How To Read The 9-Card Spread

The 9-Card Spread

Now we come to my second-favourite layout, after the 5-card spread.

While I use the 5-card for most day-to-day readings, I tend to find the 9-card useful when I want more detail around a given situation, and have a little more time to go into it in depth.

How To Pick Your 9 Cards

Pretty much as per the 5-card layout. Again, I shuffle the cards holding the question I want answered in my mind,  and pick the cards that feel right.

Because I generally tend to use this one to discover more about a given situation, I’ve usually chosen my key card beforehand. Once I’ve shuffled and get “the feeling” that I’m done, I stop and look for the keycard in the pack. Then I make it the centre of my reading (Card 5 in the layout below) and take the cards that fall before and after it to form the rest.

However, I know not all readers do it this way. Some readers pick and lay the cards in order from 1-9 after shuffling and cutting the pack (or asking their client to do so).

It’s also worth pointing out that even if you do know what you are focusing on, not having the key card and doing a “blind” reading with whatever comes up can sometimes give you even better, sometimes unexpected, information.

  

  

  

 

How To Read The Cards

First, I take a general overview of the whole reading by reading the diamond around the centre card:

Card 2 +Card 4 + Card 8 + Card 6 = overview of this

Next for the reading proper.

You read the cards first as horizontals:

Card 1 + Card 2 + Card 3 = About this issue

Card 4 + Card 5 + Card 6 = The answer to the question

Card 7 + Card 8 + Card 9 = Additional or hidden information

And then the verticals from left to right, which represent the past, the present, and the future:

Card 1 + Card 4 + Card 7 = Recent past situation in relation to this issue

Card 2 + Card 5 + Card 8 = Present situation in relation to this issue

Card 3 + Card 6 + Card 9 = Near future situation in relation to this issue

Finally, I read the diagonals to get a sense of the development of this issue from the past into the future:

Card 1 + Card 5 + Card 9

Card 7 + Card 5 + Card 3

EXAMPLE

Question: A friend is worried about money at the moment. What do they need to know about their current situation?

    

    

      

 

Rider-man-fish

Fox-bear-child

Letter-tower-ring

General overview of the whole reading:

Card 2 +Card 4 + Card 8 + Card 6 = Man + Fox + Tower + Child

Corporate male/deceitful male; “official” employee or deceiver; young organization

This has something to do with a male and with officialdom, perhaps a bank, and may involve deception.

Now the reading proper:

First, the horizontals:

About this issue

Card 1 + Card 2 + Card 3 =  Horseman + Man + Fish = Male visitor; business man; a business comes into play

The business interests of a male come into play

The answer to the question

Card 4 + Card 5 + Card 6 =  Fox + bear + child = Financial deceit, finance worker;  child’s finances, child  deceit or work

The Child possibly represents a customer here, although it could just be a young employee

A child’s (customer’s?) finances, work situation and salary, are possibly under suspicion

Additional information

Card 7 + Card 8 + Card 9 =  Letter + Tower + ring = Official letter; payment officialdom; payment letter/statement

A letter or document from an organisation about an agreement or payment

 

Now, let’s look at the vertical columns from left to right

Recent past

Card 1 + Card 4 + Card 7 =  horseman + fox + letter = work or deception news; offer of work or work documentation (or a fraud notification); a document arrives

A document or news arrives around work or deception

Present situation in relation to this issue

Card 2 + Card 5 + Card 8 = man + bear + tower =  financial male; bank; bank official

A male bank official and financial officialdom is very much in the picture

Near future situation in relation to this issue

Card 3 + Card 6 + Card 9 =  fish + child + ring = young, customer’s business; deal, agreement; contracted customer

An agreement of some kind with the customer – perhaps a customer service agreement, or a payment.

 

Finally, let’s take a look at the diagonals to get a sense of the development of this issue:

The development of this issue from past to future

Card 1 + Card 5 + Card 9 = horseman + bear + ring = the arrival of a payment

Card 7 + Card 5 + Card 3 = letter + bear + fish = a business letter about finances

Money will arrive, as will a business letter about income sources.

 

So, in summary.

Q: A friend is worried about money at the moment. What do they need to know about their current situation?

Overall, the reading indicates there something to do with a male official, perhaps the bank, and may involve deception. The business interests of this male are a factor (the friend is female, so it must refer to someone else).

 I think the friend is a customer of this institution and their finances, work situation and salary are possibly under suspicion. There are indications that there’ll be a letter or statement from this institution about an agreement or payment.

It looks as though there has already been some kind of letter or notification of some kind about this person’s finances; perhaps a statement, a bank letter or a fraud notification, and now a male bank official is involved. It seems that in the future a payment is coming, to do with the customer’s business, although it may be some kind of financial agreement. The reading indicates that some sort of written agreement or payment will arrive and a letter about finances.

 

Want to see more examples of the cards in action? Take a look at my readings page.

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