This is a tarot spread based on Aidan Wachter’s post, “There are doors”, which I will quote in full length below. Aidan Wachter is a talismanic jeweller and an occult writer, whose book Six Ways is now a firm favourite in my magic library.
Guillermo del Toro’s Pan’s Labyrinth: stepping through the doorway of transformation
It’s a choice that can be equally enthralling and frightening. There you are, standing on the precipice, the doorway in front, life as you know it behind: do you choose to walk through the doorway? It’s an old symbol of transformation, yet one that lives on and seems to be more pertinent for the troubled times we live in: the melting glaciers, the collapsing economies, the
Contemplating a whole new world: 2 of Wands from the Alice Tarot
rumble of another dark age looming ever so perilously ahead… And yet: how many times have our ancestors faced this? From Genghis Khan slaying his way across much of Asia and Europe, razing villages and taking slaves as his army swept through, to the collapse of the Roman Empire, the Black Plague, the Witch trials, the Spanish Inquisition, the Holocaust, on and on the Wheel of Change has turned, on and on, for our ancestors, as it does for us. The fear of change, of the unknown, is bound to painful histories and resides deep in our bones, calcified by the ancestral layers of karma and time.
If you are at a standstill in life where you do not know whether to stay with what is familiar, or to be open and embrace a change, Aidan Wachter’s practice may be of help. The practice, outlined below, was also the inspiration for my Doorway Spread shown at the end of this post.
Aidan writes,
… this is one of those practices that should be undertaken with a lot of forethought in a clear head and emotional space. It can get weird. But it can be a useful thought exercise at any time. Find a place out in the weather, where you can spend time undisturbed. This might take some time, or you might know a place right now. You are looking for a Gate or Door. Two trees… two stones… natural or man-made. Standing stones might be perfect if you are in the UK. For me it has always been trees. Whatever you choose, it must suggest itself as being a door or gate. Take your time to find your door, don’t force it. Once you have found your door, begin to visit it. Spend time thinking how much of a door it is. It is clearly a door! Anyone could tell!! Walk around it, if the terrain allows. Allow yourself to wonder where it goes. Think about walking through it, but do not. Feel the pull of a new world beyond the door. And go home.You will visit your door another eight times. The second visit, allow yourself to understand that if you were to walk through the door, everything would change. Subtly or drastically different. Think of the world you would like to be in, and how you would be in it. Allow yourself some sadness at the things that you would miss. Excitement about the change.Allow yourself some fear. Although many things could be better beyond the door… how could you be sure? Be serious in assessing your desire to walk through the door. Is it your Will to do so, or are there things that could be done in the world you inhabit now that would make you choose to stay? Think on these things.Think of the possibilities. All the things that would be different. Better or worse. Feel the pull of the door. A different world. Leave a small offering at the door. And go home.Repeat this process until your ninth visit. On your ninth visit you must decide. Stay? Or go?Choose wisely….
One must make sure they are walking through the doorway that is right for them: Tarot of 78 Doors
This spread was inspired by the practice described above, but it applies equally to any situation when you are faced with a choice between the comfortable security of what is known, and the exciting but often scary unknown. Sometimes it’s best to stick with what you know, and sometimes it’s not, so any information or insights that can help make the decision are a welcome aid.
If you have found your doorway and are ready to undertake the practice listed above, you may wish to do the Doorway Spread first to gain some further insights and see what guidance it holds for you.
The doorway could represent….
forging a new career/vocation path that is radically different from the one you’ve been on
leaving the familiar home territory for the unknown, exciting yet so unsettling travel further from home
daring to write that book you’ve been dreaming of, and sending it off to the publishers
starting a family or partnership, after the comfortable security of being in control of your life’s direction with no one to depend on, and no one depending on you either; or conversely, breaking off a relationship
revealing yourself to a new lover, no matter how frightening that experience may seem (allowing someone to really know you, rather than the image you want them to have of you)
breaking away from tradition: from ancestral expectations and family bonds of what you “should” do for the sake of appearances
envisioning a healing experience
breaking away from the known life story you’ve built up that no longer satisfies the hunger for mystery, for the unknown, for growth
going stone cold sober: alcohol, tobaccco, heroin, weed… or toxic relationships… and the list goes on.
Whatever it is, I hope this spread helps you gain some clarity on the implications of your choice, so that you make the best decision for you.
Warm blessings,
Monica
The gateway of material opportunity: Ace of Pentacles from the Sharman-Caselli Tarot