REVIEW: Tarot Spreads by Barbara Moore

R E V I E W  Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings

by Barbara Moore

Paperback: 264 pages

Llewellyn Publications (April 8, 2012)

ISBN-10: 0738727849

ISBN-13: 978-0738727844

Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches

  

 THE PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

“Bring power, precision, and depth to your tarot readings with this helpful and easy-to-use tarot book. It presents techniques usually found only in workshops, plus nearly seventy different themed spreads so you can choose or create the perfect spread for any question or purpose.
Tarot expert Barbara Moore explains what makes a great tarot spread and why, including how the principles of design and psychological response play a part. In addition to simple techniques that will make your readings more fun and more accurate, you will discover new ways to help you create a reading style that is all your own.”


THE AUTHOR

Author of Tarot for Beginners and several guidebooks for tarot kits, Barbara Moore has studied and taught tarot methodology for more than two decades. Barbara lives in Minnesota, teaches and speaks at tarot conferences around the world, and writes for Llewellyn.com’s popular tarot blog. Visit her online at www.PracticalTarotReadings.com.

BASIC INFORMATION / APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY / ART

This 264-page paperback measures 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches. The cover features cards from the Lo Scarabeo Tarot by Lo Scarabeo, with artwork by Anna Lazzarini. Paper is white; text is black. Graphics are gray, black, and white.

Following the Table of Contents is a list of the spreads included in the book – a very welcome sight.  The alternative – putting the list as an “index” at the back – would have been slightly annoying. Next comes an Introduction, followed by seven chapters:

1. Tarot Spread Basics
2. Design Principles and Layouts
3. A Collection of Spreads
4. Techniques to Add to Any Spread
5. How to Modify Spreads
6. Do-It-Yourself Spread Design
7. How to Do a 78-Card Reading

The last 30 pages contain:

• Conclusion
• Spread Cross-References (an especially helpful section that organizes the spreads by purpose, such as “Achieving a Goal,” “Advice,” and “Decision Making”)
• Annotated Reading List
• Appendix A: Curious Old Spreads
• Appendix B: Elemental Dignities
• Appendix C: Significators

As you can see, this book goes way beyond providing a collection of spreads – although it does do that. Barbara Moore takes us on a journey that begins with “examining the role of spreads in a reading” and continues with “how layout design influences a reading” and “how design affects the eye and the brain.” We also learn how to analyze and modify a classic spread.

DETAILS / COMMENTS

In the first Chapter – “Tarot Spread Basics” – Moore mentions the importance of determining what beliefs, style, and techniques will influence and infuse our readings. We are encouraged to ask ourselves questions about our beliefs such as:

• Is the future predetermined?
• Is it possible to read for someone who isn’t present?
• Where do the messages in a tarot reading come from?

When it comes to style, Moore advises us to “understand why you do everything you do with tarot.” Techniques are “practices that can be incorporated in any spread” and “any technique can be a matter of belief or of style.”

I found the chapter on Design Principles and Layouts to be a refreshingly logical, practical approach to readings. Moore discusses topics such as Emphasis or Balance, Symmetry, Spacing, and Repetition. The Celtic Cross spread is a good example of how crossed cards draw the eye first, while the four cards surrounding them add balance. The vertical line of cards to the right feels separate and not as important. Design principles can be seen “in action” in single card spreads, pairs, line, bridge, grid, triangle, cross, and circle layouts. As the icing on the cake, Moore demonstrates how these principles would be used in reading specific cards in a Celtic Cross spread.

Within the Collection of Spreads chapter are subsections titled “Traditional Spreads,” “General Spreads,” “Yes/No Spreads,” “Love and Romance Spreads,” “Readings About Money,” “Health Spread,” and “Special Spreads.”

Modifications to spreads might include changing the focus, positional meanings, layout, number of cards, and/or technique(s).

I especially enjoyed the section on using quotations as a technique or inspiration for creating your own spreads. Moore notes that others have written about and used this technique, including James Ricklef and Rachel Pollack. The first step is to break up the quotation into positions. Next, create a layout that makes sense with both the quote and positions. As an example, Moore quotes Winston Churchill, who said:

“The positive thinker sees the invisible,
Feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.”

Moore then details how she created a spread based on this quotation with the following positional definitions: (1) Project, (2) Thinking, (3) The Invisible, (4) The Intangible, and (5) The Impossible.

BOTTOM LINE

I recommend this book for people with all levels of Tarot experience and expertise. Even if you have been reading the cards for a long time, I can almost guarantee that you’ll find something you had not thought of before or something you will be eager to try. I plan to devote a blog entry to the quotations technique in which I will follow the steps Moore outlines.

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In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.

REVIEW: Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck

R E V I E W

Playing Card Oracles Divination Deck
Author: Ana Cortez, C.J. Freeman
Artist: C.J. Freeman
U.S. Games Systems, Inc., 2012 
ISBN 978-1-57281-525-4  

To read my review of The Playing Card Oracles: A Source Book for Divination  by Ana Cortez and C.J. Freeman (U.S. Games Systems), click HERE.

My interview with Ana Cortez is posted HERE. 
THE PUBLISHER'S PRODUCT SUMMARY

“Playing Card Oracles transforms the ordinary 52-card deck into an extraordinary divinatory tool. Each card in this divination deck features exquisite original artwork that invokes the mysteries of the ancient oracles.”

BASIC INFORMATION

In addition to the 52 cards of the oracle, this deck includes a title card, an “About the Authors and Illustrator” card, and a card containing a description of the purpose and nature of the deck.
As Ana Cortez states in the Introduction to the 27-page LWB (Little White Book) that accompanies this deck, The Playing Card Oracles deck is not a Tarot deck, or even derived from a Tarot deck.

Although similar in some ways to a standard playing card deck, these cards feature “exquisite artwork designed to help you discover the secret wisdom of the ancient oracles.”

In the Introduction we are also encouraged to consider the construction of the standard deck of playing cards, 52 in number just as there are 52 weeks in a year. Cortez points out that the playing deck is “actually a perfect replica of a Fixed Lunar Calendar.” I was most intrigued by her comment that we use calendars to chart events that have not yet occurred (like we might use an oracle), something I confess I never thought of!

The suits in the Playing Card Oracles – representing the four essential aspects of our lives --  are Diamonds (Fire), Clubs (Air), Hearts (Water), and Spades (Earth). Key Concepts are provided for each suit. As in a standard playing card deck, Spades and Clubs icons are rendered in black; Hearts and Diamonds are red.

Cortez explains that she intends the explanations of each card to be “clues” or “abbreviations.” We are encouraged to allow the images, colors, and the total picture in a layout inspire our interpretations.

At the end of the LWB we are given a 4-card spread called “The Present Spread.” This spread is intended to provide a snapshot of the time at hand as well as the four weeks to come. Next, we have another 4-card spread called The Cat Spread (deriving its name from the belief that cats are sensitive to subtle energies). We are also given a technique for interpreting the cards in a 4-card spread as representing the Head, Throat, Torso, and Feet of a human body. This can give us a picture of a person in time (the time specified by the cut of the cards).

Four blank pages are provided for Notes.

APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY

The cards are small -- 2 ½ by 3 ½ inches -- and printed on glossy card stock.

Card backs: The ¼ inch outer border is cream colored. Inside that is double black inner border, and within that, another ¼ inch cream border. Black and cream swirls, whirls, and symbols fill the center. The backs are not reversible if you look closely.

Card faces: Most of the cards have a cream-colored background; some have a black background (8 of Hearts, 3 of Hearts). Still others have a predominantly gray/white background (2 of Hearts, 6 of Spades). I am not able to discern a pattern or reason for this, although perhaps I will discover something as I continue to read with these cards.

Court cards: The suit icon, card name, and card number appear in various places on the cards, along with a portrait-style or full-body picture of the Court member. These cards are multi-colored. Court cards are numbered 11, 12, 13, and 14. The figures on cards 11 and 12 are youthful; those on 13 and 14 are older. The Courts are not titled King, Queen, and so forth. Instead they are titled with a proper name. For example, the Queen of Spades is Morgana, the King of Hearts is Good King Nichomiah.
Pips (numbered cards): Images are gray, white, and black. Suit icons are superimposed on the images. The Aces feature a large suit icon in the center, interwoven with the central image.

ART

Ana Cortez’s father, C.J. Freeman, created the illustrations on The Playing Card Oracles. The artwork is highly symbolic and explained clearly in The Playing Card Oracles: A Source Book for Divination by Ana Cortez and C.J. Freeman (U.S. Games Systems).

