The tarot has been a part of Barbara Moore’s personal and professional lives for over two decades. In college, the tarot intrigued her with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, and history. Today she continues her tarot journey, both by learning from others and by sharing her ideas through writing and teaching. Indeed, this erstwhile Hermit is discovering that she is enjoying traveling all over the world to share her love of tarot.
Barbara enjoys the challenge of giving a voice to tarot decks. She has had the good fortune to write books for several decks, including A Guide to Mystic Faerie Tarot, The Gilded Tarot Companion, The Mystic Dreamer Tarot, and The Steampunk Tarot Manual.
Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings
woodbury, minnesota
Barbara Moore
Llewellyn Publications
Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings © 2012 by Barbara Moore. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever, including Internet usage, without written permission from Llewellyn Publications, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
first edition
First Printing, 2012
Book design by Rebecca Zins
Cover and interior art credits—grunge design strip: iStockphoto.com/Jamie Farrant; background: iStockphoto.com/loops7, iStockphoto.com/LongHa2006; tarot cards: Lo Scarabeo Tarot ©Lo Scarabeo, artwork by Anna Lazzarini
Cover design by Adrienne W. Zimiga
Appendix B, Elemental Dignities, was previously published in Tarot for Beginners (Llewellyn, 2010)
Tarot cards on page 31 from Ciro Marchetti’s Gilded Tarot; page 87’s cards are Rider
Tarot illustrations based on those contained in The Pictorial Key to the Tarot by Arthur Edward Waite, published by William Rider & Son Ltd., London, 1911; and page 176’s cards are from Stephanie Pui-Mun Law’s Shadowscapes Tarot
Llewellyn is a registered trademark of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Moore, Barbara, 1963–
Tarot spreads : layouts & techniques to empower your readings / Barbara Moore.
—1st ed. p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and index.
ISBN 978-0-7387-2784-4
1. Tarot. I. Title.
BF1879.T2M6527 2012
133.3´2424—dc23
2011048677
Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. does not participate in, endorse, or have any authority or responsibility concerning private business transactions between our authors and the public.
All mail addressed to the author is forwarded, but the publisher cannot, unless specifically instructed by the author, give out an address or phone number.
Any Internet references contained in this work are current at publication time, but the publisher cannot guarantee that a specific location will continue to be maintained. Please refer to the publisher’s website for links to authors’ websites and other sources.
Llewellyn Publications
A Division of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd. 2143 Wooddale Drive Woodbury, MN 55125-2989 www.llewellyn.com
Printed in the United States of America
Special thanks to Katie McBrien and Amy Glaser for perspective and encouragement, and Becky, as always, for the sparkle. Sometimes it takes a village.
For Lisa, because it was, after all, her idea!
chapter 3 A Collection of Spreads 35
chapter 4 Techniques to Add to Any Spread 143
chapter 5 How to Modify Spreads 157
chapter 6 Do-It-Yourself Spread Design 167
chapter 7 How to Do a 78-Card Reading 193
Conclusion 201 Spread Cross-References 203
Annotated Reading List 209
Appendix A: Curious Old Spreads 213
Appendix B: Elemental Dignities 223
Appendix C: Significators 227
note: Page references in this section refer directly to the page where a spread layout is pictured, if it is pictured. Each spread’s text is located nearby (usually on a facing page whenever possible).
