Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings

by Barbara Moore

Bring power, precision, and depth to your tarot readings with this helpful and easy-to-use tarot book. It presents techniques usually found only in workshops, plus nearly seventy different themed spreads so you can choose or create the perfect spread for any question or purpose.

Tarot expert Barbara Moore explains what makes a great tarot spread and why, including how the principles of design and psychological response play a part. In addition to simple techniques that will make your readings more fun and more accurate, you will discover new ways to help you create a reading style that is all your own.

--Select a spread and use it effectively for guidance in important areas: love and relationships, achieving goals, spiritual journeys, financial abundance, health, and situation-specific advice--Create your own spreads and modify a classic spread--Perform a 78-card reading to deepen your understanding of tarot

Genres: Tarot, Nonfiction, Spirituality, Divination, Occult, Reference, Witchcraft

248 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2012

About the author

The tarot has been a part of my personal and professional life for nearly twenty years. I first discovered the Tarot in college. Right from the start, the tarot intrigued me with its marvelous blending of mythology, psychology, art, history mystery, and magic.

My education in the tarot has been and continues to be broad and enlightening. I am grateful to have been blessed with the opportunity to study under renowned tarot scholars Mary K. Greer and Rachel Pollack. I have also had the privilege to share the wonders of the tarot with all manner of wide-eyed, would-be tarot readers.

I enjoy giving a voice to tarot cards by writing the books that accompany decks. I have had the good fortune to write books and booklets for several decks, including A Guide to Mystic Faerie Tarot (Llewellyn, July 2007), The Gilded Tarot Companion (Llewellyn, September 2004), The Enchanted Oracle (Llewellyn, September 2008), The Mystic Dreamer Tarot (Llewellyn, September 2008), and Shadowscapes Tarot (Llewellyn, May 2010). Recently, I finished writing a new edition of Tarot for Beginners (Llewellyn, November 2010).

My articles on the tarot have appeared in several tarot publications and in Llewellyn's New Worlds of Mind and Spirit.

Over the years, I have been very active in the tarot community. I am a founding member of the Minnesota Area Tarot Symposium and have spoken at tarot conferences around the United States. In July of 2010, I had the pleasure of attending the Tarot Association of the British Isles (TABI) Annual Conference as keynote speaker.

In addition to teaching tarot classes and providing personal readings, I currently work as a consultant for tarot publishers Llewellyn Worldwide and Lo Scarabeo. I also contribute bi-weekly posts to Llewellyn's Tarot Pathways blog. I am very excited to be working on designing several forthcoming tarot decks as well as another book for tarot newbies on spread design.

Reviews

[Berengaria · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 unabashed stars

short review for busy readers:
Thinking of going professional as a Tarot reader or at least achieving professional grade readings for yourself and others? Then "Tarot Spreads" by Barbara Moore is for you. Not only does it offer insight into what other Tarot books gloss over with a sentence, but offers the reader a new layer of depth to explore with their readings. NOT FOR BEGINNERS!

in detail:
One of the main features of the book are a discussion of the shapes of spreads and what they symbolically or psychologically indicate.

I've often seen other books just gloss over this with a "the pattern of this spread may look illogical, but it isn't. Trust us and just lay the cards like we tell you. Let's move on..."

Moore clearly explains the reasons behind illogical looking patterns, which if you are are a pattern or symbolism thinker, is a great leap in understanding what you're actually doing (vs just doing what you're told). It's like seeing the reading in 3-D when you were used to 2-D.

Blueprints and commentary to almost 70 different spreads, including 10 for 3-card ones!!, are included in the text. As Moore says in the intro, each spread has its strengths and weaknesses, so choosing an appropriate one for any particular question is important.

She also provides ways to tweak individual spreads for more personalisation and gives tips on how to create your own spread. Again, that's all something for those seeking a much higher grade of reading than the average and NOT for beginners.

Moore herself seems level-headed (no woo woo or disaster focusing) and addresses in a pleasant, conversational tone several topics you'd only really hear about if you were "in the community".

For example, that your beliefs influence the answers you get. If you think the future is set, the cards will angle your answer one way. If you think people have the power to change their own lives, it will angle the answer to accommodate that belief. (I've seen evidence of this where Tarot cards seem to take on the biases of the owner over the space of a few years and won't give any answer NOT in that POV, no matter who is working the cards.)

Many readers have their reading ethics set in steel reinforced concrete, but not be aware of how their personal beliefs colour the tone of their readings. (= Fluffy for the cute, cynical for the bitter, inspiring for the dreamer, etc. This just seems realistic to the reader and not like a bias.)

