Eliphas Levi Wheel Spread

Eliphas Levi didn't invent this spread, but it is based on his Tarot Wheel. To do this spread, compose a question. Take the Major Arcana only and shuffle. Draw five cards at random, one at a time, and lay them down.

Card Details:

Card 1: Present Situation: Forces and influences immediately affecting the question. Consider people, thoughts and feelings, events and circumstances.

Card 2: Warning Influences: Obstacles that have been overcome, aid that has come to an end, changes in emotion, energy, outlook, goals, and such.

Card 3: Hidden or Unconscious Influences: What we repress or fail to recognize does not disappear, but finds other ways of expression. Here, we find the stuff that usually surfaces in dreams; yearnings, fears, desires, our deepest and darkest secrets. These are fragments floating in a sea of our unconscious, waiting to be reintegrated into our waking lives.

Card 4: Emerging Influences: New factors looming on the horizon. Again, consider people, thoughts, feelings, events and circumstances.

Card 5: Synthesis: What is needed to reconcile and unify the other four factors.

Pentagram Spread

This sort of reading is excellent for focusing on a singular issue you may be facing in your life, such as Questions about your job specifically or your love life, questions about what may be going on in your life that is the root of your problems and many other forms of questions that you would want a more focused and detailed answer. A reading like this not only gives you a picture of what you are looking at in as far as events in your life, but too can show you precisely where to focus on the issues and what perhaps you can do. In the aspect of elemental balancing this can call attention to either over or under activity in your life and too can aid you in focusing and fixing the problem. Card Details:
Card 1: The Significator: In many Tarot card readings, the reader selects what's called a Significator card to represent the Querent -- the person for whom the reading is being done. In some traditions, the Significator is selected based on personal appearance. However, for this reading, you should choose a card out of the Major Arcana based on the issues in the Querent's life. Card 2:The Earth-Keeping Grounded:The second card in this deck is the Earth card. The element of Earth is associated with stability and security, and so this card indicates the overall issues surrounding the Querent's question.

• What is keeping them in place, or even holding them back?

• Are there forces at play here that are preventing them from moving forward?

• In other words, what is it that has made the situation stagnant?

Card 3:Air-The winds of Influence: The third position is the aspect of Air. Traditionally, Air is related to inspiration and communication. In this layout, this position signifies what other people are telling the Querent --

• Are there people providing a positive influence, or are they dragging the Querent down with negative messages?

• What sort of external forces are influencing the Querent's life right now?

Card 4:Fire-The ultimate destroyer: The fourth card in this reading is the element of Fire, which embodies strong will and energy. Fire can both create and destroy --

• Is the Querent subconsciously sabotaging their own goals?

• What sort of internal conflicts are at play here?
  

This is the card which shows the Querent's self-doubts and misapprehensions. Card 5:Water-Tides of Intuition:Position five is the Water card, and Water is typically associated with the powers of the Goddess. This is the element of wisdom and intuition, and ultimately, this is where the Querent will find what their intuition is telling them.

• What can they learn from this situation?

• How can they adapt their current circumstances to meet their future needs and goals?

Card 6:Spirit-The whole self:Finally, the sixth card is the card of Spirit. This is the whole self, the culmination of the journey, and what all the other cards are leading up to. Look at the previous four cards, representing the four elements, and see what they tell you. They are chapters in a book, but this card is the last page --

• How will things be resolved if the Querent remains on his present path?

• What, ultimately, will be the end result of all the internal and external influences on the Querent's issue?

More details on:
http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/tarot/ss/Pent_Tarot.htm

4 card spread

One of the best Tarot spreads for a simple yes/no question is the four card tarot spread.
What’s a yes/no question? If you were wondering about your career and your question was something like “Will I get the job I just interviewed for?”, then the 4 Card Tarot Spread is a great layout to use. If you have less information and are looking for an overview like “What is the best suited career area for me?”, then it’s better to use the Work Horseshoe or a longer spread.

With this spread, four cards are chosen and laid out in a straight horizontal line. The first card represents the Past, the background or history behind this issue.

The second card in this tarot spread stand for the Present, what is currently happening and influencing this issue.

The third card is the Future, and speaks of all the choices and influences coming that will impact this issue.

The fourth and last card in this Tarot spread is Outcome and shows what will most likely occur, provided you continue on the path you are on.

Like with every Tarot spread, it is important to remember that this Tarot layout is just a suggestion for the future and that ultimately, you can create the life that you want.

Past,present,future spread

It is also known as a simple 3 card spread.

Card 1:Past

Card 2:Present

Card 3:Future

Yes or No Spread

• For the times when you need only a simple yes or no, all you have to do is shuffle your cards, and think of your question.

• Then count out the cards, stopping when you get to the thirteenth card.

• Turn that one face up. Repeat this until you have gone through the entire deck and have 6 face up cards.

• Count the number of cards that are in the upright positions. If four to six cards are upright, the answer is yes.

• If two to four cards are upright, the question is is leaning in your favor but is not a definite yes.

• If less that two cards are upright, the answer is no.

One Card Spread

The simplest of the sample Tarot spreads. Feel the power of one - the One Card Draw!

The One Card Draw is a great place to start exploring Tarot. With one card, it is easily the most simple yet versatile of the Tarot spreads. Too often, this Tarot spread is ignored for more thorough layouts.

1. Speed.
One Card Draws are fast to master and quick to read. Using the One Card Draw as a regular Tarot spread means that mentally, you don't have to commit a lot of time to practicing. This Tarot spread is easy to fit it almost any time of the day, giving you more options for when to practice.

2. Simplicity.
Choosing one of the easy Tarot spreads means you can give your full attention to the cards. A One Card Draw seems a little boring but it allows you to be exposed to the raw meaning of the Tarot. It's a great way to get a strong message straight from the Tarot.

It can be a way to...·
further your skills in interpreting Tarot cards,
learn more about an issue,
discover patterns in a relationship,
understand archetypes,
meditate on a Tarot card...

With the One Card Draw, there are no limits to what you can discover! How to get started reading the One Card Draw?

With this sample Tarot spread, like with the others, the crucial point is to have a clear objective. What do you want to know? Are you using this as a tool to explore the Tarot? Do you want to draw a card in the morning to guide your day? Is there a friend you're concerned about?

• Take the deck of Tarot cards in your hands, and be conscious of your goal.

• After you have shuffled the cards, fan them out and pick your card.

• Lay it in front of you and give it the power of your focus.

• Think about the meaning of the card, and more importantly, what the card means to you.

• Take that meaning and explore it within the scope of your question.

Some observations:
Occasionally, you'll get two for the price of one. If a second card comes with the first, it can be for several reasons. Maybe you wanted to know about more than one thing. Perhaps your answer needed some extra info for balance.

If you're asking a question and your One Card draw makes no sense to you...draw again. Reshuffle, maintain your focus on what you want to know, and find another card. Study it, alone and with the original card. Look for patterns between the two.

Examine your expectations. Life is about choice. If you were hoping to get a simple 'yes' or 'no' result to make a decision, flipping a coin works better. Tarot shows you options and patterns - you get more information with which to make your choices.

The beauty in the One Card Draw is in its simple form. It can still pack a punch though!