This spread forms a pattern resembling the astrological birth chart, beginning with Aries and ending with Pisces. It is designed to help the seeker get an overview of the Life Mission: Karma, talents, aversions, goals, and potential. From a psychological perspective this spread will look at identity, attitude, and motivation.

As a result, the Twelve Houses of the Zodiac Spread is the most complex and multi-leveled of all the spreads and is best attempted when the reader has become proficient in the earlier spreads.

First, the position of the card in the spread is taken into account:

1. The House of Aspirations, Aries: Here we look at your attitude toward reaching the goal, what you intend to accomplish, and the level of your enthusiasm. (Fire)
2. The House of Security, Taurus: What is your attitude toward material gain? Are you at peace with your resources? (Earth)
3. The House of Thought, Gemini: How well do you communicate your ideas, your needs, your creative self? Learning and speaking abilities are considered. (Air)
4. The House of Emotion, Cancer: What is the nature of your home environment? What are the areas of your life that need nurturing? Do you have a reasonable understanding of your feelings? (Water)
5. The House of Persona, Leo: What is your outer self like, the personality that you present to the world? How do you express yourself? Do you face life with courage, with flair? (Fire)
6. The House of Detail, Virgo: Is your attention to priority reasonable and productive? Are you well organized? Are you being of service? (Earth)
7. The House of Balance, Libra: Do the activities of your life add to your peace of mind? Is your distribution of energy well proportioned? (Air)
8. The House of Intensity, Scorpio: What is it that you feel strongly about? How do you regenerate your emotions, change how you view your inner atmosphere? (Water)
9. The House of Philosophy, Sagittarius: Does life hold any particular depth of meaning for you? What are you aiming for? Where do you want to go? What is the nature of your belief system? What do you value? (Fire)
10. The House of Pragmatism, Capricorn: What areas of our life do you need to apply practical methods? Where do you need grounding? (Earth)
11. The House of Originality, Aquarius: The individual searches for identity with a new approach. How do you relate to others in the process? (Air)
12. The House of Intuition, Pisces: Where is listening to the Inner Voice of critical importance? How is your psychic development proceeding? (Water)

Secondly, the astrological correspondences of the card are added into the overall picture. For example, if the Knight of Swords (Mutable, volatile Gemini) enters the atmosphere of the House of Persona (card position #5, Leo), the personality's dynamic, talkative qualities are considered. The Knight can be extremely opinionated and wants to tell the whole world how he thinks (Gemini).

Excerpted from Tarot Awareness: Exploring the Spiritual Path, by Stephen Walter Sterling.