Re-exploring the Horoscope Spread

During some down time (and there has not been much) during my trip to Australia, I have been reading Dr. Arthur Rosengarten’s “Tarot and Psychology”. I’ve just finished the section that revisits the Celtic Cross by creating snapshots of cards within the 10-card spread (actually, Dr. Rosengarten uses an 11^th card in his copyrighted version of the spread).  It’s an interesting concept and has caused me to review this spread that, although it was the first I learned over 20 years ago, has fallen by the wayside in my professional practice.  I actually first encountered this revisionist practice when exploring “The Heart of the Tarot” (http://whitesagetarot.com/2009/09/07/the-two-card-spread-of-the-day/), a two-card spread based on the ‘situation’ and ‘obstacle’ cards in the first two positions of a traditional variation of the Celtic Cross. It has also caused me to begin exploring ‘mini’ relationships in another spread I use.

In  an article I’ve written for the “2011 Well being Astrology Guide”, due out in September 2010, I briefly mention a 12-card horoscope spread. The variation I use begins at the ascendant (9 o’clock position) and lays 12 cards equidistantly in a counter-clockwise manner, roughly mimicking a horoscope wheel. The life area represented by each position corresponds to the house focus. For example, the card at 9 o’clock is in the first house and represents what the querent needs to know about their outward image. The card at 12 o’clock is in the tenth house and represents what the querent needs to know about their career and their public ‘reputation’.

But Dr. Rosengarten’s work will cause me to look more closely at the relationships between the cards in the Horoscope Spread. For example, what relationship do the oppositions have? Each axis could be looked at as a pair as it would be in a chart (inner vs. outer; private vs. public).  These axes could be expanded on further and each pair could be combined so that the cards that correspond to the angular, succedent and cadent houses are looked at as a group. If we followed the general rule of the astrological chart, we could also place greater emphasis on the cards in the 1^st, 4^th, 7^th and 10^th positions, since they correspond to the ascendant, the IC (Imum Coeli), the descendant and the midheaven, all essential angles in the birth chart.

Interested in the Horoscope spread? Book your horoscope spread reading today by emailing me at whitesagetarot@gmail.com or by calling me at (519) 217-SAGE (7243). Readings are available in person in the Sydney area (until June 4^th) or in the Greater Toronto, South-Western Ontario area or via phone or Skype internationally.