I recently had the pleasure to attend the Omega Tarot Conference at the Omega Institute in Rhinebeck, New York. The topic of the conference was “Fate & Free Will.” Sitting with this topic, it made me consider what my personal sense of what fate and free will. I wanted to begin to explore this in my blog by sharing with you a Tarot spread I created addressing this topic.

For me, one way to look at fate is as our habitual way of responding. Fate occurs when we are not conscious of our experience. With increasing conscious comes the opportunity for free will.

On the other hand, free will could be considered on some levels the ability to choose. It is the ability to be aware of what we are perceiving, feeling, doing, and thinking. The more aware we are of these things, the more opportunity we have to discern choices and access our sense of free will.

Try out this Tarot Spread with the sense of taking the pieces you find helpful while leaving what just does not feel right to you.

1. What is my usual pattern of acting in this situation?

2. What is a choice I have in this situation?

3. What is my belief about how things will go in this situation?

4. What is another way I could look at this situation?

5. How am I feeling about this situation?

6. What would the most helpful way to feel about the situation be?

 

I will put out the card positions below:

Fate                                                                                             Free Will

1                                                                                                  2

3                                                                                                 4

5                                                                                                 6

 

I will include an example reading to show how the spread could be used. For this reading, I used the Jungian Tarot by Robert Wang.

The issue I would like to explore in this reading is the question of the next steps in my Tarot practice. What is my next step in deepening my Tarot practice?

1. What is my usual pattern of acting in this situation? The Empress. My usual pattern in developing my practice of the Tarot is nurturing. I tend to let things come to fruition, or I allow them to ripen over time.

2. What is a choice I have in this situation? The Hierophant. A choice I have in deepening my Tarot practice is to move more into the spiritual aspect of the Tarot. This could include focusing more on the esoteric aspects of the Tarot cards.

3. What is my belief about how things will go in this situation? Five of Wands Reversed. My belief about the process of deepening my Tarot practice is that it involves allowing the inner fire to touch my soul, which is that part of myself that is Divine.

4. What is another way I could look at this situation? Ace of Pentacles. Another way I could view the deepening of my Tarot practice is as allowing myself through the Tarot to see all the varied layers of myself, not just focus so much on the soul. Instead, I could focus on the whole being, including the body, mind, heart, and spirit.

5. How am I feeling about this situation? Hanged Man. I am feeling that deepening my Tarot practice involves allowing myself to be enrapt within its wisdom. I feel it is important to “turn things on their head.”

6. What would the most helpful way to feel about the situation be? The Magician. The most helpful way to feel about deepening my Tarot practice is to view it with contentment and endless curiosity.