Guide to Create Tarot Spreads

Learning To Create Your Own, Personal Tarot Spreads Is Easier Than You Think!

Whether you are a seasoned reader of Tarot cards, or just a beginner, understanding how to create your own, personal spreads can prove to be very valuable. Traditional and well accepted spreads are wonderful, however, Tarot is a very personal exploration in divination, and often tarot readers are guided to creating custom spreads to answer unique questions or address individual issues.

For instance, maybe you have found it difficult to locate a tarot spread that addresses your specific situation. Maybe you have a client who has some unique questions and wants very specific answers. Or, maybe you have have reached a point in the development of your tarot skills that you want to expand your talents and create a tarot spread that speaks specifically to you. Many (dare I say most?) gifted tarot readers at one time or another begin to feel that there is a tarot spread which would assist them in becoming a better tarot reader. Maybe a good way to look at creating a tarot spread is that you seek to discover that perfect spread that works for you or that best answers a question or questions. The Universe, the Divine, is just waiting for you to bring that tarot spread into existence.
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Before beginning the process of creating a tarot spread, I would suggest that you do a couple of things. One, ask yourself if you feel you have truly mastered the traditional and better known tarot spreads. Jumping into the deep end to learn to swim might be admirable to some, but to most, it is not the best (or safest) way to become a swimmer. Many of the great tarot readers in history were ‘traditionalist’ and believed in mastering the classic tarot spreads. Some never even felt a need to create new or exotic tarot spread. If the passion to create a tarot spread is strong, honor that desire by being a strong tarot reader.

Second, with the advent of the Internet, having access to an incredible about of information about tarot spreads others have created is at your finger tips. At no time in history have so many had so much access to near unlimited information. A Tarot reader 75 years ago could never have explored so many tarot spreads others have pioneered, nor collaborated with so many other, talented tarot readers. You never know what useful and/or interesting, custom tarot spreads you many discover. And, perhaps with a few modifications, you can create the exact tarot spread you need.

Now, back to creating your own, personal tarot spread. Designing your own Tarot spreads is an easy process once you have a solid plan for doing so. Here are some solid tips on doing so:

Learn The Basic And Traditional Tarot Spreads

This is important enough to repeat: Before you venture out into uncharted territory, take the time to learn the tried and true Tarot spreads that are commonly used. Spreads like the Celtic Cross, the Three-Card Spread and the Five-Card Horseshoe are popular spreads that appear in most Tarot books and are easy to learn. Take time to study the meaning of each card’s position in the spread. By doing so, you will develop an understanding of how Tarot spreads work. These traditional tarot spreads have been around a long time, hundreds of years, for a good reason. There is a feeling to them that they are ‘right’. Grasping and working with that feeling can prove invaluable to knowing when you have discovered/created a tarot spread that is perfect for you and/or the questions you need to ask.

Be Clear About The Questions You Need To Ask And Answers You Seek

Getting out a pen and paper to write out the questions you are seeking answers to is very helpful. It is a powerful tool to focusing the mind and heart. Before you create your own spread it is important to include all of the aspects of the question that you would like to address. For instance, when you create a spread about a relationship you may want to include card positions to address the fears of both individuals; the feelings of both individuals; the intentions of the individuals and information about their past relationships. You may also want to include positions that reveal what conditions are hidden within the relationship and what the future of the relationship could be. By writing down a list of aspects surrounding the question(s) you have that will help you garner the information you desire. This will lead naturally to designing a Tarot spread pattern. (Do not be surprise if a pattern takes shape in your mind as you work through the questions on paper. It is not uncommon for those who are sincere and focused to find a pattern taking shape as they work through on paper the issues involved. If no particular pattern comes to mind, that is great, too. It means you need to be open to something new or that the pattern structure is going to need your full attention, which is the next step.)

Designing An Effective Tarot Pattern

Once you have a collection of aspects that you would like to include in your spread, total them up so you know how many positions you want to include in the spread. Patterns and shapes you should consider are circles, squares, rectangles, triangles and stars. A diamond pattern and an ‘off-set’ pattern are also very potent (and off-set pattern can be a single card to the left for the main question with a string of cards to the right for the aspects of the question to consider). Alternatively, you can group the cards together across the table by placing related positions near each other. Place cards regarding the past together, locate another spot for cards revealing hidden elements and yet another for cards regarding the future.

