An “Evolving Consciousness” Self-Realization Spread

AUTHOR’S NOTE: I no longer aspire to much in the way of psychological self-analysis and personal character development with the tarot after having plowed that field for 40+ years; divination is my main gig now. But I know that many people do, and I occasionally create spreads they may find useful.

I’ve just begun reading Sallie Nichols’ book on Jung and the tarot, and I’ve already acquired some useful spread-development ideas from Mary Greer’s forward and the introduction by Laurens van der Post. This is the first flowering of those insights. I’m no great shakes of a Jungian scholar (having obtained most of what I’ve learned from undergraduate courses and my study and practice of “New Age” psychological astrology in the ’70s) but I know worthwhile content when I see it.

Just a word about what I’m calling the “null state.” To complete the five-fold Unconscious paradigm I could have labeled it “Spirit” but I wanted to broaden its range. I’m not convinced that all dreams are a product of the personal or collective unconscious; perhaps the more premonitory ones originate in a spiritual reservoir of wisdom that is not rooted in human experience, like “Cosmic Consciousness,” the “Mind of God,” the “Akashic Records” or Plato’s “Soul of the World,” all concepts that have been used to explain intuition and subliminal or psychic awareness, unlike Jung’s more functional definition. Since none of these “supernal” forces are irrefutably perceptible, never mind measurable or quantifiable, I’m categorizing all of them as mystical “null state” phenomena that approach us from the deepest, darkest, innermost fringes of the Unconscious (for reference, consider the “three veils of negativity” of the Qabalah). Of course I have no proof, but the symbolically inscrutable nature of some dreams makes it seem likely in the sense that we must “go inward to find our way out.”

For those unfamiliar with it, the “quintessence” card is always a Major Arcanum calculated from the numerical values of the other cards in the reading; it provides a symbolic roll-up of their contribution. Occasionally you will find after calculating it that the card has already appeared in the draw. If that happens just take it from a second deck.

I decided to do an example reading to test this spread, asking “Who am I now?” It turned out to be a very curious pull. (Photo and analysis below.)

As it turned out, all seven of my “ psychological baseline” cards are pips; there isn’t a court or trump card in the bunch, making for a very low-key personality profile; there are also no Cups in the group, suggesting an emotionally uneventful state of being. Furthermore, all but one of those pips are harmonious binary cards, although the Ten displays a dual nature since it embodies the unitary “1.” (That’s me all right, uneventful and laid-back.) This makes the 7 of Batons in the “Primordial Earth” position stand out starkly. On top of that, all of the calculated “quintessence” cards are multiples of 7 in an ascending progression, suggesting a more energetic evolutionary track.

In esoteric number theory, seven is a challenging number, representing tests and trials along with an opportunity to escape complacency. Joseph Maxwell says “Seven is a number of action, or reflects the consequences of action.” Of the 7 of Batons, he observes “The 7 is a stage of intellectual or moral perception with its attendant victory. Materially speaking, this card means something gained by merit.” Its position here in the realm of Earth brings that last idea to the forefront.

Here are my brief, personal definitions for all seven of the pips, extracted with minor edits from my Tarot de Marseille book:

8 of Coins in the Unconscious “null” position (unprecedented inspiration; not elementally aligned; might be called “Spirit”): the Eight inspires cautious optimism about pragmatic affairs; if I reach its level of material certainty, that would indeed be a “dream come true.” (I feel that I’m already there in spirit if not entirely in fact although my “resident actuarial” keeps assuring me that we are.)

2 of Swords in the Unconscious Fire position (intuition, aspiration): the Two with its robust central flower implies a strategic outreach or offer (one-on-one communication such as a visit, phone call, message or letter). I’ll be waiting expectantly for this one.

6 of Wands in the Unconscious Air position (thought): the Six depicts action for the simple joy of acting; the “green light” or “all systems go” card signaling no need for hesitation, “just do it.” There’s a verse from a Steve Winwood song that goes “If you see a chance, take it . . .”

2 of Coins in the Unconscious Water position (feeling): the Two involves a trade-off of some kind; it could also mean a juggling act, such as “balancing the books.” It may mean juggling real-world emotional priorities with my more internal objectives and motivations.

7 of Wands in the Unconscious Earth position (sensation): the Seven implies having one’s hand forced by circumstances; it shows acting in spite of serious doubts about that course of action. I’ll have think about this one since I’ve felt “ready to be pushed” for almost five years now.

10 of Wands in the “Verbal Presentiments” position (“Hints”): the Ten foresees a hard-won victory after “pulling out all the stops.” I’ve been mentally unprepared for that last part since I’m not a “go for broke” type. (Note that I see “hints” — Jung’s verbal or intellectual “signs” — as perceptive and “hunches” — Jung’s non-verbal or instinctual “symbols” — as intuitive.)

4 of Swords in the “Non-verbal Presentiments” position (“Hunches”): the Four speaks of a bridge-building “good faith” follow-up to the Two, bringing good will and a spirit of compromise to the bargaining table, with each party negotiating from a position of strength. I had one casual opportunity to join a psychic collective to do fairs (they figured they needed a “token male reader”) but I never heard any more about it and lost contact.

There is a good deal of optimism in these cards, except for the querulous 7 of Wands and the ambivalent 2 of Coins. I have the feeling that, if I can get something rolling, it will be rewarding.

I’ve been trying to position myself for a new endeavor, not a second career but a chance to make a mark with my life-long pursuit of divination. I’ve been gaining a reputation in various online venues, but what I’m really after is a local outlet for face-to-face interaction, not necessarily to make money but to engage socially and professionally. All of these sevens may bode well, particularly the Chariot as a natural “7” (movement toward a goal); Temperance as 2×7 (capitalizing on coordination and finesse) and the World as 3×7 (arrival at the destination).

The Chariot is emerging from the Unconscious like Athena from the forehead of Zeus, fully armed and armored. He’s ready to hit the ground running, he just needs to be pointed at the objective. In this projection there is more than a hint of Don Quixote about him (and me, I guess).

Temperance is a product of the Subconscious here, suggesting that I have been prepared for this for some time but have been too comfortable with my routine to want to push the envelope. As a “breakthrough event,” this card implies that I will be able to put myself out there in a dynamic way if I receive or can create the opportunity.

The World speaks for itself. Even if I don’t accomplish everything I want, the chance to buff up my self-mastery would be appreciated.

Originally published at http://parsifalswheeldivination.wordpress.com on September 28, 2023.