Tarot Spreads

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 30 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

catwoman	30 Jun 2002
Hi! I have been doing the tarot seriously for quite a while and although I am familiar with the cards and their meanings when it comes to putting a reading together I'm hopeless!! I can't seem to be able to relate each card to eachother and put them altogether to form a picture (if you see what I mean). It's not just big readings that I'm like this when there's only a few cards it can be difficult. Has anyone got any tips on how I can get better? Thanx! Naomi xx

cricket	30 Jun 2002
I can't read spreads like the Celtic Cross - where each position stands for X area and nothing else. I just quit using those. :) You might want to start just shuffling and laying the cards out in a line, making up a story as you go along. Something like reading a child's storybook using only the pictures and not the words. That's helped me personally a lot.

Diana	30 Jun 2002
edited

catwoman	01 Jul 2002
Thanx for all your advice. I've never thought about doing it as a story or not asking a question beforehand, I'll have to start practicing!!

Kitty	01 Jul 2002
Hi catwoman My tarot teacher also taught me to try and read the cards like a story. If it helps try only turning one card at a time, focus on one card, get the feeling for it, look at the meaning in a book if you want other helpful info, then move onto the next but keep in mind the previous card At the end look at the spread as a whole, you will then see how some of the cards relate to each other. I hope that makes sense?! Keep trying!!

Sullanciri2002	02 Jul 2002
Hello "cat" - one type of reading I've had a lot of succes with is ... starting with one question, one card ... if that card leads the querent to another question that links to the first and the first reading - go to a second card ... from there, separate cards can be drawn if the querent wants to know about specific persons or events playing a part in the larger picture. That way, you deal with one card at a time - all the while enlarging the issue, and going deeper into the cards ... it helps because the larger picture grows with every new question, and allows you to go deep without getting overwhelmed by so many cards at once. Don't go for too many cards in the end, though - even when the querent has more questions I usually limit the reading to ten or twelve cards to keep it possible to do some summarizing at the end. One other thing - sometimes the "ease" that you read the cards with, comes from working with the right deck. Perhaps you should think on whether you deck(s) "gives" you enough, or if you should look for another deck.

Starfish	02 Jul 2002
Hi Cat, I also learned to read the cards as if I were reading a story. To focus on each card, I turn one card at a time. I then focus on on that card to get a feeling for it. Sometimes, I will flip through a book to get any additional meanings. Once the spread is done, you can look at the whole picture to get a better feel for the spread in it's entirety and you will then see how the cards relate to one another. :TWHEE Starfish

Thirteen	02 Jul 2002
Another thing you can do, or should be doing, is look for things that cards have in common. Are there a lot of cups? Several #5 cards? Wands in certain places? Major arcana with meanings that are all full of brightness (like the Fool, the Empress, the Sun)? Or how about complete opposites? Try to find commonalities or oppositions. That should help.

Umbrae	02 Jul 2002
I recommend beginning at the beginning. As trite as it sounds, you might take it to heart. A Celtic Cross has 10 cards. Why? Does 10 make it more accurate? It is simply too many cards for this early in the game. Start with three. Then go to five, then seven if you must. Three card spreads are accurate, to the point, and versatile. Then take all the suggestions everyone gives you on this thread, and incorporate them into a three-card spread. Hunt down Tarot Reversals by Mary K Greer. Turn to page 215...Lots of variations of the three-card spread. BTW: If you were to buy only one book on Tarot, that's it.

