Back to Basics: 3-Card Spreads

[Joan Marie]

The Distracted Hermit

A discussion in another thread brought up the topic of using "claifiers" (extra cards drawn to help a reader try to interpret the the cards already drawn)

While there is a place for this technique, all too often it is used as a crutch by inexperienced (or just frustrated) readers. It isn't surprising that using clarifiers often adds more confusion for an inexperienced reader than it "clarifies" anything.

It's normal and happens to every reader that sometimes the cards look up at you from the table and don't seem to be revealing anything. This is why using a defined spread can be so helpful.

Using a spread gives a structure to your reading that helps you wrap your head around what you are looking at to help you understand and interpret what the cards are revealing to you.

The basic 3-card spread is the trusty workhorse of Tarot reading.

In this thread I invite people to share any and all of the 3-card spreads they know. I will compile and continue adding them a special link accessible from the home page.

This is something really helpful for new readers but I think even experienced ones need a booster from time-to-time.

There are so many good ones but it can be hard to recall them when you need them. I think we can all use a handy resource like that.

[Joan Marie]

Since I'm starting this, I get to start with the trustiest of trusty standbys..

Past-Present-Future

and some more...

Mind- Body - Soul

What NOT to do- the Main Issue - What to do

Spirit of the Day - Priority of the Day - What to be Mindful of Today (I do this one nearly every day, from Benebell Wen's Book of Maps- Vitruvian)

Those are just for starters. Once we collect a few I'll start the new link.

[ZhanThay]

Past-Present-Future

This is represented in the horizontal axis of the Celtic Cross but also handy as a 3 card spread is the vertical axis:

The Aim
|
The Heart of the matter
|
The Foundations or ground

[Nemia]

I've been collectiong three card spreads from all over the internet, especially from Aeclectic.

I'll just copy from my Evernote collection, there are lots of good things in this list!

Three Caskets Spread
(From Shakespeare Oracle: Let the Bard Predict Your Future)
1. Gold: What you desire
2. Silver: What you deserve
3. Lead: What you get

Deck of Shadows: "Desire - Defy - Escape" Spread
1) Desire: What you want
2) Defy: What you are fighting against
3) Escape: What you will leave behind


Eowyn's Stroke Of Good Luck Spread
1. Which is going to be your next stroke of luck?
2. How will it happen?

Glass Owl's 2 Card Advice Spread
1. This is what I should take a bit more seriously (embrace)
2. This is what I should take less seriously (let go of)

Rhiannon's Gopher Spread
1. Who have I been?
2. Who am I?
3. Who am I becoming?

Fishing Spread
1. What I offer the universe right now (worm)
2. What I may catch (fish)
3. What I can make with it (meal)

1. The situation
2. Don't do this
3. Do this

1. Problem/Issue
2. What Hinders
3. What Helps

1. Issue
2. Option One
3. Option Two

1. Id
2. Ego
3. Super ego

VoodooGyal's Creativity Spread
1. What skills do I bring?
2. Where I need to focus efforts
3. Benefit gained from skill growth

SaintOfScreams's Daily Spread
1--2-3--(4*)
1. What will be the positive part of my day?
2. What will be my challenge?
3. How do I positively overcome this challenge?
4*. What is one thing I need to do/complete today?

Head, Heart and Hands Spread:
1. What do I need to know today?
2. What do I need to embrace today?
3. What do I need to do today?

Taken from Tarot Dictionary and Compendium by Jana Riley
1-2-3
The Other Person/Yourself/A Third Party
Yes/No/Maybe
What I do to others/What others do to me/Synthesis of both
Person A's Perspective/My Perspective/The Situation (Satori changes to The Situation/Person A Perspective/My Perspective)

Satori Spread
1. Where I am Now
2. Where I am Heading
3. Pitfalls to look out for

Collected by Astraea Aurora:
*male --- female --- neutral
* mother --- father --- child
* thoughts --- words --- actions
* thoughts --- emotions --- desires
* what you want to do --- what you need to do --- what you can do in reality
* inspired by the image of a tree: bottom --- stem --- crown
* light (what's obvious) --- shadow (what's hidden) --- gray (what's real)
* inside --- outside --- advice
* outside --- doorstep --- inside
* inner self --- outer self --- advice
* strengths --- weaknesses --- advice
* blessings of the Gods --- blessings of the ancestors --- blessings of the elements
* what's moving --- what's standing still --- advice
* the key --- the door - the hand moving the key to the door
* querent --- question --- answer
* surface --- below surface --- DNA
* conscious --- subconscious --- depper than subconscious (the core)
* worm (what you offer to the Universe right now) --- fish (what you may catch) --- meal (what you could make out of it) (--> This is definately from AT, I remember finding it in the Reading Exchange.)
* idea --- challenge --- advantage
* challenge --- opportunity --- action
* something well-established --- a new breeze coming in --- how the new breeze improves and lightens the well-established thing
* what I feel --- what I think --- what I'm missing
* what you give --- what you receive --- your thanks
* what you wish for --- what you get ---- what surprises you
* nature of the issue --- cause --- solution
* hope --- inspiration --- guidance
* personal (self) --- interpersonal (relationships) -- transpersonal (humanity or morality) (--> This is by Leisa ReFalo.)
* emotional --- social --- spiritual (--> This is also by Leisa ReFalo.)
* the power to will --- the power to think --- the power to act
* yesterday --- today --- tomorrow
* the face you show --- the face you keep hidden --- your true self

