Hekate and a Tarot Spread

I want to share with you a tarot spread inspired by Hekate. As a goddess, she inspired Shakespeare's three witches in the infamous opening scene of Macbeth, which helped to create her modern conception of Hekate as a crone. For the 5th century Greeks, Hekate was described as a maiden goddess of roads and witches. Her name was invoked at three way crossroads and, yes, by witches.

Her epithets describe a goddess of immense beauty and power. Zeus honors her, and she rules earth, sky, and sea. She stands watch over birth as well as death.
For the later mystics, she came to be understood as the Goddess who Ensouls the world.

Hekate's Crossroad Spread

This spread was created for me at a time when I was really mired and stuck immobile in my life. My obligations were simultaneously telling me to remain where I was and to move on to grad school, and I needed insight.

As a result, it works best for moments when you feel like you are in between, such as deciding whether to quit a job or between any other situation. That said, it can be used outside of that situation with some thought and consideration.



Card 1: Significator: This card represents the querent, and may be chosen or pulled. It may refer to how the querent is behaving or the situation that they are facing.

Card 2: The Path: Represents the situation, or the recent past that has brought the querent to the crossroad.

Card 3: The Rope: Represents the limitations that the querent is experiencing, or the responsibilities that the querent has. This may also indicate other influences not described in the prior cards.

Card 4: The Knife: Represents the factors that the querent can discern about the situation, what the True Will thereof might entail, or things that must be culled from one's life in order to proceed in the situation.

Card 5: The Triodotis/Herm: Represents the central fact of the situation, the crux of the decision.

Card 6: Torch the First: Describes the first option before the Querent.

Card 7: Torch the Second: Describes the second option before the querent.

Card 8: The Cavern: Represents Hekate's chthonic character. Hekate's cavern is a door to the underworld, and a place from which the ancestors can lend insight as well as the Goddess.

Card 9: The Stars: Represents Hekate's celestial character. Hekate's stars are a door to the deepest aspects of the soul. The guidance offered here can reflect the will of the divine or offer a glimpse of the future as it presently stands.*


*By the mere chance of doing a spread and accepting that knowledge means that the future changes.

The image above is Hekate from Pirner, 1901. :)

Tarot Code of Ethics

On Tarot:
In my personal experience, Tarot does not tell the future, but gives you a glimpse of possibilities, assuming that all things remain the same.

Readings are conversations that happen between the client, reader and the cards. Dialogue and discussion is part of the package. You will have a much better reading if you are willing to discuss the cards and how you respond to the imagery, as well as the situation overall. Ultimately, you are responsible for what you take away from the reading, as well as, responsible for your own life situation. Act according to your own conscience. Tarot is for insight, not direction, and should not be used to dictate how to live.

I have been reading tarot for a bit over twenty years, and various oracle cards for about fifteen years. In spite of those years of experience, I am not certified with the ATA or the TCBA. I have done readings in stores professionally in the past, and have taught introductory courses on cartomancy through the Pagan Student Alliance at Stephen F. Austin State University.

Tarot Code of Ethics:
1. Tarot readings will be kept confidential as far as the reader is legally able. No one will learn the querent's name or the results of the reading.

2. I cannot in good conscience provide advice about health, or do readings about people other than the querent. If a reading concerns the querent and others, the reading will be shaped to emphasize the role that the client has played in the situation.

3. I conduct my readings with respect for all clients, regardless of their origin, race, religion, gender, age, sexual preference, etc.

4. I will represent my experience with Tarot and other systems of divination honestly.

5. In situations where financial, legal, medical, or psychological matters outpace my expertise, I will recommend that the client seek out professional advice as appropriate.

6. I respect my client's right to refuse or end their reading at any time.

7. I reserve the right to refuse a client or a particular question if necessary, and will return any funds that were received for that purpose.

8. I will not do readings for minors unless their parents are present at the reading. In distance readings (via email), I will assume that paypal payments are proof of the eligibility of the client.

9. I will interpret the reading to the best of my ability but will be honest when I draw a blank. I am not infallible, and will speak as clearly as I can.

For further insight into your rights as a client, please check the links below that helped inspire the above code.

This code of ethics is inspired by:
http://www.tarotpedia.com/wiki/Tarot_Ethics
http://www.ata-tarot.com/images/members/ethicaltarot4.pdf
http://www.tarotcertification.org/rights.html
http://lotuspond.silentblue.net/tarot/my-tarot-ethics/

World Tarot Day

Today is World Tarot Day. Most people have no idea what Tarot is actually about. It doesn't predict the future. It describes the potential energy in a situation. Even getting a reading can trigger changes in that moment. With a good tarot reader, one will be better informed as to how to change the state you are presently in for the better.

Tarot is a conversation between the conscious self and other aspects of the self and the reader. It should engage all parties.

I bought my first tarot deck when I was about fifteen, and haven't looked back since. That deck is sitting in the other room. I've taught classes on reading the cards intuitively, because people seem hung up on the little white book, and think that you have to memorize each card's list of keywords.

I have about forty decks, but only two or three are in circulation at a time. Each New Moon and Full Moon I pull an oracle card for a theme for meditation for that part of the cycle. Currently, the card is from an Animal Oracle, and is the Raven. Its a call to listen to my intuition, to consider how Mother Nature makes use of everything no matter how disgusting or surprising that might be.

One of the problems with working with tarot is figuring out what your limit might be, that is, how much is too much tarot. People get addicted to the illusion of certainty. And it is an illusion. It provides insight, not answers, and it is never certain.

We all have days when our intuition is off-kilter, when we aren't listening, when the answer we want just isn't there and we're ignoring what we see.

The best way to counter all that is to pay attention. Do a daily tarot pull, but pay attention to how connected and centered you feel when you are doing so. My own method of daily reading is thus:
I shuffle thoroughly after meditation, which helps me to be centered. Then I cut the deck three ways, and draw one card. I write down in my journal the date, the card and the first three things that come to mind when I'm looking at the card. Then I pull out my tarot journal that includes notes on that card and check the meanings there, writing down any that jump out at me for the entry of the day.
Having done all that, I look at the previous day's entry, and underline those terms and notes that seem to have actually occurred. Sometimes it is very accurate, and sometimes I only underline one term.

I don't do this if I'm sick, or haven't had adequate sleep, or if I'm distracted. Because then I know my reading isn't going to be worth crap.

Which is why my original plan for World Tarot Day isn't going to happen. I have many distractions going on right now, and I'll implement my surprise later for you, my what, three readers? :)

Woohoo! Three readers! Plus another who uses facebook to see what I'm saying.
Suffice to say that my plan involves offering a new service over at Wicket Icons, and that it involves Tarot. I hope to get it set up by next weekend.

In between that time, the shop will, sadly be closed while I do some very important things. :)

So, in simpler language. The shop will be closed: this Friday May 27, 2011 until June 3, 2011. At that point, I'll unveil my latest offering for you, my friends and customers.

I hope you have a blessed and beautiful week. Happy World Tarot Day!