Relationship spreads
The key to a tarot reading is the way in which the cards are laid out on the table, which is known as the spread. Each spread can reveal different pieces of information or provide a different perspective. Tarot readers therefore have a variety of spreads that they use for specific purposes. Some are standard spreads and others may be unique to the reader. Here are a few spreads that can be useful for ascertaining information on love and relationships:
Double spread
The cards are laid out in two spreads, one for you and one for your partner, with approximately six to ten cards per spread to give a general reading for each of you. The double spread is useful for analysing you and your partner’s general compatibility with each other.
Pyramid spread
Useful for solving specific problems or investigating particular issues in a relationship, this spread is laid out on the table in a triangular shape, with one card at the top of the pyramid, two on the next row down, three on the row below that, and four on the bottom row. The top card is a summary of the situation, the second row suggests possible alternatives to the current situation, the third row reveals how the current situation came to be, and the fourth row highlights what actions can be taken to deal with it.
Past, present and future spread
Nine cards are laid out in a three-by-three card grid – the rows represent one partner, the relationship, and the other partner, and the columns are the past, present and future for each. It’s a highly visual way of comparing yourselves with each other and examining your places in the relationship.
Compatibility spread
This spread examines specific areas of you and your partner’s personalities in order to determine compatibility. Six cards, representing your relationship, are laid out in two columns of three. Alternatively, you can set out two sets of six cards in this way, one column representing you and the other your partner. The six cards should be interpreted as follows:
top left – sexual chemistry
top right – sense of humour
middle left – emotional suitability
middle right – intellectual suitability
bottom left – temperament
bottom right – long-term potential of relationship
