Talking and Reading Tarot
There are a lot of Tarot spreads out there. If you follow any Tarot-related hashtag on Instagram, you’ll quickly see how many truly amazing and helpful spreads there are out there. There is a spread for just about every need that there could be. But we are individuals, and while some spreads hit close to the mark, you might be wondering if you can change a tarot spread to resonate more definitely with you.
Some can be quite complex. I know that I am certainly no exception of this. If you’ve looked at some of my spreads for the #30DayTarotWritingChalleng, they get kind of intense when it comes to how many cards and where they go. Or, if you’re not a writer, but into more classic forms of Tarot-reading, such as older ways put forth by Papus or even A. E. Waite in his Pictoral Key to the Tarot, you’ll find long spreads that can involve 32 cards at times. I’ve even seen spreads that require the whole pack!
While there are some intense spreads that can make for a lot of cards to keep track of, likewise there are sometimes cards that just don’t seem necessary to your question or to the reading at all.
For all that the designer of the spread might have intended for each card to have a deep relevance, it doesn’t meant that the tarot reader using the spread necessarily can connect the dots of the spread-maker’s thought process. However, the spread-maker has put thought into the spread, and no-doubt does have a purpose for each card-placement.
So, can we change a tarot spread to make it our own?
The simple answer is Yes, we can. We don’t need to keep it just as someone else has created it.
Essentially, when you are using a spread, what needs to be clear in your head is the card positions and their meanings. While you’re shuffling, keeping your question and focus in mind, you need to also be aware of where the cards are going to go when you put them down and the influence those positions will have on your reading.
If you are altering a spread to fit your own personal needs, I have a few suggestions:
The simple answer as to whether or not you can change a tarot spread, or course is yes, you can. However, that leaves room for a complex answer.
The complex answer is that the maker of a spread has put time and thought into the spread. If you are going to alter the spread, then you need to consider the above-mentioned things.
I challenge you to really consider the link of the each card in the spread, and spend time contemplating what the importance of the seemingly unrelated or irrelevant card position might be.
For example, when I was learning Tarot, I thought that the 9th card position in the Celtic Cross spread, the Hopes/Fears position was superfluous. It was mostly there so that it could make up the ten cards. I thought that what you were afraid of or what you hoped to get in general had nothing to do with the reading. However, after a lot of consideration, reading, studying, and general maturation, I realized that it’s there to serve as any blocks that might be hindering you from getting to the end result. Likewise, it might be the driving force behind you that’s pushing you toward succeeding in your goals.
Considering that the Celtic Cross Spread is usually done as a general reading (well, not always, but it can be most readily done as a general reading), this is an important factor. If at the beginning of my Tarot-learning I had simply just disregarded the position then there would be a large insight that would be missed in my readings and my understanding.
All this to say that when you do come to a reading that seems like it’s complex for complexity’s sake, spend a moment and questions why it might be that way.
Tarot is a highly personal practice. How we all read the cards is like how we learn—we’re all individuals with different experiences and different ways that our minds work. Therefore, we all will have different ways of learning. Thus, we have different ways of reading the cards. There is no right or wrong way so long as it’s authentic to what resonates with you.
If you don’t resonate with a spread, then don’t use the spread, or you can change a spread to make it your own. However, take the time to really contemplate and consider why it is that it doesn’t resonate with you if you’re planning on altering it, and spend time really working to alter it so that it can best serve you and the art of Tarot.
Remember to always be respectful. That is how communities and individuals evolve and grow.
Enjoying my Blog? Consider Buying Me a Coffee to show your support!
Like my content? Sign up for my Newsletter and get a bi-weekly Newsletter with upcoming Tarot challenges, Card Draws, and more!
Your blog is inspiration, keep up the excellent writing ✍️!
Thank you!
Not a problem.
I am happy to have found your blog, you write very interesting things about tarot.
Thank you! I’m glad you could stop by 🙂