[Notation: Read further down in section 5.3 about who to contact and how in regard to the FAQ. Thank you.]
Compiled by David C. Jones (djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu) and Secretive [Carol] (egotripping@myself.com)
Copyright, 1996, David Clark Jones. Please see the table of contents for the location of the full listing of the copyright notice.
5) Useless Information
5.1) Copyright Notice
This document, in its entirety, is Copyrighted by David Clark Jones. It may be freely redistributed, in part or in whole, provided that this and the copyright notice at the beginning of the document are not removed. It may not be sold for profit or incorporated into any commercial product(s) without the written permission of the copyright holder. Permission is expressly granted for this document to be made available for file transfer from installations offering unrestricted anonymous file transfer on the Internet or at any Bulletin Board System which does not require a user registration fee for downloading purposes (this excludes trial membership periods). Permission has been given to the following companies to carry a copy of this document among their online services: Compuserve, America Online, Prodigy, and the Microsoft Network. Permission is also granted for this document to be made available at any publicly accessible World Wide Web page. Printed paper copies of this document may be sold without my permission PROVIDED THAT THE SALE PRICE OF THE DOCUMENT DOES NOT EXCEED THE COST REQUIRED TO PRINT/COPY THE DOCUMENT. (Essentially, I don't care what you do with this, as long as you're not directly making money off of the document itself.) [This includes using the document to lure people into Pay Per View sites (where the person earns money for people visiting their pages) or ad revenue sharing projects. The reason for this is that you could be viewed making money off the document or using it to help make money for yourself. This document is only for free sharing and not to make side money from.]
5.2) Where to find this document
This document will be posted directly to the following newsgroups on the fifth day, or whenever possible, of odd numbered months:
alt.divination
alt.tarot
alt.magick
alt.magick.tyagi
[Currently the newsgroups are not being posted to. Secretive will attempt to restart that avenue of sharing later in the summer to get the schedule going again.]
If you feel that there is any newsgroup not listed above which would be appropriate for, and benefit from, a regular posting of this document, please inform me via e-mail and I will include it.
The most current version of this FAQ may be obtained at the following locations:
[Note: sites not linked have moved or the person no longer has a site.]
djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu
http://www.io.com/user/cortese/
http://tarot.readers.com (dtking)
http://www.oocities.org/Athens/2377 (Secretive)
http://web.egr.msu.edu/~philpott/Tarot/tarot.html
http://www.ionet.net/~graham/sarena.shtml
http://www.infi.net/~jackson
http://www.neta.com/~kottinge
http://www.icanect.net/wolf/wtarot.htm
Astro Net-1 BBS (414)481-9976
Permission has been granted for any person to upload this document to an appropriate area at the following online services: Compuserve, America Online, Prodigy, and The Microsoft Network. Personally, I do not have access to any of these services. Updating this document to those servers is dependent upon their clients.
If you would like to
It has come to my attention that several people not on the internet have been receiving copies of this document through friends. If you are one such person (or perhaps not) and would like to receive updated copies via regular mail, or you would just like to drop me a line, my snail address is listed below. Mailed copies of the FAQ will cost $5/ea. ($6 if you want binding) to cover the cost of copying and mailing; there may be additional mailing charges for persons living outside the 48 states. People who mail contributions to the FAQ will receive two updates, free of charge, if their submission is used.
David C. Jones
1805 Sena
Denton, TX 76201 [Ed. note: this is not a valid address any longer.]
5.3) Administrativia
A mailing list for new versions will not be maintained for the time being. It is very difficult for me to do multiple e-mails on my system and it requires over an hour for me upload the REF for e-mail (my server does not have an option to attach files). Also, since the new REF is always sent to the above web sites on odd months, keeping a mailing list is redundant. Until this situation changes, the ONLY people who will receive new copies on a regular basis via e-mail are the web site maintainers and people who made new contributions to that version of the REF. You may still send requests to have the REF e-mailed, but they will only be honored for one mailing.