BOTTOM LINE

I find these cards to be engaging and intriguing. Freeman’s art is distinctive and compelling. The small size makes the cards easy to shuffle as well as easy to carry in purse or pocket. I do recommend that the cards be used with the larger source book mentioned above to get the most from them, but the LWB provides a basic understanding. 

If you enjoy oracle decks and inventive systems or methods for reading them, you’ll appreciate The Playing Card Oracles.


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In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.

Cards and Quotes: JOY

Today's Cards and Quotes features Joy, the Fairy of Gemini, from the Dream Fairies oracle deck by Bianca Luna, with artwork by Julia Jeffrey (Lo Scarabeo). To read my review of this lovely deck, click HERE.

Dream Fairies Oracle

"Let a joy keep you. Reach out your hands and take it when it runs by."
~ Carl Sandburg, American Poet (1878-1967)

REVIEW: Tarot Dynamics Unleashed

R E V I E W

Tarot Dynamics Unleashed
by Anna Burroughs Cook
Paperback: 282 pages
Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/2
Black and white illustrations
Kima Global Publishers
ISBN 978-1-920533-07-6 

 

To read my review of the original Tarot Dynamics book, click HERE.

PRODUCT SUMMARY

"Using the same “reader-friendly” tone Tarot Dynamics Unleashed enables your Tarot Cards to take your intuition even farther! Although your old favorites -- such as our Do’s and Don’ts; Five basic keywords accompanied by definitions that apply to today’s situations; Basic Tarot Spread information that enables you to conduct accurate Tarot readings even from decks that contain more symbols than pictures; and formatting that enables you to use the 78 card Tarot card deck of YOUR choice -- are all still here, their additional detail makes them more exciting and important than ever, and they’re traveling with a great deal of new and exciting information that includes:
• Why you should and how you can easily improve the accuracy of your readings with Numerology.
• A section that quickly, clearly and finally reveals the first true “missing-link” between Tarot and Astrology!
• An explanation for the significance of “Fallen Cards” and how to read them!
• Best of all, each Numerological and Astrological “how-to” will quickly expand your understanding of the Tarot Tarot-without creating unnecessary confusion."

THE AUTHOR

Anna Burroughs Cook began to develop her psychic ability by reading the Tarot (and tea leaves) part-time in 1979 at Cays Tea-Room on 4th and Prospect in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, U.S.A. She studied Numerology and learned to erect Astrology charts “by hand” under the tutelage of two top astrologers in the Midwest Region way back in the “BC” (Before Computers) days. For more than 30 years now she has been reading and interpreting the Tarot as well as teaching and lecturing on the Tarot and psychic development. She has a wide base of clients across the United States, Canada and Great Britain as well as throughout her home state of Ohio. Cook has been teaching her "Tarot Dynamics" system since 2003. In 2009, her first book, Tarot Dynamics, was published.

BASIC INFORMATION / APPEARANCE, SIZE, QUALITY / ART

A paperback measuring 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches, Tarot Dynamics Unleashed contains 282 pages of information. A black-and-white illustration from the Rider-Waite-Smith deck accompanies the description of each card. The paper is good quality, in a soft ivory color that is easy on the eyes.

The material is well organized and presented using subheads, boldface type, and bullet points to break up the text. The type is set in an easy-to-read size and style.

The Introduction contains a wealth of material, including the following subsections:

• Do's and Don'ts
• About Tarot Decks
• The Rider-Waite Smith (RWS) Tarot Format
• Selecting the Tarot Decks That Are Best for You
• "Working" Tarot Decks and Personal Tarot Decks
• After Purchasing Your Tarot Cards
• Intuition Versus Imagination
• Reading the Tarot
• Reading the Tarot for Other People
• Reading the Tarot for People at a Distance
• Reading Your Own Tarot Cards
• Your Tarot-Dynamic Definitions
• A Hint of Romance
• Differentiating between a Challenge and an Inconvenience
• Keeping Matters in Perspective
• For New Students
• Getting Ready to Read
• FAQ

In "Getting Ready to Read," Cook discusses the Tarot Dynamics method, with its five easy keywords and simple definitions that describe the functions for all five suits of the Tarot. She notes that after reading Numerology and The Divine Triangle by Faith Javane and Dusty Bunker in 1980, she adopted their numbering sequence (1-78) for the Tarot.

