My first blog article stepping into my 17th year of blogging. Request for Trigger layout demonstration.

Deck featured: Old Royale Tarot by Ciro Marchetti

Layout featured: 12-card Trigger layout

I had a request by a blog reader to demonstrate the process involved when reading the Trigger layout using ‘their’ choice of Tarot deck. Disclaimer: The example below is only a ‘how to’ and not the person’s reading. I will use simple keywords for the Tarot cards and interpret them in the various positions.

No significator card was chosen. The time frame is one to 3 months (see image below). We are probably one week into when the cards were shuffled. The Immediate column is approximately one month so another 3 weeks give or take. The Soon column is assigned the three month time frame.

Let me explain something here which I may have not mentioned in other examples of this layout. The 3 months is from the date of shuffle. Timing is always approximate.

2 Wands

3 Pentacles

DEATH

3 Wands

STEP 1: After I place the (Tarot) cards in the layout, I look at each column to do a quick assessment. When the Major Arcana shows up I know there is a significant message. It really depends what collective meaning you choose from your own belief system.

STEP 2: I locate the YOU card. Is it the person’s significator card or is it a random shuffle? I do a quick study of the cards above and below the YOU card.

STEP 3: Next, I study the cards in the Trigger row. As a rule, I do not tell the client the summary of these cards right at the beginning of the reading but I keep it in the back of my mind.

This all goes on within seconds or minutes prior to even starting the reading 🙂 Now, you start talking, to your client or jotting down notes if for yourself.

The PAST column is usually the same time frame as the Immediate column. In our example it is one month so that means 8 of Swords, 2 of Wands and 5 of Cups have pretty much been played out. The summary of those cards might also be on the verge of completion with the result being carried over to the NOW column. In this column we can see a situation that is connected to the YOU card as it is a random theme card or maybe the person has this on their mind at the time of shuffle.

If a significator card was chosen then the predictive statement of the Past column is very personal. The YOU card is the 3 of Pentacles which is commonly chosen as a work card.

In the past column we can see the person did not know how to handle a situation because the choices were quite limited. Most likely, a direction under those circumstance was chosen but it left some disappointment. It is one of the those situation when you are between a rock and hard place.

NOW: The 6 of Pentacles towers over the 3 of Pentacles and lands on the CHARIOT card. Things do not look that bad right about now because there was some support or help offered. It was not totally free, though, there was some work involved. Perhaps there was a barter of some sorts or a project with a pending commission. The NOW column ends with a Major Arcana. The Chariot is a card of finding a balance or grounding oneself in a situation. It can mean different things as well. This energy is carried forward to the Immediate column.

IMMEDIATE: Here sits the King of Swords in the one month spot followed by the Major Arcana DEATH card ending with the Ace of Swords. These are 3 very, very powerful cards suggesting a massive shift in the person’s life due to a situation involving an older man. This man has great influence. Aces tend to be new opportunities or beginnings. Whatever this is it will wrap up with a month or so, however, I read swords as air signs and this king is a Libra. Perhaps the month of Libra is significant for some reason. Maybe the person is born under the sign of Libra.

The Ace of Swords promises there will be a new way of looking at things by May if the one month time frame is on track. Quite often this Ace brings opportunities which are subtle at first. It is not an announcement with a bull horn. 🙂

SOON:

The Page of Wands is a ‘working’ energy which represents the business world. There is a good amount of activity going on in the pursuit of accomplishing some goals (3 of Wands). The intention has been sent out into the Universe and the Universe will provide the answer within the JUDGEMENT card. This card supports the new direction which will unfold within 3 months. Sometimes this card means a reunion or a reconnection with the past but on a different level.

Trigger Row: If we look at the 2 of Wands, 3 of Pentacles, DEATH and 3 of Wands we can see the baby steps towards a better future or because of a situation. The numbers are low so the energy is just developing within each suit with the exception of the Death card. It knocks down the two cards preceding it but leaves enough room for other opportunities.

…and so this is a brief summary on how to read the cards in the Trigger layout. Try it you might like it.

Excuse any typos. The ads following this blog are not of my choice.

12 card Trigger layout featuring Old Style Lenormand by Alexander Ray

Today, I am featuring the Old Style Lenormand cards by Alexander Ray. I will will be using my 12-card Trigger layout for a 70 year old man in a long-term relationship. Recently, this person received a health diagnosis which is the ‘root’ of the reading. Some of you in my FB groups will know the background of this man.

Question: How do things look (health) for J. within the next 3 months.

The immediate column after the NOW column was determined at the time of shuffle – one month. The soon column (last one) will be within 3 months. The first column is the recent past. This is not years it is weeks. I have used this layout with many different decks. 

Links to other Trigger layout posts ➡  ClickHere

The first thing we do is the study the Trigger Row (middle). ANCHOR, MAN, TREE and LETTER to give us an idea of what is going on. Always keep your question in mind when deciding which Lenormand meaning to use. The Anchor is all about work but it is can be about something solid. Without getting into the particulars of what is solid we know it is close to him. He faces the Tree card representing his well-being which will be highlighted for the next month. Traditionally, the Tree next to the Significator is not a good sign. Within 3 months he will learn of news regarding his health. Now, we move back to column 1 studying the past cards. 

BIRDS, ANCHOR, SCYTHE: Major anxiety and stress has hit this man. He has worked hard at maintaining his health but there was a sudden unexpected situation which caused his immense pain. In some cases, the Scythe card represents surgery. I want to point out the Birds does represent the throat.

NOW: FISH, MAN, LADY: Notice the Significators face opposite directions and yet they are connected. He has his finances on his mind. The Fish card also mean increase which means growth (of that something solid). The partner is thinking about him but she also faces the Scythe so those thoughts are not supportive. She is also joined by the Fox which traditionally points to a real negative person. Another way to look at Scythe+Lady is that she could be the surgeon but with Fox following her I have to wonder if it means she is skillful or going about it all wrong. 

ONE MONTH: STORK, TREE, FOX: Yes, there will be changes around his health in this timeframe. The Fox speaks about the consequences of those changes going in the wrong direction. I usually do not read trios randomly in this layout but for some reason Fish/Stork/Cross stands out. Always follow your gut feeling. Even though this layout has defined positions be open to others things standing out which should be read. The Fish card meaning of increase-growth was changed by the Stork to the outcome of suffering (Cross) that is not a good sign. There is definitely something wrong for some reason. Is it wrong treatment? Is J going to be misdiagnosed (Tree + Fox) over the next few weeks? Gosh there is strong evidence of that with combo.

Within 3 MONTHS: CROSS, LETTER, DOG: The news coming in this timeframe initially will cause hardships and pain. Many times Letter is an actual legal document. It can be Tree+Letter a prescription or treatment. This man will experience grief because of some news. 

I place more value on the last Trigger card Letter than the last card in the layout. I think there will be some painful decisions over legal papers that can involve J’s health as well as his finances.

However, the layout does end with Dog’s energy and not some challenging card like Mountain or Coffin. Letter and Dog often mean news about a friend but Dog is beside the Fox so the question is just how good a friend is this?  Also with the Cross card starting this column the news might not be so favourable about a friend. Lots of possibilities and time will tell.

The other thing is at the time of shuffle the energy around the question is as it appears in the card layout. You know that if there is a sudden or radical change in client’s mind or direction that will alter the probabilities. Should that radical decision have appeared in the cards. Good question?

Asking the Robin Wood Tarot for general guidance. 12-card Trigger layout.

How is everyone doing? This current situation is affecting us all in different ways. I hesitated in doing a global forecast as each area in the world is at different stages of this ‘pandemic’. When I shuffled the cards I was asking what the forecast guidance is for the next three months. My main thoughts were about the significant slow down of the spread of the Cvirus. Some areas may experience this and others may not.

This reading is a general overview. In the Trigger layout the Trigger row contains 4 activation cards. This means the energy or guidance contained in those cards will provide highlights in keeping with a general forecast. I did not preselect the YOU card because I wanted to see what the Robin Wood Tarot would reveal as the focal energy. I will explain more as I get into the reading.  

TRIGGER ROW:   WHEEL OF FORTUNE. STRENGTH. 8 of Pentacles. MOON.

Here we have three Major Arcana cards signifying karmic influences, life lessons and overall purpose of energy at play. From these cards we can ascertain that the wheel of life has turned and not in our favour. If you remember your lessons on this card you will know when you hit the bottom of the wheel you will eventually go back up. If you are sitting at the top of the wheel eventually you will be sliding back down to the bottom. These are cycles we live through in our lives.  The STRENGTH card (YOU card-focus) is reminding us that we have inner fortitude to get through things. Using applied force will only work with gentle hands. As we get into the 8 of Pentacles we will be working through the WHEEL of FORTUNE’s lessons. And lastly, the MOON card is telling us that not all is as it appears. In other words, the true reflection of what is happening is still in the shadows. Something is still hidden. As I piece the three cards in each column more information will be revealed. 

PAST: EMPEROR. WHEEL OF FORTUNE. 8 of Swords. 

Interestingly, 2020 adds up to the Emperor card. Yes, here we have global domination creating a push on the Wheel of Fortune cards which has blind sighted (8 of Swords) us all. In the recent past we (collectively) stand in the middle of a nasty scene not knowing what is surrounding us. The standing swords represent all the different ideas surrounding this Cvirus which are stuck in the muddy ground. The fact that the woman is tied in the card represents our inability to get away from this situation. Things were not clear. We had restrictions and still do. As we enter the NOW column we are greeted by the Page of Swords. 

NOW: Page of Swords. STRENGTH. Ace of Pentacles.

This page has a chip on his (her) shoulder. The figure has the sword of information. This information could throw us off balance because it is coming at us at a fast speed. (note that the Page faces the Tower in the ONE MONTH column) We had just taken the blindfold off and grabbed one sword running with it. Is it the right sword (different ideas, what we are being told)? The STRENGTH is advising all to calm down. Now is the time to get in touch with your inner courage. If we overreact it will not help us. We need to embrace all those things around us that are of value to us (Ace of Pentacles). The next column’s timeframe would be mid May or thereabouts. 

ONE MONTH: TOWER. 8 of Pentacles. FOOL.

The energy of the TOWER card is still with us. The shattering effect is still at play. As we fall from the tower we are stripped of much. When combined with the 8 of Pentacles this shows the collapse of the work force (economy). Here we are thinking about our work/business future. Many will have to learn a new trade or develop new skills. There is a warning within the FOOL card. We cannot be careless in our finances. The FOOL also talks about blind optimism and is advising to look before you leap. Next, we enter the three month timeframe of approximately mid July because it is three months from now.

THREE MONTHS: 7 of Pentacles. MOON. Queen of Cups.

It is still a waiting game as depicted by the 7 of Pentacles. This is also a card of cycle changes and because it is from the pentacles suit this affects our income/finances. Sometimes all we can do is wait because things are out of our control. Also, I want to read this card as more dormant energy which suggests the spread can be as such.  This was my question so you should to apply card meanings accordingly. The MOON card is about cycles as well. These two cards are about seasons. The dangers are not as obvious but the question is whether or not this is an illusion. This card is tricky. It is definitely not clear insofar as the Cvirus.

The Queen of Cups speaks about our emotions in all this. Since she is coupled with the MOON card I see this as a profound inner emotional journey. What is important is that people’s imagination doesn’t get the better of them. This could go either way. Many inventions/solutions can be shown in the imagination. As I study these three cards in the last column and keeping my question in mind I don’t see an acceleration but I do see things behind the scenes. The moon casts a shadow. It can be about manipulation. Did you know the MOON card can indicate the occult and things that are unknown? It can also represent an increase in addictions (MOON+Queen of Cups) which could occur. This Cvirus needs to be brought out into the light so we can see the reality of it. I place a lot of value on the last card in the Trigger row.

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Is there encouraging advice in this reading? We need to heal from the roller coaster ride we just fell off of and make the necessary adaptations. Beyond the moonlit road lies a road we cannot see yet but it will soon be lit up by the sun.

STAY SAFE! 

12-card Trigger layout. Lisa Hunt’s Fairy Tale Lenormand

Today’s post is a brief analysis of the 12-card Trigger layout. Below is a brief review on how to lay out the cards. This layout is optional for choosing a Significator. 

• WITH SIGNIFICATOR: remove the card representing “you” from the deck and set aside. 
  shuffle your deck in the usual manner that is most comfortable for you.  It does not matter which deck you use.
   insert  the first row containing cards 1-4.  Place card 5 beneath #1 and add “your” card, continue laying the cards.
• Past – Cards 1,5,8 – describes the recent past-the last few days or the recent circumstance around your question.
  Now-Cards 2, YOU (#29), 9 -describes the now-what is going on with you – your thoughts and feelings.
  Immediate- Cards 3,6,10 – describes the immediate future, a day or so. These cards will tell you what to anticipate.[you can change the time frame prior to the shuffle, for example you can designate this spot to mean within 2 weeks
  Soon- Cards 4,7,11 – describes soon, less than a week. It’ll give you an answer to your question. [you can change this spot to mean within 1+ month but it is important to keep that in mind before selecting the cards for the layout] NOTE: You can choose any time frame for the Immediate and Soon columns and put that intention into the cards while you are shuffing.
  TRIGGER CARDS – 5, YOU, 6, 7
  This row is the essence of the reading, the rest of the cards will describe or explain to you what surrounds them. When you read these cards you will get a good glimpse at the entire layout.  The remaining cards are the details surrounding the TRIGGER cards.
  Collectively: even though cards 6 & 7 lie in the future, they are the “now” of the future.  Cards 1, 2, 3, 4 are the past cards leading to the TRIGGER cards.  Cards 8, 9, 10, 11 are the “future” or “as the result of the TRIGGER cards.  It is important to remember this when doing this layout.
• 

I did not choose a Significator card. 

12-card Trigger layout featuring Lenormand cards

I use the 12-card Trigger layout quite often with various decks of cards.  Sometimes, I choose the YOU card (2nd card 2nd column) which represents the topic of the reading. If I don’t select it then the card which falls there is the focus of the reading. I created this layout back in 2006 and if you click the link after the arrow you will be taken to the original post which includes detailed instructions ➡ trigger layout. As a brief reminder, the last two columns (Immediate, Soon) are pre-selected timeframes of your choosing. 

This reading is for a man client which is represented by the Gentleman card in the YOU spot. Before you begin this reading study the cards in the Trigger Row.

Bouquet + Gentleman + Mouse + Clouds

These four cards will enable you to zoom into the situation or question at hand. Since the timeframe for this reading is one month the last card will be more or less the outcome of what’s going on around the Gentleman.

➡ Also, given the one month timeframe, the Passing column mirrors that so those cards were experienced within the last (previous) month. For example, if you selected three months for the Soon column (4th and last column) the Passing column will be within the last (previous) three months.

Alrighty, moving along to a brief summary of the Trigger row we can see the Bouquet card is behind the Gentleman. This card can describe him or it can describe a situation which has already happened. The Bouquet’s influence is all about gifts and fondness. It has a pleasant and soothing energy. It can bring a nice aroma after a sour experience. Listen carefully to the voice of the Bouquet flower. Keep a stiff upper lip like the Queen ♠ when situations call for strength. Also, I see this card as a blessing. The Gentleman faces the Mouse card with one week of this shuffle. This card eats away or depletes the Gentleman’s energy for some reason. We have not established this at this point of the analysis. Whatever pleasant energy the Bouquet bestowed to the Gentleman the Mouse has taken a lot of that away. Ending with the Clouds card the Gentleman is entering an uncertain time within one month. Things will not be so obvious or clear. In this deck the dark side of the clouds is a little difficult to ascertain. I usually do factor the shading and since the King ♠ is looking to the left I want to read this the darker side is facing to the right (behind his back). 

Column 1: Passing. Fish + Bouquet + Ship 

This situation has already happened.  Many times it is an incomplete situation which is carried into the Now experience. Since the Ship ends this column there is still movement. If it were the Coffin card that influence would have run its course. If it were the Scythe card it would have have to an abrupt end. If it were the Sun card the situation would have promising results. The Fish card does rule finances and things we value. It is also about fluids. The Ship card can be the flow of energy. It is not absolutely clear what these three cards are talking about but if I give you a little background then the cards can ‘fit’ the situation surrounding the man. As many of you know, lately I have a concern for someone that is hospitalized. Therefore, I can go ahead and read the King ♦ is a medical person that ‘blessed’ the man’s situation by creating a continued ‘flow’ of life. 

Column 2: Now. House + Gentleman + Rider.

The top card is the concern the man insofar as the environment he is experiencing as ‘home’ in the hospital. He is also thinking about his real home. At the time of the shuffle, the Gentleman was waiting for news about his everyday circumstances. The Rider card also represents a new encounter. I can say with certainty it is all about people popping in and out of the hospital to see the man.

Column 3: Immediate. One week. Clover + Mouse + Whip.

I want to read the Clover card as a quick turn of events for a not so lucky situation. The Mouse card eats any ‘good’ energy out of the Clover card and turning a promising pleasant interlude into turmoil. I can personally vouch for this because it has been a physical struggle for the man to hold his own. The influence of these cards is in effect until tomorrow April 30th give or take a day. 

Column 4: Soon. One month. Letter + Clouds + Stork.

Let’s suppose the last card in this column was the Sun card. Even though the Sun card’s energy is wonderful the main strength of the Clouds card prevails. This means there will be more uncertainty as to the man’s situation for the duration of this timeframe. There will definitely be changes coming via news and announcements. This news will be refers to complications. In a nutshell, progress and healing could be set back because of the original situation involving the man’s hospitalization. There is an element of risk. The letter is sealed which could mean something might develop which had not been planned on. The Clouds card above the Stork card is an indicator of what to expect. Here lies the situation as seen through shadows since the clouds obscure the sunshine (hope/promise/fulfillment/success). It is the unknown which arose through the Letter card. Unsettling changes will come. I usually do not do combine cards in other columns but like I have said before if a duo sticks out then go ahead and factor that combination as well. 

 

Relationship reading. Trigger layout featuring Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten (Gipsy cards)

This morning I received an email from a woman having relationship problems. Based on the last several years this is the number one reason for a reading. Then there is work/career (tied in second place with money/finances) and thirdly health/well-being. Jackie and her partner (man) recently had a huge argument over some trivial matters. She is seriously assessing her relationship with Mac. I bet you Mac hasn’t got a clue anything is wrong as ‘some’ women tend to take things more to heart. 🙂 That’s just my guess so far.

