Creating your own Tarot Spreads

I’ve gone through periods where I use tarot spreads and others where I operate in free-flow. 

Free-flow is how it sounds. It’s an organic approach to reading the cards. The querent asks a question, and I pull three cards to answer the question. I read the images, card meanings, and look for the patterns I see in all three cards to find the message.

When I do end up using a tarot spread, I’ve found the most success when I create my own.

I’ll give you an example.

Here’s a common post-break-up question: “Why did this person come into my life?”

Here’s how you might break down this question into three parts:

Card 1 – What need did this person fill?
(This may bring up any psychological imprinting for the querent to reflect over.)
Card 2 – What did I gain from this relationship? 
(Brings up what’s been learned.)
Card 3 – Where do I go next?
(Help moving on.)

This spread raises the implied questions of why the querent was drawn to this person, what they’ve learned, and how to heal. The spread above helps the querent see beyond the question and into themselves.

When creating tarot spreads (or doing any reading, really), you’re not just answering the questions asked. You’re trying to answer the questions that remain unasked.

For success in creating your own tarot spreads, consider examining what’s underneath or hidden within the question.

Another neat approach to creating a spread is to use a metaphor.

You’re about to make a major life change, and you feel like you’re jumping off a cliff (Hello Fool archetype!). You can create a spread based on this idea:

Card 1 – The journey to the cliff —  How I arrived at the edge of the cliff.
Card 2 – The free fall — What it feels like to jump into this next phase.
Card 3 – Life post-jump — Where do I land, or what does the new landscape look like?

Creating a spread like the above through metaphor offers perspective. When we look at life through metaphor, we give ourselves the gift of distance. You bypass internal chatter and give the spirit room to breathe. And room to breathe is room to see.