The Tarot Triptych

There are many Tarot spreads out there. Many of them are quite complex, like the “Celtic Cross,” and others are pretty simple, like “ask-a-question/flip-a-card.”

My favorite spread is what I call the “Tarot Triptych.” It’s a three-card spread, as the name implies, but it’s a little different than your typical “past-present-future.” I like the past-present-future spread – it’s handy – but I’ve been using the Tarot Triptych more and more over the past few years.

I have my reasons. I’ll explain.

Most Tarot spreads are dependent on synchronicity (“the simultaneous occurrence of events which appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection”). I say this because, typically, you or the querent will shuffle the cards and maybe ask a question, then you turn over the cards and rely on synchronicity to have organized the cards in such a way as to be relevant to the question. Clearly, there’s an element of chance involved – and that’s fine – but there are alternatives.

The Tarot Triptych engages a different mechanism – it does not rely on synchronicity.

It relies on the Hermetic resonance or sympathy between the macrocosm and the microcosm, as well as on cosmic influence emanating down the Great Chain of Being. The Prime Mover (or whatever you want to call the Uncaused Cause) emanates influence which passes through the stars and planets and, after passing through the seven spheres, is focused and distributed by the Moon and made available in the elemental world (you and your Tarot cards are here). Through ritualism (like a Tarot session) you can concentrate the cosmic emanations. (Read that again because I just explained astrological magic to you.)

Here’s what you do:

Erect a chart for whatever moment you want to know about (job interview, marriage, etc.); or, if you just want to ask a question, erect a chart for the moment the question becomes clear in your mind (the present moment of the reading also works). You should use astro-seek’s traditional chart calculator to erect the chart.

Once you have the chart, look at the Ascendant (you’ll find it at 9 o’clock) and note the rising sign (the sign that the Ascendant is in, or the sign on the cusp of 1st house, depending on the house system you’re using). Write that down. Next, write down the sign the Sun is in. Then write down the sign the Moon is in. So, you should have three zodiacal signs written down. (I do have a method that I use if I have a repeat, like both the Sun and the Moon are in Scorpio, but it involves the pip cards and the decans and I don’t want to get into that right now and overcomplicate things). These are the signs of the Ascendant, Sun and Moon – the “Big Three” of astrology.

A folio from the Cipher Manuscript.

Now, you may not know this, but there’s this document called the “Cipher Manuscript” that has all the correspondences of signs and planets to the Major Arcana. These are the typical Golden Dawn correspondences. I like them. I use them. I’ve had great experiences using these correspondences and I’ve found that they ring true in practice.

Here are the sign-to-Tarot correspondences you need for this operation:

Aries = The Emperor

Taurus = The Hierophant

Gemini = The Lovers

Cancer = The Chariot

Leo = Strength

Virgo = The Hermit

Libra = Justice

Scorpio = Death

Sagittarius = Temperance

Capricorn = Death

Aquarius = The Star

Pisces = The Moon

A handy correspondence wheel for the pip cards, should you want to use those.

Once you have the Tarot cards that correspond to the Ascendant, Sun and Moon, you use these to answer the question or get insight into whatever the matter is/was/will be.

Here’s an example. I erected the chart below recently. I don’t remember what for, but that’s not important right now.

Chart erected on astro-seek.com.

Notice the Ascendant is in Libra – that makes Libra the rising sign. Libra corresponds to Justice, so pull that card and put it aside. The Sun is in Capricorn, which corresponds to The Devil, so put that card aside. The Moon is in Taurus, which corresponds to The Hierophant, so pull out that card too.

Justice, The Devil and The Hierophant.

You know have three Tarot cards – Justice, The Devil and The Hierophant. These cards were not drawn at random – this spread was composed based on astro-tarotic correspondences. This spread does not partake of any synchronistic action – it engages Hermetic resonance and cosmic sympathies. You can use this method for all kinds of things. I prefer it to random Tarot draws.

If you want more info, book a 1-hr session with me.