All in all, this book is great value for money and will certainly be of no small help to intermediate readers looking to ramp up their skills.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a title like Tarot Spreads, you expect to find a good selection of spreads in this book, and Barbara Moore does not disappoint. Quickly counting the index of spreads, I came up with 76 spreads, although some of them are variations of each other. But there are several books out there that list tarot spreads. Read this one if you're interested in what goes into the making of a spread. Moore devotes a chapter to discussing the design principles of effective spreads, showing that a spread is more than just the position descriptions, but also conveys meaning through how the cards are positioned. Other chapters walk you through modifying existing spreads to meet your needs and designing your own spreads from scratch. Moore also includes a chapter on techniques: things to do during readings to give you new perspectives on the cards, get unstuck during difficult readings, etc. This book does not talk about what the cards mean or the structure of a tarot deck, so it wouldn't work as someone's very first book about the tarot, but it's an excellent choice for someone who wants to learn more about spreads.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really in depth on spreads (as per the name!) It's less helpful to beginners as it doesn't really go into the meaning behind individual cards. This is more for intermediate users, IMO.

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

While I'm not new to reading tarot, I must admit I hadn't given a whole lot of thought to card spreads. Barbara Moore goes into great detail on spreads, the layouts, the card order, all of it, in an engaging and easy-to-read format. I'm inspired to look at spreads a little more critically and feel empowered to rearrange them or even create my own in the future to improve both my questions and my readings. Recommended for all card readers but maybe not complete novices. I think a reader that has some experience working with a variety of spreads will get a lot out of this book.

[Gail · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book explaining how to design tarot spreads. Moore's style of writing is inviting and supportive as she explains different ways to read tarot through layouts. There are many spreads within these pages and more importantly, Moore beautifully explains how to make a spread work for you.

And this is one of the prettiest books, ever. The interior designs are lovely. It's a pleasure the read the prose and learn from this gracious teacher and the book itself is a delight to behold. For a book geek, this one is "right purty" as the old folks say.

Highly recommended for those interested in adding diversity into their reading and expanding their ability to read the cards.

[Helen (they or he) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Practical and useful for tarot readers. If you're more of an oracle/lenormand reader, some of these spreads won't work but that's fine. A fun overview of Tarot spreads that helps me realize the intristic meaning of spread shapes used by a lot of people. I've noticed some by myself of course but seeing it laid out like this is much better. This ebook for me is one where I can't bookmark the pages I like because I like most of them.

[Eliza Fayle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading the most amazing Tarot book which I am going to recommend to all my Tarot students. It is Barbara Moore’s Tarot Spreads: Layouts & Techniques to Empower Your Readings. This book is never going to make it to my bookshelf. It is going to live right beside my Tarot decks.

To read the full review visit http://silverandgrace.com/book-review...

[Tea and Spite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on how spreads impact interpretation, as well as a solid selection of spreads to use. I do wish it had more variation (the overwhelming majority are either general or romance), but for most people it'll be more than enough to go on with. For anything else that's not covered, there's more than enough in here to design, test, and troubleshoot your own. Since I have basically zero interest in the most common reasons people read tarot (romance, work/finances, health), that last bit opens up an entire world of possibilities.

[Danielle Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is an excellent read and resource. The author takes the reader through the intricacies of tarot reading and spread creation. The book is easy to read and the practices are easy to integrate into your reading style. Even if you're not into creating your own spreads, there is a lot of good information that will enrich your readings and your relationship with your cards. This book is an excellent addition to any tarot readers library.

[Witchy Woman · Rating 5 out of 5]

My tarot study group used this book. It has useful ideas on how to organize questions, create your own spread and how to tweek a spread. Of course, it has much more than that. I've got notes sticking out threw out the pages. You'll even want to reread it because of all the great information! This book made me realize I prefer to read fewer than 7 cards. This is a must have book if you want to read tarot.

[Mic · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a comprehensive guide to tarot spreads, offering a variety of layouts and techniques to enhance your tarot readings. It covers a range of topics, including love, career, personal growth, and spiritual guidance. Plus, i like her style, not overwhelming but you can build skills overtime.
To be honest, it is not easy to write process for "intutive work" the entire result is up to individual's intuition or spiritual growth. It is well done.

[Terese · Rating 5 out of 5]

Explains tarot spreads in depth and teaches you how to tweak existing spreads to suit your needs and explains multiple ways to create your own. It also contains some nice information on how a good tarot spread works and can be read in multiple ways. It is a must read for any tarot practicioner, albeit a bit nerdy <3

[Jaclyn Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An advanced beginner to intermediate book for tarot readers. A good book if you want to up your game and learn new spreads and create your own spread. A good reference that you will pull from your shelf often.

[Amy VanHym · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book for beginners. Lots of useful information with only a bit too much fluff.

[Serafim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent coffee table book

[Elisabet · Rating 4 out of 5]

No messing around here, plenty of spreads for plenty of things. Also has good indexes for topics and types of spread, which is very helpful.

[Whiskey and Reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just like tarot spreads, what can I say?

