Tarot Spread Test Drive - Paul Quinn's Life Journey Spread

Curious about all the different tarot spreads out there? Wondering if they’re a keeper – or a lemon? Me too. Let’s take them for a test drive and find out!

Each month, I’ll pick an interesting tarot spread (from a book or around the web) – and give it a spin. I’ll look under the hood, kick the tires – and show you exactly how it works…or doesn’t. No haggling necessary. Ready to roll? Let’s go!

This month’s tarot spread: Paul Quinn’s Life Journey Spread

Paul Quinn is the author of Tarot For Life, a fabulous book that I think belongs on every tarot reader’s shelf. It’s beautifully written, with lots of real-life examples of tarot cards in action.

There are a handful of tarot spreads towards the back of the book. I was intrigued with the section called “Spreads for Soul Questions” and decided to test drive one of those today.

Paul says this about soul questions: “Soul questions are the take-a-deep-breath questions that probe the nature of your purpose and spiritual progress.” Sounds good to me! I chose the Life Journey Spread (page 309.)

The positions are defined as:

1 – Where I Have Been

2 – Where I Am Now

3 – Where I Am Going

Here are the cards I chose:

My interpretation:

Where I Have Been: Six of Cups – Paul calls this the “Hallmark card of the Minor Arcana” which cracks me up. When you consider the sweet nature of this card, that description makes sense! The Six of Cups is often attributed to happy memories from the past but I also see it as a card of giving and receiving. Which, if we are looking at this card from a karmic perspective, could be interpreted as making peace with the past and finding emotional balance in the present. If you look closely at the card, there is a figure patrolling the garden where the other two meet – a sign of emotional boundaries, protecting the innocence and joy. This symbolizes security, keeping out the unpleasant stuff, and creating space for joy. This makes so much sense to me – I’ve done a ton of work around boundaries and feeling safe.

Where I Am Now: Nine of Cups – the classic wish card, the Nine of Cups symbolizes contentment. Security. Sitting in the best position you could possibly be in. Paul says this: “the fellow held a vision for creating his desire, felt passion for it, never questioned his worthiness, and now savors its manifestation.” Because this card follows the Six of Cups, the vibration here says: you’ve done the emotional work and now you’re sitting pretty. Life is good. Enjoy what you’ve created. You know what? I am in a good spot right now.

Where I Am Going: Queen of Wands – Wands rules the fire element and Queens nurture – this is the keeper of the flame, the woman who tends to her creative fires or passions. In 78 Degrees of Wisdom, Rachel Pollack describes this card as “Alone of all the Queens she sits with her legs apart, signifying sexual energy. She shows a Fire appreciation of life, warm, passionate, very solidly in the world.” I love that last part: very solidly in the world. The future of my life path looks bright indeed.

My ratings:

I think this is a wonderful spread for a life path check-in. You can get a good idea of where you’ve been – but also where you’re going. If the future isn’t looking so hot, I would recommend pulling another card for advice. In Tarot For Life, each card has an advice blurb that you can use for additional guidance.

In addition to trying this spread out, I highly recommend that you grab a copy of Tarot For Life – it’s excellent.

I hope you enjoyed the latest Tarot Spread Test Drive. I’ll be taking the tarot wheel and hittin’ the road with a new spread soon. If you want to ride along with me, keep an eye on my blog. Happy tarot trails!

Blessings,
Theresa

images from The Fountain Tarot and Radiant Rider Waite