My General Spread
Every reader has their go to spread and I am no different. I mainly work with two – this general nine-card spread and the Celtic Cross. My intuition generally decides which one to use. Sometimes I will think I am going to use one and yet when I go to lay out the cards I am drawn to a different focus point. That probably requires a little explanation. For the most part, I read at my desk. If my eye is drawn to the top left hand corner of my reading area I know I am going to use this spread. If I find myself focusing on the centre of the space, Celtic Cross it is.
So what’s the difference? Well, for me, the Celtic Cross helps me understand what’s going on whereas the General Spread helps me see a way forward. It’s a more pro-active spread. I feel like I’m writing a lot of clarifiers already but here’s another one.
Every spread is a pro-active spread in that for a spread to be of benefit something needs to happen as a result. That something doesn’t have to be a physical action though. For example, feeling better about yourself or a decision you’ve made is something. Understanding what is driving a certain situation, or making the decision to let go of a situation, thought, or idea is something too. Why I say this is specifically a pro-active spread is because I draw three cards to directly explore “What action I can take?”
Layout
What I like about the General Spread
The main advantage of this spread is its flexibility. Having looked for any stand out connections, repeat numbers, suit dominance, the number of Major Arcana etc, I read across the each line using a basic past, present, and potential approach. Then I start to look at the stories that are presenting when I read top to bottom, bottom to top, and along the diagonals. As is my usual style, I also look to the bottom and top of the pile.
Below I’ll briefly share how I interpret this spread.
Brief sample reading
Background:
If you are reading this there is a chance there is a message here for you, (there was for me), but remember this is a general reading to show how I interpret this spread. The deck I am using is the Gregory Scott Tarot.
Reading the general spread
Initial observations:
- Pentacles dominate so this is likely about work or the general everyday lived experience.
- Two aces and the prominent position of the Ace of Pentacles as the centre of the spread.
- Movement from XV The Devil to XX Judgement
- My initial reaction to seeing the 2 of Swords was huh? However, since the overall energy of the spread is positive I am seeing this as the overcoming of indecision and seeing action as a way of overcoming the overwhelm. Looking at the diagonal of 6 of Pentacles, Ace of Pentacles and 2 of Swords reinforces this.
- Love the general story that the bottom card, (4 of Pentacles – really trying to hold on), and the top card, (Ace of Cups – focusing on what you love), express.
- The dominant card for me is the Ace of Pentacles which is literally sitting on the top of the King of Pentacles. If you’re a Taurean, like me, then the King of Pentacles is the card that represents you in the Minor Arcana, so I would take note.
Line by line:
Top line – What I know / Where I’m at now
The Devil in the recent past suggests feeling quite trapped and unable to find a way forward. (How awesome is this Devil card in this deck for representing this aspect?) You can also see clearly the idea of being trapped by addictive behaviours. Remember though, that those behaviours can take many different forms.
It is followed with the 3 of Wands, which shows an awareness of the way forward. An understanding of the lane you want to follow. The lion on this card makes me think of the Strength card and following your strengths. This stands out as an important aspect since it appears above the Ace of Pentacles. As you can see pretty quickly, readings are fluid. I don’t just stay on the line and ignore connections that stand out. Seeing the 2 of Swords in the potential position suggests the need to be true to the decision you make.
2nd line: What action can you take?
The Devil sitting above the Queen of Wands suggests having difficulty finding the right way to express yourself. Notice the presence of the lion again. It is great to see that moving forward there is much more confidence and understanding in the best way forward especially since this card moves into the Ace of Pentacles and the idea of gifts and their practical application. The line concludes with Judgement – a Major Arcana card – a call to be the best version of yourself. Since it is in the potential position it suggests you have evaluated who you are and what you want, and so you are going to take action. This is a potential though. Others call this the outcome. Either way, you need to take action, but it looks very promising.
Final line – Message / Advice
The final line advises to focus on what it is you want to give and receive and how you want to present yourself to the world. Here the Queen of Cups suggests to make sure that you remain kind to yourself and others in the process.
