Spike/Thorn/Squeeze/Contract: Tarot Spreads for Contractive Seasons

The Fives of the Tarot as medicine + Spreads for challenging seasons

Three of Cups -- my brand new, virtual Soul Tarot community connection space is open for enrollment! Check it out here.

I wrote this piece before the devastating wildfires in LA began 💔 Here are a few resources to help the folks in this region:

Mutual Aid LA

Ways to support folks in LA

LA Mutual Aid Resources

Donate to Pasadena Humane Society (who have taken in over 400 animals since the Eaton Fire began, and could really use our support)

Limit. Restrict. Knit. Wrinkle. Shorten. Tighten.

These are among the many words that show up under the definition of “contract” in the Merriam-Webster dictionary. They do a good job of describing the experience of contraction from an emotional/spiritual framework.

We move through contractive seasons for a variety of reasons. We say the wrong thing. We mess up, or fuck up. We are misunderstood. We forget our beloved’s birthday. We send an email that we really regret. Maybe we’re worried about something, are experiencing financial stress, or are feeling ashamed and sad about the way that an interaction went down with another person. Whatever the cause or the reason, contraction can be so, so painful. It narrows our view of the world, making things around us feel so squeezed.

My former teacher Michelle used to say that it was always a good idea to not make any big decisions while in contraction, if the option was available to us. This is because in these tight, thorny moments, we’re not always able to see the whole picture around us. We don’t have all of the information. We cannot always feel or remember the love around us, or our basic goodness, or the temporary nature of things – even the toughest of things – in contractive moments.

What can we do when contraction strikes, and how might the Tarot be able to be of assistance to us in this spiky place?