Book Corner: 365 Tarot Spreads

Book: 365 Tarot Spreads
Author: Sasha Graham
Date of Publication: May 2014
Published by: Trade Paperback, Llewellyn Worldwide

There’s a lot of reasons why Sasha Graham is one of my tarot girl crushes. Every year when I show up at Readers Studio, she’s usually the one screaming, “My witches are here!!!” followed by a big hug. When I taught my class “Using Tarot for Spell-Work” at RS13, she was my TA, and her first book Tarot Diva was on my Recommended Reading list for my class. She’s a fun, bubbly, effervescent soul who is also completely down to earth and approachable… a hard combination to pull off with authenticity (but she succeeds!).

Tarot Diva (her first book, published in 2011) was a fun romp through the land of (what else?) being a tarot diva, full of great information and geared toward those that may not be familiar with tarot… in my opinion, it was a intermediate/advanced book about tarot, archetypes, magick, spirituality, and integration, disguised as a beginner book for the masses!

In her second book, 365 Tarot Spreads, she takes all of her sparkling personality and interweaves it into a day-by-day (yes, all 365 of them, based on the calendar year) spread odyssey. The Table of Contents is broken down into the months of the year, and each page a day of that month.

The spreads for each day are broken down in the following way:

• On This Day: with a historical reference point for that day in history, which is a jumping-off point for the creation of that day’s spread
• Summation of Spread: the reason why you should use the spread, or the overarching question that the spread attempts to answer
• Cast Your Cards: how to cast your cards, with the shape of the spread, the order of the cards, and the positional meanings associated with the placement of each card
• a line-drawn illustration of the spread

Also included for each day’s spread is further information, historical or anecdotal, about the On This Day information, plus an applicable single tarot card and its meaning that relates to the spread.

This book is, for lack of a better word, juicy in size and content. Those ambitious enough will want to add a spread from each day to their daily card of the day practice, or, if you’re like me, will want to skip to the Index which has each spread categorized by topic or issue, all the way from Animals through to Work and Career, and use what is applicable. Especially potent are the Goddess and God spreads, which I mentioned in my Witches and Pagans article: Finding the Gods Through Tarot. Who can resist a spread called “Lord Shiva’s Find a Mate Spread” when you’re lovelorn?

Today, I’d like to tackle the spread listed for Dec. 21, the “Yule Four Sacred Directions Spread.”

Since the Winter Solstice ranges from Dec. 20–22 each year and with the New Year so close upon us, it’s the perfect time to do this spread.

In my coven, we call Water to the East (drawing from the mighty Atlantic Ocean since we are on the East Coast) and Air to the West (drawing from the jetstream), so I have changed the positional meanings of 1 & 2 and 5 & 6 to correspond with my elemental associations (feel free to do so or not as you choose). I drew for myself, using Ellen Dugan’s Witches Tarot.

East (Water/Cups)

1. What can I let go of? 10 of Pentacles: I can let go of the illusion of the “traditional” roles or how one describes/defines success.
2. How do I slow down? Knight of Swords: I need to refrain from running into situations with my metaphorical sword drawn, looking for a fight. I need to pick my battles carefully, and understand that not all battles are mine to fight.

South (Fire/Wands)

3. What should I celebrate? Justice reversed: When the chips are down, when life is unfair, I still manage to make things work (or find strength to get through).
4. What can I share? King of Swords: My drive for the truth (at all costs) and my leadership skills. The truth may hurt, but it is a beacon that shines and leads.

West (Air/Swords)

5. What is new, fresh, and exciting in my life? Three of Wands: New horizons, new goals to reach… and new perspectives to find. Learning to turn the short-game goals into the long-term destinations.
6. What is the best direction for me to take? The High Priest reversed: The unconventional route has always been what has served me best. Avoidance of dogma and learning to do what is right for me personally.

North (Earth/Pentacles)

7. What can my dreams teach me? Eight of Swords: Dreams teach me new directions to take when I am feeling stagnated and out of choices. They reveal new solutions to problems that my waking mind can’t come up with.
8. What do my elders want me to know? Nine of Swords: Release worries, doubts, and fears to them. No one goes on their path alone, and no path is truly newly forged… there is ALWAYS someone that has come before, and had the same worries. You can blaze a new path while still being respectful of those that have come before and how their struggles have now lessened the load you carry.

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Overall, 365 Tarot Spreads is an excellent addition for anyone looking to beef up their tarot spread arsenal. Keep in mind that all of the spreads in this book are specific, but can provide an excellent framework for creating your own spreads, if you feel so inspired.

Blessings,
~*~Hilary~*~
www.tarotbyhilary.com

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