PPF (Past/Present/Future)
Question/Querent/Probable Solution
Body/Mind/Spirit
Yesterday/Today/Tomorrow
Last Week/This Week/Next Week
Last Month/This Month/Next Month
Subconcious/Concious/Superconcious
Yes/No/Maybe
Querent/Partner/Outcome (For Love readings)
Illusion/Knowledge/Magic
Idea/Challenge/Advantage
Challenge/Opportunity/Action
Issue/Action/Outcome
Inner Self/Outer Self/Advice
Illness/remedy/recovery

Situation/Advice/Outcome (Major Tom)
Where I am/Where I need to be/How do I get there (Magecot)
Problem/Solution/Encouragement (Tallarico)
The issue/What is holding me back/What takes me forward (Quantum James)

Red Light/Green Light/Yellow Light Spread
Red Light - Don't do this
Green Light - Go ahead and do this
Yellow Light - Caution/be careful/be aware of this

CPU/Monitor/Keyboard
CPU - Querent's thoughts on the issue
Monitor - How the querent views the issue
Keyboard - What the Q can "input" so the issue will work in their favor

Sun/Moon/Stars
Sun - What you see clearly
Moon - What you're having a hard time seeing.
Stars - What you wish will happen.

I/Love/You
I - How the Q feels about a person or relationship
Love - What the Q loves most about the person or relationship
You - How the Q's partner feel about the Q or their relationship with the Q.

Maiden/Mother/Crone
Maiden - Where or in what the Q or their issue is just starting to develop
Mother - What is in "full bloom" or has a very robust energy.
Crone - What is coming to pass or lessening in energy

Gas/Liquid/Solid (Checking the status of what you're trying to manifest)
Gas - What's still in the form of pure energy or thought in your life/What's "hanging out" in the ethers.
Liquid - What's starting to flow and slowly come into your life.
Solid - What's completely manifested and visible to you.

Child/Parent/Adult
Child - Where in the Q's life they're like a child.
Parent - Where in the Q's life they're like a parent.
Adult - Where in the Q's life they're like an adult.

Sun/Moon/Rising (ascendant)
Sun - Your individuality
Moon - Your inner self
Rising - You outer personality


Found these at http://www.hermitsvision.com/tarotspreads.htm

1.The Nature of Your Problem
2. The Cause of Your Problem
3. The Solution to Your Problem

1. What You Need to Know About the Problem You Face
2. What You Can Do About It
3. Who or What can Help You




Found some more....
3 Card Relationship Spreads By James Ricklef

To get clarification
1. Insights about your perspective of this relationship
2. What you should know about the relationship
problem itself
3. What you need to understand about your partner’s
perspective

To find resolution
1. Insights about your needs in the relationship
2. A way to resolve the problem that addresses both of
your needs
3. What you should understand about your partner’s
needs in the relationship

1. What strengths can help you?
2. What weaknesses do you need to overcome?
3. Who or what can help you?


General Relationship Spreads
1. What you should be thankful for in this relationship
2. What you should apologize for
3. What you should forgive (either yourself or your partner)

1. The foundation of your relationship
2. The challenges or problems of it
3. What you need to know or do about those problems

1. The current state of your relationship
2. A recommended action to improve the situation
3. A likely outcome of that action

1. What are the strengths of this relationship?
2. What problems in this relationship do you need to be aware of?
3. What can you do to improve this relationship? OR:
How can the strengths of this relationship be used to overcome its problems?

1. The blessings you bring into your relationship
2. The blessings that your significant other brings into it
3. Blessings that the Universe is bringing to you both

1. What is the importance of Love in my life?
2. How can I become better at manifesting Love in my life?
3. What is the biggest obstacle to my experience of Love?



here are some I found somewhere but can't remember the place or made by myself. Might well be that some are even from AT.

