Starting the Massive Tarot Log
Man, sometimes you just hit a wall where the standard three-card spread feels like trying to fix a broken engine with a chewing gum wrapper. I’ve been running the usual spreads for years, and they are fine for quick checks, but I had a decision recently that was just a total mess, tangled up in money, family opinions, and what I actually want out of life next year.
The core problem was my old Ford truck. Should I keep pouring cash into keeping it running, or finally sell it and downsize? This wasn’t just about the truck; it was about commitment, future spending, and simplifying my life. The three-card spread just kept telling me, “Future uncertain,” which is not exactly helpful, right? I needed the full map.
So, I pulled out the deck and decided I was going to force myself to master the big one: the 12-card layout. Twelve positions. Twelve different dimensions. It seemed intimidating as hell, but I knew if I logged it properly, I could break it down. I grabbed my thickest journal, sharpened three pencils (don’t ask why three, it felt important), and started pulling.
The Grind: Mapping Twelve Positions
The first few times I tried to read the 12-card setup, I got hammered. I kept forgetting which position meant what. Card 4 looked like Card 10. The card for “hidden fears” felt like it should be the “future outcome” card. I threw my notebook across the room once, honestly. It was too much to hold in my head at once.
I realized I couldn’t just memorize a list. I had to create a narrative, a journey that made sense. I practiced this specific spread three nights in a row, using the truck question as the anchor. I stopped focusing on the card meanings themselves, and only focused on what the position was trying to tell me. This is what finally clicked:
- Position 1: Me, Right Now (The Self): This is the baseline. It tells me where my head is at, my current attitude about the whole situation. For the truck, this showed if I was resisting the change or ready for it.
- Position 2: The Wallet (Money and Resources): Super straightforward. What resources do I have, and what financial implications does this decision hold? This is where the cost of repairs always showed up.
- Position 3: The Chit-Chat (Communication and Short Trips): How am I talking about this? Are there quick actions I need to take? Emails, phone calls, local meetings.
- Position 4: The Anchor (Home and Family Roots): This is the emotional foundation. How does the decision affect my literal home life or my closest family? This is where the emotional attachment to the old truck lived.
- Position 5: The Fun Stuff (Pleasure, Creativity, and Kids): Does this path bring me joy? What am I creating or enjoying? If the truck was blocking fun, it showed up here.
- Position 6: The Daily Grind (Work and Health): My routine, my job duties, my body’s well-being. How will fixing or selling the truck impact my actual day-to-day schedule?
- Position 7: Them (Partnerships and Open Enemies): How does this affect my main relationships—my wife, my business partner, or anyone I regularly deal with one-on-one?
- Position 8: The Deep Dive (Debt, Transformation, and Shared Money): This isn’t just surface money; this is about deep change, inheritances, and serious debt. The messy stuff I don’t want to look at.
- Position 9: The Big Trip (Travel, Higher Learning, and Beliefs): Long-term philosophy. Where am I going next year? What big ideas am I studying or planning?
- Position 10: The Boss (Career, Reputation, and Public Life): How will the community or my employer see this decision? My long-term professional status.
- Position 11: The Crew (Friends, Hopes, and Wishes): My network, my buddies, the people who support me. What are my hopes for the future?
- Position 12: The Hidden Stuff (Secrets, Self-Undoing, and Endings): The subconscious crap I’m hiding from myself. The things that could sabotage me if I don’t look at them. This is often the most revealing card.
The Payoff: Seeing the Full Picture
Once I nailed those positions, the whole 12-card spread stopped being a list and started being a revolving clock of my entire existence. The third time I laid out the spread for the truck, the answer finally smacked me in the face.
Position 10 (Career/Reputation) was the Ten of Swords reversed. Selling the truck wasn’t just about money (which was clear in Position 2); it was about finally escaping a long, drawn-out painful obligation that was dragging down my professional focus. I saw that the perception others had of me was tied to me always fighting a losing battle with this vehicle.
What really sold me on the depth of the 12-card approach was Position 12 (Hidden Stuff). It was the Four of Pentacles. I thought I was stressed about the money, but that card showed I was secretly hoarding the problem, unwilling to let go of the familiarity and the identity I had tied up in that old machine, even though it was hurting me.
My final step was to write down the synthesized meaning: the financial pain (Position 2) was a direct result of my stubborn attachment (Position 12), and letting go would immediately boost my career reputation (Position 10). It was a full loop, a complete story that no smaller spread could have given me.
So, yeah, it took a lot of messy practice, a few discarded journals, and forcing myself to treat those twelve slots like distinct houses, but now I’ve got this blueprint. When the situation is huge, complicated, and has deep roots in every corner of my life, the 12-card spread is the only thing that actually gives me actionable advice. If you’re dealing with a massive decision right now, ditch the quick checks and commit to logging this big layout. It hurts your brain at first, but the clarity you get at the end is worth it.
