Do you know that the Tarot spreads are not laid out in a certain way by accident? There is a meaning behind the position of the cards in each spread which will affect how the reader will interpret them. If you have never had a Tarot reading, then you probably have not seen Tarot card spreads before.
That’s why here is a brief guide on how to read Tarot cards in the most common spreads.
What are Tarot card spreads?
Tarot card spreads are layouts in which a reader will place the cards to interpret their meaning. There are many different kinds of Tarot decks, and also there are many different cards spreads that a reader can choose to tell your fortune with.
Your reader will choose the spread which suits best to answer the question that you have in mind. Some spreads can reveal things about your past, present, and future, while others may focus instead of the situation, desired actions, and outcomes. It all depends on what you are looking for.
Struggling to understand whether you should be doing Celtic Cross spread or a Pentagram spread? Learning about all the different types of Tarot spread can be a challenging task. If you find yourself struggling, why not ask for a free reading today?
Tarot Spreads
Here are some of the most common Tarot spreads to get you started:
One-card Tarot spreads
This is perhaps the simplest of the Tarot card spreads out there because it involves just one card. Shuffle the deck and draw one card, then interpret its meaning in relation to a particular question or a life situation you seek guidance on.
While it seems to be easy to do the reading, coming up with a good question for a one-card spread is a different matter. When you want to know something, make your question as specific as possible for the cards to reveal their guidance to you.
Often, during a Tarot reading, a reader might draw single cards in succession in order to reveal more context around the situation and tell a story of how it is going to unfold.
Three-card spreads
When it comes to the Tarot card meanings and spreads, the three-card spread is the one that gives you more freedom for interpretation compared to the previous spreads.
It is also great for beginners in Tarot reading because it is an easy layout and you define how to interpret the positions of the cards beforehand. In this spread, you draw three cards from the deck and lay them on the table.
Then, you interpret the cards from left to right. The most common interpretations for the cards in three-card Tarot spreads are:
- Past,
- Present, and
- Future,
or
- Where you will find your blessings,
- What are the challenges you are facing, and
- What you should do,
or
- Current situation,
- What you should do to help improve it, and
- The outcome of your actions.
Pentagram spreads
Pentagram is the symbol depicted as a five-pointed star and is sacred in pagan religions. Laying out a Tarot spread in the shape of this symbol can help you uncover various meanings related to your life situation.
Just like the stars in the night sky, Pentagram Tarot card spreads serve to help you find your way in the dark. Within the Pentagram, the positions of the cards correspond to the natural elements of fire, earth, air, and water.
The central card represents the fifth element, the spirit. Get this reading when you are unsure about something in your life so that the elements can offer their guidance and uncover the secrets that will help you to achieve what you seek.
Celtic cross spreads
If you are new to Tarot card meanings and spreads, the Celtic cross spread might be difficult for you to grasp right away. Though it is probably the most common spread out there because it reveals information about many aspects of your life.
Just as with the previously mentioned spreads, all you need to succeed is to have a clear question in mind and focus on it while performing the reading. Even within the Celtic cross spreads, there are several ways to layout the cards.
Typically, however, this spread involves ten cards, which cover your past, present, and future.
The cards represent you, the challenges you face, the origins of your problem, your concerns, issues, future events, your emotions, the outside influences on your life, your hopes and dreams, and the outcome of your situation.
True love spreads
Perhaps the most common questions people ask from the Tarot cards are about love. So, it does not come as a surprise that there are true love Tarot spreads.
When you want to know where your relationship is going and how to keep it strong, turning to Tarot cards is a good option to get insights into your romantic love. True love free Tarot spreads involve laying out six cards.
They represent you, your partner, the connection between the two of you, the strengths of your relationship, its weaknesses, and what you can do. Your true love spread may reveal that everything is fine in your relationship.
But it could also point to the weakness of your romance that you need to address.
Yes or no Tarot cards spread
This spread is very similar to the one-card spread because you also need just one card to get an answer to your question. But in a yes or no spread, you ask a question that can be answered either with a “yes” or a “no.”
As a result, you get a narrow response to your question without a lot of context behind the answer, which is why many readers avoid it. Yes or no Tarot card spreads are still helpful, though, because they allow you to get a response to your question quickly.
This way, you can decide on the best course of action to take. When getting a yes or no reading, remember that you are the one who creates your future, so use the cards only for guidance.
Now that you know about the most common Tarot card spreads, it is time to put this knowledge into practice and get your own Tarot card reading.
Choose the reading which can give you more insights and guidance about your problem and what course of action to take. Let the cards show you the way.