In order to give order and structure to a tarot card reading, you should use a layout or spread. This directs the energy of the cards towards certain times (past, present, future) or areas of your life (relationships, money) and enables a more meaningful reading. There are probably as many spreads as there are tarot decks, but a quick guide to two spreads is given below, a basic 3-card layout and a more advanced cross layout.

Prior to laying out the cards, you should clear your mind of any unsolved questions or preconceived ideas (easy to say, I know!). Ask the person for whom the reading is being made (the subject) to shuffle the cards well. This re-attunes the cards to the subject. The cards are then dealt by the interpreter, face-down, and turned over at the time of the interpretation.

Traditionally, you should never analyse a tarot reading for yourself. This is considered unlucky, resulting in a confused reading. Tradition also warns against frivolous card readings, saying that the answers you get may not be what you expect. Try to have a question in mind when you are asking for a reading to make the results more focused.