Wounded Heart
9 cardsCategory: Love & Relationships
Points to painful moments in the relationship and the wounds partners inflict on each other.
Overview
'Wounded Heart' is a 9-card spread by Sarah Bartlett for one person. The spread is called 'wound' because it points to painful moments in the relationship. Its main purpose is to understand more deeply the wounds you inflict on each other right now. The left side (1, 2, 3) reveals your role — how you love, wound, and defend yourself. The right (4, 5, 6) — the partner's role. Cards 7 and 8 show the current state of each, and card 9 — where the relationship is heading.
Spread Diagram
Card Positions
How do I love you?
How you express your love for your partner, your way of loving.
How do I wound you?
How exactly you cause pain to your partner — consciously or unconsciously.
How do I defend myself?
What defense mechanisms you use in the relationship, how you protect your vulnerable spot.
How do you love me?
How your partner expresses their love for you, their way of loving.
How do you wound me?
How exactly your partner causes you pain — consciously or unconsciously.
How do you defend yourself?
What defense mechanisms your partner uses, how they protect their vulnerable spot.
Me right now
Your current emotional state in the context of this relationship.
You right now
Your partner's current emotional state in the context of this relationship.
Development of the relationship
Where your relationship is heading, what future awaits your couple given the current wounds.
How to Read
Shuffle the deck while focusing on painful moments in your relationship. Draw 9 cards and lay them out in a heart shape. At the top, cards 1 and 4 — how you love each other. On the sides, cards 2 and 5 — how you wound. Below, cards 3 and 6 — how you defend. Cards 7 and 8 at the bottom — current state of each. Card 9 at the very bottom — the relationship's future. Read in mirror pairs: 1–4 (love), 2–5 (wounds), 3–6 (defenses), 7–8 (current state).
Tips & Advice
The heart shape of the spread is not accidental — it reflects the essence of the relationship. Pay attention to mirror pairs: if the way of loving (1) and wounding (2) are connected — perhaps you wound with the very thing you love with. If defenses (3 and 6) are similar — you both hide the same way. Card 9 is key: it shows where current wounds and defenses lead. If card 9 is positive — healing is possible. This spread requires honesty with yourself.
Other Spreads
Who Am I?7 cards
A spread designed for self-discovery and reflection on your personal development and future plans.
Planets11 cards
Describes a person using the astrological system of ten planets plus the ascendant.
Full Cup4 cards
If you have financial problems, this spread reveals their cause and suggests what action to take.