The True to Myself Tarot Spread

The True to Myself Tarot Spread

Don’t die with the music still inside you.
~ Wayne W. Dyer

In this NEW five-part Tarot Spread series, we are going to cover the top five regrets of the dying with individual Tarot spreads for each. I’m choosing this as our focus over the next few weeks, not because I am morbid but because I believe that pondering our mortality and possible regrets at death’s door is one of the fastest and most effective ways to start living fully.

The most common regret among the dying is ‘I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me.’ While many younger people don’t struggle so much with doing whatever they want, come hell or high water, at least those of us who are old enough to have started families know a thing or two about compromise.

Many of us also hold ourselves back. Sometimes we use others as an excuse to hide our light under the bushel. This Tarot spread helps us gain clarity about what we really want/need to be doing deep down, the influence of others, and how we may be blocking ourselves.

True To Myself Tarot Spread Positional Meanings

  1. What I would be doing if I had the courage to be true to myself
  2. How I’m currently aligned with this ideal
  3. The main challenge I need to overcome to be 100% true to myself
  4. What others expect of me (or what I perceive others expect of me – if we ask, we usually get a totally different answer to what we think we’d get)
  5. How others are helping me be true to myself
  6. How others would perceive me if I were 100% true to myself
  7. How others might benefit from me being true to myself
  8. How am I not respecting myself?
  9. How else am I holding myself back?
  10. What are my boundaries like with others?
  11. Which area of my life needs urgent attention with regards to being true to myself?
True to Myself Reading with the Frideborg Tarot

Sample Reading with the Frideborg Tarot

  1. What I would be doing if I had the courage to be true to myself 7 of Wands. I’d be a warrior – a rebel, with a cause and enough courage to fight the good fight.
  2. How I’m currently aligned with this ideal6 of Swords. It’s mostly on the ideas plane but I’m starting to connect with like-minded souls across the globe.
  3. The main challenge I need to overcome to be 100% true to myself3 of Cups. To meet up in real life and get the animal activist party started.
  4. What others expect of mePage of Pentacles. That I will be a ‘good girl’ and work hard.
  5. How others are helping me be true to myself Page of Wands. Those of like mind really inspire me to keep fighting the good fight. They also help me laugh and not take myself so seriously.
  6. How others would perceive me if I were 100% true to myself 8 of Wands. A quick and sure-footed communicator of undeniable truths.
  7. How others might benefit from me being true to myselfThe Hanged Man. Compassion for innocent beingsΒ who have no voice. I would give everything to ease their suffering.
  8. How am I not respecting myself?The Emperor. The looping voice of my inner father, telling me how useless I am and that my opinion doesn’t matter. Some part of me still believes and listens to that voice. I need to break the record!
  9. How else am I holding myself back?6 of Wands. The lack of confidence clearly relates to the previous card. I need to believe in myself more.
  10. What are my boundaries like with others? Queen of Wands. Pretty good at the moment. I have learned that ‘No’ can indeed be a complete sentence.
  11. Which area of my life needs urgent attention with regard to being true to myself? 6 of Pentacles. Work and how I prioritise my work/life balance. I feel I have a lot more to give if I can align more fully with my inner warrior. I feel this card points to dedicating part of my work to animal charities.
love raven liora

Comments 24

  1. Hey Lisa, thanks again for the spread! I’m a bit confused though because I got the 8 if pentacles in position 8. How would you interpret that?

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      Hey Candice, you’re welcome! The 8 of Pentacles in position 8 means that you are not applying yourself to honing your skills and talents. You owe it to yourself to buckle down and refine those unique skills! Blessings, Lisa

  2. Beautiful spread! My cards are the following:

    1) The Emperor. I can be strong and firm in my actions. Put myself in a powerful position. Not sure about that one.
    2) Page of Pentacles. I am open to really learn about myself and my true calling. Open to study or explore all kinds of options.
    3) The Magician. To fully embrace my powers and manifest everything I really want.
    4) Eight of Cups. Not sure but maybe they expect that I will emotionally withdraw or go a completely different way.
    5) Two of Pentacles. They show me by letting me figure it out myself. Letting me explore myself and see how things will go.
    6) Four of Cups. Again puzzling. If I am 100% myself people will see me as someone that is distant and not satisfied with what is going on? Or someone that makes their own decisions without distraction from the outside?
    7) Ten of Pentacles. I will have so much to give to others. And they will benefit from my rich (all levels) life.
    8) Queen of Wands. I give away my energy to easily and not stand for myself.
    9) Three of Cups. I do not enjoy my life and trust everything will work out.
    10) Five of Pentacles. Very non existent. I give to easily and do not say no.
    11) Three of Wands. My energy and my planning ahead of what I have in mind for myself.

    This is my interpretation. Hopefully you could help me with the cards I am unsure of! Thank you so much!

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      Hi Ilona, I’m amazed that everyone so far has had a Major Arcana card in position one. In your case, The Emperor speaks of fully developed leadership potential (which means you need to start owning more of your ‘masculine’ qualities). The 4 of Cups has showed up in that position in one of the readings below… another interesting synchronicity! In your case, this 4 resonates with the 4 of The Emperor and shows you being able to guide from the gut, trusting your own intuiton fully in a way that inspires confidence in others. The 4 of Cups corresponds to the extremely intuitive Moon in Cancer. Blessings, Lisa

      1. Thank you so much for your eye opening insight Lisa. I was sincerely puzzled with the 4 of Cups but I never saw the 4 resonation. My full name leads numerologically up to a 4. A very important number to put myself on the map (just like the Emperor!) And I have Moon in Cancer in my chart ( I have Sun, Moon, Saturn and my ascendant in Cancer!). Very important that I really start trusting my gut feeling so I can be a ‘leader’ to other people to follow my example! Really thank you for connecting the dots so beautifully. Best wishes, Ilona

  3. I figured I would share as well. I was using the Archangel Power Tarot deck for this spread.

    1. The Sun: Not sure. Something about being a light to others?
    2. 10 of Raphael: I’m overthinking it too much.
    3. Two of Raphael: I give up too easily or not dedicated enough to it.
    4. King of Raphael: Others expect me to be successful.
    5. Queen of Gabriel: Others are trying to encourage me to move forward.
    6: Perspective (Hanged Man): Not sure
    7: Page of Gabriel: They would be able to see or follow their own light. Does this go back to the sun?
    8: Seven of Michael: I’m not asking for help or getting all the information I need.
    9: Justice: Not making good decisions because I don’t have all the information.
    10: 8 of Gabriel: Boundaries aren’t great. Too quick to respond to others.
    11: 7 of Gabriel: I need to have the confidence to move forward and not worry about what others think of me.

    Any help you can offer would be greatly appreciated!!

    Thank you!!

    Laura

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      Hi Laura, what if I told you that The Sun here could represent SUPREME SELF-CONFIDENCE? Does that clarify the rest of the spread? The Hanged Man as for how others would perceive you is a sign that you would be seen as someone who makes people think along very different lines to the norm… someone who only speaks when necessary and from a place of their highest ideal… someone who doesn’t fear silence and who knows when to make sacrifices for the Highest Good. Blessed be! Lisa

  4. Thank you for a wonderful spread..

    This is something I’ve been focused on this year, trying to manifest my true calling. The question, ‘What do you really want to do? I’ve found hard to answer. For me it’s back into creativity/ sculpture.. I think !

    However, I struggle to interpret cards 1 & 7.

    (Working with the Tarot Illuminati Deck)

    1. The Lovers – Unsure…

    2. Prince of Pentacles – I’ve done the ground work.

    3. 5 Cups – Not believing myself, focused on what I haven’t got, rather than what I have.

    4. Ace Wands – Starting something creative, a new beginning.

    5. Princess Swords – Lots of advise and chats with friends.

    6. 8 Pentacles – Working hard, (Oddly the card shows a man casting from sculpture, and that’s exactly what I’ve been thinking is the way!)

    7. The Tower – Unsure..

    8. King of Wands – Relying on, or hiding behind powerful men… It could also be listening too much to the inner critic.

    9. Prince of Wands – Not taking ACTION!!

    10. 5 Swords – Opps, What boundaries lol?

    11. High Priestess – Need to follow my gut and listen to my intuition that’s screaming at me.

    Help with the interpretation of the 2 cards I’m stuck with would be wonderful.

    Thanks again Lisa

    1. Hi Karmen, glad you enjoyed this. The Lovers (Gemini) – Major Arcana card – is a calling to keep aligning, keep adapting… and it is always with others… also in line with working with other people (partnerships). It’s about keeping your options open and being OK with not being on a set path but allowing the Path to unfold as you go. You would be communicating with ease and create beauty and harmony wherever you go as this card relates to Tiferet on the Tree of Life. The Tower for your impact on others is interesting… because Gemini keeps blending/matching feminine and masculine energy but The Tower is pure testosterone… It could be you unleashing dominant traits in others OR imposing them on others so that they become AWARE… the latter in light of The Lovers as card one. Very interesting! Hope this provides some more food for thought. Blessings, Lisa

      1. Hi Lisa,

        Food for thought indeed…

        It’s taken me a few days to reflect !

        Your interpretation of the contrast between the Lovers and Tower cards is so interesting. I do play with power (in both capacity and gender).. So I do understand how those two can feed into each-other on an emotional/ mental, (sometimes sexual) and soul level.

        It does seem much to do with others for me, relationships and partnerships, in work or play, I adore getting to know people on an intimate level and people again are usually directly connected to how my path unfolds… Sometimes I wish for a clearer view of the path at times though.

        It’s odd, since my confidence has grown so has my desire and love of being with others. (Something very alien to my family dynamics growing up !)

        So with that amazing insight I’ll have to reevaluate all the other cards now!

        Thank you

  5. Hi Lisa, Thank you for your inspiring spread. The cards I got are
    1. The hanged man – this card puzzles me a bit
    2.two of swords -currently I am trying to ‘manage’ the search for my true calling intellectually
    3. Ace of wands – I need to be more courageous in my search, think out of the box and stand up for my beliefs
    4. Nine of cups – I ought to be happy with what I have and show that happiness
    5. The Empress – kind people giving me the space to express my feelings and thoughts about my search and encourage me to follow my path
    6. Four of cups – difficult to interpret for me
    7. The star- I might help other people/beings with inspiration?
    8. Three of wands – I’m waiting instead of acting
    9. Three of swords – thinking of pain instead of joy regarding my calling
    10. Eight of cups – running from people if there might be a difference of meaning
    11. Page of wands
    If you would find the time to help me with the interpretation of the first card, I would be grateful. The interpretations I wrote down are intuitive πŸ™‚ I wrote down what came up looking at the cards, sorry if they sound a bit strange or vague, I’m learning.
    Thank you

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      Author

      Hi Susann, Nothing wrong with interpreting the cards intuitively! The Hanged Man here speaks of letting go and letting God. This is Odin hanging on the tree to allow for full immersion in the mysteries. In the Frideborg Tarot, I have chosen to depict the three crosses on Golgotha – Christ and the two thieves – to show that we all have to sacrifice… it’s what’s in our hearts that decides the nature of the sacrifice. This is a deeply mystical card to receive as card one. And yes to card 7 – inspiring others! As for the 4 of Cups (Moon in Cancer)… in a positive light it means someone who is very in tune with their emotions and inner guidance. Blessed be! Lisa

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  6. Hi Lisa! Thank you for the spread! I find it interesting and useful πŸ™‚
    I will dare to share what I got today. It came really as a surprise πŸ™‚

    1. 9 of Pentacles – If I had the courage to be true to myself, I’d be a wealthy and happy lady living in my own garden enjoying nature and animals.
    2. King of Cups – well, I’m quite far away from my true self… building my own throne on a small island, mastering the realm of feelings and subconsciousness.
    3. 6 of Wands – My challenge is to conquer all my monsters in my head πŸ™‚
    4. Knight of Pentacles – Others expect me to learn to earn my own money. Also not to look outside to solve my problems. Not to doubt myself.
    5. 5 of Wands – To help me, they compete with me and fight and play weird games on me.
    6. 6 of Pentacles – If I were 100% myself, they would be generous with me.
    7. Emperor – How others would benefit from me being 100% me? They would be organized and structured. They’d follow me or they would provide a structure for me to develop myself further, to open up.
    8. 3 of Cups – comparing myself with others
    9. 3 of Pentacles – Lack of grounding, a base, drifting.
    10. 2 of Cups – I love everybody unconditionally and am looking forward for cooperation and collaboration.
    11. Queen of Wands – I need to trust myself. Making an environment where the gifts of the true self are cherished and encouraged.

    Kind regards!

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      Hi Yum, thanks for sharing. Number 6 is about how others would perceive you, not how they would treat you. So perhaps they would perceive you as generous…?

      1. Hahaha, so true, I didn’t think about it πŸ™‚ I thought more in the way that I will be able to write perfect grants which will be easily funded :))
        And what about the Emperor (card 7)? Will I be the Emperor for them organising and structuring their work or will they be the Emperor, organising me? πŸ™‚ Maybe both…
        Good luck with your talk!!!

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