How To Read The Grand Tableau – Part II

OK, so following on from the Grand Tableau instructions in the previous post, let’s go step by step with a live Grand Tableau reading.

We’ll be using the 9 x 4 layout. Take a deep breath – this is a detailed reading, so it’s not gonna be quick!

Step 1

After the cards have been shuffled, this is how it looks:

Rider Child. Lily Garden. Coffin Anchor. Moon. Sun. Letter

Book. Man. Bear. Tower. Whip. Woman.House. Dog Crossroads

Mice. Tree. Scythe. Stars. Heart. Storks. Ship Birds. Key

Snake. Mountain Cross Bouquet. Fox. Fish. Ring. Clouds. Clover

Step 2

Themes of the entire reading:

Cards 1-4:

Rider-Child-Lily-Garden = An upcoming group or a gathering for mature beginners

Corner cards::

Rider-Clover = Luck/Good fortune arrives

Snake-Letter = Written or documented problem/bad news

Step 3

The Querent card is the Woman.

She is appearing in the second row in House 15, which is around Money and Power. We can see from her position in the grid that there are a lot of influences passing, most of the negative cards are in the past, and although there’s some difficulty near her there’s a general positivity about the cards coming up.

Step 4

The cards immediately surrounding the Querent are as follows, so we can read them like a 9-card spread.

Coffin-Anchor-Moon

Whip-Woman-House

Heart-Storks-Ship

Reading the diamond anti-clockwise round the Woman – Anchor-Whip, Whip-Storks, Storks-House, House-Anchor – we see A constant struggle, a tough new start, new living arrangements or a house move, a stable home

Then:

On her mind is a drawn out ending and emotional/creative stability (Coffin-Anchor-Moon)
At the moment, she seems to be having a hard time at home, or pushing herself hard (Whip-Woman-House)
There’s also something about a new love or passion and the start of a new journey (Heart-Storks-Ship)
Moving out of the situation is a difficult ending of some type, possibly the end of a love or sexual relationship or just passionate hard work (Coffin-Whip-Heart)
Currently, she has a sense of a stable new start, a permanent change (Anchor-Woman-Storks)
Coming into the picture is perhaps emotions about home, and possibly moving around or living somewhere temporarily (Moon-House-Ship)
Perhaps a journey is coming to an end, or a new one is being embarked on after an ending (Coffin-Woman-Ship)
There’s also an indication of either a love affair or creative passions (Heart-Woman-Moon)

Step 5

So now I’ll read the vertical and horizontal lines that our Querent appears in ONLY.

First, the vertical:

The Querent has stability on her mind (the Anchor right above her), and we see from the cards below her (Storks-Fish) that this is about a new or start-up business or career.

Then, the horizontal:

With regard to the money/power situation that’s behind this, it looks as if there’s either a powerful, protective man or manager (Man-Bear), the bank, possibly or someone with high status power (Bear-Tower) who’s been giving her a hard time or training her in some way (Tower-Whip). It could be a writer or publisher though (Book-Man) or an accountant.

Coming up ahead of her is a friend’s house or domain (House-Dog) and a choice of some sort – or perhaps several friends (Dog-Crossroads).

And the diagonal, with a bit more detail around the cards appearing there:

As well as creativity also coming up for her (Moon), it looks as though she has an uncertain journey ahead and won’t necessarily know how things are going to pan out. (Ship-Clouds). Perhaps she should just go with the flow, as that uncertainty is followed by good luck (Clover). There also seems to be a significant conversation (Birds-Key) coming up connected with this journey (Ship-Birds), and it looks like a very lucky one (Birds-Clover). It also looks like it might be a significant turning point of some sort, a great twist of fate. (Key-Clover)

Step 6

(Optional) This depends whether or not you want more of an overview of the whole reading, or you just want to focus on specific areas. If you just want to focus on specific areas, go straight to Step 7.

