DIV-201 Lessons

The students arrived at the Divination Tower and were greeted by Professor Fayge. The circular room had a faint, blue glow and an eerie stillness filled the air. As the students filed in, Professor Fayge could be seen holding a packaged deck of tarot in one hand and a pile of black silk cloth squares in the other.  She greets each student and gives them each a deck of cards and a cloth before directing them to their seats. Once the last of the students were settled, she addressed the class.

Welcome
Welcome to Lesson Eight! Please leave your materials aside for the last portion of today’s class, as you will be given time to practice with them after taking notes. Today we will be discussing spreads, a vital part of reading tarot! In our continued analogy of spellcasting, spreads serve as the wand movement. While you technically can read the cards without a spread (just like it is possible to perform wandless magic), it is much harder to do so. Therefore, for more complex questions or readings, using a spread is ideal. As we cover this topic, keep in mind that each reading can be done either for another person (the querent) or for yourself, too! I personally perform a quick reading for myself each morning to see what I should keep my Eye out for.

Basics
A spread is a specific arrangement (or layout) of the cards with intention behind them. Imagine you’re writing a story. Your words are the cards themselves, whereas the spread is the phrase or sentence. The spread is what pieces the cards together to give you a specific answer. Some decks include their own specific spread — for instance, there is a Black Cats Tarot deck that introduces a unique cat spread. However, most spreads can be used with any deck.

To begin forming any spread, you will first need to make sure that your deck is well shuffled. Some people like to allow the querent to shuffle the cards, as this allows their magical signature and will of mind to be put into the cards for the reading. Others prefer not to allow others to touch their deck, as they see it as a pollution of their own magic within the cards. This choice is entirely up to you. Personally, I prefer to let the querent shuffle the cards (allowing their imprint on the reading), as I am particular about cleansing the deck in between sessions.

After shuffling, you will follow the spread template and place the cards in their respective positions on a surface or prepared altar. Now, should you face the cards towards yourself or the querent? Whatever you decide here should really be determined by what you feel most comfortable with — but please stay consistent throughout the reading, especially if you choose to read reversals! This uniformity will ensure that any reversed cards are interpreted correctly and will help maintain the accuracy of the reading.
 
It is important to keep your intention in mind when beginning a spread. Taking into consideration who your querent is and the information that they are wanting to learn, focus your mind on finding the answer. This act of concentration is parallel to another crucial spellcasting component, of course! Please remember: if your belief wavers, your willpower will also waver. This is because doubt decreases the effectiveness of your Inner Eye, leading to readings that are less accurate. So reach inward for your power and claim it!

A Spread of Spreads

Now, the variety of spreads is truly staggering, so I will not attempt to cover them all today. Instead, let’s begin with an overview of some popular spreads that are quite versatile and only require a few cards per reading. Once you gain proficiency with these three-card spreads, it should be easy to generalize the basic techniques across many other spreads. 

Please Note: I understand that some of you will crave experience with more advanced spreads if you continue your tarot studies past this term, so I have something special in the works for you. Our dear librarians are currently in the process of approving my book Spreading Your Insight as a Divination textbook, so watch for that! I will post an announcement when the book is available.

These four tarot spreads are a magnificent starting point for young diviners such as yourselves! They are especially good to know because they cover a range of topics and are easy to remember. They are also quick to complete, making them convenient if you only have a short amount of time for a reading. Many querents appreciate their simplicity too, as there is less to remember, making it easier to retain the meaning associated with each position in the spread.

~ New Deck Spread
This spread is aimed to be the first spread you use when getting a new tarot deck. It is a good way of connecting to your deck when you’re just starting out, as it is a spread dedicated just between you and your deck, almost like a conversation.

1. The first card answers the question, “What will you teach me?” Each tarot deck has unique lessons to impart, which is why we turn to them for guidance and advice. This first card will give us an idea of what to expect from our deck.
2. The second card answers, “How can I best connect with you?” This card reveals the best approach to forming a deep and intuitive connection with your deck. It often suggests a specific mindset or challenge that will help align your energy with the deck and attune your intuition to the cards.
3. The final question is, “What will our relationship be like?” This question is an important one. It is vital that you have a good relationship with your deck and that you maintain a unique bond throughout your journey. Listen intently to how your deck responds here, as it will shape the course of your work together.

This initial spread is quite important in getting to know your deck, as their suitableness and “personality” is not as pronounced as that of a wand. Should the outcome of this spread seem bleak, however, that does not immediately indicate that you must find a new one and try again. Perhaps you need to take the deck’s advice and/or make adjustments to improve your results. Keep in mind that readings are not set in stone. You can always change the outcome of a reading by changing the path that you are on.

