In reading cards, a tarot spread or a tarot layout can largely determine how each card is interpreted. Every card's position within a particular layout means something. Aside from helping readers in coming up with accurate interpretations, these tarot spreads are also tools for improving one's card skills such as concentrating, shuffling, cutting, and laying out cards.
Using the one-card spread for daily interpretations is a good way to start learning about tarot layouts. In this spread, readers take a card from a deck and meditate on their question. Most readers ask what their predominant energy will, what they need to do, and what lesson they have learned from the day's events.
After mastering one-card spreads, readers can now move on to three-card spreads, which are popular for giving out complete information in only three cards. Most questions asked during three-card spreads involve issues about the past, present, and future; the self, others, and what the self needs to know; and the body, mind, and spirit.
Among tarot layouts, the Celtic Cross has been most popularly used because it is believed to give more power to readers. This 10-card layout, where the cards are placed to form a central cross and a line at its right side, is said to be most effective for seekers who are bothered by questions. To introduce tarot card reading to seekers, readers often use the European layout. This makes use of nine cards, which are lined up and divided into three groups. These groups represent the seeker's past, present, and future. Most of the time, this tarot layout involves storytelling to effectively understand the message.
Finding tarot layouts can be a breeze with so many resources available. So many tarot layouts are discussed in books and online articles that they are already categorized according to their purpose. There are also tarot card readers who have designed their own layouts to make better interpretations, but then, there is no perfect tarot layout that can answer every seeker's query. It all depends on how a reader can remember each card's interpretation according to the tarot spread he uses.