Practice, Practice, Practice!

Before you add a new Tarot spread to your repertoire, make sure you fully test it. A new tarot spread is like anything else that is new – you need to shake it out, test it, see what it can do. Find out the limits and possibilities of this new tarot spread. Get a feeling for it. Are there variations you can add? Is the feeling ‘not quite right’ and you need to tweak the pattern a bit. The only way to accomplish this is by practicing. Pose a question and see how well the spread meets your needs. As you lay out the cards, you may realize that there are more aspects you would like to include or some that are redundant. Be bold. Adjust the spread and play with the positions of the cards until it works well for you. As practice and perfect your custom tarot spread, the next step come naturally: Recording your spread and creating your own custom instructions on using it.

Record Your Spread And Outline How It Works

Once you have the spread laid out exactly the way you want it, record your spread by sketching it out, numbering the order of the cards and writing down what each position in the spread means. I’d suggest you do your initial sketch in pencil so you can make changes easily. This next step in the process works in harmony with the previous step: Practice! As you practice you are find it necessary to make changes. By recording your pattern and making notes about your new, custom, personal tarot spread you will find not only will you improve and refine your tarot reading techniques with the new spread, you will also have a valuable set of notes to refer to later. Having notes and information how your spread was developed and notes detailing how best to use your new tarot spread 10 years from now is something you (and anyone you care to share this spread with) will appreciate. Keep this record, pattern design and instructions in a personal Tarot journal or notebook.

To Share Or Not To Share

Ultimately, all tarot spreads are gifts that will be shared. In practical terms it might be important to consider when, and if, you want to share your new tarot spread and technique with others. A few thoughts and tips before you do. One, if you put your new tarot spread online via a web page, make sure the page includes a copyright at the bottom of the page. Include within the instructions the date you developed your new spread. Include your name and/or domain name on any images you create and ‘watermark’ any images as a means of copyrighting the image. The VAST majority of tarot enthusiasts are wonderful, ethical people. However, not everyone on the Internet is ethical. Some professional writers, who can be anywhere in the world, and who are scavenging for material for an article or book may try and grab your inspired work and claim it for their own. My intent here is to simply help your avoid the disappointment and frustration of finding your tarot spread being claimed by someone else as their own in a book or article. Clearly stating your copyright goes a long way towards avoiding this.

Another factor to consider is whether you are ready for people to comment on your tarot efforts. Others may love it or they may dislike it. Some will recommend changes or create changes to improve it for themselves. It is important to be emotionally ready for the input of others and to ‘let your baby grow up’ as your tarot spread interacts with other tarot readers. Some may even suggest adaptations that improve your work. Let that be OK for others to comment about and alter your spread for their use. Keeping a tarot technique or tarot spread personal is great. There is nothing wrong with keeping your work private and to yourself. If you do go public with your tarot spread, just be prepared for the interaction, good and bad, which comes with that choice.

Final Words Of Encouragement

Talented Tarot Reader Stella

Need Answers? Give Talented Tarot Psychic Stella A Call At 1-866-407-7164


While creating your own Tarot spreads can be intimidating at first, the more you work with them the easier it will become. Over time you will be able to create a collection of Tarot layouts that work well for you and become part of your regular routine when reading for yourself and others. Who knows? Maybe you will create a tarot spread that becomes a classic and will be taught to other aspiring Tarot readers a 100 years from now.

If you happen to be looking for a quality tarot reader, may I suggest Psychic Tarot With Melody who is featured at www.1-800-tarot.com and is not only a gifted tarot reader but a natural clairvoyant. You can call Melody at 1-800-326-5923. Another wonderful tarot reader is Psychic Susan who is not only a talented tarot reader, she is also a tarot enthusiast (she owns over 50 tarot decks, all special in one way or another). Susan also is one of the rare, talented, professional tarot readers who does not mind answering questions about tarot, tarot spreads and so forth. You can contact Susan at 1-866-327-9032, toll free USA and Canada.