DIY Tarot: How to Come Up With Your Own Personal Tarot Spreads

As a method of guidance and a tool to help navigate us in every area of our lives, Tarot readings are incredibly helpful when it comes to making decisions and trying to find the path that is right for us. 

The window of opportunity may open itself during multiple points in our lives, and very often, we feel befuddled as to which step to take next. Tarot cards are wonderful at helping to assist us on these paths.

However, sometimes we may find that the Tarot spreads available online, in magazines, or in books don’t quite fit the bill with the situation we have or the question we want to ask. Many readers may be familiar with spreads such as the Celtic Cross or the Daily Tarot Card. But there are times when a spread that already exists doesn’t answer the question due to the specifics we have.

That’s when creating your own personal Tarot spreads comes in handy!

Creating your own Tarot spreads is not only very helpful in assisting you in finding more precise answers to your question, but they also give your readings a more personal feel; in other words, better suited to your individual needs and talents as a reader. 

What’s more, once you’ve created one, you can use them over and over again. Soon, you may even have your own little book of personal Tarot spreads!

So, to get started creating one, there are a few things to bear in mind:

Laying Down the Groundwork

First, you need to ask yourself how much information you’re looking to get from this reading. This also completely depends on the type of reader you are. 

Are you the sort of reader who is able to intuitively and methodically gain a lot of information from one card? Or do you require lots of cards to provide you with a clear picture?

Let’s say I wanted to know how the week would pan out for my romantic life. I could ask the question, “What will happen for me romantically during the next week?”

I could pull one card for this, which could give me an overall idea of what will happen. Or I could pull a card for each day of the week – seven cards to show me what will happen on each individual day.

Much of this depends on you as the reader and your own personal preference.

Pinpointing the Specifics

As previously mentioned, the specifics aspect is what makes personal Tarot spreads such a great advantage for the reader. When you think of your question, what exactly is it that you want to know? You may wish to write down the questions you want to be answered within the main question!

For example, let’s say I sent in a business proposal to a company. I am curious to know what more about how my proposal will proceed.

I write down my main question, followed by all the details I’d like more insight about:

1. What does the company think of me? (1 card)
2. What does the company think of the business proposal? (1 card)
3. How does the company feel about the business proposal? (1 card)
4. What are the positives of the business proposal? (1 card)
5. What are the negatives of the business proposal? (1 card)
6. What action will the company take towards me next? (1 card)
7. What action should I take in regard to the proposal next? (1 card)

A 7-card reading is pretty good – not too many and not too few, but we recommend starting with fewer cards if you’re just getting started. If you’d like, you can practice 3-card spreads by checking out our free online readings.

From above, you can see that the questions within the overall question pinpoint the exact things I would like to know, finishing off with advice for me at the end. 

In a way, you’re telling your own story and thinking of how this story will progress. Thinking of it in story-telling terms can help pinpoint the specifics even more. This can be a fun and rewarding exercise, so have your notepad and pen close at hand!

Read this next: Must-Ask Questions for Your Best Tarot Reading

Drawing Out Your Spread

Unless you have a fantastic memory, it is a good idea to draw or sketch out your spread as you envision it.

Taking the above example of the 7-card business proposal spread, there are quite a lot of cards to remember. Illustrating the spread in a notebook (which can be drawn in whichever way is easiest for you to remember) can help while shuffling, as it maintains focus on the question and various points you want to answer.

 Focusing on a drawn-out sheet of paper is also great for concentration while shuffling as it can help block out distractions from noise or anything that catches your eye.

Time to Get Creative with Your Spread

Overall, personal Tarot spreads are a fabulous way to connect with your cards and really individualize them for you. Having your specifics answered can also help to guide and direct you in a way that current spreads cannot. In time, you may even find that you prefer personal Tarot spreads over ones that are suggested to you!

As always with the Tarot, it’s all about practice and letting your intuition guide you. You can get very creative with these Tarot spreads and even inspire other readers to use the ones you created too.

So, what are you waiting for? Try out the methods highlighted in this article and see what you come up with!

Related article: How to Choose a Tarot Deck