Rarely in tarot spreads do I see ones intended to go looking for trouble specifically. Usually we apply helpful, positively attuned spreads when meeting personal crisis and decision making. However, in spirit of Halloween and the traditional dark side the holiday engenders, I have created a “give it to me straight, no chaser” tarot spread for the upcoming year. The timeline also in keeping to the traditional "new Year' focus, sundown of Halloween is considered the start of the New Year in many traditional and modern pagan belief systems.
Oddly enough this spread idea came to me at 3am, unable to sleep until I wrote it, the Horsemen were collectively neighing at my bed until I wrote this in the dead of night, gruesome spreads from the Witching Hour? Sure!
In this spread I have chosen our noble tarot Knights to stand in as the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. What news and messages of death and destruction (if any) will we receive this year? Do you dare ask? Seriously, If you cannot and are not prepared for possible bad news, this is your public service announcement; “Do not, I repeat, do not attempt this spread at home.” Just leave it alone and pull out your angel deck, it's gonna be alright, healing white light surrounds you... However if you are a bit macabre like myself, then please...continue...
The chapter tells of a book or scroll in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals. The Lamb of God, or Lion of Judah (Jesus Christ), opens the first four of the seven seals, which summons four beings that ride out on white, red, black, and pale horses. Although some interpretations differ, in most accounts, the four riders are seen as symbolizing Conquest, [1] War,[2] Famine, [3] and Death, respectively. The Christian apocalyptic vision is that the four horsemen are to set a divine apocalypse upon the world as harbingers of the Last Judgment (Wiki)
The White Horse
REV 6:1-2
In popular culture, this Horsemen is also known as the harbinger of Pestilence. Some may argue with this interpretation but for my needs, I am going for it.
I will attribute the Knight of Cups as the Horseman of Pestilence- the cups suit has a lot of healing kind of qualities so in a reversal, illness and sickness would make since for this knight. |
The Red Horse
REV 6:3-4
The red horse I will attribute to our Knight of Wands. Full of vim and vigor, our hot blooded fire-related suit could turn warlike if reversed, I am also reading this as conflicts.
The Black Horse
The Pale Horse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse Spread
(Do you Dare?)
Will I become ill this upcoming year?
If you get a card that is either an obvious no like an upright positive card, stop there, for you have your answer. If it is a card that ‘arouses suspicion’ or is reversed, let that lie but continue onto the next Horseman, the Red Horse:
Will I be involved in major conflicts this year?
If you get a card that is either an obvious no like an upright positive card, stop there, for you have your answer. If it is a card that ‘arouses suspicion’ or is reversed, let that lie but continue onto the next Horseman, the Black Horse:
Will I suffer a famine of resources this year?
If you get a card that is either an obvious no like an upright positive card, stop there, for you have your answer. If it is a card that ‘arouses suspicion’ or is reversed, let that lie but continue onto the next Horseman, the Pale Horse:
Will I endure a death this year?
If you get a card that is either an obvious no like an upright positive card, stop there, for you have your answer. If it is a card that ‘arouses suspicion’ or is reversed, let that lie but continue onto the next Horseman, back to the White Horse or whichever horse gave you a positive yes on trouble.
By now, you should have a pretty good, if gruesome, overview of all the difficulties, strain, and problems the Horsemen will bring to your door this year.
In the sample above, this individual is absolutely going to have issues around health, possibly the mental health variety (running for President has got to be tough on the nerves) as well as death coming to them in the form of possibly dropping out or being pressured to drop out of the race, but with that devil card capping it, there is a whole cantina of ego involved in that decision. The actual conflict and resource issues seem to be largely ok, however.
If you decide to 'go looking for trouble' and brave the message of Apocalypse, feel free to comment below or send me a . I am very curious to hear how this spread worked for you.
Happy Halloween!