a polyamory spread + sample reading

Beth at Little Red Tarot shared her wonderful polyamoury tarot spread and I'm passing it on. I'll admit the polyamory concept is new to me but I keep running into it in love/relationship questions of late. If you're still in the dark, polyamory is openly having multiple or simultaneous loving or sexual relationships. 

Polyamory can take many forms, from multiple people all living together and sharing day-to-day life together. Or it could be an individual who is dating multiple people with no intention of settling down with any one. Or it could be a primary couple who each have other relationships, together or separately. Or perhaps it's an interconnected network of people who are involved with each other.

via http://www.serolynne.com/polyamory.htm

Beth gives two different versions of this spread. The one I'm choosing is Version 1, which is great for anyone, including those who aren't in polyamorous relationships. It shows what you bring to and also need from the relationship. And the focus question she poses is powerful:

How can I make sure I'm the best person I can be within my relationship(s)?

SAMPLE READING

I'm using my Over the Moon Oracle Cards (non-captioned version) for this one. Above you'll see the general layout. Check out the spread in Beth's post to see the card positions. I'll be going through each section to explain the cards chosen.

Who you are in this relationship

The two  center cards show who you are in this relationship. The upright card is you and the crossing card represents a challenge at this time. The Commitment | 4 of Hearts card shows you are settled and happy in this relationship but the Effort | 10 of Clubs card shows you may be carrying a lot of responsibilities. You may even be asking, Is this relationship worth the effort?

Your special skills

These 3 cards represent personal qualities you're bringing into the relationship. The center card, Communication | 3 of Clubs, shows you are a great communicator and willing to talk things out. Completion | 9 of Clubs shows that you know how to bring things to a close and won't keep rehashing problems in the relationship. Resentment | 6 of Spades shows a special skill of service, however, it also shows how resentment can build up over a period of time from being dutiful and trying to be of service when you don't feel like you're getting back what you're putting into the relationship.

A potential issue, and possible solution

The upright card Rivalry | 5 of Clubs represents the potential issue. The possible solution Status | 8 of Diamonds is adjacent. This shows a potential issue of rivalry and comparison. The solution is to spend a little time alone (perhaps enjoying some needlepoint or your favorite hobby) and take stock of all the good things the relationship has brought into your life.

A potential issue, and possible solution

This is a second potential issue and solution. In Conflict | 5 of Spades, we see anger building up at someone who seems unaware of our feelings. The solution is shown by the Desire | 8 of Hearts cards. Again, going off by yourself (perhaps to watch the gentle waves of the ocean), may help to bring peace.

It's significant that the potential issues are represented by fives and the solutions are represented by eights. Fives show that the potential issues are about conflict due to a need for freedom and independence. When conflict begins to brew, know that this is a signal that you need a time out from the relationship and time alone to regroup. Eight deals with goal-setting and getting what you want. As the solution, it suggests that in response to conflict you need to focus on what you have and what you want from the relationship. Is it meeting your needs and desires? How can you be more fulfilled?

Your safe place (a place where you can retreat that's just yours)

Here we see another five, Fun | 5 of Hearts. Instead of showing anger and jealousy as the other fives demonstrated, this card shows that fun and playfulness is your safe place. When you need to take a break from the relationship, go outside and run around with your dog, or play a game with friends. This will help you let off some steam and find yourself again.

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JOURNAL: what new opportunities can I expect this month?

I performed a 4-card spread to answer this question. Each card represents a different opportunity with Card 1 showing the most significant opportunity.

The most significant opportunity this month is reaching a milestone and taking pride in my work and accomplishments (Congratulations | 9 of Diamonds).  However, there may be criticism from others  (in the Congratulations card, other women are looking on in envy and the Criticism | 7 of Clubs card is next to it.). I may also have an opportunity to take on a new leadership role (Leader | King of Clubs).

It also looks like I'll have the opportunity to express my concerns about something, possibly getting something off my chest (combination of Criticism and Conversation | 3 of Clubs). What I love about these cards is the patterns you'll see. The Criticism and Conversation characters are making similar gestures, thus showing a strong connection and congruence between these two cards. This combo can also reveal an opportunity to receive constructive criticism and advice.

If we turn the cards over, we see the playing card side gives even more information. 

First, we see that Clubs predominate. This shows that I will need to manage frustration and impatience this month regarding these opportunities. We can also look at the numerical theme to reveal the overall theme for the month. We add the numbers of each card 9 + 7 + 13 + 3 = 32 and reduce the number by adding again 3 + 2 = 5. Five (5) is the numerical theme.

Now, I understand the frustration and impatience energy of the Clubs. The 5 numerical theme reflects a conflict between pleasing others vs. pleasing self. There is usually a power struggle involved. When the 5 theme appears, you desire to assert your freedom and break away from the crowd. During a five vibration, criticism is especially difficult hear because you're not trying to play nice with anyone. I've already begun feeling this energy so I must watch for behaviors and words that cause division.

The playing cards give me more insight into my outlook for the month, forcing me to look at the images a little differently. I may be faced with potential conflict in the form of criticism, possibly from an authority figure (Leader), but I should receive it as an opportunity rather than a threat. There may be haters around (Congratulations) trying to defeat my pride but I need to focus on celebrating my growth and accomplishments.

What do you think about using the playing card side 

to get additional information?

JOURNAL: what's my next step with the cards?

I firmly believe that each deck of cards has its own personality and it's own interpretations, even if there are keywords on each card. When I get a new deck, I spend considerable time doing readings, sometimes just for myself and sometimes for others too. Should I jump onto some forums to share readings, or just focus on quiet study?

Let's see what comes out of a reading.

Here's what I got:

 Do This

 

NOT This

Security | Ace of Diamonds reflects quiet study, so that's my answer. But what to make of Depreciation | 5 of Diamonds? This card relates to things being eaten away. It's a Diamonds card and typically suggests dwindling finances, gambling away money and bad credit. When this card appears, you may be spending more time, money and energy than you can afford....BINGO! In this case, this card warns not to go overboard connecting with this new deck. After all, I have plenty of other projects I need to attend to. I also need to watch my spending -- my intention is to purchase a few more prototypes as I see some changes I want to make with the deck.

I wasn't expecting the Conversation | 3 of Clubs card to pop out while shuffling. These are called "jumpers" because they jump out of the deck unexpectedly. Conversation gives me the impression that I need to be sharing this info with others or spreading the word. Well, I have this blog and my Instagram and Twitter accounts so they will be my main focus.

Do you use a quick advice spread like DO This, NOT This? 

Share it in the comments...always on the lookout for new spreads!