Pros and Cons Spread (& Reading)

Last month a client came to me wanting to know if she should do this or that. The spreads I have used in the past for such an inquiry didn't feel adequate for some reason, so I scribbled in my notebook for awhile until I devised this spread. It provides pros and cons for both available options. It also shows what force is drawing you to each choice, as well as a "bottom line" and message of advice.

I wanted to share this spread here because I have used it many times since, and it always provides very clear answers. It's definitely become my go-to spread for this type of reading.


Pros and Cons Spread

Before laying out the cards, decide which of your options will be #1 and which will be #2.

Card Layout

1..........2
..6..5..7..
3..........4

1. Pro for Option 1 - The benefit of choosing Option 1.
2. Pro for Option 2 - The benefit of choosing Option 2.
3. Con for Option 1 (taken from bottom of deck) - The downside to choosing Option 1.
4. Con for Option 2 (taken from bottom of deck) - The downside to choosing Option 2.
5. Bottom line (taken from bottom of deck) - The single most important thing to consider when deciding.
6. What makes you lean toward Option 1
7. What makes you lean toward Option 2
5-6-7. Message to consider - Read these three cards together as a summary.

The above diagram shows the order in which I lay out the cards. However, when I read the cards, I usually read them in the following order:

Cards 1/3: Option 1 pros/cons,
Cards 2/4: Option 2 pros/cons
Cards 6/7: The two "leaning" cards
Card 5: Center card
Cards 6/5/7: Three card message

Of course you can read it in any order that is most comfortable to you.


Here's a sample reading I did today using this spread:

I have a couple websites in mind to create, but only have the money to purchase one domain name at this time. I wanted to know which option was a better one to pursue right now, if I have to choose only one.

(Click on the image below to enlarge.)



Card 1 (Pro): Benefit of Choosing Website #1
Ten of Cups
This is a website that would begin with word of mouth from friends and family. The Ten of Cups shows a comfort level with the people I would begin working with on this site.

Card 3 (Con): Downside to Choosing Website #1
Strength
What stood out to me in this card was all the feline eyes on me. I will have the people closest to me watching me, seeing if I succeed or fail. That pressure will cause me to possess and display a certain strength. I will have to really believe in myself if choosing this option.

Card 2 (Pro): Benefit of Choosing Website #2
Eight of Cups
This website will be building on a business I already have been working on. It's not as new as the first one. This card represents the progress I hope to achieve as I take my work to the next level.

Card 4 (Con): Downside to Choosing Website #2
Ace of Swords
I don't know why, but I saw the eagles in the card as vultures... circling around, waiting for something to die. Looking at this card, I heard profound silence...the aura coming off this card was like the sound of crickets chirping. No business. No progress. It's a cold feeling card, with no human warmth to it. The sword has been placed, but there is nothing happening after that. It doesn't seem as though this option will bring in much more business.

Card 6: What makes me lean toward Website #1
Ten of Wands
I am struggling right now, which makes the comfort of the Ten of Cups very appealing. The hardship I am going through makes me lean more toward the business where I can rely on word of mouth from those who love me, because it feels more comforting and safe.

Card 7: What makes me lean toward Website #2
The High Priestess
I lean toward this option because I have more knowledge and experience invested in this business. It's not new to me. And it has more of a mystical side to it than the other one will allow me to have.

Card 5: The bottom line
Seven of Wands
What I saw in this card was a question: "If you had so much business that you had to beat people off with a stick, which business would you prefer doing?" If success came to me in such a rush, which option would be better for me? Financially, Website #1 would be slightly more advantageous for me. If I'm looking for a higher degree of fame or acknowledgment, it would be Website #2. So, if choosing between the two, I would probably go with #1.

Cards 6/5/7: Three card message
Ten of Wands, Seven of Wands, High Priestess
There is a man crawling on the ground under the weight of the wands on his back. His load is so heavy he can't even stand any longer. In the next card, he puts the wands down and keeps only one. The crystals at the end of the wands are glowing like candle flames. With just the one, he was able to light the others. When I make my choice, I will be able to eventually light the flames of other business prospects. But it starts with one. The man stands up straight now and is standing at the threshold of where he wants to be. The High Priestess awaits him beyond the doorway. She has the answers he seeks. This tells me that I need to meditate on it. I have recently begun my daily meditation practice after a long break. I believe this will be the key to confirming my final decision.

