Why don't I like spreads with a lot of cards?

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 07 Jan 2004, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Simone	07 Jan 2004
I have seen so many spreads here on the forum, but they always involve so many cards, and I don't really feel like trying them out. I know pretty well this is a very personal thing, but I prefer three cards spreads or spur-of-the moment made-up spreads just for the question (which can indeed involve more cards, up to 12 or so, but then it is different). Seems to be that the way of creating my own spreads over and over again is my way, and spreads from "outside" simply don't talk to me... (or only if they're short ;) ) Any thoughts? Light and love Simone PS: if this thread belongs to the Tarot Spreads Section (I was not sure), please feel free to move it!

ros	07 Jan 2004
Your in your comfort zone. When you are ready you will expand your spreads & mabee not. May I suggest one for you? 3 cards each for wands energy coins money swords thoughts cups emotions Now you will have 12 cards fora spread. 3 cards for each element . Just something to try. Just an idea.

Darla	07 Jan 2004
I feel very similar. Most times I try to avoid spreads which involve more than 6 cards. After readings with more than that I often feel drained. But I guess that's a question of practice. And for special occasions (i.e. New Year's readings) or complex questions (i.e. Past Lives readings) I definitely prefer spreads with more cards. If you want to try more complex spreads I suggest you just try to start it and maybe you get used to it without feeling too drained. But if you feel comfortable with your present readings there's no reason to change you style of reading. If you see a spread you are interested in, you could create a mini-version of it. :)

Simone	07 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by ros Your in your comfort zone. When you are ready you will expand your spreads & mabee not. May I suggest one for you? 3 cards each for wands energy coins money swords thoughts cups emotions Now you will have 12 cards fora spread. 3 cards for each element . Just something to try. Just an idea. Thanks, ros - seems interesting, and it is like 4 3-card spreads in one. I'll definitely try it! Light and love Simone

Simone	07 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by Darla If you see a spread you are interested in, you could create a mini-version of it. :) I like the idea, Darla - but this would be taking away positions from the spread - and how am I to decide which one I'd leave out? (priority problems here :joke: ) Thanks Light and Love Simone

Alissa	07 Jan 2004
Less is more. More is not always better. In a short reading, you can still glean plenty of information from just a few cards, and probably won't get overloaded and confused with "too much information". I've scaled down, and used to read with lots of cards (12-15 usually) in a spread. Now, I prefer to keep most of my readings to 7 cards or less, often only 3.

MoreMagic	07 Jan 2004
There's a nice book called The Heart of the Tarot, I think, that is all about 2 card spreads. I haven't looked at it in a while, but I remember really liking it and doing a lot of short readings as a result of this book.

Red Emma	07 Jan 2004
I seem to prefer three-card spreads because they give me the info I need, and besides, I'm an impatient kind of person. Just don't want to spend all that time working it out. Of course I read only for myself, usually. And when I read for my grandkids and friends, I feel I'm messing with their lives. I don't have the skill of most of you, and that kind of power scares me. I think I can't go too wrong with just a 'past, present, future' or 'issue, advice, outcome' spread.

Imagemaker	07 Jan 2004
My tarot teacher, a gifted reader, said 4 cards are usually enough for any question. In complex situations I ask multiple questions, looking for guidance from different angles. From long experience with the I Ching, I've found that usually guidance falls into three categories: 1. go forward or do it -- a yes 2. retreat or don't do it -- a no 3. wait, something is developing Of course, this is all based on the kind of questions I ask. Others may be looking for completely different kinds of answers from tarot.

yve	07 Jan 2004
Personally I don't like large spreads because i'm so green...however, in using my small spreads, it is amazing how only a few cards (in some cases one) can be so accurate and give so much info...so perhaps it is as Alissa said, more isn't always better...but it probably has to do with personal preference...

ros	07 Jan 2004
I had a reader once that only drew one card. He new it very well also. He told me one card has all the info you need on your question. I think it's just what works, when it works!

Mojo	08 Jan 2004
I'm also a big fan of single card readings. The more finely tuned your skills are, the more you can do with a single card. When I teach Tarot, it's what I inspire my students to strive for - the abiity to do an entire reading with a single card. I can pontificate for an hour or more on a single-card reading. It's actually more exhausting than doing multiple card readings.

