june 2025: spreads for all, lord of the rings edition

hello, friends. whether you're attending in-person actions this weekend, offering prayers of protection for folks on the front lines, or working alongside your community in other ways, i'm sending you so much love and solidarity.

before we dive into this new batch of tarot spreads, a reminder that i work really hard to offer as many free tarot resources as i can, from spreads and essays to podcasts and lectures. if you're in a position to become a paid subscriber, it would make a material difference in my life and make it easier for me to continue creating so many tarot resources! and if you can't, please remember that forwarding emails to a friend or two, sharing my work on social media, and directing tarot-curious folks to my website are fantastic ways to help me out.

now, to the fun stuff! as you may have noticed, i have been sharing what experts call "a metric fuck-ton" of tarot spreads over on instagram and tumblr this month, as part of my ongoing effort to promote my upcoming book TAROT SPREADS.

writing spreads is so much fun for me, but the process also sometimes feels like a fugue state or a fever dream. one day in late may, i sat down to jot down a few spread ideas and ending up writing nearly SIXTY SPREADS, one after another. they just kept coming, like an endless stream of inspiration, mercury going absolutely feral and my fingers flying over the keyboard.

i wrote a lot of one-off spreads, ones that highlighted songs i love or poems that have been constant companions. i've also got some tv-inspired spreads on the way, as well as some more d&d spreads for my fellow nerds. i even wrote romance trope-themed spreads, which my brilliant friend bee scolnick suggested i turn into a free twelve-day challenge that has been an absolute blast to share.

but of course, there was one set of spreads to rule them all, a precious set that i can't believe i hadn't written before now. and while they will almost certainly make their way to other corners of the internet eventually, today these spreads are simply a gift for you, dear reader.

it's time for lord of the rings: tarot spread edition.

one does not simply walk into mordor: a tarot spread for making an actionable plan for a hard thing
card one: the burden you must bear. the hard thing.
card two: you have only one choice. the way through it.
card three: the people who will help you. you don't have to go it alone.

i am no man: a tarot spread for defying expectation and seizing the moment
card one: i can ride and wield blade. you're great at this.
card two: i'm going to save you. the big thing you're trying to do.

there's some good in this world: a tarot spread for when you're struggling to keep going
card one: even darkness must pass. this hard thing won't last forever.
card two: the good worth fighting for. the thing that motivates your effort.

second breakfast: a tarot spread for adjusting your expectations accordingly
card one: we don't stop until nightfall. the challenge.
card two: you've already had breakfast. a resource available to you.
card three: something not to count on. a reality check.

just a fool's hope: a tarot spread for finding hope near the end of the journey
card one: a deep breath. necessary preparation for what's to come.
card two: the final plunge. the hard, next thing you must do.

for frodo: a tarot spread for when you're ready to go down swinging
card one: this day we fight. where you are, and what you're doing.
card two: i bid you, stand. a reminder of your courage, strength, and purpose.

if you're new here, remember that i share a new spreads for all roundup every single month, and you can find past groups of spreads here. i also maintain a spread archive of some of my most popular tarot spreads, sell digital spread collections that are available for download anytime, and offer a monthly service where i'll create a fully customized, personal tarot spread for you, based on whatever you want or need.

tarot spreads are kind of my thing. and i hope that however you use these spreads this month, they bring you magic, joy, clarity, and a sense of purpose for this challenging, impossible, beautiful world we live in.

if you're already preordered my book, some other things you can do:
—request TAROT SPREADS from your local library
—share about my book on social media
—ask your local bookshop if they're stocking it
—tell your friends about this book
—pick up my first book, FINDING THE FOOL
—snag yourself a free copy of my latest spreads collection, REBEL HEARTS
—if you're in NYC, make sure july 7th is marked on your calendar as we'll be hosting a pub day party at astoria bookshop!

i so appreciate your support! more soon 🖤