78–Card (life overview/2½-year forecast) 198
Abundance Profile (financial) 109
Achieving the Impossible (achieving a goal) 190
Acorn to Oak (achieving a goal) 170
Action Plan (problem-solving) 71
Answer the Call (spiritual journey) 112
Astrological (life overview) 40
Barbara’s General 52
Big Picture (general/situation) 64
Bouquet (relationship) 103
Celtic Cross 30
Celtic Cross with Significator 36
Chakra (life overview) 44
Challenge–How to Handle It–Best Advice (general/ situation) 49
Choice A–Deciding Factor–Choice B (deciding between two choices) 51
Choices 4
Circle of Advisors (general/situation/advice) 58
Create a Meditation 139
Create a Vision or Mission Statement (create a focus for self or business) 140
Do This–Don’t Do This–Outcome (general/situation) 51
Elemental Advice (general/situation/advice) 60
Facing a Challenge (problem-solving/advice) 67
Generic Basic 55
Guiding Star (general/situation) 56
Halcyon Solstice 126
Harvest (life change) 179
Healing Heart (getting over a relationship) 100
Health (general health overview) 111
Heart vs. Head (decision making) 68
Horseshoe (general/situation) 160 (modification, 162)
A Journey (life change) 176
Live Each Season (being in the moment) 124
Looking for Love 94
Making Love Better (relationship) 99
Mary K. Greer’s Yes/No 87
Maslow’s Hierarchy (life overview) 133
Modern Mathers Variation, Part I 217
Modern Mathers Variation, Part II 218
Modified “One” 164
Modified Horseshoe 162
Money Profile (financial) 106
Pantheon of Your Life (general/situation/advice) 131
Past–Present–Future 49
Past–Present–Future (Expanded Version) 76
Past–Present–Future with Options 79
Prediction (general/situation) 220
Royal Advice (general/situation/advice) 63
S. L. MacGregor Mathers (general/situation) 214
Situation–Advice–Outcome (general/situation) 49
Situation–Obstacle–Outcome (general/situation) 50
Situation–What Is Hidden–Advice (general/situation) 50
Situation–What Matters–What Doesn’t (general/ situation) 51
Spirit Guides 136
Spirit Guides Extra Information 137
Star 42
Susyn Blair-Hunt’s Yes/No (yes/no questions) 89
Tarot for Two (relationship) 92
“The One” (relationship) 97 (modification, 164)
Three Gates (decision making) 72
Three-Card Relationship #1 (relationship overview) 90
Three-Card Relationship #2 (energize love life) 90
Three-Card Relationship #3 (understanding partner) 91
Through the Shadows (for times of fear and confusion) 115
Tree of Life (life overview) 46
True Magic (achieving a goal) 173
Variation of Generic Basic 55
Walking the Talk (spiritual journey) 121
What Person A Wants–Compromise–What Person B Wants (relationship) 50
What to Keep–What to Cast Aside–What to Learn (general/situation) 50
What You Have–What You Need–What You Get (general/ situation) 49
The Wheel of Fortune (major life change) 118
The Wheels of Your Life (life overview) 80
Will He Come Back? (relationship) 93
Winds of Change (general/situation) 75
Yes/No Aces (yes/no questions) 88
Yes/No Oracle 84
Your Private Myth (analyzing discontent) 128
Fairly early on in my journey with tarot, I had the great good fortune to have a private reading with Rachel Pollack. Rachel is the author of some of the best-loved books on tarot, including SeventyEight Degrees of Wisdom and Tarot Wisdom. She is something of a legend in most tarot circles and is one of the people who modernized tarot. She was, and still is, a hero to me. I approached this first opportunity to meet with her with stars in my eyes. We sat down, and she told me to talk about the situation that I wanted the reading about—not “What is your question?” but “Talk about the situation.” As I talked, she jotted notes on a scrap of paper. When I stopped talking, she continued making curious marks on that scrap of paper. After she was satisfied, she showed me the paper, saying, “This is the spread I’m going to use for your reading.” Rachel proceeded to explain the spread and asked me if it seemed fine to me.
I don’t think she knew that while my voice calmly and quietly said, “Sure, that looks great,” my mind was exploding in three
different ways. Hey, she can’t just make up a spread! Hey, she made up a special spread just for me! Holy crap! I’m getting a reading from Rachel Pollack! And as quick as three thoughts, my world changed. Without knowing it, Rachel opened a door to a world that I never knew existed—the universe where spreads are created. My heart pounded as promises of freedom, structure, creativity, patterns, and possibilities ran through my soul like blood through my veins. Yep, I thought, This is where I belong.
When I first began studying tarot, there weren’t many books of spreads, and the ones that were available were mostly just that … collections of spreads, with no explanations or directions. I had so many questions: Why are they laid out like that? What does it mean when the cards are in a vertical line? Why would we cross the cards when that makes it hard to see them clearly? Why aren’t they all just straight lines? Why do they have to be in shapes—is that just for fun or is there a reason? I believed spreads were special, even sacred in some way, and I wanted to understand them as thoroughly as I understood the cards. Back in 1990, the Internet wasn’t what it is now, so online communities, blogs, and websites weren’t options for learning or bouncing around ideas. All I had were books and a need to understand. My experience with Rachel opened up so many possibilities and gave me the gentle push I needed to start exploring spreads and spread design on my own.
