How do I create spreads?

[Tapwater]

For a while I have been drawn to doing my own readings. I began once and got quite frightened. I chose to try again and protect my energy before and pray. 
 

I can’t really say I know what I’m doing yet as cartomancy is mega confusing. I’ve done 1 card questions, 3-5 card spreads? 
 

Can anyone help me here? 

[Chariot]

I am a big fan of @Grizabella  and her approach to the question of doing your own readings and making up your own spreads.
 

Basically,  instead of just throwing down a few cards and trying to figure out what they are saying, think first about the issue you want addressed, and see if you can pinpoint the kind of information that would be helpful to you.  Then design your spread around that information.  If  you want to know what somebody in particular thinks of you, you might lay a 3-card spread, with each card giving you a specific piece of information.  Example:

Card 1 - How does this person see me now?

Card 2 - Best advice for me in the near future, for me to (attract, discourage, impress, ignore, etc) this person

Card 3 - Outcome

If you just throw down three cards and don't give each one a specific job to do, you might just end up being confused because you don't know which part of the issue each card is addressing.  So take your time to figure out what you really need to know ...then go for it.  Assign a specific piece of information to each card placement.

(I assume that you know your card meanings?  Or have a way of looking them up?  I've  never tried cartomancy with playing cards before, but I assume they work in a similar way to tarot or oracle cards?)

As for reading for yourself, maybe start out exploring topics that aren't 'life or death' to you.  Just something you'd like to know, or how to handle some ongoing event that isn't scary.  Try to formulate your question to give yourself a perspective rather than a prediction—how best can I control this situation? what do I need to know about this situation? what am I missing about this situation? etc.  And I think it's always a good idea to include an "Advice" card in most readings. This will give you something to focus on, after the reading is over.

The general rule about approaching tarot is: If you can't handle a negative answer, then don't do the reading until you can.

The Tarot is generally quite honest— although of course you have to learn to interpret the cards as they turn up in the reading.  But the tarot is often overly dramatic as well!  I can't tell you how many times I've received the Death card in readings over the years, and yet I'm still  here, and in reasonably good health, despite the skeleton on the black horse trampling everybody underfoot!  So are my nearest and dearest.  Death usually just means the end of something that's been ongoing for a while and needs to be gone ...etc.

 

A negative reading is not the end of the universe.  It just means something needs to be addressed. If you ask the question in a pragmatic way, the tarot will help you figure out how best to sort the situation.  

Edited August 3, 2023 by Chariot

[Raggydoll]

I think it can be helpful for beginners to look at pre-made spreads and start by tweaking them a little to better suit the situation at hand. Once you’re confident in altering generic spreads then you can start inventing new spreads from scratch. It’s quite fun to and creative to invent spreads. I would start by collecting spreads from books or from the internet. Notice what type of spread positions  you find useful, if you like big or small spreads, and if there is a particular type of spread design that you are drawn to. 
 

When you write out your spread positions, make sure they are clear and relevant. I think less is more, so don’t add in more cards just to give the reading more meat. An experienced reader can give a full reading just from one card. So each additional position needs to really add something to the reading. 

[DanielJUK]

Reading playing cards, I would take a cartomancy approach rather than tarot. I don't read playing cards and so maybe someone who does, might share their experiences here.

However like all cartomancy systems, they are read in combinations usually. Whist people do the traditional 1 card = quick reading, 3 cards, past, present, future, people combine them for an answer. eg 2 cards or 3 cards for the question. The answer is to read them all together, they interact with each other.

 

But you can read them in a non cartomancy way (I am using that term as a way to separate non tarot card methods and tarot), each card has an equivalent to tarot, so some people read it like that.

 

There are many methods and traditions for reading them, there is also the popular Hedgewytch method, where you put correspondences on the colours, numbers and suits.

Personally the reason I have never gone into playing cards is that I find it too confusing and not sure which direction to go in. But choose a system / method and read up everything about it! I am not sure you need spreads, you just use 2 or 3 cards per reading / position or more for a more in-depth reading!

[Nemia]

I read a number of really good and interesting books about spreads and tried many of them, and I have collected an impressive number of spreads from the Internet over the years. For the first years of my tarot practice, I didn't even think of creating my own spreads 🙂 

 

When I bought the Deck of 1000 Spreads (one of a number of spreadcrafting decks), reading the book that came with it opened my eyes to how spreads are made and why I like them so much. I'm a visual learner and found mindmapping always helpful when I wrote research papers, and I still do them to plan future projects. So making my own spreads was the logical next step. In retrospect, I wonder why it took me so long! 

 

Making your own spread is a great step in your tarot reading because you need to focus on what you really want to know. We do readings because there's something not running smoothly: a problem, obstacle, open question etc. In order to answer these questions and find solutions, you really have to pinpoint it, and if it has different aspects, we should identify them, too. What do we really want to know, and are there action items? That's the analytical part. We should then have a number of necessary cards for our spread. 

 

The next step is the synthesis. We have our card position, so how do we arrange them in order to show the interconnections? I usually make a sketch of the spread. Root causes are obviously somewhere down on the page, unconscious or past influences turn to be to the left (writing direction in my native language: from left to right, from the past to the future), and conscious or future aspects to the right. A common factor or the central question in the middle. Inspirations, aspirations and plans on top, and the solution cards can form the apex of the spread. 

 

Are there pairs, contrasting aspects, or factors that might cancel each other out or support each other? Take that into account, too. If you ask about persons: where do they belong? 

 

Next step: I use post-it notes to make a spread map. Only when the spread looks good do I start my reading. 