As it stands, from the look and feel of the cards, I think I will choose Website #1. I think ultimately it will be a bigger challenge for me, but will result in greater personal growth.

Looking at the cards again, the orange and furry warmth of the animals in the pro/con cards of Option 1 are in stark contrast with the cold water/air feeling of the pro/con cards of Option 2. This is another layer of depth to the reading pointing me toward Option 1. I will still meditate on it further and see what other advice I receive.

Deck: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot and Frouds' Faeries - Ecstatic Achievement

This morning I drew the Four of Cups, Nine of Coins and Eight of Wands. What I heard in my head as soon as I saw them was "From wanting it to having it... and fast!"

While the Four of Cups usually indicates to me a lack of interest, this card today looks like he is yearning for something. And the Nine of Coins is looking in the same direction, but she has it all. It's like before and after shots. The Eight of Wands is a card of swift movement. The wands in this card are all topped with crystals, which make me think of something magical and mystical. The wands are in the clouds, so it made me think "there's magic in the air".

I drew a faerie card to get a little more information about this draw, and pulled Ekstasis. This Singer has its welcoming arms outstretched in celebration and ecstasy. This is a card of pure, unadulterated joy. The kind of happiness that lights you up from the inside out, and in that moment, nothing else in the world exists but the source of your joy. There is definitely something to celebrate here. (The blue/green colors in the card are so much more vibrant than the scan shows... the card is really beautiful to look at.)

Still not having any idea what these cards are referring to, I decided to dig for another clue. I needed a Major Arcana to tell me what the underlying theme is. So I added up the three cards (4 + 9 + 8 = 21) and got The World. Another celebratory card! This tells me that it's going to be something big. The culmination of something that has been a long time coming. The final chapter... an arrival of some sort. I still don't know what this means for me, but it looks like it's gonna be good! And whatever it is, it appears to be coming very soon.

The World card in this deck shows the Fool once he has worked his way through the Major Arcana and reached the end of his journey. The first thing I noticed was how his arms were outstretched just like Ekstasis! Amazing.

While typing up this post, I had a flash of what these cards might mean, because I remembered a dream I had last night. I won't go into it here, but if that's the case, then the cards are referring to a very specific (and huge) event in the life of someone I used to be close with.

I rather hope that these cards are about me though. :)

Decks: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)
and Faeries' Oracle (by Brian Froud, published by Simon & Schuster)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot and Frouds' Faeries - Fear of Death

Today I drew Death, Seven of Wands and The Empress. (The Empress came up for me yesterday too.)

These cards actually relate to a story that happened to me last night. I was finishing reading a chapter in a book before going to bed when I heard a loud banging noise coming from another room. It scared me half to death. The kids and cat were asleep on the bed next to where I was standing. There was nothing else in the house that could have made that loud noise, and it was definitely a sound that came from inside the house. I was pretty scared. Though I knew it was unlikely, I wondered if someone was in the house. I looked around for a weapon. The best I could find was a glass holder for a seven-day candle. I figured I could smash it over the murderer's head. Then I saw a pair of scissors and grabbed that too. But I couldn't open the bedroom door holding two items, so I figured I'd need one free hand. I put down the glass jar and kept the scissors open in one hand. I entered the dark, too dark, living room. My heart was beating furiously, as I wondered what would happen to my kids after I got murdered. I quickly made my way to the kitchen and turned on the light. I saw shadows behind me in the dark.

I turned to the side and saw, in the laundry room, that a bottle of detergent had dropped down onto the washing machine. What a big relief. But then... what had made it drop? I checked the door next to the dryer which leads to outside, and it was still locked, bottom and top. I turned around and realized that there was probably no one in the house. I turned off the kitchen light and ran back to the bedroom. I have no idea what made the detergent drop. No idea whatsoever.

So... in today's cards, I saw myself in the Seven of Wands, holding my pathetic pair of scissors to defend myself from whatever threat there was before me. The Empress shows me as a mother, with children to protect, as they were my main concern when I left the room. And Death shows my fear of... well, death! Luckily I can now laugh at the story, and how I was scared out of my wits by a bottle of laundry detergent. But last night it wasn't so funny. Now that it's the following day, Death + Seven of Wands represents the end of my self-defense stance. The perceived danger is over.

I also saw another story from yesterday unfold in these cards. In the Seven of Wands, I am trying to fend off the Death card. This brought to mind the shooting at Ft. Hood two days ago, which I found out about yesterday. One of my dearest childhood friends is stationed at Ft. Hood, so upon hearing the news I immediately emailed him asking if he was okay. During the few hours it took for me to hear back from him, I was fighting off images of him being one of the many killed during the shooting. I was very relieved to hear that he was fine, but I am saddened to know that he is in pain over the tragic event.