To this day, creating spreads is one of my favorite parts of my tarot work. People tend to like to do what they are good at, and I seem to have a natural talent for creating spreads. In addition, one of the things I love about tarot is looking for patterns. Spreads are part of the pattern-creating process. They also play a role in providing answers. I enjoy analyzing questions and figuring out the best ways to discover answers. Creating spreads provides a creative opportunity as well. After reading this book, maybe you will discover a love of
spread creating, too. However, even if you never create a spread in your life, or try it once or twice and decide it is not for you, there is still benefit in understanding how they are designed. Spreads are a tool that every reader uses. And, as any craftsman or artisan will attest, the better you understand how a tool functions, the more skilled you will become at using it. No one spread will be the beall and end-all; all spreads have inherent strengths and weaknesses. You’ll learn to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of any spread you consider using. You’ll be able to see how far you can push it. You will more clearly see what you have to tweak or modify in a spread to get certain results. You’ll gain the confidence to use it in new and different ways, perhaps with spectacular results. And if you wish, you’ll be able to create your own effective spreads.
Our journey into the wonderful world of tarot spreads begins with examining the role of spreads in a reading. After we establish the importance of a spread’s job, then we can discuss how layout design influences a reading by affecting interpretation. Paying attention to how design affects the eye and the brain will bring a new level of understanding to your readings.
A book about spreads wouldn’t be complete without, well, a bunch of spreads. I’ll give you plenty of examples and varieties so you will have lots of material to play with, use, or modify. Or perhaps they will cause you to say, “Bah! She calls that a spread? I can do better …” If so, do it! As long as you are having fun and getting the results you want from your readings, the world of spread design is yours to create.
In addition to various spreads, there are ways to make the reading experience more uniquely your own. By incorporating special techniques into any spread, you can add depth and precision—or even mystery and fun—to your readings. Play with some of these ideas, and mix and match them to your own reading style.
Learning all the parts of a spread and seeing how the parts work together can give you the confidence to modify any spread. It also lays a great foundation for creating your own spreads. We’ll take a step-by-step journey through analyzing and modifying a classic spread. Once you’ve tinkered with a classic, you’re ready to try your hand at creating your own spread. We’ll go through the process together, creating a spread from the ground up.
May your journey through the incredible world of spreads be as exhilarating and fulfilling as mine.
chapter 1 basics
A reading is an event. Creating that event requires a few tools and participants. First there must be a reader and a querent. The reader is, of course, the person reading the cards. The querent— sometimes known as the seeker or the client—is the person asking the question. If someone is reading for herself, then she is both the reader and the querent. If the reader is reading for a couple or business partners or any collection of two or more people, then there are as many querents as there are people on the receiving end of the reading.
The word querent is from the Latin word meaning “to inquire.” So it makes sense that the next item needed for a reading is something to inquire about, also known as a question. In the tarot community, there is an ongoing debate about the importance of the question in a tarot reading. Opinions range from one end of the spectrum—that the very wording of the question is vital and will significantly affect the type of answer received—to the other end—that the wording
doesn’t matter because the cards will give the needed answer no matter how the question is phrased. Some anarchy-loving readers even think a question is superfluous. “Just throw the cards and read ’em! They’ll tell you what you need to know.” As a reader, you’ve probably thought about what kind of questions you prefer. What makes tarot such a wonderful tool is that you can adapt it to your tastes and beliefs.
No matter where you are on the spectrum of question phrasing, whether a question is carefully crafted or not even stated, there is a question. Even if a tarot anarchist just tosses a few cards out (using no spread … can you even imagine!), there is an implied question, which is “What does the tarot wish to say?” No matter what questions you ask, or don’t ask, there will be spreads and techniques here that you can use or adapt.
If you are going to do a tarot reading, then you need a deck of tarot cards. The cards are one of the reasons so many people are interested in tarot. By now you probably have at least one deck, if not several. Let me be clear here: all you need is one deck to read tarot. That’s all. However, if you like tarot art and enjoy collecting decks, there are ways to incorporate two or more decks into a reading. Maybe you have some decks where the Major Arcana cards are stunning but you don’t care for the minors because they are not illustrated (also known as Marseille-style). There are great ways to use only the majors in readings. Do you have several versions of a favorite deck? Some artists produce and sell a special edition of their deck, and then a publisher will release a mass-market edition of the same deck. Or perhaps you have a traditional Rider-Waite-Smith (RWS) deck as well as one of the many variations, such as the Radiant or the Universal. We will talk about ways to work with those together in chapter 4.
