Elemental Spread Exercise
I’ve seen the “elemental spread” and its variations over the years as I’ve studied Tarot. It’s a spread I always come back to because I think it provides a decent overview of a situation. Today I would like to share my favorite variation of this spread with a brief sample.
Sort your deck into 5 piles – one for each suit and the trumps. Shuffle each pile. Draw a card from the wands pile for the fire position, a cups card for the water, swords for air, coins for earth, and finally a trump for spirit.
The fire position relates to our passions, hobbies, or talents. It can show how the situation sparks or hinders our motivation and drive.
The water position relates to our emotional state, moods, or relationships with others in relation to the topic.
The air position illustrates our thoughts, intellectual pursuits, and overall mental state concerning the situation. This card may connect strongly with another one in the spread. (For example, the relationship situation described in the water position may be causing stress or anxiety that is being described in the air position.)
The earth position relates to finances, occupations, physical security, or other practical concerns in relation to the matter.
The spirit position shows the overarching theme or lesson that is taking place.
Let’s look at an example:
Prudence is doing a general reading about her job.
At a glance, we can see that Prudence has drawn two 7’s, a 10, and an 8. This indicates that there are events nearing their culmination. The 10 of Wands and 8 of Cups both have Saturn correspondences, which often indicates restriction or a lack of options.
The 10 of Wands – Prudence is feeling some burnout. Even the aspects of her job that keep her motivated have become a burden and she feels trapped with a heavy workload.
8 of Cups – It’s only logical that the burnout and dwindling passion is creating emotional dissatisfaction. Prudence has enjoyed many good times at her job and has made some wonderful connections, but she thinks it may be time to move toward a happier place.
7 of Swords – Prudence may be concerned about the dynamics with her coworkers. Gossip and dishonesty may be creeping into her work environment. Someone might be stealing her ideas or taking credit for her work. Or maybe they just like to stir up trouble and discord. Maybe they are shirking responsibility and Prudence is picking up the slack. In any case, the antics of this person are preying on Prudence’s mind and causing anxiety.
King of Coins – The King of Coins could be Prudence’s likable boss, or it could represent the financial security that her job brings to her. It’s difficult, even when every other aspect of the job is unpleasant, to walk away from a job that pays well and offers stability. Few jobs offer good pay, reliable hours, and benefits.
The Chariot – The theme or life lesson at work may relate to control. Prudence needs to steer herself through life without being bound by unrealistic expectations or worries about the behavior of her coworkers. She will have to decide if she can take control and make changes at her job to improve the situation, or if it is time to move on with her life and trust that she has the skills and experience to do something new.
The high numbered pip cards indicating the end of a cycle may point toward the need to move on, as do the illustration of the 8 of Cups and the forward facing charioteer. The restrictive nature of Saturn could be a self-imposed feeling of helplessness, or it could point to the need to start taking steps to generate alternate employment options.
This spread is a great way to evaluate a situation’s component parts. Generally speaking, there’s a lot of interplay between the elements, and the same interplay holds true in this spread. Often the connections among the cards can provide valuable insights. I hope you give this spread a try!