Vynara	09 Jan 2004
i'm a greenhorn who's doing only 2-card reads.. like yve, it's amazing how two cards can be such a mine of information. I wish to try out spreads with more cards.. but I guess what deters me most is the more cards there are, there's the need to "cross referance" them and that sets my head spinning round. =P

Emily	09 Jan 2004
I do alot of 2, 3 and 5 card speads. I used to hate the CC until I bought the Haindl and Morgan Greer that both had a paper spread sheet included with a version of the CC that is very easy to follow. It actually didn't take long to convert me to this spread and now its the one I do most often, I never realised before how a few name changes can make a spread seem more useable. I do still like my PPF though :)

VGimlet	09 Jan 2004
Simone, it sounds to me as though you don't need a lot of cards, or a specific spread to read well. I always feel the more cards you use, the longer and more convoluted and involved the answer. Which isn't good or bad, just a preference. Do you prefer a short answer to a long involved one? If so, maybe that's why. If not...well, there goes that idea! :) Oh, I used to like large spreads myself, but the more I've studied tarot and used it, I've come to appreciate short spreads, with maybe a clarifying card or two if I feel like it.

~X~	09 Jan 2004
I prefer a 3 or 5 card spread, but I have to admit, sometimes I feel like trying large ones like the horoscope (the one I saw had 24 cards) and there is one, I dont' know what it's called, but it uses every card in the deck! I guess the main reason I haven't is that I don't feel confident doing it, but now that I'm thinking of it, maybe I'll try one tonight. If it works, it works. If not, oh well.

Majecot	09 Jan 2004
I like the smaller spreads too.. 3-7 cards usually, altho I will occasionally do a celtic cross.

Macavity	09 Jan 2004
Sometimes I use the "cross" part (5+1) of a celtic cross - i.e. remove the (duplicating) column-bit! ;) This retains some nice features - a past - present - future line and the situation/impedement with a (physically!) crossing card. I guess you have to fiddle with "below" and "above" card definitions? I usually think of... underlying issues and perhaps an overall summary? You can also play with the weightings of the cards using a (chosen) N:S:E:W elemental basis... or try to work out something based on inter-card dignities? You could, of course, then remove even MORE cards from this basic setup... :) Macavity

Simone	10 Jan 2004
Quote: Originally posted by VGimlet I always feel the more cards you use, the longer and more convoluted and involved the answer. Which isn't good or bad, just a preference. Do you prefer a short answer to a long involved one? If so, maybe that's why. If not...well, there goes that idea! I think that must be it. The more cards I use, the more difficult it gets not to be confused... I love to keep my answers basic at first and anyhow, the longer I look at one card, the more implications come to my mind and often I don't need more of an answer. As for other persons I've read for, I've seen people disappointed because I did not use more cards than I did :D Quote: Originally posted by Macavity I guess you have to fiddle with "below" and "above" card definitions? Mystery cat ;) , I always have to fiddle with definitions of positions - with large spreads I can't seem to remember them, nor to feel their implications. So I prefer to make up my spreads with "self-imposed" definitions for each position. :) Light and love Simone

Agathe	10 Jan 2004
I like small spreads as well. I like 3 and 5 cards spreads. I think they do give a lot of info. For some reason, however, I want to practice this huge 42 crads spread for the next few months. It's really amazing and when you read it step by step you can avoid confusion that's often there when you do such spreads. Agathe

paradoxx	10 Jan 2004
I guess im the oddball here, i cannot do three cards spreads and actually get anything out of it, it seems so incomplete. I don't mind the cc spread, but i do enjoy my own 10-16 cards spreads. and 16 works very well most of the time. I am a 9 vibration person, i don't like numbers that don't bread down, i enjoy prime numbers of the higher sort, but not the single digit primes. 3 only feels like a part of the equasion, although i will read three cards at the same time in a larger spread with decent results.

The Why don't I like spreads with a lot of cards? thread was originally posted on 07 Jan 2004 in the Talking Tarot board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Talking Tarot, or read more archived threads.