Again today, I drew my Faerie card first. I drew The Lady of the Harvest. Although there is a Death card in the Faeries' Oracle, I also relate this faerie to Death as well. The Lady actually looks like a mixture of Death and the Empress. There are several decayed fruits in this card, which doesn't seem like much of a harvest if you ask me. There are goblin-like faeries merrily taking the decomposing fruit away. The Lady sits there calmly with a drugged look to her eyes. She appears to be numb and nearly dead herself. It's as though she is in a haze. Oddly enough, this card reminds me of composting. Putting the expired fruit in a compost heap so that it can turn again into something nutritious for another life form. For me, this card is about releasing the old, and thereby paving the way for the new... much like the tarot Death card. So when I drew the Death card after this faerie card, combined with the two issues I dealt with yesterday, this is obviously a significant issue for me right now. Whether the cards are simply picking up on the two instances where I feared death yesterday, or if they are implying a deeper message of the need to release something in my life, I don't know. I'm sure if it includes the latter, I will receive more signs along the way.

Decks: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)
and Faeries' Oracle (by Brian Froud, published by Simon & Schuster)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot and Frouds' Faeries - Dreams, Love and Family

I need to preface this reading with some background. This morning I woke after a night full of dreams in which I was romantically involved with someone. However, in the dreams I was never actually with the person. I was alone, or with other people, doing various things, but the theme was always of this person. Whatever I was doing, or where ever I was going, it was about this guy. (Hard to explain really.) Anyway, when I woke up, I realized I had fallen asleep wearing a necklace made for my birthday by my lovely friend Hannah. The necklace has hearts on it, and yesterday I had half-jokingly mentioned to her that maybe wearing the necklace would draw love to me. I was so surprised to feel the necklace still around my neck this morning, as I never sleep with jewelry on. I guess it really worked, as it brought love dreams my way!

For some reason when I went to my cards for the day, I picked up the Faeries' deck first. Usually I draw the tarot first. The Faerie that came up was Penelope Dreamweaver. Immediately I knew the dreams I had last night were significant, so I picked up a pen and jotted down every detail I could remember. There must be something there, a clue, since Penelope Dreamweaver asks that I pay attention to my dreams, and any inspiration that comes my way.

After I finished writing out my dreams, I picked up my tarot deck and as I was shuffling, the Two of Cups fell out of the deck. I had to laugh. This, of course, tied into the dreams I had last night, and Penelope Dreamweaver's advice to remember what I could from them. I then drew two more cards, The Empress and Six of Cups. What I saw right away was me (The Empress) and my three kids (Six of Cups). This trio suggests to me that a new love will be coming to me and my kids. I stand in the middle, protecting my kids from this new situation, until I am sure it is safe and good for all concerned.

I really, really like that the cards showed all of the people involved. The two cards that I most often use to represent myself are the Queen of Cups and The Empress. The Two of Cups followed by the Queen of Cups would have put more emphasis on the romantic one-on-one relationship. The Two of Cups followed by the Empress, however, means that my role as a mother will be accepted, nurtured, respected, appreciated, loved. And having my kids in the reading as well, in the Six of Cups, shows that they will be as much a part of the relationship as I will be. I am the Empress... I am a full time mother... I come with as close-knit a family as can be, and I make no apologies for that. Love it or leave it.

As I have mentioned before, I have the feeling that this relationship won't enter my life for about a year. I don't know why, it's just a feeling I have. But it will be interesting to look back on all the cards leading up to it, like little crumbs on a trail.

Deck: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot - Mercury Schmercury

This morning I drew the Page of Cups, Two of Swords and Three of Wands.

Yesterday I read that Mercury was in Cazimi, which was in effect from yesterday evening through early this afternoon. I know nothing about astrology, but from what I read, this brief period of time was a great chance to get some writing done. I felt inspired to jump on this tiny astrological window of opportunity last night. I was excited to see what great ideas would come rolling in. But alas, inspiration didn't come. I was exhausted, and nothing was coming to me.

The Page of Cups often indicates inspiration or synchronicity to me. Something unexpected that comes your way in a mystical manner. This was what I was expecting last night, but it just wasn't happening. The Two of Swords following the Page shows the blockage I experienced last night. My hands were at the ready, but both my mind and eyes were blocked. There was nothing incoming.

