The Very Best* Beginners Spread

I really like the motto. I hope to jump into the thread soon.

I also like Talisman's "Larry Moe Curly"!!!

My usual three card is "Issue, Querant, Advice or Outcome."

I also like Robert Place's non-positional three card spread that depends on which way the characters are facing (or the flow of the illustrations).

great idea

Ha, I always thought three-spreads were "too simple"...and yes, I am a beginner, but after starting a journal and reading other's card interpretations as well as coming up with my own, I realized the cards have so many layers of meaning that even "just three" cards can tell you so much! (And I don't need to clear off a big space to lay out those darn Celtic Crosses!) ;-)

So basically you've convinced me even more, Talisman!

I love both. Guilty.

Like most beginners, I started laying out CC's. Loads of them. Of course it took me a while to really, Really get the spread concept as a whole. Joan Bunning's book/website helped quite a bit on that actually.

But CC spreads are way too time consuming to do everyday. Really. That's more like my once a week spread.

My day to day is hands down a three card

Usually I read it as Morning~Afternoon~Evening

And the 3 card as a motto thread has helped me soo much. I'm much better at piecing the mini story the cards are telling together now. I love it! Definitely one of the most versatile, if not THE most versatile spread.

Talisman, your posts are awesome!

Consider an Elemental spread??

I've found an elemental pentacle spread to be my favorite... the one I turn to most often and use in my professional readings... I wish I would have learned this when I first started... it looks like this...

******7******
**************
*************
5******1******4
****** 2*******
***************
***************
***3 ******6***


1 - The "heart of the reading," its theme, the most present
2 - The crossing card (like in a CC), the challenge, obstacles
3 - Earth: That which relates physically to the reading, practicality, finances, etc
4 - Water: That which relates emotionally to the reading, also intuition, creativity
5 - Air: That which relates mentally/intelectually, ideas, thoughts, worries, anxities, etc.
6 - Fire: That which is action-oriented, drive, goals, ambitions, communications, etc...
7 - Spirit: What "Spirit" (God, Godess, Angels, Guides, et all) are coaxing you to consider, the synthesis or outcome, possibilities, the "future" (possible)


I double up and use two cards for positions 3 - 7, for a total of 12 cards, but that isn't necessary... I hope you enjoy... it's something to consider at least...

Thanks!

LOl oh this just warms my heart~ when I first started with a new deck I also like to try several spreads at once. And I agree the lwb is usually so basic but memorizing is out of the question these days. Thanks all of you for the 3 card spread ideas on this thread! I will making notes.
Learn to play in all you do, life is to short to do otherwise and be serious all the time!

~ MMTygereye aka Marsha

Melvis said:

Holmes: Fabulous take on the Celtic Cross!

Ravenswing: If only they printed such a concise explanation of the Celtic Cross in those darn LWB's! Maybe we should email this thread to Stuart Kaplan at US Games. We could start an LWB revolution!

Vive la trois!

(Uh ... "long live the three"??!!! My french is too rusty...you know what I mean, right? )

Peace,

Melvis

Click to expand...

Certainly you are on the right track. It's well overdue, doing something about Waite's little white book, being that most of the meanings in it are now antiquated. Check out what is said in it about the "Star ", what rubbish, then turn to 6 of cups. Enough to make Pamila Smith turn in her grave. This is all very unfortunate concidering most start out with Tarot using the Rider deck, many then being put right off by Waite's ramblings. I was over 20 years ago. Just wish someone had of taken out it's little white book and burnt it before I got the cards out. Then perhaps I would have found a better source of meanings and been light years ahead by now.

Wow! I love Ravenswing's celtic square!

I too am a beginer, even though I've been doing tarot for a year and a half now I definatly call myself still a beginer. Every so often I try the celtic cross, but I really haven't "got" it yet. however, I love three card readings, because I can get a clear picture of what the cards are saying to me.

I just did Ravenswing's spread and wow, it just worked so well! I added another card off to the right as an 'outcome' card, to make it all ten cards. Thank you so much for this spread Ravenswing, I think I needed it as an intermediate step between three card spreads and the celtic cross.

thanks

THANKS for this suggestion to ditch that confusing celtic cross and use three cards. You totally convinced me to try it and I feel much more comfortable with the cards now that I can see the links between them. My memory isn't fantastic anyway and the celtic cross is quite a brainful. I felt like three cards were babyish in comparison to the larger spreads, but like red11 says, there's so much meaning in each card..

Ah, I love this site. So helpful!

(..love the thesis/antithesis-synthesis spread)

solid advice

...:.:..thank you...:.:...

i still consider myself a beginner

so i appreciate this advice

i have an affinity for -3- anyway

so i find this easy advice to take

...
peace
...

When I read your title my first thought was 3 card without looking at anyones posts.... then after a moment I thought: but only draw two cards to start.

I would suggest for beginners a two card draw, when you have put together your meaning for the two cards(studied them and related them to your question), then changed it into a story( for practice), pull the third and see what affect it has on your two cards, that will help you learn and really hit home the power of a single card on a reading. Stay focused throughout as the third card is a part of your spread and will either reinforce your story or change the whole dynamics..hopefully helping you learn the cards as you read and answer your question.

This is a "game" I used to play while sitting in my car on lunch breaks