Chakra Spread with Legacy of the Divine

Today on Tarot Notes I am sharing a reading I did for myself using the Chakra Spread from Barbara Moore’s book A Collection of Spreads (Llewellyn Worldwide). My deck is Ciro Marchetti’s Legacy of the Divine Tarot (Llewellyn Publications).

In her book, Moore explains that Chakras are spheres of energy. Our bodies have many chakras, with each chakra governing many facets. Below are the names and descriptions Moore provides for the chakras in this spread, along with the cards I drew in each position.

1) Self-Preservation (Root Chakra): Your survival instincts and how you seek health, prosperity, and security.

NINE OF SWORDS

My first reaction to this card is that I don’t have good survival instincts and I do not seek health, prosperity, and security very well or very successfully. Instead, my mind tends to spend a lot of energy going over past and current problems, potential future problems, worst-case scenarios, worry, guilt, doubt, and pain. At one level, I know this is NOT the way to survive and thrive, nor is it going to help me attain health, prosperity, and security. In fact, it does the exact opposite. In the book that accompanies this deck – Gateway to the Divine Tarot – Leisa ReFalo offers the following two “Gifts” related to the Nine of Swords: “Priorities, perspective.” These are the Gifts that can help me improve my self-preservation abilities.

2) Self-Gratification (Sacral Chakra): How you connect to others through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement.

KING OF SWORDS

A fascinating card to see here. The realm of this King is the mind, theories, and science. I don’t see him connecting to others “through feeling, desire, sensation, and movement.” He would prefer a “meeting of the minds.” I always get a sense of detachment and calculated analysis from this King. These traits are beneficial in many situations. When trying to “connect to others” I think these same traits can get in the way. I may focus so much on getting on the same wavelength mentally that I fail to make an emotional, spiritual, or physical connection. The good news is that the suit of Swords is the suit of communication, so perhaps my “impartiality, precision, logic” (the Gifts assigned to this card by Leisa ReFalo) will be useful after all.

Look at how the Sword hanging over the woman on the Nine of Swords lines up perfectly with the Sword in the hands of the King. It is as if the King (at the Sacral Chakra) is responsible for the worrisome thoughts of the woman on the Nine (at the Root Chakra). My connection with others (Sacral Chakra) seems to have a strong influence on my survival instincts and ability to seek health, prosperity, and security (Root Chakra).

3) Self-Definition (Solar Plexus Chakra): How you express personal power, will, autonomy, energy, and spontaneity.

FOUR OF CUPS

It appears that I express my personal power, will, autonomy, energy, and spontaneity by imagining, contemplating, and examining what I have vs what I do not have but want. I see all of that power and energy wasted on fueling discontent and dissatisfaction, with an overly keen awareness of missed opportunities. Self-Definition turns to Self-Absorption. The only way out is to accept the reality that nothing will ever be perfect or totally to my liking, but it can still be enjoyed.

4) Self-Acceptance (Heart Chakra): Your ability to love deeply, feel compassion, and experience peace and centeredness.

TWO OF WANDS

This card could suggest that a choice or decision needs to be made, or it may be that the key shown on the card opens both of the boxes, not just one. Either way, an opportunity is presenting itself for me to seize control with self-assurance and clear intent. The “ability to love deeply, feel compassion, and experience peace and centeredness” is something I can choose to own and cultivate, channeling my desire and will power toward that goal.

5) Self-Expression (Throat Chakra): How you communicate with others and express yourself creatively in the world.

ACE OF CUPS

This card stands in stark contrast to the King of Swords (how I connect to others). My communication with others apparently has a much stronger emotional component. The suit of Cups is about all kinds of relationships. Love, intuition, and the subconscious influence how I express myself creatively in the world. My connection to the emotional world around me affects how I communicate with others. It is important for me to replenish my emotions regularly so that I can continue to express them freely.

6) Self-Reflection (Brow or Third Eye Chakra): How you see the world, both physically and intuitively; your ability to see the big picture.

TEN OF SWORDS

This appears to be a sad commentary on how I see the world. As Ciro Marchetti writes in his description of this card: “Our worst fears are realized. Everything did go wrong.” The threats and worries that interfere with my ability to survive and thrive (Nine of Swords / Root Chakra) color my view of the world and block my ability to see the big picture. I am awash in defeat, ruin, pain, envy, loss, betrayal... overwhelmed and overburdened. Some of those fears (at the Nine) were real and justified. So where does that leave me? Leisa ReFalo offers the following “Gifts” related to the Ten of Swords: “End of illusion, fresh start will be possible.” Her advice: “Quit the struggle and surrender completely.”

7) Self-Knowledge (Crown Chakra): Your ability to know and understand yourself; your wisdom and spiritual connection.

TEN OF WANDS

Another Ten greets me at the top of the spread, representing the Crown Chakra (Self-Knowledge). Like the Ten of Swords, it depicts being overwhelmed and overburdened. The man on the card struggles, crawling through the underbrush with ten wands tied to his back. My quest or journey for Self-Knowledge is exhausting, but I am committed to carrying it through to completion. This is not a struggle that I want to quit. I could never be satisfied with that. One thing I might want to consider is asking for help, to ease the burden somewhat. The Gift, according to Leisa ReFalo, is “Sense of accomplishment.” Her Advice is “Take it one step at a time.”

My first reaction to all of these cards taken together is that I seem like a “tortured soul” in many ways, struggling, suffering, striving, sinking. I do seem close to turning over a new page in several areas, though, with the Nine, Tens, and Ace. Swords, Wands, and Cups – no Pentacles, so I’m missing that practical, stable (but potentially stagnant) energy.