Sally Gardens	03 Jul 2002
Here's a "story" oriented reading that has worked well for me over the past few months: http://www.jpc-artworks.com/tarot/articles/newmoontarot.html It's a circular layout that follows the flow of your life from new moon to new moon, and so lends itself to "what's the overall story or pattern" interpretation. After laying out the cards, look over them in order, one by one, and then do kind of a mental "soft focus" to consider them as a sort of flow chart, if you will, to see an overall pattern. THEN, after you've established your intuitive sense of the story, you may find it helpful to consult your favorite Tarot book for additional depth or insight on the specific cards. Hope that helps.

destinyawaitsme	03 Jul 2002
I have found that the celtic cross is a little complex and hard to work with, especially if you are a beginner. I have been reading for a year and a half and I have trouble with it. So, I started using the Horseshoe spread. If you don't know it here it is: Basically, it's 7 cards layed out in a horsehoe shape. 1. past 2. present 3. immediate future 4. something that needs to be made aware 5. attitudes of others 6. obstacles 7. outcome I found this one to be a lot more simple. You could also try makign your own spreads. I find that the spreads that I've made I have a personal attachment to them and they are easier for me to read with because I know exactly what I intended the spread to be. I hope this helps or made any sense.

wetsheep1	04 Jul 2002
No matter what the spread, what helped me most when I was beginning was to write down what I saw! I know it sounds a little anal, but....I used to do all kinds of readings for myself at first; I didn't feel comfortable reading for anyone else. I'd write down what spread I used, what card appeared in what position and any impressions I had at the time. When I was done, I'd read over what I'd written; at that point, sometimes the picture would become clearer. If even then it was a mess, I'd file it away and look at it another time. It also helped because there were a lot of times I was so close to the issue that I couldn't see the forest for the trees. Having written it down, I could go back to it a few days later or whatever and what seemed like a jumble at the first made more sense later. Hope that helps :) -- k

Sorceress_Jade	05 Jul 2002
Yes YES! I write down every reading I do in the same way. I keep track of the deck and spread I'm doing and what the positions in the spread mean (if specific). Then my impressions of each individually. Then I go back and write a story. Just like they spoke of making a storey. Writing it down can help loads. And you'll find as you write the more things come to you, it sort of works itself out, makes you take time to think while you're jotting it all down. Years from now I know that I can go back and compare how I read now to how I will read then. As someone once told me, "If you look at your work of a year ago and don't think it sux, you haven't gotten any better." :D

Lilac	06 Jul 2002
Im only a beginner, but this has worked well for me..... Each night, before i go to bed, i do a 3 card spread.......i then write down the individual meanings of each card & then go to bed with the cards on my mind......................usually the next day, after 'sleeping on it' the possible answers come through..............some are easir than others but over all this works well for me..............

PurpleGoddess	06 Jul 2002
hi all, i'm not home so i can't print this out. maybe i'll ask my cousin. but these are all great ideas to not only learning the general meanings of the cards but to build relationships w/each card. i too am still a beginner even though i've had my cards for at least 6-7 yrs. i go back and forth w/the practice of my tarot and since i met my soul-sister i have been spending time with them and trying to feel their message. i thank the Goddess every time i visit this site cause i learn something new about the cards, and my self at the same time! peace and love, :TCQ :THP

Starfish	06 Jul 2002
Quote: Originally posted by PurpleGoddess I thank the Goddess every time i visit this site cause i learn something new about the cards, and my self at the same time! I'm in total agreement with you, Purple Goddess! It's something I'm very thankful for too. :THANG Starfish

Ravenswing	06 Jul 2002
hi catwoman-- (of course, the old batman series immediately comes to mind. i can even hear the theme song in the background ##ZAPP!!## **holy tarot batman** . guess that'll date me :D ) ANYHOW.... pick out three cards. lay them down in a row and consider them as a time series-- past, present, future. now, re-arrange them and do it again... three cards will give you six different 'stories' to interpret. it's really amazing how drastically the order can change the story. orders for three cards: 1 2 3 1 3 2 2 1 3 2 3 1 3 1 2 3 2 1 after you feel comfortable with your storytelling, add a fourth card. four cards will give you twenty-four different stories. (the challenge here might be to find them all!!) by this time, reading is just that. you read the cards, just like you read a book... LVX steve

The Tarot Spreads thread was originally posted on 30 Jun 2002 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.