 

Using tailor-made spreads has been a great step forwards for me. It's creative, and it forces you to focus. 

 

I still like to use good spreads that others came up with, often they name questions I wouldn't have thought about. I also noticed over the years that my love for the number Four means my best spreads are four-card spreads. I also like star layouts or horseshoe shapes. 

 

I document my spreads and re-use them if and when necessary. Best practice would be to repeat the reading three or six months or a Moon cycle later but often, I don't have time for that. 

 

This may sound like an involved and time-consuming procedure but actually, there's a nice flow to it. 

 

I also created spread maps to re-use: usually on old calendars or larger cartons. I simply stick card-sized pieces of paper on the picture and write the number and meaning of the spread position on them. On the back of the spread map, I can add details to the card positions and questions. 

 

Looking through my old spread pictures, I found an experiment I once did, using the same three cards, each time in a different layout. 

 

 

A linear layout is like a text written from the past to the future, very straightforward. 

 

 

Arranged like a classical sacra conversazione painting, the middle card gets more emphasis. Now it seems to communicate with the two other cards, maybe solve their problem or give another perspective, or pick between them. 

 

 

With a bridge layout, we use the central card to get from A to B. A may be the undesirable or problematic card and B the outcome we wish for. The bridge card shows us how to get there. 

 

 

If we use the whole stack as symbol of our unconscious, three cards drawn from the bottom, middle and top may give us three inner voices relating to the problem in questions. A user on another forum called Fee Lion came up with this idea, and I love it. 

 

 

You get an idea of how your problem or questions looks like in the different layers of your consciousness. What is hidden deep down, what is accessible with a little effort, and what is in easy reach on the surface? 

 

You can see how the visual placement of a card can influence the meaning of the reading. 

 

And another thing: Mary K. Greers idea of permutations is great, and for me personally, it's a much better way to add more depth to a reading than drawing so-called clarification cards. Move the cards, change the way they're placed on the table, and they'll reveal more. 

 

I used the Deck of 1000 Spreads to do in-depth investigations of certain cards, using permutations. That was great training, and I should do it again. 

 

Last not least: there are many great diagrams around that beg to be used as spread ideas. 

 

 

Just look at this beauty. I have done some important readings simply using the Ikigai or a SWOT analysis. 

 

Sorry for the long rant, but maybe some of it is helpful. You can find inspirations for spreads nearly everywhere, and sometimes a SWOT analysis using the cards is just what you need to get some clarity. 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 5, 2024 by Nemia

[gregory]

For me a spread is just cards laid out in predefined (by me, usually !) positions. Ask the question and lay out three (or more, or even just one) cards:

Three cards, say, as "yes if", "no if" and "maybe if"

Or past, present, future

Or obstacles/opportunities/advice

Or anything that fits the question. Need more cards - just be sure and define what each position means.

 

And once laid out look at what direction any people are facing - towards each other ? Back to back ? That may also be important - so lay them out so that if that cod be relevant, you can see that kind of thing. Don't overthink it - just think what it is that you want to ask, and what the surrounding issues are and lay a card for each thing that might affect it.

 

[Natural Mystic Guide]

9 hours ago, Nemia said:

Sorry for the long rant

???!!!  thank you thank you @Nemia for this in depth thorough, clear and provocative explanation of do it yourself spreads.  I love this and look forward to concretizing it into my own work and teaching.  You are brilliant and you have a gift.  I would like to see you able to share it more and for compensation!  Rant away some more please.

[Chariot]

Wow, @Nemia  I've only been up out of bed this morning for about 15  minutes, and now my head is so full of useful ideas, thanks to your wonderful post here!  For many years, like you, I never thought to make up my own spreads, but since I've started doing it, I find it an organic part of the tarot process.  However, I've not gone to the extent you have. So many great ideas here ...from the Japanese Ikigai one, to the simple tactic of post-it notes!  (I've got some garish coloured ones to get rid of, so this is a plan!)  Thank you so much for your detailed and diagrammed suggestions.

[gregory]

So many Important People try to get you to use xyz spread - and 90% of the time I find the spreads suggested don't fit anything I want to know. You always used to get leaflets that TOLD you to use the Celtic Cross, as if it was writ in the Bible to do so or something. and there's sometimes also a slightly dismissive suggestion like "of course you COULD just use three cards for past present future", sounding like "If that's too much for you, poor dear..." (full disclosure - 99% of the time the CC is far too much for me, I'm telling you !)

 

What gets to me is people just throwing three or four cards and then saying "I pulled these cards for How does he feel about me ?" To my mind that's actually not a spread; that's a hot mess. They then say things like "well, this card (probably one they like) must represent me, so this card (if they happen to get lovers) shows he cares" and so on.  Depending on where they fell in actual positions, the lovers - say it came up in the "what is holding him back" position - could mean he is making a choice to run with another pretty lady - the card you decided was you. And then they will pull a clarifier (which doesn't clarify) and get 10 Cups and say "He wants to make BABIES with me." What was the question it was supposed to clarify? Maybe he already HAS a family. Defining positions makes such a difference. So does sticking to the question. 

 

A spread - even if it's just one card - has to have definition and purpose. I do use them of course I do - but I generally make my own with my own defined positions, depending what I'm asking. I DO like Ricklef's yes if/no if/maybe if, though !

 

I like Pollack's  method (thanks to Raggydoll for linking this) - when one is actually sitting with the querent; as someone less experienced than she was, I'd rather (I'd have to !) give each card from each three a specific position.

 

Edited August 13, 2023 by gregory