[Matias Selzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book with tons of spreads and ideas!

[Alia Makki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eclectic, intuitive fun.

[Angel Ackerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a comprehensive resource!

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick impressions: For beginners and intermediate learners, I'd say this book is essential.

(Full detailed review on my blog.)

[Caroline Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent variety of different spreads explained in detail. Does not explain each card but I wasn’t looking for that. My go to book for ideas on spreads.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent variety of different spreads explained in detail. Does not explain each card but I wasn’t looking for that. My go to book for ideas on spreads.

[Jera Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great book on tarot. It offers insight into how spreads are designed and, more importantly, why. A lot of times it’s easy to see why a given spread may have its shape. For example, if it’s a spread about growth and the shape is that of a tree the relation between the two is evident. The Celtic Cross’s shape may not be as immediately obvious. This book helps clarify how the shape of a spread can boost a reading and how different parts of a spread connect to each other.

While the main goal of this book is to go over spread design it covers other things such as spread techniques and how to alter a preexisting spread. This makes for some interesting reading and is very helpful, especially the latter. I think it’s not an uncommon thing to find a spread that is good but not precisely what the reader is looking for. Being able to alter the spread accordingly is a useful thing to be able to do.

It also goes over some older ways of using tarot that aren’t used as often nowadays. It’s a nice bit of history and offers further insight into how tarot has developed.

Since everyone’s philosophy on tarot is different it’s not surprising that the author’s views and my own don’t always align perfectly. I didn’t find this to be much of a problem though since the author acknowledges this in the book as opposed to trying to state “this is how tarot should be.” It’s nice to see other ways of looking at tarot and I think this book would be useful to anyone trying to gain insight into tarot spreads whether they want to create their own or not.

[Meriah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whether you are a beginning tarot reader or a long-time reader of the cards, I would (without a shadow of a doubt) recommend you pick up this book.

You may not find yourself creating hundreds of spreads for the masses, but the information to be gained from Moore's writing is more than enough to make this purchase well worth it. She begins the book by explaining her stance on the benefits of tarot spreads alongside reading tarot cards. She discusses many ways to interpret the cards in correlation to tarot spreads, and even without the use of spreads. In addition to discussing the creation and reading of tarot spreads, she includes a wide variety of already created spreads for you to use. If I were to recommend any book to beginning tarot readers, this would be it.

There are so many resources on how to interpret the cards, but very few quality websites explaining tarot spreads fluently and accurately as Moore does.

[Marcello Tarot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il capolavoro della Moore.
Teoria spiegata passo passo, prendendo in considerazione una pletora di elementi, senza mai risultare pesante e, anzi, in uno stile pratico e piacevole al tempo stesso.
Quando poi passa alla pratica, l’autrice non lesina le stese basate sulla teoria spiegata nelle pagine precedenti e, capitalizzandoci su, ci offre delle chicche, accompagnando sempre il tutto con spiegazioni mai pesanti e mantenendo sempre quello stile piacevole.
Non paga di averci deliziato con teoria e pratica sulle stese, include poi anche un capitolo sulle varie tecniche che si possono adottare durante una lettura, e qui troviamo altre perle.
Per chi voglia davvero capire le stese, strumento principe di ogni lettore di Tarocchi, questo libro è indispensabile, così come lo sono quello della Fiorini e quello della Michelsen sullo stesso argomento.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, I have been challenged on a few occasions to know more spreads so ultimately that is what prompted me to read this book. I liked the way Moore wrote this book, she helped eliminate a few stress points for me about the Celtic Cross as I have never had that spread explained to me b/4 so that was very helpful. I also very much appreciated her step by step approach to explaining the significance of cards and their position. I feel after reading this I have the confidence to maybe be more creative on my spreads. I so thankful the author helps to give an index to her spreads and ways to help "catalog them" so I can refer to them in the future. I'm excited to really delve into studying Tarot......I have a feeling it will be very rewarding!

[Georgina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only does Moore share several of her personal spreads, she explains how to create a spread (it's more than just plopping down some cards and assigning meanings) and how to modify spreads found in other sources. Things to consider when creating a spread include the visual shape of the pattern of cards (triangles provide more interplay than straight rows, straight rows suggest a time progression) and determining just how much info you want. As I'm fond of saying to my students: Don't use 10 cards if 5 will do; don't use 5 cards if you get your answer with 3.

[Nicole Drake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great collection of spreads

Barbara provides a great collection of tarot spreads and does a great job of explaining the process of modifying these spreads and creating your own. The explanations were clear and concise, and a lot of the spreads had variations that were as clear as the originals. There are a number of books devoted to spreads, and I like this one the best. Highly recommended!!!!!!!

[Shonna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jam packed full of useful and profound spreads that Barbara uses plus inspired me to start creating my own spreads with competence and zeal. Highly recommended!