I’ve been thinking a lot about how the number of cards you pull changes the whole reading. When I started out, I got confused by all the different spreads… some people only pull three cards, others do four or five.
Each number works differently. Three cards usually show past/present/future or situation/action/outcome. Four cards can give you more context or show different angles of a problem. Five cards let you dig deeper into the details.
Sometimes I just know how many cards to pull for a particular question. Other times, I stick with the same spread for weeks because it’s working well. I’ve noticed a lot of readers have their go-to number they use most of the time.
How do you decide how many cards to pull? Do you switch it up or mostly stick with one spread?
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Really depends on what you’re looking to do with the spread and be sure you know the answer to that question before you pull any cards.
Big spreads don’t really work for quick yes/no questions. Just pull one or two cards instead. Gets you an answer fast without all the extra stuff cluttering things up.
Trust your gut when working with tarot. True of this question and most others really.
For inner work and shadow stuff, you need a practice that feels right to you. There’s no one correct way. Begin by getting to know each card individually. Spend time with them, think about what they mean, and notice what comes up for you emotionally.
This helps you understand both the traditional meanings and how they connect to your own life. For spreads, do whatever works. If three cards are too much, use one. If five isn’t enough, pull more.
The cards are just tools. Draw extra cards if something’s unclear or you feel like there’s more to uncover. Some people stick to traditional spreads, some make their own, and some just pull cards randomly.
All fine.
If a reading feels off or confusing, take a break. Ground yourself, maybe cleanse your deck, then try again when you’re in a better headspace. You need to be ready to hear what comes up. Shadow work takes time and patience. Shape your practice however you want, elaborate spreads or simple pulls, reversals or not, multiple decks or just one. Whatever helps you.
Forget the fancy spreads, I just pull one card daily for my journaling now.
Been doing this for a while and it works better than you’d think. You get 24 hours with one card instead of trying to process a whole spread at once. I keep noticing new things when I check back on it during the day. Started doing this when I got overwhelmed with bigger spreads and never looked back.
Sorry if this is unconventional, but I let the cards guide how many I pull.
When I’m shuffling, sometimes I feel like stopping at just one card. Other times, I pull six or seven.
Like last week with my job interview question, I only needed two cards and they gave me what I needed. Simple as that. Different questions need different numbers of cards, I guess.
Just one deck for me. I’ve been pulling a significator card first, then doing my spread around it. Gives the reading a focal point. Each card relates back to that center one somehow, so the message stays clearer. Don’t really need multiple decks when you have a system that works.
Pulling three cards works best for me.
They give enough information to make sense of the reading without overloading it. I usually take a moment to breathe deeply and ground myself, which helps me see how the cards relate to each other. When I tried using more cards without a layout, things got confusing, and I couldn’t see the main point.
So, I usually use three cards for each question and might add one advice card if the situation requires it. Keeping it simple has made my readings much clearer.
There’s a lot of spreads online (like our spread section for starters), but you just gotta try different ones until something works for you.
I usually just do three cards for most stuff. Been doing readings here for a while and when people ask questions, that’s usually enough to get a decent answer.
Start with drawing just one card to see how it relates to your question.
This first card often has important insights, even if it doesn’t seem obvious right away. If you feel like you need more information, draw another card to add more context. Keep drawing cards and building the story until it makes sense to you. There’s no specific number of cards you need to use; sometimes one card is enough, while other times you might need several to get the full picture.
Go with what feels right to you. Your own experience with the cards will help you get better at interpreting them over time. Don’t worry if it’s unclear at first; everyone starts somewhere. As you keep practicing, you’ll get more comfortable with it. The cards will connect with your energy and intention, and you’ll get better at understanding them. Just keep working with your deck, and it will become clearer.
I’ve been trying different card spreads lately. Started with three cards for a question, then tried five cards the next day for the same thing. Each spread showed different aspects of the situation.
Found an explanation about how odd and even numbers of cards work differently. Odd numbers supposedly create movement while even numbers bring balance. Different readers have their own preferences for how many cards they use.
Still figuring out what works best for me.
Okay but. everyone talks about pulling multiple cards. Sometimes the most meaningful readings come from sitting with ONE card for days or weeks. We’re always reaching for more information when we haven’t even looked at what’s in front of us. I’ve had single cards shift my whole perspective on a situation just by giving them time instead of pulling clarifiers right away.
i used to think i needed like 10 cards for every reading when i started. spent forever trying to figure out what they all meant together. these days i just pull two cards when i need to make a decision. works way better for me
I don’t really worry about card numbers anymore. I just pull based on what I’m trying to figure out.
Three cards work fine for quick questions. For bigger stuff, I’ll use more. It depends on how much time I want to spend thinking about whatever’s going on.
I’ve always preferred seven-card spreads. Odd numbers create this asymmetry that seems to open things up more. Even numbers feel closed off somehow, too symmetrical. Five cards can get pretty wild and unpredictable. Four cards? Never really worked for me. Too structured.
There was a time I did a tarot reading for a friend’s job hunt and couldn’t stop pulling cards. I ended up with almost 20! The interesting part was that three cards kept showing up in different places: The Fool, Three of Pentacles, and Eight of Wands. They really nailed how she’d connect with someone unexpectedly and get her dream job. These days, I trust when the deck repeats itself and let my instincts decide how many cards to draw. It’s been pretty accurate so far.
Since you’re new to Tarot, single card pulls work great.
Or try a basic 3-card spread, those are pretty manageable. You can make up your own spreads too. There’s no rule book saying you have to use traditional ones. Just decide what each position means for your question and go from there. Focus on getting comfortable linking the cards together into a story that makes sense.
Once you can do that with a few cards, the bigger spreads won’t seem as intimidating.
Even with just three cards, I get overwhelmed sometimes. There’s so much in each one, all these symbols and details that catch my attention. I could spend forever on just one card. Makes me wonder if more cards would help or if my brain would just explode from all the possibilities.
yeah when I was new to this I stuck with 1-3 cards because more than that was too much to process. these days I pull way more, usually at least 6, just feels natural once you know what you’re looking at
