Spread

The pattern cards are laid in, each position carrying its own meaning.

A spread is the pattern you lay cards in, where each position carries a fixed meaning. The position frames the card: the same card reads differently as “the past” than as “the outcome.” Choosing a spread is choosing the questions you'll ask.

Spreads range from a single card for a quick gut-check, through the three-card past-present-future, to the ten-card Celtic Cross for a question you want to examine from every side. Start small — most readings need far fewer cards than beginners expect.

Related terms

• Three-Card Spread
• Celtic Cross
• Position
• Querent

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