Jackie wants me to ask my cards what she should know about her relationship over the next three months. Well, first of all the cards are not going to detail each month day-by-day. The three cards in the columns are a loose summary of a major situation pertaining to the question.

In my Trigger layout, the trigger row will roll it all up in a nutshell. Before I go on I have been asked several times on how to read the last trigger card in relation to the cards above and below it.  That would be the last (SOON) column which I have assigned the 3 month timeframe.  The last card is the result of the preceding trigger cards. The card above it shows an influence connected to it. The card below it shows a possible consequence but you must remember that the last trigger card in the row holds the power. The other two cards can modify it slightly it will not change its initial meaning.  Ok, let’s see what’s going on Jackie’s reading.

 

Let’s scan over the trigger row.  Yes, I pulled the Sweetheart card to represent Jackie.  For many other posts and instructions on this layout ➡ past Trigger Layout posts

trigger row: LETTER + SWEETHEART + HOUSE + MONEY

How do you determine the timeframe of the Passing column? Rule of thumb it is the same timeframe you have set for the IMMEDIATE column (column 3). In this case it will be within the last month. Many times when I do the Trigger layout I set only a couple of weeks to the Immediate column and six-week for the Soon column. It depends on the situation and how fast I need to know the potential answers.  

Ok, so we know that within the last 3-4 weeks some sort of news or information was an issue. This could very well be over a matter dealing with the home/family. The last trigger card shows a pile of money. The question is whether or not this money is coming in or going out. Money is a term that covers all that pertains to finances.

Note that the Lover card (Mac) did not show up. Has he taken on the role of the Officer card? (column 3) Will he take off or will she just not give a __ about him any more? Obviously they are not on the same page or she wouldn’t be asking for a reading.

In the Passing column sits the WIDOW + LETTER + VISIT cards. An older woman has been in touch and was discussing a visit. Sounds pretty simple. Is this the reason they are fighting. Is it a mother-in-law? Could be. I want to read the Widow card as a reflection of how Jackie is feeling. She could feel cut off and all alone in the relationship right now. She probably tried to communicate with Mac and maybe even sent him texts. That’s what they do these days. I know many couples that carry on arguments via text. That way that don’t have to deal with each other face to face. The problem with that is more misunderstandings unless there are emoticons and gifs after each sentence. The Visit card represents assistance of some kind. It can mean Jackie was the one helping out. Don’t forget the older woman in the card represents experience. One more point is that perhaps the conversation they had was very icy (widow) and Jackie may have thought of leaving (visit).

In the Now column sits the ANGER + SWEETHEART + THOUGHT cards. Verrrry interesting that the Anger card sits on the Sweetheart’s shoulders. 😡  When Jackie emailed me she was thinking about an argument they had just recently. She will continue to think about it for several days. It must have been a bad one. As they say, “It is what it is.”

For the next column I assigned a one month timeframe given the nature of the question. The ENEMY + HOUSE + OFFICER cards look troublesome. The Enemy card is a real warning that matters within the home are serious. One needs to remember the reason for the reading. The Officer’s personality is very business like. I have to wonder if this isn’t Mac assuming a very non-romantic position over the next few weeks. He could even have not so nice intentions (enemy) making Jackie’s life miserable. The Enemy card is also warning her that in order to maintain harmony in the home certain things need to get done and there needs to be a responsible (officer) approach to their issues. It needs to be determined what their roles are in this relationship.

In the final column sits the JEALOUSY + MONEY + CONSTANCY cards. Someone is going to be coveting the other person’s money or things of value. There are no cards that clearly point to relationship break-up. It looks like envy/jealousy could be the culprit in this relationship. One other meaning of the Jealousy card is territorial. It’s when there is a power struggle. Given that the Money card is the trigger energy this situation is rooted in fights over the finances. The last card Constancy indicates not much will change over the 3 month period. Things will stay the same but in a steady kind of way. I think if the relationship was in jeopardy the trigger row would have had cards to reflect this and they all seem rather positive in nature.

12-card Trigger layout featuring Rana George Lenormand

I was really impressed with the quality of the Rana George Lenormand. The artwork took me back to decades ago when I was in an intriguing relationship with a Persian man. I learned lots about his culture and he of mine. We had lots of fun together searching for the meaning of life. We played a lot of Zamfir as we philosophized.

Today, I am featuring the breathtaking Rana George Lenormand in the 12-card Trigger layout. The image does not do the cards complete justice. I can’t even think of a word that would totally describe this deck. It’s a WOW for sure. 

I decided not to select the YOU spot card (question) and let the cards decide what or who the YOU spot would represent. Here sits the magnificent HEART card. It is obvious the reading is about an emotional connection, love or relationship. Notice that the Gentleman and Lady are not looking at each other. 

There is a background question about the success of an event. Both of these people will be working there. 

Let’s look at the Trigger row before continuing with the reading. It will provide a brief summary of the theme (HEART card) of this reading.

Things came to a standstill recently involving a relationship/emotional connection. (can be tied into the question) This will place a burden on the woman getting the reading. It might be a testing period. The KEY promises results within the time frame of this reading. I usually choose 3 months for the last column although the time frame for the event is within one month (second last column).

Beginning in the far left column we have CHILD, PATH, GENTLEMAN. It looks like a new situation occurred in the recent past that resulted in a pending decision. The man has these cards above him. He is thinking about what he should do. He is stuck in the past. He is unsure of his role in this upcoming event. Part of him does not want to go.

In the now column, sits TOWER, HEART, CLOVER. The event is something the woman loves to do. At the current time she is feeling cut off emotionally from her man. It will pass within a few days. This little rift between the couple is not long lasting. Besides, she prefers to work alone. She is definitely disappointed at her man.

In the soon column, we have STORK, CROSS, LADY. The woman should expect some changes which she may not like. These cards sit above her. This situation is weighing down on her. She needs her man to be on the same page as her or working with him at the event will be burdensome. I felt that Stork/Cross could indicate some sort of movement towards a cease fire between the two of them. Most likely the woman will endure some difficulties at the event. It’s tough to be optimistic when a person you count on is giving you a hard time. 

The final column holds BEAR, KEY, BOOK. Here we have more promising cards. I’m not getting the feeling that the Book card is about secret or something hidden. It would be more like through a solution experience (knowledge) is gained. Often, the Bear card represents money which is what the woman wants to hear about. Even though I was thinking 3 months time frame for this column it could be the actual timing for the event.  I will update when I know the results.

Seaqueen’s Trigger layout in the earlier years

How different is your perception on the Lenormand over the years? I have a good chuckle when I read my blog from conception. Even my manner of writing was a bit studious. Not sure what I was thinking by not showing the entire Trigger layout in the image.  🙂 I think the focus was the final two cards. 

Obviously, I did not have a good digital camera. I had a cell phone but the camera on it sucked unlike the amazing photos you can capture these days.

Would I interpret the cards in a similar fashion today?  My interpretation would not differ much but the post structure would be. 

I’ve had a few requests to bring back the Parapath newsletter.  I would have to begin a new mailing list. If you are interested please send me a private message or email me. 

Mäuse, Garten, Fuch. Kisegér kert róka. Ratones, jardín, zorro. Souris, jardin, renard. マウス、庭、孤

The last 3 cards in the vertical column of the Simple Layout signifying SOON, probably within a week.

The answer came within 1 week of I.’s interview. The original analysis showed promising results according to the Sept 15th post, however if you look at the combinations there was a hint of the SOON outcome that does not shed a positive outcome. This reading could still materialize even though initially the job position was offered to someone else. The cards do reveal the future possibilities and our experiences are just pieces of the puzzle- the larger overall jigsaw puzzle of life.

clover+fox=hope for job (yes I. was extremely hopeful for this position)
garden+fox=well known company, sly co-workers (yes, it was a well known company, the slyness could be that I. was lead to believe that she had the right qualifications in the first interview)
clouds+stork=because of King of clubs there will be a change (I. was interviewed by a man – the change is probably the “loss” shown beside the stork card depicted by the mice/mouse.

stork+mice=changes producing loss(the changes would be about the company, weight loss)

clouds+stork=short postponement(the delay could be the waiting time to get the call for a second interview)
bear+clouds=weakened state of mind(I. was in a tired state prior to the interview due to chronic insomnia)

Looking closer at the book & garden. The 2 cards point to creative writing and having artistic talent. The garden is a pleasing environment. The mouse cards suggest also patience and intelligence which leads to the fulfillment of goals…a slow process (erosion is a slow process). I get the sense that I.’s real passion is contained in the meaning of the garden card. Could be erosion of creativity-by not doing what she really wants to do.

The mouse is delay. Clouds & mouse=short delay.

One of fox’s meanings is wrong timing. Maybe, the wrong type of organization.

Stork & Book = an unforeseen change or an outcome that wasn’t expected (clover)

12- card Trigger layout asking about the future of a relationship

I have had several questions about the Trigger layout so I decided to feature another post using the Gilded Reverie Lenormand cards created by Ciro Marchetti. I hope you will find the post helpful.  🙂 

For today’s tutorial it is about a real life situation of a woman (Darlene) asking about the future of her relationship with her current man, Jeff. They have been seeing each other exclusively for six months. I did not pre-select the ‘YOU’ card. I shuffled, thought of the question on her behalf and laid the cards 4 across, second row 4 across and bottom row 4 across.

Her boyfriend fell into the YOU spot naturally. From this we know he is very much on her mind in fact she may be obsessing about him.

Trigger Row cards Bouquet+Man+Clouds+Tower

Jeff is looking back at the Bouquet card. It looks like he is thinking of another woman (Queen of Spades) and her influence will confuse (Clouds) him for several weeks. It could be he is thinking of an invitation as well. Maybe he received a gift recently. We will look at the details of this in the column cards. The ending Trigger card is the Tower suggesting it could take some time before this particular situation (Queen of Spades) is resolved. The solution is down the road. The question is how will this affect his relationship with Darlene if in fact it is another woman. This all could be quite innocent as well.  🙂

Tip: The initial Trigger row interpretation can be modified once you start reading the columns. Keep that in mind so you, as the reader, remains flexible in your analysis. And, at the same time everything can be applied because the cards have multi-level meanings alone and combined. 

Tip #2: As a rule I do not combine cards horizontally other than the Trigger row. If you get a real strong feeling about a combination side by side consider it. It stands out for a reason. If you get a vision or hear something follow through on that as well because each reader has their own ‘gifts’ of reading cards.  

Tip #3: The way a card faces should be considered as well, however, if you are the kind of person that doesn’t read directions then follow your own techniques. 

Past: Just how long into the past are these cards? Good question. I tend to use the same time frame as the Immediate column. If I assign one month then the Past column is one month. If it is days then the same is true. In our example, it is one month as seen in the image above. I was going to assign one year to the Soon column (last one) but given the feedback I have gotten over the years people want to know the near future like 3-6 months.

Ship+Bouquet+Book

Here we have the strong suggestion that an invitation to travel had occurred in the recent past but it is not clear if it manifested since the Book card is concealing the outcome. (that’s one way to read this trio)

Now: Fox+Man+Birds

You can read the above and below cards as personality traits if you want. Jeff could be up to something and displaying signs of anxiety. The Birds card indicates conversations as well or something being brought out into the open.

Immediate: Sun+Clouds+Anchor   

There is happiness and security shown around the initial question. The passing influence of the Clouds will become more clear in the last column. At the very least the next 4-6 weeks should be without complications.  Issue’s around his job could arise as well but during this timeframe all should be ok.

Soon: Stork+Tower+Scythe

Trouble ahead. Changes are coming and some legal dilemmas. Anchor+Scythe really stands out and in my experience it means getting fired. We need to keep in mind what Darlene’s is asking because that is the intention of the reading. As far as the future of the relationship it will undergo some brutal changes. The Heart or Ring cards have not appeared in the layout. The Lady card is missing as well so Darlene will be in the background for sure like maybe way in the background. One thing to note also is the Stork can signify return of a lover as well.

Of course, I have not gone deeply into the interpretation but it should give you a pretty good idea how the Trigger layout ‘can’ be read.

So, what isn’t clear now and for several weeks will become crystal clear within 6 months. Not the most promising reading for a relationship. 😦

What does the Trigger layout reveal?

Doing the 12-card Trigger layout can reveal a little about the passing influence, the current situation and what’s coming up in one & three months. You can set your own time frames for the last two columns especially if you are asking a specific question about a person or situation.

The YOU card (2nd card in 2nd row) can be pre-selected to reflect the topic in question. One of the significators can be chosen as well depending on your gender. You can also do a random shuffle and see what card falls in the YOU spot. This card will tell you what person or situation stands prominently in your current life.

The Trigger row is usually a summary of the entire reading. The columns reveal the process of this summary.

Often we don’t know what we should ask the cards but the cards know.

Titania’s Lenormand cards

In today’s reading both significators appeared. This doesn’t happen often. By the looks of the Trigger row STORK+SCYTHE+HOUSE+GENTLEMAN a very important situation is surrounding the woman (LADY) which involves her partner/someone special.

Trigger row: In the past, the Stork represent changes that have manifested which lead to a breaking (Scythe) of ties within the home (House) atmosphere involved her special someone (Gentleman).  

Past: These three cards are a tough combination. CROSS+STORK+MOUNTAIN

Simply put the woman of the reading experienced some monumental changes recently which placed an enormous burden on her.

Now: TOWER+SCYTHE+LADY

The Tower card can be read as a separation and coupled with the Scythe card it certainly was a sudden development. The woman is hurting.

One Month: TREE+HOUSE+KEY

This combination could mean there will be an illness within the home. I’d like to read it as ‘illness’ of what ‘home’ means to many of us. The column doesn’t end badly. In fact, there could be some answers pending one way or another.

Three Months: ANCHOR+GENTLEMAN+LILY

Things seem to stabilize somewhat around her partner and a more peaceful experience is awaiting the woman. Now, you could read Anchor + Gentleman as the man ‘working’ at their situation to find a less destructive outcome. He is a family man (House/Gentleman).  The changes (Stork) which occurred may have been brought on by someone returning from his past to finish off some ‘karma’ (Cross). 

HOW WOULD YOU READ THESE CARDS?

Of course, many people feel threatened by the return of a former love not realizing that karma needs to be completed before things can move forward. It is also a good test of their current relationship- patience, understanding and forgiveness.

Expanded version Gilded Reverie Lenormand in the Trigger layout

Today, I finally finished up (battling a bad cold/cough) the en gratis readings for the contest winners of the FB Lenormand Cards Community Page. I used the expanded version of the Gilded Reverie Lenormand by ➡ Ciro Marchetti, distributed by ➡  U.S. Games Systems, Inc. to illustrate the Trigger layout.

I did three previous readings in a row with this deck and shuffled thoroughly before starting this reading.I was pleased that several of the additional cards appeared in the reading. This gave me an opportunity to write about them and to blend them with the standard 36 cards. I read the LWB’s descriptions of these additional cards and keeping the meanings in mind proceeded. Mind you my cartomancy intuition prevails as it always done.

The ➡  Trigger layout  is fun to do. I chose the Lady card in the YOU spot to represent the client (a female acquaintance Cindy). You can use a theme card in this spot. For example, if you want to know about a relationship use the HEART card or about a job use ANCHOR or whatever cards you use on a regular basis for such themes.

TRIGGER ROW: Compass, Lady, Time, Mask.

The woman is looking at the Compass card suggesting she has some direction in her life already.  The compass tip points to the Well and Dice cards. These two latter cards are an emphasis for the woman. More on those cards when I analyze the columns. Let’s see where her focus is by studying the PASSING column. One particular direction opens the Trigger row suggesting importance in the overall interpretation. There will be a timing factor involved which may end up being compromised.

PASSING: Moon, Compass, Dice.

Cindy may have recognized she was off course in the recent past. She has become more clear on where she wants to go. Too bad the Dice card is coupled with the Clouds as this points to a gamble (decision to pursue a goal) she decided on may not be crystal clear at first. Normally, I don’t read cards side by side except for the Trigger row but in this case my intuition guided me to consider the duo I mentioned. Whatever this is it is strongly linked to an emotional issue.

NOW: Well, Lady, Clouds.

The Well sits above Cindy indicating her gamble is about a situation that requires some soul-searching. Maybe she is taking a chance in a relationship or with a new job. I don’t know she provided no questions. This could be hard work for her and it’s obvious that there is lack of clarity since the clouds end the column. Is this situation wishful thinking rooted in uncertainty? Anytime you take a chance at something or someone there is an element of reasonable doubt. I like the Well card because it tells you to take a hard look at your situation or your motives. The Compass is telling her to really look deeply at her thoughts.

IMMEDIATE (1 month): Lily, Time, Clover.

I’ve always read the Lily card as a harmonious situation. The odd time I’ll some of the other meanings but the question needs to be specific. If the Time card combined with the Clover card suggests a short or brief time then this harmony will pass. Probably the peaceful situation will only last a month. The last column can attest to that.

SOON (3 months): Cross, Mask, Scythe.

And so the testing time will come.  In the Trigger layout the last card hold more power than the last card in the column. Mind you the Scythe will be experienced but more importantly the Mask’s influence will be more prominent. The Scythe is not always about shock or hurt it can be welcome. The Cross shows a burden of sorts which could be a blessing is disguise. Cindy might be facing some challenges to her new direction established in the PASSING column. If she was fantasizing she is in for a rude awakening because the veil of fantasy will be sliced off.

At this point you could draw a Clarification card and place it over the Lady card if you need more info on the theme of this reading. I picked the very next card off the discarded pile of cards.

CLARIFICATION CARD: The Stars.

So, it is a wish close to Cindy’s heart. This card confirms she has ‘stars in her eyes’ as the LWB suggests.  This means her timing might be off to pursue the direction she thinks she decided on.  What do you think?

HOW to read the Lenormand 12-card Trigger layout when no Significator cards appears…

There are several shorter layouts you can use with the Lenormand cards. I happen to like the one I created. 🙂

Below is a demonstration on how to read the 12-card Trigger layout.  For an archive of posts on this topic click the following link ➡     HERE.   and    the original creation    ➡  HERE   

The first thing you should notice in the reading below is that no Significator cards showed up. Also, I did not pre-select a YOU card. My reason for this was to see what the cards decided to reveal insofar as a category or issue to consider. The cards can’t make you do anything. They can only suggest, indicate or provide clues. Prior to shuffle I set the time frame of one month for the SOON column whIch means that the IMMEDIATE column will probably be up to a few weeks maybe even days.

