The position of the cards that you put down on the table to be read is called a tarot spread, meaning that cards are placed down in a specific order and spot, and each placement has its own meaning. Two of the most common tarot spreads include:
Past, Present, Future: A three-card spread in which the cards are placed with the leftmost (and first) representing the energy of the past, the middle representing what’s currently happening in the present, and the rightmost representing the energy of the future.
The Celtic Cross: A 10-card spread that starts with two cards pulled in the middle overlapping one another. These first two cards represent:
- The central focus of the person being read for;
- What is helping or hindering this focus presently.
Then cards are placed clockwise around these center two cards, starting with below, then left, above, and right. Their meanings are:
- The subconscious (below);
- The recent past, or events leading up to this moment (left);
- The higher path or destiny (above);
- What lies ahead, or the near future if you stay on your current path (right).
Then four cards are pulled up the right side of this central area from bottom to top. They are:
- The questioner—that is, the person being read for and their energy;
- Outside energy and influences and/or the questioner’s environment;
- The questioner’s hopes and dreams;
- The final result.
Most readers will say that the placements of the higher-path/destiny card (#5) and the final-result card (#10) are interchangeable if the questioner is willing to follow their intuition moving forward, as the destiny is the best possible outcome and the final result is what can happen given the culmination of other cards and their circumstances.
Both beginning readers and seasoned professionals use these two tarot spreads, and they work as a great foundation for those learning how to read. As with many things, it’s important to learn the basics of reading tarot before getting creative and branching out into your own unique style—which will come with time, practice, and experience!
Once you’re ready to get creative, you can even connect the tarot cards to your zodiac chart. Glamour’s monthly tarotscopes combine tarot with astrology to help guide the zodiac signs.