The book is further organized into ten chapters:
Chapter 1: About the Major Arcana
Chapter 2: About the Minor Arcana
Chapter 3: About Wands
Chapter 4: About Cups
Chapter 5: About Swords
Chapter 6: About Pentacles
Chapter 7: Timing, Numerology and Dropped Cards
Chapter 8: Tarot Dynamics in Action
Chapter 9: Majorities
Chapter 10: Tarot Dynamics & The Moon In Astrology

DETAILS / COMMENTS

Every card receives two pages of discussion and interpretation, beginning with a statement in italic type that sums up the main purpose of the card. Elaboration on the statement follows, along with a paragraph addressing how you might interpret the card in an "encouraging" situation, a "challenging" situation, at your best, and under pressure (or reversed). On the facing page we have the number of the card, the card title, Keywords, a word representing Personal Strength, a word representing Personal Weakness, and a few words For New Students.

In Chapter 2, "About the Minor Arcana," Cook provides detailed instructions on how to read "Subject Cards" (2 through 10 from any suit).

In the chapters related to each suit, we are given a Keyword, Element, Corresponding Astrological Signs, Corresponding Playing Card, and Function.

Chapter 7 provides information about Signature Cards, Timing Events, Timing and the Minor Arcana, Timing and the Major Arcana, Timing with the Tarot and Numerology, Putting Numerology to Work with Your Tarot Cards, Working with the Tarot's "Trigger" Numbers, and Fallen Cards ("What Falls to the Floor Comes to the Door"). Cook demonstrates how to combine numerology and the Tarot using a 3-card spread and Celtic Cross spread.

In Chapter 8 -- "Tarot Dynamics in Action" -- we are treated to a discussion of a one-card spread for personal guidance, a 3-card spread for personal enlightenment, and a detailed discussion of "Tarot Dynamics and the Celtic Cross." For the Celtic Cross, Cook provides insight into how each type of card (Major Arcana, Suits, Courts, Subject Cards) can be interpreted in each position of the spread.

Chapter 9 -- Majorities -- covers how we can interpret a predominance of one type of card, whether it be a Major, Court, or Subject Card (Pip).

In Chapter 10 -- Tarot Dynamics and the Moon in Astrology -- Cook provides a Horoscope Spread in which a card is drawn for each month of the year. After we take a moment to study the cards (to allow our own feelings and intuition to speak to us), we can use the "clues" Cook gives for interpreting Major Arcana, Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles.

Also in Chapter 10 we are treated to "Tarot Dynamics and The Moon in Astrology." Cook shares this method for exploring conditions during various moon phases in her newsletters (click HERE to access them). I started working with this method in February, sharing the results on this blog: http://tarotnotes-majorandminor.blogspot.com/search/label/Tarot%20Dynamics . This information-packed chapter also includes Quick & Easy Lunar Factoids, Your Lunar Tarot Guide, and Your Lunar Tarot Tables.

BOTTOM LINE

I have been a big fan of Anna Cook's Tarot Dynamics System ever since I first learned of it. Currently, I use her method in most of the readings I do. Although I am far too Sagittarian to be tied to "one-and-only-one" method, this one has proved its worth to me on many occasions.

Anna Cook excels at clear explanations and descriptions, including examples and "for instances" throughout the book. I love the way she incorporates the Tarot-Numerology techniques of Faith Javane and Dusty Bunker (as presented in their book Numerology and the Divine Triangle).

Beginning Tarot students may struggle a bit as they try to assimilate all of the insights and information in this book. The more you know about Tarot, Astrology, and Numerology -- the quicker you will understand and be able to use the Tarot Dynamics system.

If you have no interest in weaving Tarot, Astrology, and Numerology together, this is probably not the book for you. If you are open to expanding your understanding of how these three disciplines work together, I encourage you to give Tarot Dynamics a try!

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In accordance with the FTC Guidelines for blogging and endorsements, I hereby disclose that this product was provided by the publisher for free. Other than the occasional review copy, I receive no monetary or in-kind compensation for my reviews.  The substance of my reviews is not influenced by whether I do or do not receive a review copy.