* male --- female --- neutral
* mother --- father --- child
* thoughts --- words --- actions
* thoughts --- emotions --- desires
* what you want to do --- what you need to do --- what you can do in reality
* inspired by the image of a tree: bottom --- stem --- crown
* light (what's obvious) --- shadow (what's hidden) --- gray (what's real)
* inside --- outside --- advice
* outside --- doorstep --- inside
* inner self --- outer self --- advice
* strengths --- weaknesses --- advice
* blessings of the Gods --- blessings of the ancestors --- blessings of the elements
* what's moving --- what's standing still --- advice
* the key --- the door - the hand moving the key to the door
* querent --- question --- answer
* surface --- below surface --- DNA
* conscious --- subconscious --- depper than subconscious (the core)
* worm (what you offer to the Universe right now) --- fish (what you may catch) --- meal (what you could make out of it) (--> This is definately from AT, I remember finding it in the Reading Exchange.)
* idea --- challenge --- advantage
* challenge --- opportunity --- action
* something well-established --- a new breeze coming in --- how the new breeze improves and lightens the well-established thing
* what I feel --- what I think --- what I'm missing
* what you give --- what you receive --- your thanks
* what you wish for --- what you get ---- what surprises you
* nature of the issue --- cause --- solution
* hope --- inspiration --- guidance
* personal (self) --- interpersonal (relationships) -- transpersonal (humanity or morality) (--> This is by Leisa ReFalo.)
* emotional --- social --- spiritual (--> This is also by Leisa ReFalo.)
* the power to will --- the power to think --- the power to act
* yesterday --- today --- tomorrow
* the face you show --- the face you keep hidden --- your true self


These next ones are inspired by Tarot itself and the Fool's Journey and made by me:
* inspired by the image of the hermit: earth (stability) ---your Self (union) --- sky (freedom)
* inspired by the image of the lovers: Sun (male part) --- union --- Moon (female part)
* inspired by the image of the Hanged Man: what's reversed --- what's upright --- what doesn't move (could be really fun if you're just learning reversed cards)
* inspired by the image of the Moon: water (ideas) --- stone passway --- earth (manifestation)
* Fool --- Hermit --- Temperance
* Lovers --- Devil --- Temperance
* Emperor --- Empress --- Temperance (or Justice as the balance)
* Hierophant --- High Priestess --- World
* Sun --- Moon --- Star
* Tower -- Death --- Star
* Strength --- Magician (willpower and focus) --- Judgement (pay day)
* Fool --- Wheel --- World


1.Knife : What do I need to cut away in my life?

2.Fork: What opportunities do I need to spear before they get away?

3. Dessert Spoon: What do I need to savour and take my time over?




Here's a 3-card spread to analyze an option (when you're making a choice, for example).

1.......2.......3

1. What will this option give me?
2. What will this option take from me?
3. What do I need to change in myself for this option to work?



Traffic Light Spread.

1. Red Light - Don't do this
2. Yellow Light - Be aware/cautious of this.
3. Green Light - Proceed with this.


Some three years ago, I opened a thread about three card spreads:

viewtopic.php?f=38&t=124#p365

Maybe it's possible to connect both?

[Nemia]

I made some photos to show how you can influence your perception of the 3 card spread by arraning the cards in different positions.

Linear: you go from one direction to the other, a b c. Most obviously: past present future, but also every other three spread positions where all three have the same value. Body mind spirit.

Sacra conversazione: Like in a Renaissance altar piece, the middle card is the main issue, the other cards are comments, modifications, aspects.

Bridge: this is a goal oriented way of reading the three cards. You come from A and want to get to C - and do by using B.

Fee Lion invented a spread where you pull three cards from different parts of the stack.

Order them vertically and you have the deep, hidden thing - the one in the middle, invisible but accesssible - and the superficially visible aspect. You can go very deep with this, digging into memories, shadow, dreams, just as you need it.

[Nemia]

Tom Benjamin has a very interesting and useful method for reading three card spreads. He reads the cards like words in a sentence.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxEcEFp ... omBenjamin

[Rachelcat]

I like this one from Joanna Powell Colbert of the Gaian Tarot:

Opportunity, Challenge, Resolution

[Rose Lalonde]

If you want to create custom 3 card spreads with positions tailored to the question or get advice on when to use which type of spread from the many good ones above, Tarot Tells the Tale: Explore Three-Card Readings Through Familiar Stories by James Ricklef (now in a new edition called Tarot Reading Explained) is full of good examples.

And his IF spread has been handy in a few readings for others:

Yes If ~ No if ~ Maybe if

Nemia listed some more from him above.

[Joan Marie]

These are all so great!
I will try and get this set up on a separate link that we can direct people to.

I think that people just learning Tarot these days are getting a lot of advice about trusting their intuition but not really getting any useful guidance of how to do that or what it even means. And the result is many new people (as you can see from so many posts we get here) are just laying cards down without any structure for reading them. For beginners, this can be extremely frustrating.