~ Past, Present, Future Spread
Now, on to our next spread. This is the most common and probably the easiest spread to read, as it is not always necessary to identify the connections between the three cards. While an experienced reader can find the connecting fibres, it is not crucial for an accurate reading and therefore requires less concentration.

As with every reading, be sure to concentrate on your querent’s question. This can consist of a general reading about their life or a specific question or situation. Your querent may also focus on what they want the reading to be about; however, they are likely coming to you because they do not have the sight, are having difficulties with this reading themself, or cannot devine because they are a Muggle. Once you are sufficiently focused on the question, lay three cards face down, starting from your left and moving to the right.

Flip them over one by one, explaining what each card represents to your querent. The left card describes the past, the middle card interprets the present, and the right card represents the future. If you have accurately concentrated on the querent’s specific question for the reading, these past, present, and future cards will authentically represent the situation itself and give a fairly straightforward framework for your Inner Eye to elaborate on.

 ~ Background, Problem, Advice Spread

This spread is commonly used when something is going wrong in your life but you can’t quite put your finger on it. It is a way of trying to identify what is causing strife and finding a way to fix it.

1. The first card will give you background information on what could be causing the problem. It sets the context for the reading by revealing the underlying factors or past events that have led to the current situation.
2. The second card will describe the problem itself by clarifying the main challenge or obstacle the querent is facing. It reveals the true issue that needs to be addressed, which can sometimes be uncomfortable to hear as it is not always what is expected. However, the problem must be understood before it can be resolved.
3. The third card will give you advice on how to change and improve the situation; it provides guidance on steps to take towards the problem’s resolution. The card’s suggestions could include ways to alter your overall approach, personal mindset, or specific actions to overcome the challenges identified in the second card.

This spread is popular, but must be handled delicately. Often, our dilemmas are rooted in our own decisions — and this is not something that most individuals appreciate hearing. Speaking the truth is most important, but doing so respectfully is a close second.

~ Who Am I? What Do I Need? How Will I Get It?

This spread can be fun to play with, as the reading can vary in how it answers the questions. Let’s explore the possibilities here:

1. The question, “Who am I?” can be answered in a number of ways. Who are you right now at this point in your journey? Who are you in reference to a job or position? Who are you in your relationship? What story is your life telling right now?
2. The question, “What do I need?” is just as variable; however, it will generally refer to the same “you” revealed in the first question. For example, if the first card answered who you are in reference to a specific relationship, this second card will also answer within the context of that relationship.
3. The last question, “How will I get it?” is often a card that people do not like. Querents tend to hope for an easy path, but isn’t it often the hardest decisions that will be the most rewarding?

As you can see, there are various interpretations of each card, which can make it difficult to remain impartial during a reading for yourself. That is, we might tend to lean towards a “less demanding” interpretation for the last card. Can anyone share a solution for this ethical dilemma? Ah yes, Mr. Aleric! Having someone else perform this reading for you can help give an unbiased analysis of the cards. Consequently, this spread is a marvelous one to practice with each other during your study groups.

Closing
Before we begin practicing with the materials I handed out at the beginning of class, there are a few things to note. First and foremost, with any spread you perform, please remind your querent (and yourself) that readings are not promises. They are an idea of what might be approaching. The future can always be changed based on the decisions that you make and the external circumstances that develop. Nothing is ever set in stone. This is part of what makes life so mysterious and exciting!

You will also notice that the example questions posed in this lesson are open-ended. That is, they ask questions that require more than a simple “yes” or “no.” To clarify why this is, understand that it is often very difficult to get a concrete answer out of the cards. There are methods to it, of course, but in most cases, one does not read cards as simply positive or negative in this way. For this reason, especially when starting out, you will likely want to stick to open-ended questions like “What will my experience be like if I decide to go to the Yule Ball?” rather than “Will I get a date to the Yule Ball?” Often, if you ask something like the latter, you will get a much more complicated answer than a simple affirmative or negative, which can be difficult to understand in the beginning. Take this time to nurture and strengthen your Inner Eye!

With that, we close the lecture portion of our tarot spread sampler lesson. Remember, there are many more spreads to study, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t at least mention that it is even possible to create your own (though not something for beginners)! While we won’t be exploring that in today’s lesson, feel free to contact me if it’s something you wish to learn more about. Thank you for your undivided attention, class. Please take these last 10-15 minutes to finish your notes and test out some of the spreads mentioned today. I’ll retreat to my desk for a bit, as I see that Kismet has made a delivery of what I presume to be an urgent read. “See” you next lesson for our final exam!

Original lesson written by Professor Jessica Marrow
Edits and Additions by Professor Inarid Fayge
Image credits here and here.