The Shadow Self Spread spread

This spread is for self-reflection of a harder kind: looking at the parts of yourself you would prefer not to see. It begins with the face you show the world, then turns to what sits behind it, where that hidden part slips out, what it is trying to protect, and how you might live with it more openly. It is not about finding something wrong with you. Often the hidden part turns out to be a need, a hurt or a strength that was never given room.

The word "shadow" comes from the psychologist C. G. Jung, who used it for the parts of the personality a person does not recognise as their own. Using tarot cards for this sort of inner work, often called shadow work, is a recent practice, popular in the last couple of decades, and this layout is a simple general version of it rather than a historical spread. It suits a quiet moment and a journal. If it stirs up something heavy, it is worth talking to someone you trust, and a reading is no substitute for therapy.