The Chain Reaction Spread

I came up with this spread late one night while way too sleepy but it turns out to be surprisingly complex, in depth and effective. It tracks the widening chain reaction between an immediate event or action and its repercussions further down the line. I find it works best looking at the course of a month with the rows and columns representing weeks of the month. It's a good spread for people who get lost in maps, grids and flowcharts like I do. Now hear me out! This formatting took forever!

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

The beauty of this spread is that it can be read several different ways for different insights into the situation. It can be tricky but reading one can be fascinating.

Card 1 is the impetus. It begins the course of Week 1 which is represented in total by cards 1, 2, 4, and 7 in the first row and column. They are in order from most immediate and short term influences, to those that will continue to be manifest later in the month. The further down the spread you go vertically, the more long-term the influences become and the slower they manifest. For example, Card 1 would be evident immediately but card 7, though having beginnings in the first week of the month, won't be visible til the fourth week.
1
2**3
4**5**6
7**8**9**10

Week 2 is made up of the second row and second column cards 2, 3, 5, and 8. Card 2 shows this week's roots in the previous week.

1
2**3
4**5**6
7**8**9**10 ...like this, see? 2nd row and 2nd column.

Week 3 is made up of cards 4, 5, 6, and 9. in the third row and third column.

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

Week 4 is made up of the fourth row and column (otherwise known as just the bottom ) with cards 7, 8, 9, and 10. This is the culmination of the effects f the previous cards with card 10 being the ultimate result - Where card 1 will get you by the end of the month.

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

The standalone cards 1 and 10 seem like the most important as they show the beginning and the end. They will be the most obvious. The stairs of the staircase 1, 3, 6, and 10 can all be seen as mini-outcomes for the week. Sort of a set of weekly yay (or boo) cards that show what each week's actions ultimately accomplished (or screwed up). but all the middle cards can be taken as initiatives, outcomes and processes in themselves.

Does anybody's head hurt yet?

I got through this without a headache It's actually pretty clear and a very elegant idea. I just would like to see an actual reading with it. I can't really think of any situation that neatly plays out in four weeks, although I'm sure there are some. If you do this spread and it turns out the situation continues past the reading timeframe, would you then use card 10 as card 1 in a new spread and continue the chain?

Bright Blessings,
MountainGirl

Most of the time I use this spread just to get a general idea of the results of my immediate actions that may manifest in that time frame. Most things don't play out neatly in that time frame even according to this layout. Loose ends and unfinished biz usually show themselves from my experience using it and things pooping out early tend to show up as well. Nothing is ever really finished anyway as things continue to develop and change no matter what. It's like watching a weather forecast. A storm is never really "over" as much as it moves on or disintegrates becoming something else. This only shows the weather for the four weeks but in no way does it suggest that all weather will stop past that point.

I actually do use the end card to begin a new chain, especially if the previous reading went well. Its had good results.

I just found this because I saved it ages ago, but forgot (must have been having a binge of putting things aside to look at later!).

I don't trust my own readings so far into the future - it's not about seeing that far, as such, but I've never made it work for me. So I think I'm going to try it out with only nine cards:
1
2**3
4**5**6

So cards 1, 2 and 4 will talk about week 1;
2, 3 and 5 about week 2;
4, 5, 6 about week 3.

Not quite as elegant in the symmetry but it's a way of making it less to handle. What do you think?

This is an interesting spread. I think I like this shorter version more because just like you, I don´t trust my readings too far into the future. I guess it´s because I generally have no need to read very far. I can always do a new reading for most people I read to. So anyway, I think I might try this shorter version next.