Additional messages (vertical and diagonal rows and other things that stand out):
The first vertical line (XV The Devil, Queen of Wands, 6 of Pentacles) suggests that either the balance between give and take has been uneven. So, rather than presenting yourself how you would like to, you have been trapped by the weight of expectation. This could be very much of your own making because this is a habit that you find hard to break. Therefore you focus on the needs of others rather than your own needs.
The second vertical line stands out and it is great to see it in the present. Take ownership of your gifts and what you have to work with and share it with the world. In owning what you have to give and putting it out there, your gifts can bring financial success.
The final vertical line combined with the diagonal (XV The Devil, Ace of Pentacles, Queen of Cups) is interesting. It suggests the need to balance how much you live your life in service to others. It is important to recognise your gifts and realise that you have something to offer. You don’t need to stay beholden to people-pleasing but don’t abandon those you care about either. It is all about finding the balance and living true to who you are. It is okay to be someone that really wants to be there for, and help, others. But it is also important to acknowledge that you are worthy of the same care.
The Ace of Pentacles in the middle suggests recognising an opportunity, or being presented with one, that has the potential to elevate you to a way of life that truly aligns with who you are.
The Story Summary:
I use the bottom and top card to give me an overview of the story. It’s like a snapshot of the story arc and I take that into account when I am interpreting the spread. Here it is pretty clear that there is movement from a sense of barely holding on, or clamouring for something that feels out of reach, to focusing on what it is you love. Rather than struggling to work out what will bring financial rewards focus on what brings feelings of love and contentment.
Another way to consider this is to look at the top card as where your focus is and the bottom card as where it should be.
Final Comments:
This is by no means an exhaustive examination of the information that I can draw from this spread. But, I feel it is enough to give you an idea of how to interpret this layout.
Sometimes I add oracle cards but I don’t do it often because it becomes a really big spread both physically and as information to take in. When there are too many cards to focus on it is possible to skim over messages rather than taking the time to really explore what is in front of you.
Honestly, sometimes less is more. It can encourage you to ask more questions. Take the story overview, 4 of Pentacles and Ace of Cups as an example. Some of the questions that come to mind are, “How is the 4 of Pentacles representing me. Am I scrambling after a few coins, recognition, or worrying that I might be burned if I don’t keep striving?
It’s interesting that generally the 4 of Pentacles suggests holding on to something. Here it feels more about trying to get something. Another question could be do I feel I’m slipping away from something? If so what? Does the Ace of Cups provide a clue. Are you worried that what you love is slipping away from you? Or do you fear that if you follow what you love, you have to sacrifice income? If you focus solely on the Ace of Cups you could ask, what does an overflowing cup look like to you? What would fill your cup and is it worth striving for? There is a lot you can pull from these cards once you start asking the questions.
I’ll wrap up the story presented in this example of the General Spread there. But before I do, I want to point out the two queens and the king. Who are these people? They can all be representing you but they can also be people around you. For example is the Queen of Wands someone that is always stealing your thunder and trying to block you from what it is you want? Is the King of Pentacles someone who sees what you are putting out into the world and has offered you a position? Or is it someone you respect encouraging you to start a business and share your gifts with the world?
For the most part, because of the Aces, two, three, and four, I see that things are in the early stages, but it looks good. The XX Judgement card suggests that it is something you have been working towards for a while. If this resonated with you personally I’m glad to see that you’re finally being recognised and being given the help you need to step into the highest version of yourself.
If you try my General Spread, let me know how you find it.
Deck used:
Gregory Scott Tarot created by Gregory Scott. You can check out his You Tube channel by clicking here.
4 Comments
Elena
Hi Mel,
I’m very interested in reading tarot this way, and am trying to slowly teach myself to read with this method, but there’s so much information, I get overwhelmed! I like to journal and record my readings, and I think this part is part of the problem. How do I record all of what I see? How do I know what is most important for me to focus on and what is not?
I really do appreciate you sharing this spread with us, along with your take on things. Do you journal and/or record your readings to go back to? Do you have any advice for me?
Mel
Hi Elena, lovely to hear from you. It really can be a case of information overload with big spreads, but the beauty of journaling is that you can return to it in stages. Start with a row at a time – digest the information, then move on as you feel ready. Or pick a particular aspect to focus on to get used to working that way. For example, are the people looking at each other, away from each other, the number of people on each card, etc and write about what that means to you. This will help you to see what approaches speak to you and what you don’t draw personal meaning from.
