Learn Tarot Spreads: A Beginner's Guide to Reading with Fluency
Introduction: My Teaching Method Explained
A common challenge for beginners is the feeling that they must read with all 78 tarot cards from their very first day. This can be overwhelming and often discourages practice. A more manageable and engaging approach is to learn the deck in stages.
This article is based on the teaching method I use for my students, where they begin by reading spreads with only the 22 Major Arcana. They then add the Minor Arcana (Aces to 10s), and finally the Court Cards. This method allows you to start reading meaningful spreads immediately. (For more on this learning philosophy, you can link to your article on the subject here).
In this guide, I will share my personal step-by-step process, designed to help beginners read spreads fluently from the very beginning.
The Three Factors For Beginners
The Spread Position: The role of the card in the spread (e.g., the situation, the advice).
The Card Meaning: The keywords and concepts associated with the card.
The Question: The nature of the original enquiry.
Limitations of This Method
As a quick disclaimer, let me point out that this method is neither a fixed rule of tarot nor the method that I teach to my intermediate and advanced students. I only teach these three factors as necessary when tutoring beginners.
Intermediate students will quickly learn that a question (nevermind a specific one) is unnecessary for accurate tarot readings and cards can be laid out not just in spreads, but lines and tableaus as well. This does not imply that a tableau or line is more advanced than a spread. It’s just the order I teach things in.
A Practical Example: Reading with the Major Arcana
Let's apply this method to a simple spread using two positions: Situation and Advice. For this beginner exercise, we will use only the 22 Major Arcana cards.
Imagine we ask a question and pull The Tower and The Star.
Some keywords for each card are:
The Tower: Sudden upheaval, crisis, revelation, destruction of false structures.
The Star: Hope, inspiration, healing, calm after the storm, guidance.
First, let us look at the cards in their positions without a specific question. If the situation is The Star and the advice is The Tower, possible interpretations are:
The advice is to radically disrupt your current peaceful situation.
The advice is to shatter the illusions that are giving you a false sense of hope.
The advice is to introduce a shocking truth into a situation that has grown stagnant.
Now, let us add the third factor, the question, to give more context.
Question: "What is the best way to handle my current work situation?"
The Cards: The Situation is The Tower and the Advice is The Star.
Full Interpretation: "Your current work situation is one of sudden upheaval and the destruction of old structures (The Tower in Situation). The advice is to remain hopeful, focus on healing, and trust that there is a guiding light to follow during this difficult period (The Star in Advice)."
When we remove unnecessary words to summarise the reading, we get: "Your workplace is in crisis. The best approach is to stay calm, have hope, and focus on the path forward."
Until you become fluent, it is helpful to write out the longer version first. You can then edit it down to a concise summary.
Further Examples With The Minor Arcana
Let's apply the method using a "Situation, Advice, Outcome" spread. The "Advice" position should be read not just as a suggestion, but as the pivotal energy or action that will influence the outcome if taken.
Stage 1: Reading with Only the Major Arcana
Question: "What is the outcome of my current work situation?"
The Cards:
Situation: The Tower
Advice: The Star
Outcome: Strength
Keywords:
The Tower: Sudden upheaval, crisis, revelation, collapse of false structures.
The Star: Hope, inspiration, healing, calm after the storm, guidance.
Strength: Inner courage, mastery, patience, self-control.
Interpretation: Your work situation is currently undergoing a sudden and disruptive collapse (The Tower). The path forward involves a period of calm, healing, and following a new, inspiring vision (The Star). The predicted outcome is that you will successfully master this chaotic situation and emerge with greater personal authority and resilience (Strength).
Summary: A workplace crisis will be overcome by taking a hopeful approach, leading to newfound inner strength.
Stage 2: Adding the Minor Arcana (Aces to 10s)
Example 1 (Major + Minor)
Question: (From a querent) Please give me a love reading. Will I find love soon?
Situation: Three of Swords
Advice: The Hermit
Outcome: Ten of Cups
Keywords:
Three of Swords: Heartbreak, sorrow, painful truth, separation.
The Hermit: Introspection, soul-searching, solitude, inner guidance.
Ten of Cups: Emotional fulfillment, harmony, family, happiness.
Full Interpretation: It seems like you are dealing with a lot of emotional pain at the moment. It may be worth staying single for the moment to deal with these difficult emotions. But it looks from the cards that this is the main delay and you could actually find a partner shortly after you recover from the pain that is troubling your heart.
Reading Given: Abbreviation might be brusque.
Example 2 (Minor + Minor)
Question: "Will I ever resolve the conflict with x?”
Situation: Seven of Wands
Advice: Four of Cups
Outcome: Nine of Pentacles
Keywords:
Seven of Wands: Defensiveness, holding one's ground, being under attack.
Four of Cups: Apathy, contemplation, refusing offers, emotional withdrawal.
Nine of Pentacles: Self-reliance, independence, enjoying the fruits of one's labour.
Interpretation: You are currently in a defensive struggle against opposition from your colleagues (Seven of Wands). The winning strategy will be to refuse to engage with their provocations and to strategically withdraw from the drama (Four of Cups). The outcome of this tactic will be that you secure your position and achieve a state of respected independence (Nine of Pentacles).
Reading Given: I feel that if you just ignore their provocations then they will come to respect you. It seems like you have an independent spirit that can sometimes isolate you from a team? [let querent confirm or deny] I would just focus on demonstrating your competence.
