These posts in Ancestral Threads are for paid subscribers, but this one is my gift to you. (Yes, it’s my birthday month). If you’re interested in deeper work with the ancestors, thanks for considering becoming a paid subscriber. Upcoming paid posts include a special one with five spreads and another that will guide you in digging into your witchy ancestral legacy.
I love three card spreads
and I love working with the Ancestors. So today I’m challenging you to pick an Ancestor card from a tarot or oracle deck, do the spread described below, and then leave a comment.
The core of this spread is to choose a card that represents your Ancestors because you’re asking them for help. Your Ancestor card can change over time, but it doesn’t have to. For instance, the 6 of Cups is always my card for the Ancestors. If you don’t immediately know which card feels right, go through the deck until you find your ancestral card.
It really doesn’t matter which deck you use, as long as you can pick a card that represents your Ancestors. Once you identify your Ancestor card, shuffle it back into the deck. Now, pause a sec and ask a question.
Next . . .
shuffle the entire deck (including the Ancestor card), then draw down from the top until you come to your chosen Ancestor card. Put that card down on your table. Now, place the card that came BEFORE the Ancestor card to the left and the card that came AFTER the Ancestor card to the right. Like this:
The card to the left (7 Wands) is the action to take relative to your question. In essence, it’s what the Ancestors think you need to do in order to answer your question. The card to the right (Star) is the outcome if their advice is followed.
Now it’s your turn. And just to show you how well this spread works with non-tarot decks, I’ve created three more random draws to give you an idea of how oracle decks can be used in ancestral work.
First, Southern Gothic Oracle.
I choose Cornbread as my Ancestor card because it brings back memories of childhood and my grandmother making cornbread in a cast iron skillet.
Next, the Apothecary Spirits Oracle
Rosemary is my favorite herb, probably because as Shakespeare wrote ‘rosemary, that’s for remembrance’. In the world of botanicals, there couldn’t be a better card for me to represent the Ancestors than Rosemary.
Last is my new Ancestral Magick Oracle from La Panthere Studio.
I chose the Innocent card to represent the Ancestors because the photo is actually one of my own mother. Can’t get more personal than that.
Do you get the idea of how just about any deck can be used in this three-card ancestral message draw?
Good.
Thanks for doing the spread and
leaving a comment. What were your cards, what deck did you use, and how did the spread work for you. (It’s okay to keep your question secret!)
Forgot to mention, if you’re a paid subscriber and leave a comment, you’re automatically entered into a drawing to win a unique deck. Winner can choose from:
Victorian Grimoire
Ancestral Magick Oracle
Erika's Lenormand of Hope
Mystical Dream Tarot
Earth and Bone Oracle
One last thing before you comment . . .
you can work with the Ancestors using any deck or just about any thing, i.e. a stone, a feather, a playing card, an herb, a bone, a flower, or even your favorite Spirit Animal. The tool you use isn’t anywhere as important as your intent. In fact, when working on this spread, I used three Zuni fetishes drawn with my eyes closed: a horse (left), a bear (center), and a buffalo (right).
In fact, in my next Ancestral Threads post, I include five spreads: some for tarot, another for oracles, and even spreads for charms and stones. I think you’ll like it.
Thanks for commenting!
xo
Nancy
P.S. I’m going to be doing a presentation for an Ancestral Summit the end of October, and one for TABI (Tarot Association of the British Isles) in mid-October. I’ll post the links when I have them.
Hi Nancy, So I took out my Druidcraft tarot for this one. Looking through and chose the 10 of Pentacles for my ancestors. The other three contenders included the 10 of Cups, Empress, or 6 of Cups. I chose 10 of Pentacles because I come from a large family, in this deck we see an older man, heavy set, and younger family members are around him. Pentacles is earth, body, practical. The card normally would be about legacy as well. It feels fitting. Money and resources were understood by my family, emotional support not so much.
I asked what advice might they have regarding a business legal issue that I am facing. I pulled 4 of Swords on the right, and 3 of Wands on the left. In this deck, 4 of Swords shows an adult male looking very contemplatively while sitting on a moss covered tree throne of sorts. So, their advice is to reassess where I stand in this issue and organize my future plans around it. It acknowledges that I took a short break from it and rested but now I have to really assess my options and plans.
The outcome, if I do this, is the 3 of Wands, which tells me that my hard work will begin to bear fruit in writing and communication, and I will achieve my goals. It's a good time for long-term planning.
I used the Shadowland Lenormand deck by Monica Bodirsky.
I used the Tree card for my ancestors.
Once shuffled, the card before the ancestors was the card Book. The card after the ancestors was the Mice card.
I asked what do I need to know for today,as I am attending a work function which is celebration of 50 years. All retirees and past employees are invited. I am attending for closure and to say my good byes to a few people, I didn’t get to when I left.
Instead of reading the cards as Lenormand, I took cards at face value. Monica’s art work really speaks for its self.
I really had a sense of, keep your cards close to your chest-you do not need to share the things that you know or what you are doing. It will leave the workers scrambling and nothing to chew on or gossip about.