Reading tarot can be made a good deal easier by choosing the right spread for your purpose. It is a good idea to hold your chosen pattern in mind while shuffling the cards. Your deck is a tool which if chosen wisely will shed light upon your questions and provide an answer to it. To provide overall look at the various areas of someone’s life. A tarot card spread is a method by which a tarot card reader physically lays out or places the cards on the table and then interprets the card meanings for the querent. Not only are there many different types of tarot card decks available, there are also many different spreads used by card readers. For example, the very popular Celtic Cross spread does not follow one standardized card layout. The basic cross and column diagram is the same, but the order in which the cards are spread in the cross varies greatly. Listed below are some tarot card spreads using the popular Rider-Waite tarot deck. Variations exist between these different spreads, as well. Card readers determine the spread and the deck to use based upon their personal preferences. No matter what deck or spread is used, the outcome is the same.
Celtic Cross Spread
The Celtic Cross spread is probably the most popular spread in use today. It is intended to shed light on many aspects of your life. Due to its popularity over the years, there have been many variations to the layout of the cards in this spread. However, whichever one is used, you just really need to concentrate on the question you put to the cards. The various cards in this spread represent the following about you:
1. The Significator represents you (the querent) and your current state of being.
2. The Crossing denotes that which opposes or influences you.
3. The Foundation addresses the origin of your question.
4. The Recent Past represents past events and concerns.
5. The Crown addresses issues that are significant in the present or may come to pass in the future. This card foretells future events which you may or may not occur, depending upon how you respond to the present situation.
6. The Future depicts that which lies ahead.
7. Emotions signifies the current state of your emotional self.
8. External Forces represents the influence of others in your life as well as trends in your relationships with others.
9. Hopes and Desires stands for the hopes and desires you have for the outcome of your question.
10. The Outcome is the ultimate outcome your question. Remember, the future is not predetermined. Interpret this card in the context of the entire reading and as an indicator of the path you are currently on, but not bound to the reading.
Relationship Spread
This spread is used to explore your relationships with others by exploring the needs and views of both parties. Think of your relationship with a specific person and ask your question. The various cards in this spread represent the following about you:
1. How you view your partner
2. How your partner views you
3. Your needs
4. Your partner`s needs
5. Current state of relationship
6. The path you would like your relationship to follow
7. The path your partner would like to see your relationship follow
8. Aspects of your relationship to consider
9. Question outcome
Birthday Spread
The birthday spread is used to help you plot a course toward achieving specific goals before your next birthday. It also tells you where you are right now and how to evaluate what happened previously. Focus on what you would like to accomplish before then and find out what the next year might bring. The various cards in this spread represent the following about you:
- Current place in the world
- Goals for the next year
- What empowers you
- Powers within that you need to develop
- Present physical and material well-being
- Present emotional state
- Present spiritual state
- Oppositions
- Actions required to achieve goals
How to make your own Tarot Spread
Here are some common questions that I use as a starting point when developing a customized Tarot spread for my clients:
• What do you need to know about?
• What do you ultimately aspire to in this situation?
• What is blocking you? / How can you overcome this blockage?
• What are the strengths? / What are the weaknesses?
• What are the opportunities? / What are the challenges?
• What is outside of your control?
• What hidden factors do you need to consider?
• What will be the outcome if?
• Where are you headed in the next three / six / twelve months?