If you are inclined, please let me know in a month or two how it has gone.
Stage 3: Reading with the Full Deck (Including Court Cards)
Example 1 (Major + Court)
Question: "Will I get the job?”
Situation: Knight of Swords
Advice: Strength
Outcome: The Empress
Keywords:
Knight of Swords: Hasty, intellectual, direct, cutting, a critical environment.
Strength: Inner courage, compassion, patience, self-control.
The Empress: Nurturing, creativity, abundance, fruition.
Full Interpretation: The environment surrounding your interview will be intellectually aggressive and highly critical (Knight of Swords). To succeed, you will be required to demonstrate immense self-control and preparation, mastering both your nerves and any difficult questions (Strength). The predicted outcome is that your project will be received with great approval, leading to a period of growth and creative abundance (The Empress).
Reading Given: It looks like you are capable of getting it. Thorough preparation and calm professionalism will really impress the company. I think, based on the cards, that you are likely to get it.
Example 2 (Minor + Court)
Question: "Will my business be successful?"
Situation: Two of Pentacles
Advice: Queen of Cups
Outcome: King of Wands
Keywords:
Two of Pentacles: Juggling priorities, managing resources, adapting to change.
Queen of Cups: Emotionally mature, intuitive, compassionate, a key relationship.
King of Wands: Visionary leader, charismatic, takes bold action, inspiring.
Full Interpretation: The initial phase of your business will be defined by adapting to constant change and juggling limited resources (Two of Pentacles). The pivotal factor for success will be your ability to remain intuitive and emotionally centered, possibly with the help of a key compassionate partner or advisor (Queen of Cups). If you master this, the predicted outcome is that you will successfully establish yourself as a charismatic and visionary leader in your field (King of Wands).
Reading Given: Manage your conflicting priorities with emotional resilience and you will emerge as a successful and visionary entrepreneur.
Developing Your Skill: Practice Exercises for Beginners
These exercises are designed to be adapted to your stage of learning. Beginners should start by using only the 22 Major Arcana. As you become more confident, you can add the Minor Arcana, and then finally the Court Cards to your practice deck.
Exercise 1: List Position Combinations within a Spread
Choose a tarot spread you know well. List all the possible combinations of the positions, then cross out the ones that you think do not work well together. This is a tedious exercise, but it will force you to master the spread’s structure. You might want to do this again in a few years to see if your experience has changed how you see these connections.
For example, the combinations for the "Situation, Advice, Outcome" spread are:
Situation + Advice
Situation + Outcome
Advice + Outcome
Situation + Advice + Outcome
In this example, all of the combinations work well together.
Exercise 2: Reading Card Pairs in the Celtic Cross
The Celtic Cross spread is excellent for learning to read cards in combination. A good reading requires the reader to interpret how the various positions relate to one another. Here are some important pairings to consider.
Covering and Crossing. This pair describes the general situation and what is opposing it. For example, the situation may be in a state of balance (Justice), but this balance may be threatened by people’s vices (The Devil). These two positions are of great significance and indicate the overarching theme of the reading. Significant cards do not always require a lengthy explanation. These positions tend to present a broad view.
Crowning and Beneath. Compare the root cause of the issue with the overarching lesson. The card beneath represents the foundation or root of the matter. In occult terms, this can be a causal influence. It can also be what is below the threshold of awareness.
Behind and Before. Compare what is waning with what is waxing. Was the change dramatic or only superficial? This pair can show if unhealthy patterns might be repeating themselves. It also speaks to the seasons of things.
Querent (Position 7) and Environment (Position 8). This pair reveals how the person is interacting with their circumstances. Is the querent making the best use of their resources? Are they limited by their situation? The harmony or discord between these two positions may reveal things about the querent’s resourcefulness.
Hopes & Fears (Position 9) and Outcome (Position 10). How do the person's expectations compare to the likely reality? If the querent is wrong, are they aware of their error? For example, The Sun (hopes) and the Five of Pentacles (outcome) may indicate that overconfidence leads to disaster.
There are many other complex combinations. For instance, you can combine the Querent, Before, Behind, Hopes & Fears, Environment, and Outcome cards. This may give a deep understanding of how the querent’s attitude is affecting the situation.
Exercise 3: Reading the Golden Dawn Spread
This is a 15-card spread divided into five sections of three cards each. This spread is excellent for reading tarot combinations because of its sections. The five traditional sections are: Querent, Headspace, Karma/Destiny, Path 1, and Path 2. Once fluent, a reading may only take 5 to 10 minutes. At first, however, it may take much longer.
Exercise 4: An Exercise for Later: Using Correspondences
This exercise is best saved until you are comfortable with the full 78-card deck. Every tarot card has other associations, such as with elements, numbers, and astrology. The exercise is to combine correspondences to gain information.
An example may help to explain. I was once asked to find a lost object. In my pre-shuffle, I got cards which all corresponded to Saturn. In astrology, Saturn corresponds to contracts, justice, responsibility, and lessons. Bearing these themes in mind, it was clear that the object may have been lost due to a contract or promise not being kept.
The job of a reader is not just to locate a lost object, but to discover other matters surrounding the issue. I asked whether the object was properly paid for. The querent said it was. I then asked whether any promise made in relation to the object had been broken. The querent admitted that it had, so we went from there. The reading itself was quite remarkable.
