Making Your Own Tarot Spreads
Ah, tarot spreads. You’ve seen them in tarot books, the little handouts accompanying your decks, and all over the internet. Maybe you even spend hours searching for just the right one, a tarot version of spending two hours at a blockbuster trying to find a movie to rent (yes, I just dated myself!) But why search far and wide when you can make your own? In my personal practice I mainly create my own spreads (you can find some of them here). Why? Because oftentimes I want a pointed look at a specific question, I enjoy tailoring a spread to whatever’s on my mind/what I need, and I hate pointless googling.
Hopefully your spread will be less chaotic! | Image by @rm_photography
Ah, tarot spreads. You’ve seen them in tarot books, the little handouts accompanying your decks, and all over the internet. Maybe you even spend hours searching for just the right one, a tarot version of spending two hours at a blockbuster trying to find a movie to rent (yes, I just dated myself!) But why search far and wide when you can make your own? In my personal practice I mainly create my own spreads (you can find some of them here). Why? Because oftentimes I want a pointed look at a specific question, I enjoy tailoring a spread to whatever’s on my mind/what I need, and I hate pointless googling.
Making your own spread isn’t as hard as it seems, so I wanted to share some guidelines to help you on your journey. Like anything in tarot, remember that you set the stage and have the power to add, subtract, and innovate as you see fit. Depending on your style, you may want to write these objectives down so you can follow along when it comes time for your actual reading, and so that you can revisit and replicate your spread later.
Basic guidelines for creating custom tarot spreads:
Set the topic or question: What do you want to know?
Divide into pieces of information: Once you've set the theme to the reading, think about what pieces of information would be helpful. Timing? Make a card for that. Guidance? Another card. Something to watch out for? You have card #3!
Make room for mystery & steps forward: I always like to add a card for something I need to know but may not be aware of as well as a card that gives me insight into something simple I can do to start bringing my reading into reality.
Write a map of your spread: Now that you have your card placement meanings, arrange them in a map. I like to draw silhouettes of each card and assign it a number; below, I write out a key with each position meaning next to the number. Choose a shape that reflects your objective (i.e. a linear spread for a simple, future-oriented question, a ladder-shape for a path of progress, etc.) Get creative if it feels helpful and inspiring, otherwise choose a basic shape (a line or stacked rows of cards) that feels organized and readable to you.
Edit: You’ll usually find some overlapping or extraneous cards in your map. Cut those out without hesitation - simple is better in most tarot readings and the last thing you need in your life is more confusion.
Test drive: You now have a complete spread written out - it’s time to read! Draw your cards, arrange them according to your map, and do an inaugural reading.
Let it sit: Leave your reading out for a few days to see how its message sinks in.
Revisit and edit: Now that you’re armed with some perspective, see if you need to make any tweaks to your spread, and then enter it into your collection for future use.