Used to be scared of the Celtic Cross, ten cards felt like too much. Now it’s my ride or die for anything complex.
There’s something about how it lays out every angle of a situation that just works. For quick daily pulls, though, nothing beats a simple three-card Past-Present-Future. Takes two minutes and still gives solid insight.
Been playing with the Horseshoe spread lately too, especially when Celtic Cross feels like overkill, but three cards isn’t enough. Really depends on what you’re asking… relationship drama needs those ten cards, but “should I text them back?” probably doesn’t.
What are your best tarot spreads for different situations? Always looking for new layouts to try.
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Have you tried 3 card spreads? I find they work well for most questions without getting too complex. The Tarot spread section has some really good stuff, but has mostly 5-7 card spreads which are nice and guided.
When I need to go deeper, I sometimes expand to 6 cards. Helps when there’s a lot going on in the situation. I’ve been trying to remember the name of that relationship spread where the cards mirror how two people connect. Drawing a blank on what it’s called though.
I started with cartomancy, and now I find myself sticking to one main tarot spread. Funny how, even with 78 cards compared to 52, I usually rely on my favorite layout. It’s just what works for me. I guess sometimes it’s just about finding what feels right.
Yeah, timing questions are tough. I’ve seen a lot of readers have trouble with them too. What I’ve found works is setting up positions for different seasons or moon phases. You can also use the court cards, like Kings showing something’s wrapping up and Pages meaning it’s just starting.
Celtic Cross or horseshoe most of the time. Even just a simple 3 card spread.
I’ve been using this four-card spread that works pretty well.
Three cards as a base with one on top.
I like doing it for new clients without them telling me much first, when the cards match their situation, they usually open up more.
After the main spread, I pull cards for what they should let go of and what to focus on. Then I suggest stuff based on the elements that show up.
Like, if there are lots of water cards, maybe they should spend time near water. Earth cards, I might mention gardening. I set up a specific spot for readings with shells and crystals that match different elements. Having everything in one place helps me focus better.
I use the twelve-house spread a lot as a Scorpio rising.
You put each card in its matching house position and it ends up looking like a big circle on your table. The 7th house card is always interesting for me since that’s the relationships house and I have Venus in Gemini there.
Pre-made spreads are fine but I’ve been thinking about making custom ones lately.
Sometimes the standard layouts just don’t fit what you’re asking about. I started making spreads that match whatever situation I’m dealing with. Like when I had to pick between two jobs, I chose the one that looked like a scale.
Put cards for each job on different sides (salary here, work environment there, that kind of thing. Just seemed to work better than trying to squeeze everything into a Celtic Cross or whatever.
I pulled a single card this morning and it really made me think. I’ve been doing these huge spreads lately, thinking I needed all these cards to get answers. But this one card said everything I needed to hear. No confusion, no conflicting messages.
Just one clear answer to my question. Sometimes, less really is more with tarot.
I’ve got this old Knapp-Hall deck from the 1920s that came with instructions for something called a five-card Elemental Cross. Haven’t seen anyone else use it.
You put Earth in the center, then Air to the East, Fire South, Water West, and Spirit North. It works really well with the deck’s symbolism. My newer vintage decks from the 70s seem to work better with chakra layouts, though.
I think each era had its own way of doing spreads, and when you match the deck to spreads from its time period, the readings are way more accurate.
Celebrating birthdays with close friends by sharing card readings has become a cherished tradition. There’s something special about how the cards reflect their unique qualities and strengths, offering them a glimpse of their own light.
A straightforward seven-card Year Ahead spread is ideal for these gatherings. Each card highlights a different part of their way, providing a detailed outlook for the year without being too overwhelming.
Been trying out different color-coded spreads and found this traffic light layout.
Three cards, red for what to avoid, yellow for what to watch out for, green for what action to take. I’ve been using it a lot for decision-making questions. It’s pretty straightforward and doesn’t get too complicated with interpretations.
I wouldn’t use tarot spreads when there’s a real crisis happening. Like if something urgent is going down and you need to make a decision right now. Setting up cards and trying to interpret them takes time you might not have. Sometimes you just gotta go with your gut and figure it out as you go.
Found this three-card spread recently:
It’s been stuck in my head. The way it works is pretty straightforward.
Mirror shows you aspects of yourself, including the parts you might be avoiding.
Medicine points to what you need right now for healing or growth.
Message gives you some direction on next steps. What I like about it is how the three positions connect.
The Mirror reveals something, Medicine addresses it, and Message tells you where to go from there. Been using it for a few weeks now and getting some interesting insights. Not every reading hits the mark but when it does, it really makes you think.
Lately, I’ve been doing relationship readings with a card for myself, one for them, and one for the connection. It’s been more insightful for crush situations since it reveals the dynamic between us instead of just what they might think.
I like these three the most:
These are the ones I use most of the time for clients.
Haha yeah, ‘should I text them back’ definitely doesn’t need ten cards. Unless you’re like me and turn it into a whole existential crisis. I’ve been doing this two-card thing, first card for yes/no, second card for why. Keeps it simple enough that I can’t overthink it too much.
I totally get the Celtic Cross intimidation - I used to shuffle those ten cards around like a confused puppy until someone showed me this trick where you read it as three mini-stories within the spread!
