Using Tarot for Yes/No Questions PART II - Tarot Spreads for a Yes/No Answer

Merry meet!

This is a continuation of the discussion Using Tarot for Yes/No Questions - Does It Work?. If you’d like to explore the magickal theory of tarot and whether or not it is a good tool for getting straightforward answers, please head over to the original discussion.

If you’d like to experiment with using yes/no tarot spreads, you’re in the right spot! This space is for sharing and using spreads to read tarot for yes/no questions.

Here is a collection of yes/no tarot spreads that were kindly shared by several people in the previous discussion. For those who have a question that needs a yes/no answer or for anyone who wishes to experiment with getting yes/no answers from their tarot decks, here are some methods you might try!


Disclaimer: The spreads shared here were generously shared by individuals with diverse tarot beliefs and practices. Inclusion in this list does not mean that the contributor believes in using tarot for yes/no questions.


  • Ellen Goldberg’s 3-card “Lover’s” Spread:
  • A card orientation-based method shared by @MeganB
  • Eden Gray’s “The Three Aces” 3-card spread for yes/no answers, mentioned by @Artemisia

For yes or no inquiries, after shuffling, turn the cards over one by one facing up and stop when either an Ace is turned or the 13th card, whichever comes first. Once an Ace or the 13th card is drawn, move on to start a second pile to the right of the first pile. Again, stop at either an Ace or, if no Ace is drawn before the 13th card, then up to the 13th card. Continue until three piles are formed. If no Aces are drawn, the question cannot be answered. One upright Ace indicates a “Yes.” One reversed Ace indicates a “No.” If there are two Aces, the one to the left reveals the final outcome; the one to the right reveals the immediate outcome. Three Aces mean “Yes,” though reversed Aces suggest setbacks or delays. Gray’s Three Aces spread is one of my favorites for quick questions.

Excerpt from Eden Gray’s Mastering the Tarot

  • Assigning values to the cards and weighing positive/negative/nerutral, shared by @Nikki-Phoenix
  • Using suits to assign meanings to the cards, shared by @Nikki-Phoenix
  • Assigning “yes” and “no” (and sometimes “maybe”) meanings to specific cards.

A list of cards generally meaning yes, shared by @tory
A list of cards meaning yes, no, and maybe by MJ Cullinane’s Beyond the LWB: The Crow Tarot, shared by @Artemisia

Have you used any of the methods above? Do you have a method of your own, or one that you are experimenting with?

Feel free to share your yes/no tarot spreads and reading experiences in the comments below.

Blessed be and happy readings :flower_playing_cards: :sparkles:

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Experimentation time! :woman_scientist:

I’m trying a method based on some of those that were mentioned (such as Ellen Goldberg’s and those mentioned by @Mystique and @MeganB - thank you both! :pray:) that is based on the card orientation.

I’m using The Mystical Manga Tarot as, from the decks I use, its symbolism most closely resembles Rider Waite. My question is a little TMI (it’s will my monthly blood begin today or not - I’m all for the destigmatization of menstruation, but I also know it’s not everyone’s cup of, er, blood, hence the blur!) but it is something that has a very large influence on my day-to-day happenings, is not something I currently know, and will be very easy to determine whether or not the reading was correct.

I shuffled and drew one card:

Since the card is upright, I’m reading it as a “yes”. We shall see :eyes: :+1:

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Oh, fun! I’ll join the experiment :clap: I’ll use the upright/reversed method for determining the answer.

Upright is a “yes” and reversed is a “no”.

My question: “Will it rain during the concert on Sunday?”
→ This will be easy to determine the accuracy, but I won’t have my result until Sunday night :laughing: we’re going to a concert and it’s outdoors!

Well, according to this, the answer is no! :tada: That would be amazing, actually :laughing: because right now, the weather says there’s a 40% chance of rain and it’s going to be chilly!

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I love Tina Gong from Labyrinthos and found 4 yes/no tarot spreads of hers to share.

Common Types of Yes or No Questions

We can break down yes or no questions into several types, and different spreads will be helpful for each of these options. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, but just the most common ones that I’ve seen.

Will [event] happen?
Does [person] like/love/dislike me?
Should I [take an action]?

I might give one a go after I’ve rested today!

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Hello all! I have been following the discussion, and I want to show you my new deck of training cards I got recently! They actually have yes, no, and maybe imprinted on the cards! I ordered them from either Amazon or Temu. I can’t remember off the top of my head. Here’s a picture!

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I’m not quite sure my question fits neatly into these 4 different spreads but I tried it anyway.