The only row that you read is the TRIGGER ROW.  The rest of the reading is read in COLUMNS. If your intuition tells you to combine cards side by side or diagonally then by all means follow your intuition. 

Question or No question: This reading did not have a question and if it did the YOU card should disclose the circumstances around it. 

YOU card- represents the theme of the reading. The cards used in this layout is a cropped version of the French Cartomancy deck.  This provides a small square deck of cards with no numbers or playing cards.  Many of you will know the Court cards associated with the cards and not so much the pips. If you get a strong feeling about a Court card during the process of reading this layout do include them in your findings. 

Here sits the PARK/GARDEN card and from the card we can determine that the focus is a social situation. It can involve public circumstances. There are several meanings to this card. It can mean networking or other artistic activities. Lots of times it suggests bringing something out into the open and dealing with it. 

TRIGGER ROW- these 4 cards provide you with an extended view of how the PARK/GARDEN card will play out. Read this row first but remember to scan or study all the columns prior to this analysis.

FISH+PARK+BOUQUET+KEY. We can deduct that a financial situation of the recent past is involved with the PARK card.  Many times the first two cards actually indicate a banking situation. It can be something simple as buying tickets or paying for an event. Whatever it is it will be a pleasant experience and in fact, come as an invitation.  The entire row ends with a problem solving card with a happy result. 

PASSING- These 3 cards are read top, middle and bottom.  The TRIGGER CARD is the most potent energy.

COFFIN+FISH+LETTER. What seemed to be a deadline situation around money or finances is revealed through some correspondence.  There may have been some loss or shortage. It can be something simple as looking at a bank statement.

NOW- I forgot to label the now column in the image. 🙂   These 3 cards tell what’s going on currently. The top card leads you to the YOU card which is followed by the bottom card suggesting a mini development.

SUN+PARK+LILY. As we open this column we are experiencing a card of success despite the news. Interestingly, the bottom card can suggest a retirement facility or perks related to retirement. Another way to look at this trio is if we stick to the theme of retirement then the situation of the past may have notified the client of a decrease in monies coming in.  If we are talking about some sort of high priced event a family member could help out. I’ve always read the bottom card are harmony prevails to some degree if it is the last card in an analysis.

IMMEDIATE- As a rule this column’s time frame is affected by the time frame of the SOON column. It can be tweaked. If the SOON column is 6 months then it is reasonable to say the IMMEDIATE column is up to around 3 months. In the reading about I chose a short time frame thus giving this column an even shorter one. The 3 cards here shows the development of the preceding cards.

Not all situations are totally clear from the past 6 cards. This column adds more information about the development of a certain issue at hand. MOON+BOUQUET+MOUNTAIN.   This can be quite an emotional situation ending with some obstacles which can be overcome as there are no following cards in the next column to say otherwise. The first card is one of those cards which takes on a variety of meanings. I use it as the ‘mother’ energy in many cases. Also, I use it as a card of recognition or awareness.  The first two cards strongly point to an artistic situation. In this case the bottom card can suggest something outdoors. 

SOON- As stated above the time frame is one month. One important thing to remember is that the TRIGGER CARD rules in this last column.  The energy contained in it is active. The last card in the bottom row is also a mini result but of the two cards the TRIGGER CARD is the strongest.

CHILD+KEY+CLOVER. A new development will lead to the success of a situation. It can occur like a lightbulb going off in the client’s head. This is a small step in the right direction producing short-term results.  Let’s suppose the bottom card was one of those you consider negative or bad. It should be considered but not dwelled on. Let’s say it is the Mouse card. There will still be improvements but they may cause some frustration.  This does not mean the new development will fail within the one month time frame. It could lead to failure down the road as the bottom card keeps munching away, however, if you eliminate that which it is gnawing it loses its power. 

There are other probabilities with this reading. Usually clients are eager to participate in the reading and this will help you to narrow down what the YOU card means to the client. Keep talking and keep asking questions. If this is your reading you should not have any problems figuring it out.  

There are no Significator cards. This means the reading revolves around an external situation which still affects the client and/or the significant other indirectly. In this case, it is a random shuffle of the cards to see what they advise. 

Questions- please comment below

How to read the Lenormand cards Trigger layout (micro GT)

Not such a difficult layout to read. Give it a try. It’s a micro GT. 

To purchase this deck visit http://www.tarotworld.com/

The YOU card has been pre-selected. The LADY card represents the woman (M) getting the reading. She may have had some questions on her mind at the time of shuffle but did not reveal them. M wanted to know what the cards had to say about the next few months. I pre-selected the time frames. For the Immediate column I chose up to 1 month and for the Soon column up to 3 months.  (Usually, I assign a few days up to one month for both columns when a specific question is asked).

I have nicknamed this layout as the Micro GT because it is a snapshot of the cards surrounding the Significator of the person getting the reading. Of course, assuming the Significator falls in a central location of the GT which it rarely does. 🙂

I will write an overview of this reading below. The fact that the Gentleman showed up within these 12 cards tells me she did have her partner (S) on her mind at the time of shuffle. He would have not shown up unless there was an important situation involving them. The circumstances could be just around him but it will affect her to some degree since GENTLEMAN falls in the Immediate column.

Click the Trigger layout template image below and view a post with instructions.

PAST: These three cards Whip, Lily and Clouds show a really unsettled energy around M. The dark side of the CLOUDS faces the TREE card which is beneath her in the Now column.  This woman may have experienced some illness. The LILY card can represent harmony but because it is sandwiched in by two troubling cards the harmony energy has a tough time. WHIP and LILY can suggest tension in the bedroom if you know what I mean.

NOW:  The LADY faces the LILY card. If you read image directions this can suggest she is longing for peace of mind. Maybe, she is thinking about a recent argument. The SHIP card sits on her shoulders indicating she is making plans to travel. This is also a card of longing which would make a bit more sense given what has gone on in the recent past. Beneath her lies the TREE card. I want to read this as M being rooted on some shaky ground. The CLOUDS King of Clubs combined with the TREE card strongly suggests a man from her past has or will make an appearance. I don’t see him as a former lover just a platonic friend.

IMMEDIATE: I gave this column about 3-4 weeks time frame. Her Significant other (S) sits at the top of this column. There will be some changes coming because of him. The STORK card changes the cards preceding it. The RIDER is usually news/information etc coming. This card is coupled with the GENTLEMAN. S is the one embarking on a trip. The SHIP card couples him as well. The GENTLEMAN faces the CROSS card. It’s almost as thought he has to go through a situation. It’s part of his destiny.

Note: The LADY and GENTLEMAN do not face each other. They are linked together by the travel cards (SHIP, RIDER).

SOON: This column is up to 3 months. The CROSS card is often read as a warning especially when it touches a Significator card. It can be a karmic situation causing some benefits as CLOVER and FISH suggest financial increase.

In the Trigger layout the only row that is read horizontally is the Trigger row containing the YOU card usually the Significator of the person getting the reading. You don’t have to pre-select the Significator card. You can shuffle the deck and layout it out. After that study the YOU card and it will reveal the issue at hand at the time of shuffle.

In the Trigger layout the columns are read top to bottom. The bottom card’s influence is carried over to some degree to the top card of the next column. It is usually a continuous story stemming from the situation in the Past column and ending with the bottom card in the Soon column. I should mention that the Trigger Row will give you a pretty good idea on the person’s main theme. 

TRIGGER ROW:

I usually scan over this row before commencing the reading. The issue in the recent past is around harmony (LILY) but it could be the King of Spades (inset not shown in the German Red Owl deck). M doesn’t like chaos. Since the RIDER card follows her the entire Past column cards are carried forward (see analysis of Past column above). The CLOVER card ends the Trigger row suggesting a short-term lucky outcome. The CLOVER card is in a strong position. It is a Trigger card. It is coupled with the CROSS card which indicated good Karma. The CLOVER card is also coupled with the FISH card indicating the opportunity for growth and increase in a financial matter. Since there is talk of travel within these cards a money situation may be resolved favourably after all.

The only part of this reading which is a red flag is the dark side of the CLOUDS card touching the TREE card. This is an underlying condition either around M or S. Travel may occur due to someone’s health but it is unclear who the person is and why. The SHIP card fall behind the LADY and the GENTLEMAN suggesting thoughts or plans to travel. If the SHIP card followed these Significator cards the trip awaits them. It is pending. 

As always, follow your intuition and if you certain card combinations speak loudly to use then by all means share this information with your client. One more thing there are a lot of court cards in this layout although not depicted on the cards. This indicates that there are several people involved in the potential forecast for M and S. We have J♣-whip K♠-lily K♣-clouds Q♥-stork K♦-fish

I write in a passive voice (grammar) as the future is fluid &

some typos are not caught. 🙂 

How to read the 12-card Trigger Layout with a Lenormand Deck. What to do about dropped cards?

I receive many questions on how to read the Trigger Layout. It’s not so much that it is an overly complicated layout but I think it is because many Lenormand cartomancers tend not to use positional layouts.  As I have explained in many of the other posts the Trigger Layout is a snapshot of the GT where you find the Significator card provided it is centrally located. As you know, often the Lady or Gentleman cards do not have the exact number of surrounding cards in an actual full board layout. It would be nice if the Significator cards are smack in the middle of the 36 GT layout but this is unlikely for the most part.

This layout can be used with or without the Significator card in the YOU spot (see Lady in image below). You can just shuffle the deck and see which card shows up in the YOU spot. This should tell you what the cards would like you to focus on. This card will reflect some question or thoughts you have at the time of shuffle.

You can pre-select a card of your choice. You can locate the Anchor card from the deck and place it in the YOU spot and shuffle the remaining deck. The other eleven cards will describe situations or influences around your work provided you use the Anchor card to represent work or your job.

One more thing, I do factor in directions when reading some of the cards but in this layout this would be a secondary consideration. The Lady looks to the left at the Coffin card in the Trigger row. Usually the cards falling behind her are past and we could read the cards in front of her as future.  In the Trigger layout the future cards are to the right namely in the Immediate and Soon columns. You can pre-select time frames as I have done. The Immediate column is the Near Future if that is easier for you to remember. The Soon column is the Distant Future and can be up to six months if you wish. I chose two months.

When I read the Trigger Layout I scan the cards. This means I look at all the groups of the cards in the columns. For example, I study Birds/Coffin/Fish and so on. Next, I focus on the Trigger row. This row will bring forward the main theme surrounding the Significator card. Here we have Coffin/Lady/Whip/Anchor.  The very last card in this row plays an important role. It belongs to the Soon column. The cards above and below Anchor describe the influences around the Anchor card.

In other words, Each column has three cards. The card above the Trigger row is similar to the past (what lead up to) of the Trigger card meaning. The card below the Trigger row card is the consequences of the Trigger card meaning. You will see this concept expanded in the reading below.

In the image below I am featuring Jennifer Kast’s original ForTheSeekers Lenormand. If you click the image you should see a larger view.

TRIGGER ROW: coffin. lady. whip. anchor.

Here we can see the female of the reading is hung up on some situation that just happened. It looks like a completion or ending influence. She has her back to the future. The Whip card follows her in this row which means she will continue to suffer silently for at least another couple of weeks. The female may be at cross purposes with someone regarding a past situation. (The other cards above and below the Coffin card will tell you more about this). Within about two months give or take things will be more stable around the female. She could get some work which is an opportunity from the Anchor card. I wouldn’t say any more about this until the Soon Column is studied fully.

PAST COLUMN:  birds. coffin. fish.

It should be making more sense now. Obviously, there are some serious concerns surrounding the female of the reading. She has been really worried about her financial situation. The influences show little progress or increase in her money situation. Even though the Coffin card can end worries of the Birds card the Fish card is coupled with the Coffin card as well showing little activities.

We do have a King of Diamonds involved as well and this can be a financial advisor or an object of interest to the female. No matter, it won’t be moving along quickly.

As you read the other columns more and more will be revealed. This might only be one thing on the female’s mind at the time of shuffle whether she expresses it or not.

NOW COLUMN: mountain. YOU (lady). tower.

Fine bunch of cards around the female … not. She is really weighed down and troubled. A huge obstacle stands on her shoulders. She could even be feeling quite down about what is going on around her at the current time. It doesn’t look like she is getting much emotional /financial support from others.

There is a way around this, though. The Mountain card is not the end of the road. It merely presents a block in the line of vision for a future goal. The female’s worries are monumental (birds/mountain). She has brought the heaviness of the past into the ‘now’ and just can’t seem to shake this off, yet.

➡ AT THIS POINT OF THE READING I stopped to put the kettle on for a fresh cup of coffee. I really want to share with you what happened next.

As I stood up, I noticed a couple of cards fell on the floor near my bag with some yarn for a hat I’m in the midst of crocheting.  I couldn’t believe it. I don’t remember dropping any cards at all. This is such a bizarre experience.

WHAT TO DO?  a) should I scrap the whole reading b) continue the reading after I make a coffee c) factor in the importance of these two cards

I decided to go with the flow and leave the reading as is and to study the cards which fell. In my view, it was meant to do the layout with the missing cards. I did not know they were missing until I came to the Immediate Column of cards. These two cards push the reading back a bit in importance but not too much. These two cards need to be addressed. It is a hidden message. They might explain why the female is facing the Coffin card. These card might be a warning of something which will occur within a day or so. What are the SCYTHE + DOG cards saying?

CARDS ON THE FLOOR

As I sit here, sipping on a fresh cup of coffee I am studying the Scythe and Dog cards. No doubt there was or will be a severance in a close friendship surrounding the female getting this reading done. If you look at the image, the pointed part of the scythe faces the dog. This will be startling news for sure.

IMMEDIATE (NEAR FUTURE) COLUMN: TIME FRAME 2 WEEKS. rider. whip. bear.

There will be some news coming. It is on its way and directly connected to the past and now cards. This situation will cause some further hardships for the female. She could get involved in an argument. This might explain the role of the Scythe/Dog combination. The column ends with the Bear card. The female will be overpowered by some situation. Seeing the Whip/Bear combined is a really fierce energy.

SOON (DISTANT FUTURE) COLUMN: TIME FRAME 2 MONTHS. heart. anchor. stork.

We have not seen the Gentleman card in this layout. As far as I know the female is in a relationship. The fact that Gentleman has not showed up can only suggest that her man will play a secondary role over the next two months or he will not be actively involved with her for some reason.

The Heart/Anchor combination is fairly solid for relationships, however, the Stork card is lending its influence to this combo suggesting change is coming. I don’t think Anchor represents work or a job in this case. I think the Anchor card is more about security and stability. These three cards do point to some adjustments coming up because of a situation which has ended in the past. I suspect there is a special friendship at risk here (Scythe/Dog). It will be interesting to see whether or not the female breaks up with her man. The reason I am saying this is because in most relationship our mate is our best friend…the romantic part of it is the icing on the cake.

I have just briefly explained on how to read the cards in the Trigger Layout. There are other variations such as different levels of understanding of the cards and their combinations. I hope you found today’s post helpful.

October 29/15. See comments for updates:

Note: The Parapath newsletter is on hold temporarily (FEB 25.18)

More on the Trigger Layout featuring Judith Bärtschi Lenormand cards

Featuring the gorgeous Judith Bärtschi Lenormand cards to illustrate the Trigger Row

The Trigger Row includes the following:

• position 5 (PAST – COFFIN)
• YOU (SIGNIFICATOR – GENTLEMAN)
• position 6 (IMMEDIATE – SCYTHE)
• position 7 (SOON – HEART)

Position 5 Trigger – PAST COLUMN

Judith Bärtschi Lenormand

– after experiencing the root or foundational influences of the position 1, you are faced with the aura of the experience in the Trigger position card.

Here you will find a person or situation.  This card is behind the YOU person meaning it is a significant circumstance.  One must analyze position 8 to find out the resulting reactions.

For example, if we find the LENORMAND COFFIN card as the PAST TRIGGER we know something has come to a conclusion.  It can be an ending which is very natural or it can be traumatic.  Position 8 will tell you the initial resulting response.

Position YOU Trigger -NOW COLUMN

-this card is a little different in that it represents the person getting the reading, an absent representation for another individual or for the more advanced students of this system -a situation.

The reading will begin HERE.  Actually the Trigger row is read, PAST, YOU, IMMEDIATE and SOON.  I know this sounds confusing but it is not, it is common sense.   You need to know who YOU is to be to interpret the cards properly.

Judith Bärtschi Lenormand

Position 6 Trigger – IMMEDIATE COLUMN

-here the  YOU person is stepping into a scenario or circumstance within a few days or weeks (depending on the TIME you assign prior to shuffling).

Let’s use another LENORMAND card  to expand on the COFFIN in the past trigger position.  If the SCYTHE falls here you know there is a break up some sort to happen. The Coffin may be ending but the Scythe will make sure it is over. 

The Scythe is your IMMEDIATE EXPERIENCE.

Judith Bärtschi Lenormand

Position 7 Trigger- SOON COLUMN

– if the Trigger card is negative, what was thought to be a negative result (of the TRIGGER ROW cards)  will turn out good if the last card is positive.  The reverse is true as well.

The final TRIGGER position in the SOON COLUMN is a culmination of the cards in the TRIGGER ROW.  For example, using the Lenormand card HEART in position 7 Trigger we can see a new opportunity coming in a few weeks or months. This could be connected to romance. Of course, the root card and final outcome will be the co-contributors to the HEARTs meaning.

Judith Bärtschi Lenormand

When you scan PAST, YOU, IMMEDIATE and SOON Trigger cards it holds  the answer in a nutshell.  If no question was asked, the cards revealed in this row will describe a situation you need to address whether you want to or not.

FYI: The Trigger row holds the primary energy of the layout. The other cards in the 12 card layout are important as well, however, they are more secondary or contributing energy. 

12 card Trigger layout featuring the 1979 Book of Destiny deck by Grimaud

The 1979 Book of Destiny (Le Livre du Destin) deck contains 33 cards measuring at 3″ x 4.5″. In the accompany lwb there are instructions for a game as well as a couple of layouts for the “fortune-telling” game. There are 32 cards containing an image plus a playing card inset as well as being numbered (upper right hand corner). The white card (blank) represents the person getting the reading.

I will offer a partial reading to give you an idea of how to read the cards. 

Let’s see what the cards say using the 12 card Trigger Layout. 

