The three-card spread is the golden classic of Tarot. It is easy for a beginner yet gives a rich answer, showing a situation as it develops. You can try it right now: the Tarot three-card spread online is free and needs no registration.
The meaning of the three positions
The classic scheme is past, present and future. The first card reveals the roots of the situation and what led to the current state. The second describes the present: current forces, mood and circumstances. The third points to the likely outcome if events continue on the same course. The same scheme can be adapted: βsituation β obstacle β adviceβ or βbody β mind β soulβ.
How to link the cards
The main art in Tarot is reading cards in combination, not separately. See how the energy of the first card flows into the second and third. For example, the Eight of Cups (walking away) in the past, the Star (hope) in the present and the Sun (success) in the future form a story: you left the hard times behind, found hope and are moving toward joy.
Upright and reversed cards
A reversed position changes the shade of meaning β weakening, inverting or turning it into a warning. In the βfutureβ position a reversed card hints at what to watch so the forecast turns out well. Remember: the future in Tarot is a tendency, not a verdict.
What questions it suits
The spread is universal: relationships, work, personal decisions. If you need deeper analysis, move on to the Celtic Cross. The card meanings are always at hand in the Tarot reference.
Open the three-card spread and lay out the cards.