We need to help guide people back to this fundamental technique (as it were) and counter this rising tide of bad advice that probably leads more people to just drop their cards altogether before they ever really learn how to use them.

Questions is another topic.

Spreads and questions are what beginners need the most assistance with. Or rather, support. Assistance and support.

[TheLoracular]

What an incredibly useful and wonderful thread!

[Charlie Brown]

f*^%k intuition

[MaggieMae]

My tarot journey is still very young and I too have been told to, when I get a 5 or the death card, to draw another card for clarification. It only led to confusion. The more advice I got from forums or people who I knew in life that also do tarot, all advice was different. The more I read, the more confused I got. In the ned I stopped reading, and did what I felt feels right and I have stuck to three card readings, with the exception of a 4 card reading that I enjoy doing. I use the one card not as a reading but to write what I see in the card, the details, colours etc. I even been told that all the books out there won't teach you stuff. One person says to memorise the cards, the other tells you not to memorise the cards. It is very overwhelming. But I love tarot, the cards, the spreads, the journaling. It is so soothing to do. So, I stick to my three cards, I journal them, but no longer share them, because no matter what question I ask, if I get a feedback in the reading, someone will say it is about my ex-lover.

[TheLoracular]

So, I divide all spreads into six categories. I started with five in some thread somewhere, lol: self-development, forecasting, problem-solving, relationships, and creative (writing prompts, helping world-build, etc). Then recently I added spirit craft meaning spreads about spirit guides, gods, angels, past-lives, things that had something spirit-y about them.

This is the 3 card spread spread I threw up on twitter today, before visiting the forum this morning and seeing this thread. What I liked about it, beyond its a topic a beginner might (or might not) find helpful that isn't about romance or career-stuff? The lay-out. That made it a little unique and could be useful in building other spreads.

[MaggieMae]

This a quite an interesting spread and because I have had a fascination with deity and how people can connect with deity and I can't. So I decided to do this spread and see what other see in it as well as my own take on it.

Druidcraft deck by Philip and Stephanie Carr_Gomm. Art by Will Worthington

1. Your deity

The Wheel

I can see myself in this card and the things I needed to do to get where I am now. The entrance to the cave I see in this card is a safe haven I can retreat to when I need it. The woman is drawing a circle but the circle is not completed yet, indicating there is some work to be done yet. Staying centered has always been an issue for me, or to put it another way, it always has been an issue for me, because I have never felt centered. Things have changed in that direction though and it is so much easier these days, if something comes my way to stay centered. I have to work on it everyday still, by meditation, walks in nature and the tarot cards have a profound effect on me as well ever since I started this journey. I am not sure though who my deity is though. Is my deity not a God/Goddess but something else that has led me to where I am now. Fate? Destiny? Maybe my connecting to deity is an automatic thing and I don't have to work for it? From what I have read and heard over the years, people set up altars, pray and do other stuff to honour and connect to deity.

2. What they want you to know

The Chariot

For as long as I can remember I have had an insatiable desire to learn things. Not as in going to school or an education but how the mind works, how the body works and life in general, people's behaviour, consciousness, being aware etc. I learned though that if you don't know who you are, your path is not clear and we fall into to vicious circles of our lives. When you break the circle, you grow and are able to learn. I have had some people in my life that have been The Chariot and nudged me in the direction I needed to go. Sometimes these people were a big bang and the towers crumbled down, in order to be rebuild. If it had not been for these people or these events I would not be who I am today.
I think they have shown me my strength, my core, and who I am and want to be.

3. Something they will help you achieve

Three of pentacles

Whoever my deities are or is they have worked tirelessly to get me going, nudging me, sometimes nagging me in a certain direction. Watching me perhaps and pulling me away from something that was not good for me. Maybe a guardian angel, I have no idea. The only thing I have felt from time to time was a 'feeling' that that was the way to go. I just can't put a deity on it. I am very level headed when it comes to those things. Life is life, things happen and you deal with it the best you can and along the way you find out who you are. And of course I have had some experiences that have made me question things, but I also know the mind is very adapt to making you see things because you want them to be. Our mind I think is our worst enemy at times. These days, I doubt a lot of things I once believed in when it comes to spirituality. They have been an escape, a bypassing of the true issues.
Anyway, that is my take on this spread and the cards..

[TheLoracular]

I was looking for something else just now and stumbled across MyWanderingFool's Three Card Tarot Spreads – The Ultimate list of 3-Card Spread Variations which I ~think~ has some things that haven't been added to the pile yet.

[MaggieMae]

I love 3 card spreads so this will come in handy for my daily readings

[BlueStar]

Great thread! Thanks to everyone there are some wonderful ideas here.