If you are someone who has been dealing with the art of reading tarot cards or even if you are just a beginner, you should be aware of the types of spreads and their implications.
Spreads are layouts of card patterns to help you read your tarot cards by giving them meaning. For example, in the case of a three-card tarot spread you lay three cards next to each other and each card is given a meaning i.e. past, present and future. And this is how spreads can help you read your cards more efficiently.
Many people get confused about which spread to use out of the thousands of spreads available. And the answer to that lies in what kind of answer you seek from the card reading. Some questions may be more complicated than the other in which case a spread that gives an answer of a simple yes and no will not be suitable.
Things to consider when choosing your spread
- What answers do you seek from the tarot card reading
As mentioned above, there are thousands of spreads for tarot cards, and many people especially beginners tend to be confused about which spread to use for different queries.
To solve this problem, the first step before choosing a spread is to know what questions you wish to ask the cards and what kind of answers you seek. This step is vital because you won’t find one single spread that can answer all your questions. For every question, there are specific spreads you can use to obtain a result you are content with.
- The amount of information you are looking for
The level of detail you want through the reading should also be considered for the spread. It depends on how much you want to know about the situation and if you are content with a simple yes/no answer or are searching for an in-depth explanation.
For a simple answer, single-card spreads or three-card spreads are best suited. But if you want to know more about the situation in details then you would have to choose a more suitable spread.
For example, you have an interview for a job tomorrow and you want to know the probability of you getting the job. In this case, you can use a simple spread to know if the odds are in your favor. But if you want to know more details like, if the job is suited for you, what career opportunities will arise after this or
- Experience
This is mainly for beginners or amateur practitioners who are not yet comfortable with all the card meanings and what they represent.
The Celtic cross spread and Horseshoe spread are two well-known spreads. But they are more complicated to read because both require the laying of multiple cards to complete the spread. The problem many beginners face is connecting the cards and their meanings to yield an efficient answer.
Thus, it is advisable to start with a simpler spread and work your way up to more complex structures which will all come together with practice and built-up experience.
- How much time you are willing to invest
Reading tarot cards with large card spreads is no joke and will consume a lot of your time and energy. So, it is important to pick your spread according to how much time you have in your hand. For example, If you have a packed schedule for your day and want an idea of how to be prepared, choose a simple spread to get an insight into what is in store for you.
But, if you have ample time at your disposal and want to be aware of a certain situation, choose a large spread to dive into all the details. It will be pricey on your time but through detailed reading and deciphering, you will be more informed and fulfilled with your answer.
- Know your spreads
All the spread developed are different and their uses differ on the situations. While it is good to have expertise on a certain spread, you will not always get detailed answers when using a spread that is specifically not made for the situation.
For example, in the case of love reading you can use the three-card spread which tells about the past, present and future. This spread can give you insight into the situation between the two individuals but, does not specify details such as the compatibility rate, strengths, weaknesses and ways to improve their relationship which we can find through specified love spreads.
Creating your custom spreads
It sounds daunting to create your spreads especially if you have been using predesigned spreads. But it is not that challenging after learning the mechanism of how everything works.
The spread like the love spread, Celtic spread or the three-card spread are all made by people using three steps:
- Establish the aim of the spread with a clear intention of your question and the issue you want the spread to explore
- Imagine and position the layout of the spread according to your familiarity with the cards
- Give meaning to all the cards in the spread
These are the basic fundamental aspects of creating your custom spread. Using your custom spread can be more insightful because reading tarot cards involves having a deep connection with your subconsciousness and intuition.
With your personalized spreads, you can establish a closer relationship with the cards to adapt to the many questions you wish to ask and also change them as you see fit to produce results targeted to a particular subject.
Mystery is one aspect of tarot cards that makes it all more interesting because the cards don’t always give you a simple answer making you wonder and confused. In situations like this, if you are working with your custom spread, you can always take your time to think about what the card says and add it to your spread to carry on the reading to reach a more definitive answer.
