About the Tarot Spreads  

With the decks that do not use reversals, which is all decks on this website with the exception of the Rider-Waite, dignification depends upon the neighboring cards.  Cards of the same suit strengthen.  Cards of opposite energies such as cups and wands oppose one another.  Cards that are not opposite or the same suit are considered friendly.  For several spreads dignification is considered neutral and therefore irrelevant.  The Golden Dawn / Thoth method is the spread that relies most heavily on dignification.

Since the Rider-Waite deck employs reversals, interpretation of dignification is automatic with this deck.  Traditionally reversals were scarcely used in Tarot reading until after the Rider-Waite deck.  Reversals were introduced by Etteilla, who published the first material on cartomancy reversals in 1770 - using a deck of 32 cards, perhaps influenced by Madam Lenormand.  Occultists generally did not use reversals, but elemental dignities.  We do not employ reversals on this site with most decks simply because the artists did not intend for their decks to be read using reversals, hence they did not write reversed meanings.

Single Card Draw:

Difficulty:  Easiest

The single card draw is best for times when you need to narrow your focus to a single point.  It can be used to draw a card of the day, week, or even your ultimate destiny.  It couldn't be any simpler than this one.  

Past/Present/Future
3-card Draw:

Past	Present	Future

Difficulty:  Very easy

This 3-card draw is a very simple spread that will determine the influences that are behind you, current, and approaching.

The Horse Shoe Spread

		Obstacle
Hidden Influences				External Influences
The Present				Suggestion
Past Influences				Outcome

Difficulty:  Fairly Easy

The Horse Shoe is an old classic tarot spread.  More advanced than the 3-card reading, yet simpler than most other spreads, it is a versatile method that can be used for most questions.  The cards are to be read as follows:

1.  The Past:  This card represents past events that are affecting the question.

2.  The Present:  This card represents the current state or immediately approaching influence.

3.  Hidden Influences:  Things that you may not be aware of, or barely be aware of.

4.  Obstacles:  This is the challenge.

5.  External Influences:  Attitudes and thoughts about this situation from people around the querent.

6.  Suggestions:  Recommended course of action. 

7.  The Final Outcome: This is what will happen if the suggestion is followed.

The Ankh:

Higher Perceptions
Early Causes		Triggering Causes
Necessary Conclusions
Cross 1		Cross 2
The Next Step
Surprising Experiences
Outcome

Difficulty:  Kind of tough

The Ankh Spread is for deeper questions about the causes behind trends.  

The loop of the ankh shows the deeper spiritual background, while the base shows your prospects for the outcome.

The first 2 cards represent the 2 parent causes of the situation.  They will either compliment each other or they show 2 sides of a conflict.  

Card #3 determines the early causes of the trend you have asked about.

#4 shows the causes that triggered the current situation.

#5 reveals the spiritual perspective behind the subject of this reading.

#6 informs the querent of the reasons why the spirit demanded this course of action to unfold, in that it was a means to this end.

At this point, you want to soak in the meaning of the first 6 cards before moving forward to the last 3 cards.  The last 3 will show your prospects for the future.

#7 shows the next step, or the immediate future.

#8 shows surprising experiences on the road to the end result.

#9 is the end result.

The Blind Spot:

	Known to self		NOT known to self
Known to others
NOT known to others

Difficulty:  depends on one's will to objectively view the self

This spread is used to enhance self-awareness.  No question is necessary, or questions about learning something about yourself.

#1:  This card displays the obvious identity, the part of your self that you know and show.

#2:  This card shows unconscious driving forces that neither you nor others are aware of about you.  This is the Great Unknown.

#3:  The secrets you keep from others are apparent in this card.

#4:  This is your Blind Spot.  This is what you asked about which you needed to be made aware of by this reading.  You may want to watch these mannerisms.

The Cross

	DO this
It deals with		Do NOT do this
	It leads to

Difficulty:  Easy

The Cross Spread is good for questions asking for advice.  It can also be used to determine the meaning of a confusing card from a previous reading, or for that matter, to shed light on other points of confusion as well.

In questions asking advice, this spread is self-explanatory.  The main thing is to determine the difference between cards #2 and #3.  #1 is the topic and #4 is the result.

In questions regarding confusion, such as: "What was the meaning of Card (X) in the last spread?"  the main thing is also to determine the difference between cards #2 and #3.  In this case, Card #2 will show what the card was not referring to, and Card #3 will show what the card really meant.  #1 is the topic and #4 represents the purpose it serves.

The Celtic Cross

Before

Crowns it Crosses it This is it Rests upon

After

Where it leads Expectations Environment Querent

difficulty:  Average

This is the most commonly known and used spread.  This one is good for questions of all types.  It's also a good basic spread for beginners.  In this spread it's good to notice relationships between the pairings of cards #5 & #9, #1 & #2, #3 & #4, and #6 & #10.

