Is it OK to "wing it" with spreads?

Here is a perfect example of my weak sense of self-confidence, but I was wondering if it is OK to lay out cards spontaneously into a spread? As a beginner, I have been using just a simple 3-card "past,present,future" spread. But, I was wondering if I felt the need, I could elaborate it by adding one below to show "what supports me" and one above showing "what is oppressing me"? Does anyone else do spreads like this? I am planning on learning some standard spreads as well but I feel I should let the reading "go with the flow" sometimes. I sometimes just want to pull more cards to clarify a question and based on the situation I will place it where I think it needs to be.

Sorry to ramble...TIA

That's fine

With tarot, there are no rules.

Do what feels right for you.

I do that kind of thing all the time. I´ve made up new spreads on the spot. One time my friend was weighing the pros and cons of a situation, and so I put four cards in two rows, one row representing the pros and the other the cons. Another friend of mine, who also practices tarot, but more "orthodoxly", was watching and was like, "Um, where did you learn THAT from?" But it worked really well!

I´ve done that a few times, and sometimes work better than others, but it can be a lot of fun!

i agree with the other postings. i often do clarifying cards also, just depends on the reading and how i feel at teh time.

I do it all the time...

In fact, I'd take it as far as stating quite clearly that I know very few spreads.
Ofcourse I'm familiar with the celtic cross, the reflecting pools, past present future and a few other odd ones, but it's a rare thing for me to memorise the spread positions and it also seems difficult sometimes to adjust the question to the spread...

So instead, I adjust the spread to the question and "wing it" by having conversations with the cards.

When I do have a specific question, as a rule I'll start by stating the question with two or three positions and see what the cards have to say on it.
Then, I might clarify, or ask related questions like "so, how should I approach that", "how can I ease that blow" or "is there any way I could effect that and make it better".

I like good spreads, particularly multi-card spreads. But not all the time - they are kind of my tarot "treat."

Most of the time, I just draw the number I know I should. . . it could be three, five, six, whatever (although I tend to draw odd numbers of cards, I've noticed). How do I know how many?

It just comes to me while I'm shuffling and cutting. . .

Like the last two posters, I know few spreads and I rarely use the ones I do know. The spreads I enjoy using are those that are like questions unto themselves (spreads, for example, that ask 'who am I?' or 'what do I need to know')...and often those turn out well, because I am not trying to fit a question to a pre-made spread.

I find, however, that when I have an actual question, the best way to go about laying out the cards is with my intuition. When I begin with no spread, I often find myself creating a spread as I lay them out (like...as I lay them out, I will think 'these three are for the issue at hand...this one I am placing underneath because it is the underlying issue...this I am placing above becuase it is overshadowing the issue at hand...and these two are the overview"). I find this to be highly effective. When using spreads, I struggle with fitting each card into the mold that the spread designated for that placement....and then fitting that mold to the question. Not having to worry about so many rules is better for me.

My opinion on this, pretty much is that you *should* go with your inutition when laying out cards, just the same as you do with reading. Interpretation is only part of the puzzle. Even if you prefer to use spreads...there is a reason you are getting that urge to put a second card in that position, or add an extra overview card...or whatever other urge you are getting, right? Just go with it. Personally, if I got that urge but stuck to the spread, I would be concerned, the whole time I did the reading, that I was interpeting things wrong because I wasn't listening to my intuition in the layout. But I guess it could go both ways - if I did listen to my intuition, rather than follow the spread, I might be concerned that I screwed up the spread by not laying them out according to plan. Perhaps this is why I choose not to use spreads haha.

I am learning the Celtic Cross spread. It's a pretty neat spread that I'm finding not as daunting as I orginally thought when I first saw it. However, most of the time I use 3, 4 or 5 card spreads; whatever suits my fancy at the time. And I'll pull more if I need clarification.

Totally, I use made-up spreads all the time. The only thing I've found is that I've had to discipline myself to slow down and think about the positions before I draw the cards - otherwise I just draw a few cards then stare blankly at them, with no idea what the positions are! Which is okay with just a one or two card daily draw - just a general 'things to think about' for the day, but not so good if I am looking for insight.

Have you checked out the 'spreads' threads?

I've made up several of my own spreads, particularly three card spreads, but a few others.

I think it's more than okay, I think it's good to stretch out a bit and try new things, and use your creativity to make something that feels like "yours".