When you are selecting a deck to use with a spread or technique or thinking of purchasing a new deck, consider this: for larger
spreads or spreads that focus on the relationship between the cards, an easy-to-read deck in which the numbers and suit identifiers are very easy to see at a glance might be a better choice. Also, in these decks the images and symbols are clear enough to identify quickly, which makes larger spreads less daunting. More importantly, such images mean that you can more easily see connections and trends amongst the cards so you can synthesize the cards into a coherent reading. Elaborate decks with marvelous detail and subtle imagery are usually better suited to smaller spreads. As you explore these spreads and techniques, notice how you work with your cards. You’ll soon know which decks in your collection will work best for you with specific types of spreads.
We know the role of the reader, the querent, the question, and the deck. But what, precisely, is the role of the spread in a tarot reading?
Reading the cards engages our intuition as well as our logic. The images and symbols speak to our subconscious minds, creating a bridge so that our conscious minds can understand and grasp the wisdom that lies within each of us. When we recognize the messages from our subconscious (or from the Divine or the Universe or the Higher Self, for this source is called by many names; use whatever you are most comfortable with), we recognize this as intuitive or even psychic. Our subconscious minds and conscious minds work well as a team. The subconscious is full of information. The conscious mind has to organize that information so that it is useful to us.
Tarot cards are like the subconscious mind, full of inspiration and wisdom that we didn’t know we knew. Tarot spreads are like the conscious mind. They help organize all that glorious raw data triggered by the cards so that we can interpret it and apply it properly to the situation in question.
Our conscious minds are designed to see patterns in the world. When we look at something new, our eyes try to find similarities
between it and things we’ve seen in the past so that we can categorize and understand what we are experiencing. That is the first and most basic service that spreads provide: structure. The shape of the spread, the number of cards, and the patterns all work together to give our eyes and our minds somewhere to start. From this foundation we build the interpretations and relationships amongst the cards present in the reading so that we can synthesize everything into a coherent message. Without some sort of spread, the table would just be filled with chaos, making it much more difficult to see and communicate the answer.
A spread’s work does not end with providing visual and mental structure. It also creates a framework for the answer. This is done partially through the positional meanings. Positional meanings are the definitions or descriptions of what the card in a particular position means. In the simple three-card spread on the opposite page, the card in the first position represents the past, the card in the second position represents the present, and the card in the third position represents the future. These positional meanings are blended with the actual card interpretation and the question asked to create the meaning of that particular reading.
Even spreads that do not have positional meanings still create a framework for the answer. As we will see, the way cards are grouped will affect how they are interpreted.
No one spread will be the be-all, end-all. All spreads will have inherent strengths and weaknesses. When you consider using any spread, be mindful of what it assumes about the question and any possible answers. All spreads make assumptions about the question and about the answer; for example, the Choices Spread, which was designed to compare two choices, makes several assumptions.
Choices Spread
1: Querent’s general attitude toward the choice 2, 4, 6: Choice A 3, 5, 7: Choice B
assumption 1: Choice A and choice B have at least three comparable points. Because the points representing each choice are across from each other vertically, the visual assumption is that points 2 and 3, 4 and 5, and 6 and 7 relate to each other in some way.
assumption 2: There are at least three (or three main) points to consider about each choice. There are three positions, so there must be three discrete points to consider—no more and no less.
assumption 3: There are only two choices. Even if the spread is adapted to include three or more choices, there is the assumption the querent is aware of all the options available.
These assumptions may or may not matter to the reader or the querent. They may be perfectly acceptable and reasonable. But as a skilled tarot reader, you should be aware of any limitations of any spread that you use. You can then, if you wish, alter the spread or accommodate the limitation with a series of spreads, two practices we’ll discuss later.
Let’s take a moment to see what benefits the spread brings in addition to its inherent assumptions. First, the framework of this spread presents the querent’s opinion or attitude as having an important role to play in the choice. Second, it facilitates examining two like items by allowing the reader to easily overview both of the indi-
vidual choices by reading the columns one at a time and to clearly compare and contrast the two choices. Finally, it encourages the querent to come to her own conclusion because it provides information but no predictive outcome.
