Pls give me advise: Light To Love Path Spread

[GreenFlower]

Hi everyone,

Just to give you a little background of myself, I actually just started using tarot a few months ago, so I'm still rather inexperienced with it. ;P

Anyway, a few days ago I tried to make my own spread (which is Light To Love Path Spread-name inspired from my friend). Well the originality of this spread started from me and my friend chatting on when we will meet our next partner......Ok so I tried to create a love spread and here it goes:

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

Obviously, it takes the shape of a heart. The explanations for each card given below and some card meanings are ideas from my research through this forum threads on love spread:

Card 1 (Person 1-You): Own anticipation (or view) on first/next relationship
Card 2 (Person 2): The other person (next partner) anticipation (or view) on first/next relationship
Card 3: How/When/Where (depends on how you intepret the card or what the cards tell you) the 2 person will be together or meet
Card 4: Own impression/perception on Person 2 at that moment (immediate or after the moment)
Card 5: Person 2 impression/perception on you at that moment (immediate or after the moment)
Card 6: Own expected outcome
Card 7: Person 2 expected outcome
Card 8: The final outcome of the relationship

Just to add a few notes to this spread: look Cards 1-3-6-4 forms Person 1 'circle' and look Cards 2-3-7-5 forms Person 2 'circle' and Card 3 is the point of intersection (effectively meaning the point when this 2 person meet). Cards 3-7-8-6 forming a 'circle' form the resultant of Person 1 and 2 efforts.

That's not all. I've tried to figure out in what way Person 1 and 2 derives the expected outcome as well as the final outcome we do not know. Hence we need guidance to these issues. Three 'Power Cards' were added into the spread, forming the complete.

----1------2----
4--P1--3--P2---5
----6--P3--7----
-------8--------

Meanings of these 'Power Cards' in each respective circles:

P1: Add to show what Person 1 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome
P2: Add to show what Person 2 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome
P3: Add to show what Person 1 & 2 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome


Ok it is too comprehensive? Well I tested this spread on me and my friends. Each time I use this spread, there usually appear cards like The Lovers, Two of Cups and Ace of Cups..Very related cards to the issue, hence I thought this spread is quite true.

I'm just wondering if there are some implications (such as the flow etc) to this spread (as I'm not an experience reader) and hope you guys out there could give me guidance and comments.

GreenFlower

 

[mrmond]

Very interesting spread, I'm definitely going to try it sometime (for me it's useless now, and hopefully for a long time; I need to start giving readings to my friends

I don't think there are any problems with it (in fact, I think it's very nicely organised, with cards related to Person1 on one side, and to Person2 on the other).

I was wondering, however, what would happen if you broke Card3 into 3 separate cards: one for "How?", one for "When?", and one for "Where?". That would give the querent more useful information (possibly too much? ), but I'm afraid it would be impossible to keep the shape of the spread with two more cards.

 

[GreenFlower]

Hi mrmond,

Thanks for the reply

I very agree with you on the part on Card 3. I guess we could just squeeze 3 cards on 'how', 'when', 'where' into that position (like placing side-by-side) and try not to change the shape of it. Hmm, though it may still look weird. But, I think it's really impt to split them up. Thanks

 

[rwcarter]

GreenFlower,

Welcome to Aeclectic!

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

Obviously, it takes the shape of a heart. The explanations for each card given below and some card meanings are ideas from my research through this forum threads on love spread:

I think that's a great first effort for a spread. I think it works better for situations where the Querent has a particular person in mind than for situations where the Querent is asking in general about their next relationship with whomever.

Card 1 (Person 1-You): Own anticipation (or view) on first/next relationship
Card 2 (Person 2): The other person (next partner) anticipation (or view) on first/next relationship

I like position 1 but have problems with position 2. Whether the other person is someone known or unknown to the Querent, as written, the position refers to that person's next relationship, but not necessarily with the Querent. Let's say that Susie is interested in John. Position 1 shows Susie's perspective on a relationship with John. But John might go through 2 or 3 relationships before he even begins to think about a relationship with Susie. So as written, position 2 looks at John's perspective on his next relationship, which might be with Alice.

Card 3: How/When/Where (depends on how you intepret the card or what the cards tell you) the 2 person will be together or meet

Those are three completely different things to look at in one card. I think they should definitely be broken into three different positions, which I believe can be done and still keep the heart shape. (see below)

Also you might want to reconsider the "when" position. Timing is a tricky and confusing subject with tarot. There are lots of threads in Using Tarot Cards asking what a particular card means in terms of time. So you might want to consider a "what (needs to happen)" position over a "when" position.

Card 4: Own impression/perception on Person 2 at that moment (immediate or after the moment)
Card 5: Person 2 impression/perception on you at that moment (immediate or after the moment)

This is what I was trying to get at above. Positions 4 and 5 work together where I don't think that positions 1 and 2 do - 4 and 5 examine each person's focus on the other while 1 and 2 examine the Querent's focus on the other person but is unclear about who the other person is focusing on.

