Using a spread that works for you

There is no right or wrong spread to use for dailies… rather, I think it’s all about choosing one that applies best to what a daily reading means to you. Or don’t use a spread at all and let the cards speak however they want to. However, in my experience (personal and through observation), I’ve found that doing a free draw, while non-restrictive and great for a general outlook, can sometimes have the backfiring effect of going all over the place. This part is where I most often see beginners becoming discouraged with their daily reading practice. If that’s your problem, it might help to narrow things down a bit.

Personally, for me, I draw the cards however I feel I need or want that day- with or without position meanings. However, throughout the years, I’ve come to favor a few “spreads” that works best for me when I’m looking for something more “guided” or specific. These aren’t completely general free draws without spread positions, but I also don’t like restricting the draws entirely with designated positions… so I find a balance between the two. Here’s the gist of it:

Card 1: The overall theme. I like to keep one card free of any “designated position meanings” so as not to confine the reading. I find that this card will often tell me the theme of the reading- sometimes it talks about the overall day while other times it may pinpoint one specific incident of the day. Leaving the position open allows my dailies to touch upon whatever message is most important without restrictions.

Card 2 and 3: What these two cards mean will vary depending on what I’ve assigned to the spread positions, but the general idea is that these two will both support Card 1. They could help weave the reading, give more information, narrow down the reading, give advice, or pinpoint the issues. Assigning the position meanings here will depend on what you prefer or want from the reading, but either way, I often find these 2 cards to be a great balance for the general feel that Card 1 gives.

The great thing about this kind of layout is that it’s flexible from day to day, while giving both a general and detailed view. Next is some of the ways that can be utilized for this spread.

Weaving the tale…

The top 3 position meanings I like to designate for Card 2 and 3 are:

• Inner - Outer: This is my favorite and probably the one I use most if I’m assigning positions. These could mean things that happen internally vs externally, thoughts vs action, mind vs body, etc. In many cases, I find this one great for telling me about my mood, emotions, or thoughts for the Inner position. For the Outer position, it can either be things I’m doing, my interactions with other people, or stuff that comes at me.
• What I Need to Know - What I Need to Do: This is nice for a general daily for connecting with yourself. Sometimes it helps pinpoint outstanding issues occurring at the time, while other times, it serves to give your day a bit of focus. I like this one for when I’m feeling murky, confused, lack motivation, or just in need of a direction.
• What I Should Do or Act - What I Shouldn’t Do or Act: This one, I like for when I want or need an advice for the day. It’s especially great for when I have something planned out and want a bit of an outlook or warning. Often times, I’ve found that it actually pinpointed some issue that would creep up during the day. The cards then serve as a warning or advice on how to approach the issue. Of course, I’ve also found that in the heat of the moment, the advice gets blown out the window anyway… and then only in hindsight do I remember and say, “Damn, I should have remembered what the cards said!” (lol)

The above is really a very basic look at the positions. In truth, you can weave the reading in many ways by paying attention to how the cards interact with each other. Sometimes, one is the cause of the other or you might find that one explains the other, etc.

For example, I could say something like, “My overall theme of the day seems to be a state of being unproductive or blah… perhaps it’s because internally, I’m daydreaming too much, which in turn is making me feel like I’m juggling a whole lot of stuff but getting nothing done.”

The above is just one way to read things. Through experimenting with the different ways to read the cards, it can really give a detailed insight on the draw. It’s all about how you relate one card to the next. An individual card would have its own meanings and its own story, but mixing that story together with another card’s is how your story can take on different flavors. It’s like people, the chemistry and story that is shared between them.

The same approach could also be used for daily draws with no position meanings. In this case, I usually just flip 3 cards in succession from left to right instead of starting from the middle. I still do read the middle card as being the main focus though. It helps tie in the whole message and will often hold the answer if a conflict is present.

To sum it up, it doesn’t matter if you choose to do a daily with position assignments or not. I do, however, think knowing where to focus is helpful. Some people can find the root of a reading regardless how they lay their cards or how many they draw. Others prefer or need to have a guided method to keep the focus. The key is to find one that works for you, and that’s something that can change or evolve as you become more familiar with your cards as well.

Some final miscellaneous tips

One thing to note is that a daily draw, at the end of the day, can be quite different from an actual reading. Keeping a few things in mind may help clarify some issues that you might come across.

• Life shifting issues and catastrophes don’t happen every day. Yes, on occasion, something big will happen but in most cases, it’s not a daily thing. So if you see the Death card, it could really end up being something mundane like needing to do some spring cleaning. I’ve talked a little bit about Tarot and the mundane stuff before, but in short, you’ll find that a lot of the cards need to be knocked down a few notches in terms of seriousness. It may be hard in the beginning, but the upside is that you’ll eventually learn a large variety of ways to view the cards.
• Pay attention if the same cards are creeping up. Daily reading or not, sometimes it’s trying to tell you a bigger message than what your day will be like. It’s like the cards’ way of telling you to pay attention because you’re either missing the message or something more important is happening during this time that you should or need to know. Other times, it could be a recurring theme that’s going on in your life that is spanning longer than just a day. When this happens, it’s sometimes useful to do a separate reading to clarify its message.
• Look at the pictures. This is true for all readings, but I’ve found the case to be even more so for dailies. It’s also a good exercise for letting the cards speak about mundane stuff. In short, sometimes you might that the pictures in the card is enacting the way your day will play out regardless whether the traditional meaning you know matches up or not. For example, I’ve had Strength speak of dentist visits quite a few times in the past.
• Don’t read too much into it. This goes hand in hand with the first point. It’s tempting to read grand messages into the cards sometimes, wanting to fit what the cards are saying into something that may be happening to us at the time. Perhaps it’s a desire, a worry, or plain hope. Whatever it may be, don’t fall into that trap of letting your daily draw be the say-all for that because the cards could have very well been talking about something else entirely. When in doubt, throw a spread for the issue. Basically, don’t rely on the daily for something larger than the daily!

There are several other general things I apply when doing readings, but the above is especially applicable to note for daily readings I think. I hope this has been useful for those interested in daily readings with the Tarot. Some of the stuff can be applied for dailies using other systems too- again, it all depends on what works for you. Happy reading! :)

* How do you approach your daily readings? What works best for you? Do share!

Comments: 2