Tarot Card Spreads to Empower Your Life.
Tarot is life changing. If you are taken prisoner by the Tarot you will know, it is your vocation, it will consume & absorb you. You may have tried many forms of personal expansion, but as soon as these transformational pasteboards slip through your fingers you will connect. If you are really lucky you will realise that every story ever told, every answer to every question ever posed, hides between these images.
Lose the pamphlet
My first piece of advice is ditch the little white book that comes in the box. Many people embarking on their Tarot journey come to me & say they have tried relentlessly to understand the booklet, like it holds the magic of Tarot & will unlock all mysteries. The truth is the book is often a rehash of many previous incarnations copied from another deck, another system. It may even have been badly translated from another language. These little booklets can often be just lists of keywords & feed lines for each card, ditch the booklet get yourself to Waterstones & find a book in the Mind Body Spirit section that speaks to you & sparks your interest.
Tarot cards have been used for centuries to tell the future and predict alternative outcomes. More interestingly they are powerful portals that allow you to explore your life & personality through all of the ancient archetypes, The Fool, The High Priestess & all the Major Arcana. Plus the Lesser Secrets, the life lubricant of the Tarot that often speaks of the day to day, the more mundane aspects of our existence.
Top tarot spreads that can empower your life.
Many of my best Tarot readers have developed their own personal spreads, here are three classic Tarot spreads of increasing complexity that will fast forward any Tarot students development.
The first technique is called “Past, Present, Future Spread.” It is a three-card reading that reveals your past, present and future. The second technique is called “The Celtic Cross Spread.” It is a ten-card reading that reveals what’s going on in your life now and what may happen in the near future. The third technique is called “The Fool’s Journey.” It is a revealing card reading that uncovers how you are feeling about yourself and how you are moving forward with your life.
The Past, Present, Future three card reading is one of the simplest tarot card spreads.
The card to the left represents events in your past that may have led to the position you are in now. The Tarot card in the center position represents your outlook on your current state of affairs. The card furthest to the right suggests a possible outcome if no action is taken to change the current course. The future is not set in stone & can be changed through action. Click here to have your own 3 card Tarot reading.
The Celtic cross spread is one of the most popular tarot spreads because it can be used as a Swiss knife of tarot readings, it is so versatile & is perfect for an endless variety of situations.
The Celtic cross spread consists of ten cards that are laid out in four rows, which are often read in specific order, You can see a Celtic Cross tarot spread in action on my free tarot readings page. The actual Cross is formed by the significator, or kernel of the reading which has a card laid across it. This second card is the ‘crossing card’ or challenge to be faced.
To the left of these cards is the past card & to the right is the future, self explanatory as to what these cards reveal. The card above the first cards in the ‘above’ position relates to the conscious efforts that the seeker is applying to their present situation. Underneath is the ‘below’ card that connects to the subconscious energies at work & is often referred to as the foundation card, or root of the reading.
The four cards that form a line one above the other to the right of the spread conclude the reading. The first card is how the questioner perceives themselves & how the internal voice may be affecting them. Above that is the environment card representing how others perceive the questioner & influences in their immediate environment & circle of contact. Next is the hopes & fears card, a complex position that may be fluid in the mind of the questioner & may need an additional card to be drawn for clarification. Finally the outcome position indicates where the spread may be headed if the questioner makes no effort to influence events. This shows that our destiny is not predetermined & the final card can be seen as a springboard to start to manifest the outcome that is desired.
Uncover Self-Discovery, Achieve Goals & Live a Meaningful Life
The Fool’s Journey is a tarot spread that can be used to explore growth and change. It is a journey from the past to the future and it can be used to look at different aspects of your life, from career, love and relationships, health, happiness etc.
The Fool’s Journey Spread consists of nine cards that are laid out in three rows of three cards each. The first row represents the past, the second row represents the present, and the third row represents the future.
This spread is typically used when someone feels like they have lost their way or are looking for guidance in life. It can be used to help someone identify where they are on their path, which challenges must be faced & which avenues are set to open revealing where their life is headed.
The Fool’s Journey is a spread that is used to explore the spiritual side of the person. The journey begins with the Fool and ends with the World. It is a powerful tool for spiritual growth and self-awareness.
The Fool’s Journey spread is of course a fantastic way to absorb the meanings & nuances of the Major Arcana. You can dive in to all the Tarot meanings, including video & fortune interpretations on my Tarot Card Meanings page.