Tarot spreads are a great tool to use when you are dealing with love, relationships, your job, or other life situations. But the problem is that doing a tarot card spread can be difficult, especially if you’re a beginner. This guide can help you to be able to do simple tarot card spreads which can help you to improve your gift and to have fun.
If you are completely new at tarot card readings, then you might not even realize what tarot is. Tarot has been around for about 500 years and so it isn’t as old as other things like numerology or even astrology and so it’s still considered to be fairly new.
Understanding the Basics of Tarot
If you’re new to tarot, you might wonder, “What is tarot, and how does it work?” Tarot is a centuries-old practice used to explore life’s mysteries and gain insight into various situations. Originating about 500 years ago, tarot employs a deck of 78 cards, split into the Major Arcana and Minor Arcana, to provide symbolic guidance.
- Major Arcana (22 cards): Represent significant life themes and universal truths.
- Minor Arcana (56 cards): Focus on day-to-day events and challenges, divided into four suits (Wands, Cups, Swords, and Pentacles), each with 14 cards.
No matter the deck you choose, the fundamental meanings remain consistent. Once you’ve learned the basics, you can pick up any deck and apply your knowledge seamlessly.
What Is a Tarot Spread?
A spread, just like in regular playing cards, is just laying down cards in your reading. Each of the positions of the cards will represent a question that you have asked. The Celtic Cross, for example, is one of the most known tarot card spreads. This one has 11 cards placed in different positions.
The tarot spread that you choose is what helps to create the story which is your reading. It can be confusing because this is about listening to your intuition and not just looking at the cards. Of course, you will want to have the traditional meanings of the cards, but tarot is a lot about using your own interpretation. What you are trying to do when you do a reading is to make a story out of the cards and their positions.
Doing Your Own Tarot Spread
The first thing that you need to understand is that every tarot reader is different and how you make your own spread is going to be your own style. There is no right or wrong way to make this happen. As you practice and do your readings, you will develop your style. Here are a few “golden rules” that can help you with your readings:
- Prepare up to six questions that are singular such as, “What should I pay attention to this week?” Pull one card per question but make sure that you are reading each card separately and you don’t combine the questions together.
- Another great rule is to keep it simple. It’s best not to overwhelm your reading and you should limit your spread to no more than six cards if you’re a beginner, and some start as little as 1 card.
- Don’t keep drawing more cards. Even if you don’t know what the card means or you don’t like the cards that you drew, keep them. Don’t keep exchanging them and learn to be patient with your intuition.
Overall, make sure that you are doing your own type of method when you choose to pull cards. Some will shuffle and wait for cards to jump out and others will shuffle the deck and cut them one or multiple times. This is completely up to you.
Choosing a 3-Card Spread
Three-card spreads are popular amongst almost all readers and it’s because many good things come in 3’s such as mind, body, soul or birth, life, death, and so on. The 3-card spread often represents the past, present, or future and it is just enough cards that it is a simple spread.
Of course, if you have really just started reading and you aren’t sure what to do, doing a daily card draw can help. This is a spread that can help you to understand the meaning of the cards and to get used to them. After a couple of weeks of doing a daily card pull, move to a 2-card pull and then a 3-card pull. You will become a great reader as you practice and not give up!
Popular 3-Card Spreads and What They Mean
- Past, Present, Future: A look at how your past influences your present and what lies ahead.
- Mind, Body, Spirit: A snapshot of your holistic well-being.
- Problem, Solution, Outcome: Guidance for resolving challenges.
Start with daily one-card pulls to familiarize yourself with the deck, then graduate to three-card spreads once you feel more confident. Even seasoned readers often stick with three-card readings for their simplicity and power.
Creative Three-Card Spread Ideas
With these creative 3-card spreads, you can ask these questions, and you can set your intentions on figuring out what answers and ideas you need from your cards. Here are a few examples:
Understanding a Relationship
- What are their true feelings for me?
- What issue do we need to discuss?
- What is the future potential of this connection?
Career Guidance
- What is my core strength in my career?
- How can I align with my life’s purpose?
- What is my next step toward professional success?
Building New Friendships
- What type of friend do I need right now?
- What activity can help me meet new people?
- How can I become a better friend to others?
Financial Security
- What financial habit should I let go of?
- What behavior should I adopt to improve my finances?
- What is one immediate step I can take to grow my financial stability?
Personal Development Goals
- What message does the universe have for me?
- What challenge will help me grow?
- How can I contribute to others in a meaningful way?
Planning Your Week
- What is the overarching theme for the week ahead?
- What goal should I focus on achieving?
- What unexpected opportunity might present itself?
The Best 5-Card Tarot Spreads for Beginners
If you are still wanting to advance your spreads, doing a 5-card spread can be great for beginners without being too overwhelming. These tarot spreads are great for beginners who want to explore different parts of their lives and to get to know the deck better. Here are a few great spreads and what they mean:
The Decision-Making Spread
Do you have a hard decision that you have to make? This spread can help you to make the best decisions for your life:
- Card 1: The Situation – What’s happening right now and what’s driving your need to make this decision?
- Card 2: Option A – What happens if you choose the first path?
- Card 3: Option B – What happens if you choose the second path?
- Card 4: Hidden Factors – What unknown influences or hidden truths might affect your decision?
- Card 5: Guidance – What advice does the tarot offer for making the best choice?
When you are weighing out your options, this spread can help you to see things that you might have overlooked in the situation.
The Self-Discovery Spread
When you need to have personal growth or to understand yourself even better, this spread can help. It focuses on your inner man and aligning yourself with the truth. Here’s how it works:
- Card 1: Who Am I Right Now? – The current state of your identity and self-perception.
- Card 2: What Is Blocking Me? – Obstacles, fears, or limiting beliefs holding you back.
- Card 3: My Hidden Strengths – Qualities or talents you may not be fully aware of.
- Card 4: My Current Purpose – The direction or mission you are meant to focus on right now.
- Card 5: How Can I Align with My Purpose? – Practical advice to help you live in alignment with your true self.
This spread is great if you are seeking clarity as your life changes or if you want self-improvement.
5-Card Spreads for Beginners
If you want to try a 5-card spread, here are some great tips to get started:
- Set clear intentions: Always be specific when you ask your questions and make sure you aren’t asking vague questions.
- Read each card carefully: Take time to read each card and make sure that you notice the images and the symbols of the cards. Write down your thoughts as you look at each of the cards.
- Trust yourself: Even though reading the guidebook that came with your cards can be helpful, learn to trust your intuition and let it guide you. As you listen to your intuition and interpret the cards you will see how they relate to each other.
Using a 5-card spread can help you with your practice. You will gain confidence in your skills as you understand the cards and yourself in each reading.
How to Make Your Own Tarot Spread
When you get more confident in your readings, you can start making your own spreads. Here are some tips to get started:
- Identify your focus: What do you want to know about your life, relationships, or something else?
- Pick the number of cards: Start small and then increase the cards as you learn.
- Give each card a position: Each card has to have a position with your questions such as, “past, present, or future” positions. You choose this when making your own spread.
Creating your own spread allows you to align your readings with your own goals and questions. This makes your reading even more meaningful and can give you new insight.
Final Thoughts
The exciting thing about tarot is that it is adaptable to whatever you want to do. Whether you’re working with a single card or even a simple spread, the best thing is to make sure that you are staying curious about the cards. Start small, make sure that you’re asking clear questions, and allow the cards to guide you and teach you. As time goes on, you will see that tarot isn’t just about fortune telling but it’s more about self-discovery!
