When/Time Spread by Don Stephens
Spread Layout
1 ... 3 ... 5 .. 7
2 ... 4 ... 6 .. 8 .... 9
Position Meanings
1 - Very Soon - within a WEEK
2 - Soon - within a MONTH
3 - Within 3-MONTHS
4 - Within 6-MONTHS
5 - Within 1-YEAR
6- Within 2-YEARS
7 - Within 5-YEARS
8 - Within 10-YEARS
9 - Never
Continue to deal cards out to all 9 positions until an ACE appears [optionally you can add the 9 of Cups to the 4-ACES]. Finish dealing out cards so all 9 positions are filled even after an ACE appears. The position of the ACE or ACES will tell you the time period involved.
An ACE appearing at position #4 would indicate a time period of up to 6-MONTHS.
If more then 1 ACE appears then the time period involved would run from the time position of the 1st Ace to the time position of the 2nd ACE -- or LAST ACE if a 3rd or 4th ACE should happen to show up.
Example: 1st ACE shows up at position #5: 1-YEAR and the LAST ACE shows up position #8: 10-YEARS. The answer would be from between 1 to 10 years.
If on the other hand the 1st ACE shows up at position #5: 1-YEAR and the LAST ACE shows up at position #9: Never - then the answer would be 'if it doesn't happen within the 1st time period' [in this case a YEAR] then it isn't going to happen at all.
To put the procedure in another way ...
Use the whole deck - shuffle and cut - then deal out the first 9 cards into the positions of the spread layout [see spread layout above].
If no ACE or the 9 of CUPS shows up then deal out 9 more cards. Note: The use of the 9 of Cups is optional.
If no ACE or the 9 of CUPS still does not show up then deal out 9 more cards.
Continue to do this until at least 1 ACE or the 9 of CUPS shows up.
This means it's possible to get more than one of the ACES and/or the 9 of Cups. [See the following examples.]
One ACE at Position #2 so 'whatever' will occur within 1 MONTH
One ACE at Position #9 so 'whatever' will NEVER HAPPEN
ACES at Position #1 and Position #7 means that 'whatever' will occur between 1 WEEK and 5 YEARS.
