Being pregnant can be a glorious time but it can also be a stressful time.
I have used this Tarot spread for years to help women find the balance she needs during this time. So whether this is a spread you can do for yourself now, or for friends, family or clients you will find a lot of healing in it.
I tend to use particular Tarot spreads at certain milestones in a woman’s life and pregnancy is obviously a big milestone . I also do other spreads and healing around the birth (which is an article for another time) and the post partum stage.
I do not like to tell clients what to do but I do talk about the risks of drinking and smoking in pregnancy. Perhaps because I am also a Natural Therapist and I often integrate my knowledge of nutrition, herbs and homeopathy into my readings.
Tip: I have found in my clinical experience that mothers who drink coffee in their pregnancy (also decaf coffee) tend to have children that cannot sleep well day and night in their first year (so you have been warned!). A sleep deprived mother is an unbalanced mother so I ALWAYS mention the coffee.
Pregnancy Tarot Spread
I put aside 60 – 90 minutes for a Pregnancy Tarot spread. I find a half an hour is not enough time.
Get a Tarot deck and an Oracle deck. Make sure the women is comfortable. I make this a whole experience with gentle background music, essential oils burning (that are safe in pregnancy) and drinks and snacks.
Get the women to shuffle the Tarot deck while asking aloud, ‘How can I stay nurtured in every way during this pregnancy’.
I then ask her to pick 4 cards and lay them out in a line from left to right.
Before I turn the Tarot cards I ask the woman to pull 1 oracle card. Goddess Oracle decks such as the Goddess Guidance Oracle or The Goddess Oracle are my favorite choices during this time.
The woman should look at the oracle card and we discuss it together – the symbolism and its meaning. What she feels when she holds it and looks at it. Often you will find that the Oracle card sums up the Tarot reading nicely before and after. I ask her to hold the oracle card while we complete the Tarot reading.
Now I turn over the Tarot cards and explain them. The first card on the left is number 1…
1 – What do I need to nurture my body
2 – What do I need to nurture my mind
3 – What do I need to nurture my emotions
4 – What do I need to nurture my soul
We talk about what comes up during the Oracle and Tarot card pulling. Often there will be tears (actually nearly always) so have soft tissues close by.
What I find is that the support, self love and nurturing a women gives herself (or does not give herself) during her pregnancy can indicate a lot about the time after the baby is born.
If a women when pregnant sleeps when she can, takes it easy, eats well, says no when needed and has no problem asking for help etc, then after the birth there is a better chance of an easier time. If the woman is working hard, not resting, not taking care of herself – these are patterns that can be explored NOW and advice and assistance given to help the woman understand that changes may have to be made.
The following advice below is nothing to do with Tarot but you know what…it is! People come to Tarot with real problems and when you give them a rounded experience and a place to discuss their issues, you are giving more than just a quick psychic reading. You are helping them in their life. You are helping them to look at themselves clearly and get the support and tools they will need to move forward to a better future. So I believe the below advice is everything to do with Tarot and a pregnant woman!
I have noticed over and over again that so much emphasis is on the actual birth and not on the afterwards. If we can explore, while a woman is pregnant her lifestyle patterns, we can together help to create a better scenario for the ‘to be’ mother. The birth is hours (for some – days) and then you have a new born baby. The first three months especially is overwhelming for many mothers and if she is good at nurturing herself, many issues can be avoided.
I talk about breastfeeding. The World Health Organisation says it is the best way of feeding a baby so if the woman wants to, then she should find information and support now before the birth and talk to other breastfeeding mothers. I never ever guilt trip a mother who decides not to breast feed. A woman should make the choice that is best for her. Groups such as the Australian Breastfeeding Association if you live in Australia or La Leche League if you live anywhere in the world are a great help for information and those hard days when the nipples crack and you cant stop crying!
I talk to the woman about accepting whatever birth the women will end up having. Often there are the mothers who want a natural birth with flowers and essential oils in the room and they end up in emergency with an emergency C-section. It is really important to decide what you would like and then let go of the outcome because birth is one of the greatest mysteries there is. Often women get depressed afterwards from a ‘birth dream’ that did not come true. Like magic, we need to ask the universe for what we want, but then let go of the outcome.
I also talk about having support at the birth with a Doula. Doula’s are women who can support you during the whole labor. They can speak for you with medical professionals and give you the emotional support you need. They are trained and professional and a real gift to have at the birth. The doula is available during the pregnancy and they will be there also during the birth and afterwards.
Women often depend a lot on their partner after the birth and that can be a good and a bad thing.
The partner is supporting the women, helping the baby, doing the laundry etc and it can be just as difficult for them emotionally. A partner should not be a mother, sister, lover, nurse, babysitter, cleaner and cook all at the same time. It is much better to have extended help and its also healthier for the relationship. That way the partner can be supported too. I always advise the woman to organize (or better still get a friend to organize) a two week meal plan. For two weeks the woman and baby receive a daily meal from a friend, family member or neighbor. The food should be made with love and nutritious. In my community we do that. I received it with both my boys and its amazing support. Also start looking for babysitters now – believe me – you will want a break for yourself and also to have a date with your partner to keep the relationship healthy.
I talk about creating a support system now (and not waiting till after the birth when even going to the toilet alone will be a mission) with a list of phone numbers and names that the woman can call on afterwards if she needs help: partner, family, friends, local doctor, pediatrician, breastfeeding helpline, online doctor helpline and even a crisis and postnatal depression helpline.
Better prepared than not is my Irish motto!
At the end of the session I ask the woman to take a photograph of the Tarot and Oracle cards. I ask her to put them on her screen savers and also to print them. I give her a gift of Raspberry leaf tea and a when she leaves with instructions on how to use. I also give her a white candle that she can burn during the labor if she wants.
The woman leaves feeling loved, supported, understood and calm. She knows what she needs to do and she knows that it all starts with self love – and the Tarot probably told her that anyway 🙂
