Breaking Into Haunted Castle Spread
This past weekend, during the height of summer, I planned a Tarot Slumber Party Weekend for some Tarot friends. The highlight of our gathering was a visit an abandoned old castle, pictured above. The stone mansion, built around the turn of the century, is nestled into the Catskill Mountains and is currently owned by a group of rogue Freemasons.
Our trip was a success! It was exciting, a bit scary and fascinating. The only ghosts we encountered were spirits of teenagers past who’d used the castle as a party spot. Exploring the turrets, peeling rooms with great ornate fireplaces and old hallways we made a pact to stick together. After all, the first rule of a horror movie – don’t split up.
We ended the day by venturing to an old Catskill resort that was abandoned about 11 years ago. There it stood, room keys scattered, hotel rooms left in tact, swimming pools full of old lounge chairs. To stand amidst the shattered glass one could faintly hear the echo of summers past, the clinking of champagne flutes, laughter, dancing . . .
What haunted all of us was the fact that the castle and the resort, once so beautiful, were now abandoned. Left for nature, left for vandals and left for dead. It was no accident when I pulled a Tarot card at the castle, I pulled the Death card. Then again, Tarot cards are never accidental.
It stands as a greater metaphor for our lives. We can look at ourselves to see what we have abandoned. Say, we loved writing poetry as a teenager and can’t find the time to write as an adult. Perhaps, we got angry at a friend and decided to abandon the relationship. A quick survey of our lives shows there are many things we’ve let slip by the wayside. The structures are still lingering, still waiting. Will we put our attention to them again? What is worth resurrecting?
I created this Tarot spread, so we could use our excursion as a metaphor for something greater. You can play around with this spread any time. Don’t feel the need to plan a madcap adventure to do this spread. Then again, maybe it’s time you created a little devilish fun for yourself . . .
Haunted Castle Spread
Pull one card to answer each question below:
1. What sort of adventures should I embrace?
2. What authority issues do I struggle against?
3. What ghosts am I haunted by?
4. What is to be discovered in my darkness?
5. What lessons lie within my castle?
6. What is worth dusting off and resurrecting in my life?
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Paul Nagy said,
August 25, 2009 at 4:26 pm
Nice Spread.
I think it would work nicely the tarot of the Crone deck and for the fun of a sleep over (Who Actually Slept?) may be the fairytale deck.
Now let’s do the ghost story spread. For what good is a sleep over with out scream yourself sick ghost stories?
1. who was your secret love who died of pining over you?
2. What terrible thing did they find in the afterlife?
3 Why do they want to haunt you now?
4 what do they haunt you with?
5 how will they hurt you with it.
6 what secret are they gonna tell everybody you do not want to know?
7 are you doomed to become a ghost soon, too?
8 is there any hope?
Not a spread for the faint of heart or dark stromy nights?
Watchout them card not just spooky but true too!
tarotgirl said,
August 25, 2009 at 4:34 pm
Aughhhhhhhhhhh!!!! Gasp!!!!!!!!
Paul – I love it!!!!
But do I dare do it?
tarotgirl said,
August 25, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Paul, you should post that spread in the Ning too!
Nancy Antenucci said,
August 25, 2009 at 5:04 pm
Man…I love both spreads!!
Barbara Moore said,
August 25, 2009 at 9:42 pm
Beautiful!