Collecting Your Best, Brightest, Most Exciting Three Card Spreads!!!

Satori

I love three card spreads! I was wondering what you use and if you have fascinating and fresh ideas on the three card spread. Any topic, any kind of three card spread will be warmly welcomed!

Please be clear about the card placement, as not all three card spreads layout in order. For example, a three card spread that is the basis of one of my free form reading techniques lays out as follows:

*****************1*******************
*******2*****************3***************

You read the third card first! It often shows the current state of affairs for the querent. (But these "meanings" are not hard and fast. I just know that I alwasy read the third card first and build it from there.) Card 2 is usually the emotional environment and the first card shows you what you need to know to bring together 2 and 3.

Then you build from there if you need to.

*******************4*****************
*******5*******************6***************

Again, I read 6 first, then 5 and check on 4 to link 5 and 6. And of course 4 is the bridge to the upper cards. You go down from there with as many sets of cards as you need to look at other areas in the same individual's life. The positional meanings of the three cards stay pretty much the same, but may vary and you'll see what I mean as you use this grid more and it begins to speak to you. And I warn you, the positions don't always mean the same thing! But the third card is always the first card I read and the third card I place. Don't know why, it just has consistently worked out that way.

I tend to converse with the deck as I go. Saying Show me the...boyfrined...Show me the....hidden aspect that needs to be revealed now...and so forth.

I use this most often if the person has no question. This is sort of my own dialog with the cards, and as people say, oh but...blahblahblah....I check it against the deck. And it can bring to the surface some great info.

So, that is my three card spread that I build into all kinds of readings.

What is yours????

Thanks!
 

celticnoodle

I like 3 card spreads too. I must say though, that the best way to read them for me, (unless I use the 3 cards in a Past/Present/Future spread), was found right here on AT in a thread started by our very own Little Baron. I've copied it and pasted it here below, as I don't know how to post the direct link to LB's thread. LB mentioned also that this was found in Deborah Leigh's book, Personal Prophecy, about playing cards. I found it works very well even with tarot and other oracle cards.


Now, I'm not sure how LB places the cards, but I, myself just put them in a straight line as cards:

1.......2.......3

and then use LB's posted ways to interpret them as below:

Interesting Combinations using a three card system for courts

Was just working through my deck in threes. And realised how interesting some of the three card-ers were.

To begin with, as a note, when I read three cards, I read in a specific way, which I find useful - especially with courts. It is adapted from the Personal Prophecy system.

Say you have three cards. 1, 2 and 3.

If card 3 is a court, we ALWAYS [as a querant] share the messages of cards 1 and 2 with that person. If card 3 is a court, it is ALWAYS someone else.

If card 2 is a court, we ALWAYS share the message of card 1 with that person. If card 2 is a court, it is ALWAYS someone else. Card 3 is what the court in card 2 carries. It is their thing. Their intention.
So if the 'King of Cups' was in position 2 and held the 'Empress' as card 3, we might determine that he was a caring and nurturing person. It is almost like getting a snapshot of their focus or what they want to share with us. I always think of card 3 as their backpack, if card 2 is a court. Card 1, therefore is, maybe how it is shared with us.

If a court is card 1, then that is ALWAYS us, as a querant. We read from left to right. So when a court is in position 1, it is how we are represented, with our focus. The following cards, if have no courts, are purely about what we are doing. If a court hits either positions 2 or 3, then the same applies, as mentioned above. What is in between us or 'carried' is the messages between us and the court.

If there are no courts, it is purely about us.
 

AJ

3 card fan here also, some from books, and some found here in the spread index.

I almost always lay them
***1***
2*****3

With the querent or focus of the spread at one/center so I know which cards are pushing/pulling the central focus.

DoDo spread By Zoe posted on July 3. I *think* she is Mary Greer's secretary.
1. the situation
2. Don't do
3 Do do
I think this is a rather brilliant solution to some of the yes/no questions

1. Problem/Issues
2. What Hinders
3. What Helps

1. Issue
2. Option One
3. Option Two

1. Id
2. Ego
3. Super ego

Creativity spread by VoodooGyal Dec. 1/05
1. What skills do I bring?
2. Where I need to focus efforts
3. Benefit gained from skill growth
 

SaintOfScreams

This is the three- card version of a spread I came up with for my daily readings for myself, and it started as a three card spread(I've since added an optional fourth card*.):

1 23 (4*)

1. What will be the positive part of my day?

2. What will be my challenge?
3. How do I positively overcome this challenge?

4*. What is one thing I need to do/complete today?