#1:  What it deals with, the initial situation.

#2:  An added impulse that compounds the initial card, whether complimentary or contradictory.

#3:  This is the asker is aware of consciously.

#4:  Unconscious driving forces that the querent may not be aware of.

#5:  The immediate past regarding the current situation.

#6:  The first future card indicates the immediate future.

#7:  This card represents the querent and their attitude towards cards #1 and #2.

#8:  The external influences, the places and people which influence the topic.

#9:  This card is the querent's expectations;  what they secretly hope for or what they fear.

#10: The second future card shows the longer-term outcome.

The Secret of the
High Priestess

Waxing	Full Moon	Waning
Significators
Dark	Secret	Light
	Next Step

Difficulty:  Average

This spread is a nice for going into the background of a current trend.  It is good for when a question doesn't quite call for the Ankh spread.  This spread is like a hybrid of the Ankh and Celtic Cross, but with a mysterious secret to be interpretted after the rest of the spread.

#1 and #2:  Main impulses that represent the topic at hand.  They may work together or they may not.

#3:  This is the current influence at this time.

#5:  The Waning Moon is the influence that you are putting behind you.

#4:  The Waxing Moon indicates what is on the horizon, or the approaching influence.

#7:  The Light is what is clearly recognized.

#6:  The Dark shows what is there but not fully perceived, though noticed on a deeper level of consciousness.

#8:  The Next Step is the near future, where this journey will take you.

#9:  The last card, if a trump, reveals the Secret of the High Priestess.  This is a special message that you should pay extra special attention to.

Difficulty:  Complicated

The Golden Dawn spread is best suited for use with the bifrost Tarot.  With this deck, the spread is set up to read a certain way with the Court cards.  Princes and Queens represent actual men and women connected with the matter, while Princesses generally represent ideas; thoughts or opinions, and Knights represent arrival or departure of a matter depending on the direction faced.

In this spread particular attention is to be payed to a card's exact position in relation to its neighbors.  Whether the neighbor cards bear the same energy (suit) determines whether a card is considered well- or ill-dignified.  Opposite suits ill-dignify each other, while other suits are considered friendly.  Cards of the same suit strengthen each other.

Also it is important to count the cards' tendencies, such as whether there is a lot of one particular suit or number pattern.  The patterns will reveal special messages.  Lots of trumps means higher forces at work, lots of cups means strong emotions, etc.

The Golden Dawn / Thoth Method

Alternate path (or extension of current path)				Current path
	Querent
Psychological basis				Karma

The Golden Dawn / Thoth Spread:

Alternate path (or extension of current path)				Current path you are on
	Querent
Psychological basis				Karma

Card #1 represents the querent and the nature of the topic at hand.

Cards #2 & #3 are used in conjunction with #1 to further comprehend the nature of the topic.

The 2 sets of 3 cards at the top of the spread represent chronological sets of events.  Your current path as it would unfold naturally is represented by cards #4, #8, & #12.  The alternate path that you could take is represented by cards #13, #9, & #5.  However, if these cards tell you that they go together instead, then the alternate path is to be considered an extension of your current path, and to be read chronologically in this order: #4, #8, #12, #13, #9, #5.

Cards #14, #10, & #6 shed light upon the psychological undertones of the current problem.

Cards #7, #11, & #15 represent the influences of karma and destiny that are beyond the querent's control.  These cards suggest adapting to this fate.

Relationship Spread #1

	Querent		Partner
Rational
Emotional		Significator
External Stance

Difficulty:  Easy

This spread is as easy to read as the chart at the left.  Court cards generally indicate actual people with the same characteristics.  Knights and Queens always represent men and women.  Look for patterns in the cards as always.

Relationship Spread #2

	Mutual goals
Their qualities	Connection	Your qualities
What they bring	Common base	What you bring

Difficulty:  Easy

Another self-explanatory relationship spread.  The middle column shows the common ground.  The columns on either side show what each partner brings to the table.  

Difficulty:  Somewhat Complicated

Casually referred to as The Lovers Triangle, this spread can be used to determine the dynamics of the relationship between 3 people, whether or not romance is involved.  This spread is drawn in the form of a hexagram, consisting of several large and small triangles.  This spread is somewhat complicated, but not entirely that difficult. 

The first step is to interpret the card for each individual position in the spread.  Generally the querent asks about a relationship that he or she is involved with, but this does not have to be the case.  Ordinarily the querent's representative card is #1, the querent's person of interest is #2, and the other person would be #3.

The second step fills in the downward triangle and involves further examination of the individuals through their views of the other people.  Each person has 2 more cards showing the way they see and relate to the other members of the triangle.  For example, Card #6 shows how Person #3 relates to Person #1, while Card #9 shows Person #1's attitude toward Person #3.