In regard to this new policy, I have received a few notes from people stating that some of the web sites are not posting the new FAQ's; I will be having a discussion with the people who run these sites and the problem will be rectified in future versions.
[Ed. Note: In 1999, David contacted me, Secretive, through e-mail asking if I would take over the FAQ. I agreed as I found this FAQ to be a helpful resource to others. When I originally agreed, I did not know of a hectic time period brewing for my family. It has not been until recently that I have been able to help David keep this FAQ growing. I will not be mailing out copies, however if anyone would like to submit a layout they may send it my way through egotripping@myself.com. This account is checked twice monthly. David is the main copyright holder, I am merely helping by providing any additions. A ``secret`` partner, you might say. However, if you wish to share this FAQ through your site, please contact me so this information can be included to the FAQ. Any addendums by me, outside of active sites sharing this FAQ, will be designated as such by appearing within brackets or by my reading name of Secretive.]
5.4) Who am I and how this list got started
I am David Clark Jones, a recent graduate in the field of mathematics from the University of Northern Texas, Denton. I am also a beginning student of the Tarot. (I find it interesting that I say 'beginning' student. I have been studying for almost one year now, and, through this document, I have met several people who have studied tarot for 10, 15, and 20+ years. They too call themselves beginners.) Many moons ago, a friend of mine gave me a standard Rider-Waite deck as an Easter present and I immediately connected with it. I have since begun studying the more spiritual aspects of the tarot, although I do practice a little divination with the deck. As part of my studies, I found a book at my local library called _How to Read Tarot Cards_ containing twelve different layouts, which was originally the main source of information for this document. When a peer on the net and I became involved in a discussion about layouts for a program he was writing, I told him that I would type this list up and post it; I didn't really mind since I wanted to have this list on file for personal use in the future. When I was done, I figured if I was going to spend all this time typing all this information up and give it away for free that I might as well keep the list running and I always wanted to have the prestige of saying I was a FAQ maintainer (even if I am the only person impressed by that), so I decided to make it a FAQ. I have been a student of the tarot for one year since last April and would like to deeply thank all those who contributed. Its been a wonderful year of learning and I am only sorry I did not make the time to learn more. I hope the rest of you all enjoy the FAQ and Blessed Be to all of you.
[Secretive's name is actually Carol. Secretive is my IRC nickname and the one that I do readings under. I have been actively reading since 1990. The interest in this area going back much further in time, just took me a while to get a deck in my hands. I am married and currently live in the Delaware River Valley region of the United States. I am helping David with the FAQ to help keep information updated and to allow additions. The only request I have is that you do not e-mail me asking for a reading since I do not do readings through e-mail and rarely have time for IRC these days.]
5.5) Really Useless Information
The very first thing that I learned about reading tarot cards after talking to another reader about the subject is that no two people really do it in quite the same way. As such, I have tried to re-write all of these layouts to be as flexible as possible, which wasn't easy or even possible in some cases, and allow you to choose which method will serve you best.
On a similar note, some of the things that I have learned and come to believe about tarot cards go directly against some of the things presented in this document. It is my intention, however, to relate information and not to pass judgement, especially since some things I disagree with may work for others. As such, I will attempt to include any informational comments that I receive from anybody as long as it doesn't seem redundant, so please send in anything that you believe might be useful to others.
Also, I would like to keep this document directed solely towards layouts that can be used for a general deck. Some decks, like a healers deck, often will have their own layouts, but such a layout would probably not have any significance when used with a general deck. However, I have included layouts which came from the Thoth deck, Druid Animal deck, and the Witch's Tarot since their divinatory interpretations are not restricted specifically to those decks. If your not sure, just send it to me anyway; it can't hurt.
Finally, if you see this document in alt.tarot or alt.magick.tyagi, please bear in mind that I don't have access to these newsgroup. If you see this document there, please do not post follow-up articles to me in that newsgroup; I will never see them. Please send all comments/suggestion/etc. to djones@ponder.csci.unt.edu [egotripping@myself.com]
5.6) How to Use this Document.
