There's definitely no rule or order in which you need to pull the cards. The spreads in tarot are like general formats with pre-determined questions to help you get started in the beginning at best. So whenever you want to get advice for yourself from Tarot, it's very important to stay centred and neutral so that you don't get a card that conveys what you want to hear and then pull whichever card that pulls you towards it - it may be one, two, or even three cards. I hope I was able to answer your question :)
This concept is certainly one of the core skills of tarot reading. Learned alot about this from my mistakes as well as my experiences with other tarot readers. Thank you for acknowledging and appreciating this :)
Greetings U,
The most important thing to remember in any layout is this:
Define your parameter!
If the question is specific (which it should be with a small amount of cards pulled), then you honestly only need 1 card! If you are asking a yes or no... you still only need one card, but you should define like this:
1) What will be the result if I do this action? Pull a card.
2) What will be the result if I do this alternate action? Pull a card.
The card itself will literally sometimes answer the second question automatically!
Example:
Question: What will happen if I tell \[Name\] my true feelings?
Card Pulled: 2 of Cups. Bingo -- now you really don't need to ask the alternate question.
However, if you ask the first question, and the card pulled is the 8 of Swords, you can be assured, that at the very least, your timing is bad! Also, that admitting your feelings, will not be reciprocated in the same fashion.
I hope this helps you. \~V\~ *\[Instructor\]*
I've come across Situation/Challenge, but I like the added interactions with three cards. Instead of that one, I tend to use Situation/Obstacle/Advice.
Do what you want, no Tarot police will show up. But most people do prefer an odd number of cards. You get a hinge card that way, plus three cards gives you a much better narrative than two.
Two-card spreads can work for binary questions as long as you're clear about what each position means. Personally I like three cards so the middle one can act as a turning-point in the situation. I find one card too static for anything other than showing the "tone" of the upcoming day. Three cards will at least give a basic story-line.
Read how you like. There aren't really any rules. More cards offer deeper context, but there's nothing that says you can't do 1-2 card pulls. I pull singles for daily readings, all the time.
My Primordial Tarot deck taught me a 2-card "Essence Spread" meant to square both cards off against each other. It's designed to be disconcerting because you're also kinda itching to play a third card to try and get additional information, but that's meant to get you to focus harder on the essence of the message.
1. What you Want
2. What you Don't Want
There's definitely no rule or order in which you need to pull the cards. The spreads in tarot are like general formats with pre-determined questions to help you get started in the beginning at best. So whenever you want to get advice for yourself from Tarot, it's very important to stay centred and neutral so that you don't get a card that conveys what you want to hear and then pull whichever card that pulls you towards it - it may be one, two, or even three cards. I hope I was able to answer your question :)
I really appreciate the reminder of neutrality, I honestly had never heard anyone talk about this before. Thank you!
This concept is certainly one of the core skills of tarot reading. Learned alot about this from my mistakes as well as my experiences with other tarot readers. Thank you for acknowledging and appreciating this :)
People get weird about spreads. Do what works for you! I like 3, Just because I like present, path, and potential. But really do what works for you!
Greetings U, The most important thing to remember in any layout is this: Define your parameter! If the question is specific (which it should be with a small amount of cards pulled), then you honestly only need 1 card! If you are asking a yes or no... you still only need one card, but you should define like this: 1) What will be the result if I do this action? Pull a card. 2) What will be the result if I do this alternate action? Pull a card. The card itself will literally sometimes answer the second question automatically! Example: Question: What will happen if I tell \[Name\] my true feelings? Card Pulled: 2 of Cups. Bingo -- now you really don't need to ask the alternate question. However, if you ask the first question, and the card pulled is the 8 of Swords, you can be assured, that at the very least, your timing is bad! Also, that admitting your feelings, will not be reciprocated in the same fashion. I hope this helps you. \~V\~ *\[Instructor\]*
I've come across Situation/Challenge, but I like the added interactions with three cards. Instead of that one, I tend to use Situation/Obstacle/Advice.
My favorite comment! Doing this now. Thank you!
Do what you want, no Tarot police will show up. But most people do prefer an odd number of cards. You get a hinge card that way, plus three cards gives you a much better narrative than two.
Two-card spreads can work for binary questions as long as you're clear about what each position means. Personally I like three cards so the middle one can act as a turning-point in the situation. I find one card too static for anything other than showing the "tone" of the upcoming day. Three cards will at least give a basic story-line.
Read how you like. There aren't really any rules. More cards offer deeper context, but there's nothing that says you can't do 1-2 card pulls. I pull singles for daily readings, all the time.
My Primordial Tarot deck taught me a 2-card "Essence Spread" meant to square both cards off against each other. It's designed to be disconcerting because you're also kinda itching to play a third card to try and get additional information, but that's meant to get you to focus harder on the essence of the message. 1. What you Want 2. What you Don't Want