I do very little psychological profiling with the tarot (that's what natal astrology is for) and no mind-reading if I know that's what the querent is after, but here is a new spread that shows promise in that regard.
 

AUTHOR'S NOTE: This spread adopts my current view that the Major Arcana in a reading seldom show significant events in their own right, but rather overarching themes and environmental backdrops for the mundane conditions reflected in the court and pip cards. (During more than 50 years of practice I've encountered very few instances where major changes occurred with trump cards.) I normally resist psychological profiling or mind-reading with the tarot, but this one seems to hold promise. (All images are from the Albano-Waite Tarot, copyright of US Games Systems Inc, Stamford, CT.)

 

 

To begin, concentrate on the "big picture" aspects of the situation while shuffling a tarot deck in a way that allows for reversals, then deal cards into a pile until you come up with a trump card. Place this card face-up in the first position (Mental Input/Response) of the "Trumps" row.

 

Keep dealing into the pile until you obtain three more trumps and lay them face-up from left-to-right into the top row accordingly.

 

Reassemble the remaining cards and shuffle them while concentrating on interactive situational aspects of the matter, then pull cards until a court card appears; place it face-up into the first position of the second row from the top and deal more cards until you receive three additional court cards to populate the rest of that row in the same manner. These cards will suggest "terms of engagement" for the querent's dealings.

 

Reassemble the deck as before and shuffle it again while concentrating on advice that might be offered to the querent, whether to act or avoid acting; deal them into a pile until a pip card comes up, and place it face-up in the first position of the third row from the top. Continue dealing until that row has been fully populated with pip cards.

 

Finally, calculate a "numerical essence" card (always a trump card) for each of the four columns by summing the face value of the three cards above and reducing the total to a number that falls within the zero-to-21 range. (This number will identify the trump card that will populate the bottom position for each column.) The mathematical reduction can be made by "Theosophical addition" (adding together the digits of a complex number as many times as necessary to arrive at a value within the range), or by "casting out nines" (subtracting increments of nine) for the same purpose.

 

For those who are familiar with the "quintessence" calculation of the French Cross spread, I've made a few changes. First, in order to ensure that I can obtain the Fool as zero without resorting to "casting out nines," I will subtract the face value of any reversed cards from the total (which can also give me a reversed "essence" card). Secondly, I consider the unnumbered court cards to carry the values of 11 through 14 since I believe all cards on the table should be included in the calculation.

 

As you finish each calculation, place the derived trump card in the applicable column. (If that card has already appeared in the reading, take another specimen from a second deck as I did below).

 

Refer to the "Upright" or "Reversed" notation in the left margin and read each position according to the nature and the orientation of the card placed there.

 

To demonstrate its use, here is a hypothetical example reading about a married man who has designs on another woman and wants to know about his chances. I've seen enough of this sort of question in the online tarot community to believe that this spread will be useful for many querents.

 

 

The Devil in the "Mental Input/Response" position of the "Trumps" row points out that he should re-examine his motives, which appear to be unseemly.

 

Justice reversed in the "Emotional Input/Response" position makes me think he is nervous about being "called out" for his indiscreet intentions.

 

Death in the "Physical Input/Response" position practically shouts "Be careful what you wish for." One false step could be irreversible.

 

The Star reversed in the "Spiritual Input/Response" position reiterates that his desires in the matter are not above reproach.

 

The Queen of Pentacles in the "Mental Input/Response" position of the court-card row suggests that he will receive no encouragement from the target of his affection, who will remain aloof.

 

The reversed Page of Swords in the "Emotional Input/Response" position conveys his impatience about being put off. He wants an answer right now, and this card could also represent a clandestine go-between or "agent" in the situation, or possibly a younger person - an innocent pawn between the Queen of Pentacles and the Queen of Swords - who could be emotionally damaged by his actions.

 

The Knight of Pentacles in the "Physical Input/Response" position could mean that he will try to appeal to the Queen of Pentacles' baser instincts, perhaps in his own mind "meeting her on her on her own turf."

 

The Queen of Swords in the "Spiritual Input/Response" position reveals that he probably won't get away with it from a karmic standpoint. Justice's displeasure returns with a vengeance in this lieutenant, who has her "head on straight and her feet on the ground." As far as assistance, she will "put him on the straight-and-narrow" in a moral sense. (Maybe his wife will catch wind of what he's up to.)

 

The 5 of Wands in the "Mental Input/Response" position of the "Advice," or "pip card," row is goading him to be bold and, as the saying goes, "let the Devil take the hindmost" (a particularly appropriate aphorism here). But there is no guarantee that he will succeed.

 

The reversed 2 of Cups in the "Emotional Input/Response" position is putting on its best Tony Soprano accent and saying "Fuhgeddaboudit, ain't gonna happen." In other words, he wasted his enthusiasm.

 

The reversed 10 of Swords in the "Physical Input/Response" position can only mean many sleepless nights, possibly causing health issues.

 

The 4 of Wands in the "Spiritual Input/Response" position would probably have had A.E. Waite telling him to "take a vacation in the country." In more realistic terms, he needs to recognize that all of the above is for his own good.

 

The Chariot as "essence"card for the "Mental Input/Response column shows that he will move on in a positive frame of mind.

 

The reversed Lovers as the "essence" card for the "Emotional Input/Response" column is plainly saying that any opportunity he may have had is now beyond his reach, so he might as well give up. Any decision he makes to do otherwise would probably be a bad one.

The reversed Devil as the "essence" card for the "Physical Input/Response" column seems to be expressing his only regrets about not hooking up. I'm thinking "the Devil takes a fall."

 

Strength as the "essence" card for the "Spiritual Input/Response" column is an irrepressible indication that he is most likely going to try his luck elsewhere. Some people never learn . . . .

 

To summarize, the first column indicates that he will "have his work cut out for him;" the second column that he will wind up emotionally dissatisfied if he proceeds; the third column that he will reap only bitterness and regret; and the fourth column that he needs to find another outlet for his aspirations