5.6.1) If you are new to tarot....
Somebody sent me a comment one day that this document is a real 'tour de force'. Not to sound egotistical, but this comment may be an understatement. With 50+ layouts and a plethera of other tarot related information, this document contains over 55 pages of text which would have been enough to confuse me when I was just starting. So listed below is just my brief opinion on how you should go about reading this thing.
First, read section 5.6.2 and then start with the line reading (section 1.3). It is the simplest layout in this cataloge and thus makes a good place to start. This should give you the basics of how to read layouts. Always try to tie all the cards in together as you are reading them. How the cards interract with each is often as important as the cards themselves. Help for learning how to relate cards together can be found in section 3.7.
Second, find a layout which contains several lines. These are easy to find because they have an L next to them in the table of contents. These will be as easy to do as the line reading, but should give you better practice relating cards together.
Third, do the Celtic Cross. This is layout which EVERYONE has used at least once in thier life. Even if you never use it again, it will at least give you some type of reference point about which you can interact with other people about tarot layouts. Also, since it is probably the layout which your book will teach you, it can help you learn how to relate this document to correspond with whatever book you are learning out of. If you ever get _really_ serious about tarot divination, you will learn to hate the Celtic Cross, but for now, it will be useful.
After this, just go through the layouts in the way they are listed, which is by the number of cards they use. In general, the more cards that are used, the more complex the layout. Progressing through document in this manner will ease you into the big league layouts which normally take a good couple of hours to do.
5.6.2) If you are new to this document....
This section will just briefly explain how things are structured and why they are done that way.
Originally, layouts were organized into 'subjects', but not very good ones. In order to make more subjects, better subjects, and avoid overlap, all the layouts are in one section and then flagged. Each flag represents a subject that a layout could belong to. For example, a layout with Astrological influences is tagged with the letter 'A'. This way, layouts that could belong to more than one subject simply get more than one flag and avoids me having to decide which group it should go it.
[Secretive divided the original document into separate viewable pages with minimal HTML. Plain pages for your site's usage will be supplied upon request to egotripping@myself.com. If you download the pages from my site http://www.oocities.org/Athens/2377, I ask that you remove any borders or backgrounds that I have used for those pages upon my site. These were added as a side decor, not as part of the FAQ itself. *smile*]
Personally, when I use this document during a reading, the first thing I ask myself is, 'How much time and energy do I feel like putting into this reading?' In general, the more cards a layout has, the more of both is required of the reader. Thus, arranging the layouts in order of the amount of cards required is the most time efficient when I am trying to choose one to use. Finally, each layout is given a complexity rating which, along with the grouping flags, can aid the decision process.
Reading over section 5.6.4 will help you understand how each layout is listed in the REF. Section 5.6.5 contains an in depth description of the complexity rating and grouping flags.
[Lastly, I would add to David's list for you to have patience and not rush yourself in learning.]
5.6.3) Supplements and version numbers
Starting with version 4.0, all new versions of the REF will be issued in two formats: The regular format (like this document) and the supplement. The supplement will contain ONLY the new information that the previous version doesn't have. The idea behind the supplement is that if you print this document out, instead of having to re-print everything when new versions are released, one merely has to print out the supplement and add it to the back of the old printout. It saves you time, and it saves humanity from having to kill more trees. Each supplement that is released will contain a header explaining which two versions that supplement will be bridging. IF YOU DO NOT WISH TO USE SUPPLEMENTS, EACH VERSION WILL BE ALWAYS POSTED IN FULL.
This is a breif explination of how further version numbers of the REF will be created. You need not understand it, but may help you paste together supplements in the future. Each verstion will have a primary, a secondary version number, and a third (or tertiary) number. For example, in version 6.3.1, 6 is the primary version number, 3 is the secondary, and 1 is the tertiary.
The primary version number will increase by one only under the following circumstances: A) A major structural change occurs in the layout of the REF or B) the secondary version number exceeds nine.
The secondary version number will increase by one if a supplement is issued. This will occur whenever new information, such as a layout, is added to the REF. In the event that the secondary number is a nine, instead of increasing to ten, it will revert to zero and the primary number will increase by one (case B above). Reversion to zero will also occur if the primary version is increased becasue of a structural change (case A above).
The tertiary version number will always be a zero if either the primary or secondary version number should change. Tertiary numbers will only increase if minor changes occur in the FAQ, such as a grammar correction, spell check, name correction, etc.. occur. If these changes warrant enough significance, they will be noted in the next supplement that is issued.
5.6.4) Paradigm Spread (#0, C0, flags) (references)
Each spread will start with the title. Next, is a set of paranthesis which contain some useful information. First is a '#' sign and then a number; this indicates the number of cards traditionally used in this reading. Secondly, is the letter 'C' which is also followed by a number; this indicates the complexity rating of the layout. Some layouts may also have one or more letters (called flags) afterward. These flags can be used to quickly gain information about the subject matter or nature of the layout without having to read the whole layout. The detailed legend for these flags is listed in section 5.6.4. An abreviated version is included in the table of contents for quick reference. Throughout a spread, you may also find names in parenthesis to indicate the reference(s) used for that section.
Layout: This section will show in text graphics, and perhaps describe, how this particular layout looks. Cards in the layout themselves will be represented by numbers, except that the Querent card (also known as the Significant and other similar names) may be shown by the letter Q. Single digit numbers may have a zero placed in front of them for formatting purposes. If room permits, cards that are associated with one another will be connected with lines.
Deal: This is the order in which the cards are traditionally dealt for this layout. I would like to emphasize the word traditional. In a few of these layouts the card ordering does not appear to make any sense, so if something seems to work better for you I see no reason why you shouldn't do it. Also, sometimes readers will intentionally alter the order of the deal if they have a premonition to do so.
Reading: This explains what each card in the layout represents.
Variations: This will list any variations in the readings that this particular spread may have.
Comments: Miscellaneous information about this layout that doesn't fit in any of the above categories.
5.6.5) Maps and Legends
Flags:
A - Astrological Spreads. These layouts have been influenced by
astrological symbolism. Essentially, they qualify as Cross
Subjects (see X below) but are large enough in number to merit
their own flag.
L - Line Spreads. These layouts consist entirely of non- intersecting lines. These tend to be easier to read than most other layouts and are flagged merely for their simplicity.
S - Specific Question Spreads. These layouts were designed to answer a specific question or type of question. They are not reccomended for general readings and should only be used when appropriate to the querents inquiry.
X - Cross Subjects. These layouts are based on another subject related to the magickal arts. For example, the Chakra Spread is based on the seven shakras of the body, a subject not typically related to the tarot. Athough additional study of the corresponding subject may not be necessary, it is reccomended.
Y - Yes/No Spreads. These layouts were designed specifically to answer yes or no questions.
time - Some layouts are designed with a specific time period in mind. The reader need not stick to this time limit, it is merely the time suggested by the designer of the layout and given to the reader as a courtesy.
Complexity:
This rating system is designed mainly to give the user a general idea complex a layout is. Complexity is based on how many lines are in the layouts, how the lines relate to one another, the number of cards, and how strongly cards relate to one another. The system used is, admittedly, purely subjective on my part but it should hopefully give you a feel for how much effort is required of the reader, and you can of course change this ratings in your copy if you choose to do so. Ratings range from one to nine. Each odd numbered rating has a description of a typical layout of such complexity and even numbered ratings are reserved for layouts that fall between. Again, these ratings are purely subjective and the list below was used only as a guide.
C1 - Simple Line Spread, under 10 cards.
C3 - Two lines intersecting, 20 cards.
C5 - 'Shared Knowledge' - cards in different and possibly non-intersecting lines share a relationship, 5 lines, 35 cards.
C7 - Multiple intersecting lines, 7 lines, 50 cards.
C9 - 'Complete Integration' - all cards are related to one another.
Lines or groups are holistically defined and can change depending upon the reading, over 50 cards.