to spread or not to spread

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 17 Jun 2002, and now archived in the Forum Library.

napaea	17 Jun 2002
I'm so excited to try out Phoenix's new wings spread! But I do have a question for you all. I read a book recently by a New Zealand Tarot reader, and he uses the same spread all the time. He uses a 7 card spread for a general reading, and if the client has a specific question, they re-shuffle and do another of the same spread with that question in mind. My question to you all: when you have done different tarot spreads, have they made any difference? Is there a benefit - like more specific info or something - to doing specific spreads as opposed to this guy's standard draw? Are there better spreads than others for topics like love. finances. friendship/conflict. family. There are times when I have tried one spread or another on someone, and just couldn't get information until i moved the cards into a different position. But because I haven't found a lot of spreads that read exceptionally well for me, I pretty much do the same one all the time. What are the opinions here? what are the favorite/best spreads? thanks...napaea

Sam	17 Jun 2002
pet spread for pets... 3 card reading for non-specific readings... made-up spread for specific question... etc.

slinky_jo	17 Jun 2002
Well, I'm happy with doing a Celtic Cross spread for just about everything! I don't just stick to the "this card HERE means" addage, I like to see the smaller patterns, like the number of elements, the Major Arcana, numbers, etc. I like using the Celtic Cross - I have tried other spreads, but this is my fave! You can ask anything of the Celtic Cross, and it will usually give you guidance. Maybe I'm just a stick-in-the-mud! Call me old fashioned, why doncha!!! :D

Umbrae	17 Jun 2002
I use a three-card spread for very short-term general readings. A five-position spread is used for short-term specific readings. A seven-position spread is used for long-term specific readings. A fourteen-card spread is used for long-term general readings. Existing-Relationship specific spreads get 10 cards. In five and seven position spreads, when more information is desired (like the first time a reading is done for a sitter, or a significant time has passed since the last reading, or if the sitter wants in-depth information, two cards are used in each position (and the relationship between the cards, and the combination created between the cards is used). But…I have been using those specific spreads for a long time. The size of the spread has a lot to do with how much reading (of cards, not books) you have done. Going for complex spreads (14 cards in 7 positions) can be a tad overwhelming when you are new. Start small…allow the cards to provide the details.

zorya	18 Jun 2002
celtic cross remains my favorite also. it works for everything. but sometimes i find a three card spread to be more useful. i don't always need all the info in a larger spread. i use 3 cards for my daily reading. there's also the "year" spread that i use for birthdays and the new year. this forum has really opened me up to trying new spreads! thanks all!!! i'm waiting till just the right time to try konnrads past lives spread, and there was a relationship spread, that really works out clearly for me, that someone posted here. guess you just have to try some and see how they work for you :)

jema	18 Jun 2002
i find that i am more and more just taking three cards and making a story based on them and see if they fit in with the persons life-story, how he can benefit from the lessons in the story, i try to see the cards as both a sequence and as something happening right here and now but on a different plane. i see what questions the cards bring and that it is not my job to answer them but rather to ask them. the three cards can be viewed in so many ways! so i don't really start out with a specific spread - i start with a client, three cards and attention to the situation at a whole. i still make spreads when i feel the need for them. i rarely use other peoples spreads - with the exception of the "blind spot spread" that is pure genius!

Jenny-Li	18 Jun 2002
I can relate to most of what the others have said, and I agree that the 3-card spread is very good. For specific matters though, I like to make a specific spread, perhaps just for that one-time-question. Then I might start with what I know from the start, i.e. the question, and let the cards relate to that. To me it's like general spread = general reading, specific spread = specific reading. If I want a general overview of the matter, like if I don't really have a specific question at all, it would be unwise to use a specific spread, because I'd end up with an answer I don't know the question for, which is no better than a question with no answer... But if I know my problem, or my situation (or the querent's problem/situation) and want a specific answer, using a general spread would give me a general answer, one might be of no specific help at all, might not even make sense, cause it's on a completely different level than my problem is... (Gosh, that was the rant of the week - sorry...!) Jenny :)

bec	18 Jun 2002
usual I do the 9card relationship spread or heart of matter spread for love horse shoe for general readings a horse shoe or a final outcome for business and/or financials if I do the 3card, I do like 5-7 readings on the same 3 cards, to get all angles covered. I like doing new spreads and see what they are good for. In my experience it does make a difference whether I use this or that spread. For strangers and long distance readings as mail I like to stick to what I know :)

Jenny-Li	18 Jun 2002
Quote: Originally posted by bec if I do the 3card, I do like 5-7 readings on the same 3 cards, to get all angles covered. How do you do that? You mean you make one interpretation of the cards, write it down and then try to see an other picture in the same cards? Isn't that awful hard? I mean don't you have the problem of getting stuck in your first impression? Do you have a good tip on how to detatch? Light and love, Curious Jenny :)

napaea	19 Jun 2002
thanks for all the opinions and input. i'm still using a 7 card spread for my general readings, but i did try Phonenix's "wings of phoenix" spread... i loved it! i've never had much luck with the celtic cross...i don't really understand what it means when a card has "covered" you or "crosses" you...just an obstacle? i guess i'll have to try all the spreads posted here to see what else makes sense to me. sheesh! gotta do some readings!

Phoenix	19 Jun 2002
I like to use my version of a modified celtic cross. Will post it sometime!

The to spread or not to spread thread was originally posted on 17 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.