Question: Am I getting sick with a cold/flu/bug?


Well… :rofl:


I decided to try the Three Aces Spread and got no Aces - so my question can not be answered.

I’ll guess we’ll see either way tomorrow!

Kinda fun trying these out. I’m not much for yes/no spreads, but it’s entertaining to experiment.

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This is interesting… at least from a lurking standpoint (:see_no_evil_monkey: ).

I would think (danger) that any hard answer that doesn’t require intuition would simply depend on the odds. I guess that might mean the ones that use a spread would be better.

This is blurred because Bry got to blur her stuff and I’m jealous… also in sympathy for our ridiculous mores about natural functions. But I still refuse to shop for Tampons :rofl:

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@BryWisteria Misery card. How apt!

@MeganB Have fun at the concert! It looks like your group will be working together to make a good time.

@Artemisia Keep up with your Tylenol: hopefully, it will ease the symptoms enough to pass you by smoothly. I get this from the “What to Know” Death card: kill the germs!

@dan3 (blur) :rofl: Can’t blame you there!

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The results are in and the answer to my question was: No. This means that my interpretation of an upright Nine of Swords as a yes was incorrect. Oh well!

(Footnotes & Disclaimers)

I do want to note, however, that I’ve been fighting a raging hormonal war in my skull for the past couple days. And if we’re talking about headaches and internal stress, I think the Nine of Swords - a card of the mind, anxiety, and suffering - sums that up terribly well :sweat_smile: So while the yes/no aspect didn’t click, I do think the card that appeared matched the situation.

This is followed with the disclaimer that I don’t believe this result invalidates the method/spread used nor do I think one single result should be used to disprove the experiment (using tarot for yes/no questions). Taking what I learned from everyone’s wonderful insights in the other discussion, I really do think that using tarot for yes/no questions depends on multiple factors, including the deck and the spread being used. Additionally, we all know that everyone’s paths are unique - what works or resonates for one practitioner doesn’t necessarily work for another. At the end of the day, this is just an exploration of my own practice, being shared in case it’s of interest or use to someone else.


TLDR: As a conclusion for this experiment, I’m going to say that my Mystical Manga Tarot deck does not vibe with one-card, orientation-based yes/no readings.

I’ll be doing another experiment with a different deck and spread. All in the name of tarot science! :woman_scientist: :tada:

Thanks for following along and an extra big thank you to those sharing their own tarot experiments (tarotxperiments? New word? :laughing:). I can’t wait to see and hear about your results! :blush: :heart:

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Looks like the card and the weather app are in agreement for the moment - I’m crossing my fingers and hoping for the “no” result, too! Hope you have a blast at the concert this weekend :guitar: :blush: :musical_notes:

This is a boon! :star_struck: Thank you for sharing these, Artemisia! :pray: :heart:

That’s really helpful to have the meaning right there on the cards. This looks like a great deck to help learn the cards! Happy readings :blush: :flower_playing_cards:

Yay! I’m glad you’re having fun too - experimenting with the cards is pretty exciting :grin: Sorry to hear you’re feeling under the weather, though! Keep staying hydrated and I hope whatever it is passes along quietly. Be healthy and well! :heart:

I’m leaning toward this too. Nothing against one-card daily draws or readings, of course, but it seems like tarot is all about providing information, and the more cards on the table, the more information we get. I’m excited to try again to get a yes/no answer with a spread that uses more cards! We’ll see what happens :grin:

Hahaha that got a chuckle out of me this morning! :joy: :handshake: The blurs are kind of fun, aren’t they? And nothing wrong with not wanting to shop for Tampons - the feminine personal care aisle can be an intimidating place, even for those who find themselves there often! Solidarity, my friend!

Apt indeed! Here’s to hoping it won’t turn up again in today’s readings - I’ve had enough of the Nine of Swords energy :joy:

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Following up on my experiment. There weren’t really clear answers on the two spreads for my question, but to be fair, my experiment was flawed from the start. I was already not feeling good, so my answer was already apparent, even if I didn’t want to admit it. I think my next try does need to be something I don’t already suspect the answer to, and is something that I can’t (easily) affect the outcome. :thinking:

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Thank you, Georgia! We’re taking our daughter (she’s 12) to her first concert – bonus points because it’s someone from my teen years who’s doing a greatest hits tour, and our daughter loves their music, too! Now, we just have to wait and see if my reading is correct or not :laughing: hopefully, I’m right!

Thank you! I’m sure, rain or shine, we’ll have so much fun!

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