When you hear the word ‘spread,’ what do you think of? Butter, a bed, or something else? Tarot spreads are sets or patterns of cards laid in a tarot deck during a session reading. A tarot spread is formed after the cards are shuffled and cut in a deck. Each pattern has its own meaning and there can be a lot of combinations of 78 cards.
The spreads can be any size or pattern and can contain just one card – I use the “one-card spread” to do a daily reading for myself. But, most spreads contain between 3 and 15 cards. This range is small enough to keep it manageable (although you might be thinking 15!?! cards) and large enough to cover a topic more in-depth.

Not only the spread itself but also each position has a unique meaning that will affect the interpretation of the card that falls in that spot.

To make it even more complicated, certain combinations of cards in a spread can affect each other’s meanings. And this is where it’s really getting exciting! Because if you combine different meanings, you can develop a storyline with characters, plots, and themes. This might takes some time and practice. But by following your intuition and learning about the card meanings and spreads, you will get there for sure!

Most tarot readers use the yes or no spread, three-card tarot spreads and the Celtic Cross Tarot Spreads on a regular basis. I recommend not only to use those but also to try some different spreads like a love tarot spread to experience what works best for you.