Designing Your Own Tarot Spreads
The tarot is filled with symbology, both universal and personal. If you show two people the same cards, they will rarely see the same thing at the same time. Tarot spreads are the same way. There are hundreds of spreads floating around in books and on websites designed for a myriad of questions. But sometimes, you just can’t find what you are looking for. You need the cards to talk to you in a way that you will understand. What better way to get the information you need than to create your own spreads.
There are a few basic principles to designing your own tarot spreads. First you must decide what it is you want to know. Then you can begin to think about what the layout should look like, and finally you can determine the meanings that you will assign to specific positions.
The first step is to know what it is you are asking for and how to ask for it. This is the easy part. Usually this is the reason you are creating your own spread in the first place. Let’s say you have been offered two jobs. Both have potential and both have drawbacks. You need to make a decision about them and decide that you want to use the tarot to get more information to help you decide. You may choose to create a “Decision Making Spread�? Now you have the idea so it is time to move to the next step.
Card layouts can be created in any shape you like. There are a couple of things you need to ask yourself before you choose one. Do you want this to be a large spread with many cards? Or a small spread with just a few? Is there a specific number that can have an impact on the spread? How much information do you need? Is there a shape that lends itself to the idea you have? Does it need a shape? Or is it fine to lay them out in a line or square? I have seen spreads in shapes from simple squares to elaborate birthday cake or triple moon layouts. The shape is completely up to you. As an artist, I tend to give my spreads a bit of shape, especially if there is a shape that will lend energy to the reading.
So, back to our example of the Decision Making Spread�?When I thought about making a decision, the thing that came to mind was that decisions are like a fork in the road. So I have chosen to give this spread a Y shape. I also want the cards to give me good information to help the decision so I know that I want more than a couple of cards, but I don’t want it to be overwhelming so I don’t want too many. I usually find that in this type of situation 5-7 cards is usually a good number. For this spread I decided that 6 was a good number to give me the information I needed. So with 6 cards in a Y shape my spread will look like this:
5 ***** 6
* 3 * 4 *
*** 2 ***
*** 1 ***
Now is the hardest part of creating your own spread, deciding what the individual positions mean. Usually when I write a spread, I like to get a little bit of insight into where the querant is at with the situation. So the first position is generally “You�? Also, in almost every situation there are things going on that you may not be aware of that could affect the situation. So for that reason I will make the 2nd card in our spread “Hidden Influences.�?This will give us some idea of what we may not have thought about.
Beyond these positions we must look at what kind of information we are trying to gain from the cards. In order to make a decision we need to know information about each avenue. In a job situation, there are a couple of directions you can go for the next few positions. You can ask about the immediate and future potential of each job, or the pros and cons of each, or even how you will feel about the duties and the people. The possibilities are limitless really. For this spread I have chosen to look at the immediate and future potential of the jobs. Because sometimes when you start a job it seems one way and then longer you are there you may feel differently. So positions 3 & 4 will be “Immediate Potential�?and 5 & 6 will be “Future Potential.�?BR>
Voila! We have created a spread! With practice it becomes easier and easier to create a layout that fits your needs for a particular reading. Just remember the three basic guidelines:
Deciding what the situation is that you want to know about
Choosing a pattern for your layout
Giving each position a specific meaning
You will be creating your own personalised tarot spreads like a pro in no time!
(Written by Author Fiona Blackwolf)
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