Consultant – fair-haired female in a relationship

For today’s version of the Trigger Layout,  you remove the blank (white) card and commence the layout around it. This means the white card is in the YOU spot. The next card laid down goes into spot 1, then 2, and so on (follow the sequence in the image template). The time frame selected for the Immediate column (cards 3, 6, 10) is one month. The time frame for the Soon Column (cards 4, 7, 11) is three months.

As a reminder, cards 1, 5, 8 is the recent past up to three months. Cards 2, YOU and 9 reveals the circumstances around the consultant (white card) at the time of shuffle. If you click the above image you will be taken to a detailed post on the Trigger Layout.

The Trigger row – HOUSE, YOU, TRAP or TREACHERY and MARRIAGE.

This row reveals a situation around the home Ace♥ which has been on the consultant’s mind (YOU) in the recent past. Over the next month, the consultant need to be alert for possible unwanted surprise 10♦. It could involve travel plans. The 10♥ card represents a marriage announcement within 3 months. More information on the Trigger cards can be determined by the root and result cards in the columns.

TRIGGER ROW: HOUSE, YOU, TRAP/TREACHERY, MARRIAGE

Let’s look at the Soon column (last one) that ends with the Trigger card Marriage. The 7♠ speaks about failure in plans or hopes deceived. This is the root of the Marriage card suggesting lack of honest or genuine motive. The result card Ace ♦ suggests some unexpected news or an official letter connected to the Marriage card. This could be a marriage proposal with “strings”.

In the Immediate column (second from right) we find the King ♥ indicating a lawyer. This is tied into the Trigger card Trap/Treachery which is something totally surprising and perhaps not wanted, ie: divorce.  The 10♣ can signify some sort of negotiation.

The Now column (with the Trigger card YOU) is flanked by the 7♦ suggesting some sort of slander or gossip affecting the client. The King♠ represents success in legal matters pertaining to inheritance or some sort of gift.

In the recent past (first column) the Trigger card House is coupled with the Ace♠ indicating a proposal of some type in the not too distant past. The Queen♣ suggests this situation was of a pleasant nature. Note: the person getting this reading is not “a dark Lady” she is a fair-haired female. 

I think the consultant will be hearing of a situation connected to her boyfriend which involved a dark-haired female. This may lead to a break up. She could receive an apology gift. Some legal issues will follow between this couple. The male involved will probably propose marriage to try and prove his feelings to her but the proposal is not sincere. The female consultant needs to be very careful about accepting an offer of marriage over the next three months as there are two negative cards Faithlessness and the Trigger card Trap/Treachery quite prominent in the reading. 

How to read playing cards in the Trigger layout.

I’m pretty sure I have featured playing cards in the Trigger layout over the past years of blogging. In the earlier years I didn’t use as many tags as I do now so this might explain why those posts do not come up when you do a search.

I am offering today’s post for those who are specifically interested in learning how to read playing cards in the 12 card Trigger layout. The meanings for the card can be located in Regina Russell’s Card Readers Handbook. I use this cartomancy system frequently but the Trigger layout is not limited to just this playing card system. You can explore with your own.

The usual shuffle was done, cards cut 3x to the left with the left hand (my particular method) and then the piles were reassembled into one pile. I did not choose a significator card which would have been one of the court cards.  The playing cards of choice was Jane Lyle’s Fortune Tellers Deck.

➡ Time frame for the Immediate Column is 2 weeks and the time frame for the Soon column is one month. You need to decide on the time frame of the Reading as you are shuffling the cards.

The YOU card is 6♥ – the topic of the Reading

6 of Hearts is the Topic

The Reading

The brief interpretation that I am suggesting is definitely not all there to these cards. It is an example of the process in reading the Trigger Layout.

I want to talk about the topic card 6♥ a bit more in detail because it is important to have a really good idea what this Reading most likely is all about. From the Card Readers Handbook some of the meanings for this card are as follows:

• love affair
• son or son-in-law
• a brother
• a male friend
• faith and trust
• Karmic relationship
• working out of Karma

Now we need to choose one of those meanings. I think this Reading is about a relationship. The reason I chose that meaning is because the King ♣ falls beneath it and when these two cards are combined it does mean a love affair or relationship.

Ok, we have established the topic or theme. Next…

We scan/read the Trigger row.  10♥ 6♥ 7♣ Ace ♠.  From the past card we can see that the 10♥ is all about building a sound and happy marriage/relationship. There are other meanings for this 10 but it is best to narrow down the meanings so that they make sense with the topic of the Reading. I do want to say that all the cards in the layout will give you a variety of predictions but I’m trying to keep this a simple process to get the ball rolling. 😆

Moving along in the Trigger row we can see the 7♣ in the Immediate column which suggest an argument or some sort of negotiation within 2 weeks. This negotiation can be a discuss about the relationship/marriage 10♥. The final card in the Soon column is the Ace ♠. When this Ace falls over a fan of cards it indicates a decision is yet to be made within one month.  That is an inconclusive prediction because it will take longer than one month to sort this particular difference of opinion 7♣.

Past: 9♣ 10♥ 2♣

The cards in the past are usually about the same time frame as the Soon Column. This means about one month ago the person getting the Reading (most likely a female) has done some traveling 9♣ with her partner 10♥. She would have also benefited 2♣ from this time together with her man. Maybe he gave her a gift 2♣ as well or they went to an entertainment facility 10♥.  Whatever it was it was all good.

Now: 2♦ 6♥ King♣

Currently there is a small financial issue 2♦ being discussed. This 2 card means many things as well such as restaurant and creative ideas. This situation involves her partner or the man she is involved with at the time 6♥ + K♣.

Immediate: 7♠ 7♣ 8♠

The next couple of weeks are going to be very frustrating. The 7♣ is closed in by two spades. The argument will be quite serious. Double 7’s also indicate it will be an unexpected situation. Looks like there will be no immediate solution and there may be a waiting time 7♠ involved to resolve this. One of the meanings for first card is a problem with drugs or alcohol. Depending on why the argument even began there will be further investigation 8♠ into the facts. The last card points to an appointment being made which is medical in nature.

Soon: 4♠ Ace♠ 9♦

Within one month’s time someone’s health will need addressing 4♠. This might explain why this couple did argue. Maybe the female is telling her partner to slow down because he is showing signs of exhaustion. Maybe he is drinking too much which isn’t helping matters at all. As I have said in previous post the final Trigger card is very important. Luckily, this is not an overly “bad” spade. It’s a decision. It can also be a new situation.

The 9♦ coupled with the 4♠ indicates the person is capable of healing themselves. This is good. This card also has many other positive meanings. It shows some extra money coming in. The couple did discuss a small financial matter. Her partner could be working extra hours 7♣ on his job which is tiring 4♠ him out.  I think when the 9♦ is combined with the Ace♠ it suggests a very strong-minded individual (the partner) who know how to manifest solutions to problems.

Of course this Reading could be about the female cheating with the King♣ and her husband 10♥ catching them at the restaurant 2♦ and this leads to a big fight 7♣. As a result he will be deciding A♠ the future of the marriage but will take his sweet time 4♠.  🙂   

Trigger Layout Instructions with Gipsy cards interpretation

How to read the 12 card Trigger layout.

There are many posts written about this layout with quite a few different decks.

click here for previous posts

12 card Trigger layout

Before I go ahead and interpret this layout I do want to explain a few things for those you that are experimenting with this spread. Understanding how layouts work is just as important as knowing what the cards mean. There is always the temptation 😆 to read left to right horizontally even when doing layouts with designated positions. 

Trigger Row Cards–

The Trigger card is provoked or triggered by the root card. It remains “triggered” and will create the consequential experience of the result card.

The four Triggers cards are a snapshot of the Reading. LOVER MESSAGE DEATH MERRIMENT

The partner of the female (lover, husband, boyfriend, special friend) plays an important role in the consultants recent past. There will be further communication with this couple. The discussions will involve a variety of situations. Some of these can be about things that will end. It can be bad news. It can be a problem. Also, nothing of importance can materialize. The last and most important card of the Trigger layout will show you the outcome. It will end with a celebration of victory or renewed joy.

Root Cards–

These cards fall in the top row. A root card is the foundation of the prediction in that COLUMN.

PAST COLUMN: The root card LETTER is connected to the LOVER card. He has gotten some news or notification. He could also have some information on his mind which has brought to his attention. He will be stuck in the past during the time frame of this Reading.

NOW COLUMN: the root card FALSENESS is connected to the MESSAGE card. At the current time there is mixed feelings about the decision of the past.

IMMEDIATE COLUMN: the time frame is set for one month. You can assign whatever time frame you want prior to shuffle. Most people prefer sooner rather than later when asking questions or when there is an interest in how a situation will turn out.

The root card BABY show a new development shortly. This card can represent a needy situation stemming from the Widow’s influence in the now column.

SOON COLUMN: the root card GIFT brings help and acts of kindness into the theme of the Reading (Trigger Row). We can see all will end well.

Result Cards–

These cards fall in the bottom row. A result card is the consequence of the prediction in that COLUMN.

PAST COLUMN: the result card JUDGE suggests the partner has made a decision.

NOW COLUMN: the result card WIDOW indicates there is news around a widow, older woman or a situation of “cold hearted” feelings.

IMMEDIATE COLUMN: the result card SWEETHEART is the consultant. She will have a lot to shoulder and much depends on how she responds to all which will unfold. Also, she is not dwelling in the past as she in a future column.

SOON COLUMN: the result card CONSTANCY provides reassurance that most situations between the consultant and her partner will remain the same.

If this last card was negative, for example the Misfortune card, it will not take away from the positiveness of the MERRIMENT card. The Soon Trigger card is the strongest energy. The reverse is also true. If the Trigger card was Sadness and the Soon result card was Fortune this would mean that despite any well-meaning influences the overall consequences will still have degrees of emotional turmoil.

Summary of the Reading:

The consultant has experienced a decision by a decision her partner had just made in the recent past. Since the MESSAGE card in the You Trigger Card much of what will be going on between this couple involves external situations. There are no love cards in this layout. There are some things which are unclear which may involve an older female. Within one month’s time there will some new situations but because the Immediate Trigger card is Death advancement will be very slow if at all. The consultant is more affected by the standstill than the partner. The next three months all will fall where it should. There is a settling of the external situations the couple will get through everything even though there may be some news which could be viewed as “bad”.

The above was just a general overview of the Trigger Layout featuring the Gipsy cards.

Most of the time I pre-select the Significator prior to shuffle. 

The procedure below is done only if you select a Significator.

• start with Past Root card in the far top left corner
• lay the remainder cards horizontally, continue with second row
• lay card prior to YOU card and then lay a card after the YOU card to end of row
• continue with the third row in the Past Result card straight across ending with the Soon Result card

Trigger Layout template

Trigger layout featuring Lenormand de Marseilles

Today I am featuring Edmund Zebrowski’s Lenormand de Marseilles, © 2011 in the 12 card Trigger Layout. There are many detailed posts on this layout at the following which include the simple instructions —–CLICK LINK.

3 options: You- Significator Lady or Gentleman. You- topic of your choice card. You- no preselected cards.

Today’s example is a “real life” situation with partial feedback. The complete feedback is only possible after the Immediate and Soon columns come to pass. The Immediate column can be anywhere between a couple of days up to a few weeks. The Soon column is generally one month or three months if you decide on the time frame prior to shuffle.

I am going to demonstrate how to read the cards in relation to this “real life” situation. The seeker of the cards is the Lady significator card (female A) in the YOU spot (second card in 2nd row/column). Before I begin I always scan the Trigger Row which are the activation cards. Activation cards will reveal the energy of the Reading.

Scan the Trigger Row first.

*SHIP* LADY A* MOON* MOUNTAIN*. Here we can see that in the recent past Lady A was about to embark on a trip. The Moon is about slow energy. It also represents a variety of topics such as one’s feelings. The Trigger row ends in the Mountain card showing a huge challenge. There is a big problem ahead.

Lady A is thinking about her sister (SNAKE). She received a telephone call (BIRDS) from her sister who said she was experiencing severe back pain which went all the way around her rib cage. Lady A wanted to go and assist her sister (SHIP) but the sister was reluctant to seek medical attention hoping this condition would pass. Thus the trip to the sister’s house did not happen (COFFIN).

Lady A wants to donate her time and energy to her sister. She wants to do something nice (BOUQUET) for her. One very interesting thing is that we have two Queens, one above and one below the Lady card. Yes, she has two sisters in “real life”.

Even though the woman in the image is looking to the left her future is to the right of her as this is a layout with pre-defined columns suggesting the future. The fact she is looking at the Ship card tells me she is wondering if she made a mistake in not going to help her sister. Lady A is followed by the Trigger Moon card suggesting there is some sort of distortion connected to the anxiety and worry (BIRDS) about the (CLOUDS) situation. The Moon and Fish combined represents over the counter pain relief drugs which has been confirmed despite the fact these cards lie in the Immediate spot. This situation is several days old so the Immediate spot can be up to one week into the future as well.

Note: Some clients experience card forecasts faster than others.

Since this is Lady A’s reading Snake plus Clouds combined strongly suggests her sister’s condition won’t go away that fast (Mountain ends Trigger row). The dark side of Clouds faces to the right –>future. The Fish card can be connected to someone in the medical profession (King of Diamonds). Someone that you pay out-of-pocket as this card is linked to money. Chiropractor?

The very last card is the CLOVER. Is the energy of this card strong enough to deal with the Mountain card?  Not really, but there will be some easing up of the situation. I have discovered that the Mountain card often refers to one’s back. The Gentleman card should represent Lady A’s significant other but in this case it probably doesn’t. The Gentleman card is most likely the sister’s partner. The reason I am saying this is because Lady A’s male partner would bend over backwards to help the sister. The fact that the dark side of the Clouds faces the Gentleman tells me it would be the sister’s husband – he lacks clarity on how to help. Some men just don’t know how to handle a “sick” spouse or partner.

The Fish and Clover combination represents unexpected lucky energy. I really hope the sister will feel better soon but the process could take a long time (MOUNTAIN) as back issues don’t go away that quickly. The Immediate column will still unfold over the next few weeks. I’m not liking the Clouds card combined with the Snake card (represents the sister). She is facing some emotional issues (Clouds & Moon) directly connected to her significant other (Gentleman). 

One more thing Moon combined with Mountain suggests the obstacle might be larger than anticipated or it will be smaller. Clear observation is not possible looking through shadows (moon). The Clover card is coming to help if but for a short time.

Trigger Layout featuring Cigány Kártya (Gipsy cards)

Today’s Trigger Layout Reading is for a single 45-year-old male who is experiencing loneliness and emotional estrangement from his long time girlfriend.  I chose the WIDOWER card to represent male F and removed it from the deck prior to shuffle placing it in the YOU spot (see image). The reason for selecting this card is because he is living the WIDOWER’s energy at the current time.  The question on his mind is whether or not his relationship will improve.

Featuring the trimmed Cigány Kártya (Gipsy Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten). The Trigger Row which is labelled has a clear yellow sheet over the cards making the images look less bright, however, this doesn’t take away from its importance in the overall delineation. Instructions for this layout are at this —–> link.

Trigger Layout featuring the Cigány Kártya

The Trigger Row: (Past- generally the same time frame as designated for the Soon column) JUDGE, (YOU – pre selected card representing the 45-year-old male) WIDOWER, (Immediate- set of circumstances within one – two weeks from the time of shuffle) UNEXPECTED JOY, (Soon- pre selected time frame of up to three months) LOVE. Note: Even though you pre select time frames you should always allow a give or take of days or weeks. 

TRIGGER ROW of the Trigger Layout

Trigger Row: In the recent past male F has had some serious (JUDGE) conversation with his girlfriend about the future of their relationship. As a result of these talks a final (JUDGE) decision was decided to go separate ways. The male (YOU spot) is represented by the WIDOWER given his state of mind. He feels miserable because of the arguments with his girlfriend. He is also being a father figure instead of a lover. Over the next few weeks (Immediate column) male F will be experiencing some unexpected happiness. This newly uplifted feeling will come to pass which can bring back  the loving (Soon column- LOVE) feelings within the relationship with his girlfriend.

I have said this before in other posts the final card of the Trigger Row (LOVE) is the outcome or result of the question or prediction (if no specific question asked). All Trigger Cards contain activation energy. It’s there for your taking whether positive or negative. What you do with it is up to you. The Universe provides opportunities and solutions which reflect your subconscious desires. The last card in the Soon column will reflect what you have or have not done with the final Trigger Card.

PAST COLUMN:  FALSENESS, JUDGE, GIFT

Dissatisfaction and unhappiness in reflected in the FALSENESS card. Male F has experienced some dishonesty within his relationship which lead to a serious decision (JUDGE). The fact that a conversation took place is a blessing (GIFT) because it prevented a permanent separation. This way both parties gifted (GIFT) each other with the cold, hard facts about their feelings.

NOW COLUMN: DESIRE, YOU – WIDOWER, MARRIAGE

What’s on male F’s mind? He is longing (DESIRE) for an improvement in this relationship. He is thinking about this situation a little too much because it is putting him in an unhappy (WIDOWER) state. His loyalty (WIDOWER) if obvious but his feelings are on wishing (DESIRE) things will get better versus doing something about it at the current time. Whenever the MARRIAGE card appears in a layout where there is a commitment between 2 people it suggests there is probably an issue with the relationship. Since this card ends the column male F is concentrating on his relationship with an unhealthy (WIDOWER) attitude. The next column will reveal if there are any changes forthcoming over the next several weeks or if it gets worse.

IMMEDIATE COLUMN: OFFICER, UNEXPECTED JOY, BABY

This Reading is about the future of a relationship. I want to read the OFFICER card to mean that respect and dignity will return to male F. A situation is waiting for him which will surprise (UNEXPECTED JOY) him. He will remove the black cloak of the WIDOWER and regain a good state of mind. With this renewed feeling comes responsibility (BABY). More energy is needed over the next week or two to maintain this happiness. It’s still too early (BABY) to tell if the relationship will improve but it’s a good sign he will no longer feel sadness (WIDOWER).  You already know that the LOVE card will come into manifestation with the next three months because the Trigger Row has been studied already.

SOON COLUMN: LOVER, LOVE, SWEETHEART

The LOVER card represents male F. He returns back into his own skin.  The LOVE returns because of the additional efforts (BABY) in the Immediate column.  Cupid’s arrow is aiming into the future (to the right with no card beside it). All is possible now.  Male F has discovered just how much he loves (LOVE) his girlfriend (SWEETHEART). By approaching their relationship differently (OFFICER, LOVER) with more romance and respect his lady returns to him.