Your Tarot Spread Collection
It is, of course, possible but not probable that the first spread you use will be the only one that you will ever use. More than likely, you’ll try a handful of them and probably already have. You may pick one that you use all the time. I know several readers who only use the Celtic Cross or some variation thereof. However, most readers have a few spreads in their repertoire. Building a spread collection is a lot like building a wardrobe. You’ll want to start with a few basics that are appropriate for the type of readings you do or plan on doing, then you can add on for rare questions or special occasions. To start, most readers like to have a spread for each of the following types of readings:
1: General
2: Love/relationship
3: Work/career
4: Health
5: Spiritual life
Once you have these bases covered, you might expand within each category. For example, in the area of love/relationship, you could have specific spreads for:
1: A current relationship (Is he or she the right one? Will we take this to the next level?)
2: A past relationship (or the ever-popular “Will he or she come back” reading)
3: A future relationship (to answer the question “Is there love in my future?”)
Other readings that are common but not necessarily for everyone:
1: Messages from departed loved ones
2: Messages from spirit guides
3: Readings about pets
4: Readings about lost items
Any spread in your collection should reflect your personal beliefs and reading style. Before beginning your tarot practice, it is good to understand where you stand in relation to the cards, what they can do, and what you can do with them. One of the wonderful aspects of tarot is that there are no right or wrong practices. The tarot is a tool. You can do what you like with it, as long as it is in line with your beliefs and your ethics. Before you start, you should know what you intend to do with the cards. If you are uncertain about your own beliefs, then your readings will be confusing and muddled. The list of questions below will help you clarify what you think and what you want to accomplish with the cards. Your collection will grow and change as you practice. Experience will also shape what spreads you prefer to use. What works best for you will change over time but should always be relevant to how you use tarot in terms of your beliefs and your style.
Beliefs, Style, and Technique
We will refer to your beliefs and your style quite a lot in this book. Your beliefs are your worldview and describe how you think the world works. Through them, you recognize how tarot functions in that world as well as in your hands. They also shape how you use the cards—and how you won’t use the cards.
Your beliefs answer questions like:
• Is the future predetermined?
• How much control do we have over our lives?
• Does the act of reading the cards simply reveal the future, or does it change the future?
• Is the future able to be revealed?
• Is it possible to read for someone who isn’t present?
• Is it okay to read about someone without their permission?
• Where do the messages in a tarot reading come from?
• Are the messages from the Divine, and if so, are you obligated to tell the querent anything and everything you see, good or bad?
The answers to these questions and more come not from tarot or what any author or teacher says about tarot but from your personal belief system. Know what you think. Know what you live by. Know what guides you, and let everything you do with your cards be directed by that.
Style is a little different. Some readers with similar belief systems can read very differently. One may throw down a single card and find answers to ten questions within it. Another may be more inclined to use half the deck to explore a single situation. Preferring clearly identified positional meanings is a style issue, as is its opposite practice of laying out cards and letting them tell a story without defined positions. Opting to deal the cards face-up or face-down is a style decision too.
It is important to understand why you do everything you do with tarot. Tarot is completely symbolic. The images, the numbers,
the suits, the names, the correspondences … all these elements of the cards are symbols. Tarot is a bridge between the conscious and subconscious minds, the ego and the Higher Self, the soul and the Divine, and therefore symbols are necessary to facilitate this communication. Consequently, everything we do with the cards is symbolic as well: how we shuffle, how we phrase a question, and how we lay the cards on the table. Just as we study our cards and learn all we can about them, we should study our spreads and our techniques. What do they mean? How do they encourage communication and understanding? Techniques are practices that can be incorporated in any spread. Chapter 4 has a collection of techniques that I like to use from time to time. Any technique can be a matter of belief or of style. Before incorporating any technique, think about what principles it symbolizes and whether or not that principle resonates with your beliefs.
For example, there are techniques for turning reversed cards rightside up. While using reversed cards is a style choice, the decision to change a card in a spread is related to your beliefs. For example, if you do not believe that the future can be changed, then you would likely not use such a technique. Or if you believe that Major Arcana cards represent events beyond the querent’s control but that minor cards can be affected by the querent, then you might use an uprighting technique for minor cards only, leaving the major cards as they are.
