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Spread of The Week 2: The Crossroads

Writer's picture: Peter Duchemin, PhdPeter Duchemin, Phd

Two represents motion - it puts two meanings into tension and results in a new energy - a “becoming” that results from the combination. The spread for the number two is the two-card crossroads.


Two-card crosses are excellent for shining light on a basic situation without going into too much detail. It’s good to frame the question as a request for comment on that situation. For instance: “Tarot, please comment on the party I’ve been invited to this evening," or “Tarot, please shine a spotlight on the brief encounter with x that I just had at the Library”. The situations we use two-card crossroads draws for are usually not super serious - for that we will do a larger spread - but they can be anything at all that we’d like a little clarification on.


The two-card crossroads is like an “x marks the spot”- it is the coordinates of an event. A one card draw is great for connecting to the basic energies, but it doesn’t give enough information to be applied to any specific situation - this is why it is best for meditation. A two-card cross shows a very specific combination of energies that can make up an event, and is great for quick readings.


How do you do it? Simple. Get into a meditative mindset - perhaps by lighting incense or by visualizing the deck being washed with light… and shuffle till you feel right. Deal one card down onto the table, and deal a second card across it. The first card represents the situation, the second card represents a second dimension to the situation - the forces or circumstances that modify or affect it.


Two cards are actually easier to give readings from than one, because it is in the relation between them that we get information. For instance, ask yourself - do these energies harmonize, or do they conflict? Do they show a placid situation or a volatile one? If these two cards were flavors, how would they mix?


Pro Tip - you can always expand on any card by drawing a second crossing card. This can work for one card draws - singletons, or also for any single card in a larger spread. If you are unclear about the meaning of a specific card in a spread, you can turn that card into a crossroads - but be careful, this can be overdone, and make the spread too complex - in any reading the best course is to try and use as few cards as is absolutely necessary to tell a crisp story that covers all aspects of the question or concern. Less is more - but with any reading there is a sweet spot that is ideal to rest in. Find it. If you need to use two card expansion, use it surgically, once or maybe twice in a spread.


Usually the base card represents the situation, but the crossing card shows how the situation is being experienced. For instance, in this spread below, the four of pentacles is crossed by the High Priestess. Normally the HP (and any Major Arcana) is hugely dominant over a minor such as the 4 of Pentacles, but in this case, the base situation still gets to set the tone of the interpretation. This suggests a monetary transaction or exchange, which also happens to be the site of a deeper inquiry - the High Priestess is taking an ordinary situation (a gig I was offered) and making it meta (it is being used as an example in this email) - but the situation remains what it is.


The base card’s characteristics are what the situation looks like - the crossing card’s characteristics are what it feels like, or perhaps what it ultimately means.


When reading, let any and all thoughts that are triggered by the cards bubble up and evaluate them with a non-judgmental mind.  Remember that two-card crosses give us the minimum level of specificity for divination. They show us the fingerprint of a situation or encounter, without worrying about things like what the outcome will be, or what hidden factors there are. This is a useful and energetically economic spread pattern. It can stand on its own, or be incorporated into larger spreads.


You can frame your readings using this technique with questions such as “please comment on encounter x”, or “please shine a spotlight on issue y”. Light-weight and versatile.

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