It’s that spooky time of the year again to have some fun with your tarot deck, so here’s my Trick or Treat Tarot Spread ?
Some prompts for each position:
TRICK
Deception – it’s not what it seems – something hidden – a tiny detail you have overlooked – too good to be true – self-sabotage – shadow – limiting belief – beware of this – obstacle – something sinister – the small print
TREAT
Indulgence – self-care – achievement – gift – clarity – talent – illumination – what is supporting you – opportunity – abundance – celebrate – appreciate – enjoy – breakthrough – lucky break – blessing
Draw a card for each position placing cards face down. Choose one of them – trick or treat?
It can always be tempting to choose TREAT, but sometimes you may want to face some tricky demons to resolve an issue, and the TREAT may not be favourable in the long-term or such a great idea.
Nothing is ever black or white / good or bad. It’s your choice?
You can also choose both positions as a two-card snapshot spread.
Deck: Bohemian Gothic Tarot, 1st Edition (c) Baba Studio
Samhain / Halloween is fast approaching, a time when the veil between the world of the living and the dead is at its thinnest.
So it comes to no surprise that if you wish to make contact with dearly departed, this is the perfect night to do so.
I am no spiritual medium and therefore no expert in making contact with dead people, but I do feel it is possible to have a conversation with them through the Tarot.
Many years ago I tried to make contact with my mum, who had died the year before, and even though nothing spooky happened during the reading, I did have some interesting dreams on several occasions afterwards, some of which where astounding to say the least.
This year I intend to make contact with my Dad, who passed over in July this year, so while I’m still going through the process of coming to terms with it, I have the need to reconcile with him in some way.
I do believe that making contact with a departed loved one can help bring some closure and therefore contribute to the healing process.
So, my advice is only to communicate with the dead, if your intention is reconciliation, closure and healing.
The Ritual
1. Questions
Before you begin, think about the questions you would like to ask your loved one. Write them all down, so you won’t forget during the reading.
Although it’s always worthwhile wording your questions wisely, you can ask anything you like, because you are trying to talk to someone you once loved (and still do), and they loved you too, so they won’t mind!
Questions like “How are you?”, “Are you at peace now?”, “What’s it like?” are perfectly okay. You don’t need to censor yourself. In addition you can also ask your loved one for advice just like you used to when they were still with you.
2. Timing
Do your spirit reading later in the evening on the 31st October. The best time would be around the witching hour. Make sure you won’t get disturbed by anybody, like those pesky trick-or-treaters or whoever lives with you.
3. Sacred Space
Set the scene with seasonal decorations, candles and crystals (see also Halloween ideas).
For this kind of work I love using my Black Obsidian Skull. The energetic vibrations of carved crystal skulls are said to make a mental connection with your brain, thus helping you to be more receptive to messages from the spirit world.
4. Grounding
Start with your usual grounding ritual and include a request to the spirit world, such as “Spirit world, please open up to me, so (insert the person’s name you wish to talk to) can talk to me.”
It also helps, if you have a personal item from your loved one you can hold whilst asking him/her to come forward.
5. Reading
Once you feel you are ready, or you may even feel the presence of your loved one, you can begin the reading.
Shuffle your deck while thinking of your loved one. For each question you have, pull a card. The messages you receive from the cards may be from your loved one.
I say “may”, because they may also be from your own subconscious, which knows the answers all along and has the desire to reveal them to you, so you can heal.
Click on the image to save, or open it in a new tab to see a larger version and share with your friends.
Either way, this reading can contribute to your healing process by helping you feel connected to your loved one and getting some answers you need.
If you are planning to do a reading that is focused on self-exploration, then you can try out the spread in the box on the right.
Just in time for Halloween, here’s my latest creation:
Death in the Tarot of Quotes.
This card has already made an appearance in September, when I was blogging about the Power of Transformation, but today is its official introduction.
Death is one of the most feared and misunderstood cards in the Tarot, so I thought that a dramatic image of a skeleton trying to escape from its grave would give that reputation justice 🙂
But of course when this card comes up in a reading, it very rarely indicates physical death.
The skeleton and the Autumn leaves symbolise the shedding of old to allow for new growth in Spring.
Death is all about transformation, endings, conclusions, change.
Astrologically, Death is linked to Scorpio, the zodiac sign of transformation.
At Halloween, Scorpio is the ruling sun sign.
We are celebrating endings, but new beginnings follow swiftly: on the 1st November it’s the beginning of the Celtic new year and start of winter according to the Celtic tradition.
Transformation is happening gradually.
Endings, change and ultimately transformation are no easy processes to go through.
At times there is discomfort, emotional upheaval and pain along the way. But the message of this card is that something new will emerge that is taking us into a new direction.
Death in a reading may remind us of our own mortality and therefore asks us to live more consciously.
It also advises us to embrace change as a means for growth, even if it hurts at times.
For your Halloween contemplation, you can explore what this card means to you right now in your life:
What do you need to let go of that no longer serves you?
Who or what have you lost recently you need to come to terms with?
How can you best adapt to changes that you are facing? These changes can be external but also physically and emotionally.
How can you transform anguish, loss and grief into a new sense of purpose and understanding?
Halloween is also a good time to get in touch with your dark side. Find out more in my article Meet Your Shadow.
Whatever way you spend Halloween – spooky fun or quiet reflection – have a good one!