Root of Guidance Tarot Spread

Who else is on the endless search for the perfect tarot spread? What mystical, numerical configuration will divine the secrets today? When I began my tarot practice, I found spreads to be beneficial for meditation and learning the meanings of the cards. The questions of the spreads become the focus of the meditation. The cards are the clues and provide guidance. I do not believe I have psychic abilities, but I definitely feel an intuitive connection to tarot. My scientific mind cannot explain it, but I know I have experienced it.

After becoming comfortable with the general meanings of the cards and learning how to trust my intuition, I have become less reliant on spreads. I just started pulling 3 cards and telling myself a little narrative about them. Creating my own story from the images, meanings, and correspondences. I love incorporating astrology as I find it adds another layer to the expansive realm of tarot. I loosely follow the correspondences of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, but I also create my own.

Remember, everything in the world was literally made up by humans. A group of humans, often a long time ago in a different era, economy, cultural space, made all this shit up and many of us support it like the gospel. I am here to challenge the consensus instead of feeling like I have a bad birth chart because my Sun in Aquarius is in “detriment.” The essential dignities of the planets does not resonate with me as I find it is based on being a conventional, extroverted person and that just is not me. I don’t think my Sun placement is something I need to overcome as I am happy to be an introverted, weirdo Aquarius.

I wanted to add to my 3 card pulls. Just pulling more cards seemed to muddy the story. Sensory overload for my neurodivergent brain. I decided to combine a couple different techniques I have witnessed via my rolodex of tarot readers on IG. During her live IG readings, Kait Fowlie has been showing the bottom card of the deck during her readings. This bottom card, the root of the deck, represents the overall theme of the tarot reading.

I added another technique which calls for finding a guiding card in the deck and looking at the cards on either side of it. How I choose the card varies. Sometimes I choose my birth card, my personal 2023 card, or whatever energy I think I need right now. To find your birth card, add up the numbers in your birth date and reduce it down to 1-22 to represent the Major Arcana. Ex. Feb. 12, 1979: 2+1+2+1+9+7+9=31=3+1= 4-The Emperor. For your card of the year, use the current year instead of birth year. We are collectively in a Chariot year as 2023 adds up to 7. I wrote about the Chariot tarot constellation in my mid-year check in.

Let me explain this spread through demonstration. I asked the cards for guidance in writing this post and I pulled Temperance, Ten of Pentacles, and Queen of Wands using the Silver Acorn Tarot by Stephanie Buscema and Madame Pamita. This whimsical deck based on the RWS deck features animals, plants, and skeletons. I love decks with non-human figures and cartoon-like imagery. Leo season is a divine time to connect with your inner child. The Silver Acorn Tarot feels like a mix of my favorite Merrie Melodies cartoons and Richard Scarry books.

Queen of Wands is my self-confidence mentor. This Queen is a cat sitting on a throne, holding a wand and sunflower. This signals brightness and creativity. A great card for Leo season and to give me a boost of self-confidence as I write this post. Letting myself be seen is still a work in progress. Temperance depicts a fox with one foot in water and one on land pouring water between tea cups. One cup has the moon and one has the sun. Blending of intuition and ambition, internal and external, stillness and momentum. I need to use a blend of my intuitive and composition skills to finish this post. Ten of Pentacles shows the harvest of an abundant farm, the results of patience and perseverance. My ambition with my writing is sustained results. I need to be the Queen of Wands to find Temperance and I will be able to reap the rewards of the Ten of Pentacles.

Nine of Wands is at the bottom of the deck, the root of this reading. A weathered and weary appearing black cat stands guard behind a barrier of 8 wands, holding the 9th one for protection. This cat has been through some shit which makes them feel the need to be on alert. I do feel this energy as I write this post. As someone who has felt judged for their weirdness, I am guarded about sharing myself. I started writing this post a week ago, but found it difficult to return to as I felt some imposter syndrome. WTF do I have to say about tarot that is fresh and innovative? This helped me determine where I would look for guidance. I looked for Strength.

Strength corresponds with Leo, the lion of the zodiac. The RWS version of this card depicts a figure taming a lion. The Silver Acorn Tarot reimagines this card as a witchy cat performing candle spell. Aided by a serpent, representing earthly knowledge, this cat lights a candle with the Leo symbol, the match smoke creating an infinity sign above their head. A blend of intuition and grounded wisdom to strengthen and empower this cat’s magic. I searched through my deck and found Four of Pentacles and Four of Swords on either side of Strength.

Four of Pentacles is usually trying to tell me to release my scarcity mentality. This carrot sits in their flourishing garden, tightly holding down their pentacles. What is the point of abundance if only becomes another worry? I have been cultivating these seeds of ideas and now they are blooming, ready to be shared. It’s a balance of being selfish vs self-ful. Being open allows for more room to receive. This is another step towards the (self) fulfillment of the Ten of Pentacles.

I have taken the advice of the Four of Swords and took a break from this post. Four of Swords is about rest and recuperation. Madame Pamita writes in Magical Tarot an affirmation for the Four of Swords is “My stillness is the perfect place to create new dreams.” Returning to this post several days later, I have found a freshness which has allowed my words to flow. This rest also energized my Queen of Wands and my no-fucks-given switch has been flipped. Inhibition can stifle creativity and not caring what others think is a strength I am building on.

This spread could be used for the New Moon in Leo on Aug 16, coinciding with the last week of Leo season. The moon will be expanding in the sky. Leo is bright and expressive. The sign of the child, creativity, and confidence. Next week we move into the practical purifier Virgo with Mercury also turning retrograde in this sign. As of Aug 23, there will be 5 planets retrograde signaling a time to slow down. Where else can you expand this next week before we are asked to reflect, refine, release? What energy are you calling in? This New Moon is the start of a cycle that ends on Jan 25, 2024 with the Full Moon in Leo. Set intentions which will allow you to shine and make your inner child happy.