For over 20 years, I’ve practiced tarot readings for myself, friends, and clients. Through this journey, I have discovered the transformative power of creating personalized tarot spreads. Crafting your own spread offers a unique opportunity to connect deeply with your intuition and the questions you seek to answer.
This step-by-step guide will help you create your own tarot spread, tailored to your needs and spiritual inquiries.
Table of Contents
Why Create Your Own Tarot Spread?
Creating your own tarot spread allows you to customize your reading to suit your specific questions, life situations, and goals. While traditional spreads like the Celtic Cross and Three-Card Spread are effective, a custom spread can offer a more profound and personalized reading.
Custom spreads can help unlock new insights and provide clarity in ways that pre-designed spreads may not.
Step 1: Define Your Purpose
The first step in creating a tarot spread is to clearly define your purpose. Ask yourself:
- What do you want to explore?
- Are you seeking clarity on a relationship, career choice, personal growth, or spiritual guidance?
Defining your purpose will help you shape the structure of your spread and determine the number of cards you will use.
Step 2: Choose a Question or Theme
Once you have a clear purpose, think about the main question or theme that your spread will address. This could be as broad as “How can I achieve my goals?” or as specific as “What is blocking my career progress?” The question or theme serves as the foundation of your spread.
Tip: Be as specific as possible with your question. The clearer your focus, the more precise your reading will be.
Step 3: Determine the Number of Cards
The number of cards in your spread should reflect the complexity of your question or theme. For simple questions, a three-card spread may suffice. For more intricate topics, you may use five, seven, or even more cards. Consider how much information you want to gather and how detailed you want your reading to be.
Example Spreads:
- Three-Card Spread: Past, Present, Future
- Five-Card Spread: Situation, Challenge, Advice, Outcome, Hidden Influences
- Seven-Card Spread: A deeper dive into a complex issue with more layers of meaning.
Step 4: Assign Card Positions
Next, assign specific meanings or roles to each card position. This is where you design the structure of your spread. Decide what each card will represent in relation to your question or theme. For example, in a career spread, you could assign positions like:
- Current Situation
- Obstacles
- Opportunities
- Advice
- Likely Outcome
This step is essential because it establishes the framework for interpreting the cards.
Step 5: Create a Layout
Design a physical or visual layout for your spread. The arrangement of the cards can hold symbolic meaning. For example, you might create a cross shape for a decision-making spread, a linear row for timeline readings, or a circular layout for cyclical patterns in life. The layout should feel intuitive to you and support the theme or purpose of the reading.
Tip: Experiment with different layouts until you find one that resonates with you. There is no right or wrong way to create a layout—follow your intuition.
Step 6: Shuffle and Draw the Cards
Before you begin your reading, center yourself and connect with your energy. Shuffling the cards is a ritual that helps you focus and infuse your energy into the deck. Once you feel ready, draw the cards for each position in your spread.
Tip: Take your time during this process. Trust your intuition as you draw and place each card.
Step 7: Interpret Each Card
Now comes the most important part: interpreting the cards. Consider the card’s meaning in the context of its position in your spread. For example, a card that appears in the “obstacle” position may have a different interpretation than if it appeared in the “advice” position. Look for connections between the cards and how they relate to your question or theme.
Key Points for Interpretation:
- Reflect on the imagery, symbols, and colors in each card.
- Consider how the card’s traditional meaning applies to your situation.
- Trust your intuition to uncover deeper insights and connections.
Step 8: Reflect and Journal
After completing your reading, take time to reflect on the insights you’ve gained. Journaling about your reading can help solidify your understanding and provide a record to revisit in the future. Write down your interpretations, any intuitive impressions, and how you plan to act on the guidance received.
Example Journal Entry Template:
- Date of Reading:
- Question/Theme:
- Cards Drawn:
- Interpretations:
- Reflections/Actions:
Sample Custom Tarot Spread: The Self-Discovery Spread
Purpose: Gain clarity about your personal strengths, weaknesses, and areas for growth.
Layout:
- Current Self – Represents your current state or mindset.
- Strengths – Highlights your unique strengths.
- Weaknesses – Reveals areas where you need improvement.
- Opportunities – Shows potential opportunities ahead.
- Obstacles – Identifies challenges that may arise.
- Advice – Offers guidance on how to move forward.
Additional Tips for Creating Tarot Spreads
- Use Symbols and Themes: Incorporate symbols or themes that resonate with you, such as elements (earth, water, fire, air) or astrological influences.
- Experiment and Refine: Creating your own spreads is an evolving process. Feel free to tweak and refine your spreads based on what works best for you.
- Trust Your Intuition: There are no rigid rules in tarot. Trust your inner guidance when creating and interpreting spreads.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Overcomplicating the Spread: Start with a simple structure and build complexity as you gain experience.
- Ignoring Card Interactions: Pay attention to how cards influence each other in the spread.
- Forgetting Context: Always interpret cards in the context of your question and their position in the spread.
Final Thoughts
Creating your own tarot spread is a powerful way to deepen your connection to the cards and gain personalized insights. Whether you’re a seasoned tarot reader or a beginner, designing custom spreads allows you to tap into your intuition and craft readings that resonate deeply with your life journey.
Embrace the process, trust yourself, and enjoy the wisdom that tarot can offer.