Sometimes we can be all those different people cards at any given time. It’s the roles we play in our lives.

Trigger Layout featuring the Arcane playing cards

Trigger Layout

“YOU” can pre-selected or be any card.

Note: In the image above the numbering sequence is starts after the YOU can is placed in the NOW column thus 1 – 11 cards. Of course, if you are not pre selecting the YOU card then the numbering sequence would be 1-12.

I’ve wanted to get the Shadow Masters and Arcane playing cards by Ellusionist for quite some time so I treated myself. I really like them. They differ slightly but are both on a black background.

I’ll be using Russell’s meanings from the Card Readers Handbook which I have mentioned over the last several posts. Usually there is a Significator card pre-selected prior to shuffle and placed in the 2nd column (see image). This is not always necessary because the YOU spot will reveal an energy, situation or person you should be addressing. The time frames have been pre-selected as well. It’s better that way. There is always a give or take a few days or weeks and even months. Exact timing is an intricate technique.

Today’s post is for Gentleman A who has been a little under the weather. He calls it, “mixed state”.

Gentleman A’s Trigger Layout

Trigger Layout image created by Judy Kerr.

Image created by Judy Kerr. Thank you for permission to use your image.

Arcane playing cards by Ellusionist

I always recommend reading the Trigger Row first to get an idea of the essence of the Reading. The row rules. What that means is that these 4 cards are in charge. Think of the Trigger cards as activated energy which creates the 3rd card result in the column. Also, the Trigger cards are activated because of the energy of the 1st card in the column. When you read the Trigger card the other two cards aren’t really factored in because they are dealt with when you begin to read the columns containing them. The Trigger cards are linked together.

OBSERVATIONS: Suit distribution: 4 diamonds, 5 clubs, 2 hearts and 1 spade. The lack of spades is a good thing. A small amount of hearts just means there won’t be too many emotionally out of control situations. However, feeling numb is not good either. Courts: 2 Kings not sided by side can suggest 2 different males or same male wearing two different hats (roles). One Ace: The Ace of Diamonds is all about new beginnings and some other things which I’ll details in the following paragraph.  2-3’s and 2-6″s together: element of surprise or the unexpected. Check to see which 3 and which 6 is missing. The ones that are missing may hold the key to a solution. 

 Trigger Row: 3♣ + 5♦ + 2♠ + 10♣

Process of climbing a ladder or advancing + shopping around + drastic action needed + business or travel opportunity.  Notice I have taken only a few meanings and linked them together. When you read the columns you usually keep the meanings and often add a few more to link the other cards.

PAST: Ace ♦+ 3♣ + 3 ♥

I do want to mention that if you assign 3 months to the Soon position (which is what Gentleman A did)  the Past column usually represents 3 months ago.

New beginnings + Process of climbing a ladder or advancing + developing situation. These three cards suggest some sort of news in the past over the past few months which gave Gentleman A the opportunity to advance or move forward into further developments because of this news/beginning.

NOW: King ♣ + 5 ♦ + 6 ♥

Gentleman A or a business minded male + shopping around + love affair or relationship. The King is shopping around which lead him to a love affair or relationship.

♦At this point you can look for combinations.

6♥ + 3♥ suggests a love affair developing. Love affairs are between people and also for that which you are passionate about.

A♦ + 3♥ invitation to party. The Ace ♦ can be an invitation to many things like from a distance 9♣ (Soon column within 3 months)

5♦ + King♣ an attraction from a business minded male or Gentleman A is attracted to a relationship (6♥) with someone who has mutual interests. There is an element of risk as this card is associated with gambling.

Strong indication of a relationship dilemma. Perhaps an offer of one. Perhaps there is a fear of trust (2♠)

IMMEDIATE: 6♦ + 2♠ + 6♣ (2 weeks pre-selected time frame)

lack of communication + drastic action needed + taking matters into your own hands.  There is an issue of withdrawal which will really bother Gentleman A for the next couple of weeks. The good news is that he will take action to remove any barriers so that the lines of communication are open. He will help others by helping himself.

Combinations:

5♦ + 6♣ electronics store

6♣ + K♦male with good financial sense wants to talk to Gentleman A

The next few weeks look promising for Gentleman A because he will take the bull by the horn and turn his mixed state into a non mixed state. It’s not good for him to keep things bottled up inside of him. This is nothing serious at all. It’s a brief phase and it will pass.

SOON: 9♣ + 10♣ + K♦(within 3 months time frame preselected)

fate taking you in the right direction + business or travel opportunity + male with good financial sense.  Fate presents opportunites to travel and seek business opportunities with the help of a man with a financial know-how.

Combinations:

K♣ + 9♣ although separated by one card the indication is the King will be going on a trip

9♣ + K♦ same thing separated by one card the suggestion is this King is at a distance from Gentleman A

10♣ + 6♣ Gentleman A has a good business sense and will use it

10♣ + 3♥ suggests a beauty parlour or barber shop

There are two trips shown in the Soon column one by road 9♣ and one by /near the water 10♣. One of these could be a meeting with the King of Diamonds. Could be a visitor. All columns end well. The final Trigger card is a club indicating a busy time coming up within the time frame of the reading.

The question: why in a mixed state? I think Gentleman A feels he is undeserving. Opportunities will be given and he will seize them and the mixed state will vanish into the distance like a ship at sea.

Trigger Layout featuring regular playing cards

I may have mentioned this from time to time that I created the Trigger layout for those times when a large layout is too long and time consuming. Also, for those times when a short layout just isn’t enough. But a smaller layout is ideal with only 12 cards.

Seaqueen’s Trigger Layout with Baroque playing cards

The great thing about the Trigger layout is that it can be used with any deck of cards. The other thing is you can assign time frames to the Immediate and Soon Columns.  The center row contains the Trigger cards which usually summarize the entire Reading. There is a “You” spot if you decide to place your Significator card in the layout. This “You” spot is an important card when there is no Significator card pre-selected. Usually a topic or theme is revealed. Often it reflects your question if you have one. A question is not necessary though.

Recap: 1st column is the Past, 2nd column is the Now or current time, 3rd column is the Immediate influence usually a few weeks and the 4th column is the Soon spot predicting one or two months depending what you decide prior to shuffle.

In the Reading below there was no Significator card selected and there was no question asked, well, at least not on a conscious level. But we all have questions even if we don’t admit it to ourselves. In today’s demonstration  the 2 ♥ is in the “You” spot.  For instructions on the Trigger Layout click this ——>LINK.  If you have any questions about this layout please leave a comment or contact me on Facebook.  

Note the center row. It is highlighted in yellow. Actually, it is a piece of clear yellow plastic which shows up quite nicely when studying the Trigger Row – the activated energy.

I’ve used Regina Russell’s meanings from the Card Readers Handbook for decades and found this system to be quite informative and accurate.  Your cartomancy system may differ but I do feel the cards tell you what it is you need to know no matter which system you use.

The Trigger Row should be read first after the suits, pairs, trios, etc are studied but remember to incorporate your findings as you continue with the layout.  Notice the 3 Hearts side by side to the right of the King of Clubs (past column). There are also 3 2’s indicating that some balancing is necessary. With the 2♠ missing there’s a good chance some situations may be more manageable without too much drama. The 2 6’s may present some minor challenges as the 6♠ showed up. I’m not going to go into great detail on the meaning of each card. I want to keep it brief because the main objective of this post is to demonstrate the Trigger Layout.

K ♣ 2♥  8 ♥10♥

The 2 ♥ in the “You” spot suggests children, pregnancy, dancing, hobbies, emotions, etc. Ok, that’s a lot of meanings, lol. This is where you will have to decide which meaning (s) you think will be appropriate. This reading is for female who is a senior with minor health issues, therefore, pregnancy is unlikely. Going dancing is possible but more than likely not a high priority. Children seems to fit best, her own or even her grandchildren. Hobbies are always a good choice and emotions is another definite choice because we all have feelings, right.

The Trigger row is showing contact with the King♣ in the recent past. This suit belongs to the communication/work field so there probably has been some discussion about the 2♥. The 8♥ is all about mutual love and admiration. The emotions meaning of the 2 ♥ is confirmed.  The 10♥ can represent a marriage partner. There is good energy with this card regarding emotional security. There are other meanings such as an entertainment facility which could create some excitement (emotions) as well.

From this row we can see an ease of energy through the Hearts suit. There is a male involved who is security minded and prepared to discuss situations with the senior lady. There is no evidence of health problems here but as you study the column different cards could reveal some issues because there are 3 spades.

PAST:  Ace♣ King ♣ 6♥

The past column ends in a ♥ which is often a good sign. The Ace♣ indicates legal papers. This is a very important Ace when considering combinations because if the 4♠ or 8♠ is within the layout there could be a hospital connection. There are many other combinations with this Ace as well. There is a whole list in the handbook. I’ve added a bunch in the Notes: section of my own that I have discovered through trial and error.  Coupled with the King this duo could suggest a person who is in school or in the service.

We do have the 2♦in the Now column so we can use the combination meaning of a restaurant somewhere in the summary.  We could go so far as to say that a conversation took place with the K♣ about some legal papers if there is no school/service involved. Ending with the 6♥ the suggestion would be that the K♣ is more than just a friend as it denotes a love affair. This card can also represent a son or brother which would tie in with the 8♥ in the Trigger row Immediate column suggesting a relative. 

NOW: 2♦  2 ♥ 5♦

The current column ends in a ♦which suggest there could be some money talk or a financial situation.  We have already talked about the 2♥ and we can combine the 2 ♦to indicate a restaurant. The 5♦can indicate a court case but it also means sitting at a table having a conversation. Possibly this card ties into the Ace♣ and somehow children 2♥ can be involved. This prediction could involve the female indirectly. Being a senior I’m sure she has family and friends which these predictions could apply and the fact they showed up in her Reading means she is involved or informed.  If you look at the 2♦ and the 5♦this duo could suggest going to a restaurant to talk about things and it could also indicate shopping for a gift 2♣ which lies in the Soon column .

IMMEDIATE: 3♠ 8♥ 6♠

The immediate column ends in a spades so there could be some challenges or hurdles coming up.  The 3♠suggests some misunderstanding usually caused by another person. Maybe the confusion is around a relative or good friend 8 ♥ . Whatever this is it will end 6♠ within a few weeks.

SOON: 2♣ 10♥ J♠

The Soon column ends in a spade as well but it is a court card which may or may not cause interference in a plan. The Trigger card 10 ♥ is positive lending “optimistic energy” to the Jack’s personality.  Here we see a gift or benefit being given to the female as the 2 lies under the fan of three cards in the Soon column. The benefit could come as a service keeping in mind that the Ace ♣K♣ did suggest service as well in the Past column.

The Trigger card 10 ♥ brings success in the overall Reading. Since it is also coupled with a court card the Jack ♠ could be thinking about marriage or a committed relationship but from a negative state of mind. The gift could be an apology gift, lol.

There are a couple of topics revealed by these cards. Now, if I used another cartomancy system additional information would be revealed as well and most likely applicable as well.

Reading Seaqueen’s Trigger Layout

I have had several requests to demonstrate on how to read the Trigger Layout. It is important to decide prior to shuffle which time frame you would like to use and it is important to really mean it. The reason I am saying this is because I have assigned short-term time frames only to discover the events were further into the future.  Often we think we want to know about situations over the next few months but deep inside we want to know about the big picture.

The Trigger Layout can be used with or without the Significator card placed into the YOU spot (yellow round magnet in center of card, see image below). Today I decided not to use the Lady card to represent me. I did select a 3 month time frame for the SOON column. Immediate column can be any time up to a month.  Sometimes this column is a few days. It depends on what is going on in your life and it also depends on what the Universe has planned for you and others.

Seaqueen’s Trigger Layout featuring Piatnik’s Lenormand cards.

The Trigger Row

After the cards are laid out I usually scan or review the Trigger Row first.  These card will tell me about a situation which is probably a main theme.   In the close up image above the Trigger Row consists of FISH (past column), SUN (you in the now column), SCYTHE (immediate column) and DOG (soon column)

This is how I would read the Trigger Row if I were doing a Reading for a client. My interpretation is brief without delving into the Court cards, pip suits, or too many alternate meanings to the cards. Also, when I read I do receive other information which is not in the cards.  Your Cartomancy personality is what’s important!

At the current time you are questioning your happiness (sun).  This is on your mind a lot (now column). In the past you have had a situation under scrutiny involving your finances (fish). I will expand on this point once we get into the Reading in more detail.  It looks like there is a situation in the very near future, perhaps within a few weeks (immediate column) that will startle you (scythe) and it is linked to money in some way.  There should be a pretty friendly solution (dog) within 3 months (soon column). It is quite possible a friendship (dog) will be directly involved in this situation.  

After you summarize the Trigger Layout you continue with the Reading starting with the Now column to see what’s going on.

The card representing you, the Lady, falls in the now spot suggesting that your happiness (sun) has been tested. When the Sun card is coupled with the Tower card this means there has been a break up in the continuity of your personal happiness.  Most likely a situation has happened in the past which put you in a fragmented state of mind.

Looking at the cards in the past column there is a strong indication you have been thinking about how to solve (key) some financial issues (fish).  There seems to be some underhanded (snake) energy around this problem.  You are a smart (snake) lady that cannot be fooled.  Don’t let this situation undermine (snake) your happiness (sun).

It’s always a good idea to dialogue with your client at this stage of the Reading.  Ask her if any of what you have told her makes sense to her.  You need some confirmation that you are picking up on the correct meanings and combinations for the cards.  If you are on the “mark” the client would have already agreed with what you said about the YOU card – the SUN.

In the next few weeks (immediate column) your Significant other (gentleman) will play a very important role. If you do not have someone special in your life the Gentleman card can represent a male close to you.  This man will be troubled over something wrong (fox) decision he will make on the fly (scythe).  I see this as an impulsive (scythe) reaction to a situation which occurred between the two of you.  This male is partly involved with your personal happiness (sun) as his card touches the card representing your happiness.

Try to establish open lines of communication with your client by discussing what you just said. You may need to say it in a different way if the person doesn’t totally understand what you trying to say.  This is common because client’s often are nervous getting a Reading.  Now you continue with the Soon Column.

Keep in mind that this situation is only temporary and it will pass (clouds) or end (coffin). The error in judgement (fox) will temporarily conceal (clouds) the friendship (dog) with this man.  I would suggest you engage in a deep discussion with this man in order to resolve this situation.  I see the current dilemma ending (coffin) within about three months.

Conclude the Reading on a high.  Most likely a problem will be solved … and pass. Don’t read meanings into cards if you are not sure like saying your friendship (dog) will end (coffin) because he is a jerk (fox).  That’s not what the cards are saying.  The female’s happiness (sun) is the theme of this Reading and it is tied into a financial situation (fish).  Maybe these two people have a business venture.  Ask questions.  The doctor asks you why you came for the appointment. The doctor doesn’t give you a diagnosis without you sharing your symptoms.  It’s ok to ask questions in Readings.  

You are not a mind Reader.  You are a card Reader.

Interpretation of Trigger Layout

The Trigger Layout consists of 12 cards. This layout can be used with any deck of cards.  In today’s example I am using the Lenormand cards.  

Letter……Whip……Paths……Tower

Moon……Man.…..Tree……Scythe

Birds……Clover….Bear…..Stork

The YOU spot is reserved for the Significator card if you decide to use one, Lady or Gentleman but today’s example there was no YOU card preselected. The card which falls in this spot will probably be a situation or person that is on Lady S’s mind (Lady S is seeking some general advice).

The Trigger Row:  Moon……Man……Tree……Scythe

Moon (lessened & passing energy)…..Man (Significator or Situation) ……Tree (momentum building up) ……Scythe (resulting outcome or situation)

If we scan the 4 cards in the Trigger layout we can see the influence of the Moon is passing which is next to the Man card representing a situation or someone who is in Lady S’s mind. On the right side sits the Tree card suggesting some well-being issue but from the initial scan we don’t have much detail if indeed the Tree represents health or some situation which is rooted in the Immediate column. The Scythe ends the Trigger row suggesting whatever is going on in the Soon column will most likely conclude in a very quick way.  

Past – Cards 1,5,8 describes the recent past-the last few days or the recent circumstance around your question.

Letter- news or information if revealed about

Moon- some scenario involving one’s intuitive feelings. It can cast a shadow on the card to the right but it is important to consider the final card in this layout.

Birds-could create some anxiety or worry

We end this column with some conflicting “talk” which most likely is carried over to the next column.

Now-Cards 2, YOU (#29), 9 describes the now – what is going on with you – your thoughts and feelings.

Whip- I would read this card as a difference of opinion involving the man sitting in the YOU spot. Obviously, some situation is under fire or discussion.

Gentleman- there is a significant male on the mind of Lady S. This could be a husband or person which she was thinking about on the day of shuffle. Lady S should be reassured that whatever situation is under scrutiny it will pass as can be seen in the next card. The situation will most likely involve the man directly which is represented by the Gentleman card.

Clover- passing influence. I read the Clover as a more light energy which comes and goes. In this case I am not connecting it to any kind of luck with the exception that perhaps it’s lucky this difference of opinion won’t last forever.

Immediate– Cards 3,6,10 – describe the immediate future, a day or so. These cards will tell you what to anticipate. [Time frame up to 2-3 weeks]

Path- the preselected time frame for the Immediate column is a couple of weeks. During that time a decision will need to be made.

Tree-often this card is someone’s well-being but it can be the well-being of a situation, ie: financial position/work situation/legal involvements, etc.

Bear- the empowering energy of the Bear card suggests a certain amount of control is recaptured. It’s kind of like getting a handle on things again. Traditionally, the Bear card has been linked to money or an older man.

There are a few scenarios possible. If this column describes a financial situation there some decision-making is involved. If it involves an older man’s well-being the Stork in the next column shows changes in condition.

It’s always best to go through all the cards to get an idea of what’s going on. Then you can go back and review your findings to gain more information because all the cards are tied in with each other somehow.

Soon– Cards 4,7,11 – describe soon, less than a week. It’ll give you an answer to your question. [Time frame up to end of August or summer]

Tower- we can read this card to represent a number of things. Is it a building? Is it something out of reach? Is it something long-lasting? Often this card denotes separation or parting of ways between people or situations.

