Guest post by Gethyn Edwards
A few months ago I found I was regularly being asked to do readings for friends on topics about which I had a lot of prior knowledge.
Pretty soon, I noticed that I was sitting down to read with a whole mess of preconceptions and pre-judgements already in place – ideas about advice I might give; about where the subjects of the reading were going wrong; about the likely causes of the pickle they’d got themselves into; about what was clearly best for them… et cetera, et cetera…
In short, I was getting in my own way.
So to counteract this, I started running a little tarot spread to ‘clear out my baggage’ – a quick, effective method to ditch all of that nonsense and start with a clear slate.
And so the Baggage Handler Tarot Spread was born!
It’s very simple, has a slight ritual air to it, and works like a charm every time.
There’s no need to get particularly heavy about any of it; a light touch does the best work.
How to Use the Baggage Handler Tarot Spread
- Start by identifying and noticing the situation in hand. (“OK, I’m going to do this reading for my best friend, and I think I’m probably a bit too close to the situation. I need some help to clear out the
baggage…”) - Deal out a 3 card spread, cards face down, then place a fourth card off the right, again face down. By personal habit I order the cards thus: [2] [1] [3] [4]
- Leave the fourth card alone for now, but flip the three card spread and take a look.
Taken as whole, this set of cards describes what you’re bringing to the situation. It’s your baggage.
Your job is to identify (understand, feel, top to toe) how these cards expose or otherwise highlight what you’re carrying. I use elemental dignities here. It’s better. - When you’ve recognised what you’re looking at, turn your attention to the fourth card.
This card is the antidote. It’s the medicine – the Handler that will clear the Baggage away for you.
Turn it over and identify (understand, feel, top to toe) how this card acts to rectify and clear the situation held in the other three cards. - On feeling that ‘click’, take up the fourth card, drop it on top of the other three cards, use it to swiftly sweep them all together off the table into your hand, then shuffle the whole lot back into the deck.
- Notice the effect that has had on you, breathe a sigh of relief and get on with your reading. It often helps to carry the memory of that antidote card with you as you go.
This spread has proved its usefulness time and again.
- I’ve had this method unerringly highlight and neutralise things I wasn’t aware of consciously.
- I’ve had it provide an instant cure for things I was aware of but didn’t know how to eliminate.
- I’ve even, on one occasion, had it turn up four trumps with the clear message of “You’re doing God’s work – stop wittering and get on with it!”
This isn’t just for readings, of course, any situation where preconceptions, pre-judgements and limiting opinions of all kinds are coming into play can be cleared away ahead of time by the Baggage Handler.
Gethyn Edwards
