An Easy Three Card Tarot Spread: Maiden Mother Crone - The Triad

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This is a spread I picked up somewhere many moons ago. I can't say from where or from who, but I can say its been refined by my own use and has become a staple in my tarot spread tool belt. The Maiden Mother Crone Spread.

I connect this spread with Hekate, the torch-bearing goddess of witches, crossroads, and magic. In her ancient homeland of Greece she was known as Hekate Triformis and depicted with three faces because she watched over three-way crossroads: the sky, the earth, and the underworld.

Modern witchcraft has depicted her as the Maiden Mother and Crone triple goddess - the embodiment of life's unceasing cycles: youthful possibility, mature creation, and wise release.

Whether viewed as three women, three faces of one goddess, or three chapters of our own lives, the spread invites us to stand at the crossroads, take stock of where we have been, where we are, and where we are being called next.

INSTRUCTIONS

Settle into your space, follow whatever rituals or techniques you usually follow. If you are new to tarot - see the bottom of this post for suggestions on how to prepare yourself to conduct a tarot reading.

1. Shuffle

2. Cut into Three Piles

3. Place the third pile on top of the second pile, and the second pile on top of the third pile

4. Deal yourself the top three cards in the following order:

1. Maiden 2. Mother 3. Crone

Tarot Spread Template: The Maiden, Mother, Crone positions invite reflection on new beginnings, nurturing actions, and transformative wisdom, promising a profound journey through the cycles of life.

Read the cards through the lense they land on.

The Maiden position tells us what new energy is coming into the situation. What opportunities, or dreams, or other sorts of potentials are brewing just under the surface. Like the earliest flowers of the spring, pushing their little purple faces upwards through the remaining snow. The Mother position tells us which energies are in full bloom, what is fully present, active and manifest in the moment - what is ready to, or already taking centre stage.

The Crone position reveals what cycles have been completed and which lessons are asking for integration into wisdom or to be released. Energy as we know, does not just disappear - it transforms. The Crone integrates and directs what's left over back into the universe for the cycle to begin anew.

If You Are New To Tarot

In my practice preparing to read is both crucial and exceedingly simple.

SHIFT YOUR MINDSET

The first goal is to slightly shift your consciousness from the active, worried, on the clock vibe to a receptive, relaxed, almost like a light trance state of mind. Like a daydream. From that perspective, all that is really truly needed is a comfortable grounded seat, some relaxing breaths and I kid you not - a gentle smile. When your face smiles - your nervous system responds.

BE COMFORTABLE

I have a few chairs around my house I like to settle into. but you can do this anywhere. The important thing is to be comfortable. That may mean wearing loose clothing, lighting some candles, or incense, having a soft blanket over the lap, the removal of jewelry or hair ties - or not.

It entirely depends on you and the moment.

USE PROTECTION

If you are going to be doing tarot it is a well held practice to spiritually prepare before the act of reading. There are as many ways to prepare as there are people who read tarot.

The basic premise is, when you are interfacing with the unknown use protection.

The best protection is good health, good spiritual hygiene, and good intentions.

• Grounding

• Cleansing

• Sealing

Take a few breaths I like three - to four.

Relax into a gentle smile. Like Mona Lisa. Subtle.

Continue gently breathing as normal while you formulate the question in your mind.

At this point if you have a guide you can invite them in to guide and protect you as you work with your deck.

If you don't work with a guide, not to worry - you can use visualization and breath work to prepare.

PREPARATION

As you breath in - imagine the swelling of your chest continues outside the immediate space of your body. In your minds eye, you can see the subtle outline to the swelling of your breathe - in your minds eye, look upwards to where the crown chakra is typically found - an inch or so above your physical head.

Hold your breath a beat, then breathe out through your mouth.

As you breath out - push the breath down and visualize it pushing any debris, any sticky residue of discordant emotions downwards and out - send it all down deep below your feet into the centre of the earth. (Explainer: This is a type of energetic recycling. Release the detritus of your day, the stuff you don't need any more, the husk material of the lessons you have integrated and absorbed - let it go. Let it go like you do your empty boxes, bottles and cans. As responsibly as possible. Recycle, re-use, repair.)

Breathe in again and as you raise your eyes to your crown notice sparkling light pouring into your chakra from the heavens above. It flows through you, and bubbles from the crown like a fountain. It flows through you, and around you. This includes the bubble you created with your breathing and visualization - that space you created outside your physical body in your mind - is your safe bubble with you now sealed safely inside, suspended in sparkling light.

As you are imagining all of this you can repeat the phrase (or something like it), "Please Protect me and guide this reading to reveal the truthful answers to my questions in clear and digestible ways for the highest good of all involved." You can add a thank you, a So Mote It Be, and an Amen if you like. Or completely come up with your own ritual. This is simply an example. I've used it often. You can make it as simple, as deep, as complicated or as symbolic as you wish. Whatever works best to shift you into the reader mindset.

IN CLOSING

After you have completed your reading, Silently thank your deck, and your guide if you worked with one. Gather your cards, respectfully return them to their box or pouch. blow out any candles you may have lit. This next part is kind of funny sounding but it is important.

Shake it off.

Brush your hands together as if you are brushing crumbs of toast from your fingers. You can brush off your arms and legs too if you wish. You can take it a step further and wash your hands. This is like turning off your computer at the end of the day. It tells your brain and the spiritual space that the "meeting" is officially over and it is time to move on to other things.

Have a small glass of water or juice, and a snack.

Doing intuitive work takes a lot of mental power and can leave you feeling a bit spaced out. Eating a snack, drinking water, or feeling cold water on your hands wakes up your physical senses and brings you right back to the real world, this is what we mean by Grounding.