Scythe- one nasty little fellow sitting here. Something ends suddenly. Something is removed.

Stork- because of the influence of the Scythe’s energy there will be some significant changes coming before the end of summer (time frame preselected for this column)

When Tower + Scythe fall together there is no chance of reconciling.  The door is shut and changes occur accordingly. If this suggests a business venture then it may not unfold as hoped. If it involves a relationship something needs to change before all is lost (could be a friend of Lady S’s). If it involves someone’s well-being there’s no real choice but to have something eliminated. I do not like to discuss health related situations much deeper.  If it is a legal situation which is sometimes linked with the Tower then it may not be financially feasible to pursue the matter.

The final Stork card is all about change but it is also the Queen of Hearts – a loving female within the family circle.  This lady will be highlighted in the month of August for her involvement in some of these possible scenarios.  This “brief” reading is only a glimpse of what the Lenormand cards could mean. You may see other combinations which would enhance or add to it.     🙂

For informational entertainment.

part 2 Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten Trigger layout

Column 1:  Past – Cards 1,5,8.  WIDOW LOSS MERRIMENT

-describes the recent past-the last few days or the recent circumstance around your question.  These cards can reveal your subconscious QUESTION.

The Widow releases her Energy creating the activated Loss (Trigger) card. Merriment is the resulting energy. The Widow (let’s suppose we use the grieving process as the meaning) creates a feeling of some regrets. After we experience the meanings of the Loss card the resulting Energy is contained in the Merriment card putting us in a more playful mood. We all feel better after a good cry or acceptance that yes we did lose something or miscalculated a situation.

Column 2:  Now-Cards 2, YOU, 9. OFFICER SWEETHEART LOVER

YOU can be any card

The YOU position does not have to be the Sweetheart or Lover card. In answer to one of the question in the comments section when no YOU card has been pre-selected just shuffle the deck/cut and lay cards starting at #1 position (see diagram) continue laying the cards.  The card which falls in the YOU spot is significant.

-describes the now-what is going on with you –YOUR THOUGHTS and FEELINGS.

The Officer releases his Energy creating the activated Sweetheart (Trigger) card. Lover is the resulting energy. The Officer (let’s suppose we use the official process as the meaning) creates the preoccupied thoughts of the female. After we acknowledge these thoughts (if you are the female of the Reading) the resulting Energy is contained in the Lover card revealing a special male is involved. This applies to any card you choose to be YOU where a specific question is asked.

Column 3:  Immediate- Cards 3,6,10. WIDOWER DESIRE LETTER

-describes the immediate future, a day or so. These cards will tell you what INFLUENCES to anticipate. [you can change the time frame prior to the shuffle, for example you can designate this spot to mean within 1 week. I chose 2 weeks.]

The Widower releases his Energy creating the activated Desire (Trigger) card. Letter is the resulting energy. The Widower (let’s suppose we use the grieving process as the meaning) creates a feeling of yearning. After we experience the meanings of the Desire card the resulting Energy is contained in the Letter card putting him in a situation whereby he receives news (which ties in with the Officer). The Sweetheart is concerned about the Lover male & a situation around him.

Column 4:  Soon- Cards 4,7,11. FORTUNE INFIDELITY MISFORTUNE

-describes soon, less than a week. These cards give you an ANSWER to your question. [you can change this spot to mean within 3 months  but it is important to keep that in mind before selecting the cards for the layout. I chose a 1 month time frame]

Fortune releases her Energy creating the activated Infidelity (Trigger) card. Misfortune is the resulting energy. Fortune  (let’s suppose we use the hopeful gain  process as the meaning) creates a feeling of betrayal. After we experience the meanings of the Infidelity card the resulting Energy is contained in the Misfortune card revealing a negative Answer.

Infidelity is the Trigger card.  The answer is a definite no because of a situation where the Lover (significant male of Sweetheart) has been lead on to believe that he will experience the benefits of the  most positive card Fortune.

The Trigger Layout will be explained further in the Gipsy cards handbook which is nearing completion. I will have need to go to a writer’s retreat for a few weeks for faster results. The question is when.

Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten – 12 card Trigger Layout

Dear Friends: Thank you for all your kind well wishes for my granddaughter Katja. All is Good.

In todays’ post I will be using one of my favourite decks in the Trigger Layout. The Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten or Gipsy fortune-telling cards. Sometimes you just don’t want to do a full board Reading. It does get overwhelming trying to interpret all 36 cards. This is exactly why I designed this simple layout.

You have an option as far as time frames with this layout. Prior to shuffling decide what time frame you want to use in Columns 3 & 4. Remove the Sweetheart (if female) or the Lover (if male) from the deck.  Lay the cards according to the image below:

I always scan the Trigger row (middle) first to get a feel of the situation. I don’t talk about this row right away. I usually start at Column 1 – Past

Note: You don’t have to use the Sweetheart or the Lover cards. You can pick any card out of the deck which you think represents your situation. Also, you can decide not to pick any card at all and that’s ok, too. The cards will tell you what it is you need to know at the time of shuffle.

Isn't the fortune-telling mouse cute?

TRIGGER row – 5, YOU, 6, 7. LOSS. SWEETHEART. DESIRE. FALSENESS

This row is the essence of the reading, the rest of the cards will describe or explain to you what surrounds the essence or core theme. When you read these cards you will get a good glimpse at the entire layout.  The remaining cards are the details surrounding the TRIGGER cards.

LOSS. SWEETHEART. DESIRE. FALSENESS.

Let’s keep the interpretations real simple. A female who in the recent past experienced some sort of shortcoming in a situation or an actual loss is yearning for things which may not be in her best interest. These 4 cards are powerful. We need to find out what lead up to them and what followed them. That’s just one way to Read these cards.

To be continued in the next post Part 2

Trigger Layout interpretation

UPDATE: JANUARY 16, 2012

Lady SD accepted the job offer and is moving several thousands of miles from where she lives now. She is leaving behind her the constancy of a relationship/home environment. Time will tell if Lady SD will experience the dark side of the CLOUDS.

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MAGISCHES LENORMAND

Here’s a smaller pic of the Trigger Layout for the purpose of the Magisches Lenormand interpretation to follow.

Lady SD is in the You spot of the Trigger Layout because we are asking about her question. Any card can be selected in the You spot in this particular layout. Actually, you can do a random reading and not select any card for the You spot to see which card sits there. This will give you a clue to what you perhaps should be addressing. Also the time frame of the Immediate & Soon columns can be predetermined prior to interpretation as I have done.

I scan the Trigger Row (see image) to see which are the most significant cards. Lady SD’s trigger row holds BEAR behind her (past), MOUSE ahead (immediate spot 1-2 weeks) and BIRDS/OWLS as the last card (soon spot 6-8 weeks).   

ending 2011 with Magische Lenormand in Trigger Layout

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Part of me wants to end 2011 with a huge send off and part of me wants to welcome 2012 in a different way. I have my European superstitions about New Years Day something my mom used to tell me since I was a little girl. Coming from Eastern Europe (Slovenia) which has a history of gypsies roaming the streets, lol, much of this superstition has been passed down by word of mouth.

Many old traditions have died with my mom & dad much to my sadness. One of my neighbours told me that I am to start new traditions in lieu of their deaths. I happen to like the ‘old way’ which to me is really the ‘new way’. Everything is recycled sooner or later…..

Ok now that I got that out of my heart on to the reason for this post.  I decided to use to Magische Lenormand in the Trigger Layout (so much easier than using 36) as the final post of 2011.

Really, any deck of cards works in this simple 12 card layout.

Lady SD was wondering about a job opportunity which would mean she would have to relocate thousands of miles from where she is now.   I am never quite sure how the Lenormand will answer such questions and I usually pull out my Pages of Shustah deck for these straight forward questions.

To keep this post a little shorter and offer a huge image of this amazing deck (shown to illustrate the Trigger Layout and shown for it’s beauty) I’ll continue the interpretation in the next post.  Hint: black side of clouds facing future….

MAGISCHES LENORMAND

Trigger Layout interpretation with Lenormand Arlo deck.

The above image illustrates the Le Normand ARLO in Seaqueen’s Trigger Layout. You can get more information on this deck by clicking the image which will take you to the Etsy website where you have the option of purchasing this deck. I really like this deck because of it’s creative simplicity.

My schedule has been chaotic …. 🙂 I am publishing this section right now and will study the cards some more before writing the remainder of the post. Thank you Tania for your patience.

August 2, 2011….in continuation

TRIGGER ROW: TOWER, DOG, COFFIN, SCYTHE.

First observation: The YOU spot of the Trigger Row  is occupied by DOG. This mean there is deep concern about a situation surrounding a friend. Usually, you remove the LADY or GENTLEMAN and place it is this spot but you don’t have to.

This friend DOG would have been of great significance TOWER in the past. The person would also be facing some major changes COFFIN in the situation which could possibly lead to what looks like a permanent ending SCYTHE.

When reading the Trigger row always look at the last card in column 4 to see if it is promising when there is a negative card ending this row. In this case the last card is LETTER coupled with RING to the left of it. Not a bad combination. The way I want to read this is that despite some sudden new directions in this situation there will be other circumstances coming up which could minimize the effect of the SCYTHE card.

1st COLUMN: CLOVER, TOWER, HEART

These three cards reveal a profound TOWER involvement HEART which was discovered within a short time CLOVER. Also, there is evidence of a break up TOWER + HEART which occurred without much warning CLOVER.

2nd COLUMN: CHILD, DOG, SNAKE

We carry the effects of the HEART card to the next column.  Feelings that are still in the beginning stages CHILD even though deep surrounding this friend DOG are met with some competition SNAKE. It could be another female QUEEN CLUBS because she lies to the right of the HEART card. There could be some unfinished business which is still continuing as revealed by the card to the right RING.

3rd COLUMN: FISH, COFFIN, RING

The FISH card can represent a financial matter or obligation which is nearing an end. Whatever the ties RING are it will take some time to sort out this situation.

4th COLUMN: TREE, SCYTHE, LETTER

A lot of Readers use the TREE card to suggest health related situations. Even if this could be a meaning using in this layout the SCYTHE shows a removal of the problem. I want to read these three cards to indicate past connections TREE will eventually end SCYTHE.  The LETTER offers an alternative to approaching the situation by discussing all the information surrounding this friend DOG.

Simple Trigger Layout -question from Lilith

Comment & Question from Lilith

Dear Josefa,
I can say that I’ve learned a lot from you and the trigger layout. A great spread that I use most often. Thank you for all the info you are giving out.
I have been using the Lenormand for sometime now and wish to share a spread with you hoping for some help. It gets me a bit confused.
General reading no question asked.
Cards fell as follows :
Snake+Heart+Ring+Lillies
Scythe+Lady+Gent+Moon
Ship+Stars+Tree+Storks

Even I wasn’t asking a question I am a bit preoccupied with the thought of a man that I had a relationship with long time ago.

For me this spread says that there is a good possibility that we end up together again but what confuses me is the Snake and the Storks cards. He lives with another woman at the moment ( that fits the description of the Stork) and I wonder if that commitment (Ring) is with me or foretells that they will end up married.

Since the Ring falls above the Gent and after the Snake card (which is pointing to another woman), but the Gent is falling right after me I keep getting confused. I really need your help to determine who this commitment refers to.

I suppose that the Stork here means a return of a former partner or at least changes regarding that person or me.

Dear Lilith:

Thank you for you comments and questions.  Glad you enjoy using the Trigger Layout. You have brought up some really good questions/observations and I would like to give you some feedback which I hope sheds a different perspective on the cards in this layout. My interpretation is for learning purposes & I encourage the readers of this post to submit their comments in relation to the cards you selected.

Position 5 Trigger – PAST COLUMN
– after experiencing the root or foundational influences of the position 1, you are faced with the aura of the experience in the Trigger position card.
Here you will find a person or situation.  This card is behind the YOU person meaning it is a significant circumstance.  One must analyze position 8 to find out the resulting reactions.

The Trigger Card in the past column is the SCYTHE card.  In the past you experienced or were exposed to the influence of the SNAKE card.  Traditionally, this card suggests another woman. The situation indicates a severing which has begun despite the fact this GENTLEMAN is living with the woman you mentioned fitting the description of the STORK.  The resulting influence of these two cards is represented by the SHIP card which suggests progress or movement in a specific direction.

Position YOU Trigger -NOW COLUMN
-this card is a little different in that it represents the person getting the reading, an absent representation for another individual or for the more advanced students of this system -a situation.
The reading will begin HERE.  Actually the Trigger row is read, PAST, YOU, IMMEDIATE and SOON.  I know this sounds confusing but it is not, it is common sense.   You need to know who YOU is to be to interpret the cards properly.

I started with the Past column since we know the YOU card is you. 🙂 Above the LADY is the HEART card which suggests a love situation is very much on your mind. This card also shows that you are a very loving person with strong emotions. Beneath LADY lies the STARS card suggesting an experience of success. A very positive vibration with the STARS card.

Position 6 Trigger – IMMEDIATE COLUMN
-here the  YOU person is stepping into a scenario or circumstance within a few days or weeks (depending on the TIME you assign prior to shuffling).

The GENTLEMAN card follows LADY in the Trigger Row.  This mean you will see or talk to this man shortly after the reading was done. He is thinking of a situation involving commitment (RING). Note:  HEART, LADY, RING, GENTLEMAN is a tight box with no negative cards in between. This man is also somewhat attached to a situation which was already rooted (TREE) but will change based on the cards in the last column.

Position 7 Trigger- SOON COLUMN
– if the Trigger card is negative, what was thought to be a negative result (of the TRIGGER ROW cards)  will turn out good if the last card is positive.  The reverse is true as well.
The final TRIGGER position in the SOON COLUMN is a culmination of the cards in the TRIGGER ROW.
When you scan PAST, YOU, IMMEDIATE and SOON Trigger cards it holds  the answer in a nutshell.  If no question was asked, the cards revealed in this row will describe a situation you need to address whether you want to or not.

The final card in the Trigger row is the MOON.  This card suggests there is a strong female influence in the GENTLEMAN’s life which does not necessarily have to be the woman he is living with.  It could be a sister, mother, daughter or another female family member.  So how is the MOON’s influence the result/outcome in all of this? I want to read this card to mean anxiety or confused feelings because of memories of the past. (STORK beneath)

LILY points to solid family bonds, however, the STORK card is the last card in the layout which strongly suggests change as you mentioned.  The male in question does have a desire to escape (GENTLEMAN+MOON). Generally speaking the STORK brings the changes  of the card above or behind it. The STORK’s influence will uproot (TREE) the feelings (MOON) of certain past situations.  The GENTLEMAN will be re-assessing his feelings.

There is no indication of marriage within the time frame of this reading (1-3 months?). 

Just a thought -I think someone from your past will re-enter your life who perhaps left abruptly (Jack of Diamonds, SHIP) and who you may have had a romantic connection. (Jack of Diamonds+HEART).

The Trigger Layout©- instructions at *ASK my LAYOUTS*

Lilith's Layout

Simple Trigger Layout. © Madame Jozefa Seaqueen 2006-2010

Request for Simple Trigger Layout reading

Comment:
Dear Madame Seaqeen!
Yes, I did the Simple Trigger Layout and the cards are:
MISFORTUNE  COSTANCY      OFFICER  THOUGHT
MESSAGE       SWEETHEART    JUDGE      ENEMY
VISIT              FORTUNE         DEATH     FIDELITY

I hope to receive your answer soon,
Liona.

sorry the Ask my Layout link has been renamed – featuring only Cartomancy reviews

Trigger layout tutorial reading

ORIGINALLY POSTED DECEMBER 30, 2008.  MOVED TO CURRENT POST TO DETAIL RESULTS & INSIGHTS From PHOENIX & SPIRITSONG. The reading is 18 days old. 

One of my favorite little spreads I created is the Simple Trigger layout.  I have found that often larger spreads are not needed.  This layout is good when you ask a specific question and are in need of some guidance which has a time frame.  ( instructions on how to prepare this layout —> HERE )   As I have said before you can designate your own timeframe for the IMMEDIATE and SOON spots.  I have chosen 1 month for the purpose of this tutorial example.  Even if you do not have any specific questions, the cards will reveal to you what you need to know.

Sometimes our questions are deeply buried in our subconscious or we are trying to avoid issues which should be addressed.  I had no question in mind.  However, I do have many questions about various areas in my life & will share some of these during the process of interpreting the cards.

Simple Trigger layout using Jeu du destin Lenormand

TRIGGER ROW– by zooming into this row you can capture the essence of the reading. RIDER, LADY, HEART, MOON.

News or a situation is on it’s way involving someone or something near and dear to me.  Whatever this is the RIDER suggests the situation has begun in the recent past. Often the MOON depicts a mother.  I am not certain at this point if this is the case.  The cards surrounding HEART are strongly negative.

SPIRITSONG. 

Rider+Woman+Heart+Moon: I took this to mean one of two possibilities; either you are going to hear news from a woman who is close to you, that she has a new romantic relationship, or if you are presently single, that possibly you are about to meet someone new romantically  (forgive me!)

PHOENIX.  

This looks like some new romance. Or it’s a new lease on the things that the “woman’ wants, there is some deeply emotional and or creative desires that she will look into. Both heart and moon, are feeling cards, so love, desires, passions. The heart I see more as an immediate feeling that shows excitement, and something someone desires. Since horseman is behind her, something new has entered her life.

RESULTS.

Simple Layout – Simple Question. Trigger Layout.

Question? Will R. ask Veronica out on a date within the next week or so.

Vertical Row #1-Cards 1,5,8 describe the recent past-the last few days or the recent circumstance around your question.

Dog 18 Clover 2 Child 13– Veronica experienced a brief connection with someone new (R) and that is the reason she is asking the question. Dog & Clover can suggest a fleeting or passing opportunity.

Vertical Row #2-Cards 2, YOU, 9 describe the now-what is going on with you -your thoughts and feelings.

Bear 15 YOU-Veronica 29 Fox 14– Veronica is overprotective of her feelings (bear) and is suspicious, not in a trusting mood (fox) right now.

Vertical Row #3-Cards 3,6,10 describe the immediate future, a day or so. These cards will tell you what to anticipate.

Cross 36 Ship 3 Key 33– The cross is not always a welcome card. When it is beside the ship (movement, travel) it prevents or delays. The key card shows a definite answer to her question. If he doesn’t call and ask her out for a date-that is her answer.

