This article previously appeared on my blog in 2022.
Unlike some, I have never had an extensive collection of cards, whether Tarot or otherwise. I did most of my professional Tarot readings with the a Marseille-style deck, Renaissance Tarot (Brian Williams) or the Prediction Tarot. It is this style of Tarot pack that has always drawn me.
But I do enjoy several modern or unusual decks: The Elemental Tarot, PoMo Tarot and the Rolla Nordic Tarot deck.
Popularised by Sasha Fenton, the “Consequences” spread was once quite popular in the 1980s and 1990s. I saw several Readers still using this in the late 1990s but by the mid-2000s it seemed to have vanished. I first came across it in Sasha Fenton’s Tarot In Action!, which I primarily purchased because it was illustrated with the deck I then worked with (the beautiful The Prediction Tarot). I found the Consequences spread a helpful layout and used it a lot, especially when I started doing readings for other people.
The spread is laid out as below.
The positions as follows:
- The Questioner’s card.
- The person or situation.
- Matters affecting the person or situation.
- The past.
- The future.
- Suggested course of action.
- Outside factors.
- Consequence.
Card one is the Questioner or Significator card and is drawn from the “Royal Arcana” or “Court Cards” before shuffling.
In my experience, cards two and three indicate the present and therefore are better considered together. Card two often describes how the Questioner’s experiences the matter under consideration. Card three is more objective and can describe external causes. I have also found it better to consider card seven before card six. Knowing the outside factors is often key to identifying the course of action the Questioner should take or consider.
In March, I was asked to read for a friend-of-friend who had had a tough time. Renee wanted to know whether her current situation would improve. No further details were volunteered. Renee has black-hair and dark brown eyes. I removed the Queen of Swords from the Rolla Nordic Tarot pack and laid out the Consequences spread.
- Queen of Swords.
- 8 of Coins.
- 8 of Swords.
- King of Cups.
- 5 of Cups.
- Arcanum XIII. The Reaper.
- 4 of Swords.
- 4 of Cups.
Card #2 and #3 are both eights that signify “expenditure,” which often entails a loss. Sometimes the 8 of Coins (or Pentacles) can indicate (an expensive) lawsuit, divorce, or financial penalties; however, there are no other indicators of legal action in the spread. The answer lies in the 8 of Swords which often signifies a loss of status or business failure. Swords are the fire cards, and card #3 is flanked by two water cards (cups) and thus undignified. I felt that Renee was in dire financial straits (8 of Coins) due to a loss of business (8 of Swords). The 10 of Swords is more often the card of job loss, but I felt sure Renee had lost her job due to a downturn in business causing her significant money issues. I explained this to Renne and how I also felt this had been quite unfair, and she admitted she had had to apply for her old job of 20-years and been unsuccessful (8 of Swords = loss of status/prestige), resulting in redundancy.
The King of Cups as card #4 shows Renee had both enjoyed her job and the camaraderie with a male colleague. The King is touched by both the 8 of Swords and Arcanum XIII. The Reaper. He is no longer in Renee’s life, and some bitterness is felt on Renee’s part.
We find the 5 of Cups as card #5. Five is the number of God and good fortune, and this card often indicates love and affection. However, we are not concerned with relationships, so I felt this card showed Renee being successfully selected for a new job soon.
Card #7 is the 4 of Swords, a symbol of regret. With one eye on the 4 of Cups, I wondered if Renee’s old employer might soon rethink losing her knowledge and offer her a chance to return.
In position #6, we find Arcanum XIII. The Reaper from the Greater Arcana. Often this card functions like a “period” ending what it falls beside. Otherwise, it is a card of significant alterations in circumstances and depression. Whether or not Renee has a chance to return or not she needs to put this matter behind her. There is no point (Arcanum XIII) in wondering whether she could have done things differently (4 of Swords). What is done is done and cannot be changed. It is time to move on. The Reaper tells her to draw a line under the matter.
Renee said: “I would never go back.” But I still had an intuition that her old job would play a role in getting her back to work.
The consequence is signified by the 4 of Cups. As fours indicate gains, we can sometimes read this card as an increase (gain) in the family (cups). For Renee, it confirms a new job and joining a team. However, it will likely be unexpected. Nevertheless, it will allow her to put the past to bed and start afresh.
When? There are several methods for timing readings, but none are foolproof. The final card is from the suit of Cups, traditionally held to be ruled by Venus (and sometimes the Moon). Venus rules both Taurus and Libra. I, therefore, suggested May.
At the end of May, I learned that Renee had been offered a job at a school as an office manager. She had learned of the vacancy through her former colleague, who had a child attending the school. She was due to start on June 6.
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Tarot In Action! by Sasha Fenton, published by Aquarian Press in 1987.
Journal of a Cartomante 