Do positions in a spread matter?

Q&A
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I mostly read for myself. I want to read for other people as a Intuitive Tarot card reader but I do not feel confident enough. I struggle when I use a three card spread (Past, Present, Future as an example) when the card in that position seems to not make sense when I try to relate it back to the question. My mentor told me positions don’t matter just put the cards together to form a sentence / message. I see other YouTube reads that strongly disagree. IS there a happy medium to do both?

I have to share. I took a two hour intro Lenormand tarot class recently. There was the teacher, another student and myself - just us three around a table. At one point in class the teacher said “… now let’s have some fun…” She turned to me and said I will read for the other student in class. I said I do not feel comfortable but I would try. Easy question and I gave a far answer. The other student read me and we took a break. The teacher looked at me and said “… you will read me now…”. (this is the part I need an understanding about) The teacher asked a simple question - as I shuffled the cards I gave her a short answer. As I laid three cards out this rush of energy / inner knowing / sensation can over me and I explained my answer with each card in order. I have never had this sensation before. The teacher said “… you are spot on - exactly right …” What was this sensation and how can I get it back in each reading I do?

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Hiii! :purple_heart: What an interesting topic! And such an intersting experience, thanks for sharing!!

I think we haven´t met yet, I´m Katharina, an art witch and art therapist living in Vienna, Austria. And I happen to work with tarot for more than 30 years by now.

Do positions in a spread matter?

I guess yes and no and the most important question will be: how do you want to go about it?
Here are my thoughts about it (just take what resonates with you, leave the rest):
Whenever I´m doing a reading for a specific topic, I will try to view this topic from as many possible sides as I can and this is how I will then
create my positions. My favorite (all time go to) spread is a six card spread with

  1. Current energy (of the situation/problem/question/person in question etc.)
  2. Strengths and skills I can apply
  3. Deficiencies and weaknesses that need to be addressed
  4. What am I ready to receive/learn?
  5. What am I ready to release/unlearn?
  6. What is hidden from me?

If these are my six positions, I will usually lay them out in two rows by three. But of course the shape your spread takes doesn´t matter at all, you can be as minimalist, practical or creative with it as you´d like. You can lay them out as a circle or a cross with the current energy card in the middle or however you feel resonates best with you.

Then I will also do very quick energy readings, where I shuffle my deck with the issue, feeling or questions in my mind and then pull cards one after the other, as many as I feel are needed and just line them up and read the story that unfolds.

Both methods are totally valid and there are many more methods to work with tarot.

Of course I can´t tell you what you felt, only you know, but an experience of being in a flow-state, being connected to universe or channelling messages intuitively are quite common.

My advice would be to relax, trust the process and have fun with your cards! Doing quick tarot pulls for fun questions like: what colors should I be wearing today? what advice do you have on lunch today? etc. helps strengthening your connection to your tarot, without getting stressed out about doing it “right”.

If you want take a look at our Tarot Journey where we are doing daily tarot pulls! Feel free to jump right in, practice with us and ask all the questions! :purple_heart: :sparkles:

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There are different spreads that require you to position the cards to answer specific questions. If using those at the start, then position would matter.

Most of my draws are five cards or less and drawn for a specific question. I usually draw them inline and check what I feel like when I see them. If a card stands out when I see it, I may use it as a key (or just a modifier), otherwise I just read them left to right (called a ‘narrative format’ over in the Lenormand area.)

While most of my draws are five cards or less, I prefer to use more than one card. If I’m doing a daily ‘check in’ draw, I prefer three cards. Also, if I’m doing daily draws, I try to make the draw for that day only. Deciding long term issues everyday is basically flawed.

SO… I guess I’m saying it matters only if you, at the start, decide to make it matter. Either way is fine and it depends on what you feel you want to do (that intuition thing).

Your experience with having an epiphany when you see the cards and a nice feeling of ‘getting it right’ is a great feeling - it doesn’t always show up but as you work with the cards, it does peek out more and more. Congrats on that!