Shadow Tamer Spread
Note: This is a slight edit to my original Beast Tamer Spread. I’ve added a 6th card to make it more complete and useful for shadow work.
Everyone has a part of themselves that they try to deny, and that denial holds us back from being our best, most complete selves. This is often referred to as our shadow. It’s the beast inside that causes us to act with anger, irrationality, or just generally against our own established values. The goal is to bring awareness and understanding to it so that it doesn’t control you.
Tarot can be a powerful tool for shadow work. This spread asks, what part of yourself have you been denying? Picture it as a caged animal. What if you took the bars of ignorance and fear and turned them into pillars of love, compassion, and understanding? What if you nurtured it into a loyal companion instead of treating it as an enemy?
It’s important to note that shadow work shouldn’t be a quest for positivity, but a quest for balance. We need both dark and light to be human. So while there is a lot of focus on toxic negativity, I’d like to also acknowledge that there is such a thing as toxic positivity. Being, or pretending to be, positive and happy all the time is a denial of your true self. It’s OK to feel a range of emotions, its OK to make mistakes, it’s OK to learn and grow. In fact, it’s necessary to living a full, healthy life. So, don’t look at your shadow and automatically dismiss it as a bad thing. Conversely, don’t blindly accept positivity as a good thing. Negativity is a force that pushes you forward but can sometimes push too hard, positivity is a force that keeps you stable but can cause stagnancy. It’s your job to be the balancing force between them.
I chose this spread as a companion for the eights because renewal, will, change, and action all have to come from within. They represent a time of realization that leads to positive change. Use it to tap into, tame, and embrace a part of your subconscious that you’ve either been denying or just never became aware of. Hopefully, it can help you control, understand, and form a more positive bond with your shadow.
Shadow Tamer Spread
Type: Self-Reflection or Querent Driven
Level: Intermediate
0. Your shadow
1. Support it
2. Soothe it
3. Energize it
4. Learn from it
5. Embrace it.
Place cards 1-4 face down to build a cage. Place card 0 face up in the center of the cage to represent your Shadow. What part of that card can you see in yourself? Take some time to meditate on it if it doesn’t come to you right away. Use this card as a visual representation of your Shadow to take with you even after you’re finished with the spread. Set it free by flipping the cage cards one by one. These cards represent ways you can support it, soothe it, energize it, and learn from it. Pull one final card and place it on top of your shadow to fully embrace it with its wisdom.
My Reading
0. IX of Pentacles. This card has been showing up in some strange places for me lately, mostly in positions that I expect a more negative card to be in. But I think it’s trying to tell me that I’m haunted by preconceived notions of success, reward, and comfort. Success looks different for everyone and just because I don’t have what I think I should have doesn’t mean I should not be content.
I. X of Pentacles. I can support it by realizing I already have everything I need and removing extra pressure for more.
II. I can soothe it by reminding myself that it’s just my anxiety and depression talking.
III. Page of Swords. I can energize it with clear communication and allowing the truth to shine through.
IV. Temperance Reversed. What I can learn from it is that I need to rebalance and give in to my negative emotions less frequently.
V. Ten of Wands - I can embrace it by accepting that it’s in my nature to always work hard. One struggle may end, but with every success comes more work. I’ll never fully be comfortable because I’m always striving for more. I can lessen the burden by allowing others to help sometimes.
