In the nearly 10 years since Catherine Chapman posted her GROW Tarot spread, I’ve used it time and again. If you follow the link to Catherine’s site you’ll find a lot of in-depth information. For this post, though, I just want to go over the basics.
The four positions of the spread are:
- G – Goals (What are you trying to accomplish?)
- R – Reality (What’s really going on here?)
- O – Options (What are my choices?)
- W – Way Forward (What is my right action to accomplish the goal?)
Real Life Example of the GROW Tarot Spread
I wanted to learn more about a past life with someone to whom I felt powerfully drawn. The emotions I felt were so deep I knew there had to be a past life connection as our relationship in this incarnation did not warrant that level of emotional response.
My Goal: What do I need to know about this shared past life? I drew the 3 of Pentacles – the card of the Master Maker – the craftsman who knew how to build cathedrals. Interesting as my relationship with her is also one of creativity.
Reality: What’s the reality of knowing this life? 5 of Cups. There’s something about that life that speaks of loss, emotional pain, and heartache.
Options: What can I do about this situation? Major XX Judgment. I’m being called to realize that this is a new life and the great depth of emotion I feel is connected to another life, not this one. My option is to continue experiencing the difficult feelings or let them go.
Way Forward: What’s my right action? 6 of Cups. The card of nostalgia and happy memories. I believe I’m being told to appreciate what was, to embrace the happy memories, but (again) accept that the feeling aren’t the same in this lifetime.
I’m sure you can see how valuable this spread is in untangling feelings, beliefs, emotions. If you’d like me to use GROW in our 1 question, 3 card reading let me know.