The Three of Wands (which I also drew yesterday) shows me that inspiration will come when it comes. I can't try to force it just because the planets are aligned. That's apparently not where my inspiration comes from, so I need to trust in my own process. The cards today were addressing my slight disappointment, and encouraging me to have faith that inspiration will come at precisely the right time for me, and not some random planet. So I feel better now. I didn't miss the boat. I'm just waiting on a better one.

Deck: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot - A Gift in the Mail

This morning I drew the Knight of Cups, Three of Wands and Two of Cups. I knew immediately that I could expect a gift in the mail from a loved one. The Knight of Cups almost always indicates a gift coming to me. The Three of Wands shows me waiting for the gift to arrive, so I assume it's coming in the mail. And the Two of Cups shows that it will come from someone I love (either that, or the gift will be something I love.) Presumably both.

Sure enough, not three minutes after I pulled my cards, I checked my email and there was an note waiting for me from my mom saying that she mailed me a package and I should receive it either today or tomorrow. The cards called it!

All the Knights in this deck are depicted by a helmet alone, sans body and horse. This unique concept allows the reader to pick up the essence of the Knight, yet see something different in the card each time they look at it. It reminds me of the similar feeling of the headless bodies in the Sakki-Sakki Tarot.

The Three of Wands is spectacular in this deck. It gives me a powerful sense of awe, anticipating the approaching air ship. The ship itself reminds me of something very specific but I can't quite put my finger on it. It also brings to mind Captain Hook's flying ship, but that's not what I initially thought of. It seems to me like there is an old movie from my childhood that had a ship with balloons like this, but for the life of me I can't remember what it was. The frustration of my faulty memory and resulting curiosity adds to the anticipatory feel of the card, so it works!

And a neat bit of trivia for those who don't have this deck... The glasses in the Two of Cups shows the reflections of the couple from the Lovers card.

Update: My mom's package is set to arrive tomorrow. But in today's mail, I received two gifts from other people! When I saw the Two of Cups, I briefly wondered if it meant there were two packages coming, but the thought escaped my mind when I was writing up the post. I'm off now to write my thank you notes!

Deck: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.

Legacy of the Divine Tarot - Victory Favors the Faithful

This morning I drew Faith, Ace of Coins and Six of Wands.

In this deck, Faith replaces the Hierophant. The depiction of different religions in a single card gives it a more inclusive feel than the ordinary version of the Hierophant. This card tells me I need to have faith in myself... in whatever it is that my heart is calling me to.

The Ace of Coins from yesterday tells me what I need to have faith in. I have been thinking a lot about different writing and publishing options. I have two children's books already written that I need to make a publishing decision about. I'm also thinking about writing a book of tarot spreads. But what I need to do right now is take one idea and go with it. I tend to get caught up in all the ideas I have, and end up doing nothing, because I get overwhelmed with doing it all.

A few days ago, on Halloween, I did my Lifting the Veil spread. I used a different deck for each position, some tarot and some oracle. The Seven of Cups came up twice in that reading (from two different decks), telling me I need to choose one idea and run with it, seeing it all the way through, and then I can come back and choose another one.

The Six of Wands shows me that I will achieve success with the idea I choose. It's a sure thing. I just need to have faith, as seen in the first card. So the dilemma facing me now is making the selection.

Yesterday I received another sign from the universe that this is the direction I need to go right now. Yesterday morning, on my father's kitchen counter, I saw a post-it note with the name "Paul Buckley" handwritten on it. Underneath the name was "Penguin Books" and an address. (Paul Buckley is the Vice President Executive Creative Director of Penguin Group USA.) Now, if you knew my father, you'd know that having Paul Buckley's name and address written on a post it note was about the least likely thing in the world. My father is in no way connected to the publishing world. I asked him how he knew Buckley. He said, "Who?" I told him about the post-it, and he had to look at it to know what I was talking about. "Oh, him? I bought a snake from him awhile ago." Of course he did.

Anyway, though my father's one-time reptilian transaction with the creative director at a major publishing company will be of no help to me whatsoever, I will definitely say that this incredibly unlikely scenario was a sign for me to proceed with my literary pursuits.

Deck: Legacy of the Divine Tarot (by Ciro Marchetti, published by Llewellyn)

~ Kiki
Tarot Dame

If you'd like to book a tarot reading with me, please click here for details.