16 free spreads · 2 to 13 cards · online readings
Tarot spreads
A tarot spread is a layout where each card position answers part of your question. Pick a spread that fits what you want to know, see what every position means, and deal a free reading right on the page.
Quick tarot spreads for any question
Short layouts of two or three cards. Use them for everyday questions, a morning check-in, or when you’re still learning the cards.
Love and relationship tarot spreads
For a crush, a new connection, an ex or a long-term partner. Each one looks at both people, beyond the yes or no you hope for.
Career and decision tarot spreads
For job changes, stuck projects and choices between two paths. These spreads end on a practical next step.
In-depth and self-reflection spreads
Bigger layouts for one important question, or for taking a harder look at yourself. Give these time and write your notes down.
Month, year and moon phase spreads
Readings tied to the calendar. Draw them at the start of a month, on your birthday, or at the new and full moon, then look back to see how they played out.
- Month Ahead Tarot A theme for the month and a card for each week.
- Year Ahead Tarot A card for every month of the coming year.
- Birthday Tarot Close one year of your life and set a theme for the next.
- New Moon Tarot Set an intention for the next four weeks.
- Full Moon Tarot Review your progress and let go of what's done.
Three-card tarot spread ideas
Three cards are enough for most questions. Use any of these sets of positions with your own deck, or deal them in our free three-card reading and read the cards in this order.
Crush or new connection
- What they notice about you
- What’s possible between you
- What to do next
Rough patch with a partner
- What’s going on underneath
- What each of you needs
- One step toward each other
Job search
- What employers see in you
- What’s holding you back
- Where to look next
Money worries
- A habit to change
- A strength to build on
- Your first practical step
Friendship
- What this friendship gives you
- What it needs from you
- How to keep it healthy
Week ahead
- The theme of the week
- Your main focus
- Something to watch for
Moving on after a breakup
- What to release
- What you learned
- What’s ready to begin
Feeling stuck
- Where you’re stuck
- Why it feels safe to stay
- What gets you moving
How to do a tarot reading with any spread
- Write a clear question. “What do I need to know about this job offer?” works better than “What about my career?”
- Shuffle until it feels done. There is no right number of shuffles. Some people cut the deck into three piles and stack them again.
- Lay the cards in order. Place them face down in the spread’s positions, then turn them over one at a time.
- Read each card in its position. The Tower as advice means “let it fall”; as an outcome it means a sudden change. Check our tarot card meanings for any card you don’t know.
- Look at the whole spread. Lots of Cups means feelings are leading. Several Major Arcana cards mean the situation is bigger than it looks. Many reversed cards point to delays or inner work.
- Sum it up and decide on an action. Say the story of the reading in two sentences, then decide one thing you’ll do. Note the date so you can look back later.
Good questions to ask the cards
Tarot works best with open questions about what you can understand or change. Questions about exact dates, other people’s private choices or medical and legal outcomes are better taken to a real person.
| Instead of asking | Try asking |
|---|---|
| Will he text me? | What do I need to understand about this connection? |
| Will I get the job? | What can I do to give myself the best chance? |
| When will I meet someone? | What is keeping me from meeting the right person? |
| Is my partner cheating? | What is behind the distance I’m feeling, and how can I raise it? |
| Should I quit? | What would each choice bring me over the next six months? |
How many cards should a tarot spread have?
As many as the question needs, and no more. Extra cards add detail, not accuracy.
| Cards | Best for |
|---|---|
| 1 card | A theme, a daily focus or a quick piece of advice |
| 2 cards | A situation and its advice, or two options side by side |
| 3 cards | A simple story: past, present, future or problem, cause, action |
| 4–5 cards | Love, career and monthly readings with a few moving parts |
| 6–7 cards | Decisions and relationships where both sides need a card |
| 10 cards | One big question in depth, like the Celtic Cross |
| 12–13 cards | A month-by-month view of the year ahead |
How to make your own tarot spread
- Start with your question and break it into the three to six smaller questions you’d want answered.
- Give each question a position and a short name, like “the obstacle” or “what helps”.
- Choose a shape that fits the story. A line for time, two columns for a choice, a circle for a cycle.
- Test it a few times and drop any position you keep skipping.
For example, a “should I move?” spread could be: what I’d leave behind, what I’m looking for, what the new place offers, what I’m not seeing, and the advice.
Reversed cards in a spread
Each spread here lets you turn reversals on or off. A reversed card keeps its theme but shows it blocked, delayed or turned inward. If you’re learning, it’s fine to leave them off at first. The reversed tarot cards guide covers the main ways to read them.
Tarot spreads FAQ
Can I read tarot spreads for myself?
Yes. Most readers practice on themselves first. The hard part is staying fair to the cards when you want a certain answer, so write your question down before you shuffle and note what each card says before you decide what it means. Reading it back a week later helps you see what you missed.
What does it mean if a card falls out while shuffling?
Many readers treat a card that jumps out of the deck as a message worth noticing. You can set it aside and read it as an extra card for the spread, or put it back and shuffle on. Decide which habit you prefer and keep to it so your readings stay consistent.
Which tarot spread is the most accurate?
No spread is more accurate than another. Accuracy comes from a clear question and a spread whose positions fit it. A focused three-card reading often says more than a ten-card spread laid out for a vague question.
How long should a tarot reading take?
A one- or two-card reading takes a few minutes. Three to five cards take about ten to twenty minutes if you read slowly and make notes. Big spreads like the Celtic Cross or a year ahead can take half an hour or more, so leave time to look at how the cards connect.
Are online tarot spreads as good as a physical deck?
Our spreads shuffle all 78 cards with your browser’s cryptographic random number generator, which is as random as a well-shuffled deck. What you miss is the feel of shuffling, so take a slow breath and hold your question in mind before you deal.
Can I use these spreads with oracle cards?
Yes. Spread positions are just questions, so they work with any deck. Oracle cards don’t have suits, numbers or reversals, so you’ll read each card from its own guidebook, but the layout and the order of the questions stay the same.