The next step completes the upward triangle and the hexagram, focusing on cards 10-13.  It also completes the many smaller triangles and shows the potential for each relationship.  The final card, #13 can be considered the significator of the reading, which shows the overall potential for this 3-way relationship.

Relationship Spread #3
The Lovers Triangle

			Outcome 2+3
Person #3		3 to 2		2 to 3		Person #2
	3 to 1		Overall Outcome		2 to 1
Outcome 1+3		1 to 3		1 to 2		Outcome 1+2
			Person #1

The Decision Game

Difficulty:  Easy

For this spread, you ask a question like: "What happens if I do (X), and what happens if I don't do (X)?"

Card #7 is the significator.

Cards #3, #1, & #5 represent the chronological sequence of events that occurs if you choose to do (X).

Cards #4, #2, & #6 represent the chronological sequence of events that unfolds if you choose NOT to do (X).

The Path

	Current		Suggested
Rational
Emotional
External Stance

Difficulty:  Easy

The Path is a spread that the querent asks for suggestions on how to behave properly in order to achieve a desired result.  The Current column shows how the querent has been acting, and the Suggested column suggests how the querent should act in order to achieve their desires.  The spread uses the standard 3 levels:  rational, emotional, and external stance.  

The Plan Game

Unconscious driving force		External attitudes
	Significator
How it succeeds		How it does NOT succeed

Difficulty:  Easy

When you have a certain plan in mind, this simple spread reveals whether or not your plan can succeed, and how it will work out.  Like most spreads, this spread is self-explanatory.

Difficulty:  Complicated

The Astrological Reading is based on houses of astrology.  This complicated spread takes several steps to understand. 

The first step is to interpret the card for each individual position in the spread.

The second step involves further examination of the main axes.  Positions 1 & 7 show the relationship theme, #1 representing you, #7 your partner.  Positions 4 & 10 indicate motion.  #4 shows where you are, and #10 shows what you are moving towards. 

The third step involves breaking down the chart into triads according to their house elements. 

Positions 1, 5, & 9 represent the Fire triad, which shows about temperment and personal development.

Positions 2, 6, & 10 represent the Earth triad, which is concerned with materialism, money, and work.

Positions 3, 7, & 11 represent the Air triad, which has to do with thoughts, ideas, and connections with other people.

Positions 4, 8, & 12 represent the Water triad, which is the realm of emotions, moods, intuition, and yearnings.

Further, you may connect other patterns and correlations between certain numbers.  Certain numbers such as the set of 5, 7, & 8 often speak about a particular theme.

The Astrological Tarot Reading

			Public Recognition
		Friends		Higher Perceptions
	Hopes & Fears				Hidden Aspects
Basic Mood						Partnership
	Finances				Work
		Everyday Experiences		Fun Things
			The Home

Difficulty:  Complicated

Basically there is the main pyramid in the center, and two smaller pyramids each side.  One is inverted.

Positions 1 – 3 represent where you have come from, or what has made you/shaped you on the various levels.  Can be from environment, upbringing, schooling etc. A look at the past, but with more objectivity than is usually given when using tarot cards.

Positions 4 – 5 represent “who you are now”.  May or may not make pleasant reading but hey, this is what this is about right?

Position 6 represents “who you could be”.  Again it might or might not look good, but you can learn from that and change who you are now accordingly.  (This is a bit like how Scrooge did things in a Christmas Carol)

Positions 7-8 are your strengths.  The light you have which can be bought to the forefront.  What carries you and should not be hidden or unacknowledged.

Position 9 represents what you should be giving to yourself or creating within. 

Position 10 – 11 represent personal areas for development or weaknesses. Again might not make good reading but if you look at your strengths first you will be able to see a balance is there and you can choose to focus on one side or the other… your choice.  This is where you could really see how your shadow side comes into play.

Position 12 represents what you should be offering externally, or what you can bring to your world or others who inhabit that world.

The Self-Actualization Pyramids Spread

Strength #1		Strength #2			Exhibit
	Nurture			Weakness #1		Weakness #2
			Potential
		Now #1		Now #2
	Base #1		Base #2		Base #3

Comic Spread

Difficulty:  Fairly simple

The Comic Book Spread is a 9-card chronological spread that reads like a comic book page.  This method should be used to get a glimpse of the future as it would pan out naturally.  You may want to check this with your biorythm.

There are actually 12 squares, but 4 of the cells are merged so that the significator, the beginning card is the size of 4 cards.  The spread is easy to read as a story, just like a comic book. 

The main subject and beginning of the story is apparent in the large card, while the story plays out through the small cards.

Pay particular attention to the cards and the relationships to their neighbors.  Notice which directions the people on the cards are facing, and how they interact.

Note:  This spread works best with the Dairy of a Broken Soul which has scenes on the minor arcana and no reversals.