Spirit Bear Dreaming Tarot

I did this reading for myself a few weeks ago and thought that sharing it would expose readers to the Four Card Reading that has been the foundation to my Tarot work for the last two decades. A friend from Germany showed this layout to me long ago, but they now tell me that they don't recall doing so. Back then they attributed it to a specific author, but I have not been able to find it in that author's writing or published works, or anywhere else.

I believe that I either changed it to suit me, or that it was somehow revealed by the Tarot Angels as a way to get it into the world. I don't know. But I have used it thousands of times and the lessons it taught me led me to creating dozens of useful layouts to serve specific purposes. This layout is intended for answering questions about actions and their results, but I have adapted it to address many questions over the years. This is my basic go-to layout and I find that most people don't find it too complex to follow, and that it is a good tool for focusing on the essential aspects of a situation.

I've explained the layout in more detail in another post, so I'll only briefly go over it here. The four cards are laid out left, right, top, bottom, to form a cross. The left card is the What It Is card. The right card is the What It Is Not card. The top card is the Action card, and suggests or comments on a planned course of action. The bottom card is the Outcome card and tells what comes from the Action. I should add that the essential quality of the layout is because of the meaning of each position. And I think that the initial Is/Is Not pair is the power behind this layout, it shapes the reading. Once you see how that drives the focus of the reading, it becomes a powerful tool for readings. The Action/Outcome pair work together to suggest a path forward.

A brief background on the question. For a few years I've been in The Star mode, tending to inner stuff, healing, recovering from a rough patch that lasted years. Previously, I was focused on group Shamanic work and Tarot and Dreamwork, teaching when I could and attending meetings, workshops and retreats when I was able. My problems and the big pandemic lockdown brought that all to a halt. I've been working to returning to what I used to do, or opening up new paths for a new world, but my dreaming and journeys have told me over and over to just be patient. I recently thought that teaching a beginner Tarot class for a very small group would be a reasonable way to do something without overcommitting on something too big.

So my question was: Should I start a beginner Tarot class for a small group drawn from the dreamers I know who do not use Tarot? Here is the layout I got:

Is: 0 The Fool – Entering a new area, a new beginning. Is-Not: Ten of Wands – A heavy load, too much. Action: Three of Cups – A Joyful celebration with friends. Outcome: Page of Coins – A new opportunity that is solid.

So, the first card is The Fool, on the left. This card shows What It Is, in this case it represents a new beginning, entering a new area. And this is right on the mark, I've long wondered if this would be a worthwhile endeavor. Do people want this sort of thing? There seem to be plenty of Tarot resources out there and what I want to do is more along the lines of collaboration and conversation. This position is about clarifying what the subject really is, exposing hidden motives or secret desires. The fact that it matches my plan so well is a nice confirmation.

The second card, on the right, in the What It Is Not. This provides contrast to the first card, and helps us narrow our focus. The Ten of Wands is about being loaded to the maximum, possibly too much, overloaded. And this seems to be telling me that I not only shouldn't worry about that, but that this is not going to be a heavy task or me.

On to the Action card at the top of the of the layout. This position is about what to do or what we plan to do. Here we find the Three of Cups, a card of joyful celebration among friends. I like the suggestion and it fits the message of the previous card, to not overload things, to keep it light and happy and joyful. It needs to be fun and more like a party than a lecture. This totally fits my thinking about how to do this. If you want to read a book on Tarot then read a book, but practicing and discussing Tarot in a group can be a lot of fun and more interesting that reading up on a topic. I think that Tarot becomes useful by doing readings with others. It consolidates your understanding and exposes you to ways to think about using Tarot.

The bottom card, is the Outcome position, and this represents where the situation is heading, or possibly an endpoint. The Page of Coins is the card here, and it suggests that some new opportunity arises, that a solid new opportunity arrives. It is a Page, so it is likely to be pleasant, and as a Coin, it will be practical and well rooted, with potential to grow. This was nice card for the outcome and clinched it for me.

I'd wanted to do this, but wasn't sure if the timing was good. Looking over the reading it seems like the two axes are telling two stories. Horizontally, The Fool suggests taking the step, and the Ten of Wands suggests making it light and friendly. The vertical axis, with the Three of Cups is telling me to make it social and friendly and fun, a celebration, and the Page of Coins is saying that it will be rewarding.

I decided to go ahead on this and wrote up a little blurb titled “A Fun and Friendly Introduction to Tarot” and sent it to seven of my social media contacts, and five of them expressed interest and came to the first meeting. The other two are deep in working parent mode and only check in occasionally, so I can see that they either missed it or were too busy.

I really like how this layout captured the essence of my question, addressed my concerns, and hinted at the right attitude to take in my efforts. I suggest trying it out next time you have an question for Tarot that has an Action component.

Thanks for reading!

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