Sunday 22 September 2013

Share a Spread Sunday: 'Hammer Kit for Depression'

This clever card layout was posted by Espirito on Aeclectic Tarot in 2012. Its shape is meant to resemble a hammer or mallet. 'Pick up this hammer and finish your depression,' so it says.

                                     4--5--6
                                     1--2--3----------0
                                     7--8--9

The first card -- numbered 0 in the spread -- is the handle. The pattern of nine cards to the left makes up the business end. Cards 1-3 are the handle that runs through the mallet head. 4-6 are the top of the mallet, and 7-9 compose the striking surface of the mallet head. 

Card positions
0. This can be pre-selected, or drawn. 'My hand on the hammer' -- it represents who I want to be
1. My thinking
2. My feelings
3. My current state (result of 1 and 2)


4. How I need to think
5. How I need to feel
6. My improved state (result of 4 and 5)

7. CRUSH this sort of talk (things I say myself)
8. CRUSH this sort of idea (things I listen to from others)
9. CRUSH this sort of relationship (people I should avoid)

Here is a sample draw, using the wonderfully mad Diamond Tarot:


Quick summary of draw:
I drew these cards with no actual question or querent in mind, just to get some cards for a sample. Still turned out quite coherent. :)

The draw suggests that the querent wishes for contentment with daily life (9 of Cups). The other end of the hammer is weighed down by constant worries about disaster (Tower), coupled with trying to always be in control of the emotions (King of Cups), which leads to feelings of despondency and lack (5 of Pentacles). The querent needs to turn his or her thinking in a new direction, leaving behind old patterns (8 of Cups).  It's scary to try to create new habits, but the querent should look upon this endeavor as productive work (8 of Pentacles). The result will be a state of mind more shielded from disquiet (2 of Swords). The best thing the querent can do to overcome the current depression is to CRUSH the habit of speaking without thinking, just blurting out whatever crosses the mind. In this way, old grooves of habit are worn in, negative messages are learned by dint of endless repetition (Fool). The querent must also CRUSH listening to manipulative messages of helplessness, lack of control over one's situation or lot in life, or fatalistic attitudes (Hanged Man). It's no surprise, given the previous two cards, that the querent is advised to avoid (or CRUSH) relationships with people who see life with win-lose mentality (10 of Swords). People like that always feel like they're losing -- they think it's a stab or be-stabbed world, and from this 10 of Swords card, it would seem the people the querent is advised to avoid are those who think life has stabbed them down. Being around this kind of person is never going to bring you up. So CRUSH these influences, either through setting a new example to guide them to more positive talk and behaviour, or just gravitating away from these persons and toward happier people.

As usual, if you try this spread, I'd love to hear about it!

If you would like me to read for you using this spread, just click the 'Order a Reading' tab at the top of this page and select '7 or more cards' in the Paypal gadget. Just write 'Hammer Kit' and your question in the instructions. You may also notify me at rowan_tarot@yahoo.co.uk with details of your question. :)

2 comments:

  1. Another great spread. I tried it out and the spread positions are really helpful for me to interpret the cards. And I do like the "crush" cards :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Totally agree with Ellen, that's a great looking spread! And the reading really did seem very coherent. I might have read the 10 of Swords as avoid relationships with drama queens, but once again, that's just a slightly different angle on what you said. Someone who's a drama queen is likely to see everything in life in extremes, stab or be stabbed...

    ReplyDelete

Leave a comment here: