Some days, I more or less wake up with a new Tarot spread on my mind. That is exactly what happened this rainy Sunday morning on the day after the Coronation. (No, I didn’t watch it.) It’s actually a twofer this time. You get to choose which of these 2-card check-ins you use to align. Of course, you can use both of these spreads together if the need arises and on days you have more time. And if you do have more time, these spreads are also ideal for using together with EFT tapping.
These 2-card Tarot spreads are intended as a daily check-in but you can use them for a weekly check-in or to cover a specific event. However, they are not intended to use for a period longer than one week. Which of them you choose will depend on the state of your mind early on in the day.
If you are in a neutral place mentally/emotionally, I recommend the first version. The second version is for when you wake up filled with regret, feeling triggered and/or annoyed about something.
Watch out for any of your birth cards showing up in these readings. When they do, you know you are dealing with major life themes/lessons.
Ego vs Higher Self
In this version of the 2-card check-in, the first card signifies something your ego is currently in charge of or seeking dominion over. It is something in your blind spot that is running like a program. Not all programs are bad. Many of them are necessary for us to accomplish routine tasks without wasting too much energy.
However, some of them prevent us from making progress in certain areas of our lives. And it is one of those programs we are asking the Tarot to show us specifically.
The Higher Self card then shows us what the part of us that is never separate from Source wants us to know about this program. It can show us how the ego sees this program as keeping us safe or it can show us how it is blocking us from making progress.
I suggest allowing these two themes to percolate throughout the day. Return to the reading in the evening and make some notes of what you learned and how you might be better off moving forward.
To break free from a program, we need to step out of our comfort zone. So when you return to the reading, you may wish to pull an additional card for how to do that.
Sample Reading Version One
My ego (Princess/Page of Wands) is seeking to control my creativity and my passion. This leads to me having a lot less fun than I could have on a daily basis. I’m not letting my inner child out to play anywhere near enough.
My Higher Self (Justice) tells me that my ego thinks it is keeping me safe by making sure I don’t go overboard. It tries to make me fit in and live in harmony with the world around me.
Additional Insights
Revisiting this daily check-in, I get the 5 of Cups. Have I avoided disappointment by allowing my ego to control my passion and creativity? Or have I generated a more disappointing day? What else can I learn from this?
Sitting with the 5 of Cups for a while, I understand that I actually need to grieve all the times I squashed my creativity out of fear of judgment. When I acknowledge this grief I can let go of the programming.
Negative Event vs Pearl of Wisdom
This is the version of the 2-card check-in to use when your mind is already pulling in a negative direction. It could be due to a bad dream, a memory of a past event being triggered or it could be someone or something in the now that is yanking your chain.
Pull the first card to learn why this is triggering you now. The second card will show you the lesson you can learn from it. This is the pearl of wisdom that you can carry forward. It will benefit not just you but others who are struggling with similar themes.
The feeling we seek to generate with this pull is one of gratitude. It’s basically about turning a negative into a positive before it gets a chance to take over and fester. It empowers us to have a good day in spite of waking up on the wrong side of the bed.
Sample Reading Version two
I woke up exhausted, angry and disappointed about not actually resting yesterday. Saturday was supposed to be my day of rest and I ended up not saying no when I should have. Nobody wins if we allow our batteries to run dry, right? And I know this so well.
Yet the Tarot reveals that my workaholic Capricorn (The Devil) energies won yet again. This card describes my motivation for allowing old programming to take over 100% spot on. It’s good to have the Tarot Mirror of the Soul reflect this back to me so honestly. I need to stop running from myself. I need to stop running from the joy of being still in my own company. What am I so afraid of?
The 6 of Wands shows me that when I master this lesson, it is something I can really help others with. It’s expansive Jupiter in joyful Leo. Leo energy can be very childlike and playful. It also tells me that when I finally do master just playing and having fun on my days off, I will enjoy it all the more.
Additional Insights
The Fool is another card I connect with childlike playfulness. It is also a card of innocence and the ability to be fully present in the now. I think I will meditate with this card before I fall asleep on the eve of my next day off. Where attention goes, energy flows.
I hope you enjoy working with these daily 2-card check-ins. Take some time to slow your brainwave pattern down to alpha, using your breath, before doing your readings. And don’t forget to journal your findings!
Deck used: Thoth Tarot
