Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings

This is my first tarot book directly related to spreads, and Barbara Moore offers plenty to play with and select from all in one easy place. I purchased this book to try out some new spreads. I was getting a little disheartened with my usual selection of spreads---the celtic cross, three card relationship, past-present-future, or mind-body-spirit, intuitive pathway (which basically is a line of cards with no set meanings), and elemental five card spreads. After reading this book, I've added several more to my memory bank.She offers some classical spreads like the celtic cross, astrological, horseshoe, and elemental/cardinal direction spreads. She also offers some newer spreads like the guiding star and a chakra spread. Moore finally offers us a selection of very creative spreads that she's apparently developed herself, or I have yet to see elsewhere. I will describe one of my favorite creative spreads from her book here:The Pantheon of Your life Spread uses the archetypes of Greek mythology to delve into the greater mysteries of your own life. Each of the cards represent a Greek diety and one of the cards represent the Moirae (the fates) and this card gives you a healing/inspirational message about how to truly live and closes the reading. Other dieties explored in this spread include Zeus, Hera, Athena, Dionysus, Eros, and Aphodite. An explanation for the "Zeus" card reads from the book: "Zeus is the father of the gods, and his will shaped Greek thought. This card represents the role that will and determination play in your life at this time." This spread is fun and effective for general readings.For many of the spreads in this book Barbara offers some ideas for how to personalize the spread and make it your own. For example with the Pantheon of Your Life Spread Barbara suggests substituting another pantheon or other dieties in place of the Greek pantheon. Barbara also explains how to think of ideas for spreads on your own and formulate them. She discusses the importance of card spacing, spread shapes, vertical or horizontal card placements, and more. She also offers various techniques for shuffling, placing, and drawing the cards (some of which I hadn't considered) each explored within the variety of spreads presented. She explains the meaning behind cutting the deck three times (which I'd always done, but never considered why). Theres a spread here for everyone no matter what your believes or attitudes are regarding the tarot. No strictly "pagan oriented" or prediction spreads here, she also offers spreads from a purely psychological perspective, which I appreciated.Of course she doesn't cover EVERY possible spread there could be but she covers all the basics. Barbara offers afterall the means to create our own spreads to suit any purpose.This book is so chuck full with new spreads and card reading ideas and techniques to try that it will keep me and everyone I read for plenty busy, entertained, and enlightened.

I am going to tell you all a secret that may be unseemly. Whenever I am teaching tarot, mentoring, or working with people new to tarot, it drives me absolutely bonkers when they throw down 42 cards in front of me and ask me what I think they mean. "What spread did you use?" I ask. They often look at me blankly, and say, "No spread. I just threw the cards.""Oh..." I may say. "Well, then what was the focus of the reading? Did you have a specific question?" I am often met with just as blank a stare."Well, um, I just thought the cards would tell me what I need to know, but they don't make any sense to me. What do you see?" The truth is, although I rarely say so this bluntly, is I see a clusterbang of cards that don't mean anything, because they were given no context and there was no focus.There are as many techniques for reading tarot as there are readers, and I know some very talented readers who do free flowing readings with no spreads, no contextual meanings, and no need for focused questions. I am not one of them. One of the reasons I love tarot over other forms of divination and most other oracle decks is something about the structure of tarot, the 78 cards, the hierarchy, the Majors and the Minors and the way they all work together, that really frees my intuition to soar, to open up, and to glean the answers my clients and myself are seeking.I do even better when I add spreads with specific meanings for each placement of the card to the inherent structure of tarot. This, combined with the relationship of the cards in a spread, is how I determine if the Three of Swords is heartbreak or heart healing, how I can tell if The Emperor represents strength and order, or Daddy issues. If you work the same way, you need a plethora of tarot spreads in your arsenal, and Barbara Moore's Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings brings them.There are dozens of well thought spreads in this book, and they are organized, indexed, and easy to find. There is a spread for nearly any situation you may find yourself in, and they are all presented in a clear, easy to understand format that is Barbara's signature writing style. Even better, she explains the psychology of spread design and how you can make your own spread, which is akin to teaching a man to fish rather than just giving him a fish. Further, the focus on every spread is personal empowerment, so that whether we read for ourselves or others we are always fully in the drivers' seat of our own lives.I often work with people asking about relationship issues, because we all have them, and my personal favorite spread in the book is a variation of a five card Yes/No spread created by Susyn Blair Hunt for her book, Tarot Prediction & Divination: Unveiling Three Layers of Meaning. All readers get questions that require Yes or No answers, and Barbara has tailored this one to address the Whys and Hows, which is an even more important piece of the answer. For the curious, while holding the question lightly in your mind, you lay five cards. Even pip cards and Major Arcana cards equal yes, odd pip cards and court cards equal no, and whichever dominates the spread is the simple answer. However, you can look more deeply into the cards in order to gather more information and possibilities of changing the answer if you do not like it. I use this spread, with Barbara's variation, nearly every single day.You won't find card meanings in this book, and physically it is 264 pages of paperback awesomeness, measuring 6 inches by 9 inches. I would prefer it to be spiral bound, for ease of use, but that is easily remedied if you care to take any book to a printer near you and invest a few dollars.In summary, this book gets the 78 Whispers seal of approval, and will remain a permanent fixture in my tarot reference library.

This book not only walks you through spreads or just gives you spreads. They go step by step in approaching spreads & working through spreads. Showing how they work & why. Then they follow with spread designs and so on. If you are new to Tarot spreads this would be an excellent addition to your tarot knowledge & bookshelf!

Seller was a dream to work with and the product will make a great addition to my collection. Recommended.

Nice

If you're a more experienced tarot reader I'm not sure you'd find much in this book you don't already know - however as a beginner I found it very, very helpful. It explains the different types and purposes of spreads (basic info but good) which I had trouble finding anywhere else. It also gives a very nice variety of spreads to try and work with. I like the way the author writes as she is easy to understand and very relatable - so much so I ended up buying her Llewellyn's Classic Tarot deck.

As someone who has loved tarot for years, this book is a wonderful addition to any collection of books on the subject. Each spread is illustrated with easy to follow numbered patterns followed by detailed step by step instructions. The writer walks us through the more difficult spreads with sample readings of her own, describing how each card in the spread relates to the other cards based upon position and meaning, while also giving the bigger picture by helping us understand how to read the spread first as many small groups and then as a whole.Overall, this book is the most informative, enjoyable, and diverse one written on Tarot that I have ever come across since I first became interested in Tarot nearly 10 years ago. It is a must have!

I originally bought this book in the Kindle version, as that was cheaper. But this book is one of those where you really need a paper version, as you need to flip though it to find the right spread for your situation. Eventually, rather than give up on the book, I bought the paper version as well, and it's great - dozens of useful spreads, sections on what makes a good spread, how to adapt spreads, how to create your own... it really is the best book on tarot spreads that I've come across.

Found it easy and nice for spreads. Quick reckoner

Very informative and detailed! I think this book alone will be the single most important took to help me become a better card reader. So happy with the purchase!

J'ai acheté ce livre afin de pouvoir diversifier mes tirages de tarot et améliorer ma pratique. Les modèles de tirages proposés sont nombreux et les explications bien détaillées.Une lecture complémentaire intéressante pour les passionnés de tarot.

The author knows the subject and presents an amazing variety of spreads. Very useful for those who read tarot, very good.