How many spreads do you generally use?

[Catspur]

I'm not talking about throwing down three cards for a quick past-present-future or anything like that, I'm talking about larger spreads we pre-defined positions.

 

Right now I've got three that I'm comfortable with: the celtic cross, which I use if the question is focused on insight or understanding, Rachel Pollack's Work Cycle, which I use if the question is about "how do I get ..." or something like that, and a relationship spread I picked up in this forum.  ;D

 

I am working on my improvising around the spread. For example, I did a celtic cross for a friend last night and ended up, after we worked through it, pulling it down except for the outcome and possible outcome cards and drawing three more cards to support each of those, to see what they had to say.

 

But mostly I'm curious, if somebody sits down for a reading, and tells you what they want to know about, how many spreads are you choosing from to figure out how to answer the question, what are they, and how you decide?

[AJ-ish/Sharyn]

this is where querent education comes in.

"I want to know why X ran over my foot, and when I died where did my inheritance go, and does she have grey ears.

 

3 questions, 3 different subjects, yes and or query. Ask them what most concerns them, broken down to one subject.

 

I have about 50 spreads on 3X5 cards I like to choose from..

I prefer 3 to 5 positions for their one question.

I've only in 11 years ever done one classic celtic cross. Too many cards for me to cope with in any kind of cohesive manner. It was a knock my socks off reading though :)

[Ratty]

This isn't an answer to your question exactly. I currently do very few full readings for others, but what I learned from the forum during my mentorship was how to create custom spreads. So I'm wondering why that number matters to you. If you only know three common spreads and they aren't suitable, you can create a new one relevant to the reading. I don't always get aspects of flow quite right yet in creations, but thats true of a lot of book spreads too.

 

I remember one disasterous attempt to use Google to find an appropriate spread. I found something that seemed okay, but it was fighting all the way. The cards even told me as part of the reading never to use that spread again. Hasn't happened like that so far with a custom spread.

 

[Saturn Celeste]

Basic = 1 or 2 cards

Custom = Typically 3 tarot cards and an oracle but I have the freedom to make my own spread, I rarely need to

Celtic Cross

[RavenOfSummer]

I mostly read for myself, and have a handful of “go-to” spreads that I generally call upon, ones I have in my head and use depending on what I want to know that day. A couple are spreads I’ve created myself that I find very useful, and there are maybe 4 or 5 others that I’ve just memorized through working with them so much. Interestingly, almost all of these spreads are 4 cards. One is longer, 7 cards, based on the seven Ptolemaic planets.

 

I love working with new spreads however. I especially love spreads based on seasonal and lunar cycles, and work with new spreads each month in this way on the forum. And I love coming across new, interesting spreads to try. Right now I’ve noted down the Bowhead Spread posted here by beginagain[/member]  a few days ago, as well as the 9 Lives Spread that comes from the Mystical Cats Tarot deck as spreads I want to try sometime this month.

 

 

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[HOLMES]

it depends.

 

for years I use the deck of a thousand spreads.

 

except after I did the celtic cross studies recently, besides the chakra spread, I used 3 cards variations of the celtic cross.

 

I also make up my own spreads.

[RavenOfSummer]

this is where querent education comes in.

"I want to know why X ran over my foot, and when I died where did my inheritance go, and does she have grey ears.

 

3 questions, 3 different subjects, yes and or query. Ask them what most concerns them, broken down to one subject.

 

I have about 50 spreads on 3X5 cards I like to choose from..

I prefer 3 to 5 positions for their one question.

I've only in 11 years ever done one classic celtic cross. Too many cards for me to cope with in any kind of cohesive manner. It was a knock my socks off reading though :)

 

Putting your spreads on index cards is a great idea! I might try that, to have more spreads at my fingertips.

 

 

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[Raggydoll]

There are always gonna be some purists that only work with a small selection of spreads, but most experienced (professional) tarot readers will start to design their own spreads at some point (or abandon the concept of spreads altogether). I fall somewhere in between, as I will use spreads sometimes and other times just lay out my cards in a line and read them intuitively. But whenever I use spreads, I either make them up from scratch or modify a favorite spread. I really never start looking for suitable spreads as that would take up precious time that I’d rather spend on finding the ‘question behind the question’ (aka what the client truly want to know) and put it into words. And, if possible, designing the spread with your client can also be a great way of working out their expectations and pinpoint exactly what they want their reading to focus on.

[Raggydoll]

But if I’m reading for myself I sometimes like to try some new spreads just to jazz things up a bit

[Jewel]

I mainly read for myself or for friends here.  I usually look for spreads (now have a binder) that look like they would address the question.  I do have a 6 card general spread I really like as well as the Celtic Cross.

[Catspur]

Interesting answers from everyone.

 

I wouldn't use a spread that I didn't already know - the idea of looking up a spread once the querent is sitting in front of me seems wrong. I also don't want to use a spread I'm not comfortable with - I was exploring the Roundabout from Dusty White but the position meanings weren't sticking with me and the Work Cycle seems to cover the same ground in a more flexible and intuitive way.

 

I really enjoy larger spreads. Throwing down three cards is useful, but I prefer the depth I get from something bigger - I think one of the reasons I like the Work Cycle is that it's designed to be extendable.

[Jewel]

Catspur[/member] if I am reading face to face with a querent I usually use my 6 card spread or Celtic Cross.  The ones I look up usually for myself or an online friend.  I only print ones out that I understand the position meanings for.  I also have no problem modifying spreads.  Books that come decks also often have some neat spreads.  Spreads like everything else tarot really are all about personal preferences.  I like larger than 3 card spreads, but it just all depends on the question.