For this spread you will need access to at least one cat to snuggle up to as the temperature drops. Personally, I have three cats, so I would ask each cat to help me draw one card. Part of the point of this spread is to really sit with and accept that sometimes we don’t know what’s best for us, and it’s better to let someone else choose. In this case, that someone else is your local feline furry friend! Cats have so much intelligence and intuition of their own to share with us: mine always seem to know when I’m sad and in need of a little extra care and affection.
The approach to problem-solving in this spread is inspired by that innate wisdom cats seem to have. My cats always notice little insects across the span of a room – so tiny that I can barely see them, even when I’m crouching right up close. Cats’ senses are so attuned that they notice the infinitesimal with remarkable acuity; they are deeply intuitive and sensitive beings. Observing my cats has taught me so much about reading tarot!
For this spread, keep the issue you’d like to work through in mind while shuffling. Once you feel finished, spread your tarot cards face-down on your bedspread, on the floor, on your altar – wherever you’re reading. If your cats are like mine, it won’t take them too long to saunter over and start sniffing things out! That may mean stepping all over your cards, licking them, turning them over. Allow your cat(s) to choose the cards for you. You may decide that means whichever cards they step on or touch first, or only if they’re able to turn it over themselves, or clearly pull it towards them. Be open to collaborating with your cat on this decision!
The first card that we’ll draw gives us deeper insight into the problem we face. I’d recommend focusing on this problem or conflict while you shuffle, and having a clear idea of what it is before you begin. Be sure to notice what the card in ‘the cat’s face’ position shows you about the problem that you didn’t know before. Maybe there was some hidden aspect or component that you didn’t give enough credence. What this card teaches us about our challenge will empower us with some new information in order to better assess and move through conflict.
The next card, representing the cat’s left ear, gives us some insight on how we might intellectually approach the issue at hand. What does that mean? The realm of intellect is all about the mental, cerebral, what has been called by some the ‘rational’. This card represents any form of communication strategy, be it in person, over email, phone, or text, and what your affect should be. Serious? Silly? Aggressive? Relaxed? Search for a little insight here.
And finally there's the third and final card, representing the cat’s right ear – the realm of intuition and emotionality. So once we’ve got the intellectualised piece down, what to do with what’s left in our hearts and feelings and in our bodies? This card will provide some insight into whether or not dealing with the problem directly in an outwardly emotional way will be helpful, or whether we should just take some time to connect with our feelings by ourselves, internally. These two different ‘ear’ cards may also show you more clearly two sides of how you’d like to approach something, or even two different choices that you may be deciding between. Based on the cards the cats pull for you, you may choose to approach the problem intellectually in a direct, outspoken way, and tackle your emotions in solitude. To the contrary, you may discover that it may be best to intellectualise behind closed doors but to channel your emotions and passion directly into the situation at hand.
Ground yourself and come back to the first card drawn, the cat’s face card in all its challenges and provocations, and sit with the bigger picture. If you’ve been given a clear choice between two courses of action, perhaps your feline friend will point to (or step on!) the card that shows the best course of action.
This was originally published in the Ignota Diary 2021. The Ignota Diary 2022 is now shipping.