The Special Birthday Wheel Tarot Spread!
Creator: Kiama
Kiama (c) all rights reserved
Used with permission
It is based on the Wheel of the Year, and is designed to show the querent the
themes and events in the coming year for them. As such, even though it is based
around concepts and festivals that have associations with dates and months of
the year, this spread does not talk about when the events are going to
happen, but instead sticks to the general 'coming year' timeline.
This spread is most useful for Pagan/Wiccan querents, or for querents who are
familiar with the Pagan Wheel of the Year. If the querent isn't familiar with
it, it would be very simple to explain it to them I hope!
It is best done as a birthday reading, since it makes a very nice gift, and it
is best done by starting with the festival coming the soonest after the
querent's birthday. However, this spread could also be doe as a New Year's Eve
reading, or even a Samhain reading. (Celtic New Year.)
There are 3 cards for each part/position of the spread, and there are 8
positions/parts. I shall show you this example with Yule first, since that
is the one coming soonest:
Yule: 3 cards. Yule is the time of the rebirth of the Sun from the
depths and darkness of Winter, and so these three cards indicate that which will
be born into the querent's life during this year.
Embolic: 3 cards. Embolic is the time of the first stirring of the
earth from beneath the Winter snows, and the rekindling of the flame of life.
These three cards indicate that which will begin to grow in the querent's life
in the coming year, but will not bear fruit fully for quite some time. That
which will bud but not flower, that which is in the very first stages of
creation, and that which will 'simmer under the surface' in the querent's life.
Ostara/Spring Equinox: 3 cards. This is the equinox, so it is a
time of balance. These three cards indicate that which will bring the querent's
life into some sort of balance during the coming year.
Beltane: 3 cards. Beltane is May day, a time for sexuality and
passion. As such these three cards indicate the passions that will come to life
in the querent's life this year. That which they will love most this year. That
which will 'fertilise' their life and make them grow during the coming year.
Litha: 3 cards. Litha, or the Summer Solstice, is the time when
the Sun is at its peak and is highest in the sky. As such, these three cards
indicate the querent at their peak in the coming year, and the
projects/events/ideas that will reach their peak for the querent.
Lughnassadh: 3 cards. Otherwise known as First Fruits, Lughnassadh
is the beginning of the harvest, and so these three cards indicate that which
will come to bear fruit this year in the querent's life, but will not quite be
ready for a full harvest for a while. (Notice this is the opposite festival of Embolic,
where the flowering was delayed.- the opposite in some way to harvest being
delayed.)
Mabon: 3 cards. Otherwise known as the Autumn Equinox, this is the
opposite of Ostara. It is the middle of the harvest, as well as another time of
balance, and so it represents bounty and joy, and that which will be bounteous
in the querent's life in the coming year and bring them joy and cause for
celebration.
Samhain: 3 cards. This is the end of the harvest, where the herd
is culled. As such, these three cards indicate what will die in the querent's
life this year, what will come to an end, and what they will cull from their
lives.
Blessings: 3 cards. A nice way to end the reading is to make three
blessings from three cards. These card said in the form of 'May you...'. For
instance, if the Fool was drawn for a blessing, one might say 'May you be an
eternal learner.'
For this reading, I also found it useful to work out, a la Umbrae, the querent's
year card, so that it tells you the general theme of the year. You might also
like to look at what suit is more predominant, as that may give you some clues
as to another theme of the querent's year. (For instance, if there are more
Wands than any other suit, you might say that this year is going to focus on
creativity and putting talents to work.)
I found it easiest to lay the cards in a circle of sorts, so that the three Yule
cards were at the bottom, the three Litha cards at the top (Litha and Yule are
both Solstices and so they are opposite in the year as well as in the spread!),
the Spring Equinox cards in the middle left, the three Autumn Equinox cards in
the middle right, and the cross-quarters in between:
...............................Litha 1, 2, 3...............................
..........Beltane 1, 2, 3...............Lughnassadh 1, 2, 3........
Ostara 1, 2, 3.......................................Mabon, 1, 2, 3.............
..........Embolic 1, 2, 3.................Samhain 1, 2, 3................
...............................Yule 1, 2, 3.................................
Blessings, 1, 2, 3.
Anyway, I thought I'd share this spread with you all because I am very pleased
with it. 
Kiama