Read all 4 Horizontal Rows

1. Mirroring: News arrives (Rider-Letter); successful young person or beginner (Child-Sun); emotional/creative maturity (Lily-Moon); stable social life (Garden-Anchor), an ending (Coffin). As a chain: A young visitor or news about a young person or beginner; a maturing beginner; social or public maturity; social life ending; drawn out ending; emotional or creative stability; happy feelings or successful creative project; written success.

2. As this is the Querent’s Row, we have already covered the details of it above, but mirroring gives us: Multiple learnings, knowledge options or choice of book (Book-Crossroads); a friendly or supportive male (Man-Dog); domestic finances or power in her domain (Bear-House); the woman’s establishment, status or arrogance (Tower-Woman), hard work, effort or a challenge (Whip).

3. Mirroring: Significant worries (Mice-Key); communication health or growth (Tree-Birds); travel decision or journey curtailed (Scythe-Ship); a new ambition or hopes (Stars-Storks); love or passion (Heart). Chain: health, vitality or growth worries; curtailed health or development; ambition decision or hopes dashed; passionate ambition; a new passion; start of a new journey; communication trip or overseas; significant conversation.

4. Mirroring: Lucky problem, silver lining (Snake-Clover); unknown, hidden or unclear obstacle (Mountain-Clouds); burdensome commitment or promise (Cross-Ring); business or independence blessing (Bouquet-Fish); work or survival (Fox). Chain: Blocked or delay problem; heavy or troublesome obstacle; pleasant burden or obligation; work blessing; freelance work; contracted business; unclear agreement; lucky or positive lack of clarity – just go with the flow.

Read All 9 Vertical Rows

Remember as we go along that these move us from the recent past into the future.

A problem’s arisen (Rider-Snake). Anxious knowledge, learning or book (Book-Mice). Book news or knowledge arrives; anxious knowledge or learning; undermining or betrayal worries.
Blocked young person or beginner (Child-Mountain); energetic, or karmically-linked male (Man-Tree). Male young person or beginner; energetic male; blocked growth.
Burdened or troubled maturity or later years (Lily-Cross); reduced power, protection or finances (Bear-Scythe). Financial maturity or secure later years; reduced finances or protection; weighty decision.
Lovely or blessed social life (Garden-Bouquet); ambitious or star status (Tower-Stars). High status or established group or social life; ambitious or status status; lovely or blessed ambitions and “stars”
Work or job ending (Coffin-Fox); passions or loves are tested & get a work-out (Whip-Heart). Tough ending; passions or loves are tested; work passions.
This is the Querent’s row, so we’ve already covered this above, but in a nutshell: Business or freelance stability (Anchor-Fish); fresh start for the Querent (Woman-Storks).
Promised creative project (Moon-Ring); travelling or mobile domain or ‘home’ (House-Ship); domain creativity or home feelings; travelling, temporary or moving domain; agreed journey or move.
Unclear success (Sun-Clouds); communicative friends, advisors, Twitter friends (Dog-Birds). Friends’ success; communicative, chatty friends; confused conversations or messages.
Lucky letter, document or fortunate news (Letter-Clover); significant turning point (Crossroad-Key). Multiple documents, messages or writings; significant turning point; lucky destiny or fate.

Step 7

Now let’s pick specific cards and life areas to get more detail on.

In this case, I’d like more information about:

The Coffin card, so I can get some clarity about the ending we’re discussing.
The Ship card to understand what the querent’s “journey” is about.
The querent’s new business with the Fish card
The significant bit of luck (Clover/Key) coming up

Again, I have a choice here about how deep to go. I can do 9- card spreads using each of these as the keycard to drill down and get more detail.

I can also use the Knighting, Mirroring and Reflection techniques below to find out more.

Step 8

Knighting, Mirroring, Reflection

My Querent herself is being knighted by the following:

Ambitious network or group (Garden+Stars), communication success (Sun + Birds) and possibly contracted or relationship-related work (Fox + Ring). Mirroring her is her status or officialdom (Tower) and a new start for her (Storks). The card reflecting her is the Scythe – so a decision of hers or possibly a reduction. Has she downsized?

