings (click) tab at the top of the page.

Could other posters please wait?

Thanks.

Sulis - moderator

Lazylady

'Behind the Writing Spread

Krystyjnh came up with this spread 'for National Novel Writing Month (in November) to sort of prepare for the storm to come. NaNoWriMo is a long month of novel writing, the goal being to write 50,000 words by the 31st. I have yet to win (I'm a slow writer) so I made this spread to help me better understand my writing process (and hopefully improve it!)

Behind the Writing Spread

******7******
***5*****6***
3*****4******
******2******
******1******

1. Motivating drive – why do I want to write?
2. Emotional impact – How do my feelings affect my writing?
3. Missing from view – what don’t I see?
4. Inner editor – how can I use him to my advantage?
5. Blockages – what keeps me from my work (inner or outer)
6. Clearing the rubble – how can I unblock myself?
7. Conclusion – how do I make it all the way through?

My friend and I used it together and we both got a lot out of it, now I just have to keep it's advice in mind through November.

I wanted the "missing from view" card to be off to the side, a little out of view but still part of the spread.

Happy Halloween and good luck to any Wrimos out there!'

OK, so this is the spread that I tried to use.....they don't call me Lazylady for nothing!

Lazylady

This is what I am trying to do:

1. Motivating drive – why do I want to write?
2. Emotional impact – How do my feelings affect my writing?
3. Missing from view – what don’t I see?
4. Inner editor – how can I use him to my advantage?
5. Blockages – what keeps me from my work (inner or outer)
6. Clearing the rubble – how can I unblock myself?
7. Conclusion – how do I make it all the way through?

To explain in better detail (I'm a Noobie...be gentle!) I am trying to write a novel and it's taken me 3 years! So when I saw this behind the writing spread by KRISTYJNH, I thought it would be good for me to have a go. It's aimed at writers who are stuck, I think! I used the ROBIN WOOD deck, for the 1st time, and got :
1 Knight of Swords - a driving force, swords = intelligence,ambition but also problems with divided loyalties, perhaps?
2 Temperance - my feelings are temperate, maybe TOO balanced, not emotional enough?
3 Queen of Wands - I had trouble with this - what is missing from view here?
4 The Hermit as my inner editor - I like this, it shows me that I need to go away and work alone more often, looking for what I need.
5 Strength - as a blockage? Not sure what is needed here? Surely strength is a positive thing, so how can it be a blockage? Unless its saying I need to be strong?
6 Judgement - a new beginning? Regard my work as a new beginning that needs to be finished and sent out into the world, ie published?
7 The Magician - a sexy card in the Robin Wood! He's good with manipulating things, especially words, creative, original and skilful. What I need to be!
Overall conclusion? Probably telling me to knuckle down and get on with it.

So, thank you Kristyjnh for the clever spread, and I look forward to seeing what others come up with. Thanks to the mods too for sorting it out!

Sandalwood

1. Motivating drive – why do I want to write? I like the knight of swords in this position. He has stories, he has drive. There's no real questioning really, this knight has a need to express his thoughts & information to the world. A real writers card. He is convinced that what he shares is for the greater good.
2. Emotional impact – How do my feelings affect my writing? I think this points to having the ability to use them in your writings. But you may feel you have to be completely in the "zone" before you can start creating.
3. Missing from view – what don’t I see? Queen of wands has a creative vision of where she want to go and she just gets on with it. To make it happen, just start working like this queen. Be creative, develop the vision.
4. Inner editor – how can I use him to my advantage? The hermit is a bit of a nitpicky gentlemen when it comes to writing. Great for deep thoughts & wisdom, but you would like to keep going, right. He can finetune every letter after it's finished

5. Blockages – what keeps me from my work (inner or outer) Strength may relate to being too controlling. Especially with the hermit there as well. Unleash the (creative) beast and just crack on like the queen of wands. No need for it to be perfect and refined straight away.
6. Clearing the rubble – how can I unblock myself? Review what you've written so far. What do like, what can go? Where do you want this to lead to? (In the plot) What revelation do your readers need to have?
7. Conclusion – how do I make it all the way through? The Magician is also a writers card. He it's acts and writes. There's no need to feel blocked with this fella supporting you.

Sharla

Lazylady said:
This is what I am trying to do:

1. Motivating drive – why do I want to write?
2. Emotional impact – How do my feelings affect my writing?
3. Missing from view – what don’t I see?
4. Inner editor – how can I use him to my advantage?
5. Blockages – what keeps me from my work (inner or outer)
6. Clearing the rubble – how can I unblock myself?
7. Conclusion – how do I make it all the way through?

