My Analysis of the Fifteen Card Tarot Spread – Part 2 of 2
In Part 1 it was discussed the order the cards are laid out, and the meanings of the five areas of three cards in the reading. I showed how the first six cards can be used to gain all the required information about the main influences around the purpose of the reading and how this will help direct the reading and understanding the significance of the other cards. Then I gave a brief sample reading. In Part 2, I will be discussing the mechanics behind the spread.
In Part 1, I gave a hint when I pointed out that the first card represents the querrent and is the center of everything. And in the sample reading, I pointed out several times how that first card explained in more detail the various flavors of the other segments.
The reason I prefer this spread when using The Thoth Tarot is because, like that deck, the spread is designed on a mathematic and geometric sense. Notice that by placing the cards in the order shown in the picture (in Part 1), you’ve evoked a counter-clockwise spiral. This is due to the creation of knowledge of things unknown or unseen needing first to eliminate (banish) those negative forces blocking the view. Most things in nature move clockwise, we want something a little closer to unnatural. :)
Three, Five, and Fifteen are the numbers involved in the making of this spread, and it will certainly help us to learn a little something about the force of those numbers. Many people prefer the Celtic Cross spread, I imagine, because it appears based on 2 and 10, two numbers that most people find easily grasped already by their daily lives in our dualistic society of decades. By comparison, 3s and 5s might not only show more freedom and power than 2 and 10, but might just seem downright scary in its proportion as 15!
The Devil, you say! Yes. Indeed, The Devil. The Number 3 is the closest number of the Supernals to our lower conceptions. In fact, she is the closest thing to god this planet has ever touched, and that is why some give her title as The Great Mother. The sphere of 3 on The Tree of Life is given the planet of Saturn, but in our Tarot, the Great Mother card is given to Venus as The Empress. And Five, Mars of The Tree of Life, belongs to His Holiness, The Hierophant, Taurus the Bull, ruled by Venus.
There are ancient secrets about Venus attached to modern religions and other order rites which I won’t go into here, but I’m sure many of you know that Venus was once known as the Morning Star and in parts was revered as Lucifer, the rising star heralding the Sun. (But Lucifer here should be taken in context of a more secular notion of enlightenment.) I find it entertaining that both these cards are strongly influenced by Venus, and when married, produce The Devil. This would suggest that Her Highness snuck behind His Highnesses’ back and had an illegal coupling with her Priest. His Holiness, extremely fertile in great spiritual as well as physical manifestations, finding all along that his Worship was always toward the Empress (in her guise as Venus, who’s signaling light always lead the Pontiff in the Holy Room to determine the new King’s birth), would find this marriage impossible to deny. And thus is born the 15th card of the Atu, Satan himself as The Devil (Capricorn ruled by Saturn) – enslavements, trappings, lures, and shames. A True Obsession is born.
“What has all this to do with that Tarot spread?” you’re probably asking by now. Because it is this very nature which makes up most doomsday scenarios in the minds of the querrent. The three, remember, is the symbol in the entire world that seems to bespeak of complete happiness. It is fruition, fullness, pregnancy, potency and a jolly good time. Five, on the other hand, is corruption, decay, agitation and a general breaking apart of order. These two natures (as do all others of course) exist continually influencing each other and it is between them (maybe even some would perceive “because of them”) that we perceive our world around us. Five is the part of the World that appears beyond our control, Three is the part that seems to be ours to behold (maybe even play with). Between them, perception is like the Devil, a sweeping generalization of enslaving preconceived demonic force. This is the Lord of Ignorance we are choosing to Banish in our outward spiral. And now begins the liberation which can put the situation in the querrent’s hands. (A desperately frightening consideration to all the 2s and 10s out there hoping someone will believe we have no choice between “right and wrong” and that the outcome has already been created.)
Interestingly, you’ll note that the first card that is laid down after the querrent and hir question is placed is the first of the three outcome cards. We might infer from this that the Outcome is already in motion no matter what. And definitely, there is some truth to that. The Outcome, at least, the most likely one, has already been put into motion – and by none other than the querrent hirself. Remember, the card expressing the whereforwhatfor of our client is in the center of it all, and actually the creator of it all. We place the cards continually in the spiral order, never mentioning a thing until all 15 are laid out. Then we begin the reading. I like to touch the card segments of threes in the order of a clockwise spiral before actually speaking on the cards (unless this is a first session with a client, then I like to let them know the five segments and what they stand for as I touch them in the clockwise fashion). This is to bring the power of evocation after the banishment.
The Book of Thoth Tarot painted by Lady Freida Harris uses a style of architecture and design known as Projective Geometry. And through this wonderful use of line and sense of direction, the patterns the cards make when placed near each other really can give strong influence to the reading of the cards. In the sample reading of Part 1 (reproduced below), notice the flow of light from the Four of Cups in the center informing the light in the Ten of Cups just below and to the right of it.
Notice also the Six of Disks seems buttressed, hemmed more so than that Four of Cups is by its massive edifaces. Just the shape and energy in the paintings can tell us that this Success of the Six is severly limited.