That ending – Coffin – is being knighted as follows. Financial dreams (Bear + Stars) and a house move (Storks House). I think she’s had to give up some of her dreams around having money for a house. It’s being mirrored and reflected by the job card (Fox), so a job ending has put paid to all this for now.

Now let’s look at the Ship card to find out more about the journey ahead. It is being knighted by a previous tough time at work (Whip-Fox), need for stability (Anchor), success (Sun) and making lucky choices (Crossroads-Clover) in future. It’s being mirrored by the living situation (House) and a past decision about that (Scythe). My guess is that she’s not settled anywhere permanently yet and things are in flux. Her finances are also fluctuating as shown by the reflection of the Bear card. Either that or there’s money transferring or money from abroad.

The Fish card showing her business is being knighted by ambition and hard work (Stars-Whip). It is home-based (House) and involves some sort of communication or social media (Birds). It is being mirrored by something possibly artistic or design-related (Bouquet) or simply pleasant as well as long-term. (Anchor). There is a social or public element to the business, that is showing in the reflecting card (Garden)

The luck (Clover) is being knighted by the journey (Ship) and also a friend or companion (Dog). It seems to spring from a problem as seen by the mirrored cards (Snake) with a document (Letter) or perhaps some bad news. This bit of luck is being reflected by the Rider card – so it’s definitely on its way.

Step 9

Last of all, we can look at the Houses where each of the cards are falling:

Rider Rider Arrival, visit
Clover Child Beginner’s luck
Ship Lily Older person’s or experienced journey
House Garden Network, sociable home
Tree Coffin Health problems; karmic ending
Clouds Anchor Long term uncertainty
Snake Moon Emotional problems, creative betrayal
Coffin Sun Successful ending; happy ending
Bouquet Letter. Written gift; news of something positive
Scythe Book Discovery; secret uncovered; book decision
Whip Man Male or man’s abuse
Birds Bear Money conversation
Child Tower Governing body, school; customer
Fox Whip Hard work; tough job; coach
Bear Woman Woman’s finances; female manager
Stars House Domestic or house ambitions
Storks Dog Friendship new beginning
Dog Crossroads Multiple friends; choice of friends
Tower Mice Worries from an organization or officialdom
Garden Tree Healthy social life or networking
Mountain Scythe Blocks cut through
Crossroads Stars Ambitious choices; goal options
Mice Heart Love or passion worries
Heart Storks New start in love; new passion
Ring Ship Travel or journey agreement
Book Birds Discussing a secret, knowledge or book
Letter Key Important document, news or letter
Man Snake Difficult man; untrustworthy man
Woman Mountain Blocked or isolated woman
Lily Cross Burdened/troubled elder
Sun Bouquet Lovely success; gifted success
Moon Fox Work creativity
Key Fish Career significance
Fish Ring Contracted career/freelancing, business
Anchor Clouds Uncertain stability
Cross Clover Problems resolve; troubles bring luck

We could also get even more overall detail of every aspect of the Querent’s life by combining the interpretations of each of the 36 cards in the Houses, as above, with the knighting, mirroring, and reflection techniques!

For instance, we could interpret the Rider card in the above reading as showing the arrival of bad news (Rider, Letter, Snake) but which the Querent should view as lucky (Clover) as it involves healthy growth and development (Tree) and strength (Bear)
We could interpret every one of the cards in this detailed way to create a big picture view and a story for the Querent.

So there we have it. A detailed general reading using the Grand Tableau!

Can you see now why it’s not a reading that you’d do on a daily basis? As its name suggest, it’s really for the Big Picture stuff.

If you’d like to see another example of it in action, but in a less personal context, check out my 2019 Grand Tableau reading for the UK!

For a reminder of the card meanings, check out the Card Combinations page.

And if you’re looking to buy new cards of your own, take a look at some of the most popular Lenormand Decks here.