Also if the Querent is reading about some person who is currently not known to them (and presumably the Querent isn't known to this person either), then position 5 doesn't make sense at all. If you want the spread to apply to situations where the two people know each other and to situations where they don't, then I think you need to change the focus to be something like "Querent's perception of what they want in their next relationship" and "Other person's perception of what they want in their next relationship."

Card 6: Own expected outcome
Card 7: Person 2 expected outcome

Are these two positions expected outcome of next relationship or expected outcome of next relationship with each other? There's a big difference between those two.

Card 8: The final outcome of the relationship

This position assumes that the two people are going to end up in a relationship. That's not necessarily the case.

Just to add a few notes to this spread: look Cards 1-3-6-4 forms Person 1 'circle' and look Cards 2-3-7-5 forms Person 2 'circle' and Card 3 is the point of intersection (effectively meaning the point when this 2 person meet). Cards 3-7-8-6 forming a 'circle' form the resultant of Person 1 and 2 efforts.

I like the additional insight provided by the circles!

----1------2----
4--P1--3--P2---5
----6--P3--7----
-------8--------

Meanings of these 'Power Cards' in each respective circles:

P1: Add to show what Person 1 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome
P2: Add to show what Person 2 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome
P3: Add to show what Person 1 & 2 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome

I like the idea of the Power Cards. But if they're in relation to the outcome (position 8), why are they flanking position 3? That doesn't make sense in terms of laying out the cards.

Here's how I think you can maintain the heart shape while breaking position 3 into 3 cards:

---1--------2---
6----4---5-----7
-------3--------
----------------
---8--------9---
----------------
-------10-------

Unfortunately it messes up the circles, but here are the positions as I see them:

1. What Querent brings to their first/next relationship
2. What Other Person brings to their first/next relationship
3. How the two people may get together
4. Where the two people may get together
5. When the two people may get together (I would make it "What needs to happen before the two people can get together")
6. What Querent wants from their next partner
7. What Other Person wants from their next partner
8. Querent's desired outcome for their first/next relationship
9. The Other Person's desired outcome for their first/next relationship
10. Outcome of a relationship between the Querent and the Other Person

On second thought I think the Power Cards don't actually fit in the spread. While P1 might be applicable (what Querent can do to bring about the outcome shown in position 10), if the two people don't already know each other and/or if the Other Person isn't currently thinking about a relationship with the Querent, then it doesn't make sense to have a position that shows what the Other Person can do to bring about the outcome in position 10. And then it also doesn't make sense to look at how the two people as a couple can bring about the outcome in 10. The Power Cards would work though in the situation where the Querent and Other Person are interested in one another. In this last case, I'd put the Power Cards under the heart.

Rodney

 

[GreenFlower]

Hi Rodney,

Thanks so much for your reply

And wow, great that you showed me and the rest on the existing flaws in the spread. D

Initially what I thought and assumed was that Person 1 and 2 are fated to be together, just that of course at that initial point of time (when the querent do the reading), he/she is curious how/when/where they will get to meet. It may be someone the querent already know or simply love-at-first sight (which I think it stands, maybe 5% or less). Imagine Level 1 cards as Present state of reading and Level 2 cards as in the Future.

Person 2 (Card 2) has that meaning of "next relationship" because just in case that person is currently in a relationship, his/hers next relationship shall be the querent. (Haha, my assumptions again. ;P) So this two cards joined to intersect at original Card 3 position (now should split into 3) to give querent an idea how/when/where they will meet, or we can say realize each other and I assume that point of time they'll get together (since it's fated).

Then Card 4 and 5 should make sense telling us how Person 1 and 2 feel about this relationship? Same goes for Card 6 and 7, both of their expected outcome on this relationship then Card 8 the final outcome of this relationship.

Oh I added Power Cards because when I layed out all eight cards, I wondered if there's something I could do to see what steps will/should Person 1 and 2 take that derive the outcomes. Anyway, I think I didn't state the meanings of these PCs clearly..apologies..:3

P1: Add to show what Person 1 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve own expected outcome
P2: Add to show what Person 2 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve own expected outcome
P3: Add to show what Person 1 & 2 will do/should do/most likely do to achieve outcome

P1 and P2 should show something relating to their own expected outcomes, not directly to the Card 8 outcome card. So does it still fit in, because I love the PCs. ;P

Yea man, I gonna try your revised spread that next time I'm doing this kind of reading. Thanks so muchhh

 

[rwcarter]

I didn't get the "fated to be together" part from your original post. In that case, the original spread probably works fine with turning position 3 into 3 separate positions and including the Power Cards. The revisions I suggested can then be used for the other situations.

Rodney

 

[GreenFlower]

Hi Rodney,

Yea, since I've none in mind to place at Position 2, I sorted "fated to be together" should be it. Haas, just trying to play it out.