So as we go through the parts of a spread and analyze how various spreads work, keep in mind your beliefs, your style, and your response to the symbolic aspect of the spreads. By weaving together these three elements, you will create a reading practice that truly reflects your heart and is uniquely your own.
Organizing Your Spreads
As your collection grows and as your practice evolves, you’ll want to keep track of your spreads. Most tarot books encourage readers to keep a journal and often describe different types of journals and methods of journal-keeping. Also, any book on journaling will have lots of ideas. Just as with regular journal-keeping, there are many options for recording your spreads. Whatever method you use, include any spreads that you find interesting, even if you haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Also, as you work with a new spread, keep track of readings you do with it to note how it works for you and to track your accuracy. These notes will be useful if you later decide to modify the spread, a practice we will talk about in chapter 5.
Try several journaling methods and you will eventually hit on the one that is perfect for you. In the meantime, I’ll suggest two ideas. First, a loose-leaf binder: use the divider pages to separate the types of spreads, such as general, relationship, career, spiritual, etc. As you do readings using each spread, you can add pages to the binder so you can keep a record of all the readings you’ve done using that particular spread.
Another option is the humble note card. The beauty of the note card is that you can lay the card on the table next to your reading area for easy reference. It is less cumbersome than regular sheets of paper. The cards can be housed in boxes designed for index cards, with dividers to separate the various types of spreads. And, as with the binder method, you can keep track of all the readings you do on cards and file them appropriately. If you don’t have enough to warrant a box, you can use a small photo album that fits your note cards, creating your own personal book of spreads to keep handy.
Using New Spreads
New spreads are great, but sometimes it takes a while to get to know one. You need to take it for a few test rides and see how it handles for you in various situations. Here are some ideas to get maximum experience with a spread in a short amount of time.
Read for Yourself
This has some limitations. For example, it can be difficult to read for oneself in general. Second, it is unlikely you’ll need more than one reading of the same type frequently enough to test a spread in any kind of timely manner. But it is a good place to start. When reading for yourself, whether testing a spread or reading for yourself as usual, here is a fantastic tip: do the reading out loud, just as you would for someone else. Record it so you can listen to it later. This not only helps you get a good sense of the flow of the spread but is also a great way to hone your reading style. Even if you do an audio recording, it is still a good idea to record it in your journal as well.
Read for Celebrities
This is easier if you read Hollywood magazines, websites, or blogs, or if you watch shows like Entertainment Tonight. There are always stories about the personal lives of stars. If you see a story about two stars being spotted together at an event, you can read about the future of their relationship. If there is news of certain celebrities being considered for roles in upcoming films, do a reading about whether or not they get the role. If you watch the Oscars, read about all the nominees and see if you can tell who will win. This can be fun and good practice, but it can run counter to some people’s ethical boundaries. Many readers refuse to read for someone without their permission. However, if you are doing a practice reading, it will be
between you and your journal, and not shared in any way. You’ll have to decide for yourself if you are comfortable doing that.
Invent Querents to Read For
This is rather like a child having an imaginary playmate. Simply imagine a potential querent, create a situation for him or her, and do the reading. Some readers consider this disrespectful to the Divine. They believe a reading is a sacred communication and that pretending to read is an abuse of that relationship. Again, you’ll have to decide how you feel about it. As for me, I do believe a reading is definitely conversing with the Divine. But I also believe that the Divine doesn’t mind if I practice and hone my skills, knowing that I’m only trying to improve, not be disrespectful.
In a recent workshop, one of my students suggested drawing from the court cards to “create” a querent.
Volunteer to Read (for Free) on Tarot Websites or Forums
There are many different online venues for swapping readings with others who are learning. This may be the best way to practice, as you can actually interact with someone and get helpful feedback. If you have a Facebook page, you can offer free readings to your friends there, as well.
Join Your Local Tarot Meetup
Find one near you at tarot.meetup.com or by Googling “tarot meetup [your city].” If there isn’t one in your area, start one. Ask if you can teach a spread to the group. Then have the group’s members partner up and read for each other using the spread. Make sure there is time for feedback. I have done this with my local group; everyone enjoyed it, and we all benefited from each other’s experience with the spread.
Now that we have some of the basics well in hand, let’s really dig into the nuts and bolts of what makes spreads tick. The next chapter will analyze the fundamentals of spread layouts and show how understanding these principles can improve your readings.