To explain in better detail (I'm a Noobie...be gentle!) I am trying to write a novel and it's taken me 3 years! So when I saw this behind the writing spread by KRISTYJNH, I thought it would be good for me to have a go. It's aimed at writers who are stuck, I think! I used the ROBIN WOOD deck, for the 1st time, and got :
1 Knight of Swords - a driving force, swords = intelligence,ambition but also problems with divided loyalties, perhaps?
2 Temperance - my feelings are temperate, maybe TOO balanced, not emotional enough?
3 Queen of Wands - I had trouble with this - what is missing from view here?
4 The Hermit as my inner editor - I like this, it shows me that I need to go away and work alone more often, looking for what I need.
5 Strength - as a blockage? Not sure what is needed here? Surely strength is a positive thing, so how can it be a blockage? Unless its saying I need to be strong?
6 Judgement - a new beginning? Regard my work as a new beginning that needs to be finished and sent out into the world, ie published?
7 The Magician - a sexy card in the Robin Wood! He's good with manipulating things, especially words, creative, original and skilful. What I need to be!
Overall conclusion? Probably telling me to knuckle down and get on with it.

So, thank you Kristyjnh for the clever spread, and I look forward to seeing what others come up with. Thanks to the mods too for sorting it out!

You want to write because this is something you feel you have the mental clarity to do (knight of swords), your feelings affecting your writing is lack of balance (temperance) in what you think you can do and what your ACTUALLY DOING/NOT DOING. This is because you don't see (queen of wands) your confident enough and able to have motivation in doing what it is you want. You can use (The Hermit) to your advantage by listening to yourself and not others and taking the time you need to pursue the path you want to take, letting yourself guide you. What keeps you from your work (strength) is not believing in yourself and doubting your ability's and your strength.
You can unblock yourself (judgement) by just letting go and not judging your capabilities and strengths and weaknesses.
You make it all the way through by using what knowledge and understanding you already have (magician)but you need to have more confidence and to believe in yourself that you can do this and to just go for it.

Lazylady

Sandalwood said:
1. Motivating drive – why do I want to write? I like the knight of swords in this position. He has stories, he has drive. There's no real questioning really, this knight has a need to express his thoughts & information to the world. A real writers card. He is convinced that what he shares is for the greater good.
2. Emotional impact – How do my feelings affect my writing? I think this points to having the ability to use them in your writings. But you may feel you have to be completely in the "zone" before you can start creating.
3. Missing from view – what don’t I see? Queen of wands has a creative vision of where she want to go and she just gets on with it. To make it happen, just start working like this queen. Be creative, develop the vision.
4. Inner editor – how can I use him to my advantage? The hermit is a bit of a nitpicky gentlemen when it comes to writing. Great for deep thoughts & wisdom, but you would like to keep going, right. He can finetune every letter after it's finished
5. Blockages – what keeps me from my work (inner or outer) Strength may relate to being too controlling. Especially with the hermit there as well. Unleash the (creative) beast and just crack on like the queen of wands. No need for it to be perfect and refined straight away.
6. Clearing the rubble – how can I unblock myself? Review what you've written so far. What do like, what can go? Where do you want this to lead to? (In the plot) What revelation do your readers need to have?
7. Conclusion – how do I make it all the way through? The Magician is also a writers card. He it's acts and writes. There's no need to feel blocked with this fella supporting you.

Thanks, Sandalwood, for your insight! I particularly like your interpretation of the Strength card with the Hermit - maybe I AM too controlling, wanting everything to be perfect. The Queen of Wands would just get on with it, and so should I! It is so useful to have a different viewpoint, and it shows how the Tarot can be manipulated in a reading to get different results according to who is doing the reading, but the basics remain the same, if that makes sense!

Lazylady

Sharla said:
You want to write because this is something you feel you have the mental clarity to do (knight of swords), your feelings affecting your writing is lack of balance (temperance) in what you think you can do and what your ACTUALLY DOING/NOT DOING. This is because you don't see (queen of wands) your confident enough and able to have motivation in doing what it is you want. You can use (The Hermit) to your advantage by listening to yourself and not others and taking the time you need to pursue the path you want to take, letting yourself guide you. What keeps you from your work (strength) is not believing in yourself and doubting your ability's and your strength.
You can unblock yourself (judgement) by just letting go and not judging your capabilities and strengths and weaknesses.
You make it all the way through by using what knowledge and understanding you already have (magician)but you need to have more confidence and to believe in yourself that you can do this and to just go for it.

Thank you Sharla, for your insights! From your interpretation, I gather that I am lacking in confidence, which is correct as well. As per my previous answer to Sandalwood, I should act more like the Queen of Wands and just go for it! I need to rely on my inner Strength to believe in my own ability, and not let my confidence get knocked around too much!

As this was my first Readings thread, it was a really useful learning exercise, and it showed me that I wasn't too far wrong in my own reading, which is reassuring. This gives me more confidence in reading Tarot, as I am always concerned that I will get it wrong!