Vertical Row #4-Cards 4,8,11 describe soon, less than a week. It’ll give you an answer to your question.

[note:  correction Vertical Row #4 should read 4, 7, 11]

Bouquet 9 Broken Mirror 8 Tree 5- The broken mirror basically says it all. She can expect a disappointment whether R. asks her out or not. The bouquet is a pleasing card usually, indicating a fondness but next to the broken mirror (coffin card in most Lenormand decks) there will be an ending to the potential of anything growing (tree) or branching any further.

*The middle horizontal Row- Trigger cards*

Clover 2 Veronica 29 Ship 3 Broken Mirror 8 – The trigger line suggests she had short encounter in the past, and there is distance between them which eventually will lead to a dead end. The distance is because they are not an item yet.
Keeping the meanings nice and simple can still give you a general feeling of the outcome. There are many combinations in this layout as well that can be considered. I think Veronica would be setting herself up for an emotional fall (cross & broken mirror). She is overly affectionate (dog & bear) or too needy for attention. She wants someone to protect her (child & fox). And that is precisely why she attracts males that end up exploiting her (fox & tree) life force- sucking her energy. Sometimes the ship card can indicate the desire of getting away or thinking about escapism. The crosss & ship suggest anguish- a yearning heart. Another test(cross) for her to work through and figure out (key). The broken mirror can also suggest a shattered self- image or the inability to see the totality of the entire situation around her question. A distortion- leading to a distorted desire for an answer.

Layout using Gypsy Bijou fortune telling cards.

Smaller Layout (Trigger Layout) -12 cards only.

This layout is really simple and great for a beginner. I use it for questions on my mind. For this layout shuffle the entire deck of 36. It will work for any deck but first remove your significator card which in the Lenormand decks is #28 – male and #29 – are female. If you use Tarot figure out which card you are and remove it prior to shuffling as well.

Seaqueen’s Trigger Layout

Think of a question or something that is on your mind that can be answered shortly. Place your card on the table after taking it out of the deck that you will shuffle.  Cut the deck  into 3 piles towards your heart and put all the piles on top of each other any way you want, as long as you have only one pile of cards in total.                    Place the cards according to the diagram.*Middle Trigger Row

Cards 1,5,8 describe the recent past-the last few days or the recent circumstance around your question.

Cards 2, YOU, 9 describe the now-what is going on with you -your thoughts and feelings.

Cards 3,6,10 describe the immediate future, a day or so. These cards will tell you what to anticipate.

Cards 4,8,11 describe soon, less than a week. It’ll give you an answer to your question.

*The middle row- Trigger cards. Let me explain what I mean by this.

For example take a look at the cards below (even though they are lopsided, lol) and I will briefly explain just using key words.

Cartomanzia Francese

Past row

Card 1 is the reason behind card 5(trigger)and it results in card 8. The snake -a deception about a matter is the reason for the stork-change and results in an unknown secret/information (book).

Now row

The lady (in this example) feels annoyed or disturbed (clouds) about something. Remember the clouds is also a King of clubs-man. But she is putting on a good facade despite her inner disappointment- public face (garden).

Immediate row

Ahhhh, this is where you get a good example of combinations. The dog surrounded by clouds on the left side and whip on the right is not exactly a trustworthy, loyal friend at all-even though it is above the ring. Keeping this mind, this is the suggestive interpretation. Because of a friend the lady will be questioning a commitment (ring) within a day or 2 and this results in her emotions (moon) being brought to surface -garden+moon.
Soon row

Looks like there’s a disagreement coming up (whip) that will turn into some sort of hardship or sadness (cross) and result will be of short duration (clover), as in short and not so sweet.
*The middle trigger row* stork,lady,ring,cross

Major key words around the YOU (lady)card. CHANGE, lady, COMMITMENT, SADNESS –

You can get much more information from this simple layout if you study all the levels of the cards.

Hint: snake + clouds= a couple, ring + cross= karmic cycle, book + garden = explanation

concluding-Lenormand Trigger layout

 

Continuing reading from the previous 2 posts.

.TRIGGER line.  LADY, SUN, BIRDS, SCYTHE.

As I said in the last post the Trigger line should be understood right off the bat.  It will give you the foundation or theme of the entire reading.

29. LADY- Female seeker of cards. The partner of the male getting the reading. When the GENTLEMAN & LADY cards fall in the “now” spot the suggestion is that these 2 people will see each other (if living apart) or be caught up in an important situation. Coupled with the MOON card- an emotional personality. With the MOUNTAIN card-unable to express feelings.When the BOOK card is beside either of these two cards & falling in the future spots, it can indicate meeting someone new especially if the CHILD card is involved. With the STORK card- return of a former lover or friend.

31. SUN – Powerful & Positive. Embodiment of success. As a characteristic suggests a warm-hearted person, someone who gleams with confidence. In a situation, brings ease where there is doubt. Will guarantee a good outcome-something to look forward to. Following negative cards will ensure victory but preceding- happiness that turns sour.

12. BIRDS – Suggests lots of blabbing. “Girl/Guy talk”. Can represent two of anything. With the STORK & CHILD, strong possibility of twins. As a characteristic, a person who can talk their way out of a wet paper bag. Making a mountain out of a molehill. Short travel. With the SNAKE, beware of flirt.

10. SCYTHE – Abscission.  The cut that hurts and when it doesn’t hurt -it is all about the act of pruning things out of a situation. As a person (Jack of Diamonds), a caustic tongue & quick temper. With the HEART card, a permanent break-up, if followed by the SUN card it’s the best thing that could have happened. There are brighter days ahead.  LINK to another post on the Scythe

The Lady and Sun cards were already covered in the former posts.  I want to continue with the interpretation from that point.  We already know this particular female was feeling very happy due to the messages the Rider card brought -side by side with the Gentleman #28.

IMMEDIATE column contains the Birds card which indicates a great deal of discussion going on. It could be gossip but it is more like clearing the air.

SOON column (last one) contains the Scythe card.  We know that whatever has gone down with end real fast.  Actually faster than lightning because the Clover card represents speed as well and has a time frame of 3-5 days.

From these interpretations of the Trigger line there is evidence of a break up or cessation of further talks due to the information/news that arrived. This news was not represented in a clear manner thus  as they say ‘the cat is out of the bag’.  

IMMEDIATE column– COFFIN, BIRDS, TREE.  Due to a change of events and due to another connection [Tree card] much deliberation occurs.

SOON [last one] column– STARS, SCYTHE, CLOVER.  A mighty fast dash of hopes to the ground. The Stars + Scythe together like this means that the wish does not materialize.  In fact, it has little chance to get off the ground.  The wish can be linked to the news that has arrived already which eventually stirs things up to the point of excitement.  Excitement is not always positive. It can be frazzled nerves.

One thing I want to mention is that often the Tree card will point to a health condition. If you are upset at some news, of course, your health is involved.   This reading gives a strong suggestion that the revelation of a certain situation depicted by the Rider card was distorted and misunderstood.

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Zigeuner in Simple trigger Layout

1st Row enemy, gift, malady, message

2nd Row thief, sweetheart, house, falseness

TRIGGER ROW

3rd Row constancy, desire, marriage, visit

A brief overview of the Simple Trigger Layout using the Zigeuner Wahrsagekarten from a request in the comments section.

Past – Cards 1,5,8 -describe the recent past-the last few days or the recent circumstance around your question.

ENEMY, THIEF, CONSTANCY- “the past is clear and accurate”

Now-Cards 2, YOU (#29), 9 -describe the now-what is going on with you -your thoughts and feelings.

GIFT, SWEETHEART, DESIRE- “the past is clear and accurate, the present is as well”

Immediate- Cards 3,6,10 -describe the immediate future, a day or so. These cards will tell you what to anticipate.

MALADY, HOUSE, MARRIAGE  “could this mean no imediate change to this situation regarding a relationship hitting home”

. Malady.  This card addresses issues of fatigue or the slow movement of things.

 House. (trigger card)  Issues surrounding the home and family are significant.  The House can mean one’s own inner temple.

 Marriage card.  Typically represents situations involving cooperation, partnerships, relationships and commitments.

.

The Trigger card is the cause and effect of the column of cards. 

Interpretation:  Your analysis is very good. Due to a situation that is in a very slow stage of development, the relevance of home/family issues or related thoughts will trigger a focus on commitment or some sort of “working out” of a problem.

MESSAGE, FALSENESS, VISIT- “could this mean information about lies will promt a visit from my “J”. as he is my former partner.”

.Message.  The delivery or correspondence of feedback that comes in the form of information is shared.

   Falseness. A card of misinterpretation of information or receipt of some news that is not exactly true.  Something is missing and all the facts are not in yet.
 Visit.  Generally a positive influence.  It brings some intent to discovery of gaining an expansion of what is known.  A possible gift could be in the offing.

 

Interpretation: You analysis is in keeping with the theme of these cards.  The visit can be by J or even yourself.  ” Visit” can also be interpreted as re-visiting information that you have received as in discussing things of the past that may or may not have happened.

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New Palladini Tarot in the 3-card Answer layout. RIP David

The 3-card Answer layout is good for those questions which require a short answer. Before I begin, deepest condolences to family and friends of David Palladini who passed away not too long ago. I think I bought the Aquarian deck a few years after it was first published. I love the thicker card stock. It has lasted 45+ years. Hard to believe over four decades have passed already. 

QUESTION for the New Palladini Tarot: Should Veronica downsize and sell her home? Past readings involving her can be seen if you click her name.

1. PAST. An influence or person is about to leave the current scenario. It could be an experience, which is just passing that makes way for something new that is about to enter your life.

KNIGHT OF PENTACLES: The knight reminds Veronica to look at the mundane aspects of her life. It’s all about the why would she be considering this. The day-to-day upkeep of a home (interior and exterior) takes a commitment to keep things in order. These days it is too easy to spend too much time on the Internet, doing other projects and participating in things involving the community. The house work needs to get done. The seasonal exterior work needs to get done. The repairs (if any) need to be addressed.

This knight is a practical action card. It is not fast-moving. Slow and steady. It also speaks about finances. Does she need the money? Sometimes, It is not financially feasible to sell and then buy another unit or rent. It would still take an outlay of money. Perhaps the ‘common’ work associated with a home might be lightened somewhat.

The knight is telling me V. is looking at the money if she sells but with the prices of smaller units in her area I’m sure she would not make a grand profit. 

2. NOW. Describes what is going on currently. Here you can find out if the person is dealing with challenges or good influences from another person or situation. Often personal thoughts and feelings are revealed.

5 OF CUPS: So, here she is cloaked in not so positive thoughts. This card is reminding V. to appreciate the home she has now. 

I have to wonder if this card isn’t pointing out that V should take a hard look at why she would even considering selling her home. Are there bad memories there? Sometimes, we don’t know why we make certain decisions until after the fact. I really get a strong feeling that her emotions are unclear as to her ‘real’ motive.  

The 5 of Cups is triggering a current flood of memories. There has to be a connection. At this point, I don’t know if she is with someone or not.

3. ANSWER. This card describes the answer to your question.

DEATH: Any time I see this card in a reading it means ‘no’ to me. It is also a card of profound transformation which is what would happen if V. sells. Within the card is renewal as well. The Death card also says to let go of the past that no longer serves her. I’m on the fence about the guidance of the cards.

Did the cards answer V.’s conscious question or her subconscious question?  🙂

UPDATE for March 17th reading. Ur-Lenormand in block of 9 layout.

Original post March 17/19:  Update in red font (Part 1/2)

It’s funny, but I prefer the mini decks or oversized ones preferably that contain crisp images. So far, the Ur-Lenormand (Game of Hope) by Alexander gluck published by Konigsfurt Urania is the only larger Lenormand I have located not including the 54-card Astro Mythological deck. The 59 page LWB does have the English blurb starting on page 43 to 59. 

I really like this deck but alas 😦 I wish the images were not so soft in appearance. I am tempted to outline the main focus in each card but I’d probably muck it up. 🙂 Nevertheless, the size is great, the card stock is good and the rounded corners are even better. 

Question for the Ur-Lenormand. What does the next 3 months hold for Mr. X. In other words what is the significant situation for each month. If there is an on-going situation then the cards will reveal developments in to that situation. 

Mr. X did not show up in the layout. Any situation showing up will not affect him directly or profoundly. (not making sense yet because of the nature of the question) Mrs. X didn’t show up either. This is a health question but it is not a health reading. Let me explain why not. It is not a health reading because the prognosis has been given by a professional medical person. I have been given the facts. Mr. X is facing the potential of receiving medical treatments. What he wants to know is how he will tolerate those treatments if in fact they are given. He doesn’t know yet because his appointment with the specialist is in one week.

When I do this type of layout with specified timeframes I use the middle card as the trigger or focal card. It is a 3-card reading. This means the preceding card lead up to it and the following card is the consequence or result.

Month 1: As of the time of shuffle (today until April 17th give or take) 

Fish + Child + Star 

Since this reading is not about finances (Fish card) in any way I want to take the King of Diamonds to represent his doctor. In the long stretch of the Fish card meaning it does point to increase or gain as a stand alone. The increase is the condition. It is not longer benign. This lead up to the next card.

The cards show a new situation (Child) developing most likely the condition. Also, it could be too early to administer treatments within Month 1 but it could be scheduled. More information is needed about his treatments.

This is the consequence or result of the middle card. The Star card is about finding some meaning in one’s life. Of course, this card is connected to one’s wishes as well. Within this card is hope and that is very important under the circumstances. Another point is that Mr. X is highly suggestible given his vulnerability at this time. 

UPDATE: Yes, Mr. X’s specialist is the grey-haired man depicted by the King of Diamonds (Fish). No treatment was recommended within this time frame of one month. It’s a wait and see situation (Star). What did occur was an order for further testing (Child).  

Continued in Part 2/2

The Cardinal Cross layout featuring the Oracle of the Radiant Sun

For another detailed example of the Cardinal Cross layout featuring the Oracle of the Radiant Sun card please click ➡ LINK. 

If you want just a quick overview reading the Cardinal Cross layout is ideal. You can always turn over the remainder of the cards in specific Houses to gain more information if needed. You can ask a specific question or let the cards tell you what you should know. Some Astrological background is helpful.

If you want to purchase this deck you may find it challenging to locate one and if you do it may carry a high price tag.

Question: What should married Steven be aware of at this time?

Note: Steven’s question is general. If he asked a specific question the information gained from the cards in the Houses should be tied in with the question to arrive at an answer. 

Let’s see what the cards say ….

Card 1 – House 1: Cardinal Aries -PRINCIPLE.  #9 Jupiter in Sagittarius

This House reveals the person’s state of mind at the time of the Reading. It is also read as the outer personality.

Steven is a man of principle. He projects himself to others as someone who most likely has high morals in all he does.  What you see is what you get. Doing the right thing.

Steven is probably thinking of taking a long distant trip or at the very least he is fantasizing about one. He could also be going through a transition and questioning his own belief system. Maybe he wants to be a bit more adventurous but has always been so predictable.

Card 4 – House 4: Cardinal Cancer  -EXALTATION. #2 Moon in Taurus

The 4th House represents one’s home and family; property. In general Readings, most people want to know about this topic. It can represent one of the parents.

There is a strong indicator that Steven will have some dealings regarding  land or property. He might be looking at making some additional money by selling because of the current market.

He is quite attached to his family and probably spoils the family members. He likes to be doted on as well.

Card 7 – House 7: Cardinal Libra -ORGANIZATION. #10 Mercury in Capricorn

This house rules the partnership. Most relationships come under the rulership of house 7. Here we can find out what her partner is up to or how she/he fits into this general layout.

Patience is the key.  Looks like there are many discussions about the nature of his living arrangement with his partner (wife in this case). Lots of talking. Since this position rules his wife I think she has long-term plans…like wanting to get ahead financially.The wife could lack spontaneity. They need a little more fun.

 Card 10 – House 10: Cardinal Capricorn EGOTISM. #5 Mars in Leo 

The 10th house rules life direction, career and public reputation.  It also represents the other more dominant parent.

Steven could let off steam at work. He puts an enormous amount of energy into his creative projects. He would be quite an animated boss or employee. This card shows great salesmanship too.

In summary

Steven did not ask me a specific question, although, I suspect he had specifics on his mind.  I went ahead and turned over the card in HOUSE 5.  #12 Sun in Pisces. Steven definitely wants to get away from it all. Given this card fell in House 5 he has meet someone  and is fond of her. 

How to write a potential Email response:

You are a man of principle. People around you know what they get with you. The cards point to some thoughts about travel. You may just want to get away right now and do some thinking. Something may have happened to trigger this. Looks like you need to put things in proper perspective. 

It’s been crazy busy at work for you. Your job pulls out a lot of energy out of you but you seem to get off on that. You are driven by your creative passion. A few cards suggest you may have been having heart to heart talks with your wife. Perhaps you are de-cluttering your relationship in some way.  I do see that your family is very important to you and you would do anything for them.

There is a card that indicates a little side interest which you had not anticipated. This weighs on you quite heavily. It might be someone who has crossed your path that is completely opposite to your wife.  It could be a new female business associate. If this makes sense to you would you like me to look into this more deeply as this reading is only a general overview?

Careful wording is vital. Unless you see something in black and white avoid being blunt about it. 

After Tarot cards in the short Romany layout

Every once in a while I will purchase a new Tarot deck which captures my curiosity. The images in the After Tarot deck by Pietro Alligo, Corrine Kenner and Giulia Francesca Massaglia beckoned me. I want to get right into doing a reading so for those of you who wish to read a review of this deck ➡  click here 

Being a fan of Pietro Alligo’s  ➡ posts on the Tarot of the New Vision cards  I knew I would enjoy playing with the After Tarot deck. To demonstrate a reading I am going to use both decks. The question is which layout. There are no layout examples in the Afterthoughts accompanying book. Corrine Kenner’s write-up on the cards supplies you with many interesting suggestions on how to read this deck. Of course, you will arrive at your own intuitive associations with the images as well. Try not to be too rigid in your approach to the After Tarot deck. So, for a moment just forget what you learned about the Tarot and remain open to Corrine’s suggestions. You can always fall back on what you have learned in the past.  

Ok, time to pick a layout.  I would really like to do the Romany layout for some reason but not with 21 cards.  Since each Tarot card is a unique experience unto itself maybe 7 cards would work in the predetermined positions.  

For instructions on how to do the Romany layout ➡ click here post from 2007.

