How to Create a Tarot Spread: Building the Story Beneath the Cards'

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Tarot spreads are more than just layouts, they’re the bones of a story waiting to be told. Every position, every card, and every question reveals something layered, meaningful, and often deeply personal. But where do tarot spreads come from?

How are they created? And how can you craft your own? Let’s break it down.

What Is a Tarot Spread: Really?

At its core, a tarot spread is a framework: a set of card positions, each representing a specific aspect of a question or situation. They act as prompts, containers; guiding the energy of your reading into form. Whether it’s a classic 3-card past/present/future layout or a 10-card Celtic Cross, a spread helps give structure to the chaos of a question.

Some spreads are simple. Others are complex. But all of them follow a flow, a logic. A spread can act like a map, moving you from uncertainty toward clarity, insight, and action.

The History of Tarot Spreads

The use of tarot for divination is believed to date back to the 18th century, though the tarot cards themselves go as far back as the 15th century, used originally for games like Tarocchi in Italy and France. It wasn’t until mystics like Jean-Baptiste Alliette (Etteilla) and Antoine Court de Gébelin began associating tarot with esotericism, astrology, and the Kabbalah that structured spreads became part of the tradition.

Some of the most well-known spreads, like the Celtic Cross, were popularised in the early 20th century, especially through the work of Arthur Edward Waite and Pamela Colman Smith, creators of the Rider-Waite-Smith deck. Their spreads, documented in Waite’s book The Pictorial Key to the Tarot (1910), remain foundational in many modern practices.

Why Use a Tarot Spread?

Spreads are powerful because they:

• Give structure to intuition. Not everyone likes to “free-pull” cards. Spreads help direct the energy of a reading toward something specific.

• Unfold a narrative. Well-designed spreads tell a story. They show where you’ve been, where you are, what’s in your way, and where you’re heading.

• Support clarity and accountability. Instead of jumping all over the place, a spread lets you explore one thing at a time, with intention.

  
  

They also act as a mirror, reflecting both what you need to see and what you’re ready to acknowledge.

How to create a tarot spread: Ask a Better Question

Here’s the secret: Tarot spreads are just a series of connected questions. How to create a tarot spread? Start there.

Think of a spread as a sequence:

1. Where am I now?

2. What’s influencing me?

3. What am I not seeing clearly?

4. Where is this heading?

5. What can I do about it?

   
   

Each question becomes a card position. And suddenly, you’ve made a spread. You can design them around emotions, decisions, relationships, growth, the moon cycle, your inner child, anything. Let your curiosity lead.

Popular Traditional Tarot Spreads

If you’re just starting out or want to honour the classics, here are some widely used spreads:

✦ The three-Card Spread

Simple. Insightful. Versatile.

Common positions:

• Past / Present / Future

• Situation / Challenge / Advice

• Mind / Body / Spirit

  
  

Great for quick check-ins or clarifying energy.

✦ The Celtic Cross

A timeless, 10-card spread for deep dives.

Covers the full picture: current energy, challenges, subconscious patterns, recent influences, near future, external environment, hopes/fears, and likely outcomes.

It’s detailed and layered; excellent for complex or long-term situations.

✦ Relationship Spread

Ideal for exploring dynamics between two people.

Common positions might include:

• You

• Them

• How you see them

• How they see you

• What connects you

• What separates you

• Outcome or advice

✦ The Horseshoe Spread

Used to trace the path of a situation:

• Past influences

• Present state

• Hidden influences

• Obstacles

• Attitudes of others

• What you should do

• Likely outcome

Let the Spread Match the Story

Not every reading needs a traditional layout. Sometimes a single card speaks volumes. Other times, creating a custom spread for your unique question is what brings the breakthrough.

The key? Let the spread match the energy.

If it’s a complicated situation, build something layered. If it’s about checking in with your intuition, keep it simple. If it’s about healing, let the questions be gentle.

And if you’re ever stuck? Trust your gut. Pull a card and ask, “What do I need to know right now?” That’s a spread in itself.

Your Tarot: Your Rules

Tarot isn’t rigid. It’s responsive. Spreads give shape to the answers waiting to come through. So whether you use a classic like the Celtic Cross, or invent your own from scratch, let it feel like yours.

The story is already there. The spread just gives it space to unfold.

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