Molly
Hi Maiden, welcome to aeclectic! Glad you found this wonderful forum - I just love it.
I have to say that designing your own spread probably has to do with knowing how your mind works. You do have to have a feeling for what the point of a spread is, and then you have to decide about what the important issues are as you see them. I love geometric shapes, so the shape of the spread is important to me. Some people just make rows, as the shape/design isn't so important... I think it is a great way to really get into learning to read - as a spread coming from your own brain can make the most sense to you - if that makes any sense! LOL.
As far as advice on how to do it, I am not sure I can help. It is just a personal preferance thing. You could practice with smaller spreads at first. You can jot down things you want to know about and then practice making a design and assigning the meanings. Pick a place on the spread that seems to be an important spot for the outcome or thing that needs to be done actively... think about "inward" vs. "outward" or "conscious" vs. "subconscious" etc...
hope that helped
I have to say that designing your own spread probably has to do with knowing how your mind works. You do have to have a feeling for what the point of a spread is, and then you have to decide about what the important issues are as you see them. I love geometric shapes, so the shape of the spread is important to me. Some people just make rows, as the shape/design isn't so important... I think it is a great way to really get into learning to read - as a spread coming from your own brain can make the most sense to you - if that makes any sense! LOL.
As far as advice on how to do it, I am not sure I can help. It is just a personal preferance thing. You could practice with smaller spreads at first. You can jot down things you want to know about and then practice making a design and assigning the meanings. Pick a place on the spread that seems to be an important spot for the outcome or thing that needs to be done actively... think about "inward" vs. "outward" or "conscious" vs. "subconscious" etc...
hope that helped