I love simple spreads! Lovin' the threes!:D
 

autumnsdaughter

I like doing one that I call the Bridge.

1 3 2

With 1 and 2 being vertical, and 3 horizontal. This can be used for any two seemingly opposing things, ideas, attitudes, whatever, and 3 is the bridge. So, one of my favorite pairs is what I need vs. what I want. This is also great for a relationship- what I want vs. what other wants. It is wonderful for finding common ground.
 

BodhiSeed

Head, Heart and Hands Spread:

1. What do I need to know today?
2. What do I need to embrace today?
3. What do I need to do today?

Enjoying everyone's three-card spreads!
Bodhran
 

Satori

autumnsdaughter said:
I like doing one that I call the Bridge.

1 3 2

With 1 and 2 being vertical, and 3 horizontal. This can be used for any two seemingly opposing things, ideas, attitudes, whatever, and 3 is the bridge. So, one of my favorite pairs is what I need vs. what I want. This is also great for a relationship- what I want vs. what other wants. It is wonderful for finding common ground.

What I like about this is that the middle card, the bridge, is sort of neutral. I will need to look at this one more, to see how that middle card works in real readings. Interesting.

Thanks!
 

Satori

bodhran said:
Head, Heart and Hands Spread:

1. What do I need to know today?
2. What do I need to embrace today?
3. What do I need to do today?

Enjoying everyone's three-card spreads!
Bodhran

This is a beautiful spread!
I love this one. It is so empowering, so active!! It is really about getting on the go and moving toward what you want, and is has a joyful component built in. Thanks for this one!!!! See, this is what I had hoped for. Pay dirt with every reply so far!!!
 

Satori

SaintOfScreams said:
This is the three- card version of a spread I came up with for my daily readings for myself, and it started as a three card spread(I've since added an optional fourth card*.):

1 23 (4*)

1. What will be the positive part of my day?

2. What will be my challenge?
3. How do I positively overcome this challenge?

4*. What is one thing I need to do/complete today?

I love simple spreads! Lovin' the threes!:D

What I like about this one, is that it helps you to focus on a positive by asking for the positive to be shown right up front! So then you spend your day looking for/manifesting that positive!

Nice!
 

Satori

celticnoodle said:
I like 3 card spreads too. I must say though, that the best way to read them for me, (unless I use the 3 cards in a Past/Present/Future spread), was found right here on AT in a thread started by our very own Little Baron. I've copied it and pasted it here below, as I don't know how to post the direct link to LB's thread. LB mentioned also that this was found in Deborah Leigh's book, Personal Prophecy, about playing cards. I found it works very well even with tarot and other oracle cards.


Now, I'm not sure how LB places the cards, but I, myself just put them in a straight line as cards:

1.......2.......3

and then use LB's posted ways to interpret them as below:

Interesting Combinations using a three card system for courts

Was just working through my deck in threes. And realised how interesting some of the three card-ers were.

To begin with, as a note, when I read three cards, I read in a specific way, which I find useful - especially with courts. It is adapted from the Personal Prophecy system.

Say you have three cards. 1, 2 and 3.

If card 3 is a court, we ALWAYS [as a querant] share the messages of cards 1 and 2 with that person. If card 3 is a court, it is ALWAYS someone else.

If card 2 is a court, we ALWAYS share the message of card 1 with that person. If card 2 is a court, it is ALWAYS someone else. Card 3 is what the court in card 2 carries. It is their thing. Their intention.
So if the 'King of Cups' was in position 2 and held the 'Empress' as card 3, we might determine that he was a caring and nurturing person. It is almost like getting a snapshot of their focus or what they want to share with us. I always think of card 3 as their backpack, if card 2 is a court. Card 1, therefore is, maybe how it is shared with us.

If a court is card 1, then that is ALWAYS us, as a querant. We read from left to right. So when a court is in position 1, it is how we are represented, with our focus. The following cards, if have no courts, are purely about what we are doing. If a court hits either positions 2 or 3, then the same applies, as mentioned above. What is in between us or 'carried' is the messages between us and the court.

If there are no courts, it is purely about us.

I'm confused here Noodle. I need some help on this one. Maybe I need to try it out, but somehow, this one has me puzzled.