Which are the best spreads to use with the TdM?

Barleywine

I have just reintroduced the pips after using only majors to learn and get to grips with TdM. Like you I try and pick up a feel for the the image on the card using some basic attributions also.

I almost always use a three card spread and read them as a whole - what's in the middle as a focus, if there are court cards or majors, what are the people at either side looking at etc. Or if it's a pip, how does that feel against the other cards - I.e lots of Swords is quite an oppressive feeling but has the neighbouring person got their back to them or are they walking into them? It's the relationship between the cards that I look for and the cards don't have set 'positions'. Five cards works too. I don't know why but it has to be an odd number for me. Maybe I just need there to be a 'middle'.

Drawing all pips is more of a challenge, and a little tedious. But can still be interesting to look at whether there are links - common suits, progressive numbers and so on. Sometimes I split the deck, shuffle the majors only and draw a card for the middle then shuffle and draw the other cards from the rest of the deck.

Yoav Ben Dov's book is very good.

I also find facing invaluable, along with having a "middle" card to play the flanking cards off against. I use the idea of "hard" - Batons and Swords - and "soft" - Cups and Coins - suits as well.

I agree about Yoav Ben-Doav's book: I've read it twice and will do so again.
 

Migdal93

I.e lots of Swords is quite an oppressive feeling but has the neighbouring person got their back to them or are they walking into them? It's the relationship between the cards that I look for and the cards don't have set 'positions'. Five cards works too. I don't know why but it has to be an odd number for me. Maybe I just need there to be a 'middle'.

I think the swords are the hardest pip of all. Swords always feel opressive to me, with only a few exceptions, like the 3 of swords. In my deck it's a beautiful card and I feel hope and growth when I look at it. Wands can be a little tricky as well, and for me the cups are the easiest. Go figure!!!