I do journal my readings, although sometimes I break my own intentions. But it feels like it is always the ones I don’t journal that I want to refer back to. I feel the benefit to journaling though is that it slows me down. But more on that later. My readings journal is very simple. I look at people’s beautiful layouts and I think I’d love to do that but I know I would get caught up in the pretty and not end up having time for my reading. So, I keep it simple and easy. That reduces some of the overwhelm too. I just need my journal and my black pen.
I start with the date, then I put my question in a box, even if it is an overall general reading. I find that is a great way to keep me focused on what I actually asked. Beneath the box I always write the deck/s I used and then the layout of the spread I was working with. If I alter the wording of one of the lines in the general spread, I will note what each line represents. For example, I might change the middle row to challenges. That is the beauty of the spread for me – it is so customisable. This ensures I can always recreate the spread. This can be a very valuable practice to do occasionally.
Then I start writing my interpretations. I start with general quick overview observations, such as no cups, 3 Kings, predominant majors or whatever really jumps out at me. Then I start along the rows but I naturally cast an eye over what is going on in the surrounding cards. They can really help make sense of a card that doesn’t seem to fit. Sometimes my writing is fairly short but generally I find that because the writing slows the process down I uncover so much more. I find when I don’t write it is easy for me to fall into what I call “keyword stories”. I get the gist of the reading’s message but not the deeper understanding that writing can bring.
Plus, if something isn’t clicking for me I’ll write something like, “What is the Ace of Cups trying to tell me?” and then I write whatever answer comes to me. This often helps me uncover the reason for the block or it points me towards an association I haven’t noticed. Often my journaling feels like I am taking dictation and I write whatever I hear. I don’t edit. That would be something I would really advise. Don’t edit anything that comes. Sometimes I don’t want to write what I hear, but I write it anyway. Other times it doesn’t make sense or it seems irrelevant, especially if something has distracted me. I write it anyway, even if it feels as if it has nothing to do with the reading. Generally I discover it does.
In regards to what is relevant and what isn’t I think that is a feel thing. But generally if I notice something I trust it has meaning. I don’t always use directionality for example but when it really stands out to me then I know it is important. The same is true about every aspect, colour, the animals, the sky, the numerology, the astrology, the number of people and so on. If I notice it I jot it down. Oftentimes it makes sense later on and it seems so obvious I wonder why I didn’t make the connection. I generally believe we notice what we need to notice at the time though.
The beauty of journaling is that you can always recreate the spread and look at it with fresh eyes and through the lens of new information and see what comes out. It can help things to just click.
Since this is getting really long I’ll stop there but please feel free to email me with any questions or to discuss anything. Click here or go to the Contact me tab on the website to email me.
Kim Dillbeck
Hello. I came here after doing a web search on the Oriens Animal Tarot, and your review popped up. I’ve been exploring your site and I just wanted to say that I am really enjoying it. I’m loving reading the insights that you have in your reviews of decks and I also really love This first spread that I read of yours out of your listed Tarot spreads. What an amazing way to read. I have a question about how you’re interpreting the vertical lines. You mentioned the middle vertical as being in the present so are you also reading the vertical lines as past, present, future? What about the diagonals? Anyways, thanks for putting the time and energy into doing this blog. I know it takes a lot of work to do such detailed reviews and such insightful posts.
Cheers,
Kim
Mel
Hi Kim,
What a lovely comment to wake up and read. Thank you.
In regards to the spread, I do read the vertical lines as past, present, future but my wording is more along the lines of “past – how I got here, where this came from,” and the “future as where my current actions/thoughts etc (dependent upon the middle cards) are leading me.” I realise they are saying the same thing but sometimes I feel just thinking past suggests it’s over. But, I believe it has such a strong influence on how we are acting now. And yes, I do read the diagonals in the same way – as an unfolding story.
The beauty of this spread for me is its adaptability. For example, another option I frequently use now is to look at the middle row as “What I don’t see/am not seeing” as a way to explore additional possibilities I haven’t considered and/or potential blocks.
Once again thanks for your kind words. They meant a lot. Have a wonderful day.