The Customizable No-Question Spread

Chiriku

Yes, we want querents to have a question in mind (even if some of us don't want them to tell it to us). We know that having a querent who is mentally focused on what they want out of the reading will often lead to a more satisfactory--and useful--reading experience for the querent.

Yet most querents who come up to us at public events or venues do not have a clear question in mind, even if there are notable events or concerns in their life. If you want to read for "the public," you have to be prepared for their lack of mental preparedness.

Many of you have spreads you like to use when querents (or you yourself) have no question of the tarot but want a reading. Just in time for all those Halloween parties at which you'll be reading, here's my contribution to the genre:

The Customizable No-Question Spread
by Chiriku​

This is a customizable spread. The two optional sets of cards are Card #1 and Cards #6-7-8. You can remove these without compromising the integrity of the remaining cards; they are remove-able to allow for shorter readings at quick-moving venues, or, alternately, if you do not like to do predictive spreads and thus have no use for cards #6-7-8.

You can also leave in just one predictive card (#6) to shorten the reading but retain the predictive element.



...........................................................1.............................................................


...........................................................2............................................................

...........................................................3.............................................................

.................................................4...................5...................................................


...................................................6.........7.......8..................................................


............................................................9............................................................

NOTE: You will turn over cards #1 and #2 one-by-one, but for the rest of the positions, you will turn over all the cards at once to get a bird's eye view of the spread/the forces, elements, suits, etc. at work in the reading.

1- You Have Come Here From -- OPTIONAL

This is the recent "place" (mental) of the querent, the recent setting for their life, their situation, their mindset.

Turn over this card first and as you do, say, "You have come here from a place of ________" (filling in the blank based on the card that's drawn and how you read it. e.g. 10 of Cups, "from a place of emotional stability and contentment.")


2- The Cards Draw Your Attention To

This is the focus for the reading, generated by the cards. The cards usually bring to the fore whatever issues are important in the querent's life; this position just crystallizes the tarot's ability to do so.

* If you draw a Minor in this spot, you can lean towards interpreting the card as a specific situation or current state of being in the Q's life: e.g. for 4 of Cups-- "The cards are drawing your attention to a situation about which you feel or will feel some ambivalence and apathy" OR "The cards are pointing out feelings of apathy and restlessness you have experienced or will experience."

*If you draw a Trump in this spot, you can lean towards interpreting the card as a greater lesson or challenge in the Q's life. e.g. for The Emperor-- "The cards indicate that the major lesson or challenge for you at this point in your life is dealing with authority, whether others' over you or your own potential to exert it over others and your own life."

3- You Are Affected By

This is the environmental/external influences card. People, events, etc. that swirl around the querent vis-a-vis the focus card in position #2.

4- You Should Stop

This is what the Querent should stop doing or not doing at this time in their life.

5- You Should Start

This is what the Querent should begin doing (or not doing) this at this time in their life.

6, 7, 8- Prepare Yourself For --OPTIONAL

Three cards, read in concert per your own preference, to provide insight into potential events or forces that might unfold in the querent's near future.

You can choose to read this as the tarot framework of 3-4 months or so that is often endorsed by contemporary tarot readers. Or, if you are especially into predictions and timing and feel adept at them, you can go further into the future.

You can also apply any particular timing system that you use to determine the timing of the predicted events.


9- A Gift for You

This is a message of encouragement or strength (whether related to the above cards or just a general message), direct from the cards to the querent.


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Chiriku

So, here are some permutations of the spread:

Version #1-- full spread

1- You Have Come Here From
2- The Cards Draw Your Attention To
3- You Are Affected By
4- You Should Stop
5- You Should Start
6- Prepare Yourself For
7- "
8- "
9- A Gift for You

Version #2-- shorter and predictive


1- The Cards Draw Your Attention To
2- You Are Affected By
3- You Should Stop
4- You Should Start
5- Prepare Yourself For
6- A Gift for You

Version #3-- shorter and non-predictive

1- The Cards Draw Your Attention To
2- You Are Affected By
3- You Should Stop
4- You Should Start
5- A Gift for You

Version #4-- Elendil's daily, no-question spread

1- The Cards Draw Your Attention To
2- You Should Stop
3- You Should Start

Of course, there are other possible permutations, but these are a few to give you ideas.

.
 

Eyebright

What a fab spread Chiriku, I especially love the versatility and customability (is that even a word?!) of it. I can see me using this a lot.

Thank you for sharing it :)
 

Chiriku

What a fab spread Chiriku, I especially love the versatility and customability (is that even a word?!) of it. I can see me using this a lot.

Thank you for sharing it :)

Thanks for commenting, Eyebright. My intention was to create a spread I could see myself using a lot, so I hope it serves the same purpose for others.

Customizable is not a word, no, but I thought it conveyed its meaning the best of all the words I considered. I hope you will overlook my intentional lapse in English usage.
 

Elendil

This is a great idea Chiriku. Thanks. I will use this spread in all its combinations and may well use Version #3 Positions 1, 3 and 4 as a three card daily spread as an alternative to the 'no set positional meanings three-card layout' I currently use each day.

:)
 

Chiriku

Thanks for your feedback, Elendil. Your idea about using certain positions for daily draws has a great deal of weight to it coming from someone who both does 3-card daily draws and gets a lot out of them.

For my part, as a matter of personal preference, I am disinclined to doing daily self-readings or even weekly ones. I have the sort of temperament that rebels against regular, scheduled use of my recreational/personal time, and comes to view it as a chore. Plus, I like to chew on the concepts raised in my self-readings for a few months at a time. But I can see how a person who relishes the structure of a daily reading would want to find different ways to move around within that structure, and I am very glad if my spread offers you an option in doing so.

Thanks for adding to the list of permutations; I will go back and edit the above post to reflect it.
 

fallingstarheart

Thanks for this good spread, I got this valuable information in "prepare yourself for".

Cheers.
 

Carla

Where is card number 5 in the layout?

This is a wonderful spread, I'm so grateful you have shared it!
 

Chiriku

Thanks for pointing that out, Carla. In the original full card spread, card 3 is meant to follow the pattern of cards 1 and 2 (i.e. it is vertically beneath them). so what I wrote as cards 3 and 4 in the layout should actually be cards 4 and 5.

I will fix it when I have access to a computer.

I'm glad the spread worked out for you, fallingstarheart.
 

kalliope

I tried the full version of this spread the other day and really liked it. Thanks for posting! The shorter versions will be great, too, I'm sure.

I think I click with it because one of my favorite spreads is a 3-card Do/Don't Do/Direction(Think About) spread, and this has a similar vibe with the Start/Stop/Attention to positions. It's sort of like the expanded edition.

Thanks again!