The Dark Wood Tarot and Dark Energy of a Tarot Spread: How to Read the Space Between the Cards

Readers, please enjoy this guest blog post by Sasha Graham, author of several books and decks, including the new Dark Wood Tarot.

The Dark Wood Tarot brings you into darkness so you can find your light. According to NASA, 68 percent of the universe is made of a mysterious force called Dark Energy. Dark Energy counters gravity and causes the universe to expand. Could it be there is an accessible energy inside a tarot spread that we’ve been ignoring all along?

Einstein pointed out that empty space is not empty. Space holds more space. Space is not diluted as is expands, like a growing flower reaching to sunlight, space itself becomes more space. This means the space between your cards in a tarot reading is as potent and full of potential as the cards themselves.

The point of reading tarot is to widen our perceptions. It is helpful when reading tarot to keep in mind that invisible, unrecognizable things often stood in front of us before we recognized them. Just as humans all once thought the earth was flat, we may discover the most wondrous possibility was in front of us all along.

Make use of all the space inside a tarot spread. The field your cards appear in, the space between those cards, is anything but empty. It is chock-full of possibility.

Move deeper into any tarot spread by adding three cards to the spread when you are finished interpreting the cards. Perform this exercise at the end of any of your tarot readings and spreads:

1. Examine your tarot spread as a whole and make note of the spaces between cards. Remind yourself that there is more at play than you can currently see.
2. Place one card face down to the left of your spread and one card face down to the right of your spread. Turn them over at the same time. These cards are read as the polar extremes, the dichotomy of the invisible yet potent field surrounding everything in and around your current situation. Re-examine your spread in the context of these two polarities. Is the field evenly balanced? Is it erratic? Are the two cards compatible or are they at odds with one another?
3. Finally, pull a last card to reveal and invisible yet present possibility you have not yet seen.

Cast your cards well!

Our thanks to Sasha for her guest post! For more from Sasha Graham, read her article, “Three Shadow Tools to Use with the Dark Wood Tarot.”