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[from http://www.oakgrove.org/GreenPages/bos/0623.txt ]

     625

Subject: Full Deck Tarot Star Spread
                                   by Unicornis


        There are very few Tarot spreads which use the entire deck in a
     single  unified  pattern.   What follows  is  a description  of  such
 a
     spread.   It is  best suited for  situations in which  a great  deal
of
     complexity  is  present, and  for 'general'  readings.   The  steps f
or
     creating the spread are:

           1: Thoroughly shuffle the deck until  it 'feels' right.  While
 I
     personably do  not allow  another person  to shuffle  my cards,  if t
he
     reading concerns another it is acceptable to  allow that person to ho
ld
     the deck  while concentrating upon the  matter in question.   This is
 a
     personal preference, but  I am convinced that  the relationship betwe
en
     reader and  deck is a very personal one and  that contact with the de
ck
     by another may 'confuse' the reading.

           2: Dealing from the 'bottom' of the deck (i.e. withthe cards fa
ce
     down and dealing from  the topmost position), create thirteen  piles
of
     six  cards each.  The first pile is  in the center and the other twel
ve
     are in a  circle around it.   Each pile  should be dealt  consecutive
ly
     (all six cards at once). Although it is not necessary to actually pla
ce
     them so, at least understand that the first card dealt in a pile  (Ca
rd
     0) is in the center of a circle of  five cards (Card 1 through Card 5
).
     This circle is, in actuality, a Star.  When laying them out in a  Sta
r,
     use the following spread for each pile:


                               1




                3                               4
                                0




                      5                    2


     Note  that if  you trace  the  numbers from  1 to  5 you  will  trace
 a
     five-pointed star, always  moving clockwise around the circle  to rea
ch
     the next point.

        3: Interpret the spread.

        Interpretation of this spread is based upon the astrological
     symbolism of the twelve houses.   The first pile of cards in the circ
le
     of twelve piles is House 1, the second is House 2, etc..


                                                                         6
26

        The individual piles delineate the specific factors at work in eac
h
     of the  twelve basic areas.   Card 1 represents the  matter in questi
on
     (the 'problem', question, etc.).  Card 2 represents the 'source' (cau
se
     of  the problem,  inception of  a  project, etc.).   Card  3 represen
ts
     factors which bear  upon the matter, but which are  external to it (a
nd
     probably out of the control of the querant).  Card 4 represents actio
ns
     taken  with regard  to the matter.   Card  5 represents  the outcome
of
     those  actions.    Card  4 is  the most  difficult to  interpret, sin
ce
     'action'  could here represent several different things.  First of al
l,
     it might represent an action which has already been taken.  If so, th
en
     Card  5 will represent the probable outcome, unless counter actions a
re
     taken.   Secondly, it might represent  the action which the  querant
is
     asking about (i.e. 'Should I ...'.
     Card  5, again,  represents the  probable outcome.   Thirdly,  it mig
ht
     represent  the suggested course of action (answer to the question 'Wh
at
     should I ...').  In this  case, Card 5  is the suggested  goal.  It
is
     quite possible  that  Card  5  will  relate to  a  past  outcome  (i.
e.
     everything has already transpired).  If this seems to be the case, th
en
     it  is possible that all five cards  must be interpreted as relating
to
     another person, instead of the querant.   Most of the time the sense
of
     Card 4 should be apparent from the context of the reading.

        Card 0 always represents the 'heart' of the individual Star spread
.
     Usually, this relates to  the querant's own relationship to  the matt
er
     which  is germane  to the  house in  question.   It can  also, howeve
r,
     represent   the  underlying   ('behind   the  scenes')   factors  whi
ch
     precipitated  the matter,  not to  be confused  with  the 'cause'  of
 a
     problem.   In this sense, it will usually represent motivations, rath
er
     than actions.  In some cases Card 0 will represent a person,  other t
he
     querant,  to  which the  Star actually  relates.   In  such a  case,
an
     attempt should be made, based upon the situation and the  nature of t
he
     card to  identify that person,  since this implies  that the matter
is
     either  out of  the hands  of the  querant or  the querant  is only
an
     'ambient'  factor (and  will then  be represented  by Card  3 for  th
at
     particular Star.

        In a similar manner, Pile 0 (the one at the center of the circle),
     represents the 'heart' of the entire reading.  This will always perta
in
     to the reasons (motivations) of the querant, and interpretation of th
is
     Star spread must be used to modify all of the others.

        This is not the place to delve into the meanings of the twelve
     houses  in detail.  There are many  good books in print which deal wi
th
     this.    I  highly  recommend  the  following,  which   give  excelle
nt
     interpretations of the twelve  astrological houses (coinciding with t
he
     twelve 'Stars' of this Tarot spread):

        The Astrological Houses: The Spectrum of Individual Experience
        by Dane Rudhyar

             The Astrology of Personality
        by Dane Rudhyar

             A Handbook for the Humanistic Astrologer
        by Michael R. Meyer

        The full deck star spread lends itself admirably to an in-depth
     study of any matter.  The human condition is far too complex to use a


                                                                         6
27

     simple  yes-no approach  to any  matter of  importance.   More so  th
an
     spreads which involve  only a small number  of the total factors  whi
ch
     could  come  into  play, the  full  deck  star  spread allows  detail
ed
     analysis of all  of the options  and avenues which  are available.
It
     will also show how the outcome  of an action might affect areas  of t
he
     querant's  life  which were  not specifically  part  of the  reason f
or
     consulting the Tarot in the first place.

        It might take a little longer to use, and might require a little
     more effort on the part of the interpreter, but the extra work will b
e
     repaid many-fold in the certainty that no stone was left unturned.