Spread: Fairy Tale Spread — The Ugly Duckling

I shared this spread on Aeclectic Tarot in December of 2005. It is part of my Fairy Tale Spread series.  I have expanded on that spread in this post. This is a deep, introspective Tarot spread that I hope will help you find out things you needed to know. If you would like me to do this reading for you, please feel free to email me.

In the Tale of The Ugly Duckling, we find someone who has lost their own family. To counteract that feeling of loss, the lost one is adopted by another family even though the dissimilarities are painfully apparent. Even the other children of this family mock him. Then this poor soul is subjected to the catcalls of the family’s friends.

The response to this (right or wrong) is to run even though they were in a seemingly safe environment. Of course running away brings the poor duckling to a far scarier place – The Woods. I think the woods represent the unknown here. The fear that caused the flight actually also causes growth for our little ugly duckling even though he remains unaware of that growth. It is not until it is pointed out by those he admires that he thinks to check his reflection. Lo and behold, a mighty swan arches its neck back at him from the reflection.

And he is found by other swans who recognize him inside and out. So what is the lesson our little ugly duckling learned? We all know his lesson, but what about our own? This Fairy Tale Spread, #7 in the series, is designed to help us see what our own inner beauty is and how others see us. It addresses our need to fit in even when we are joining the wrong crowd. And it shows us where running away can take us.

The shape of the spread is a relaxed upside down arc. Not so tight as a horseshoe, what you should be seeing here is the valley we take ourselves into and how we climb back out. The lowest point is the moment of running away.

As you take this journey, remind yourself that you are in charge of your life. You are in charge of how you react to others. If you give them power over you, then they will take it. Your growth is directly affected by who you choose to keep in your life.

• Card 1 represents the Separation from family. It is what makes you feel out of place.
• Card 2 represents the Adoption by the duck family. What are you joining for the sake of joining?
• Card 3 represents the Barnyard animals. Who mocks you and belittles you? Why are they still in your life?
• Card 4 represents the Running away. How will you respond to these negative individuals in your life?
• Card 5 represents the Forest. Where do you need to go to find your own growth?
• Card 6 represents the Swans. Who are your true friends? Who sees the real you?
• Card 7 represents the Lake. What do you need to see in yourself so that you can see your own true beauty?
• Card 8 represents the Lesson of the Ugly Duckling. What do you need to learn from this experience?

And if you love writing, I invite you to check out my upcoming Tarot for Writers workshop. This Friday is the last day to sign up! Are you going to NaNoWriMo? Let’s do it together.