Sometimes you want to quickly understand what is happening in life as a whole, without diving into a single question. The "Main Questions" spread is perfect for this. You can try it right now: the Tarot "Main Questions" spread online is free and needs no registration.
Four areas of life
The spread shows a snapshot of four key areas. The first card is work: your projects, career and current tasks. The second is relationships: feelings, close ties, the atmosphere in a couple. The third is money: your financial state and material prospects. The fourth is health and vitality. Together they give an honest panorama of the present moment.
What the quintessence is
The fifth card of the spread — the quintessence — is not drawn at random but calculated from the sum of the numeric values of the drawn cards, reduced to one of the 22 Major Arcana. This is an ancient technique that produces a "summary card" — a symbol that unites the whole spread into one meaning. The quintessence answers the question "what is the essence of all this?".
How to read the spread
First consider each area separately, taking into account the upright or reversed position of the card. Then notice which areas "sound" stronger — that is where energy is focused now. Finally read the quintessence: it sets the overall tone and suggests the main lesson of the period. If the quintessence is bright (the Sun, the Star, the World), the overall background is favorable even if individual areas are tense.
When to use it
The spread is great for a regular life "check-up" — say, once a week or at the start of a month. For a specific deep question the Celtic Cross is better, and card meanings are always at hand in the Tarot reference.
Open the "Main Questions" spread and do a reading.