I have created the Romany layout for 7 cards

First thing I did since this is a new deck I cleared it with my evil eye pendant. I don’t imagine anyone put negatives thoughts into the cards 🙂 but you never know who handled the packaging, lol. 

You can clear the deck whatever ways suits you or you don’t have to. I have shuffled the card thoroughly so that they are mixed. I lay the cards in 7 piles (1 card more in first pile) and then pick up the piles randomly so that I have one pile. I keep shuffling. I cut the cards in 3 piles to the left using my left hand (closest to the heart) and back onto 1 pile. Then I proceed by placing with the top card (which should be face down) and place it in position 1, continue with second card and so on until I have 7 cards in a row. Easy enough.

The above chart is a reminder of what each position represents. If you did the 21 card Romany layout you would add another 2 rows. I may do that at another time.

I love David Bowie. Golden Years is playing on the radio right now. How appropriate.

The reading below is for myself. My write up will be as if I was reading another client. This way I remain more objective. I was surprised to see all the Majors show up in the layout. This tells me the reading will be deeper and won’t deal with everyday issues.

Question: What is the advice of the cards for the Fire Monkey Rooster year?

Position 1: Describes you. What surrounds you at the time of the reading. TEMPERANCE

Note: In the Afterthoughts book Corrine has grouped the Temperance card with the Hierophant and the 5’s. This theme is throughout the book.

The energy of the Temperance card suggests the client is in the process of balancing extremes in her life. Moderation is important in her life. She is learning all about compromise.

Position 2: The Environment. Expands on the circumstances of the question. EMPEROR

The client’s environment is going through a restructuring. This theme will be in effect throughout the Fire Monkey year because that is the question.  This card is about being charge or control. She is wanting to be more organized. This couldn’t be more true. 🙂

Position 3: Opportunities or Challenges. DEATH

The Death cards falls under the number 4 as does the Emperor card. I would read this card as both opportunities and challenges.  There is an opportunity in finishing up loose ends but at the same time it is a challenge because endings tend to hurt in some cases. To open new doors old doors need to be shut. This year will test the client to see just how balanced she is in the midst of external forces being out of her control.  It is important to maintain the balance of the Temperance card in order to experience transitions with the least amount of emotional extremes.

This will play out in various ways and as much as we co-create our reality there is one force that overrules everything. Call it fate, destiny or your soul chart.

Position 4: Expected. The Now. These cards expand on your hopes & fears. FOOL

So what’s going on with the client at the current time. This position might resemble position 1 but it is different. It’s about outer situations which can trigger her hopes and fears about the path she is on.

In the image of the card, the Fool is hanging onto the edge of the crag by one hand. A risk will be taken. The Fool has lost his satchel of tools and continues to smell the white rose. This tells me the client is confident in her own abilities and yet at the same time is afraid to let go. She has enough experience to embrace new beginnings but is not 100% ready.

Position 5: Surprise. The cards of the unexpected influences, events or people involved. HERMIT

The green snake and black guardian dog  have been added in the image of the card. There is an explanation on these two in the Afterthoughts book. My own feeling on this is that the client will look deeply within and discover things she may have not wanted to deal with. There could be a painful realization when she is faced with circumstances outside of herself which will reflect what she discovers.

Position 6: Near future. Up to 3 months. Time frame can be set prior to shuffle. HANGED MAN

Is the Hanged Man thirsty? A woman is giving him something to drink to numb his pain of perspective. Is the client the woman or the hanging man? This card’s energy is active for the next three months or so. I’ve always this card as a change in the way you look at a situation. When you stand on your head (which I can’t without falling over, lol) you experience a rush which can affect how you look at things.

Will the client have to deal with a situation that will test her outlook on life?

Position 7: Distant future. 6 – 9 months. Time frame can be set prior to shuffle. In this case it would be 1 year since I’m asking about the Fire Monkey Rooster year which began January 28th. STRENGTH

I like the image in this card. The woman is embracing the lion (her own emotions). The client will definitely be more patient and be in control of her emotions. The lion’s mouth does not need to be shut it already is in the image. Actually, it looks like it’s loving the hug from the woman. I am pretty sure the client will overcome any challenges presented in the next year. It looks like she will be doing a lot of inner work and in turn her outer world will reflect these changes.

If you were to do the 21 card layout then each column would have a past, present and future. It would be quite a complex reading but worth doing if you want more information. 

 

The INQUIRY layout featuring the Fin de Siècle Kipper deck. Part 1/2

I decided to create a short layout for those times when you don’t know what question to ask of the cards. You may have many questions on your mind and you certainly can focus on a question when shuffling the cards.  The layout is geared more for those times when you just want the cards to tell you what area needs your attention. You probably already know on some level.

The Inquiry Layout consists of 8 cards. Pull the Significator card from the deck of your choice and place it in the #1 spot.  To illustrate this layout I chose Ciro Marchetti’s Fin de Siècle Kipper deck.  If you click the image with the beautiful cards you will be linked to US Games Systems, Inc. where you can purchase the cards. Of course, they are now available on Amazon and via Ciro’s website.

Instructions for layout.

Below is the layout showing you how to lay out the cards. The second card goes off to the side of card #1. In the diagram it is placed horizontally but it goes off to the side of the Significator card. Study this card.

Now trio: Cards 3, 4, 5 above the Significator card will reveal the energy surrounding Card #2 Topic of Focus. Read these cards individually. Why? Well, you need to have an understanding of the meaning and essence of the card.  Only then can you blend them into a summary or little story.  If you are doing the Inquiry layout on someone other than yourself you may get a flash of intuition. Something outside of the cards’ common meanings may cross your mind. Tell the person. It is guidance from your higher self. You are supposed to share this information. 

Outcome trio: Cards 6, 7, 8 below the Significator will provide guidance related to Card #2 Topic of Focus. Read these card individually as advised above for the Now trio. The same thing applies here insofar as intuitive flashes. Some cartomancers get this and some don’t. Listen to your Inner Voice and share with your client. If reading for yourself, you might be surprised at the guidance you hear. You may all of a sudden solve the problem. The cards are a trigger for such experiences. 

The second image is with the actual cards I selected. This reading is for me. I’ll have to do this post in 2 parts if I don’t completed my own interpretation. 🙂 Sometimes I just want to see what the cards show. The Inquiry layout is perfect for those times. The card which falls in #2 spot over the Significator can reveal an area which is being ignored or overlooked as well.  In this case, the rest of the cards will encourage you to consider that area. Maybe you are involved in a project or some situation which is taking up too much of your time. How is this affecting others? Maybe you don’t know. If that be the case the cards will tell you. I used all 39 cards for the reading below. 

 My question: What is it I should know right now? In other words, is there an area of concern or interest that I should deal with at this current time.

Card #1:  Main Lady to represent me.   Card #2. Community #39.   

The Community card doesn’t surprise me at all. I am actively involved with community type scenarios. Most of them are online with card groups, blogging, readings and so on. This is important to me and it always was because I am of service to many who seek my knowledge and experience.

This is a card of activities outside of the more private realm. Traditionally the Kipper cards are for more personal activities, although in my view things have a way of not remaining so private. 

NOW trio:  Imprisonment. False Person. Message.

And with those alluring cards I will continue in part 2.   🙂      

 

6 card layout work question -vintage Piatnik playing cards

I have studied Regina Russell’s cartomancy system ever since she published her first handbook. I am always amazed at the results using her meanings which have a little flavour from Dr Leo Martello’s system.

Today’s question is for a male in his mid 50’s who is tiring of the job. He works long hours and would really like to secure a job with shorter hours but still work a full week. By week’s end he is physically exhausted. 

In Regina’s handbook, she has a 6 card layout which she calls the Marriage Spread. In my experience, this layout is great for any question. It’s on page 118 in the earlier version of the handbook. Most of the content has not changed much over the decades. For more Readings just click Regina Russell’s name. The cards I’m using are from one of the antique Piatnik decks which I’m pretty sure is from the 1930’s according to my research. 

I would like to demonstrate just how easy it is to read the cards in this informative layout. I’ll only use very brief meanings which I feel pertain to this question.

Ask a question Get an answer

First of all, there are 3 spades which lean towards a no answer. There is a spade both in the pivotal spot and as the result card. Right away you should know it will not be so easy for this man to change his job and fulfill his wishes.

• The first two cards- 10 of DIAMONDS & 7 of HEARTS describe the recent/ past or the basis of the question.

10♦ – the big money card, can be a bank, airplane if combined with 10♣ which is not in the layout
7♥ – something repeated, a replacement, second chance ….

The way I want to read this duo of cards is that in the past the male has become gainfully employed in a field he worked in previously. 

• The last two cards- 8 of SPADES & KING of SPADES describe the present or current process leading to the result of the question. The spot is basically the now spot.

8♠ – visit to doctor or someone in medical field, research….
K♠ – might be the doctor, man in control, divorced or widowed, a boss….
The KING of SPADES in the bottom right hand corner of the layout is what I call the trigger influence or the “pivot card for the spread”. This man has something to do with the male’s job situation. He would be divorced (5♠ & K♠ )

These two cards suggest a few options. He could keep on researching for other work and deal with controlling men in authority. Another possible meaning is that he will need to get some doctoring which may push him out of the work he is currently doing. The 5♠ does represent the leg/thigh area so hopefully he doesn’t pull a muscle or have any injuries on his job.

• The MIDDLE two cards- ACE of HEARTS & 5 of SPADES describe the future outcome or result of the question.

A♥ – the home, family, change of residence, positive energy….
5♠ – an end, quitting, getting fired, responsibility. When combined with A♥ moving out of the family home and yes, the cards do fall together.

These two cards reveal the outcome. A♥ and 5♠ combined specifically means moving or leaving one’s residence. This is unlikely but who knows what happens to people when they are under too much stress. I think I would want to read the A♥ as his current job. My reason for this is because he spends more time there than actually at his home. Working 12-14 hours per day is tough on anyone. The final card does suggest he has a responsibility to his family (5♠ and A♥).

The King of Spades is the key in this Reading. Is it a doctor telling him to take it easy? Does this King represent the man getting the reading who possesses an old-fashioned work ethic common with the spades King? Is it a new employer? Lots of possibilities to think about. Could be all of them.  😉

There will be some changes coming over the next month or two and hopefully they are not due to any health reasons.

5 card layout featuring Tarot Illuminati

5 card layout for any deck of cards

The provocative question for the Tarot Illuminati cards is as follows: “What is the general forecast for global peace?  The blended interpretation is associated to the meaning of the positions, my understanding of the Tarot cards and in relation to the question. 

The quotes beside the name of the card are from the accompanying book Tarot Illuminati by Kim Huggens, Erik C. Dunne. © Lo Scarebeo 2013. The Tarot Illuminati deck in the images is featured to illustrate the 5 card layout.

TAROT ILLUMINATI by Erik C. Dunne

BASIS – 8 of Cups:  “Vision Quest in the Wasteland”

8 Cups Tarot Illuminati

BASIS: The 8 of Cups shows a red caped individual walking away from 8 upright cups. The opening between two mountains beckons the person. The Spiritual journey awaits. Something is missing which has not been fulfilled by the cups.

Global peace cannot be achieved by the success markers of society. The movement towards Spiritual peace within ourselves has already started. Many of us recognize that the missing pieces of the puzzle are somewhere out there still to be discovered. Individual peace will lead us to global peace. 

WHAT “WE” KNOW – 7 of Pentacles: “Waiting Game”

7 Pentacles Tarot Illuminati

WHAT WE KNOW: The 7 of Pentacles reflects how we are watching for some sort of sign of Spiritual fulfillment. The seeds are planted in mass consciousness. Enough of us know that from these seeds growth is possible.

We are connected through seeds of thought and action. What we don’t know is how many of us will fully ripen. Many will be anxious to mature. The lesson has been patience and observation. The less ripened individuals cannot lead us to global peace. 

WHAT “WE” ARE NOT SEEING: The Fool: “Infinite Possibility of Chaos”

Fool Tarot Illuminati

WHAT WE ARE NOT SEEING: The Major Arcana Fool card is filled with risk. At the same time promotes faith in the unknown.  We are not seeing that we are already in the midst of a child like wonder about global peace. When we recognize that we have already taken the first step on this journey through a leap of faith it’s just a matter of time to see where we land.

Many individuals may not be aware that even though they are on their own Spiritual quest that they are not alone. I think a large group of souls will land in the same place. There will be protection.

ADVICE TO FOLLOW – The Emperor: “Aries seated in His Power”

Emperor Tarot Illuminati

ADVICE TO FOLLOW: The Major Arcana Emperor card is the experienced warrior. He knows the responsibility involved in power.  In the image he sits quite comfortably on his throne facing to the right – facing the future. The soul group belonging to the Emperor is strong. It’s the same lesson all over again. Fighting on behalf of conflict or fighting for peace. It is important to think before taking any action triggered by the need to exert power over an individual, group or cause.

The Emperor is telling us to focus on self-control by empowering ourselves. Individual structure is necessary. It is important to heed the teachings of the Emperor card by knowing it will take courage to avert possible conflicts which are created by those in leadership positions.

RESULT – The Empress: “Venus Incarnate in Sensual Earth”

Empress Tarot Illuminati

RESULT: The Major Arcana Empress adds a very creative influence to the outcome. She nurtures. Global peace requires constant care giving much like a mother minding her children.

One of the influences of the Empress is to multiply and expand through love. She is ruled by Venus the planet of love unlike the Emperor which is ruled by the Mars the planet of war. We have already been advised not to tap into the Emperor’s misuse of power.

The Empress has given birth to a new generation of loving souls. These souls are walking among us now and their intent is to create a more peaceful world. No matter what your biological age may be at this time some of you belong to a group of souls that are under the rulership of the Empress.

The outcome when all is said and done is that Global peace will be monitored by our loving Empress. We may have to contend with some aspect of the Fool’s folly as this card falls in the what we are not seeing position. The Empress will teach us the true meaning of unconditional love which will promote and expand Global peace. 

Grand Layout. Venus Cards. Olney H. Richmond’s Mystic system.

I have studied Olney Hawkins Richmond system found in the Mystic Test Book for several decades. I could never wrap myself around his precise timing techniques for the Grand layout consisting of all 52 cards. I usually meditate prior to shuffle and when I felt the moment was right I began laying the cards beginning with the 3 Sun Cards continuing to the next row (Mercury future, now, past) and to the next row (Venus, future, now, past) and so on. See first image which I created to keep track of this Reading. Much of my information comes from Richmond’s 3rd edition printing 1919. I am fond of  the Sacred Symbols of the Ancients book by Edith L. Randall and Florence Evylinn Campbell and am lucky to have the original copy from 1975.

I have summarized my own findings for each card and chose the meaning which made the most sense.  There are several books on the market which have built on Richmond’s original system like Destiny Cards by Robert Camp, 1992. I bought Robert’s book when it first came out and have had some astounding Readings. Also, I admire the work of Thomas Morrell Mystic Quadrant system. It’s good to know one key phrase for each card if you attempt this layout as well as what each card means in the Planetary rows/columns. You can find those meanings in the author’s books I mentioned. Without getting into the finer details of Richmond’s system in this post (see other posts on blog) I want to get right to reading the Grand (Spread) Layout.

The great thing about having all the 52 cards in front of you in the 7 rows (planetary rulership) you can easily see the past (2 cards) now or current time (3 cards) and future (2 cards).  I decided just to read the Venus row which rules love and relationships and of course of I will read the entire layout but it would be way too big for a post.  I just want to show you what you can do if you do not adhere to the strict instructions of Mr. Richmond.

Grand Layout.

This is my worksheet and the next image is the actual cards on my dining room table featuring the Jeu de la Pucelle (reproduction) deck, made in France.

Jeu de la Pucelle deck

Notice the 3 sun card are not turned over when I took the picture. According to Richmond and his colleagues these three cards are of no influence in the person’s life. It is an event or situation which is gone.

In the first image you can clearly see the Venus row as there is a red dashed line around it.  In the second image the Venus column is the 2nd last full column of 7 cards. The last column is Mercury. The first column in the 2nd image is the Neptune column which is the Neptune row (bottom) in the 1st image.

VENUS CARDS: ok we are wanting to know about love, relationships, etc. Look at all the red cards.

PAST:  2♦   JACK♥

2♦business arrangement with a female. Co-partnership with a friend.

JACK♥ a young relative. Warm friend or lover. Kind hearted young man.

Summary: In the past you had some sort of arrangement with a female who may have been related to you. You received warm support from a kind hearted young man or your lover.

NOW OR PRESENT: 6♥  5♦  7♦

6♥ contentment for a season of time. Not much variety in love or friendships. Married happiness.

5♦ change in love or a friendship. 

7♦money paid or given to a lady. (If 8♥ followed the 7♦it would mean money paid out for some pleasurable situation.)

Summary:  Things in love department are running smoothly at the current time. You won’t see much variety. Some of this boredom or lack of excitement may trigger changes in your romantic feelings. You will gift a female with some money to make yourself feel better.

FUTURE: 7♥  QUEEN♥

7♥ unfaithful friend or lover. Illness of friend. Heartache caused by a friend.

QUEEN♥ warm-hearted, loving faithful woman. Usually a mother or affectionate female.

Summary:  In the future months you may discover a friend of yours is ill. Another situation which might arise is the infidelity of a friend which will hurt you deeply.  The Queen♥ can represent the female getting the Reading although it is not her birth card but she is a mother.

Let’s find this female’s birth card (click link to find yours scroll halfway done on the right) in the Grand Layout.

She is a 5♠:  sitting as the 1st card in Saturn followed by the Ace♠(bad news) in the Past.  This tells me she is “stuck” on some situation she has already experienced which was probably quite challenging.  

So where is her lover’s card in the Grand layout? Is he the one who will be unfaithful?  It’s always a good idea to ask the Month/Day of the significant people in the person’s life you are Reading. Sometimes this fits perfectly other times it is the card’s meaning which is stronger.

9♣ can be found under Mars as the last card (future).  The the card is the Queen ♣.  This duo suggests some disappointment or disapproval (9♣) due to lack of knowledge which involved this female which is of strong will. She is smart but quick-tempered. Maybe the man will get involved with someone else’s problems and this might be misconstrued as unfaithfulness. Taking interest in another woman’s life while in a relationship with a woman could send the wrong message. It all depends on the belief system of the people involved. 

As you can see it is better to do the entire Reading because you will be cross referencing cards as well.